Once again, one pursued while the other fled, only their roles had reversed. Shi Yi gave chase, while Lei Shang raced toward the valley's exit. Breaking through the sea of lightning had left him gravely wounded, damaging his very origin.
The magical treasure Lei Shang had used to block the valley's detection had already been destroyed. If Shi Yi entangled him within Thunderclap Valley, one wrong move could cost him his life. That was why he abandoned the dignity of a mighty cultivator and fled without looking back.
The explosion of the lightning sea had also caught Shi Yi in its aftermath. Though he had not been at the center of the blast, his injuries were still serious, and he was forcing himself onward to hunt Lei Shang down.
Booms rang out incessantly through the valley as the lightning spears Shi Yi hurled struck the mountainsides and exploded. Lei Shang had no intention of stopping. He simply raced toward the valley's exit.
Listening to the explosions drawing ever closer within the valley, Lei Jie stood ready for battle. In his mind, Lei Shang was already a Divine Fire Realm expert, while his opponent was merely a Human Race cultivator in the Array Formation Realm. No matter how extraordinary that human might be, with the supreme elder taking action himself, defeat was inconceivable. Such a commotion inside had to be the result of Lei Shang chasing the human cultivator. All Lei Jie needed to do was hold the human up briefly, and they could capture him.
He's close, Lei Jie thought.
A boom rang out, and something utterly unexpected happened. He saw Lei Shang thrown to the ground by the blast, his body skidding across the earth and leaving a long trail of blood. Lei Shang scrambled to his feet and kept running, paying no heed to what was happening behind him.
Hardly a patch of flesh on Lei Shang's body remained intact. He was drenched in blood, with some wounds deep enough to expose bone. In places, his bones were visibly broken. Blood kept flowing from his seven orifices, revealing injuries to his internal organs.
Behind Lei Shang, Shi Yi flew through the air with a pair of wings at his back, continuously unleashing Treasure Arts and hurling lightning spears. The sight left Lei Jie utterly dumbfounded. He could scarcely believe it, much less accept it. Had the outside world changed so quickly? Had the Human Race already become this ferocious?
"Go!" Lei Shang shouted before Lei Jie could fully recover his wits.
By now, Lei Shang did not believe his junior had any chance of defeating Shi Yi, even though Lei Jie had already reached the Venerable Realm.
Hearing Lei Shang's shout, Lei Jie hesitated briefly, but still charged into the valley. Unleashing his utmost speed, he reached Lei Shang in a few flashes, hoisted him onto his back, and raced outside.
After bursting out of the valley, Lei Jie did not pause at all. He could feel how poor Lei Shang's condition was, and he was deeply shocked. That human cultivator was only in the Array Formation Realm, yet he had wounded their Divine Fire Realm supreme elder this badly. Always steady and cautious in his actions, Lei Jie fled at once.
It had to be said that the Thunder Shadow Leopard race possessed remarkable prowess in speed. Lei Jie was terrifyingly fast. Once outside the valley, he plunged into a stone forest of jagged rocks, using the terrain to his advantage, and soon vanished from sight.
Shi Yi's expression soured at having let his enemies escape. He himself was severely injured. Despite the ferocity of his pursuit, he was already nearly a spent arrow, and he prepared to sit down and tend to his injuries.
Suddenly, Shi Yi's expression changed sharply. He darted onto the teleportation array and took out his teleportation token. Mysterious runes lit up on the platform, and the surrounding space began to churn. A beam of light shot straight into the heavens, and soon Shi Yi's feet left the ground as he rose into the sky.
He accelerated faster and faster. At the instant he vanished, Shi Yi saw a pair of eyes brimming with killing intent staring at him through the pillar of light. Those eyes held boundless fury and radiated a savage aura.
At last, Shi Yi saw clearly that this Divine Fire Realm expert belonged to the White Ghost Race. He had killed that race's Venerable Bai Ling and two Array Formation Realm juniors, so there was enmity between them. It seemed their avenger had found him.
"You killed my juniors? I will find you and slaughter you, no matter where you hide!" A furious roar burst from the White Ghost Race's Divine Fire Realm expert and lingered for a long time.
He stood in midair, his aura cold and oppressive, like a chill rising from an abyss, silently seeping into every inch of the surrounding space. An eerie gleam occasionally flashed through his eyes, sending shivers down the spine. The air around him seemed to freeze, and even the wind ceased to move.
His presence was like an invisible barrier, shutting out all vitality and warmth. Runes shone around his body, and the energy between heaven and earth gathered into a storm, wantonly destroying everything at the valley's entrance. Only after a long while did it subside. He then turned into a streak of light and flew into the distance.
"So that raised platform was a teleportation array. I wonder where the other end is," Lei Jie murmured to himself.
After entering the stone forest, Lei Jie had not actually run very far. Instead, he had found a concealed spot and hidden there. He had witnessed Shi Yi being teleported away and seen the White Ghost Race's Divine Fire Realm cultivator raging there, but he had not emerged. Although the White Ghost Race had no past grievances with his own race, no one could guarantee what that expert might do. Lei Jie did not dare gamble, so he could only remain still and wait.
Only after the White Ghost Race's Divine Fire Realm expert left did he carry the gravely wounded Lei Shang away, turning into a bolt of lightning as he sped into the distance.
Within the towering palace, intricate patterns adorned the stone surfaces: soaring dragons, dancing phoenixes, and wreaths of auspicious clouds. Every line seemed to hold ancient power and majesty. Sunlight fell upon the palace's surface and reflected in dazzling rays, making the entire structure shimmer so brilliantly that one dared not look directly at it.
On a raised platform in one of the palace's plazas, array patterns lit up and space began to ripple. A pillar of light descended from the sky, its terrifying energy sending the surrounding space into relentless tremors.
When the pillar of light dispersed, the energy stopped pouring down, and space stabilized. Shi Yi stood tall and straight, his white robes brighter than snow. Bloodstains dotted his lapels like blooming plum blossoms, yet they could not diminish his handsome, distinguished features.
The light within his Double Pupils was as profound as the sea, with chaotic qi surging inside. After looking around and confirming that he had returned to the palace, Shi Yi sat cross-legged in the plaza. He swallowed two precious medicinal plants, then circulated his divine power to regulate his breathing and recover.
He drew a deep breath, and the divine power within him surged like the tide. A faint layer of silvery-white light rose around his body. The power of thunder flowed through him, like countless tiny lightning serpents weaving through his veins, bringing waves of tingling and sharp pain.
As his divine power circulated, fine arcs of electricity began to appear in the air, crackling as though he had stirred all the thunder between heaven and earth. Warmth spread through his wounds. His flesh slowly knit together at a visible pace, while charred skin gradually peeled away, revealing new skin with a healthy rosy hue.
Thunder was not merely a force of destruction, but also a wellspring of life. Every breath seemed to resonate with heaven and earth. The power of thunder circulated ceaselessly within him, bringing endless vitality and restoration.
This process continued for an entire day. He opened his eyes, lightning flickering within them as though he could see through every illusion.
"My bodily injuries have finally more or less healed, but some of the damage
"inside me will still need more time. I've just broken through to the late Array Formation Realm anyway, so I need to consolidate my cultivation. I can also use this time to sort through my current insights into the Great Dao of Thunder," Shi Yi said to himself.
"You went out once and came back gravely wounded. Who did you pick a fight with?"
While Shi Yi was pondering, a clear, melodious voice rang out with a question, lovely as a celestial song.
Shi Yi knew who was speaking without even looking. He replied with a smile, "Master, how come you have time to come out? I fought someone this time and only won by taking advantage of a special environment, but he still escaped in the end. With my current strength, trying to kill a Divine Fire Realm cultivator is still too much of a stretch."
"What lofty ambitions. With Array Formation Realm strength, escaping alive from a Divine Fire Realm cultivator is already no easy feat. Being able to defeat one through special means is exceptionally rare, yet you wanted to kill him too?" the Double Pupils Woman said irritably.
She did not doubt Shi Yi's claim that he had fought someone in the Divine Fire Realm. The traces of battle left on his body were enough to reveal the realm of the one who had inflicted them.
"Yes, it really wasn't easy. If I hadn't used Thunderclap Valley's special environment at the last moment, I would have been the one defeated." Shi Yi nodded in agreement.
Then he asked, "Master, do you know of any other places in this Cave-Dwelling World where I can temper my physique? You should know that I inscribed that Grand Array into my body. It was divided into thirteen sections, and each time I inscribe a section, my flesh must be strong enough to bear it. Otherwise, it will be extremely dangerous. That's why I have to cultivate an exceptionally powerful body."
"Oh? There's such a thing? Tell me what that Grand Array does to keep you so attached to it," the Double Pupils Woman asked again.
"So far, I've only inscribed three sections. By my estimate, that should already be enough for me to break through to the Venerable Realm. It has already displayed several abilities: accelerating my comprehension of the Dao and my cultivation, blocking perception, and refining some of the foreign power that enters my body, giving me an effect similar to immunity to magical power. It's precisely this ability that gave me the means to fight someone in the Divine Fire Realm. I suspect that if I inscribe more of the Grand Array, this effect will grow far stronger, ultimately granting complete immunity to both magical power and physical attacks." Shi Yi concealed nothing and explained everything.
After Shi Yi finished, the Double Pupils Woman was deeply shocked, though her face remained as still as an ancient well. Any one of the abilities he had described would send people flocking like ducks if word got out, yet all of them could now be manifested through an array.
"As expected of the Taboo Grand Array. Just one corner can display such abilities. But the price is also unbearable. One misstep could reduce a person to ash and scatter them into nothingness," the Double Pupils Woman said with a sigh.
"Yes, but the gains are gratifying too. Every gain comes with a loss. Still, it isn't difficult to resolve. As long as my body is strong enough to bear this Grand Array, that will suffice," Shi Yi said.
"Mm. There is indeed one place within the Cave-Dwelling World where you can temper your body."