Three days later, under Uncle Nine's personal guidance, Mo Yuan arrived at a valley behind Stone Bamboo Shoot Mountain, shrouded by powerful restrictions.
Mist curled around the valley entrance. Within, flashes of lightning could vaguely be seen, while deep thunder rumbled without end.
Two deacon elders with imposing auras stood guard. Only after inspecting Uncle Nine's authorization token and Mo Yuan's identity jade badge did they open the restrictions and allow the two inside.
The moment they entered the valley, the view opened up before them.
The valley was not large. At its center lay a pool only a few yards wide. Its water was no ordinary water, but a deep violet-blue, viscous as mercury. Fine silver arcs constantly leaped and burst across its surface, crackling softly.
The dense lightning spiritual qi had almost become tangible. Even one breath left the entire body numb and sent the blood surging. This was Maoshan's sacred ground—the Thunder Accumulation Pool.
"Though the power of lightning here has been tempered by formations and is much gentler, it is still violent. Those without a powerful physique or profound mastery of lightning arts will find it difficult to endure."
Uncle Nine solemnly warned him, "When cultivating here, proceed step by step. Do not be greedy for quick progress. Focus on guiding and absorbing the energy to temper your spiritual power and body. Do not forcefully break through a bottleneck. Three days from now, regardless of your results, you must come out."
"This disciple will remember Master's teachings."
Mo Yuan sensed the active lightning particles in the air. Both the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear within him and that wisp of Primordial Thunder Essence Qi conveyed a feeling of joyous excitement.
Uncle Nine nodded without another word, then withdrew from the valley. The restrictions closed once more.
Only Mo Yuan and the pool full of dancing lightning remained within the valley.
He did not immediately leap into the pool. Instead, he first sat cross-legged at its edge and circulated the guidance method from the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex. At the same time, he connected with the Soul Cleansing Banner in his sea of consciousness, its clear radiance protecting his soul and ensuring that his mind would not be disturbed by the lightning.
Only then did he slowly step into the Thunder Accumulation Pool.
"Crackle—"
The instant he entered, countless fine silver lightning serpents surged madly toward his body as though they had found their home!
Intense numbness and piercing pain instantly spread throughout his body, as if every inch of flesh and every meridian were being cleansed by lightning!
Mo Yuan let out a muffled groan and immediately circulated the Divine Dragon Body Refining Art and the Basic Qi Refining Manual with all his strength.
His qi and blood roared like a dragon, becoming even more active and surging under the lightning's stimulation. The spiritual power vortex in his Dantian spun faster, greedily absorbing the incomparably pure lightning spiritual qi before refining and purifying it.
The lightning power within this Thunder Accumulation Pool was indeed extraordinary.
Not only was it pure, but it also contained a trace of the thunder source Dao Rhythm from when heaven and earth first opened. Though exceedingly faint, it was an unparalleled treasure for any cultivator of lightning arts!
Mo Yuan could clearly feel his spiritual power becoming more condensed and pure at a visible rate, its lightning attribute growing increasingly distinct.
His body was likewise expelling tiny impurities beneath the lightning's tempering, becoming tougher as it faintly advanced toward the second level of the Divine Dragon Body Refining Art.
He was not satisfied with that. With a thought, he placed the Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear into the pool as well.
As the spear entered the pool, it immediately released a delighted dragon's roar. The lightning patterns on its shaft blazed brightly as it actively devoured the pool's lightning liquid. The phantom of the Thunder Dragon Soul Essence within the spear also became more solid and active.
At the same time, he stirred the wisp of Chaotic Thunder Source Dao Rhythm and the Primordial Thunder Essence Qi within his Dantian.
The moment these two supreme lightning powers emerged, it was as if a monarch had descended. All the lightning in the Thunder Accumulation Pool submitted, becoming gentler as the absorption efficiency abruptly increased severalfold!
"System, sign in!" How could he possibly miss signing in at such a treasure ground?
[Ding! Sign-in successful! Congratulations, Host, for obtaining: Top-Grade Spirit Stone x5, Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow (one drop) x1, Thunder Phantom Body Fragment x1, Primordial World residual aura: one active Fragment of the Law of Thunder!] [Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow]: Condensed from the essence of Thunder Spirit Jade. It contains vast, pure thunder source power and can be directly absorbed to greatly improve lightning arts cultivation and foundation. [Thunder Phantom Body Fragment]: A fragment of an ancient lightning Dao divine ability. It can condense a lightning clone possessing part of the main body's strength and traits, useful for confusing enemies, attacking, or exploring dangerous places. [One active Fragment of the Law of Thunder]: A tiny fragment containing the laws of the Great Dao of lightning. It can greatly deepen one's understanding of lightning's essence and increase the power and control of all lightning-element spells.]
"Fragment of the Law of Thunder!" Mo Yuan was shaken to the core. He immediately guided the fragment, seemingly formed from countless tiny lightning runes, into his sea of consciousness!
In an instant, his understanding of lightning rose to an entirely new level!
Many of his former doubts regarding lightning arts were immediately resolved. The profound essence within the Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex became incomparably clear, and even the Swift Lightning Step seemed to gain a soul, its paths becoming more mysterious and unfathomable!
Without hesitation, he swallowed the drop of Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow. The jade marrow entered his stomach and transformed into a vast, ocean-like source of pure lightning, instantly filling his limbs and bones!
Had his body not undergone repeated tempering and been supported by life source qi, he would likely have burst apart in an instant!
He guided this power with all his strength. Part of it tempered his spiritual power, part nourished his body, while even more fused with the Fragment of the Law of Thunder, deepening his comprehension of the lightning Great Dao.
Time flew by during his selfless cultivation.
On the first day, his cultivation rose from the early stage of the eighth layer of Qi Refining all the way to the peak of the eighth layer, crushing through every obstacle in its path!
His spiritual power condensed like mercury, bearing a pure violet-gold sheen. Its might far surpassed that of cultivators at the same level.
On the second day, he began attempting to break through the barrier to the ninth layer of Qi Refining.
With the dual support of the Thunder Spirit Jade Marrow and the Thunder Accumulation Pool, along with his comprehension of the Fragment of the Law of Thunder, that solid barrier no longer seemed so unreachable.
He continuously compressed and purified his spiritual power, guiding lightning power to strike against the barrier!
Boom!
It was as if some shackle inside him had shattered. The qi sea in his Dantian abruptly expanded, and both the speed and quality of his surging spiritual power rose once more!
An even stronger aura erupted from his body, stirring ring after ring of ripples across the pool water.
The ninth layer of Qi Refining—achieved!
After breaking through, he did not stop. Instead, he continued stabilizing his realm and absorbing the pool's lightning power.
The Thunder Dragon Evil-Slaying Spear also benefited immensely. The radiance around its shaft withdrew inward, but the lightning power it contained grew even more terrifying. It faintly showed signs of advancing into a Mid-Grade Magic Item.
On the third day, he focused most of his efforts on comprehending the Thunder Phantom Body Fragment.
This divine ability was extremely profound. Even with the Fragment of the Law of Thunder assisting him, he could only barely touch its threshold. He was still far from condensing a true phantom body.
Yet he was not discouraged. At least he had found a direction.
At the same time, he began sorting through everything he had learned. The Nine Heavens Thunder Talisman Grand Codex, the Divine Dragon Body Refining Art, the Gengjin Sword Qi Secret Arts, Heavenly Thunder Pacing the Stars—which had evolved into the Swift Lightning Step—the Yi Wood Eternal Life Art, the Spirit Binding Incantation, the Turtle Breath False Death Art... Under the illumination of the Fragment of the Law of Thunder, his many cultivation methods, spells, and techniques began showing signs of integrating and confirming one another.
He no longer regarded them as separate entities. Instead, he gradually formed the outline of a comprehensive combat system centered on lightning, incorporating body refinement, sword arts, talismans, movement techniques, vitality, binding, and concealment.
Three days passed in the blink of an eye.
When the valley's restrictions opened once more, Mo Yuan awoke from his deep cultivation.
He slowly opened his eyes. Countless tiny lightning runes flickered through them, as though they contained an entire sea of thunder.
The aura around him was rounded and restrained. He had already stabilized at the early stage of the ninth layer of Qi Refining, yet he felt far more unfathomable than an ordinary ninth-layer Qi Refining cultivator.
He stepped out of the Thunder Accumulation Pool, his body as light as a swallow, faintly resonating with the lightning spiritual qi between heaven and earth.
Feeling the surging power within himself and his deeper understanding of lightning, he knew that his gains from these three days had far exceeded his expectations.
"Not bad."
The moment Uncle Nine, waiting outside the valley, saw Mo Yuan, a satisfied smile appeared on his face. "Your foundation is stable, and your thunder intent is contained within. You lack only the final accumulation and opportunity before reaching Foundation Establishment."
"Thank you, Master." Mo Yuan bowed respectfully. He knew that without the sect's nurturing and his master's guidance, he could never have achieved what he had today.
After returning to the Listening Thunder Abode, Mo Yuan continued consolidating his cultivation and digesting what he had gained from the Thunder Accumulation Pool.
He felt better than ever before and was filled with confidence about soon attempting to reach the Foundation Establishment realm.
However, just as he was cultivating in seclusion, Martial Uncle Xuan Ji brought another unsettling piece of news.
"Based on intelligence gathered from several sources, the Black Fiend Sect and the Netherworld organization seem to have found an entrance to ruins suspected of being related to an ancient demon deeper within Burial Demon Valley. They have mobilized a great number of people and appear to be preparing a large-scale blood sacrifice in an attempt to open the entrance."
Martial Uncle Xuan Ji's expression was grave. "Senior Brother Sect Master believes that their earlier search for the Yin Fiend Spring was most likely to provide energy for this blood sacrifice or to refine some crucial evil artifact."
Ancient Demon Ruins! Blood sacrifice!
The combination of those two words made Mo Yuan's heart sink.
This was no small matter. If the evil sects truly succeeded and released some ancient demonic creature, the consequences would be unimaginable.
"What does the sect intend to do?" Uncle Nine asked in a deep voice.
"Senior Brother Sect Master has already contacted Dragon Tiger Mountain and Ge Zao Mountain. The three sects must join forces again to stop this. This operation will be far larger in scale than the previous one. Several elders will personally lead the teams, and even true disciples must participate."
Martial Uncle Xuan Ji looked at Mo Yuan. "Nephew Mo Yuan, your name has been included on the roster for this operation. Make your preparations. You depart in five days."
Mo Yuan took a deep breath. There was no fear in his eyes, only determined fighting spirit.
Ancient Demon Ruins, the joint forces of three sects, elders leading the expedition... This would be an even more dangerous and magnificent journey than the expedition into Burial Demon Valley!
"This disciple accepts the order!"
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