Returning to the Sect, Cangming Lightning

At this moment, the sound of a completed God Trial echoed in Yu Hengqing's mind.

[First Trial completed. Rewards issued: Soul Power increased by three levels and Cangming Lightning.]

A corner of the Seven-Pointed Star on the back of Yu Hengqing's hand lit up. His soul power, which had already stabilized, began to rise once more, and in the blink of an eye, his soul power level reached sixteen!

Watching Yu Hengqing increase his soul power level with such ease, Yu Yuanzhen, who was busy cooking for him, felt a mix of gratification and envy in his eyes.

Back then, it had taken Yu Yuanzhen over a year to cultivate from level eleven to level sixteen.

Just as Yu Hengqing was about to check where the issued Cangming Lightning was, an alluring fragrance suddenly wafted over, teasing his nose.

Stimulated by the aroma, his stomach, which hadn't had food for nearly a day, protested ungraciously.

The God Trial rewards aren't going anywhere; I'd better fill my stomach first!

Thinking this, Yu Hengqing sat down beside Yu Yuanzhen. Staring at the sizzling, oily roasted meat in Yu Yuanzhen's hands and smelling the mixture of cumin and grilled meat, he couldn't help but swallow his saliva.

By the third time his stomach protested, the meat in Yu Yuanzhen's hands was finally cooked.

The piping hot meat had barely been sliced before Yu Hengqing impatiently stuffed it into his mouth.

"Hoh! Hoh-hoh!"

Even though the meat was so hot it made him sound like he was rapping, Yu Hengqing couldn't bear to stop, continuing to shove pieces into his mouth.

The piece of meat, as long as a forearm and as thick as a fist, was soon entirely in Yu Hengqing's belly.

Watching Yu Hengqing eat fruit to cleanse his palate, Yu Yuanzhen took out a sleeping bag and handed it to him.

"Get some rest. Tomorrow, unleash your soul skill and let me see how it performs."

Yu Hengqing finished the fruit in a few quick bites, took the sleeping bag, found a spot, and collapsed to sleep.

The next morning, a drop of dew landed on Yu Hengqing's face, startling him awake from his slumber.

He touched his face, and upon confirming it was only dew, his tense nerves finally relaxed.

"Oh, you're up early! Breakfast will take a while longer, go wash up first!"

Yu Yuanzhen, who hadn't slept all night, had just returned from gathering wild vegetables when he saw Yu Hengqing packing up his sleeping bag.

As soon as he finished eating, Yu Hengqing summoned Leiyi and performed his Martial Soul Avatar.

"First Soul Skill, Flash!"

The soul ring at Yu Hengqing's feet lit up, and golden lightning gathered around his body, as if dressing him in a suit of golden armor.

In the blink of an eye, Yu Hengqing's figure vanished from where he stood, and when he reappeared, he was already five hundred meters away, beneath a tree as thick as a man's embrace.

As Yu Hengqing pulled his arm back and turned around, a hole the size of a plate, as deep as his forearm and charred black, appeared on the tree trunk.

"The power is concentrated and the speed is extremely fast, but a straight-line dash is easy to predict. Remember to grasp the timing in future use to avoid wasting soul power!"

After observing Yu Hengqing unleash his first soul skill, Yu Yuanzhen pointed out its pros and cons with pinpoint accuracy.

Hearing his father's assessment, Yu Hengqing was even more satisfied with his first soul skill. This skill could be used for both offense and escape—it was truly a life-saving divine skill!

Seeing Yu Hengqing getting a bit carried away, Yu Yuanzhen walked over and tapped him on the head.

"Calm your heart. The effects of soul skills in this world are strange and varied; one careless mistake and you'll stumble."

Stung, Yu Hengqing nodded quickly. His father was right.

On the Douluo Continent, whether it was the gods of the God Realm or the grass at one's feet, anything could become a Martial Soul. No one knew what effects would be produced by adding different soul rings to them.

Just like in the original story, after Xiao Wu's sacrifice, the soul skill Tang San obtained from his Blue Silver Grass—Invulnerability—was a bug-level soul skill!

With the purpose of the trip fulfilled, the two packed their things and set off on the journey back to the sect.

Just as the two were walking toward the edge of the Star Dou Forest, a graceful figure in a jade-green dress appeared on a cliff in the distance.

"According to the hint from the Silver Dragon King's scale, the heir to the Thunder God is nearby."

Bi Ji, having taken human form, glanced at the dragon scale glowing with seven-colored light in her hand, then closed her eyes to sense the aura of the humans nearby through the scale.

When Bi Ji opened her eyes, seven-colored light covered her pupils, and the aura of all life in the vicinity appeared within her perception.

"One Titled Douluo, one one-ringed Soul Master. It seems the Thunder God's heir is one of these two!"

"It's just that my injuries haven't fully healed yet; it would be unwise to rush in rashly. I should return to the Life Lake and discuss this with Di Tian first."

The auras of the two quickly vanished from Bi Ji's range of perception.

After noting their auras, Bi Ji dissipated the light in her eyes and turned to walk in the opposite direction of Yu Hengqing.

As soon as she stepped into the territory of the Life Lake, Daming and Erming appeared before her in unison.

"Lady Bi Ji, you've returned!"

"Mm. You two should take advantage of the time I'm out to absorb the energy radiating from within to strengthen your foundations. That way, you'll be able to survive the two-hundred-thousand-year mark."

Under the watchful eyes of Daming and Erming, Bi Ji walked slowly into the Life Lake. As the warm lake water submerged her head, her figure suddenly vanished.

Daming and Erming exchanged a glance and, following Bi Ji's advice, began to diligently absorb the energy emanating from the Life Lake.

Considering he had been away for many days, Yu Yuanzhen deliberately quickened his pace, returning to the sect that evening.

The moment he lay down in his room, Yu Hengqing finally felt completely relaxed.

Even with a Title Douluo like Yu Yuanzhen accompanying him, Yu Hengqing remained on edge throughout his days in the Star Dou Forest, terrified that a soul beast might ambush them at any second.

"Now it's time to see what this Godly Trial reward, the Cangming Lightning, actually is!"

Yu Hengqing sat cross-legged, calming his mind as he entered his spiritual space.

Since it hadn't been granted directly, it meant he had to claim it himself, and the most likely location was at that broken sword.

Inside the spiritual space, Leiyi remained within the cocoon formed by golden lightning.

Yu Hengqing glanced over, confirmed that Leiyi was still in a deep slumber, and walked alone to the broken sword, reaching out to grasp it.

[Now distributing Godly Trial reward—Cangming Lightning]

As expected, this kind of reward has to be claimed at the broken sword!

Although he couldn't budge the broken sword this time, Yu Hengqing was thrilled to be able to claim the Cangming Lightning.

With this lightning, Yu Hengqing believed that Leiyi would surely be able to ease the suppression on his soul power, allowing his cultivation speed to increase.

The blade of the broken sword, held by Yu Hengqing, shuddered, and two streaks of deep blue lightning detached from it.

One coiled around Yu Hengqing's hand and merged into the Seven-Pointed Star; the other flew toward Leiyi, sending ripples across the golden cocoon.

Before he could even grasp the situation, Yu Hengqing was shocked to find his right hand growing heavier and heavier after the Cangming Lightning merged into the Seven-Pointed Star.

"Damn it, so after all that, I have to refine the Cangming Lightning provided by the Godly Trial myself!"

With black lines appearing on his forehead, Yu Hengqing hurriedly sat down and attempted to draw out the Cangming Lightning from the Seven-Pointed Star, thread by thread, to refine it.

At that moment, Leiyi, who had been sleeping, was suddenly awakened by the Cangming Lightning.

Looking at the Cangming Lightning floating before him, Leiyi was about to ask Yu Hengqing what was happening, only to discover that Yu Hengqing was actually in the middle of refining it!

"Interesting, so it gives one streak of Cangming Lightning to each of us!"

Leiyi raised a hand, and the Cangming Lightning eagerly merged into his body.

"With the Cangming Lightning as a springboard, I won't have to rely on sleeping to refine the multicolored lightning anymore."

No sooner had Leiyi finished speaking than the golden cocoon began to shrink continuously, until it became a golden ball of lightning in his hands.

Within the lightning ball, the Cangming Lightning appeared clearly.

Leiyi sat cross-legged, cradling the golden lightning ball, and began to refine the Cangming Lightning.

I wonder how much of Xiao Qing's cultivation speed I'll be able to restore once I finish refining this Cangming Lightning.