Thunder and Lightning

The midday banquet was extremely grand, with many renowned experts from the Lei Xiao Sect making an appearance.

Seafood from the East China Sea, Jade Nectar from Qixia Lake, and the Monster Beast Meat from the Northern Territory are all served on the table.

During the gathering, Li Weiyi saw more than a dozen Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator, ranging in age from a hundred to several hundred years old. This was just the tip of the iceberg, yet it was clear that the Lei Xiao Sect's strength far surpassed that of the Jiu Li Tribe.

The group discussed the "Longevity Earth Ranking" to be released at the end of the year, analyzing who from the Lingxiao Shengjing could make the list and become the Ninth Generation Longevity Person.

"Each edition of the 'Longevity Earth Ranking' selects thirty people for the First Sequence, two hundred for the Second Sequence, and one thousand for the Third Sequence, for a total of one thousand two hundred and thirty people."

"Only those who reach the Second Realm Peak of the Longevity Realm within the age of one hundred have a slim chance. Reaching the third stage is much safer."

"In previous years, the number of Lingxiao Shengjing members who made it onto the list could be counted on one hand."

"This year might be a little different. First, over a decade of war has forged many formidable figures. Second, the Battle of Lingxiao City resulted in the deaths of countless transcendent beings, but the power contained in their corpses, the Other Shore Heavenly Pill, and the Nine Springs of the Transcendent Realm alone has allowed many to make rapid progress in their cultivation. Third, the excavation of the Ancient Immortal Dragon Skeleton has yielded great gains for many Longevity Realm Martial Cultivators."

Li Weiyi was secretly surprised. He hadn't expected that Lingxiao Shengjing, far from the Hundred Realms Life Domain and located in the Far South, would also have aspirations for the <Longevity Earth Ranking> and be so knowledgeable about it.

Little did he know that in the past, for each edition of the "Longevity Earth Ranking," the Lingxiao Palace would offer a generous reward to those who made the list.

Outside, martial artists who make it onto the list in the Lingxiao Shengjing are immediately courted by various parties, including the Ancient Sect, the Dao Palace, and the Imperial Court, who offer them endless benefits.

After all, there are over a hundred habitats, and only a little over a thousand are born in a sixty-year cycle; each one is a transcendent seed.

For example, the Demon Kingdom's Transcendent being killed by Zen Sea Observing Mist, and the "Li Longshu" born in Lingxiao Shengjing, the southern border of Lingxiao Realm, joined the Demon Kingdom many years ago as an immortal.

In the last millennium, the brain drain from the Lingxiao Shengjing has become even more severe.

Qin Feng sighed softly, "It's a pity I was born at the wrong time. If I had another thirty years, before I turned a hundred, I could still try to break through to the third realm."

With the help of the Dragon Soul Origin Light, he has reached the peak of the First Realm.

"This year, Li Shenyin Lingxiao Shengjing Tang Wanzhou are guaranteed to be on the <Longevity Earth Ranking> in the Lingxiao Realm. It's a pity that you two are too young, which is a great loss. Otherwise, you would definitely be able to enter the First Sequence after entering the Fourth Realm. If two people from the Lingxiao Shengjing enter the First Sequence, it will be too prestigious, and all the martial artists in the entire realm will benefit from it."

Li Weiyi secretly pondered whether he should return to the Jiu Li Tribe and bring the Hidden Lord into the Ancient Kingdom of the Years Ruin. With the help of the Netherworld, he might be able to raise his cultivation level and compete for the position of an immortal.

In the future, social status and the resources available to individuals will be completely different.

"Li Shenyin may not know, but Old Qin was also an immortal in his prime," a white-bearded Old Man in purple robes, who was over three hundred years old, said with a smile.

Qin Tiansong waved his hand and smiled bitterly, looking quite ashamed. "By all accounts, I am already a third-generation immortal. My contemporaries have either died tragically or have already broken through to transcendence. Those who are still stuck in the Seventh Realm are just incompetent fools like me."

"Looking back, in our youth, there were dozens of incredibly talented individuals in our time. Now, they've become polarized. Some have soared to the heavens to transcend worldly desires, traveling to the Central Land and the Western Buddhist Country. Others have turned into skeletons, and Son of Heaven's Disciple have had their cultivation crippled—it's truly lamentable."

"This year, besides Li Shenyin and Tang Wanzhou, several other individuals from the Hidden Gate of various powerful forces and the Imperial Court should emerge."

After the banquet, Qin Feng and Li Weiyi had a brief sparring match, which ended in a draw.

After the elders of the Lei Xiao Sect who had attained the Longevity Realm bid farewell and left, Li Weiyi humbly sought instruction in thunder techniques from Qin Tiansong, with Qin Feng following behind them.

"Whoosh!"

The Light Veil within the Eight Hundred Mile Sea of Thunder opened a gap.

"Boom!"

Without the array's obstruction, a dense, thunderous roar erupted, like a mountain collapsing and a tsunami crashing. It sounded like millions of thunderbirds crying out in unison, like ancient war drums reverberating, and like the crisp sound of a glacier collapsing.

There was not a moment of peace.

As Li Weiyi stepped into the formation, he looked up. The sky was not blue, but a deep purple, like flowing ink.

The lightning kept flashing.

The air was filled with the scorching smell of melting rocks, and also with the chill emanating from the Lei Hai Glacier.

Looking at the boundless sea of lightning and glaciers before him, Qin Tiansong began to explain, "Thunder and Lightning share the same origin, both stemming from an ancient law, and are the manifestation of the power of that law."

Thunder belongs to Yang, lightning belongs to Yin.

"Electricity is the substance, thunder is the form."

"Lightning is Heavenly Punishment, thunder is life."

"Electricity is similar to light but not light; it is like an unparalleled sword, extremely sharp and unpredictable. Thunder, on the other hand, is dominated by Sound Wave and vibrations, like a War Hammer, with immense power."

"Lightning and thunder must be cultivated together; otherwise, yin alone cannot produce, and yang alone cannot grow."

Li Weiyi nodded slightly. His understanding of lightning was far inferior to Qin Tiansong's centuries of comprehension, and he occasionally gained some insights.

The sixth level of the Imperial Technique <Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Sword>, according to the records in the scroll, involves Sound Wave and vibrational power.

Qin Tiansong suddenly said, "Li Shenyin should have comprehended the <Nine Heavens Secret Treasury>, right?"

Li Weiyi did not deny it. "The <Nine Heavens Secret Treasury> is truly too profound. This junior can only comprehend some of the scriptures and cannot understand the text on the stele at all."

The Nine Heavens Secret Treasury is the supreme chapter of the Lei Xiao Sect. After being seized by Zen Sea Observing Mist, it has been stored in the Divine Martial Tower.

This is the greatest pain for the Lei Xiao Sect.

Qin Tiansong revealed a pained expression. "If I could comprehend the <Nine Heavens Secret Treasury>, I would most likely have already entered the transcendent realm. I didn't mean to embarrass Li Shenyin intentionally; the grudges from thousands of years ago have nothing to do with you or me. What I want to say is that the Nine True Scriptures of the Lei Xiao Sect, including the <Nine Heavens Secret Treasury>, were all found at the bottom of this Thunder Sea. Our patriarch founded the sect with them."

The hair of the three people was drawn up by the lightning and floated up.

Li Weiyi looked at the icy plains ahead.

Lightning surged ceaselessly within the ice; it seems the "Thunder Law Profound Ice" was collected from here.

The once destructive ice block, after reaching the Longevity Realm, no longer showed any fear.

"Legend has it that this is the burial place of the Thunder Department Deity, the immortal tombstone of an unparalleled powerhouse, formed from his great laws and power."

"Be careful when you go in to cultivate; the deeper you go, the more dangerous it becomes. Even the sect leader wouldn't dare venture into the deepest part, let alone us Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator."

"Qin Feng, take Li Shenyin inside!"

After saying this, Qin Tiansong took his leave.

Li Weiyi bowed and saw the old man off. Watching the Old Man's departing figure, he could truly feel his profound and unfathomable cultivation, giving him a sense of awe and reverence.

This feeling, beyond all else, I've only ever experienced with An Xianjing.

The rest, even Yang Shen Realm, who is said to be the closest to transcendence in the Lingxiao Shengjing, seem to fall short.

Li Weiyi and Qin Feng walked on the vast blue ice surface, where lightning occasionally flashed, originating from the air or ice crystals, stinging their skin.

They walked for dozens of miles.

The lightning ahead transformed into a deep purple, Profound Nether Purple Lightning, intertwining like pythons and serpents. Then, lightning condensed into a ball of light that rose like a purple sun, extremely dazzling.

"Boom!"

The purple sun shattered, transforming into plasma and thunderstorms.

Qin Feng gazed ahead cautiously, hesitating to stop and continue, "The power of the Profound Nether Purple Lightning is ferocious; even Longevity Realm Martial Cultivator would find it difficult to withstand. With Li Shenyin's cultivation, he should be able to resist it."

"Then Brother Qin, you should go back first!" Li Weiyi said.

Qin Feng said, "I'll wait for you here. The sea of lightning is vast and the magical energy is chaotic. Any senses will be scattered, and it's easy to get lost."

Li Weiyi turned around and glanced back.

The land shore was no longer visible, and the senses that had been released were dispersed after extending for several dozen feet.

After expressing his gratitude once again, Li Weiyi stepped into the area where the Profound Nether Purple Lightning was located.

"Boom!"

A bolt of purple lightning descended from the sky like a tree branch.

Li Weiyi spread his arms and immediately erected One Hundred and Eight Lightning Strike Arrays, using the array's power to absorb the purple lightning and convert it into part of the Lightning Strike Array.

Within his body, the Divine Palace Longevity Golden Pill began to circulate, and one after another, lightning scriptures appeared.

"Splash!"

One Hundred and Eight Lightning Strike Arrays rotated, forming a thundercloud vortex that pulled wisps of purple lightning into the ancestral field and rushed towards the Divine Palace.

Then, the magical energy within his body seemed to be ignited, instantly becoming violent.

Originally, Li Weiyi had no interest in the Profound Nether Purple Lightning, since this lightning was only at the fifth level of the <Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Sword>.

He came here to collect an even more powerful Azure Falling Green Lightning.

Used for cultivating the sixth level of the Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Sword and for crafting the "Wind Fire Lightning Electricity Great Formation".

Just like before, Tang Wanzhou kept getting closer to the Fusang Divine Tree in order to kill Qin Zhengyang and collect the more powerful Golden Crow Flame, even though he was seriously injured as a result.

Only when you yourself cannot withstand a force can the enemy withstand it even less.

But at this moment, simply absorbing the Profound Nether Purple Lightning into his body caused him unbearable pain, as if his body were being boiled in a lightning furnace.

The Trace Meridians and string veins within the body all transformed into Electric Shuttle.

"My physical body and internal energy are being tempered, which should allow me to further enhance my cultivation and combat power."

"Every few dozen breaths, another crack will appear on the Azure Dragon Lock."

Li Weiyi did not suppress the operation of the Longevity Golden Pill, and continued to absorb and transform the Profound Nether Purple Lightning.

He had never systematically practiced thunder magic, and at this moment he could only recall the chapters in the <Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Sword> to control the magic with his own techniques.

"Sizzle!"

Before him, a Purple Lightning Greatsword, ten feet long, materialized and flew through the Lightning Strike Array, taming the power from the outside world.

This move was not only effective, but the Lightning Greatsword was also becoming more solid.

"As expected, even after reaching the Second Realm Peak, my cultivation can still be refined. I can temper my magical energy, increase the number of Longevity Scriptures, and enhance my comprehension of Longevity Scriptures."

Even if one has mastered the fifth level of imperial techniques, one can still continue to refine them.

In the distance, Qin Feng never expected Li Weiyi to be so powerful.

The fact that one could cultivate One Hundred and Eight Lightning Strike Arrays is already quite astonishing.

Looking closer, the figure enveloped in thunderclouds and lightning seemed to be constantly absorbing the lightning into its body. And what, then, was that Lightning Greatsword of the Lightning Strike Array that flickered intermittently?

The Nine Heavens Thunder Strike Sword had been lost for 20,000 years, so how could Qin Feng possibly recognize it?

"His aura is too strong, completely at the Great Longevity level. Even if all the senior giants of the Lei Xiao Sect were included, how many of them could be his match?"

Qin Feng knew very well that Li Weiyi hadn't used her full strength in their previous sparring session to save face for the Lei Xiao Sect and himself.

But two or three years ago, Li Weiyi was still Dao Seed Realm Martial Cultivator, this...

This is completely mind-blowing!

Even the most outstanding geniuses, once they enter the Fourth Realm, are no match for Li Weiyi.

However, it's hard to say who has the advantage when facing Li Weiyi, a Second Realm Peak Fourth Realm Great Longevity who only uses martial arts power and his own strength.