Drawing Lightning into the Body

The dust settled. Blood covered the ground, red and white matter splattered everywhere.

Even in death, the Earth Brute Bear would never have imagined that, despite specializing in strength, it would one day be beaten to death by someone using brute force alone.

Tang Tian lay sprawled on the ground, gasping heavily. Red and white matter still clung to his face and head, making him look as ferocious as a beast.

"Tut, tut, tut..."

Master Fan's voice carried a teasing note.

"Kid, do you feel quite accomplished, challenging someone above your level?"

Tang Tian rolled his eyes. With Meridian Refining Realm cultivation, he had killed an Earth Brute Bear possessing the combat strength of the high Blood-Burning Realm. It did feel rather satisfying.

But the moment Master Fan opened his mouth, Tang Tian knew the venomous tongue was about to begin.

"You beat this brainless Earth Brute Bear to death with brute force, without a shred of combat skill. What's the difference between you and that Earth Brute Bear lying cold on the ground?"

"I..."

Tang Tian felt utterly stifled. He had only just been reborn into this world, and this body had originally cultivated the Tang Family's technique, which was nothing special to begin with.

If he had possessed combat skills, would people have called him trash?

"I think you ought to carefully consider what path you'll take in the future. If you rely solely on the Nine-Turn Heavenly Thunder Art, you'll only become a body cultivator."

Like a teacher, Master Fan offered his advice.

"Master Fan is right. In my previous life, I focused on alchemy and acquired many cultivation techniques, but none of them were particularly heaven-defying. If I want to grow stronger, powerful techniques are far too important."

Tang Tian truly could cultivate the techniques from his previous life, including many he had obtained by refining pills in exchange for them.

But after thinking them over carefully, none suited him.

"There are powerful inheritances within this tower, but you haven't gained true recognition yet. That's why you can't use them at all."

Master Fan's voice was somewhat teasing.

"How can I gain true recognition?"

At those words, Tang Tian's expression brightened, and he hurriedly asked.

"Prove that your talent is enough to bear the karma of this Divine Tower." Master Fan continued, "Once you enter the Blood-Burning Realm, if your aptitude is sufficient, you'll awaken a Life Soul."

"Aptitude..."

Tang Tian gave a bitter laugh. Who did not know that this body possessed the aptitude of trash?

If his aptitude had been good, why would he still be a low-level Meridian Refining Realm cultivator at fifteen?

Awaken a Life Soul? That hope was truly slim!

"You don't need to be so pessimistic. With me here, even if you're trash, I can still send you soaring into the sky. For the next three days, find some High Blood-Burning Realm demonic beasts to temper yourself against, and wait for the heavenly thunder to arrive."

Worried that he had dealt too harsh a blow, Master Fan spoke to comfort him.

"What can aptitude truly represent? Even if I really have ordinary talent, I will still become a powerhouse!"

A cold glint flashed in Tang Tian's eyes. He rose to his feet and took out a dagger from the spatial storage bag he carried with him.

As a direct descendant and young master of the Tang Family, although he possessed a storage bag, the space within was only about as large as a room.

"This Blood-Burning Realm Earth Brute Bear's hide, fur, tendons, and bones can still fetch a good price. No matter how small a mosquito's leg is, it's still meat. Who made me so poor?"

Tang Tian shook his head and began processing the Earth Brute Bear's corpse.

In his previous life, he had been an extremely wealthy alchemist, but now he was merely the young master of a small family. How much money could he possibly have?

After quickly processing the Earth Brute Bear, Tang Tian continued weaving through the forest, searching for demonic beasts at the Blood-Burning Realm level.

Three days passed quickly.

To Tang Tian, these three days were unforgettable for the rest of his life.

As he continuously fought all kinds of demonic beasts, he pushed his body's strength to the limit and completely adapted to this physical body.

In other words, with the strength of his current body, he could smash Tang Li to pieces with a single punch.

At the edge of a cliff, Tang Tian sat cross-legged upon a boulder, his entire body emitting a pungent stench of blood.

He closed his eyes and adjusted himself to his peak condition.

Above him, dark clouds churned ceaselessly, blackening the sky.

Master Fan had indeed calculated things with uncanny accuracy. A thunderstorm was about to descend.

"Boom!"

Thunder rang through Starfall Forest as fierce winds howled.

"Kid, are you ready?" Master Fan's voice became exceedingly solemn.

Using lightning to temper the body was clearly no joke.

"Master Fan, do it."

Tang Tian opened his eyes and looked toward the rolling clouds overhead and the lightning that flickered in and out.

"Good!"

The instant Master Fan finished speaking, an indistinct force rushed out from within Tang Tian's body and swept toward the thunder in the sky.

No matter how steadfast Tang Tian's heart was, his eyelids still twitched wildly at the sight before him.

This was not cultivation at all. This was plainly gambling with his life.

With a crash, before Tang Tian could think any further, blinding light flooded his vision, leaving only a sheet of white.

Every pore on his body stood erect as an aura of destruction instantly engulfed him.

Even though he had long prepared himself mentally, Tang Tian still let out a shrill scream.

Since ancient times, the power of thunder had represented the heavenly punishment of the Heavenly Dao.

To actively draw thunder into one's body was already a provocation against the Heavenly Dao.

Not to mention that Tang Tian was currently only a cultivator at the very bottom of the Meridian Refining Realm. Before this bolt of thunder, he had no power to resist at all.

The thunder entered his body and swiftly destroyed the vitality within Tang Tian. Before long, it would erase everything, body and soul alike.

"Kid, do you truly want to die? Hurry up and circulate the Nine-Turn Heavenly Thunder Art!"

Master Fan's voice was filled with anxiety. Tempering the body by drawing in thunder was gambling with one's life. Looking across the world, how many people would dare play such a game?

Even if there truly were some, unless they possessed extraordinary talent, most would be annihilated body and soul beneath the power of thunder.

Yet any cultivator who could master the power of thunder would unquestionably become a peak powerhouse beneath the heavens.

"Alright..." Tang Tian gritted his teeth and did his best to calm himself.

His vitality was gradually being destroyed, and the shadow of death loomed over him, forcing him to stake everything on one desperate attempt.

The Nine-Turn Heavenly Thunder Art drew in thunder to temper the body, continuously controlling and compressing the power that entered him and guiding it through his meridians as it surged in every direction.

"Pfft..."

Tang Tian's meridians could not withstand the thunder's destructive power. He was immediately injured and coughed up blood.

"Kid, focus completely on controlling the thunder within your body. I'll protect your little life."

Master Fan immediately released a strand of power, shielding Tang Tian's heart and other vital areas.

Fortunately, the first turn of the Nine-Turn Heavenly Thunder Art was only meant to temper the meridians, so it did not require much lightning power.

Yet Master Fan had overlooked one thing. To him, a single bolt of lightning truly was not much.

But for Tang Tian, who was still in the Meridian Refining Realm, being struck by lightning was like a calamity falling from the heavens.

The power of thunder was like countless steel needles, constantly piercing and stimulating Tang Tian's meridians.

"Aah!"

No matter how strong his resolve was, Tang Tian still could not endure such inhuman agony. From the inside out, his body lay on the ground, convulsing without end.

Fortunately, as the Nine-Turn Heavenly Thunder Art circulated, the violent thunder power continuously became purer and gentler, flowing through his meridians.

The Twelve Main Meridians, the Eight Extraordinary Meridians, and the one hundred and eight Hidden Meridians of Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Baleful Intent continuously expanded and widened beneath the tempering of thunder power.

In the Meridian Refining Realm, many cultivators believed that simply opening their meridians was enough.

But in the eyes of true powerhouses, that was not the case.

It was like the difference between a stream and a great river. Widened meridians vastly enhanced both the storage and circulation of origin power.

If opening the Hidden Meridians of Heavenly Dipper and Earthly Baleful Intent allowed Tang Tian to fight high Blood-Burning Realm cultivators, then at this moment, he could faintly contend against an early Bone-Forging Realm cultivator!

"Not enough! More!"

Tang Tian threw back his head and roared at the sky.

Although much of his vitality had been destroyed, after his meridians widened, more and more origin power gathered in his dantian and meridians. It radiated a destructive aura and faintly merged with the power of thunder.

"Crash!"

Another bolt of thunder descended from the sky...

[Author's note: Here's today's update. There'll be more shortly.]