Chapter 70: Two New Methods

In ancient times, why did the Sage of Agriculture, responsible for summoning clouds and rain, first unleash thunder?

During the chaotic era of natural disasters in ancient times, with demons causing havoc, it was incredibly difficult to alter or stabilize the weather. Thunder magic was used to clear out evil spirits and malevolent beings from the world, compelling all living things to submit and align with the weather patterns decreed by the Sage of Agriculture. This demonstrates the crucial role of thunder magic within the Sage of Agriculture's repertoire of spells.

Zhao Xing, too, was proficient in thunder magic in his past life, which meant the Thunder Stone had a remarkably potent enlightenment effect on him. Firstly, just like the Pure Essence Vermillion Fruit, it provided a pure increase in spell comprehension! Secondly, Zhao Xing's innate understanding and aptitude had been significantly enhanced after his transformation by the Dao Embryo Pill. As a result, his comprehension was quicker and more effective. Others might not have achieved such astonishing results even if they had obtained this same thunder magic essence.

“The power of thunder can manifest as fierce and mighty, or as subtle and dark, but in any form, it possesses immense destructive capability. Pure thunder inherently signifies pure destruction.”

“There are tens of thousands of types of thunder: some drift as gently as strands of hair, some are as nimble as fish, and others surge forth like stampeding beasts…”

As Zhao Xing watched the diverse forms of lightning flicker before his eyes, his comprehension of thunder magic rapidly deepened. Imperceptibly, the Thunder Stone began to shrink, and faint tendrils of electrical light gradually emanated from it, coiling around Zhao Xing's body. At this point, the electrical energy became remarkably soft and docile; even with subconscious manipulation, these lightning currents inflicted no harm upon Zhao Xing’s body. Eventually, the purple stone dissolved into powder, leaving Zhao Xing enveloped in a pulsating aura of violet electricity.

Within his chest cavity, a faint thunderous rumble could be heard. With each heartbeat, a subtle peal of thunder resonated. Despite its subtlety, the sound was faintly audible to the officials resting and waiting nearby in the Altar of Heaven Square. The more powerful an individual, the clearer the sound became to them.

“What’s happening? The sky is perfectly clear, so why do I hear thunder?” A middle-aged scholar, fanning himself with a feather fan, looked up at the sky.

“You heard thunder too?” A sword-wielding warrior standing beside the scholar with the feather fan also gazed at the sky, puzzled.

“How peculiar. The weather ritual here is incredibly stable; there are absolutely no signs of anyone casting thunder magic,” Wen Zhao murmured, looking around.

“Perhaps we misheard?” The warrior scratched his ear. “Maybe there are too many officials here, and we’re just overly tense.”

“Boran, you are an eighth-stage Essence Gathering martial artist; your self-control has reached a state of complete integration. Could you really be experiencing auditory hallucinations?” Wen Zhao asked, “Do you even believe that yourself?”

Zhang Boran adjusted the hilt of his blade and chuckled softly, “I’d much prefer it to be a hallucination. Otherwise, if someone is casting a spell and I can’t detect its origin, wouldn’t that put us in danger? I intend to compete for the first incense tonight.”

Wen Zhao pondered for a moment, then looked thoughtfully towards the pile of straw figures.

Zhang Boran raised an eyebrow. “You think that young man caused this? That seems unlikely. I just observed him ascending the mountain; he’s at most a sixth-stage Essence Gathering practitioner. While the straw figure technique is ingenious, it’s not exceptionally powerful.”

“He looks young, and it’s already quite rare for him to be proficient in the straw figure technique. Is it possible he’s also skilled in thunder magic?”

Wen Zhao shook his feather fan, a hint of worry in his eyes. “It’s true he was a sixth-stage Essence Gathering practitioner before entering the temple, but don’t forget he possesses three spiritual essences. With that, anything is possible.”

The unusual thunderous phenomenon did not last long. Soon, all the electrical light surrounding Zhao Xing’s body receded. When he opened his eyes, a flicker of lightning briefly shimmered within them.

“The path of thunder magic is truly boundless in its profundity,” Zhao Xing couldn't help but exclaim. The further he advanced, the more he realized how vast and distant the path ahead still was.

A soft crackling sound echoed. Zhao Xing extended his five fingers, and a streak of lightning appeared at the tip of each one. These five lightning streaks then extended and intertwined, astonishingly forming a twisted rope! If the venerable Sage of Agriculture were here to witness this, he would likely offer a word of praise. Because this was an entirely new spell! It was a spell naturally comprehended as a further breakthrough, after mastering the 'Thunderbolt' spell to its highest level. Much like Xue Wenzhong, who, after sixty years of delving into elementary thunder magic, had comprehended 'Three-Foot Heavenly Thunder' and 'Clouds in the Palm'.

Zhao Xing named this new technique ‘Thunderous Snare’.

“There’s more,” Zhao Xing thought, and with a mental command, the Thunderous Snare abruptly disintegrated, scattering like a bundle of cotton threads, before swiftly reassembling into a second, distinct form. The fine tendrils of lightning slowly converged, forming a shape identical to Zhao Xing’s palm!

“Thunderous Great Palm.”

Zhao Xing couldn't help but chuckle, primarily amused by the thought of using this second new technique in combat — it would be akin to delivering a powerful, airborne slap, both highly damaging and incredibly insulting.

“Excellent, this is precisely the new spell I envisioned.”

Checking the panel records, Zhao Xing noted that the thunder magic essence had granted him a substantial boost. Firstly, his elementary spell, 'Thunderbolt', had reached its maximum level. Meanwhile, his intermediate spell, 'Lightning Induction', had surged straight to the seventh rotation! Most importantly, however, were the two new techniques he had comprehended, building upon 'Thunderbolt' and 'Lightning Induction'!

Once Zhao Xing named these new spells in his mind, their names and characteristics appeared on his system panel.

**Thunderous Snare (Self-Created):** Intermediate SpellProficiency: Fifth Rotation (5121)Effect: Creates up to five magical snares using the power of lightning, swiftly binding enemies and immobilizing them.

**Thunderous Great Palm (Self-Created):** Intermediate SpellProficiency: Sixth Rotation (6354)Effect: Unleashes a ferocious strike upon the enemy using the power of lightning.

Of the two spells, ‘Thunderous Snare’ is subtle; its casting generates minimal commotion, a stark contrast to the usual loud effects of thunder magic, making it highly effective for surprise attacks! Wen Zhao, a ninth-stage Essence Gathering practitioner, and Zhang Boran, an eighth-stage practitioner, had only faintly heard the thunder but were unable to pinpoint its origin. It's worth noting that both had cultivated an 'Aural Penetration' spell, allowing them to hear a mosquito's hum from a hundred meters away.

‘Thunderous Great Palm’, conversely, is potent and highly destructive. When paired with ‘Thunderous Snare’, the two spells — one subtle, one overt — perfectly complement each other. As these were intermediate spells self-created based on 'Thunderbolt' and 'Lightning Induction', they naturally started at the fifth and sixth rotations in terms of mastery upon their comprehension. Since Zhao Xing was the spells' originator, their power could continuously be enhanced and transcended, without any inherent limitations. Just like the venerable Sage of Agriculture, whose spells, while still operating within the framework of 'Cloud Movement' and 'Thunderbolt', had long surpassed the ninth rotation in power.

Naturally, with new insights or opportunities in the future, he could also create more advanced spells. Alternatively, he could use these as a foundation to learn high-level spells created by others. Studying pre-existing spells offers a clear path with established methods and experienced instruction, making cultivation significantly smoother. Self-created spells, however, possess greater power because the caster is their originator, allowing for more intuitive and satisfying execution. Yet, this path offers no teachers; one must rely solely on oneself. The choice ultimately rests on individual preference.

“With the thunder magic essence utilized and these two new techniques comprehended, I now have greater confidence for tonight’s competition for the first incense,” Zhao Xing mused to himself, his gaze then shifting to the two remaining spiritual essences.