The blood-red clouds of thunder gradually dispersed from the sky, and Xiao Li absorbed the final wisp of the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder's essence into his dantian.
The blood-sha aura between heaven and earth remained immense, but it was clear that some of it had diminished.
Xiao Li slowly opened his eyes. An unprecedented, brutal brilliance flickered in them—the proof that he had crossed the boundary between strength and weakness and seized control of forbidden power.
Peak Three-Star Dou Ling!
His mind was filled with the resentment of hundreds of supreme powerhouses. Xiao Li held fast to his senses, and his powerful soul force suppressed those vengeful spirits, who had been dead for who knew how many years.
He would have to slowly erase this resentment. He absolutely could not deal with it carelessly; one misstep, and it would destroy his soul.
The brutality in Xiao Li's eyes settled, giving way to clarity. "What a vicious grudge. It almost swallowed my consciousness."
If the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder hadn't willingly recognized him as its master, even a Dou Wang expert like Xiao Li might have been driven mad by the resentment of this place, becoming a monster that knew only slaughter.
Looking at the vast energy still remaining in this world, Xiao Li let out a faint, regretful sigh. Unfortunately, he couldn't withstand another assault of resentment anytime soon. Otherwise, this energy would have been more than enough for him to reach Dou Wang through seclusion.
Blood-red lightning surged in his hand, forming a barrier to keep the baleful aura and resentment here from escaping. Xiao Li would have to return here to cultivate in seclusion later.
Besides, only Xiao Li considered this a treasure. Everyone else would be terrified and avoid it at all costs. Even the best outcome of absorbing it would be a drastic change in temperament, turning one into a bloodthirsty, combative person.
Xiao Li concealed his sharp aura and strode out of the underground world.
Elder Qian opened his eyes after keeping them shut for a full six months and raised an eyebrow. "He's finally out."
"This junior is Xiao Li. Many thanks to Elder Qian and Elder Bai for protecting me." Dressed in black, Xiao Li's aura was inscrutable.
A look of astonishment flashed through Elder Qian's eyes. "Impressive. This Strange Lightning even blocks my ability to probe you. Xiao Li, what's your strength now?"
"Three-Star Dou Ling."
"Not bad, not bad. You actually broke through to Three-Star Dou Ling. A peerless genius!" The Two Elders Qian and Bai stared at Xiao Li like he was a monster, their astonishment impossible to conceal.
"I was just lucky."
Xiao Li shook his head. His rapid breakthrough was entirely thanks to the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder, not his own talent. There was nothing for him to be proud of.
"By the way, Elder Qian, how long was I in seclusion?"
Elder Qian rubbed his chin. "About six months, I think."
"Six months?" Xiao Li was stunned. That was a long time.
By that reckoning, it had been about ten months in total, counting the time spent traveling to Jia Nan Academy, taking the selection test, going through training, and absorbing the Blood-Shatter Heaven-Striking Thunder.
"Uh... Elders, I may have to leave for a while."
Elder Qian paused in the middle of rubbing his chin. "Leave? Where to?"
"This junior has to return to his clan for his coming-of-age ceremony..." Xiao Li said.
"Ah, hahaha! We almost forgot. You're still a youngster!" Elder Qian and Elder Bai burst into laughter.
Once they had finished laughing, they couldn't help sighing at his monstrous talent.
"Very well. With your current strength, you should be able to leave the Black-Corner Region safely. You still have four months of training left. When you return, we'll take you somewhere else," Elder Bai said.
Xiao Li nodded. Cultivating under these two was clearly far better than training on his own.
Watching Xiao Li stride away, Elder Qian finally couldn't hold back his sigh. "This fellow hasn't even entered the Inner Academy, and he's already about to graduate."
"Exactly. Though he hasn't experienced the Inner Academy's law of the jungle, things seem pretty good as they are. If he went in, those little fellows would be in for a rough time," Elder Bai chimed in.
But the Two Elders Qian and Bai didn't know that Xiao Li would definitely go to the Inner Academy. It was home to the most talented people in the Northwest Continent. If he could recruit them into his Thunder Sect, he'd make a fortune.
At the front mountain, Deacon Li stared in surprise at the person approaching. A bead of cold sweat trickled down his forehead. What was going on? The sect master had been gone for half a year, yet now Deacon Li felt a weight pressing on his heart. He hadn't felt anything like this the last time he saw him...
"Sect Master." Deacon Li bowed respectfully.
"Deacon Li, rise. You've worked hard managing the sect during this time," Xiao Li said.
He had been gone for half a year, yet the sect was already running smoothly. More than a hundred people had begun to feel a sense of belonging, and the sect even had a system of missions and rewards. Clearly, Deacon Li had put in a great deal of effort.
"Deacon Li, this is a fourth-tier medicinal herb. Take it." Xiao Li took out the Blood-Shatter Ginseng and handed it to him.
Its baleful aura and energy were no longer useful to him, so he might as well use it to win people's loyalty.
"Thank you, Sect Master." Deacon Li cheerfully accepted the Blood-Shatter Ginseng. If his superior offered him something, he should accept it; that way, the other party could feel at ease. Deacon Li understood this principle.
"It's just a shame that the Blood Sect had such a fearsome reputation. Even though it's been destroyed for half a year, only a few people have come after I sent out word of it. We can't recruit any new disciples if nobody comes," Deacon Li said with a sigh.
Xiao Li frowned. It was a problem, but there wasn't much he could do except wait for people to confirm the Blood Sect's destruction before they came. What he needed to do, instead, was break through to Dou Wang first. Only a Dou Wang expert could truly establish a foothold in the Black-Corner Region.
"Deacon Li, don't worry about recruiting for now. I need to leave for a while. I should be back within a year. Until then, I'll have to trouble you with watching over the Thunder Sect."
Deacon Li nodded helplessly. It seemed their sect master was the hands-off type—he showed up once every six months, stayed for ten minutes, then left again.
"If anything comes up, you can go to the two people in the main hall."
Deacon Li's spirits lifted. That was right—with those two seniors there, the Thunder Sect could practically be considered the strongest in the Black-Corner Region. Two Dou Zong experts were one of the main reasons he was willing to stay.
After bidding farewell to Deacon Li, Xiao Li set off for home. Nearly another year had passed in a flash. He wondered how Xiao Yan and his father were doing now, and... Xiao Yi Xian.
Thinking of that adorable girl, Xiao Li's lips curved into a faint smile. He understood now: he liked Xiao Yi Xian.
Damn it, it was all that accursed Xiao Yan's fault for infecting him with his taste for little girls!
At that moment, far away in the Jia Ma Empire, Xiao Yan was taking an alchemist examination when he sneezed. "That's strange. Is Xun'er thinking about me?"
Yao Lao gritted his teeth and clenched his fists. Even the forehead of his spirit form bulged with veins. "You fool, stop thinking about all that! Focus on purifying the medicinal ingredients."
"Oh, right, right. By the way, Teacher, my second brother's coming-of-age ceremony should be soon, shouldn't it? I want to go back and see him."
Looking at Xiao Yan's youthful face, Yao Lao paused. This child was still so young, after all.
"All right. Once you pass the Second-Rank Alchemist examination, we'll go back."
"Sounds good!" Xiao Yan grinned, and the flames in his hands burned a little brighter.