Chapter 4000: Five Thunder Gods

A millennium passed in the blink of an eye.

In a secret chamber, Wang Changsheng sat cross-legged on a blue meditation cushion, his eyes slightly closed, his body enveloped in a blue glow.

After helping Wang Yunlong upgrade his natal magical treasure to a natal immortal artifact, he entered secluded cultivation. A sound transmission talisman flew in and stopped before him.

The blue glow around Wang Changsheng dissipated. He opened his eyes, flicked two fingers, and a blue light shot out, striking the transmission talisman.

With a muffled pop, the transmission talisman self-incinerated, and Wang Ruyan's voice resonated: "Husband, Fellow Daoist Cao has invited us to Xuanmu City as guests. Fairy Ye and the Five-Thunder God Monarch are also there."

"Fairy Ye! The Five-Thunder God Monarch?"

Wang Changsheng nodded. Cultivation resources were scarce in the lower realms, and few could achieve True Spirit status. Both the Five-Thunder God Monarch and Wang Changsheng had successfully done so.

After ascending to the Immortal Realm, the Five-Thunder God Monarch settled in the Cao family's territory and joined their ranks. The Wang family's Secret Hall had collected his portrait, which Wang Changsheng had seen.

He stepped out into the main hall, where Wang Ruyan sat in the principal seat, receiving a report from Wang Qingfeng.

Wang Ruyan had successfully opened her sixth aperture with the aid of a formation and was now refining second-tier immortal talismans. "Is there any news from the Beast Spirit Sect?" Wang Changsheng inquired.

"They've transferred quite a few Golden Immortal cultivators from the rear, mostly early-stage Golden Immortals. The older faces haven't appeared yet, so we currently can't ascertain their fates," Wang Qingfeng replied.

"Their losses must have been significant, otherwise they wouldn't have deployed so many Golden Immortals from their rear lines," Wang Ruyan analyzed.

Wang Changsheng nodded. "Wife," he said, "let's make a trip to Xuanmu City. It's been a while since we saw Fairy Ye; perhaps we can exchange some refining materials with her."

Wang Ruyan agreed, gave Wang Qingfeng a few instructions, and then departed Haoyang City with Wang Changsheng. Traveling by teleportation array was highly convenient; in less than half an hour, they arrived at Xuanmu City. Xuanmu City, also a "Profound" city, buzzed with activity, its streets bustling with crowds and lined with numerous shops. As soon as they reached Xuanmu City, Cao Xingdian greeted them and led them to a secluded manor.

Cao Yuanxing, Cao Jingxia, Ye Xuanji, the Five-Thunder God Monarch, and a pot-bellied elder in green robes were seated in a stone pavilion, leisurely sipping tea and chatting.

"These must be the Green Lotus Immortal Couple! I have long heard of your esteemed reputations. I am Fang Peng; it's a pleasure to meet you both, fellow Daoists," the green-robed elder said.

"Fellow Daoist Fang, you're too kind," Wang Changsheng replied with a smile. "If we're talking about famous reputations, yours truly precedes you. Who hasn't heard of Fellow Daoist Fang eliminating a Golden Immortal-stage Five-Colored Chaos Beast?"

Fang Peng, a late-stage Golden Immortal and a master of poison cultivation, had single-handedly vanquished a mid-Golden Immortal Five-Colored Chaos Beast, earning him widespread renown.

Ordinary Golden Immortal cultivators could not possibly eliminate a Golden Immortal-stage Five-Colored Chaos Beast alone; it would require multiple Golden Immortals to cooperate, and even then, usually from the safety of a city. After all, they weren't True Spirits; a single blow from a Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beast could very well lead to their demise.

Cultivators above the Golden Immortal stage couldn't utilize substitute immortal artifacts. Lacking a legacy system, most would entrust a sub-soul within a treasure. If their main body was destroyed, this sub-soul would then seize another body for re-cultivation, effectively becoming an avatar. Wealthier Golden Immortal cultivators would simply create a direct avatar.

"Without the assistance of formations and a mid-grade Immortal-Slaying Cannon, I wouldn't have been able to achieve it," Fang Peng stated, his face filled with envy. "I'm not like Fellow Daoist Wang, Fellow Daoist Cao, and Fellow Daoist Qian, who have cultivated into True Spirits and dare to engage in close combat with Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts."

"I also don't need to fight Chaos Beasts in close quarters," the Five-Thunder God Monarch commented. "I can just use the Law of Thunder against them, though I haven't yet cultivated the Law to the Minor Accomplishment stage."

He had been a Golden Immortal for less than twenty thousand years, and his understanding of the Law was only at the introductory level. Reaching even that stage typically took hundreds of thousands of years, or even millions for those with less aptitude. This was the case for most Golden Immortal cultivators; achieving Golden Immortal status didn't automatically mean one could easily cultivate a Law to the Minor Accomplishment stage.

"It would be much easier if we had second-grade Dao Pills or auxiliary treasures, especially the Dao Pills," Fang Peng mused. "The cultivation resources on the Chaos Continent are abundant; some 'Earth' cities even sell third-grade Dao Pills. I heard that when Sky Secret City appeared in the White Horse Mountains last time, some people might have acquired second-grade Dao Pills."

"Second-grade Dao Pills aren't that easy to come by," Ye Xuanji remarked. "I heard that they require the mutated crystal core of a Seven-Colored Chaos Beast to be refined into them. Just killing a mutated Seven-Colored Chaos Beast is incredibly difficult, let alone purifying its crystal core."

Wang Changsheng and Wang Ruyan then took their seats, and the group of cultivators continued their tea and conversation.

"I've heard that Fairy Ye possesses exceptional artifact-refining skills, capable of crafting Chaos Armaments and Immortal-Slaying Cannons," Cao Yuanxing said with a smile. "My clan uncle has long admired your work; it's a pity he's away on business, otherwise he would certainly have sought your guidance."

"I can only craft low-grade versions," Ye Xuanji calmly replied. "I haven't yet managed to refine mid-grade Chaos Armaments or mid-grade Immortal-Slaying Cannons." Her tone, however, suggested confidence that it was only a matter of time before she could.

"Given Fairy Ye's prowess in artifact refining, you'll undoubtedly be able to craft them sooner or later," Wang Changsheng affirmed.

Ye Xuanji nodded, just as she was about to speak, a loud alarm blared, echoing throughout Xuanmu City. Cao Yuanxing's expression turned grim. He immediately pulled out a flashing red dharma disk, cast a spell into it, and asked, "Xingdian, what's happening?"

"Ancestor Yuanxing, it's dire news. A massive horde of Chaos Beasts is attacking; there are at least ten thousand of them."

Cao Xingdian's voice was heavy. "Ten thousand Chaos Beasts!" Wang Changsheng and the others exclaimed, their faces etched with shock.

Wang Ruyan immediately retrieved her Immortal Transmission Mirror, contacted Wang Qingfeng, and asked, "Qingfeng, are any Chaos Beasts attacking Haoyang City?"

"No, not here!" Wang Qingfeng replied truthfully.

Wang Ruyan breathed a sigh of relief, then instructed, "Guard Haoyang City carefully and don't venture out casually. With tens of thousands of Chaos Beasts assaulting Xuanmu City, it's possible that Wuyang City might also come under attack."

"Understood, Mother," Wang Qingfeng acknowledged.

"Fellow Daoist Ye, Fellow Daoist Qian, Fellow Daoist Wang, Madam Wang, and Fellow Daoist Fang, please join us on the city wall to assess the situation," Cao Yuanxing said. "I've already sent word to report this and request reinforcements."

Wang Changsheng and the others agreed, then followed Cao Yuanxing to the city wall.

Besides the Immortal-Slaying Cannons, Wang Changsheng also noticed a glimmering ballista, mounted with a colossal arrow intricately carved with numerous profound runes.

"An Immortal-Slaying Arrow!" Ye Xuanji exclaimed, her face filled with envy. "I never imagined your Cao family possessed a mid-grade Immortal-Slaying Ballista!"

The mid-grade Immortal-Slaying Ballista and its corresponding mid-grade Immortal-Slaying Arrow were designed specifically to counter Golden Immortal-stage Chaos Beasts.

"It's just one, nothing particularly special," Cao Yuanxing replied, gazing out towards the city's exterior.

Tens of thousands of Chaos Beasts charged towards Xuanmu City, their sheer number chilling the blood. "They've reached Xuanmu City, and no cultivators gave a warning?" Wang Ruyan questioned, as it was her first time encountering a siege by tens of thousands of Chaos Beasts.

"Chaos Beasts are skilled in various tactics," Cao Yuanxing explained. "They sometimes make large detours to bypass defenses and attack cities from the rear. It's also possible they've already conquered other cities. For now, let's focus on repelling them!"