Yu Yuanchen left Dragon City and headed west.
He did not deliberately pursue speed, but instead followed the intermittent yet increasingly clear guidance emanating from the Thunder Law Brand at the center of his brow, traveling through the air at a relatively steady pace. A purple-gold stream of light swept past mountains, rivers, towns, and wilderness, gradually leaving the bustling human settlements behind as he ventured deep into the increasingly desolate and primitive regions of the western continent.
The further west he traveled, the more ancient and vast the atmosphere between heaven and earth became. Human presence grew sparse, replaced by rolling, densely vegetated primitive mountain ranges and vast, boundless wilderness.
The lightning element in the air also became exceptionally active; one could often see thunder clouds gathering on the distant horizon, with electric snakes dancing wildly and thunder rumbling incessantly. Such an environment could be considered harsh for an ordinary Soul Master, but for Yu Yuanchen, who possessed the Ultimate Thunder, it was like a fish in water, and the circulation of his soul power became noticeably smoother.
He traveled day and night, occasionally stopping to regulate his breath and comprehend the rhythm of the thunder between heaven and earth, verifying it against his own Thunder True Essence. His cultivation level improved imperceptibly, and his control over lightning became more delicate and nuanced. That summoning sensation from the void, like a lighthouse in the darkness, guided his path forward, becoming closer and clearer with each passing moment.
Three months later, he had penetrated deep into the hinterland of the western continent, and his surroundings were now a true no-man's-land. Beneath his feet lay an endless expanse of desert and Gobi, eroded by wind and sand into deep gullies and ravines, while in the distance stood massive, towering mountain ranges like the spine of a giant dragon.
The lightning element in the air was so dense it had almost condensed into substance, and every breath carried a faint tingling sensation. The sky was perpetually shrouded in thick, lead-gray clouds, with low, rumbling thunder echoing like an eternal, ancient resonance.
Finally, Yu Yuanchen stopped before a massive, bottomless canyon that looked as if it had been cleaved open by the axe of a giant god.
The Thunder Runes at the center of his brow grew hotter than ever before, vibrating violently and emitting a humming sound like joyful chirps. The summoning sensation from the depths of his bloodline reached its peak here! There was no doubt that the "miracle" he was searching for lay within this terrifying canyon, which radiated an aura of ancient, desolate, destructive, and vital energy.
Yu Yuanchen hovered at the edge of the canyon and looked down. He saw that the rock walls on both sides were as steep as if cut by a knife or axe, presenting a dark purple hue after being repeatedly scorched and tempered by lightning. They were smooth as mirrors yet covered in countless thunder-scorched marks of varying depths. Deep within the canyon, a dense, impenetrable purple-black thunder mist swirled, making it difficult for his sight to penetrate, while faint, heart-palpitating energy fluctuations and dull roars emanated from within.
Even he could feel the terrifying power of destruction contained in the depths of the canyon. This was by no means a safe place!
But his eyes were firm, without the slightest hesitation. How could the opportunity to become a god be easily obtained? Dangerous situations are often accompanied by the greatest opportunities.
He took a deep breath, purple-gold lightning flowing around his body. He slightly expanded his Heavenly Tribulation Sacred Dragon Domain to protect himself, activated his Sacred Dragon True Form, and with a movement of his dragon wings, he resolutely flew into the bottomless Thunder Canyon like a falling star!
Once inside the canyon, the surrounding scene changed drastically!
Violent and chaotic Thunder Power squeezed in from all directions like a raging tsunami, crazily impacting his domain barrier and emitting harsh, sizzling sounds. Everywhere he looked, there were galloping electric snakes—deep purple, dark red, azure... each with different colors and entirely different attributes. Some were of Extreme Yang and Extreme Hardness, filled with destructive intent; others were soft, sinister, and treacherous, carrying the power to erode the mind; still others seemed to possess life and intelligence, actively gathering into the forms of Thunder Beasts, roaring as they pounced to kill!
The lightning here was not merely energy of heaven and earth; it seemed to contain some kind of ancient will and trial!
Yu Yuanchen did not dare to be careless, shrinking his domain to a radius of three zhang, condensed like substance. He did not blindly resist, but instead operated the Five Thunders Orthodox Law, carefully sensing the characteristics of the different types of lightning. At times, he used the sharpness of the Gengjin Divine Thunder to cleave a path forward; at others, he used the softness of the Guishui Divine Thunder to neutralize the erosion; and at others, he used the heaviness of the Wutu Divine Thunder to stabilize his domain... He applied his understanding of lightning to the extreme, like a master helmsman steering a small boat, struggling yet steadily descending through the violent sea of thunder.
The further down he went, the greater the pressure, and the more terrifying the power of the lightning became. There even began to appear some incredibly condensed, deep-colored, solid-like thunder crystals that bombarded his domain like cannonballs, shaking Yu Yuanchen until his Qi and Blood surged.
Along the way, he even encountered several strange soul beasts formed entirely from pure lightning energy. They took various forms—some like thunder birds, some like electric pythons, some like qilin—and their strength was at least comparable to a ten-thousand-year soul beast, with the strongest ones even bringing him the pressure of a hundred-thousand-year soul beast! They seemed to be the natural guardians of this Thunder Canyon, harboring great hostility toward intruders.
Yu Yuanchen did not want to be entangled for too long, relying on the ghostly footwork of his Dragon Swimming Steps combined with his dragon wings to maneuver in mid-air. When he truly could not avoid them, he used his Thunder Dragon Spear to execute Thunder Dragon Shatters Void, breaking the surface with a single point to quickly shatter their energy cores before continuing his descent. The battles were intense and brief, each collision erupting with brilliant lightning and causing the canyon walls to roar.
He did not know how long he had been descending, how many Thunder Beasts he had defeated, or how many waves of Thunder Baptism he had endured. Just as Yu Yuanchen began to feel his soul power consumption was immense and the light of his domain appeared slightly dim, the scene ahead suddenly opened up!
He broke through that thick, violent thunder mist zone and arrived at the very bottom of the canyon.
What appeared before his eyes was not the darkness and deathly silence he had imagined, but a shocking spectacle!
The bottom of the canyon was exceptionally wide, and the ground was flat, as if polished by supreme power, presenting a crystal clear purple-gold color, as if paved with huge Thunder Crystal Stones. The air was no longer filled with violent, destructive energy, but a pure, gentle, yet immensely vast Thunder Power, which also contained a trace of... sacred, ancient, and supreme majesty!
In the center of this vast space stood the ruins of a huge, dilapidated yet still towering palace.
The palace was constructed entirely of an unknown dark gold metal and purple crystal. Its style was ancient and grand, filled with the vicissitudes of time. Although it was already in ruins, with most of the roof collapsed and walls covered in cracks, one could still imagine its magnificence when it was intact. In particular, the few remaining huge stone pillars were carved with countless profound and complex Thunder Runes and ancient murals, depicting scenes of a god who controlled lightning fighting in all directions and judging all things, exuding a heart-palpitating divine might.
And directly in front of the palace ruins stood a huge statue over a hundred meters tall!
The material of the statue was neither gold nor stone, presenting a deep purple-gold color, as if it had been condensed and solidified from endless lightning.
The form of the statue was a majestic man wearing ancient battle armor with a blurred but infinitely dignified face. He glared with wide-open eyes, looking up at the firmament, his right hand held high as if grasping an invisible thunder scepter, drawing down the lightning of the nine heavens; his left hand pressed downward, palm facing the earth, as if to suppress all evil in the world! The entire statue exuded a vast and boundless divine might of thunder, as if it were the source and center of the endless lightning in the entire canyon!
Yu Yuanchen merely glanced at the statue, and he felt his soul tremble. The Thunder True Essence within his body boiled uncontrollably, and the Thunder Law Brand at the center of his brow grew as hot as a branding iron, resonating strongly with the statue!
"Thunder God... ruins..." Yu Yuanchen muttered to himself, an indescribable excitement and awe surging in his heart. What Qian Daoliu said was true! This place was indeed an ancient inheritance site related to the Thunder God!
He slowly descended onto the purple crystal-like ground and walked step by step toward the huge Thunder God statue. The closer he got, the stronger that sacred, dignified, and vast thunder pressure became, as if it were examining his qualifications.
Finally, when he was a hundred paces away from the statue, a sudden change occurred!
Buzz--!
The entire canyon shook violently! Two substantive purple-gold divine lights suddenly erupted from the eyes of the huge Thunder God statue, instantly enveloping Yu Yuanchen!
Yu Yuanchen only felt the scene before him change abruptly, and he was already placed in a boundless, chaotic void where lightning raged! Before he could even adapt to this sudden environment, a suffocating, terrifying pressure rushed toward him like a tsunami!
"Trial-taker..."
A grand, cold voice, devoid of any emotion, seemed to come from above the nine heavens, like a divine decree, exploding in the depths of his soul.
"In the name of thunder, show your qualifications!"
Before the voice faded, the chaotic thunder clouds ahead surged crazily, and the blinding lightning condensed into thunder giants, each a hundred zhang tall and towering like mountains!
They were composed entirely of dazzling lightning energy and took various forms. Some held huge thunder spears that tore through the void, some wielded thunder hammers wrapped in destructive electric snakes, and others held thunder axes that seemed capable of splitting the world... There were nine giants in total, like an invincible legion under the command of an ancient thunder god, exuding monstrous killing intent and the purest destructive will of thunder!
Their cold eyes, composed of lightning, locked onto Yu Yuanchen simultaneously, and they took heavy steps to launch a charge! Every step they took made the entire chaotic void roar and tremble, and endless lightning boiled along with them!
"Well come!" Not only was there no fear in Yu Yuanchen's eyes, but a raging fighting spirit burned instead. He understood that this was not a collision of flesh and blood, but the ultimate contest of spiritual will and comprehension of the path of thunder!
In his consciousness space, his spiritual body instantly condensed, transforming into a majestic and sacred purple-gold Thunder Sacred Dragon, emitting a dragon roar that shook the soul, and actively met the thunder legion!
The first thunder spear giant to charge over swung its arm violently. The spear, formed from extremely compressed Thunder Power, carried a sharp whistle that could pierce all things and tear the soul, stabbing straight at the head of the Sacred Dragon transformed by Yu Yuanchen!
Yu Yuanchen's dragon eyes were cold, and he did not dodge. The sharp characteristic of the Gengjin Divine Thunder on his dragon claws was stimulated to the extreme, and the incomparably condensed purple-gold lightning turned into five blades that tore through everything, grabbing fiercely at the thunder spear!
"Clang--!!!"
An incomparably harsh metallic clashing sound resounded through the spiritual space! Where the thunder spear and dragon claws collided, billions of dazzling electric sparks exploded! The indestructible characteristic of the Gengjin Divine Thunder was displayed to the fullest, actually shattering the tip of the thunder spear! But the thunder spear giant had infinite strength, and the shattered lightning instantly reorganized, its offensive momentum undiminished!
At the same time, a thunder hammer giant on the other side had already approached. The huge thunder hammer smashed down like a mountain. Before the hammer even arrived, the terrifying pressure had already caused Yu Yuanchen's spiritual body to fluctuate slightly!
"Defend!" Yu Yuanchen's dragon tail swung violently, and the heavy, condensed power of the Wutu Divine Thunder erupted instantly, condensing a solid shield flickering with dark yellow thunder runes at his side!
"BOOM!!!"
The Thunder Hammer smashed heavily against the shield, erupting with a deafening roar! The Wutu Thunder Shield trembled violently, appearing with countless Cracks, yet it ultimately did not shatter, firmly blocking this heavy and powerful strike! However, the immense impact still sent Yu Yuanchen's Spiritual Power body reeling.
Before he could even catch his breath, the third and fourth giants had already attacked! The Thunder Axe swept horizontally, tearing through space; the Thunder Sword struck straight down, its sharpness fully exposed!
Yu Yuanchen took a deep breath, pushing his Dragon Swimming Steps to the limit. His massive Dragon Body displayed incredible flexibility, twisting and shifting in the nick of time to narrowly avoid the lethal attacks. At the same time, he opened his dragon maw, and Binghuo Divine Thunder erupted! It was no longer scattered thunder-fire, but a highly condensed dark red thunder orb containing extreme explosive energy, which struck precisely onto the chest of the axe-wielding giant!
"Explode!"
Rumble! The thunder orb detonated with a roar, the violent flames and dual power of thunder instantly swallowing the giant and blasting its upper body to pieces! However, the thunder energy within the Chaotic Void gathered rapidly, and the giant's shattered body actually began to reorganize quickly!
"Endless? I must destroy its core!" Yu Yuanchen realized instantly. Purple lightning flashed within his Dragon Eyes, his insight pushed to the limit, and he instantly captured an abnormally condensed, pulsating core Node within the chest cavity of the other sword-wielding giant!
"Guishui Divine Thunder, Corrode!"
He abandoned head-on collisions and swung his Dragon Claw. Wisps of invisible, intangible, and extremely cold Guishui Thunder power, Like Maggots on Bone, silently infiltrated the sword-wielding giant's body, precisely entangling the energy core! Guishui Divine Thunder was not known for its destructive power, but its extreme penetration and corrosive properties instantly interfered with the stable operation of the energy core!
The sword-wielding giant's movements suddenly stalled, the lightning on its body flickering violently, unstable and dim!
"Now! Gengjin Break Evil!"
Yu Yuanchen seized this fleeting opportunity, his body transforming into a streak of extremely condensed purple-gold Lightning. Like the sharpest drill in the world, he broke the surface with a single point, instantly piercing the sword-wielding giant's chest and striking the restless energy core with precision!
"Pfft--!"
With a soft sound like a bursting bubble, the energy core shattered upon impact! The sword-wielding giant's massive body stiffened abruptly, then collapsed with a roar, turning into countless scattered rays of lightning that dissipated, never to reorganize again!
"It works!" Yu Yuanchen's spirit lifted.
But the remaining Thunder Giants attacked even more crazily! They seemed to possess simple combat intelligence, realizing the threat Yu Yuanchen posed, and their offensive became increasingly fierce, their coordination even forming an Encircling Formation! Thunder Spears thrust like a forest, Thunder Hammers shook the heavens and earth, and Thunder Axes sealed off all directions!
Yu Yuanchen fell into a bitter battle. He pushed the Five Thunders Orthodox Law to the peak of his life, wielding the five thunder attributes with ease and switching between them fluidly. At times, he used the sharpness of Gengjin Divine Thunder to forcibly break through attacks; at times, he used the endless vitality of Yimu Divine Thunder to manifest countless thunder Vines, entangling and hindering the giants' movements; at times, he used Guishui Divine Thunder to corrode their energy flow; at times, he used Binghuo Divine Thunder for violent explosions; and at other times, he used Wutu Thunder Shield to stabilize his defense...
His Combat Method was no longer a simple exchange of Soul Skills, but had ascended to the level of exquisite application of the Thunder Law. Every dodge, every block, and every counterattack contained a profound understanding of the way of thunder. He was using different thunder attributes to restrain, guide, transform, and even attempt to trigger the violent thunder energy in the surrounding Chaotic Void to cause a Backlash against the giants themselves!
The battle was incredibly intense. The Thunder Sacred Dragon that Yu Yuanchen had transformed into was constantly accumulating wounds; his dragon scales were shattered, his lightning dim, and the Consumption of his Spiritual Power was like a floodgate opening. But his eyes remained as sharp as lightning, his will indestructible. He learned in battle and underwent a Transformation under pressure; all his past insights regarding thunder were continuously integrated, even sparking new Inspiration.
I do not know how much time passed, but when the last giant holding a Thunder Hammer roared and charged over, a flash of determination crossed Yu Yuanchen's eyes. He no longer dodged, but instead poured his remaining Spiritual Power frantically into his Dragon Claw, forcibly fusing the three thunder attributes of Gengjin, Binghuo, and Wutu. A terrifying light bloomed upon his Dragon Claw, as if the chaos had not yet opened and it could annihilate everything!
"Five Thunders Orthodox Law Fusion--Destruction Thunder Seal!"
He swiped his claw, and the Destruction Thunder Seal silently imprinted itself onto the chest of the hammer-wielding giant.
Time seemed to freeze for an instant.
The next moment--
BOOM!!!!!!!
An indescribable, terrifying explosion erupted from within the hammer-wielding giant! The Destruction Thunder Seal seemed to ignite all of its energy; its body expanded violently from the inside out, then completely annihilated! The shockwave of the explosion also swept in the other few giants that were in the middle of reorganizing, tearing them completely into the most primitive thunder particles...
The Chaotic Void suddenly fell silent. Only the scarred and dim Thunder Sacred Dragon, which Yu Yuanchen had transformed into, remained, breathing slightly.
That grand voice sounded once again, seemingly carrying a trace of imperceptible approval:
"Qualification... verified."
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Translated by: randomtranslator.com
Proofread by: GodKun-Chan