Nine Heavens Thunder God Art

After returning from the Council Hall, I locked myself in the cultivation room.

Sitting cross-legged, I activated the Visualization Method, spreading my spiritual power through my sea of consciousness like mercury. Most of the things I had brought from the cultivation world had blurred with time, but a few were carved into the depths of my soul, impossible to forget. Among them were two lightning-element cultivation arts.

Nine Heavens Thunder God Art, a superior lightning-element cultivation method from the cultivation world. It specialized in lightning spiritual energy, tempering the meridians and forging the divine soul. At profound levels, it could draw the divine lightning of the nine heavens into the body, allowing the flesh to become sanctified. Even in the cultivation world, this method was something major sects would fight desperately over. In Douluo Continent, where people only understood crude Soul Power cultivation, calling it a dimensionality-reducing blow would not be an exaggeration.

Thunder Punishment Chain, a control-type divine ability. It condensed chains from lightning spiritual power to bind targets. The chains themselves carried lightning strikes that caused paralysis. Once someone was bound, their Soul Power circulation would be forcibly interrupted, and the harder they struggled, the heavier the lightning strikes became.

I took out a blank jade slip, extended my divine sense into it, and began recording.

Before long, I had engraved two jade slips. More than half of my spiritual power had been consumed, and I leaned against the wall to rest for quite a while.

Early the next morning, I went to find Dugu Bo first and took three immortal herbs from my storage Soul Tool. One was Thunder Pattern Grass, with silver lightning patterns flowing between its veins, for Yu Yuanzhen. One was a segment of Purple Lightning Vine, with arcs of electricity flickering across its bark, for Yu Luomian. The last was a Thunder Pulp Fruit, the size of a fist, its skin semi-transparent enough to reveal liquid lightning churning within, for Yu Jin.

Dugu Bo took the three immortal herbs and glanced at them, his vertical pupils narrowing slightly. "What are these?"

"They're for the sect master and the two elders. Fourth Elder, please write down the methods of consumption and precautions."

Dugu Bo nodded and fetched three sheets of paper, writing down the optimal way to consume each herb. His handwriting was messy, but the instructions were detailed. After finishing, he slapped the papers into my hand, leaned back in his chair, and looked at me. "These immortal herbs are precious, but they aren't enough to bring a qualitative transformation to Title Douluo and Soul Douluo-level experts. You must have something else."

"Fourth Elder has sharp eyes."

Dugu Bo snorted and did not press further.

Half an hour later, I found Yu Yuanzhen at the back mountain. He was meditating with his eyes closed beside the Thunder Pool, lightning surging around him as dense lightning-element Soul Power filled the air. Yu Luomian and Yu Jin were there as well. Yu Luomian sat cross-legged at the edge of the Thunder Pool, regulating his breath, while Yu Jin leaned against a stone pillar with his arms crossed. He looked as if he were resting with his eyes closed, but there was not the slightest trace of sleepiness in his eyes.

"Sect Master, Elders, I have something to give you."

Yu Yuanzhen opened his eyes. Yu Luomian also stopped regulating his breath. Yu Jin pushed himself away from the stone pillar and walked over. Three pairs of eyes fell on me at once.

I first handed them the three immortal herbs and the consumption instructions Dugu Bo had written. Thunder Pattern Grass went to Yu Yuanzhen, Purple Lightning Vine to Yu Luomian, and Thunder Pulp Fruit to Yu Jin. The three accepted their respective herbs. Yu Jin turned his over repeatedly to inspect it, while Yu Luomian merely gave his a glance before setting it down, his gaze returning to me.

I took two jade slips from my robes and placed them on the stone platform before us.

"Sect Master, please examine them with your spiritual power."

Yu Yuanzhen picked up one of the jade slips and sent his spiritual power into it. A moment later, his eyes snapped open. Lightning flashed wildly in his pupils, and the veins on the back of his hand bulged.

"The circulation route of this cultivation method... is more than one level more exquisite than the meditation method passed down by our sect." His voice was low.

"No, it isn't merely more exquisite. It is an entirely different line of thought. The family's meditation method guides Soul Power through the meridians in cycles, while this method draws external lightning elements into the body and fuses them with one's own Soul Power, tempering both the meridians and spirit at the same time. It cultivates both inside and out. This is another system, far more advanced than our current cultivation methods. Whoever created this method has reached a level of lightning manipulation beyond my imagination."

Yu Luomian took the first jade slip and sent his spiritual power into it. A moment later, he raised his head. For the first time, cracks appeared on that face that had always been cold and rigid. Beyond shock, his gaze held the scrutiny of someone reassessing another person.

Yu Jin was the last to examine it. He did not speak after finishing. He gently placed the jade slip back on the stone platform, then took a deep breath. His expression was identical to theirs.

"What is in the second jade slip?" Yu Yuanzhen asked.

"Thunder Punishment Chain, a control-type Self-Created Soul Skill. It uses lightning spirit power to condense chains and bind targets, with an added lightning-strike paralysis effect. A bound person's Soul Power circulation will be forcibly interrupted, and the harder they struggle, the heavier the lightning strikes become. This Soul Skill does not require a soul ring to cultivate, only enough Soul Power to form and maintain the chains. The stronger one's spiritual power, the greater the number and precision of the chains. With the sect master's current spiritual power, releasing six chains at once should not be a problem."

Yu Yuanzhen picked up the second jade slip and sent his spiritual power into it. This time, he remained silent for even longer. After setting the jade slip down, he closed his eyes and stayed quiet for a long while. When he opened them again, his gaze settled on the jade slip, and his voice carried a rare note of emotion.

"A complete cultivation method, and a skill that requires no soul ring. If such things were released outside, they would be enough to stir up a bloody storm across the continent."

He raised his head and looked at me. "Tian Lin, where did you get these things?"

"They came with the inheritance." I had already prepared my explanation. Divine inheritances were inherently mysterious and unfathomable. Pushing it onto that was safest; no one could seek proof from a god who had already vanished.

Yu Yuanzhen nodded and did not ask further. Although he did not know the details of my transmigration, he believed I would not harm the family. From the day my martial soul awakened until now, everything I had done had made this family stronger. He could find no reason to doubt me.

"Thunder Pattern Grass works best when used alongside the Nine Heavens Thunder God Art. Fourth Elder wrote down the method of consumption; it is all on that sheet. When cultivating the method, hold the Thunder Pattern Grass in your mouth and slowly dissolve it with Soul Power. Its medicinal effects will seep into the meridian walls along with the cultivation cycles, widening the meridians and increasing lightning-element affinity."

Yu Yuanzhen lowered his head to look at the Thunder Pattern Grass in his hand, then at the jade slip in his other hand, and suddenly smiled. He rarely smiled. At least, I had never seen him do so. When smile lines appeared on that face that was usually stern, everyone present seemed a little unaccustomed to it. Yu Luomian even froze for a moment.

"These two things have come at exactly the right time. I have only just broken through to Rank Ninety-Six, and my foundation has yet to fully stabilize. With the Nine Heavens Thunder God Art assisting me, I will not only stabilize my foundation within three months, but may even advance further." He paused and looked at Yu Luomian and Yu Jin. "Second Elder, Third Elder, the same goes for you. Purple Lightning Vine and Thunder Pulp Fruit, paired with this cultivation method, will be no less effective for you than for me."

"By the way, Sect Master, there is something I must remind you of. These two cultivation arts can only be practiced by the sect's core disciples. Outer members and ordinary disciples must not have access to them for now."

Yu Yuanzhen looked at me, waiting for my reason.

"First, the quality of these cultivation arts far exceeds any meditation method currently found on this continent. Once they leak out, every major force will demand that we hand them over within days, and some may even use the opportunity to attack us. Second, the Nine Heavens Thunder God Art has a high cultivation threshold. Ordinary disciples lack sufficient meridian foundations, and forcing them to cultivate it would only harm their bodies. Rather than having everyone practice it, it is better to first select a group of core disciples. Once they achieve results, we can gradually promote it further down."

Yu Luomian was the first to nod. "I will set the selection criteria."

"I have no objection." Yu Jin waved a hand. "Good things should go first to those most qualified to use them. Spreading them too thin will only leave everyone unsatisfied. Leave this matter to me."

Yu Yuanzhen pondered for a moment before putting away the two jade slips. "We will proceed as you suggest. Second Elder and Third Elder will jointly determine the core disciples. The first batch will not exceed ten people. I will personally teach the cultivation methods."