Ninety Days, the Thunder Drum Takes Shape

Ma Hongjun stood at the cliff's edge and looked down. The smile slowly faded from his face.

The copper pillars were still swaying gently in the water when the next huge wave surged toward them. It shattered against the cliff, sending chips of stone past their feet and leaving a row of white gouges.

"We're supposed to be chained to those?"

Bo Saixi raised a hand, and the iron chains below the cliff rose together.

"Ninety days. Tang San, eight hours a day. Everyone else taking the third trial, six hours. Any missed hours must be made up. Time spent away from training does not count."

She turned to Yuan Yu. "Your pillar will draw lightning storms from the sea. You may use your Artifact Forms, but you cannot leave the pillar to dodge."

Yuan Yu took off his outer robe and handed it to Bai Chenxiang.

"Stand farther back. If it gets wet, we'll have to dry it again."

Bai Chenxiang stepped back two paces with the folded robe in her arms. Yuan Yu leaped down, arms spread, and the chains on the copper pillar snapped around his waist and limbs.

The first huge wave struck.

Yuan Yu's back slammed into the copper pillar. His neck went taut, and he nearly lost the breath in his chest. The Thunder-Aspect Sky Drum had barely formed half an outline before purple lightning came down with the wave, setting its surface trembling violently.

He raised a hand bound by the chains, barely managing to touch the drum's rim with his fingertips.

A second bolt had already fallen.

On the cliff, Ma Hongjun swallowed and turned to look for the Wine Gourd Yuan Yu had left behind. Bai Chenxiang slapped his hand away.

"If you go down there drunk, you won't even see