The thunderstorm still raged, curtains of rain driven slantwise across the mountains by the fierce wind.
Jin Si, the Black Snake, floated deep within the rain clouds, gulping down the abundant rain essence.
He silently reckoned that he still needed to keep drawing lightning, using its thunder force to clear the sluggish meridians in his limbs. But this time, he had to stay farther away, lest another strike leave him dazed. Falling out of the sky again would be far too embarrassing.
He cautiously edged toward the rim of a cloud mass laden with lightning, neither too far nor too close, just within reach of its thunderous might.
His four newly grown claws hugged his body as he swung his tail and twisted, winding through the clouds.
He carefully sensed the enormous cloud mass ahead, where lightning churned. Every movement fell between the bursts of lightning, cautious as someone treading thin ice, probing closer before retreating again.
Before long, the black clouds above, heavy as mountains, suddenly flashed in rapid succession, dazzling white light flaring one after another in their depths.
After only a brief brush with the edge, leaping arcs of electricity already crawled all over him, crackling wildly.
Flustered, he hurriedly whipped his long tail and twisted away, darting into the distance as though fleeing for his life.
Only after swimming a long way did he dare look back, the electrical arcs on his body gradually dispersing into the rain.
Once again, he concentrated on sensing his limbs.
Sure enough, the obstructions in his meridians had eased a little more, and his tendons were easier to control. He tried slowly flexing and extending his claws and could now barely manage simple grasping motions.
His movements were still somewhat sluggish, but much nimbler than before. Delight stirred within him.