Orthodox Earth Thunder

The sallow-faced, middle-aged cultivator was probably Mo Qiu, while those teenagers were some of the Thick Earth Sect's outer disciples.

Huang Tian guessed to himself.

At that moment, Mo Qiu began to speak. "...Sit cross-legged and calm your mind. Relax and be still, and let nature take its course. Lightly close your lips and teeth, and breathe slowly and evenly. When your Yellow Court grows warm, as if embracing an egg, guide your qi past the coccyx, up along the spine to the Jade Pillow, through Kunlun, and back to the Violet Palace..."

Every word was exceptionally clear.

To make sure every outer disciple could remember and understand, he repeated the lesson several times, patiently and without tiring.

Huang Tian's pen flew across the page as he recorded every word of the cultivation method, then listened attentively to Mo Qiu's explanations.

More than half an hour passed before Mo Qiu stopped and asked, "Did you understand?"

"We understood," the outer disciples said in unison, nodding.

"Do you have any questions?"

Everyone shook their heads.

Mo Qiu nodded. "Since none of you have any more questions, I'll use the remaining time to teach you a low-tier lightning technique for self-defense.

"As everyone knows, lightning and fire spells are the most powerful.

"As a major sect in this world, my Thick Earth Sect naturally has many astonishingly powerful lightning techniques in its collection. One low-tier technique is called Orthodox Earth Thunder.

"This technique can draw upon the pure-yang essence of Wu Earth deep within the ground. It gives rise to extreme motion from absolute stillness, and unleashes extreme ferocity from utter stability. Its power is fierce and immense, capable of destroying evil and scattering demons.

"It's one of the most powerful Earth-element lightning techniques.

"The key to cultivating it is to first sense the essence of Wu Earth, then use spiritual energy to bring its stillness and stability to their utmost. In the next instant, transform them into the movement and explosive force of thunder.

"It is the thunder of the earth, not the thunder of Heaven.

"However, in stormy weather, when you cast Orthodox Earth Thunder, you can resonate with the thunder of Heaven, greatly increasing the technique's power. Bringing down a city wall or toppling a mountain would be child's play..."

Mo Qiu explained the cultivation method for Orthodox Earth Thunder at an unhurried pace, while Huang Tian recorded it with delight.

A little over twenty minutes later, the connection cut off and the image of Mo Qiu teaching disappeared, but Huang Tian had already recorded the complete Orthodox Earth Thunder technique.

Looking at the pages covered in writing, Huang Tian's lips curled upward. He set aside the middle-stage Qi Refining method of the Yellow Heaven Mountain-Suppressing Spirit Scripture and picked up the pages containing Orthodox Earth Thunder, studying them closely.

A moment later, he closed his eyes. His extraordinary comprehension conjured an image in his mind of himself using Orthodox Earth Thunder.

Once, ten times, a hundred times...

After a hundred repetitions, he knew it by heart.

Huang Tian slowly opened his eyes. A flash of lightning flickered in the empty room.

Suppressing his urge to try the technique in the real world, Huang Tian picked up his keys and went downstairs for dinner.

His early Qi Refining cultivation had greatly reduced his need for food, but he wasn't quite ready to abstain from it altogether.

He crossed the street and entered Shihui Restaurant. Before Huang Tian could say a word, the owner, a man in his thirties, asked, "Bamboo pith and pork over rice?"

Huang Tian smiled and nodded, scanned the payment code, then took his usual seat.

The owner went into the kitchen to cook. The sound of chopping filled the air.

Huang Tian looked around the restaurant and noticed several tables and chairs were gone. The standing air conditioner that had been in the corner was missing too. No wonder the place didn't feel as cool as usual.

Before long, the owner carried over a bucket of rice and set it on the table. Then he said to Huang Tian:

"Young man, is this bamboo pith and pork over rice really that good? I've seen you order it so many times."

Huang Tian picked up his chopsticks and answered sincerely, "It tastes pretty good."

He wasn't very picky about food. If a dish tasted decent, he'd eat it every day until he got tired of it, then move on to the next one.

The owner scratched his head with a smile, then sighed. "I'm closing this restaurant tomorrow, young man. You'll have to eat somewhere else from now on."

Huang Tian thought for a moment and asked, "Business bad?"

"Hardly anyone comes to eat here all day. And two or three malatang and wonton shops have opened nearby, so business has gotten even worse. I've got no choice but to close up and find somewhere else." The owner was very straightforward.

Huang Tian didn't say anything more, just nodded. A small sense of melancholy welled up inside him. He'd have to move on before he got tired of the place. What a shame.

After chatting for a couple of minutes, the owner turned and walked away. He sat behind the counter, bored, scrolling through videos on his phone.

After finishing dinner, Huang Tian got up to leave. As he stepped out of the restaurant, he noticed the owner was still looking down at his phone, brow furrowed and his mind heavy with worries.

"Life's hard for everyone in its own way."

He sighed. If he hadn't gained superpowers, would he be fretting over where to find work right now?

"Good thing I've got a cheat!"

Light on his feet, he returned to the apartment building and went over to his little electric scooter.

He got on, twisted the throttle, and the scooter whirred to life as he headed for Guangming Park.

A little over ten minutes later, he arrived. Huang Tian crossed the park with practiced ease and climbed the small hill.

There wasn't a soul in sight. The mosquitoes' relentless buzzing was enough to keep everyone away.

Huang Tian used his spiritual energy to raise a thin barrier, warding off the mosquitoes and a few other flying insects.

He reached the spot where he'd tested the Earth Golem Technique and Lesser Cloud and Rain Technique last time. Looking up at the sky, Huang Tian saw a bright moon and sparse stars. The night breeze was cool.

"Nice weather."

He drew a light breath. His spiritual energy seeped into the earth, and his mind merged with it.

Suddenly, his expression shifted. A concentrated, profound pressure radiated from him. Within a radius of ten meters, the insects stopped chirping all at once, and everything fell deathly silent.

He circulated his spiritual energy, pointed two fingers at the half-man-high rock he'd used last time, and a deep amber light flickered across the ground before sinking beneath the stone.

"BOOM—!"

An extremely deep, muffled rumble rang out. The rock burst apart with a bang, shattering into dozens of fragments of varying sizes. A faint scorched smell rose from the stone.

A gentle night breeze blew, and the dozens of fragments turned to powder, scattering and vanishing on the wind.

"The power really is astonishing!"

Huang Tian's eyes lit up. Simply smashing the rock wouldn't have been all that impressive, but pulverizing it was truly terrifying.

"No wonder Mo Qiu said that Heaven's thunder is supremely hard and supremely yang, excelling at breaking evil and destroying things, while Earth Thunder is deep and weighty, specializing in suppression and disintegration.

"When struck by Orthodox Earth Thunder, mountains and rocks turn to dust, demons and evil spirits have their souls shaken apart, and magic artifacts crack all over."

Having mastered a technique of considerable power, Huang Tian was in high spirits. He cast Orthodox Earth Thunder twice more, reducing all the larger stones nearby to powder.

"Hahahaha, that feels great!"

Huang Tian laughed freely. Suddenly, the spiritual energy inside him surged. His expression froze, and he quickly sat cross-legged, focusing his mind and gathering his qi.

A few seconds later, a gust of wind swept around Huang Tian. He suddenly opened his eyes, joy shining in them.

"Second level of Qi Refining!"

That was right—he'd broken through!

In just a few days, he'd gone from an ordinary mortal to a second-level Qi Refining cultivator!

If the disciples of the Thick Earth Sect found out, their eyes would turn red with envy.

But Huang Tian wasn't smug about it. He knew every bit of his progress was thanks to his cheat.

Wasn't it only natural for someone with a cheat to level up fast?