Amid the dark clouds, lightning raged. Xiao Li hurriedly sat cross-legged and circulated his meridians according to the pathways in the Thunder Fusion Body.
The lightning roared toward him, and every muscle in Xiao Li's body tensed.
A flash of white lightning carved a fleeting path through the clouds and struck Xiao Li.
Feeling the searing pain throughout his body, Xiao Li's face twisted into a grimace. He had struck countless people with lightning, but this was the first time he'd been struck by it himself. The sensation was truly exquisite.
There was no time to dwell on what it felt like to be struck by lightning. Xiao Li circulated his energy, converting the lightning's power for his own use. Some of it was refined and merged into his cyclone, while the rest tempered his body.
Lightning rolled through his meridians. Xiao Li felt them all go numb, and the cells in his body shrieked as the lightning roused them. Even the cyclones within him began running beyond their limits.
The lightning injured his body, but the Thunder Fusion Body restored it as it circulated. His charred skin slowly peeled away, and new flesh grew beneath it.
A faint azure light shone from his renewed body. It was only a trace, but the difference was already clear.
The lightning came in more than a single bolt. One followed another, and Elder Qian gave Xiao Li hardly any time to recover.
His body suffered through the agony of destruction and rebirth, but its strength steadily increased.
Beneath the dark clouds, the azure light around Xiao Li grew stronger and stronger, a glimmer of blue shining through the oppressive sky.
Elder Bai's eyes held a hint of sympathy. "Tempering your body with lightning is truly excruciating."
Elder Qian nodded. "The technique the dean left behind really is extraordinary. As long as you can endure being struck by lightning, you can cultivate almost as quickly as with a middle-grade Earth-rank technique. And on top of that, it tempers your body."
Even so, how many people could endure that agony day after day, year after year?
The lightning continued to sweep across the sky. Xiao Li's gaze had grown unfocused, and he could only absorb its energy and temper his body in a numb daze.
Elder Qian counted to one hundred in his mind, then waved away the dark clouds. Bright sunlight poured down and fell across Xiao Li's face.
Xiao Li's mind jolted, and his eyes refocused. The energy within him was so full it seemed ready to spill out.
The energy inside him became a charging beast. It smashed through the barriers of his cultivation in one fierce blow, carrying him into a far broader world.
Five-star Da Dou Shi!
He had broken through three levels in a single day. His foundation was as solid as bedrock, but Xiao Li still felt he needed a few days to temper it before doing anything else.
Xiao Li fell from the sky without relying on Dou Qi wings or a Flying Dou Technique, crashing into the ground and leaving a deep pit.
Unharmed, Xiao Li leaped from the crater and looked at his right hand, which faintly glowed azure. The corner of his mouth lifted.
He had reached the entry level of the Thunder Fusion Body.
But entry was only the beginning. By Xiao Li's own estimate, he would have to endure several hundred more lightning strikes to bring the Mystic Thunder Body to the minor-success stage.
At the thought of that agony, Xiao Li shook his head. He'd take a few days to recover first. It was too brutal.
Still, the results were remarkable. After taking just one lightning strike, his physical strength had increased by at least thirty percent. It was practically like he'd been cheating.
Elder Qian roughly assessed Xiao Li's physical strength and nodded to himself. Body tempering wasn't like cultivation; there were no shortcuts. But once mastered, it could make someone far stronger than ordinary people.
Xiao Li's breathing settled. Elder Qian approached him and said, "Spend a few days practicing Nine Steps to Heaven, then head out to gain experience. Bai Lie and I will protect you from the shadows."
Xiao Li nodded. There was no time to slack off anymore. He was already fifteen this year, and next year would be his coming-of-age ceremony.
Black-Corner Region, Hundred Monster City
This was a small city that had never appeared in the original story, but it was every bit as chaotic as the major cities of the Black-Corner Region.
Xiao Li watched the fights erupting all across the streets and walked past them without a second glance. The Black-Corner Region really was a lawless land. Most of the criminals and scoundrels in the Northwest Continent had probably come here.
"Hey, kid, hand over—"
Xiao Li sighed helplessly. His Thunder Scale Spear swept through the air, skewering several people who had blocked his way.
Blood ran across the ground, and the onlookers who had been itching to make trouble froze in place.
"What terrifying strength. He killed several Dou Zhe with a casual strike."
"Exactly. Someone like him could definitely handle the Black Tiger Gang's young master."
Two men in the crowd whispered to each other. They exchanged a look, then settled on a plan.
"Kid, don't wander around like a headless fly when you're out gaining experience. I'll teach you a trick."
Elder Qian's voice reached Xiao Li's ears from the void.
Xiao Li stopped without showing any reaction, curious to hear what Elder Qian had to say.
"Find the most conspicuous spot you can, put up a sign, and write, 'I'll do anything for money.' Give yourself something to do."
Xiao Li's expression stiffened. The old man sure had a knack for coming up with lousy ideas.
He thought as much, but the powerful had their reasons. Besides, he really didn't have any particular goal, so Xiao Li still found a conspicuous spot.
Elder Qian chuckled to himself and nudged Bai Lie beside him. "This should be fun. In the Black-Corner Region, people who act too conspicuous and arrogant only meet one of two fates."
Elder Bai raised an eyebrow. "Either they rise to the top and make a name for themselves overnight, or else... tsk, tsk."
The answer was obvious: death.
Xiao Li had nothing to write with, and just as he was wondering what to do, Elder Qian's voice came again.
"Foolish boy, why are you still following the rules in the Black-Corner Region? See that bastard raping someone over there? Run him through with your spear, then use his clothes and blood to write your sign." Elder Qian snorted.
Elder Bai gave him a surprised look. "Qian Mu, I didn't know you had a sense of justice. You're even going to save her."
Elder Qian shot him a glance. "I cultivate so I can do whatever I please. I can't stand seeing someone raped, so of course I'll stop it."
Elder Qian's voice came through the void, as if he'd meant Xiao Li to hear.
Looking at the crowd gathered to watch, Xiao Li's gaze turned cold. He had noticed what was happening earlier and wanted to intervene, but he'd held back, worried that the Two Elders Qian and Bai would say he was meddling.
It seemed he'd been wrong. Being a do-gooder and having a bottom line weren't the same thing.
The tip of the Thunder Scale Spear scraped across the ground, throwing off sparks. Its shrill screech drew the crowd's attention.
"Hey, look at that cold face. Is the kid thinking of interfering?"
"Haha, why not just enjoy the show? What's the point of getting involved? You can't help everyone."
Xiao Li stopped. His voice was icy. "You stand around watching for fun and humiliate people. You're no good either."
His spear transformed into lightning and streaked through the streets of Hundred Monster City.
Mystic Thunder Shock Flash!
The lightning shot forward like a sword aimed at the scoundrel. It pierced through more than a dozen people before finally coming to a halt.
The spearpoint stopped in front of the attacker, and the bolts bursting from it made his hair stand on end.
Xiao Li lowered his head, his face hidden in the shadows of the buildings. Something seemed to dawn on him.
"Even a little Dou Master like you dares to act as you please, without fear of consequences. Yet I was afraid to meddle in someone else's business and invite trouble. I was letting myself get caught up in appearances."
The Thunder Scale Spear pierced the naked man's body. Its lightning reflected in the woman's terrified eyes.
"Changing my family's fate and acting as I please—that's what I cultivate for. I've suffered all this hardship, not so a bunch of bastards like you could make my life miserable."
Xiao Li lowered his spear and stood upright. "It's strange. The stronger I get, the more I seem to think about everything."
Xiao Li suddenly remembered the Magical Beast Mountain Range a year ago. Gan Mu and dozens of his men had surrounded him. Xiao Yi Xian had tugged at his sleeve, blinking up at him as she asked if he could take her with him.