Chapter 437: White Thunderstorm, Elder of Withering and Flourishing

The free-floating lightning energy in the air of Jilei Mountain had almost solidified. As creatures passed through, their scalps tingled, and their hair showed signs of standing on end. Crackling sounds continuously buzzed with every movement, whether walking, sitting, or lying down, even generating visible electric sparks.

The Wind-Thunder Secret Art, which Wang Yu frequently used, was exceptionally active here. This secret art originally came from the Bai clan of Guiling City and was one of the gains from the extermination of that clan. It was originally a third-tier incomplete art; the incompleteness referred to the cultivation method's lineage. This specific secret art itself had no issues. The Wind-Thunder Secret Art was best suited for use with body-refining cultivation. However, there was no available slot for it, and Wang Yu's body-refining cultivation had not advanced for a long time. As a result, he had neglected this aspect considerably.

Now that he had arrived at a special place like Jilei Mountain, Wang Yu once again discovered a great advantage of body cultivators: the tempering they could gain from the outside world was not limited to just Heaven-Earth Malevolent Qi. Any special environment or extreme weather could provide excellent training effects. More importantly, with the dual enhancement of Indestructible Bone and Silver Blood Marrow, his survival ability was greatly improved, making him difficult to affect by external forces. The benefits were comprehensive. For ordinary cultivators, they would have to maintain a spiritual shield of magical power for all twelve hours when in Jilei Mountain. If too much of the free-floating lightning energy accumulated, it could easily attract lightning strikes. A moment of inattention could lead to severe injury on the spot. Judging by the intensity of the lightning, cultivators at the Core Formation stage and below would find it difficult to withstand. This was new information he had gathered after experiencing it firsthand.

As time passed, Wang Yu continued westward, getting closer to the location recorded on the Thunder-Fire fragment map. The surrounding rocks had almost vitrified, and the lightning here was so dense it was as if a thunderstorm was constantly occurring. White lightning continuously struck the mountaintops, and the environment was filled with the volatile energy of lightning.

"Truly magnificent..." Wang Yu clicked his tongue in wonder. The spectacular sight of a lightning storm "washing" the mountains was rare anywhere, and the intensity of the lightning here could directly kill Foundation Establishment cultivators and severely injure Core Formation cultivators. Any ordinary Core Formation cultivator who endured more than three lightning strikes would undoubtedly die. This was perhaps the third reason why no one had claimed Jilei Mountain.

"According to the Thunder-Fire fragment map's record," Wang Yu murmured to himself, "the special lightning nurtured by heaven and earth should be right here." However, no matter how he used his spiritual sense to investigate, the lightning here was just normal white lightning, with no unique characteristics, not even possessing heavenly might. Other than being denser and more powerful, it seemed... unremarkable?

"No, that's not right," he thought. "Since there is such an anomaly, there must be a special reason behind it. This environment couldn't have formed out of nowhere." Thoughts raced in his mind. Wang Yu would not give up easily when faced with difficulties.

A little while later, he then focused his attention on the lightning-striking clouds. After getting closer to investigate, he still found nothing, so he shifted his attention underground, but the result was still nothing. Neither above nor below ground. Then only... the lightning itself remained. Even if it was unremarkable, it was the greatest peculiarity of this special environment.

Wang Yu tried to activate the "Thunder Devouring and Lightning Spitting Secret Art," directly devouring the power of the lightning storm. This secret art came from Zidian and should be one of the secret techniques of the Thunder-Fire Pavilion. By devouring naturally occurring lightning, one could acquire a Lightning Spirit Root in their physical body. From then on, cultivating lightning-related techniques and divine abilities would yield twice the results with half the effort. The power of lightning-related divine abilities when used would also be stronger than those not aligned with one's attribute. The strength of the resulting Lightning Spirit Root depended entirely on how powerful the lightning devoured by the cultivator was. Wang Yu currently had a Nascent Soul foundation, so the upper limit of what he could withstand was very high. As long as the devoured lightning power was suitable, it would not be strange for a Heavenly Spirit Root-level Lightning Spirit Root to be born; it would be quite ordinary. After all, he possessed the Congenital Demonic Embryo Physique.

As the secret art operated, wisps of white lightning continuously curved and gathered, gradually forming a massive white cocoon shimmering with electric light. The dark clouds in the sky seemed to be pulled lower. Layers of white lightning fell even more rapidly and densely. The power of the lightning storm was continuously being devoured by Wang Yu, then repeatedly compressed and refined. The "Dragon Spine" cultivated from the Yin-Nether Demonic Dragon Art displayed good efficacy. The Silver Blood Divine Marrow within was stronger than the lightning, capable of assisting in compressing the lightning power. This caused a black spiritual root, resembling a sinew, to begin to emerge. Without a doubt, this was the Lightning Spirit Root cultivated by the "Thunder Devouring and Lightning Spitting Secret Art." Its appearance differed slightly from Wang Yu's imagination, and it had an extremely high compatibility with the Dragon Spine. The external white lightning storm seemed impatient, surging frantically into Wang Yu's body, causing the black Lightning Spirit Root to continuously extend and grow. The situation was excellent.

At the same time, at the eastern border of Liuju Province, at the foot of Jilei Mountain, was Wang Lei City. A Nascent Soul cultivator from the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect, stationed in the border city to guard against powerful cultivators entering, was looking with a strange expression towards the interior of Jilei Mountain. Although he couldn't know exactly what was happening, the powerful spiritual sense that came with the Nascent Soul stage still made him aware that the strange lightning storm had been disturbed. Based on his many years of experience overseeing the area, a lightning storm of that scale was manageable at the edges, but if one was at its center, even a Nascent Soul cultivator would have a hard time.

Apart from cultivators specializing in lightning arts who would enter Jilei Mountain to cultivate, few cultivators from other regions would deliberately venture in. Occasionally, those who did would accidentally die due to unfamiliarity with the environment. The elder, known as Old Man Kurong, had a slight stir in his heart. He then set off from Wang Lei City, planning to enter the mountain to collect corpses. Corpses naturally produced in Jilei Mountain were very popular among Corpse Dao cultivators and were often sold to various places. Among them, the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect had the highest acquisition volume.

Currently, due to the war between righteous and demonic factions, the number of rogue cultivators had sharply declined, leading to a significant decrease in Wang Lei City's specialty: "corpses struck dead by lightning." This affected all aspects. While the overall economy of Chiyuan was in decline, individual strength and wealth were rapidly increasing, and countless individuals became rich overnight. The 800-li Jilei Mountain was a natural resource field. It was most suitable for Nascent Soul cultivators to enter and "pick up trash," as there was no life-threatening danger, and they could even engage in some "dog-eat-dog" antics. For Old Man Kurong, this was also a decent source of wealth, which accumulated significantly over time. Normally, he just needed to make an occasional trip when he had time, as it wouldn't delay anything. So, this time, he also acted as usual. He prepared to enter Jilei Mountain to see which lucky soul had traveled thousands of miles to deliver their life's savings.

"Hmph hmph hmph haha~" Old Man Kurong hummed a little tune and stepped into the air. Cloud gates parted to either side, leaving behind a magnificent cloud path, as light and unrestrained as ever.

In the lightning storm area, after more than half an hour of absorption, the vast white lightning storm had shrunk by more than half. Wang Yu's expression was slightly ferocious, with red patterns resembling blood vessels and tree roots, like lightning strike marks, covering his entire body. With every breath, countless flashes of lightning were exhaled, and thunderous rumbles echoed from his abdomen.

At the very beginning of his attempt, he had the idea of "just trying it," and he wouldn't have minded if his guess was wrong, even if this white lightning storm wasn't the heaven-and-earth lightning recorded in the Thunder-Fire fragment map. After all, he approached it with a "take it or leave it" mindset. If it was there, it would be the icing on the cake; if not, it was also acceptable. Jilei Mountain's existence was too ancient; if there truly was unique heaven-and-earth nurtured lightning, it was possible it would have been taken away long ago. But... as for the result, his fortuitous encounters and luck were very good.

The white lightning storm was indeed a kind of dispersed strange lightning. For some unknown reason, its power was dispersed, and it had no special properties, appearing no different from ordinary white lightning. But through the "Thunder Devouring" secret art's absorption and refinement, the peculiar black Lightning Spirit Root within the Dragon Spine continuously grew, and a unique black lightning gradually filled his physical body. The physical body cultivated by the Yin-Nether Demonic Dragon Art deeply interacted with the black lightning, and the Yin-Nether vital energy blended with it, giving birth to wisps of dark, ethereal electric light. The "special effects" were elevated to another level. Furthermore, this lightning had a strengthening effect on his physical body, acting like a cultivation cheat code, constantly exercising his body on his behalf. This feeling was very familiar to him; it was like gaining an extra slot where only the "Yin-Nether Demonic Dragon Art" could be placed.

"What formidable lightning!" The white lightning cocoon shattered. Wang Yu suddenly leaped out, his eyes shimmering with divine light. He opened his mouth and took a deep breath, and the sky-filled lightning storm was like small fish and seawater being swallowed by a whale. All of it was swallowed by Wang Yu in one gulp. His physical body, at the early stage of fourth-tier body refining, was like the strongest prison in the world. No matter how fierce the lightning storm was, it could not break through his restraint. Wang Yu sat cross-legged in the void, his white hair wildly dancing, as the "Thunder Devouring Secret Art" operated at full power.

Old Man Kurong arrived belatedly. From afar, he spotted Wang Yu's presence. His eyes were filled with inexplicable astonishment; he truly hadn't expected that the white lightning storm area, which had raged for years, would one day be completely devoured by someone. "What astonishing lightning cultivation!" As he frowned in thought, he couldn't think of a second fellow Daoist with such mastery in lightning arts, apart from Lord Lei Hou, who was already famous in Chiyuan. "Could it be a rogue cultivator from the wilderness... or someone from Taihu?" A myriad of thoughts raced through his mind. Old Man Kurong watched from afar, showing no intention of approaching. At such a time, getting too close could easily lead to being perceived as someone with ill intentions. According to the cultivation world's rules in Chiyuan, even just observing was considered impolite, and it would be perfectly normal to be beaten for it.

Another half an hour later, the lightning around Wang Yu gradually subsided, and all the strange phenomena returned to normal. A vertical black lightning mark appeared on his glabella, its edges soft, resembling an elongated "S." The strange lightning from this place had only been temporarily absorbed into his body. To completely refine it, he would need at least a month of secluded cultivation. Clearly, now was not the right time.

Slowly standing up, Wang Yu's gaze fixed on the elder in the distance. "Fellow Daoist, since you're here, why not come over for a chat?"

"Hehe." The elder was not afraid. In a few steps, he was only three paces away.

"I am Kurong, the Old Ancestor of Wang Lei City, and one of the Nascent Soul cultivators of the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect," the elder said. "How should I address you, fellow Daoist?"

Wang Yu raised an eyebrow, and his clenched fist suddenly relaxed. "Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, Old Ancestor of Cold Blood Peak, Jifa."

"Cold Blood Peak? Jifa?" Old Man Kurong's eyes widened slightly. He truly hadn't expected Wang Yu to be an ice-path cultivator, and the name Jifa sounded faintly familiar. If he had said Xuandan, he would have recognized him immediately. Wang's reputation in Chiyuan was not low; his portrait had long been circulated among the high-ranking members of various major forces.

"Fellow Daoist, did you approach because you had something to say?"

Seeing Wang Yu ask again, Old Man Kurong pondered, his original intention of asking Wang Yu for compensation significantly faded. As members of the Five Demonic Sects, even if the Heaven Refining Demonic Sect was the leader, they still had to give face to the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect. Moreover, after the battle at Heishan Pass, many Nascent Soul cultivators had been transferred there. Lingxi Province of Taihu had already been occupied, and based on past experience, at most three provinces would be occupied. The Seven Righteous Sects would then react, and this was definitely not a power that the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect alone could possess. Currently, both sides were in a honeymoon period of cooperation.

With thoughts rapidly shifting, Old Man Kurong broke into a chrysanthemum-like smile. "Fellow Daoist Jifa, you misunderstand," he said. "As the Old Ancestor of Wang Lei City, I naturally have the duty to monitor the surroundings. It is only reasonable and proper for me to come and investigate when there's an anomaly in Jilei Mountain."

"I see," Wang Yu replied. "This venerable one is not an unreasonable person. Since that's the case, fellow Daoist, please return. I will be cultivating in Jilei Mountain for a period."

Hearing this, Old Man Kurong said again, "Since Fellow Daoist Jifa intends to cultivate here, I shall offer you a piece of news as compensation for my disturbance."

"Oh? Please, fellow Daoist, speak freely."

"This place is very close to Yunling Province," he began. "About three days ago, the ancient ruin, Dongji Capital, in Yunling Province experienced an anomaly. The phenomenon spread for a thousand li, and I heard that the entire underground cavity collapsed. The Eastern Capital City of the ancient immortal dynasty has reappeared. Countless fellow Daoists are rushing to Dongji Capital. If I were not burdened with important duties, I would definitely go and explore it myself, what a pity... what a pity!"

Hearing the name Dongji Capital, Wang Yu raised an eyebrow. He indeed had plans for a second exploration of this place. Last time, two Soul Transformation inheritances appeared, and due to proximity, only the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, Yellow Springs Pavilion, and a few rogue cultivator factions competed for them. Not long after, it fell completely silent. Now that it had fully appeared, the disturbance it caused was certainly no less than that of the ancient Heavenly Soul Sect ruins in the Sky Demon Bone Forest. That time, just the four Blood Demon Medicine Kings were highly sought-after supplements for Nascent Soul cultivators. From his current perspective, the sensation of refining pills with Medicine Kings... tsk tsk, just thinking about it made his mouth water. He wondered if there would be an opportunity in the future to exchange for one from the Sect Master using military merits.

Having received this news from Old Man Kurong, Wang Yu already intended to go and investigate. As for whether any force was behind the full emergence of Dongji Capital, he originally didn't care. But his intuition told him that this matter was related to the Yellow Springs Pavilion. Back then, the Ksitigarbha lineage of Yellow Springs caused trouble everywhere, the sacred tribute of Guiling City was robbed, and that city was very close to Dongji Capital. And after being ravaged by the war between righteous and demonic factions, that whole area had become the territory of Yellow Springs Pavilion. The battle lines were continuously pushing towards the Reverse Spirit Blood Sect, which could be described as a continuous retreat. Since they had occupied the place, whatever they did there was considered normal.

"Could this matter be related to the Burial Pit Secret Realm?" This thought suddenly popped into Wang Yu's mind. When he explored the Burial Pit Secret Realm back then, he had encountered a demonic puppet that was suppressed by Yellow Springs Demonic Bones. He always felt that the Ksitigarbha lineage had an inseparable connection to it. What exactly it was, he did not know.

When he came back to his senses from his thoughts, he cupped his hands in greeting towards Old Man Kurong and said: "Thank you, fellow Daoist, for the information. We shall meet again if fate wills it."

"You're welcome."

With that said, Wang Yu transformed into a streak of light and vanished into the horizon. Old Man Kurong also remembered at this moment. "Jifa... Xuandan... Demonic Monarch Jifa Xuandan," he muttered. "He is Wang Yu. Interesting! I shall see who is stronger, Yellow Springs Pavilion or you."