Thunder Voice on the Sword

Thunder Voice on the Sword

The words "Thunder Voice" were inscribed on this Seal Glyph.

Zhang Yu could mimic the calls of several kinds of spiritual creatures. He'd mostly figured it out on his own while traveling and cultivating with his teacher, in order to deal with all manner of dangers.

Seeing that he had considerable talent in this area, his teacher had taught him the art of "Thunder Voice."

It was merely a method of using one's breath to imitate thunder. It possessed little power in itself and could only intimidate an opponent's mind.

Yet many spiritual creatures were deeply afraid of thunder, and the Yao Salamander relied even more on sound to distinguish its targets. This technique happened to counter it.

Still, he worried that with his current attainments, he wouldn't be able to affect the Yao Salamander too greatly, so he needed to improve in this regard.

He took several breaths and waited until his mind settled before using his thoughts to guide Divine Essence into the Thunder Voice Seal Glyph.

The Seal Glyph lit up at once.

In a daze, he felt as though he were undergoing a transformation.

The parts of this method that he had previously failed to fully comprehend gradually became clear as Divine Essence flowed into it.

At the same time, with every breath he took, a force slowly brewed within his body. Yet he also felt an unprecedented sense of stillness, like dark clouds gathering as they awaited the instant before an endless thunderclap burst forth.

Such growth came at a cost. As the technique improved, the Divine Essence he'd accumulated over several years dwindled to a thin, shallow layer.

But...

He removed his glove and took the statue from his pack. Direct contact made the warm current he'd sensed before several times stronger at once. It became rolling waves of heat that surged through his palm and into his body.

At that moment, his nearly depleted Divine Essence miraculously began to regenerate and continued to increase without end.

If one looked closely, one could see lightning-like gleams flickering faintly in the depths of his eyes.

Ever since learning the New Method, he'd discovered that he could obtain a certain kind of energy from some unique objects to replenish his Divine Essence.

This energy was very similar to something called "Source Energy" that he had encountered in his previous life. It was only because he'd come into contact with it by chance that he had gained this life.

Yet items containing Source Energy were difficult to find. So far, he'd only found three, and the Strange God statue before him was one of them.

As he gradually absorbed it, the heat emanating from the statue grew weaker and weaker. In the end, it seemed to have weathered thousands of years in an instant. With a light squeeze from him, it crumbled into countless fragments and scattered down.

Looking again, after this replenishment, his Divine Essence had recovered to roughly half. It hadn't been fully restored.

But he wasn't disappointed. Including what he'd gradually drawn from the statue before, this harvest exceeded the previous two combined.

Though staying behind alone to lure the Yao Salamander had been dangerous, it now seemed entirely worthwhile.

The improvement in Thunder Voice gave him a little more confidence, but if he truly faced the Yao Salamander, he would still need to choose terrain favorable to himself.

He began walking back and forth through the reef. After about a Xia Hour, he found a spot that suited him fairly well.

The reefs here were arranged irregularly, first rising from low to high, then descending from high to low. The middle section formed a sunken hollow.

Standing on the high ground at the inner end, he could take in everything on the sea at a glance. But from the sea, the middle section was hidden from view.

"This is the place."

At that moment, a high, deep cry suddenly came from the sea, completely drowning out the sound of the surging water.

He knew he had to answer again. Holding the hatchling, he took two steps forward and let out a long call toward the sea. Perhaps because his Thunder Voice technique had improved, the sound was exceptionally full and powerful, nearly indistinguishable from that of a healthy, lively Yao Salamander hatchling.

No further movement came from the other side. Clearly, the Yao Salamander had been soothed once more.

He glanced at the sky. This should have been the mother salamander's last call before nightfall. At daybreak tomorrow, the outcome would likely be decided.

As he watched the darkening heavens, he tugged his cloak tighter and sat down cross-legged.

Although Yao Salamanders normally wouldn't come ashore at this time, he didn't relax because of it. He remained ready at all times to deal with any sudden situation.

As the heavy night arrived, heaven and earth sank into darkness.

Holding the Xia Sword, he waited silently for dawn.

The night soon passed.

As the first light appeared at the edge of the sky, Zhang Yu opened his eyes.

Before him, the sea surged without cease. A red glow spilled from the gap between sea and sky, stubbornly thrusting into the expanse of blue-green as though striving to tear them apart.

At the hour when dawn arrived, the Yao Salamander sent out call after call amid the waves.

He promptly mimicked the hatchling's tone, but this time it wasn't as smooth as before. The sound from the other side refused to stop, as if it were continually urging him on.

He knew that after a day apart, a mere imitation of its call would no longer satisfy the monster. If the hatchling didn't return to the mother salamander's side in time, it would certainly come ashore to search for it.

But even now, the rescue ship had yet to arrive.

He couldn't wait any longer. He had to act now.

Decisively, he tossed the hatchling aside and laid the Xia Sword across his knees.

A moment later, as he breathed, the sword body began to tremble faintly. It was as if man and sword had formed a wondrous resonance.

His teacher had given him this sword for protection. As an Old Cultivator, his teacher still maintained the tradition of refining sacrificial swords.

And as a sword, it possessed the ability to cleave through the spiritual outer layer of ordinary spiritual creatures. This was the true basis for his daring to strike at the Yao Salamander.

However, he had only one chance.

After several calls in succession went unanswered, the Yao Salamander's deep cries became increasingly agitated and increasingly heavy. They continuously shook the seawater, and wavering echoes filled the reefs, heralding a storm about to descend.

Zhang Yu's expression turned cold as he slowly rose with his sword in hand.

Under his gaze, the enormous shadow submerged beneath the sea gradually approached the reef, then slowly rose upward.

This massive monster finally revealed its true form.

First, its flat head, wrapped in a hard bony membrane, broke the surface. Its eyelids rolled up to reveal vicious, cold yellow pupils, followed by its long, thick, powerfully built torso.

As it surfaced, great sheets of seawater poured from its smooth body, crashing onto the nearby reefs and sea. A ring of rainbow light swirled around it.

The monster raised its thick forelimbs with a thunderous sound. Its powerful toes firmly gripped the rock and dragged its body upward. As its colossal frame gradually emerged, it brought with it an overwhelming pressure.

Zhang Yu didn't move. The fierce sea wind billowed his cloak and hood, while the morning light cast by the rising sun draped half his body. The Xia Sword loosely held in his hand seemed to meld into that light.

At this point, aside from its long tail still submerged in the sea, more than half the Yao Salamander's body had reached land. Its lower jaw pressed tightly against the reefs as it moved flatly forward, making it easier to sense external vibrations.

But after crossing the first raised reef, shaped like a beam, the rocks behind it suddenly dipped low. It had no choice but to lower its head and crawl forward. In that instant, part of its back and the entire upper half of its head were inevitably exposed.

Zhang Yu's gaze sharpened. The chance he'd waited so long for had finally come!

He suddenly let out a great shout. A force erupted from his chest, from every corner of his body, and with his rolling breath, burst above the island reefs in a thunderous roar!

The Yao Salamander froze, momentarily at a loss.

Now!

Zhang Yu leaned forward slightly, his face hidden in the shadow of his hood. As he shifted his weight forward, his feet exploded with force, and he abruptly changed from absolute stillness into extreme motion.

With a swish, his entire body shot forward!

His cloak, however, remained where it was. It hung suspended for a moment before being drawn down to the ground by gravity.

At that moment, a wave rolled in and smashed viciously against the reef between them. With a booming crash, the towering spray temporarily blocked their view of one another.

Before the waves had fully fallen, Zhang Yu's charging figure burst through them, scattering icy droplets in all directions. Sword in hand, he leaped into the air.

Beneath the rising sun, the blade he raised seemed born from the light itself. Tracing an arc full of both strength and beauty, it suddenly tore through that rainbow-sheened spiritual outer layer and cleaved into the monster's skull!