Heavenly Thunder Tempering Body

Tang San's family was still fleeing toward Suotuo City. They remained within Spirit Hall's encirclement, but given Tang Hao's strength, breaking through while carrying two burdens should not have been a problem.

Meanwhile, Ye Tianxing continued living comfortably and happily in Spirit Hall.

The mimicry cultivation area, Wind Thunder Valley.

Six-year-old Ye Tianxing, still only a child, sat bare-chested atop a mountain peak. Dark clouds blanketed the sky, and purple lightning flashed intermittently within them.

At that moment, a bolt of lightning struck down, landing squarely on Ye Tianxing's back.

With a deafening crack, another thunderbolt descended, followed by a second, a third, a fourth...

Ye Tianxing held the Withered Wood Bow. Every strike benefited him; the Withered Wood Bow absorbed the power of the falling lightning, storing energy.

Meanwhile, Ye Tianxing absorbed and processed the lightning, using it to continuously strengthen his physique.

Heavenly Thunder Tempering Body.

Ye Tianxing had found it in Spirit Hall's library. A Spirit Master from a thousand years ago had practiced it this way.

By drawing lightning into the human body, one could forge an unparalleled physique capable of contending with Spirit Beasts.

However, no one had used it since.

That was because the creator of Heavenly Thunder Tempering Body had been an ordinary person with no Soul Power and Blue Silver Grass as his martial soul. He had discovered its effects by chance, then gradually developed the method, eventually becoming a powerful figure who was granted noble rank and military command.

As for Spirit Masters, naturally, they disdained it. By raising their Soul Power Level, Spirit Masters could crush the vast majority of ordinary people, so no one paid it any attention.

Fortunately, Spirit Hall had gathered talented people from across the land. Otherwise, Ye Tianxing would never have discovered this secret technique.

After the thunder passed, fierce winds blew hard enough to make Ye Tianxing's scalp tingle, nearly scrunching his facial features together.

Even so, this harsh training continued...

Struck by lightning during the day and soaked in medicinal baths at night, Ye Tianxing had already grown accustomed to it.

One day, Ye Tianxing went to see Qian Daoliu.

"Grand Uncle, do you think Spirit Masters can absorb Spirit Rings far beyond their own limits?"

Qian Daoliu frowned slightly and looked at Ye Tianxing in surprise. "Why are you suddenly asking this? Don't tell me you intend to..."

"Nothing can be hidden from you. I'm about to break through to level twenty. My teacher arranged a seven-hundred-year Spirit Ring for my second one. But as far as I know, there have been many cases throughout Douluo Continent's history of people exceeding the limit when absorbing Spirit Rings and succeeding. I want to..."

"So that's why you've been tempering your body with heavenly thunder all this time." Qian Daoliu understood Ye Tianxing's intentions. He had witnessed Ye Tianxing's efforts over the past three months and felt both gratified and the fondness of a grandfather toward his grandson.

Qian Daoliu had only felt this way when Qian Renxue was little. But ever since his granddaughter had gone undercover in the Heaven Dou Empire, grandfather and granddaughter had not seen each other for a long time.

Qian Daoliu's gaze turned distant as he recalled the past. Then he met Ye Tianxing's puzzled eyes and replied, "The human body is a vast treasury of energy. How much you can uncover depends entirely on yourself. To be honest, I did the same in my youth. At your age, you are far stronger than I was."

Qian Daoliu smiled faintly. "When we go to the Star Dou Great Forest this time, I'll have Qian Jun lead people to accompany you. They won't stop you from trying, but if danger arises, you will obediently absorb a seven-hundred-year Spirit Beast's Spirit Ring. Remember, do not force yourself beyond your limits."

"Thank you, Grand Uncle." Ye Tianxing smiled.

"You are Guang Ling's disciple. Call me Grandpa from now on. It sounds more fitting that way." Qian Daoliu smiled.

"Yes... Grandpa." Ye Tianxing's eyes gleamed. Coming to Spirit Hall had not been in vain.

That day, Ye Tianxing's Soul Power finally broke through to level twenty, meeting the requirements to obtain his second Spirit Ring.

To nurture Ye Tianxing, Qian Daoliu planned to send three Titled Douluo to accompany him to the Star Dou Great Forest and let him experience real Spirit Master combat.

Spirit Beasts and Spirit Masters were two parts that could not be separated.

Without Spirit Beasts, Spirit Masters would have no Spirit Rings to support their cultivation.

Without Spirit Masters, Spirit Beasts would not suffer slaughter and steadily decline in number.

The hatred between the two had existed for a long time and had reached an irreconcilable point.

The place Ye Tianxing was heading to this time, the Star Dou Great Forest, was the largest Spirit Beast forest spanning both the Heaven Dou Empire and the Star Luo Empire.

It contained countless varieties of Spirit Beasts, ranging from several decades old to a hundred thousand years old. It was the preferred place for many powerful Spirit Masters to obtain Spirit Rings.

A speeding carriage kicked up dust as it left Spirit City's gates and headed steadily toward the Star Dou Great Forest.

The carriage was exceptionally stable, and there were four people inside.

Qian Jun, Demon Bear, and Ghost Leopard. Such a luxurious lineup was enough to show just how important Ye Tianxing was.

No one drove the carriage. Pulling it was an old horse—a thousand-year Spirit Beast, the Red Dragon Horse, with a trace of dragon bloodline.

As long as it was told where to go, it could arrive there in an extremely short time.

Ye Tianxing and the others had departed in the morning. By noon, the sun hung high overhead, so glaring that people could barely keep their eyes open.

At last, they arrived at the Star Dou Great Forest.

"Star Dou Great Forest ahead. Entry prohibited."

A sign stood there. This was the outer perimeter of the Star Dou Great Forest, a relatively safe area where no Spirit Beasts appeared.

"Ye Tianxing was here."

Mischievously, Ye Tianxing left behind a common online phrase from his previous life. He had never done such a thing at famous scenic sites before, but being in another world had sparked a faint bit of interest in him.

It was also Douluo Qian Jun's first time seeing something like this, and he found it rather novel. Leaving one's footprints behind—perhaps a thousand years from now, people who saw this place would discover that someone named "Ye Tianxing" had once come here.

Countless Spirit Beasts had died at the hands of Spirit Masters over the years, while no fewer Spirit Masters had died in the jaws of Spirit Beasts.

The Star Dou Great Forest was the cradle of Spirit Beasts and the burial ground of Spirit Masters. Many Spirit Masters had died here.

Ye Tianxing stood between the three of them and cautiously entered the forest.

"So this is the legendary Star Dou Great Forest."

The forest was lush with towering trees. Their thick trunks were so wide that four or five people could barely wrap their arms around them. Vegetation grew abundantly, and as Ye Tianxing stepped forward, the vigorous grass nearly swallowed him whole.

Left with no choice, Ye Tianxing could only fly on his sword. Sitting atop the spine of the Azure Dragon Sword, he flew along in boredom.

As his Soul Power increased, Ye Tianxing's control over the Azure Dragon Sword grew more proficient by the day. The same was true of his flying speed and the duration for which he could maintain flight.

"Tianxing, do you still intend to try absorbing the Spirit Ring of a thousand-year Spirit Beast?" Douluo Qian Jun asked.

A thousand-year Spirit Beast's Spirit Ring? For his second Spirit Ring?

Demon Bear and Ghost Leopard, the two Titled Douluo, were already dumbfounded. If they remembered correctly, the absorption limit for a second Spirit Ring was generally around seven to eight hundred years. This young master was truly ruthless—he wanted a thousand-year one right from the start. Was he trying to get himself killed?

"I'll give it a try. If danger arises, isn't Martial Uncle here?" Ye Tianxing smiled.

"You can still smile? Fifth Brother will definitely blame me when we return!" Douluo Qian Jun shook his head.