Training by Lightning Strike

In a huge courtyard in western Stone Desert City, the sounds of mercenary training rang out without pause. A banner hung at the center of the courtyard, bearing the five words: Sand Mercenary Group.

In one of the rooms within the compound, two men were discussing something in secret.

Seated at the head was a middle-aged man, the leader of the Sand Mercenary Group, Rob.

Below Rob sat a man with a somewhat sinister-looking face.

"Leader, Xiao Ding of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group has now broken through to become a Great Dou Master. Our Sand Mercenary Group is in a very unfavorable position in Stone Desert City."

Rob glanced at Mo Xing and asked indifferently, "What are you trying to say?"

Mo Xing smiled and licked his lips, saying in a chilling voice, "Leader, the Sand Mercenary Group is an old-established force in Stone Desert City. Are we really afraid of two greenhorns? They have only been in Stone Desert City for a few years, yet they have already achieved this much. In another few years, will there still be any place for the Sand Mercenary Group in Stone Desert City?"

"If we let them continue developing, they will become a grave future threat. We might as well strike first and take out Xiao Ding and Xiao Li. Once we annex the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, the Sand Mercenary Group's strength will surely rise to another level."

Rob frowned at those words, clearly dissatisfied with Mo Xing's proposal.

He said, "The Sand Mercenary Group and the Desert Iron Mercenary Group were not far apart in strength to begin with. Now that Xiao Ding has become a Great Dou Master, if we go to war, even if we destroy the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, how much strength will we have left?"

Rob was a smart man. When Xiao Ding and Xiao Li formed the Desert Iron Mercenary Group and turned it into Stone Desert City's second-largest mercenary group, he had already considered destroying them.

However, Xiao Ding and Xiao Li had acted far too quickly. In only a few months, they had recruited many Dou Masters.

In terms of Dou Masters, the Desert Iron Mercenary Group had already surpassed the Sand Mercenary Group. If war broke out, the Sand Mercenary Group would gain no advantage at all. Thus, although Rob was deeply wary of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, he had been unable to make a move.

Now that Xiao Ding had become a Great Dou Master, the casualties would only be even worse if war broke out.

Hearing Rob's hesitation, Mo Xing smiled faintly and wore a confident expression. "Leader, what if we had the help of the Mo Clan from Salt City?"

Upon hearing the words Mo Clan, Rob looked at Mo Xing in surprise and asked, "You can bring in the Mo Clan's help?"

The Mo Clan of Salt City was one of the four great families in the northeastern provinces of the Jia Ma Empire. The Mo Clan had occupied the northeastern provinces for years, with deep-rooted power and the bearing of a regional overlord.

Moreover, Salt City bordered the Tagore Desert, and the Mo Clan held enormous influence in this area.

With the Mo Clan's assistance, Rob was highly confident that he could take down the Desert Iron Mercenary Group.

Rob immediately asked, "What is your plan? Tell me quickly."

Under Rob's urging, Mo Xing pondered briefly before saying, "I dealt with the Mo Clan's patriarch in my earlier years, and I accidentally learned something. The Mo Clan seems to have been searching for people with special constitutions."

"Special constitutions?" Rob looked puzzled, then suddenly thought of something. "You mean that girl Xiao Ding and Xiao Li took in, the one with Snake People and human blood?"

Mo Xing nodded. "Children born from Snake People and humans generally do not live past the age of two, yet that girl was able to grow up healthily. She must possess a special constitution."

"As long as we tell the Mo Clan about this, we can surely exchange it for the Mo Clan's assistance."

Hearing Mo Xing's plan, Rob said hesitantly, "If that is really the case, then this method could work. But if we guessed wrong, we will surely face the Mo Clan's retaliation. Are you certain?"

Even after he had laid out the plan, Rob was still wavering. Mo Xing cursed inwardly.

He said, "Leader, this is a chance that must not be missed. The Desert Iron Mercenary Group now has a Great Dou Master. After some more time passes, do you think Stone Desert City will still have a place for the Sand Mercenary Group?"

"Once the Desert Iron Mercenary Group grows even stronger, the Sand Mercenary Group will truly have no chance to turn things around."

Under Mo Xing's persuasion, Rob's resolve wavered more and more. After pondering for a moment, he nodded. "Fine. We'll do as you say."

Seeing Rob finally agree, a trace of a smile surfaced on Mo Xing's face.

"I'll send word to the Mo Clan patriarch immediately."

As he left the room, a flash of malice passed through Mo Xing's eyes. Looking in the direction of the Desert Iron Mercenary Group, he said, "Xiao Ding, Xiao Li, you nearly crippled me last time. At last, I have a chance to repay that debt."

Mo Xing quickly wrote a letter outlining his analysis that Qing Lin possessed a special constitution and sent it to the Mo Clan in Salt City.

On a patch of sand four or five li outside Stone Desert City, a young man was currently being struck by lightning.

"Ahhh!"

"Little Uncle, didn't you say you wouldn't intensify the training?"

"Why has the lightning become so much stronger than before these past few days?"

Xiao Li ran continuously across the sand, dodging bolts of lightning that suddenly fell from the clear sky.

Not far away, Xiao Yun watched the bedraggled Xiao Li and laughed. "Ask your dear elder brother."

As soon as he spoke, Xiao Yun waved toward the sky and softly uttered the words, "Lightning, descend." Instantly, several thin bolts of lightning fell toward Xiao Li.

The lightning was condensed from the pure Dou Qi Xiao Yun controlled, and its power had been kept within the limits Xiao Li could endure.

Hearing Xiao Yun's words, Xiao Li could not help crying out, "Dear elder brother, is this how you set up your little brother?"

"Enough complaining. The lightning is coming down," Xiao Yun reminded him.

Xiao Li looked up at the sky, gritted his teeth, and charged straight toward the descending lightning.

Without taking any defensive measures, Xiao Li rammed his body directly into the lightning.

"Pain, pain, pain!"

The lightning struck Xiao Li, and an electric current instantly exploded within his body. Gritting his teeth, Xiao Li hurriedly refined the lightning inside him.

Once refined, the lightning turned into a surge of pure Dou Qi, which Xiao Li absorbed.

"Awesome, awesome, awesome!"

For more than two months, Xiao Yun had used lightning to strike Xiao Li almost every day. This was Xiao Yun's training for him.

Xiao Li needed to use his body to withstand the lightning's bombardment head-on, then refine the lightning that entered his body.

It was by refining this power of lightning that Xiao Li's cultivation could advance so rapidly, gaining one star each month.

Noon soon arrived. Under the blazing sun, after absorbing another bolt of lightning, Xiao Li collapsed weakly onto the scorching sand.

Xiao Li said with difficulty, "Little Uncle, I can't go on. I have no strength left."

Xiao Yun walked to Xiao Li's side, took out a medicinal pill, and handed it to him.

Xiao Li accepted the pill with practiced ease and swallowed it. In an instant, more than half of his depleted strength was restored.

Sitting up, Xiao Li smiled. "If this pill weren't protecting my meridians, I would have to be out of my mind to let lightning strike me."

Xiao Yun smiled, then looked at the ash-covered and miserable Xiao Li. "Let's go. Training ends here for today."

The moment he heard that training was over, Xiao Li immediately perked up. For the first time that morning, a smile appeared on his bitter expression as he followed Xiao Yun back toward Stone Desert City.

The two soon returned to Stone Desert City, but today, something major seemed to have happened there.