Chapter 346: Chu Feng: Strike Eagle Brother with Your Full Strength
"Senior, it is this old man."
The King of the Thunderblade bowed respectfully to the young man before him.
The Golden-Winged Great Sage nodded slightly, then turned his gaze to Elder Liu. "Why are you still standing here? Do you also wish for my elder brother's guidance?"
Elder Liu was about to explain when the Golden-Winged Great Sage continued, "If you have no business here, leave at once. We do not entertain outsiders."
"..."
Elder Liu was speechless. This was clearly Wanbao Pavilion's domain, yet he was being told to leave. Suppressing his irritation, he said, "I am only here as a witness."
The Golden-Winged Great Sage replied, "Very well. Then take a look at the three Enlightenment Pills first."
As soon as he spoke, a beam of light flew out from within the hall, coming to rest before Elder Liu.
Sensing the fleeting aura inside the hall, Elder Liu trembled involuntarily.
There was another Great Sage within that hall. Which holy land could produce such a superlative powerhouse—one capable of commanding a Great Sage?
The more he thought, the more alarmed he became. Whatever anger he had felt quickly vanished without a trace. He accepted the pill bottle and, upon opening it, gasped aloud, "These... these are supreme-grade Enlightenment Pills!"
Even the King of the Thunderblade, who had prepared himself to receive Enlightenment Pills, never imagined that someone would present supreme-grade ones.
His legs nearly buckled, and he almost knelt on the spot.
The Golden-Winged Great Sage sneered. "You are at least a senior member of Wanbao Pavilion. Why act like some inexperienced junior who has never seen the world?"
Elder Liu forced a polite, embarrassed smile. "Senior is correct. This junior's knowledge is shallow. I shall take my leave at once."
He handed the pills to the King of the Thunderblade, thinking to himself: How fortunate this old fellow is.
Auctioning a family treasure and unexpectedly meeting a master alchemist's guidance—he might even become that man's registered disciple.
The King of the Thunderblade received the pills, then bowed toward the hall. "Many thanks, Senior."
A slow, unhurried voice drifted from the hall. "No need for thanks. This is merely a transaction between us. Enough idle words, let us move to the main matter."
"Yes."
The King of the Thunderblade carefully stored the bottle in his ring, then stood obediently, like a novice scholar awaiting instruction. "I humbly ask Senior for guidance."
"First, strike Eagle Brother with your full strength."
Chu Feng took a sip of tea and said nothing more.
That was all?
The King of the Thunderblade was bewildered. He had expected a lengthy lecture filled with insights.
The Golden-Winged Great Sage, however, found nothing amiss. Without comprehending the true meaning of the Dao, the gap between a Nirvana cultivator and a Great Sage was like heaven and earth.
Even standing still, this old fellow could not harm him in the slightest.
Seeing the King of the Thunderblade frozen in place, he barked impatiently, "What, old man, did you not hear my elder brother's words?"
Only then did the King of the Thunderblade recover himself. Still doubtful, he asked, "Senior, is this truly appropriate?"
Inside the hall, Chu Feng spoke calmly, "What is inappropriate? I merely wish to see what techniques you have mastered, and what truths you have comprehended. Only then can I guide you in grasping the Dao's true meaning."
It made sense, but... were there not millions of cultivators in the world? Was this Senior also, by chance, a master of the blade?
Though puzzled, the King of the Thunderblade decided to take the risk. He bowed deeply toward the hall, then also saluted the Golden-Winged Great Sage. "Senior, forgive my offense."
The Golden-Winged Great Sage waved dismissively. "Enough with the nonsense. Remember, use your full strength. Do not make me waste more time playing with you."
"Yes."
With a nod, the King of the Thunderblade summoned light into his hand, and a five-foot blade appeared.
Even before being drawn, lightning coiled around the weapon.
Clang!
As he drew the blade, its radiance flashed like a falling star.
A saint blade entwined with thunder dragons appeared in his grasp. The moment he held it, his aura surged to its peak, enveloping the entire palace.
Elder Liu, who had only just left the courtyard and reached the Thunderclap Manor cultivators' quarters, froze upon sensing that aura.
The Thunderclap Manor cultivators were equally stunned. They knew their ancestor's aura all too well.
But to unleash it fully before a Great Sage—was this not courting death?
"Elder Liu, how is my ninth brother now?"
The speaker was another ancestor of Thunderclap Manor. Though of the same generation, he was hundreds of years younger than the King of the Thunderblade and slightly less gifted. That was why he had ceded this opportunity to him.
Elder Liu replied truthfully, "Friend Hongchui, your brother has received three supreme Enlightenment Pills. As for why he is acting thus, I cannot say."
At any other time, the mere mention of supreme Enlightenment Pills would have set them rejoicing. But now, no one had the heart. All they wanted was to see whether their ancestor had lost his mind.
Inside the palace, the other Great Sages wore thoughtful expressions at the sight.
Soon, one of them murmured, "It seems that fellow Daoist truly has some skill. But I wonder, how proficient is he in the blade?"
...
Within the hall, Chu Feng set down his teacup, watching the King of the Thunderblade intently.
"Thunder Slash!"
The King of the Thunderblade held nothing back. He raised his blade high and slashed toward the Great Sage before him.
That strike was like thunder itself—supreme, blazing, and swift!
The blade had yet to fall, yet despair already filled the air.
The Golden-Winged Great Sage watched the strike descend, then slowly raised his hand, casually pinching the blade's aura between two fingers.
He ignored the stunned expression of the King of the Thunderblade and instead turned toward the hall.
"Brother, did you see clearly?"
"That will do."
Chu Feng replied faintly.
"Alright then."
With that, the Golden-Winged Great Sage snapped his fingers together, dispersing the blade's light and dissolving the intent.
It was as though the strike had never existed. The King of the Thunderblade knew the gap between himself and a Great Sage was vast, but seeing this scene still left a trace of doubt shaking his Dao heart.
In the palace where Thunderclap Manor's cultivators resided, everyone was dumbfounded.
What in the world was going on?
They now wanted nothing more than to see their ancestor with their own eyes.
The other Great Sages, however, showed no reaction. To them, this was only natural.
Chu Feng toyed with his teacup as he spoke slowly, "Your Thunderblade intent has indeed reached perfection. But I have a question for you to answer."
The King of the Thunderblade quickly came to his senses and bowed respectfully. "Please ask, Senior. This junior will hold nothing back."
Chu Feng smiled. "No need to be so serious. I only want to know—what Dao truth do you wish to comprehend next? Will it be the Dao of the Blade or the Dao of Thunder?"
???
The King of the Thunderblade froze. He had never expected the senior to be so casual. In truth, he had never considered the question himself.
Silence descended upon the courtyard.
Seeing him lost in thought, Chu Feng chuckled. "Since you cannot decide, I shall give you three days. Remember—after the sun reaches its peak each day, you may come to give me your answer. At that time, I will provide you with a satisfactory response."
"Thank you, Senior."
The King of the Thunderblade gave a bow and then left.
The Golden-Winged Great Sage shut the palace doors and stepped inside, seating himself before Chu Feng without ceremony. "Brother, which will that old fellow choose?"
Chu Feng smiled. "No matter what he chooses, is it not still a chance for you all to comprehend a Dao truth?"
The Golden-Winged Great Sage's eyes lit up. "Brother, do you mean we can borrow his breakthrough to Half-Saint as an opportunity to comprehend the Dao truth ourselves? Then this trip would be a fortune!"
Chu Feng took a sip of tea. "This is called—so long as you feel you've profited, I can never lose."
The Golden-Winged Great Sage gave him a thumbs up. "As expected of you, Brother."
Meanwhile, the King of the Thunderblade mulled over the senior's words as he returned to the palace where Thunderclap Manor's cultivators were lodged.
Seeing their ancestor distracted, they hurried up to greet him.
"Ancestor."
"Ninth brother."
"Friend Thunderblade."
Only then did he come back to himself and ask, "What is it?"
Everyone: ???
Elder Liu stepped in with a smile, hoping to ease the awkwardness. "Friend Thunderblade, why have you returned so quickly?"
The King of the Thunderblade did not hide the truth. "To be frank, that senior gave me two choices. One is to comprehend the Dao truth of Thunder, the other the Dao truth of the Blade. I am still deciding."
At these words, everyone froze, then began speaking at once.
"Ancestor, you should comprehend the Dao truth of Thunder. After all, we are Thunderclap Manor."
"Ancestor, the Dao truth of the Blade suits you best."
"..."
Hearing them all argue, the King of the Thunderblade showed a helpless expression.
Just then, a voice filled with authority rang out from within the crowd. "Silence!"
The courtyard instantly became still, every gaze falling once more upon the King of the Thunderblade...
Hey readers! If you're eager to dive into advanced chapters, consider joining our Patreon. By joining, you'll get access to 20 chapters ahead and enjoy 8 new chapters per week. Plus, we have 2 more exciting fics with the same chapter release rate, giving you a total of 32 chapters per week! Join now and keep the adventure going!
Patreon: https://patreon.com/Alex_Cruise