Drip… Drip…
In the forest, droplets of water slid from the leaves, striking the tender grass below with a soft, crisp sound. The dark clouds had receded, and sunlight once again graced the land. A seven-colored rainbow hung like a bridge, connecting the earth to the heavens.
Ngh…
A wave of vertigo suddenly washed over Zhou Changqing, and his mind grew heavy. A profound emptiness, originating from the very depths of his soul, spread throughout his body. He opened his eyes, and the sunlight that streamed in seemed to chase away the last vestiges of clarity from his pupils. A few breaths later, the feeling of lucid, nimble thought receded like the tide, disappearing completely. His mind felt sluggish, as if encased in stone, walled off by an insurmountable barrier.
"It's over…"
After a moment, Zhou Changqing collected himself, sighing with a hint of melancholy. To be honest, the state of enlightenment he had just experienced was unprecedentedly wonderful. Now that it was gone, the contrast was jarring. Having tasted such perfect clarity, how could he not feel constrained by his current, shackled state of mind?
But it wasn't long before his disappointment gave way to elation. Not only had he broken through to the Dou Wang realm, but he had also chanced upon an epiphany. His gains were immense!
Although the epiphany had been brief—judging by the change in weather, no more than an hour—in that short time, he had accomplished what might have otherwise taken him several years, or even a decade!
Recalling his harvest, Zhou Changqing immediately began to circulate the Celestial Goldforge Art. Instantly, the Dou Qi within his Dan Crystal surged like a roaring river into his meridians, completing a full cycle at astonishing speed. At the same time, a powerful suction force emanated from his body, pulling the unaligned ambient energy from the world around him through his pores. The energy within a hundred-meter radius was rapidly depleted as he converted it into his own Dou Qi.
And this wasn't even him pushing the technique to its limits; it was just his normal cultivation state. Such a terrifying absorption speed was at least on par with a Xuan Tier, High Rank technique!
Celestial Goldforge Art! Xuan Tier, High Rank!
This was the first of his gains from the epiphany. In that state, his mind had seemed to ascend to a higher dimension. Concepts that had once been incomprehensible were now perfectly clear. Drawing upon the foundation of knowledge he had accumulated, he entered a near-divine state of understanding, allowing him to effortlessly refine the Celestial Goldforge Art, taking its essence and discarding the dross.
The modified Celestial Goldforge Art had jumped two entire levels, soaring from Xuan Tier, Low Rank to Xuan Tier, High Rank!
But that wasn't all.
In terms of Dou Skills, he had fused the Xuan Tier, Mid Rank "Thunder Python's Mountain-Shattering Force" with the Xuan Tier, Low Rank "Earth-Shattering Cleave" to forge a Dou Skill that was uniquely his own.
A Xuan Tier, High Rank, Gold and Lightning dual-attribute Dou Skill!
Myriad Thunder of the Flood Dragon!
Though it was ranked as Xuan Tier, High Rank, Zhou Changqing was confident that once he mastered this dual-attribute skill, its power would be no less than that of an ordinary Di Tier, Low Rank Dou Skill. Therefore, it would be more accurate to classify it as Xuan Tier, Top Rank.
Furthermore, in the field of artifact refinement, he had even created two exceptionally unique Artifact Runes.
How could he not be ecstatic with such a harvest?
"Your state just now was very strange. Seeing you so happy, I assume you're alright?" Medusa had appeared behind him at some point, her voice calm as she inquired.
Hearing the familiar voice, Zhou Changqing pulled himself from his excitement. He stood and turned to her, nodding with a smile. "I'm fine. In fact, my gains were quite substantial."
"That's good." Medusa nodded, then simply stood there, watching him.
Zhou Changqing was initially puzzled by her stare. Then, he mentally smacked his forehead, remembering the one thing this Queen cared about most. He raised his hand and channeled his lightning essence. Countless incandescent bolts erupted from his palm, and a searing heat carrying the might of annihilation spread through the air, making it crackle and pop.
Although his lightning was still the same brilliant white as before, a careful inspection would reveal a crucial difference. It was now almost indistinguishable from true heavenly lightning, possessing a dreadful, majestic might like that of the heavens themselves. Moreover, the mysterious qi fluctuation it emitted was far denser than before.
If his previous qi had been a mere puddle, what he wielded now was a flowing stream. The difference was one of quality, not just quantity. After drawing lightning into his body so many times, fusing with countless heavenly bolts, and crossing the great divide into the mid-tier realms of Dou Qi cultivation, his lightning source had undergone a fundamental transformation.
"Your Majesty, with this level of power, it should be enough to help you complete your evolution, right?" Zhou Changqing asked, his voice filled with confidence. His breakthrough to the Dou Wang realm had elevated him in every aspect—cultivation, foundation, and more. The change was like night and day. His lightning's special qi was no exception. If this still wasn't enough to satisfy her, then his lightning simply didn't possess the power to sublimate a creature's bloodline.
Medusa's perception locked onto the lightning, scrutinizing the mysterious qi within it. At the same time, her originally placid bloodline source now radiated an extreme sense of yearning. It was a sensation she hadn't felt since her bloodline had reached its peak potential. This feeling was just like the first time she had met Zhou Changqing and sensed the unique properties of his lightning.
No. It was even stronger.
Even someone as composed as Medusa couldn't help but reveal a brilliant, moving smile.
"It's enough!"
Zhou Changqing was momentarily stunned by her sudden smile, which bloomed like a peony in full splendor. It wasn't that his composure was weak or that he had never seen beauty before. It was simply that a smile on Medusa's face was an exceedingly rare and captivating sight. It stood in stark contrast to her usual cold, bewitching demeanor. In the nearly one year he had known her, this was the first time he had ever seen it.
"Let's go. Back to the Holy City." Forcibly suppressing the excitement deep in her heart, Medusa noticed the young man staring blankly at her. She decided not to comment on it. While she didn't dislike him looking at her like that, the most important thing right now was her evolution. With her lifelong dream so close to being realized, she didn't want to waste another moment.
"Oh, right!" Snapping back to his senses, Zhou Changqing quickly nodded and began to circulate his Dou Qi. A massive wave of energy erupted from him. A mixture of gold and lightning Dou Qi flowed through his meridians, gathering at the acupoints on his back.
Hiss!
With a soft sound, the converged Dou Qi burst forth from his pores, swirling and condensing behind him. In the next second, a pair of resplendent golden energy wings, their surface crackling with arcs of lightning, materialized.
Dou Qi Wings!
Feeling the wings on his back, Zhou Changqing was filled with a wondrous sensation. It was as if he had truly grown a pair of wings, ones he could control with perfect precision.
With a single beat of his Gold-Lightning Wings, Zhou Changqing vanished from his spot, leaving only a golden-white afterimage and lingering wisps of electricity.
A hundred meters up in the sky, Zhou Changqing hovered in place, feeling the cool breeze against his cheeks. He opened his hand, sensing the air currents flowing past his fingertips, and a wide grin spread across his face.
He could finally fly!
Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!
A series of sonic booms echoed as Zhou Changqing's figure zipped back and forth across the sky, leaving trails of golden lightning in his wake.
Seeing the young man playing with his newfound ability like a child with a beloved new toy, Medusa found the sight strangely endearing. A faint, amused smile touched her lips as she shook her head. Then, she too unfurled her own crimson Dou Qi Wings and soared into the sky.
A moment later, two streaks of light, one red and one gold, shot toward the horizon.