Dong Lin did not dwell on it further. He cast his spell, linking heaven and earth as an intent of true thunder steadily brewed above the arena.
After three days of "arduous" practice, Dong Lin's casting speed had clearly improved by a notch.
"What is this?!" Zheng Huayuan saw this and half rose from the elders' seats in shock, seemingly wanting to step closer for a clearer look at the details of Dong Lin's spellcasting.
"He is almost gathering True Intent—the final step before the door. That old bastard Hua Yuan really picked up a treasure this time."
With the rich spiritual energy surrounding Black Mountain lending support, Dong Lin's Mystic Spirit Heavenly-Thunder continued to grow stronger and stronger.
After merely five or six breaths, Dong Lin was already faintly unable to maintain the Sky Thunder's stability.
"Sky Thunder, descend!"
With Dong Lin's quiet shout, a bolt of lightning plasma as thick as a water barrel crashed down from the heavens.
In an instant, the screen was filled with lightning, so dazzling that the disciples could barely keep their eyes open.
The dummy received a full breath's worth of "lightning bath."
After the lightning passed, sparks of thunderfire scattered across the platform.
Where the dummy had stood, only a bare Blackwood frame and a floor full of shattered artifacts remained.
"Terrifying indeed!"
"Our little junior brother really has a few tricks up his sleeve."
Lei Zhenxiao stood on the viewing platform to one side with his arms crossed, nodding at Dong Lin in satisfaction.
"Even senior brothers at Foundation Establishment Late Stage would not dare claim they could take that strike unscathed, would they?"
"You really cannot judge a person by his appearance. Senior Brother Dong Lin looks harmless to man and beast, yet his Lightning Arts are far too terrifying."
"It is only fixed-point output. The wind-up is a little too long as well. In actual combat, he might not get the chance to produce such an effect."
"Six breaths is not bad. After all, Lightning Arts are far faster than wind, fire, and other spells. As long as he gets even a small opening—"
"Then it really leaves people no way to live."
At that moment, Xiao Xinghe stood amid the crowd, his face—which had only relaxed for a few days—turning frighteningly gloomy once more.
Steward Cao's expression also became much more solemn.
"At this intensity, how far could he get in five years?"
"Even if that boy is given five years, Lord Heavenly Music King should still be able to handle all of this properly."
Having just returned to Thunderwave Hall and intending to tally today's earnings, Dong Lin received a visitor outside the hall gates.
"I need a little help from you, little junior brother."
The visitor was Fourth Senior Brother Lu Heng.
Dong Lin invited his senior brother into the hall.
"It is still the same as before."
Lu Heng looked around and spoke with a touch of nostalgia.
"Fourth Senior Brother, did you know this room's previous owner?"
"Yes. It was Elder Tang Qing. Back then, he was the Thunder Division's only alchemist, and his pill-refining skills ranked near the top in the entire Heaven Sect."
"Yet only a few years after I arrived, he left the sect and vanished without a trace."
"Did the sect not investigate Elder Tang's whereabouts?"
"At the time, Elder Tang was merely a guest elder of the Thunder Division. It was said that he had lived in the Thunder Division even before Master took charge of it."
Lu Heng paused briefly before continuing.
"Since Elder Tang was not a member of the sect, the sect had no detailed records of his identity. No one knew where he had gone."
"What a pity. A long time ago, the Thunder Division's disciples never lacked pills. With Elder Tang giving us a hand, he had practically taken care of all the Thunder Division's pill needs."
Dong Lin nodded. "It truly is a pity that such an alchemist left the Thunder Division."
"By the way, Senior Brother, what brings you here this time? If it is within my ability, I will certainly do my duty without hesitation."
"Hehe, it is rather embarrassing to say." Lu Heng scratched the back of his head and smiled somewhat awkwardly.
"I have three Date Spirit Thunderwood seeds here. They need to be continuously nurtured with Sky Thunder before they can sprout."
"Your senior brother's comprehension of the True Intent of Thunder is still somewhat lacking."
"I would like to ask you, junior brother, to help me cultivate them once you comprehend the True Intent of Thunder."
"Uh, even if I comprehend True Intent, it will probably be very weak."
"That is fine. It is only an attempt. Rest assured, junior brother—whether it succeeds or fails, I will reward you handsomely."
"Before this, I had actually already approached Second Senior Sister and Third Senior Brother. Neither was of much use. Master said that the True Intent of Thunder also differed in nature."
"Their True Intent leaned toward the yin side and was unsuitable for stimulating growth."
"Eldest Senior Brother's Sky Thunder is too powerful, and I cannot be sure whether one bolt would directly strike my seeds out of existence."
"After all, the power of Sky Thunder is not completely controlled by one's own spiritual energy."
"Very well. If I happen to comprehend True Intent before you do, Senior Brother, I will let you know."
"Ah, just leave these seeds with you. I trust you. If they sprout, tell me then."
As he spoke, Lu Heng took a Black Jade Ring from his robe and handed it to Dong Lin.
"Junior Brother has only recently begun cultivating, so I presume you do not yet have a Spatial Ring of your own."
"This ring has ten cubic meters of space. Consider it payment for asking you to help me this time."
"Of course, if it succeeds, your senior brother has an even greater reward prepared."
Dong Lin looked at the precious ring in his hand, worth at least three hundred Mid-Grade Spirit Stones.
He said gratefully to Lu Heng, "Senior Brother, you are far too generous. I have not even begun taking the bottle of Blood Jade Spirit Pills you gave me last time."
"How could I possibly accept this?"
"Ah, do not be so distant. Your senior brother thinks highly of you—I am treating it as an investment."
"When you prosper in the future, just do not forget your senior brother."
Lu Heng said it half in jest and half in earnest.
"I am off."
Lu Heng waved his hand, turned, and left Thunderwave Hall.
Dong Lin put away the three Date Spirit Thunderwood seeds, then picked up the ring in his hand and examined it carefully.
Spatial rings made storing precious items exceptionally convenient and could be called a basic artifact that everyone in the cultivation world needed.
Dong Lin had never bought one because he was simply too poor.
Previously, aside from his valuable Sect Contribution Points, he had only a pitiful handful of Spirit Stones left for daily expenses.
From the beginning, he had survived on Five-Grain Pills—first for convenience, and second to save money.
After all, if he wanted to eat spirit rice every day, not only would he need to spend several times more on high-quality Spirit Rice, he would also have to cook for himself daily.
Living in a Spirit Chamber, Dong Lin truly had neither the time nor the space to cook every day.
Many cultivators, in order to continuously consume spirit rice to nourish their bodies, specifically carried a pot with them so they could conveniently eat spirit rice every day.
Dong Lin, however, could not be bothered with the trouble and chose to swallow Five-Grain Pills directly.
Now that he lived in the Thunder Division, he could have Steward Xue arrange for servants to deliver meals every day.
That would also save Dong Lin the ongoing expense of buying Five-Grain Pills.
Now, through clearing strange insects from Spirit Fields, he had accumulated more than five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones.
Yet even the cheapest one-cubic-meter Spatial Ring cost roughly five hundred Low-Grade Spirit Stones at market price.
Dong Lin had never considered spending all the Spirit Stones on him at once.
It could only be said that Fourth Senior Brother Lu's assistance had truly arrived right where Dong Lin needed it most.
After advancing to a Black-Rank Inner Disciple, he would receive a bottle of Black-Tier Low-Grade Qi-Gathering Pills every month.
Previously, in the outer sect, there had been no such regular monthly benefit. Now that he had entered the inner sect and directly advanced to Black-Rank Inner Disciple—
He could not even receive the practical Yellow-Tier Qi-Gathering Pills anymore.
Dong Lin indulged in this rather ostentatious train of thought.
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