Golden Lightning Arc

Time trickled by as everyone climbed higher and higher.

Shangguan Liuyun, ranked first, had already reached the eighty-fifth step. His hands were no longer clasped behind his back; spiritual light shimmered across his body as he advanced step by step. It was clear that even eightfold pressure was no easy burden for him.

Far behind him, Duan Fei stood on the seventy-first step. Sweat covered his handsome face as he gritted his teeth, glanced at the figure ahead, and painfully dragged himself forward once more.

Jiang Yulong, close behind him, panted heavily and said through gritted teeth, "I'll definitely reach the top before you!"

Lin Xuan stood on the fifty-fifth step. He had already absorbed quite a bit of lightning power. The spiritual energy within him had turned azure-blue, and arcs of electricity flickered from time to time.

Crackle!

A small burst of lightning erupted in Lin Xuan's hand, numbing his entire arm.

"No wonder it's one of the most violent powers between heaven and earth!" Lin Xuan rubbed his arm. He had only just fused with it and still could not fully control it.

"Once I finish these ninety-nine stone steps, I should be able to convert all the spiritual energy in my body into lightning power." Lin Xuan smiled. His spiritual energy was now incomparably abundant.

"Lin... Lin Xuan..." Just as he was about to step onto the fifty-sixth step, a timid voice suddenly came from behind him.

"Hm, it's you!" Lin Xuan turned around and found the shy young girl, Yin Qingyi, behind him.

Yin Qingyi wiped the sweat from her forehead with the back of her hand and said softly, "You should hurry on. I can manage by myself."

Lin Xuan smiled. "Keep it up. I believe you'll catch up to me soon enough!" With that, he stepped onto the fifty-sixth stone platform and closed his eyes again.

When he opened them once more, he discovered Yin Qingyi standing nearby, secretly watching him.

"Ah! You're awake." Yin Qingyi's face reddened.

"Mm, let's go." Lin Xuan stepped onto another level, and Yin Qingyi followed him onto the same step.

After several rounds, Lin Xuan noticed that Yin Qingyi always kept pace with him, without seeming strained in the slightest. Though Lin Xuan walked slowly, after repeatedly fusing with the lightning, he could now swiftly absorb and refine those tiny blue arcs. He had already left many people behind, yet Yin Qingyi was still able to keep up.

Lin Xuan smiled and stepped onto another stone stair with her. By the seventy-ninth step, more than ninety percent of the spiritual energy in his body had become lightning-attributed, while most of the people ahead had already cleared the trial.

When the first person passed the trial, the first stage entered its countdown. It would end in one hour. The disciples who had already passed sat on the mountaintop to rest, looking smugly at those still climbing.

"Look, that's Lin Xuan. He actually dared to challenge Senior Brother Jiang Yulong!" Among the disciples below, Lin Xuan naturally drew the most attention.

"At this point, he's only reached the seventy-ninth step. Doesn't look like he's all that strong, does he?" Many people were puzzled.

Lin Xuan ignored them and stepped onto the eightieth stair.

The next moment, his body jolted. A golden arc of lightning burrowed into his body, instantly stirring the blue arcs into a frenzy.

"Not good!" Lin Xuan's expression changed. He could clearly sense that the power contained in that golden lightning arc was stronger than all the blue lightning he had fused before combined.

One careless mistake, and he could fall into a place of eternal damnation!

"Look at that trash's face! Hahaha, I'm dying of laughter!" Quite a few Divine Might Corps disciples pointed at Lin Xuan and laughed.

He looked like that the moment he stepped onto the eightieth stair. It seemed Lin Xuan would never finish the remaining steps. Many disciples shook their heads.

On the mountaintop, aside from Shangguan Liuyun, who sat alone with his eyes closed in contemplation, everyone else watched the disciples below. Jiang Yulong looked at Lin Xuan with disdain. What trash. He wasn't even qualified to make me lift a hand.

Tang Yu watched nervously, her large eyes blinking rapidly. "That shouldn't be possible. How could this bastard be so weak?"

But when she saw Yin Qingyi beside Lin Xuan, she could not help puffing out her cheeks and letting out a soft snort.

"Are... are you all right?" Seeing Lin Xuan's pale face, Yin Qingyi reached out and tugged at the corner of his clothes. The next moment, a faint golden current surged toward her and quickly touched her small hand.

"Ah!" Yin Qingyi cried out softly. With the tip of her sword pointed downward, countless strange runes rapidly formed around her, swiftly channeling the golden current into the ground.

All of this happened in an instant. The other disciples did not notice at all, and even if they had, they would not have cared. Who would care about a disciple who could only stop at the eightieth step?

Yet above the clouds, several figures sat cross-legged, including the middle-aged man in purple robes. He suddenly opened his eyes and frowned slightly. "The lightning on Thundercloud Mountain seems to be somewhat restless?"

"Restless? What restlessness? Thundercloud Master, you're being too sensitive. How could those little fellows below possibly cause any change in Thundercloud Mountain?" said another figure beside him. He was also middle-aged, though he wore two little moustaches.

Thundercloud Master swept the area with his divine sense once again. Finding nothing unusual, he finally dismissed his doubts.

Below, Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes. A flash of golden light flickered through them. That had truly been too dangerous. The golden lightning arc had nearly exploded inside his body, but he had ultimately forced it down.

"The lightning power farther up is far too violent. With your current strength, it's best not to absorb any more," Wine Lord reminded him.

"Mm." Lin Xuan nodded inwardly. The spiritual energy in his body had completely transformed into lightning-attributed energy, with a faint trace of golden light mixed within. Its power had doubled compared to before.

"You weren't hurt just now, were you?" Lin Xuan looked at Yin Qingyi apologetically.

Yin Qingyi shook her head, but then her expression changed slightly. "Oh no, time is almost up!"

"Then let's go!" Lin Xuan said.

The two began climbing with all their strength. Lin Xuan had fused with Thundercloud Mountain's lightning, so the pressure had no effect on him whatsoever. Yin Qingyi was somewhat slower, but she did not appear to be struggling either.

"Are you a sword formation master?" Lin Xuan asked as he watched Yin Qingyi's peculiar sword techniques.

"Mm." Yin Qingyi still held her sword in a reverse grip, its tip pointed downward. A translucent sword formation formed around her, enveloping both of them.

"This can shift the pressure somewhere else," Yin Qingyi explained.

The two continued onward at an unhurried pace, chatting from time to time. They did not look like they were undergoing a trial at all, but rather like a pair of lovers out for a walk.

Finally, before time ran out, the two stepped onto the last stair and passed the trial.

"Hmph! They wasted so much time. What trash!" Some Divine Might Corps disciples said disdainfully.

"I advise certain people to get lost already. You only made it up here now; I'm afraid you won't even pass the second stage."

"If you're looking to die, I don't mind giving you a push!" A cold smile appeared on Lin Xuan's lips. "Believe it or not, I'll throw the lot of you down the mountain right now!"