Thunder Accumulation Pool

Three days later, under the personal guidance of Uncle Nine, Mo Yuan arrived at a valley shrouded in powerful restrictions at the back of Stone Bamboo Shoot Mountain.

The valley entrance was shrouded in mist, and faint flashes of electricity could be seen within, accompanied by continuous low rumbles of thunder.

Two elders with imposing auras guarded the entrance. After verifying Uncle Nine's token and Mo Yuan's identity jade, they activated the restrictions and allowed the two to enter.

Stepping into the valley, the scenery suddenly opened up.

The valley was not large. In the center was a pool no more than ten feet in diameter. The water was not ordinary but a deep, dark purple-blue, viscous like mercury, with fine silver arcs of electricity constantly jumping and crackling on its surface, emitting soft "pī pā" sounds.

The dense thunderous spiritual energy was almost tangible. Taking a breath made one feel numb all over, with blood churning. This was a crucial location of Mount Mao – the Thunder Accumulation Pool.

"Although the thunderous power here has been tempered by the formations and is much milder, it remains ferocious. Those with strong physiques or profound thunder techniques will find it difficult to endure."

Uncle Nine solemnly warned, "When you cultivate here, you must proceed step by step. Do not be greedy or rush. Focus on guiding and absorbing, refining your spiritual power and body. Do not forcefully break through bottlenecks. After three days, regardless of your progress, you must come out."

"Disciple remembers Master's teachings."

Mo Yuan felt the active thunder particles in the air. The Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear and the wisp of Primordial Thunder Essence Qi within him both felt a sense of joyful excitement.

Uncle Nine nodded and said no more. He withdrew from the valley, and the restrictions closed again.

Only Mo Yuan remained in the valley, along with the pool of crackling thunder.

He did not immediately jump into the pool. Instead, he first sat cross-legged by its edge, circulated the guiding techniques from the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex, and simultaneously communicated with the Soul Cleansing Banner in his sea of consciousness. Its clear light protected his soul, ensuring his mind would not be disturbed by the thunder.

Then, he slowly stepped into the Thunder Accumulation Pool.

"Zzzt—"

As soon as he stepped in, countless fine silver lightning snakes, as if finding their home, surged towards his body!

A strong sense of numbness and stinging pain instantly spread throughout his body, as if every inch of his flesh and every meridian was being baptized by thunder!

Mo Yuan grunted and immediately activated the Divine Dragon Body Refining Art and Basic Qi Refining Manual with all his might.

His blood essence roared like a dragon, becoming even more active and surging under the stimulation of the thunder. The spiritual power vortex in his dantian spun faster, greedily absorbing this extremely pure thunder spiritual energy and refining it.

The thunderous power in this Thunder Accumulation Pool was indeed extraordinary.

It was not only pure but also contained a trace of the primordial thunder Dao rhythm from the beginning of heaven and earth. Although extremely faint, it was a supreme treasure for those cultivating thunder techniques!

Mo Yuan could clearly feel his spiritual power becoming more condensed and pure at a visible rate, with its thunderous attribute becoming increasingly pronounced.

His physical body, under the tempering of the thunder, expelled minute impurities, becoming more resilient, and was subtly advancing towards the second layer of the Divine Dragon Body Refining Art.

He was not content with this. With a thought, he placed the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear into the pool as well.

As the spear entered the pool, it immediately let out a satisfied dragon's roar. The thunder patterns on the spear body glowed brightly, actively engulfing the thunder liquid in the pool. The illusory shadow of the Thunder Dragon Soul Essence within the spear also became more solid and active.

At the same time, he also activated the wisp of Chaotic Thunder Source Dao Rhythm and the Primordial Thunder Essence Qi in his dantian.

When these two supreme-level thunderous powers emerged, it was as if kings had descended. All the thunder in the Thunder Accumulation Pool submitted, becoming much gentler, and the absorption efficiency increased severalfold!

"System, sign in!" How could he miss signing in at such a treasure trove?

[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations to the host for obtaining: Top-Grade Spirit Stone x5, Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow (one drop) x1, Thunder Phantom Body Remnant Scroll x1, Remnant Aura of the Primordial World: A wisp of active Fragment of the Law of Thunder!]

[Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow]: Condensed from the essence of Thunder Spirit Jade, it contains immense and pure thunder source power. It can be directly absorbed to greatly enhance thunder technique cultivation and foundation.

[Thunder Phantom Body Remnant Scroll]: Remnant scroll of an ancient thunder Dao divine ability. It can condense thunder clones that possess some of the host's strength and characteristics, used for deceiving enemies, attacking, or exploring dangerous places.

[A wisp of active Fragment of the Law of Thunder]: A tiny fragment containing the laws of the Great Dao of Thunder. It can greatly deepen the understanding of the essence of thunder, enhancing the power and control of all thunder-element spells.

"Fragment of the Law of Thunder!" Mo Yuan was shocked and immediately guided the fragment, which seemed composed of countless minute thunder runes, to merge into his sea of consciousness!

In an instant, his understanding of thunder reached a whole new level!

Many previous doubts about thunder techniques were resolved. The profound meaning of the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex became incredibly clear. Even the "Swift Lightning Step" seemed to have gained a soul, its trajectory becoming more mysterious and unpredictable!

Without hesitation, he swallowed the drop of Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow. As the marrow entered his abdomen, it transformed into a vast, pure thunder source that instantly filled his limbs and bones!

If his physical body had not been tempered multiple times and he didn't have life essence as a foundation, he would have likely exploded instantly!

He guided this power with all his might, part of it used to temper his spiritual power, part to nourish his physical body, and more to combine with the Fragment of the Law of Thunder, deepening his comprehension of the Great Dao of Thunder.

Time flew by in his engrossed cultivation.

On the first day, his cultivation rose from the early stage of Qi Refining Layer 8 all the way to the peak of Qi Refining Layer 8!

His spiritual power was condensed like mercury, possessing a pure purplish-gold hue, its power far exceeding that of peers.

On the second day, he began to attempt to break through the bottleneck of Qi Refining Layer 9.

With the dual assistance of the Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow and the Thunder Accumulation Pool, coupled with the insights from the Fragment of the Law of Thunder, the solid bottleneck no longer seemed so unattainable.

He continuously compressed and refined his spiritual power, guiding the thunderous power to strike the barrier!

"Boom!"

It was as if some shackles within his body were broken. The sea of qi in his dantian suddenly expanded, and the speed and quality of his spiritual power surged again!

A stronger aura erupted from within him, stirring ripples in the pool water.

Qi Refining Layer 9, achieved!

After the breakthrough, he did not stop but continued to stabilize his realm and absorb the thunderous power from the pool.

The Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear also benefited greatly. The light on its body became more restrained, but the thunderous power contained within became even more terrifying, showing signs of advancing to a Mid-Grade Magic Item.

On the third day, he focused his main energy on comprehending the remnant scroll of the Thunder Phantom Body.

This divine ability was extremely profound. Even with the aid of the fragment of the Law of Thunder, he could barely grasp a sliver of its threshold, and was still far from condensing a true phantom body.

But he was not discouraged; at least he had found a direction.

At the same time, he also began to sort through his acquired knowledge. The Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex, Divine Dragon Body Refining Art, Gengjin Sword Qi Secret Arts, Heavenly Thunder Pacing the Stars (which had evolved into the Swift Lightning Step), Yi Wood Eternal Life Art, Spirit Binding Incantation, Turtle Breath False Death Art... Numerous cultivation methods, spells, and techniques began to merge and validate each other under the illumination of the fragment of the Law of Thunder.

He no longer viewed them as independent entities but was gradually constructing the prototype of a comprehensive combat system centered around thunder, incorporating body refining, sword arts, talismans, movement techniques, vitality, binding, and concealment.

Three days passed in the blink of an eye.

When the valley's restriction was lifted again, Mo Yuan awoke from his deep cultivation.

He slowly opened his eyes, and countless tiny thunder runes flashed and disappeared within them, as if containing a sea of lightning.

His aura was harmonious and restrained, having already stabilized at the early stage of the ninth level of Qi Refining. However, he gave people the feeling of being far more unfathomable than ordinary ninth-level Qi Refining cultivators.

He stepped out of the Thunder Accumulation Pool, his body as light as a swallow, subtly resonating with the thunder spiritual energy in the surrounding world.

Feeling the surging power within him and a deeper understanding of thunder, he knew that the gains from these three days far exceeded his expectations.

"Not bad."

Uncle Nine, who had been waiting outside the valley, revealed a satisfied smile the moment he saw Mo Yuan. "Your foundation is stable, and your thunder intent is contained within. You are only one accumulation and opportunity away from Foundation Establishment."

"Thank you, Master." Mo Yuan bowed respectfully. He knew that without the sect's nurturing and his master's guidance, he would never have achieved what he had today.

Returning to the Listening Thunder Abode, Mo Yuan continued to consolidate his cultivation and digest the gains from the Thunder Accumulation Pool.

He felt that his state was better than ever and was full of confidence for the upcoming breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment realm.

However, just as he was cultivating diligently, Martial Uncle Xuan Ji brought another unsettling piece of news.

"According to multiple investigations, the Black Fiend Sect and the Netherworld organization seem to have found an ancient ruin entrance, possibly related to the 'Ancient Demons' of antiquity, in the deeper parts of Burial Demon Valley. They have mobilized a large number of personnel and appear to be preparing for some kind of large-scale blood sacrifice in an attempt to open the entrance."

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji's expression was grave. "Sect Leader Senior Brother deduces that their previous search for the Yin Fiend Spring was likely to provide energy for this blood sacrifice or to refine some crucial evil artifact."

Ancient Demon Ruins! Blood Sacrifice!

The combination of these two phrases made Mo Yuan's heart sink.

This was by no means a trivial matter. If the heretics succeeded and released some ancient demonic beings, the consequences would be unimaginable.

"What are the sect's plans?" Uncle Nine asked in a deep voice.

"Sect Leader Senior Brother has already contacted Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain. The three sects must join forces again to stop this. This operation will be on a much larger scale than before, and will be personally led by several elders, with true disciples also required to participate."

Martial Uncle Xuan Ji looked at Mo Yuan. "Martial Nephew Mo Yuan, you have been added to the list for this operation. Prepare yourself; we depart in five days."

Mo Yuan took a deep breath, his eyes showing no fear, only firm fighting spirit.

Ancient Demon Ruins, three sects joining forces, elders leading the team... This would be a journey even more perilous and magnificent than the trip to Burial Demon Valley!

"This disciple accepts the order!"