Life in the Shadow of the Storm

Nine Stars City stood at the edge of calamity.

A storm unlike any before loomed overhead, thick clouds roiling like an endless black sea, their depths alive with thunderous rage.

Within the imperial palace, Ji Wuhui let out a bitter chuckle.

"What can we even do?"

His voice was laced with helplessness.

"How can mere mortals hope to stop a tribulation of this magnitude?"

Silence stretched between him and Old Bai, each weighed down by the undeniable truth.

Yet suddenly—

A flicker of realization sparked in Elder Bai's eyes.

Ji Wuhui noticed it too.

The two men exchanged a look, their gazes mirroring the same thought.

Ji Wuhui swallowed, then slowly turned to the east—toward the Origin Mall.

"Old Bai… Could this tribulation be because of the boss?"

---

Earlier that day, customers at Origin Mall had been puzzled.

It was rare—unheard of, even—for the Boss to leave the shop floor during business hours.

So when he vanished upstairs, murmurs began spreading among the crowd.

Then came the deafening boom from above.

Speculation exploded.

Had the boss failed at creating something new?

Had he broken something powerful?

Whispers traveled from Bu Lige and Jiang Shengjun all the way to the emperor's ears.

Now, hearing this, Elder Bai furrowed his brows in thought.

"It's… very possible."

Ji Wuhui hesitated for a moment before nodding.

"Old Bai, did you feel it earlier? Before the tribulation clouds gathered… something terrifying appeared in the direction of the Origin Mall."

Elder Bai gave him a skeptical look but eventually nodded.

"I did. If Your Majesty hadn't mentioned it, I would have dismissed it as an illusion."

Neither of them knew it, but what they had sensed was the moment Yao Ziyan's bloodline awakened.

Perhaps only cultivators of their level could vaguely perceive such a thing—

Even through the layers of protective energy that shielded Origin Mall from prying senses.

Ji Wuhui let out a slow breath.

"If that's the case… then we don't have to worry."

If the boss was involved, then no matter how terrifying this tribulation seemed—

It was nothing more than a passing storm.

After all, hadn't a second-rank Eminence been erased with a single flick of the boss's hand?

Yet despite his words, Ji Wuhui couldn't shake a certain helplessness.

Why was it that—

For someone with such a cold and detached personality, the boss sure stirred up trouble so often?

He simply didn't understand.

---

Elsewhere, Ying Wuji and several other high-ranking cultivators exchanged wry smiles.

They, too, had noticed the ominous storm clouds gathering above.

And like Ji Wuhui and Old Bai, they had their own suspicions.

How long has it been?

Why is the boss causing another massive disturbance already?

At the same time, their curiosity burned brighter than their fear.

What could possibly be powerful enough to trigger a tribulation of this level?

Yes, they felt nervous.

But more than that—

They were excited.

Plans were already forming in their minds.

Would they visit the Origin Mall again this afternoon?

Of course.

Something like this could only mean one thing—

The boss had created something new!

---

The ordinary residents of Nine Stars City looked up at the sky in terror and disbelief.

Not again.

"Can't we have a single peaceful day?"

In just a little over a month, their city had endured one major event after another.

They weren't sick, but at this rate, they'd die of stress!

Some were already considering leaving.

"Maybe it's time to move somewhere quieter…"

And yet—

Despite all the chaos, none of these disasters had ever actually harmed them.

If anything, the order within Nine Stars City had only improved.

Still…

"Just because we're safe doesn't mean we enjoy living in constant fear!"

---

Of course, the one responsible for all this commotion—Luo Chuan himself—remained utterly unfazed.

Or rather, he didn't even know.

…Well, even if he did know, he wouldn't have done anything differently.

Right now, Luo Chuan and Yao Ziyan stood at the entrance of Origin Mall, gazing up at the storm above.

The dark clouds had gathered so thickly that it felt as if the heavens themselves were about to collapse upon them.

The air crackled with electricity, and the weight of the storm pressed heavily against the world.

Yao Ziyan's fingers curled slightly.

Luo Chuan, on the other hand—

He simply yawned.