Chapter 348 Great Sage Benlei: I Have Understood, I Have Understood!
"It seems the King of Thunderblade failed in his first breakthrough?"
Great Sage Xueyou sneered gleefully. Whenever he recalled being mocked by that fellow some days ago, the corners of his mouth curled upward involuntarily.
"Fellow Daoist Xueyou, no need to be so delighted. That one did provide three supreme Comprehension Pills."
Great Sage Xuanyi appeared indifferent, as though the matter had nothing to do with him.
This greatly displeased Great Sage Xueyou. Just as he was about to speak, Great Sage Zhexian, who stood nearby with his sword, raised it to block him. "Enough. We are all here to watch the spectacle. Do not fight among ourselves first."
"Hmph."
Great Sage Xueyou snorted coldly. "Who would consider a bull-nosed Daoist from the Holy Land of Taiqing one of our own?"
Great Sage Xuanyi did not argue, merely stroking his beard as he waited quietly.
In contrast to their calmness, the cultivators of Thunderclap Manor all bore anxious expressions.
For matters of breakthrough, the first attempt carries strength, the second wanes, the third is exhausted. If the second attempt failed as well, then trouble would be grave.
Seeing his juniors' dispirited faces, King of Floodhammer grew furious. "You brats! Ninth brother has not yet failed, and you wear faces of mourning? Are you cursing him to fail? All of you—smile!"
At once, the cultivators of Thunderclap Manor forced smiles uglier than crying.
Elder Liu wished to advise them otherwise but could not find the words, and so chose to remain silent.
Cultivators of Wushuang City, upon hearing the rumors leaking from the palace, delighted in the misfortune. To see a lofty Great Sage embarrassed was something they would never encounter in their lives.
Some even set wagers on how many more times the King of Thunderblade would fail before giving up.
Compared to the outside world, within the courtyard the King of Thunderblade was already immersed in his divine sense sea, continuously studying the True Meaning of Thunder inscribed on the talisman. Last time, he had been only half a step away from enlightenment.
It was a feeling he had not known for hundreds of years, and he firmly believed this time he would succeed.
His Dao heart grew steadfast, and his aura began to change subtly.
Chu Feng paid him no heed, living as usual. Though he did not leave the residence to wander, he still strolled about the palace with the two young girls.
The two girls rediscovered their long-lost joy, treating the palace as their home.
The world watched this scene, uncertain how to evaluate such a Great Sage, waiting only for the final result.
Time flew by.
It had been eighty-one days since the King of Thunderblade entered Chu Feng's palace, yet to a Nirvana cultivator, such time was nothing.
On this day, the thunder talisman within his divine sense sea suddenly dissolved, transforming into a Dao Seed that planted itself in his mind.
In that instant, comprehension dawned in his heart. He opened his eyes wide and shouted, "I have understood! I have finally comprehended the True Meaning of the Great Dao!"
Chen Qianqian, just about to leave, saw this and tilted her small head. "Grandpa, are you all right?"
King of Thunderblade: "Σ(°△°|||)︴."
Chu Feng looked at his sweat-beaded expression and said with a smile, "Congratulations, fellow Daoist, on comprehending the True Meaning of the Great Dao."
The King of Thunderblade came to his senses and bowed deeply. "This student thanks master for his guidance. Such grace shall never be forgotten."
"Ding. Host has guided the King of Thunderblade to comprehend the True Meaning of the Great Dao. Reward: Great Dao truth +10."
Hearing the system's chime, Chu Feng smiled. "No need for thanks. Seize this opportunity to break through to the Half-Saint Realm."
"Yes."
The King of Thunderblade could no longer suppress the surging spiritual power within him.
Hearing their words, Chen Qianqian turned to Chu Feng. "Master, since he calls you teacher, does that mean he must call me senior sister?"
"No problem."
Chu Feng grinned as he spoke.
"Ah, I actually have such an old junior brother."
Chen Qianqian's face showed a trace of frustration.
Chu Feng rubbed her little head. "You can choose not to acknowledge him. But if you go out to play in the future, you cannot boast of having a Half-Saint junior brother."
At these words, Chen Qianqian's eyes sparkled. "Right, how could I forget that!"
Their casual conversation did not disturb the King of Thunderblade's breakthrough.
Several hours later, his aura erupted like a volcanic explosion, surging straight into the heavens. Within that mighty force was the True Meaning of Thunder, shaking the entire Wushuang City.
In that moment, it seemed the city froze still, as all living beings turned their eyes toward the palace.
After a long silence, at one corner of the palace, Great Sage Xueyou spoke in disbelief. "That brat Benlei has truly succeeded? This… this is not even one hundred days!"
Great Sage Xuanyi smiled and said, "This is what is called destiny. Perhaps the one who guided him truly is a Saint."
The Great Sages fell silent.
Compared to their astonishment, the residence of Thunderclap Manor's cultivators had already become a sea of joy.
"He succeeded!"
"Our ancestor has broken through!"
"…"
King of Floodhammer murmured, "Forefather, do you see this? Our generation has not shamed you."
Elder Liu, sensing the aura of a Great Sage, could not help but sigh. "I never thought, in my lifetime, I would personally witness such a dreamlike event. This life has not been lived in vain. Someone, go retrieve the Thunder God's Sacred Hammer!"
As Great Sage Benlei broke through, tribulation clouds appeared in the sky. The Great Sages of Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion, seeing this, wore bitter smiles.
This time things had truly been pushed too far. When the thunder tribulation descended, their palace might be reduced to ruins, and even the entire Wushuang City could be affected.
At that moment, they suddenly saw a figure slowly fly out from the residence and head straight toward the thunder tribulation.
Both Great Sages were dumbfounded, and the cultivators of Wushuang City stood frozen. In all their lives, it was the first time they had seen someone face the tribulation by flying into the thunderclouds.
Great Sage Benlei's heart was abnormally calm. He instinctively felt the thunder tribulation could help him climb higher, so without hesitation, he rushed into the clouds.
"Brother, this old fellow is getting bold," Great Sage Jinchi muttered.
Chu Feng smiled. "It seems those two thunder talismans are taking effect."
Curious, Great Sage Jinchi asked, "Brother, can you explain to me in detail the marvels of those two thunder talismans?"
Chu Feng said, "Those two thunder talismans were created by an unspeakable existence. They represent the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder."
Hiss—
Hearing the words "unspeakable existence," Great Sage Jinchi instinctively drew in a sharp breath, muttering, "Tell me, is there anything you don't understand?"
Chu Feng shook his head. "I do not know either."
Great Sage Jinchi: "…"
Crackling thunder!
As they spoke, the first bolt of tribulation thunder fell upon Great Sage Benlei within the storm, yet did not spread to Wushuang City at all.
"This Fellow Daoist Benlei truly is a man of principle," one of the Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion's Great Sages said.
The other added, "Indeed, he faces this matter with dignity."
The thunder tribulation continued. The cultivators watched Great Sage Benlei in the storm, unharmed, their eyes shifting from doubt to reverence.
Even Great Sage Xuanyi sighed. "Who would have thought Fellow Daoist Benlei would walk such an unorthodox path? This thunder tribulation bears little burden upon him."
The other Great Sages felt only envy. When they crossed their tribulations, it had been a brush with death.
Bathed in the thunder, a talisman of lightning gradually formed within Benlei's mind.
After nine bolts of heavenly thunder, the talisman finally solidified.
Sensing the clouds dissipate, his face revealed regret. If there had been nine more bolts, he could have deduced the final thunder talisman, allowing him to travel even further on the path of enlightenment.
He did not linger in the sky, but returned to the palace to await the arrival of omens.
At the moment he landed, purple qi surged from the east and celestial signs descended, enveloping the entire palace.
The spiritual energy of Wushuang City grew several times denser than usual.
The high ranks of Ten Thousand Treasures Pavilion immediately ordered their disciples into the palace to cultivate and share in the omen.
Chu Feng gestured with his eyes for his companions to begin cultivating.
At once, the entire Wushuang City grew silent, immersed in the shared celestial phenomenon.
Three days later, the omen dissipated.
A familiar mechanical voice once again sounded in Chu Feng's mind.
"Great Sage Jinchi, Great Sage Benlei, and Bing Yan have each comprehended one point of the Great Dao's truth. Host gains Great Dao truth +30."
Hearing this, Chu Feng's lips curved upward slightly. Comfortable…
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