Chapter 561: Lei Qinghai

In the mountains and forests, many figures were gathered. All of them possessed strong Genesis Qi fluctuations, clearly indicating they were not weak. From time to time, they would look up at a mountain peak not far away, where a vibrant three-colored light was emanating from its summit.

Upon seeing the three-colored light, a greedy glint appeared in the eyes of everyone present.

Reluctantly, they withdrew their gaze and turned it towards the center of the forest, where dozens of figures were visible. Among them, one figure was surrounded by the others like stars surrounding the moon.

It was a man in a silver robe. He had a smile on his face, and his aura was extraordinary; faint rumbling sounds of thunder could be heard emanating from within him.

“That’s Lei Qinghai, one of the three Thunder Generals of the Minor Thunder Sect. His strength is formidable. It’s said he recently broke through to the 9th Heaven of the Primordial Beginning Stage, making him no weaker than the chief disciples of the six major sects. With him here this time, he should be able to contend with the Cangxuan Sect,” some figures whispered amongst themselves in the forest.

The other figures also nodded in agreement. The three Thunder Generals of the Minor Thunder Sect were the cream of the crop among its many disciples; only those who had overcome numerous challenges could attain such a position. Lei Qinghai’s ability to become one of them demonstrated his considerable skill.

“Everyone…” Lei Qinghai, clad in his silver robe, cast his gaze around at this moment. His faint, smiling voice, accompanied by a subtle rumble of thunder, resonated in the ears of everyone present.

“The Cangxuan Sect disciples on the mountain have been thoroughly investigated. It’s said that the leader of their team is the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak from the Cangxuan Sect, named Zhou Yuan.”

“Saint Genesis Peak?” Many people present showed expressions of surprise.

“Isn’t Saint Genesis Peak the weakest peak in the Cangxuan Sect? They can produce a chief disciple?” It was clear that the people here were well-informed about the Cangxuan Sect’s situation.

“That Zhou Yuan must be a newly appointed chief disciple. His strength is currently unknown, but to become a chief disciple of the Cangxuan Sect, his capabilities shouldn't be bad,” Lei Qinghai chuckled.

“Heh, no matter how capable that Saint Genesis Peak chief disciple is, can he compare to Brother Lei? Brother Lei’s strength, even among the Cangxuan Sect’s seven chief disciples, would likely rank him among the top. The Saint Genesis Peak chief disciple would probably be at the very bottom,” someone flattered him.

Others echoed the sentiment. Clearly, they all breathed a sigh of relief when they heard that the chief disciple leading the team on the mountain was from the Cangxuan Sect’s weakest peak, Saint Genesis Peak.

They were worried about encountering the highly renowned chief disciples from Cangxuan Peak or Sword Come Peak, as that would be rather tricky.

Lei Qinghai smiled and waved his hand. In his hand, two silver iron balls slowly rotated, flickering with electric light. He chuckled, “Although Saint Genesis Peak is the most dilapidated, don’t underestimate it too much.”

Despite his words, a hint of disdain flickered in his eyes. He was quite familiar with the Cangxuan Sect’s chief disciples and Saint Sons, but he had never heard of a chief disciple named Zhou Yuan. This one was clearly newly appointed, and he actually didn't have much apprehension about such a new chief disciple.

“Everyone, since you trust my Minor Thunder Sect, I will go and meet with Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan shortly. If they are willing to yield a step and allow us to also ascend the mountain to collect Profound Origin Essence, then we naturally shouldn't be too aggressive,” Lei Qinghai smiled.

“What if Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan isn’t willing?” someone asked, their voice carrying a hint of aggression.

Lei Qinghai smiled faintly and said, “If that chief disciple truly believes he can intimidate everyone by relying on the Cangxuan Sect’s reputation, then he is simply too naive. In that case, you can’t blame us for teaching him a lesson.”

As he spoke, an astonishing Genesis Qi pressure slowly emanated from his body, causing everyone present to shiver slightly. This Thunder General of the Minor Thunder Sect was indeed incredibly powerful.

Of course, they also knew that Lei Qinghai was displaying his strength for their benefit.

At once, everyone readily agreed, expressing their willingness to follow Lei Qinghai’s lead.

Seeing this, Lei Qinghai smiled reservedly and said, “Be ready to wait for my signal. If we can’t reach an agreement, we’ll have to resort to force. I hope that chief disciple from Saint Genesis Peak isn't so unwise.”

As his voice fell, he no longer hesitated. His figure moved, soaring into the sky like a flash of lightning, appearing directly in front of the mountain. He cupped his fist and shouted, “Lei Qinghai of the Minor Thunder Sect requests an audience with Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan.”

His voice, like thunder, continuously reverberated between heaven and earth.

On the mountaintop, Zhou Yuan, who was collecting Profound Origin Essence, opened his slightly closed eyes. He looked at the lightning-infused figure flickering in the distant sky. “The Minor Thunder Sect?” he murmured.

He had, of course, heard of this sect, which held considerable renown on the Saint Continent.

“Numerous groups have gathered at the foot of the mountain now. This Lei Qinghai has consolidated them, posing quite a threat,” Gu Hongyi, who was nearby, said.

“They don’t come with good intentions,” Zhou Yuan said with a faint smile. Immediately, his voice projected outward, “Let him come. Let’s see what he wants.”

Upon hearing this, the Cangxuan Sect disciples who were blocking the path dispersed. A flash of lightning appeared in the sky, and a figure directly materialized in front of Zhou Yuan. His swaggering demeanor showed not a hint of fear, despite being surrounded by the watchful, menacing gazes of many Cangxuan Sect disciples.

“Are you the chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak?” Lei Qinghai’s gaze immediately locked onto Zhou Yuan. He then frowned slightly, as his perception told him that Zhou Yuan, standing before him, seemed to only possess strength at the 7th Heaven.

This chief disciple of Saint Genesis Peak, so weak?

Zhou Yuan paid no mind to Lei Qinghai’s scrutinizing gaze. He said, “Do you have any advice?”

Lei Qinghai retracted his gaze, and then his eyes fixed on the three-colored light streams continuously gushing from the broken tree trunk behind Zhou Yuan. A glint of greed flickered deep within his eyes.

This place truly contained a vast amount of three-colored Profound Origin Essence!

“What are you looking at?” Gu Hongyi, standing nearby, snapped.

Lei Qinghai withdrew his gaze and finally turned to Zhou Yuan, saying slowly, “Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan truly has good luck, finding such a good place rich in three-colored Profound Origin Essence right away.”

Zhou Yuan smiled noncommittally.

“However, Chief Disciple Zhou Yuan, your current situation isn’t looking very good,” Lei Qinghai said with a meaningful smile.

“Oh?”

“Various factions have gathered at the foot of the mountain and are eyeing this place covetously. Although the Cangxuan Sect is powerful, you currently only have one team here, and it’s led by a chief disciple from Saint Genesis Peak.”

“Such strength probably won't deter those greedy individuals.”

“If both sides end up fighting, perhaps your side won’t have much of an advantage,” Lei Qinghai chuckled.

“Why don’t you come and try then?” Hearing the subtle hint of disdain in his tone towards Zhou Yuan, Gu Hongyi’s slender eyebrows arched, and she sneered.

Upon hearing this, Zhou Yuan stared at Lei Qinghai before him and slowly said, “So, Brother Lei, what do you mean? It seems you intend to join them?”

Lei Qinghai smiled and waved his hand, saying, “They are just a rabble, merely relying on their numbers. In my eyes, how could they compare to the numerous elite disciples of the Cangxuan Sect?”

He looked at Zhou Yuan, feigning sincerity: “However, the commotion here is considerable and will continuously attract more people. The situation will become increasingly troublesome then.”

“I have a plan, though. My Minor Thunder Sect is willing to join forces with Brother Zhou, to first eliminate those greedy individuals below. Once our reputation spreads, naturally no one will dare to challenge us again.”

Zhou Yuan stared at Lei Qinghai with interest. This fellow was quite ruthless; he even wanted to ally with them to eliminate others.

“So, what does Brother Lei want?” Zhou Yuan asked with a faint smile.

Lei Qinghai pointed to the gushing Profound Origin Essence behind them, and said with a grin, “I won’t make an exorbitant demand. Just fifty percent; we’ll split it evenly.”

Gu Hongyi’s bright eyes turned slightly cold as she said, “Fifty percent right off the bat, and you call that not an exorbitant demand?”

Zhou Yuan also narrowed his eyes, staring at Lei Qinghai.

Lei Qinghai met Zhou Yuan’s gaze, his eyes sharp and aggressive, and said, “And besides that, there’s one more thing I want. I heard that the Cangxuan Sect disciples possess a map jade slip, which records the locations of Profound Origin Essence concentrations previously discovered by your sect’s disciples. If Brother Zhou is willing to share it, my Minor Thunder Sect will be your friend, and you can come to me for anything within this Profound Origin Grotto-Heaven.”

Gu Hongyi, standing nearby, was so angry her pretty face turned red. This fellow truly dared to speak such words!

“What if I’m unwilling?” Zhou Yuan said faintly. He could also see that Lei Qinghai seemed to genuinely regard him as a pushover.

Lei Qinghai sighed. The two silver thunder orbs in his hand slowly rotated as he said, “If Brother Zhou is unwilling to part with it, then I’ll have no choice but to turn to those fellows down the mountain. If we end up fighting, I’m afraid you will also pay a heavy price.”

His tone was light, and his gaze, full of pressure, fixed on Zhou Yuan. He leaned slightly forward and said, “Brother Zhou, if a chief disciple from Cangxuan Peak or another peak were here today, perhaps I wouldn’t be so direct, but sometimes, circumstances are stronger than people, and one must accept fate.”

He waved his hand and said, “I will wait for the time it takes for half an incense stick to burn. If Brother Zhou has made up his mind, you can send me a signal. Of course, I hope it’s not too late. Those fellows down the mountain are getting a bit impatient.”

With that, he stood up and turned to leave.

Zhou Yuan watched his retreating figure and couldn't help but smile. He said, “You don’t need to wait for half an incense stick... I can give you an answer now.”

“Friend from the Minor Thunder Sect, if you don’t want to be buried in this Profound Origin Grotto-Heaven, then I advise you not to covet the Profound Origin Essence here. Run as far as you can... This is my final warning to you,” Zhou Yuan said earnestly.

Lei Qinghai paused his steps. He turned his head to glance at Zhou Yuan, a sneer forming on his lips.

However, this time, before he could speak, Zhou Yuan’s faint voice rang out again: “Don’t try to make isolated advances like that in the future... I have no interest in playing such childish games with you.”

He extended his palm and lightly waved it towards the many Cangxuan Sect disciples who had long been watching menacingly around them.

“Kill him.”