Shi Yi streaked through the sky like lightning, golden-tinged blood constantly seeping from the corners of his mouth, while the wounds all over his body continued to bleed. Enduring the intense pain, he examined himself internally and discovered that lingering lightning power was still wreaking havoc in his meridians. He sighed inwardly. My body is so badly damaged. I'm afraid I won't last long enough to fly out of Heavenly Thunder Valley.
He suddenly spotted flickering lightning on a distant cliff and immediately changed direction. Behind him, the black thunderclouds that swallowed heaven and earth were still churning, their destructive aura making the air tremble for a hundred miles around. Shi Yi could even feel the static raising every strand of his hair. His back was already drenched in cold sweat.
Just as he dove toward a secluded cave, he caught sight out of the corner of his eye of the great cauldron magic artifact in the sea of lightning emitting an abnormal hum.
The Wind-Thunder Leopard's savage face flickered in and out of view amid the lightning. Terror even more horrifying than the lightning tribulation showed in his eyes, as though he had glimpsed something beyond description.
Deep within Heavenly Thunder Valley, the sea of lightning churned. Countless bolts intertwined, gradually coalescing into the outline of a massive eagle. The Thunderbolt Eagle spread its wings, every feather formed from destructive black lightning. Even before it had fully taken shape, it radiated a suffocating pressure.
The Wind-Thunder Leopard's pupils contracted sharply, his heart pounding wildly. This lightning is clearly heavenly punishment power that only appears during tribulations! If I let it fully take shape, I'm dead for certain!
"Damn it! How could Heavenly Thunder Valley spawn something like this?" A vicious gleam flashed in his eyes as he ground his teeth. "That Human Race brat dragged me into this calamity. One day, I'll make him wish he were dead!"
But now, he had no time to dwell on it. The Thunder Shadow Leopard's claws moved rapidly, forming one ancient seal after another. The great cauldron hovering above him immediately shook violently, the runes on its surface flashing madly, as brilliant as a blazing sun.
"Explode!"
With that fierce shout, the great cauldron exploded with a thunderous roar! A terrifying storm of spiritual power swept outward, forcibly tearing an opening in the sea of lightning. The blast swept in every direction, instantly shattering several mountain peaks into dust.
Yet the sea of lightning surged, and in a mere instant, the opening began closing at a speed visible to the naked eye. The Thunder Shadow Leopard dared not delay. His figure became a blur as he broke through the encirclement before the lightning closed in.
A silver shadow shot out of the pitch-black sea of lightning. Not daring to stop for even a moment, he raced toward the outskirts of Thunderclap Valley like an arrow loosed from its bow. Behind him, countless bolts of black lightning pursued relentlessly, clinging to him like his own shadow.
At the valley entrance, the silver figure crashed heavily to the ground, coughing violently. Some force had pierced through his body, and blood soaked his clothes, spreading into a shocking crimson stain across his silver robe.
"Damn Thunderclap Valley..." he cursed through gritted teeth, his voice weak and furious. "To think a mere human managed to ambush me this time. Not only did I nearly lose my life, even the Life-Bound Dharma Treasure I spent a thousand years refining was destroyed here." He struggled to prop himself up, his bloodstained fingers digging deep into the earth. "That brat's injuries are no lighter than mine. There's no way he can cross the sea of lightning. Thunderclap Valley has only this one exit..."
His sinister gaze fixed on the valley entrance, and a savage smile twisted his lips. "I'll wait right here for the rabbit to stumble into my trap. Let's see how long you can hide in that Thunderbolt Purgatory."
Just as the Wind-Thunder Leopard had expected, Shi Yi's condition was still far from good.
He sat cross-legged in a secluded corner of Thunderclap Valley, runes flowing around him as divine power forcibly held his flesh together. Had he not reacted swiftly and withdrawn decisively before the explosion, that destructive force would likely have torn him apart. Even so, his body had suffered grievous damage. His bones were broken, his meridians injured, and hideous cracks covered his skin, making him look like a porcelain vessel on the verge of shattering.
He swallowed several pieces of Healing Treasure Medicine. Their medicinal power became warm currents that slowly repaired his ravaged body. Nourished by divine radiance, his split flesh gradually healed, and his broken bones knitted back together. Though his injuries were severe, he was finally improving little by little.
In the blink of an eye, seven or eight days passed.
Deep within Thunderclap Valley, Shi Yi sat motionless as a boulder, runes swirling around him amid a haze of treasured light. Suddenly, he opened his eyes. Divine light burst from his four pupils, chaos energy surged, and the interweaving runes seemed to possess the might to split heaven and earth apart.
"My injuries have finally healed... The pupil power I exhausted with that final attack has recovered too," he murmured, his voice low and calm.
"As expected of someone in the Divine Fire Realm. Even using the Treasure Arts of the Ten Fiends, I could barely hold him off for a few dozen exchanges. Though I escaped this time by taking advantage of Thunderclap Valley's unusual environment, that Wind-Thunder Leopard certainly won't let the matter rest. He must be guarding the entrance right now, waiting for me to walk into his net."
His gaze grew deep. After a moment's thought, a faint, cold smile curled his lips.
"In that case, I might as well cultivate here in seclusion for a while. I came to temper myself anyway. The lightning laws here are abundant-just right for comprehending the profound mysteries of the lightning path."
In the days that followed, Thunderclap Valley settled into an eerie calm. The Wind-Thunder Leopard guarded the entrance like a statue, his silver figure looking especially cold and grim beneath the lightning's glow, as though he had resolved to remain there until the earth grew old and the heavens withered.
Several more days passed before that calm finally broke. The Wind-Thunder Leopard began pacing restlessly, his sharp claws gouging deep marks into the rocky ground and betraying his inner agitation.
"That Human Race brat..." he growled through gritted teeth. "He must have a secret treasure that conceals his aura, allowing him to evade Thunderclap Valley's detection. If this stalemate continues, he's probably determined to stay a turtle with its head tucked into its shell."
Suddenly, he stopped, as though remembering something important. "That lord's banquet is coming up soon. If I fail to attend..." A trace of apprehension flashed in his silver pupils. "But if I attend while injured, those sworn enemies of mine..."
After weighing his options repeatedly, the Wind-Thunder Leopard snorted coldly. "I'll have one of the clan's Venerables clean up this mess. A mere Array Formation Realm cultivator-even if he can hold his own against me, before a true Venerable..." He bared his bone-white fangs. "He's nothing but a lamb awaiting slaughter."
A streak of silver lightning suddenly crossed the horizon. Accompanied by deafening thunder, a figure wrapped in violent lightning power landed outside Thunderclap Valley with a crash. Dazzling arcs danced around Lei Jie, and every step he took branded deep lightning scars into the scorched earth.
"Supreme Elder, what matter required you to summon me personally?" Lei Jie bowed respectfully, though confusion flickered in his eyes.
Lei Shang's silver hair streamed in the lightning's glow. "A human ant is hiding in the valley. I must attend that lord's banquet, so I need you to stand guard here." He gave Lei Jie a meaningful look. "This matter concerns our clan's rise or fall. Aside from the clan chief, only you can shoulder this responsibility."
Lei Jie's pupils contracted violently, and lightning power burst uncontrollably from his body. "A human?! How could this Cave Heaven World..."
"Silence!" Lei Shang cut off his startled cry with a sharp command. "This boy possesses an unusual treasure that lets him evade Thunderclap Valley's detection. Remember, under no circumstances are you to pursue him into the valley. Otherwise..."
Before Lei Shang could finish, Lei Jie was already trembling all
over with excitement. As the youngest Venerable in the clan, he understood all too well what this news meant-a human from the outside world might very well possess the secret to reaching beyond this Cave Heaven! If they could capture him alive
Their Wind-Thunder Leopard clan might escape the shackles of this world, and perhaps even...
"Understood!" Blazing lightning fire ignited in Lei Jie's eyes. "Even if my body is crushed and my bones shattered, I won't let that human take a single step beyond the valley entrance!"
Lei Shang nodded in satisfaction, then transformed into a streak of silver lightning and shot away through the sky.