Chapter 48: Commanding Thunder
Far away in the valley, Chen Chang'an yawned and slowly opened his eyes while reclining on a lounge chair.
The incarnation's true essence had been exhausted, so he simply cut off the connection.
With the temperament of those two youths, he trusted they would not abandon his "corpse in the wilderness."
He stood, rolling his shoulders to loosen them.
"This incarnation is still too weak…" he sighed softly, rubbing at his brow.
The distance was too great, spiritual power transmission limited, so the incarnation's strength was not even equal to a newly advanced Profound Connection cultivator, at best resembling an injured early Profound Connection on the verge of regression. If not for his Saint Realm mastery over true essence control, he might not have withstood even a single move from Mo Daoren.
"If only I could complete the epic achievement 'Youth's Journey' sooner…" he muttered. "Then I must push the immortal art 'External Incarnation' to its utmost perfection."
But this achievement had no prompt, and he had no idea how to begin, so he set it aside for now.
Since the incarnation could no longer move, he rose, pushed open the door, and prepared to check on his eldest disciple and daughter's cultivation progress.
Yet soon he learned from Uncle Wu's doting tone that his daughter had gone off to play with her little black teacher today.
In the open space stood only Xiao Chen, holding a sword, faint traces of lightning flickering across its edge.
Chen Chang'an watched from afar, nodding slightly.
Worthy indeed of the system's recognition as a peerless genius. In just a few days, Xiao Chen's Nine Heavens Thunder Movement Sword Art already showed considerable form.
With a twist of his wrist, the sword angled upward, and in an instant a thread-thin streak of lightning burst from the blade's tip, tracing a brilliant arc through the air. His body turned, sword momentum quickened, lightning coiling like a dragon around him. Wherever the blade passed, the air itself seared with faint scorch marks.
"Boom!"
The final strike fell, blasting a shallow groove into the ground.
"Not bad," Chen Chang'an praised.
He was not a man of this world.
He had crossed over with the system, with memories of his past life, yet with no idea how one should act as a master in this cultivation world.
After much thought, he chose the simplest way: treat it as raising a son.
After all, he raised his daughter Chen Xingcai in much the same way.
Thus, whenever his true body had leisure, he would personally cook, stewing a pot of spirit chicken soup, steaming baskets of soft fragrant spirit rice cakes, pairing them with a pot of warm spirit tea, and delivering them to Xiao Chen's bamboo hut where he trained.
"Cultivation is tiring—eat something first."
At first, Xiao Chen had been restrained, even overwhelmed by the attention. Branded a "genius" since childhood, his father often fought on distant battlefields, his mother had died early, and within his clan, all treated him with reverence.
Later, stripped of the genius halo, he suffered deeply from the clan's shifting warmth and coldness.
Just days ago, while training, he had accidentally cut his arm.
Chen Chang'an, without a word, seized his wrist, spiritual light gathering at his fingertips to gently brush over the wound.
"Does it hurt?"
Xiao Chen froze.
He recalled when he was young, the first time he was injured while training, he had gone to his father. His father merely glanced and said, "For a cultivator, such a small wound is nothing."
But his master—Chen Chang'an—frowned, drew a bottle of ointment from his sleeve, carefully applied it to his hand, and muttered, "This sword art is domineering. As you're just beginning, don't push yourself too hard."
Xiao Chen lowered his head, throat tightening.
In this valley, in Chen Chang'an's presence, he felt once more the warmth of "home."
…
At this moment, hearing Chen Chang'an's praise, Xiao Chen sheathed his sword. Sweat glistened faintly on his brow, but his eyes shone with excitement.
Yet Uncle Wu shook his head, sighing. "Master, though this sword art is strong, relying solely on practicing sword forms is not enough."
Chen Chang'an raised a brow. "Oh?"
Uncle Wu stroked his beard and explained. "The Nine Heavens Thunder Movement Sword Art is the sect-guarding secret art of the Nine Heavens Thunder Pavilion, one of Xuanying Continent's supreme sects. Its true power lies not in sword forms, but in thunder laws."
"This sword art must gather divine thunders from across the world, merging them into sword intent before reaching completion. Yet such divine thunders are either secret inheritances of great sects and clans or hidden in deadly forbidden lands. With Xiao Chen's current strength, seeking them rashly would be suicide."
Chen Chang'an heard this and grew thoughtful.
He recalled the times he himself used the Nine Heavens Thunder Movement Sword Art—because of the system, he had already by default gathered all divine thunders of the world, the thunder laws fused within the sword art, inseparable.
But then…
He suddenly recalled the tribulation lightning his incarnation had drawn forth while battling Mo Daoren.
"Uncle Wu." His lips curved slightly. "Would heavenly tribulation lightning count as a form of thunder law?"
Uncle Wu froze, then nodded. "Of course! Tribulation lightning is born of heaven and earth, its might far surpassing ordinary thunder laws. If it can be harnessed, it will surely be the key to the sword art's perfection."
Chen Chang'an smiled. "Then isn't it simple?"
Both Xiao Chen and Uncle Wu looked toward him, eyes filled with doubt.
Chen Chang'an clasped his hands behind his back, his gaze profound. "Since divine thunders are hard to find, why not collect tribulation lightning first?"
It was merely a thought, but in the next instant—
Clouds boiled above the valley, lightning surging through them like dragons, rumbling heavily.
Chen Chang'an stood with his robes billowing, raising his head toward the descending storm clouds, a faint smile playing on his lips.
"Xiao Chen, watch closely—"
He raised two fingers like a sword, pointing to the heavens.
"Nine Heavens Thunder Movement, Tribulation Lightning—come!"
"Boom—!!"
In an instant, a pillar-thick bolt of violet-gold tribulation lightning tore through the sky, crashing down with world-ending force! The blinding brilliance lit the mountain as if it were day, and the crushing aura made all beasts within a hundred li prostrate in terror.
"Master, no!" Uncle Wu's face changed drastically, stepping forward to stop him—
But Chen Chang'an remained calm, raising his hand in a grasp.
That terrifying bolt, enough to reduce a Profound Connection cultivator to ash, transformed in his palm into a tame violet-gold serpent. It coiled around his fingers, even rubbing affectionately against them.
"This…" Uncle Wu's eyes widened, beard trembling. "Is this… the power of the Saint Realm?"
Xiao Chen stood aside, eyes filled with awe and reverence. Never had he imagined that the lightning feared by countless cultivators would appear as meek as a pet kitten in his master's hand!
(With such a master… the sense of security is overwhelming!)
Chen Chang'an turned to him with a faint smile. "Come, try it."
With a flick of his finger, the violet-gold lightning serpent drifted toward Xiao Chen. Though tamed, its aura still pulsed with heart-shaking power.
Xiao Chen drew a deep breath and extended his hands.
The moment the serpent touched his palms, it dissolved into countless threads of lightning that burrowed into his meridians. Agonizing pain wracked him, cold sweat instantly soaking his brow, but he gritted his teeth and endured, channeling the Nine Heavens Thunder Movement Sword Art to guide the lightning into his dantian.
Chen Chang'an stood beside him, shielding him, pressing a steady palm to his back. Thick spiritual power flowed like gentle rain, soothing the riotous energy within.
Gradually, faint violet-gold lightning patterns surfaced across Xiao Chen's body. When he opened and closed his eyes, tiny sparks flickered within.
"Success!" He looked at his palms in joy, and with a thought, a thread of violet-gold lightning danced across his fingertips.
Chen Chang'an nodded with satisfaction. "Not bad. This tribulation lightning's quality is excellent, enough to serve you until the Origin Return Realm."
Then, stretching his limbs briefly, his habitual laziness returned, and with a yawn, he took his leave.
After he departed, Uncle Wu stepped forward, sighing at Xiao Chen. "I have lived for centuries, yet never once have I seen someone wield heavenly tribulation so casually… Master truly… is unfathomable."
The youth's heart surged with emotion.
That lone figure who had just subdued heaven's wrath was etched deeply into his mind—
This! This is my master, Xiao Chen's master!
…
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