"This secret art is called the Lightning Law. Despite its name, it covers not only the Lightning Law, but the Time Law as well."
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"It also explains how to apply the laws of the universe and how to get more out of your weapons." Lie Shan paused, then continued, "This secret art is basic, but that doesn't mean it's common."
Lie Shan smiled at Li Yilin. "Young man, would you be interested in joining the Giant Axe Arena?"
Join the Giant Axe Arena?
Joining meant he would eventually go to Chaos City.
Unless necessary, he didn't want anyone to see through him—not even the Chaos City Lord, who had always been fair and selfless in the original story.
But there was one benefit to going to Chaos City: the Chaos City Lord could determine whether he was a pure human.
That verdict wouldn't usually be of much use, but—
If one day his strength reached the point where he could influence or even determine matters at the highest levels of the Human Race, that verification would affect whether Cosmic Humans could truly trust and accept him.
Should he join or not?
Li Yilin hesitated.
Suddenly, his gaze fell on the System Panel in the upper-right corner of his vision. Something occurred to him, and his eyes narrowed.
He couldn't join!
At least, not right now.
Even if he did join, he had to wait until his Clone was born.
But if he didn't join, then what about the Lightning Law—
A hint of indecision rose in Li Yilin's heart. He was so absorbed in thought that it showed on his face.
Lie Shan noticed, and a glint flashed in his eyes.
There was a chance!
If the kid joined the Giant Axe Arena, he could use the opportunity to learn more about his talent and temperament.
As long as the kid wasn't a block of wood and didn't have a terrible disposition, Lie Shan might take him as a disciple.
The kid was awful in almost every way, but his talent was decent. Most importantly, his personality suited Lie Shan. Taking him as a disciple wouldn't be a bad deal!
"Senior." Li Yilin bowed respectfully to Lie Shan, completely unaware that the man was already considering taking him on as a disciple. "It's an honor to have caught your eye.
"But I'm lazy by nature, and I'm used to being free. Joining the Giant Axe Arena isn't what I want.
"I can only disappoint you, despite your kindness." He bowed deeply again, his face tense.
Would the senior be offended by his refusal and fly into a rage?
What if he attacked him?
What pose should he make as he disappeared?
A jumble of wild thoughts churned through his mind, but in the end, they all gave way to tense, anxious waiting.
Just as he thought!
Lie Shan sighed.
"Since you have no wish to join the Giant Axe Arena, I won't force you.
"But I'm not willing to let a talent go to waste. As for the secret art, the Lightning Law..." He considered it, then said, "I'll use my own authority to buy it for you. Secret arts are precious, so you alone may use it. You must never teach it to anyone else."
Lie Shan gave him a serious warning. Of course, he wasn't worried Li Yilin would do anything foolish. Anyone who had cultivated to the Domain Lord level couldn't be an idiot.
And any sensible person knew what they should and shouldn't do.
Li Yilin's face lit up. This time, instead of bowing, he knelt and kowtowed. "Thank you for this precious gift, Senior!"
In reality.
Li Yilin slowly opened his eyes.
He blinked, the corners of his mouth gradually curling upward. Finally—
"Ha ha ha, ha ha ha—"
What a haul!
Li Yilin laughed freely, his hearty laughter echoing through the cultivation room.
"Congratulations, Master. You've grown even stronger," Liu Qing said.
Li Yilin stood with his hands on his hips, a hint of smugness on his face. "That's right. I've gotten stronger again!
"Liu Qing, transfer two hundred thousand Hunyuan Units to Senior Marquis Lei Xu's account. Thank him for his guidance," Li Yilin said.
Now that he'd achieved his goal, he should give the promised payment without delay.
"Yes," Liu Qing replied. "Two hundred thousand Hunyuan Units have been transferred."
In a mysterious place far beyond a distant starfield, Marquis Lei Xu slowly opened his eyes and looked at his Smart Optical Computer.
"Two hundred thousand Hunyuan Units. That kid's wealth is greater than I expected."
"Well, since he knows how to behave, I'll give him a little something in return."
Qiu Dragon Planet.
"Thunder Dragon Claw!" Still thrilled, Li Yilin couldn't wait to test his progress.
First, he tried the Thunder Dragon Art he'd been looking forward to most.
Faint strands of Lightning Law, thin as hair, emerged and flowed toward his hand. Purple light gathered, growing deeper and richer.
In the blink of an eye, the brilliant purple light drew inward. A claw, resembling that of some kind of creature, gradually took shape. It was neither bone nor scale, and its digits spread wide as it gave off a heart-stirring aura.
Li Yilin eagerly swung it.
"Whoosh!"
A flash of cold light passed, and five pitch-black lines appeared in the air, lingering for a long time.
"It worked!" Li Yilin's eyes shone even brighter. He was stunned.
It had sliced through the void as easily as cutting tofu. Once again, he felt the extraordinary power of the Thunder Dragon Art.
He lowered his head. The Thunder Dragon Claw was still there. It hadn't dissipated or exploded.
He flexed his fingers. The sharp tips of the claws moved, powerful law fluctuations clinging to them. He hadn't used any energy at all, yet the void had still changed.
"Congratulations, Master. You've reached a new level of strength," Liu Qing said in his clear, youthful voice. "You're amazing, Master."
"I never realized the laws could be used like this. Before, I could only wield them clumsily in battle. Now, I can switch between them naturally to suit the needs of a fight." Hearing Liu Qing's praise, Li Yilin grinned like a fool.
The gap between knowing how to move and knowing how to use something was like the difference between heaven and earth.
For example, if he'd wanted to achieve an effect of one in a fight, he would have needed to exert ten times the effort before. Now, he could achieve the same result with five-tenths, three-tenths, or even less.
That difference determined his stamina and endurance in battle—
Li Yilin was thrilled. Even though the only one beside him was an emotionless intelligence, he still eagerly shared his joy.
Inside the Smart Optical Computer.
Liu Qing listened quietly as his master shared his thoughts, responding now and then. He didn't notice that the program at the very bottom of his system was subtly changing in ways no one could detect, reacting to the powerful emotions of the person he served—
A spacious room.
Li Yilin lay sprawled across the broad, comfortable bed, a satisfied smile still on his face.
"I was such an idiot before. My cultivation wasn't progressing, but instead of finding a teacher, I just kept trying to figure it out on my own." Looking up at the ornate ceiling, Li Yilin sighed.
"Senior Sawa was right. There's a huge difference between having a teacher and not having one."
Take this time, for instance. He'd been stuck on the same problem for a hundred years, but after asking Senior Marquis Lei Xu for guidance, he'd solved it with ease.
Marquis Lei Xu had even gifted him a copy of the Lightning Law secret art. He hadn't received it yet, but given Marquis Lei Xu's status and strength, would he recommend an ordinary secret art?
Just as Li Yilin was thinking about it—
"Master, Marquis Lei Xu has sent you an email," Liu Qing said.
"Open it," Li Yilin replied.
The email opened—
"Kid, although you don't plan to join the Giant Axe Arena, I quite like your personality.
"From now on, if you have questions about cultivation or anything you don't understand about practicing the Lightning Law, you can come to me. You may ask for my guidance at most once every hundred years.
"Of course, the two guidance sessions you paid for that you haven't used yet don't count toward that limit. I hope you'll cherish your talent and your opportunities, and not bring my reputation to ruin.
"—Marquis Lei Xu."
Li Yilin could hardly believe his eyes. He rubbed them and looked again.
Nothing had changed.
It was real!
Marquis Lei Xu had decided to keep guiding him?
"An Immortal Marquis is this generous?"
He lifted his head, his eyes dazed!
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