Heavenly Thunder Platform

Li Wangxian carefully examined the Treasure Wheel he had seized. It was about the size of a human head, relatively small, but its power when activated was terrifying. Golden Buddhist light bloomed from the wheel, and when it struck someone, it was like a miniature sun crashing down, forcibly cracking even his Golden Body.

That was partly because his cultivation was still low, but it offered a glimpse of how fearsome this treasure was. How powerful would it become once its seal was fully released?

Li Wangxian was already beginning to look forward to it. Even with its seal intact, this treasure was now the most powerful weapon in his possession.

"This really is our wicked deeds coming back to bite us!"

Watching Li Wangxian toy with the Treasure Wheel, clearly unwilling to put it down, the bearded man could not help letting out a long sigh.

How could anyone keep walking along the riverbank without getting their shoes wet? Walk the roads at night often enough, and sooner or later you would meet a ghost.

And today, their little group had met a "ghost"-a ghost king, no less.

The other three looked equally miserable. Li Wangxian had not acted to restrain them, but they knew how terrifying their opponent was. Coupled with the considerable injuries they had just suffered, they understood that escape was impossible, so they refrained from doing anything that would only provoke him.

After all, judging by the Saint Son's words and actions just now, he did not seem particularly hostile toward them. Their lives probably... weren't in danger, were they?

They were uneasy. Their lives were in someone else's hands, after all. No matter how optimistic their guesses were, they were still only guesses. How could they truly relax?

Still, Li Wangxian really had no intention of killing them. The fact that this group only robbed people of their wealth without taking their lives had left him with little desire to kill.

Besides, he was in an excellent mood, with a smile even tugging at his lips. He had acquired a King Weapon right after setting out to gain experience. How could he not be delighted?

As a result, even the bearded man and his companions were beginning to look more agreeable to him.

Of course, finding them agreeable was one thing. He still had to collect the spoils he was entitled to.

"Uncle, mind cooperating a little?" His words were polite, but his hands showed no such courtesy. He sent his divine power straight into the bearded man's Bitter Sea and began fishing out treasures.

"Red Qilin Orchid, Silver Moon Fruit... thousand-year ginkgo. Whoa, even thousand-year deer antler! Quite a collection you've got, uncle."

Li Wangxian clicked his tongue in wonder as he searched. Was highway robbery really this lucrative? In just this short time, he had already found six thousand-year spirit herbs, and that did not even include the other treasures.

But when he remembered that many people came here to temper themselves with lightning, it made sense for them to bring plenty of spirit herbs.

This group must have acquired so many spirit herbs by specializing in robbing newly arrived cultivators!

As long as they picked the right targets, it was both safe and a quick way to make money. It almost made Li Wangxian want to take up the trade himself. The Sun God Sect was simply too poor-even these few Four Extremes Realm robbers were far wealthier than the Sun Church was now.

What a heartbreaking tale.

With that thought, Li Wangxian worked even faster. Before long, he had pulled five thousand jin of Source, a cubic measure of purple thunder gold, several Spirit Treasures that gleamed with divine light and looked extraordinary at a glance, and a few bottles of precious pills from the bearded man's Bitter Sea.

"What a bumper harvest!" Thoroughly satisfied, Li Wangxian released the bearded man and walked toward the other three.

"Can you three give me some big surprises too? Ideally, you'll be even richer than uncle."

Although Li Wangxian said that, he knew perfectly well that the bearded man was clearly their leader. All the good stuff was bound to be on him. The other three probably were not as rich as he was even put together.

The three felt bitter, but none dared resist. They obediently let him strip them of their belongings.

As expected, the three combined were not even half as wealthy as the bearded man. He only found two thousand jin of Source and a few spirit artifacts on them. Still, he discovered two thousand-year spirit herbs on the group's sole female cultivator, which made for a pleasant little surprise.

Having become rich in a single day, Li Wangxian's mood was now brighter than the weather-though the weather was actually rather poor that day. But that did not matter. It did not stop him from thanking the bearded man and his companions before leaving without a backward glance.

"He actually thanked us..." The female cultivator's lips were trembling with anger. Their Good Person Bandits had roamed Thunder City unchecked for so many years. When had they ever suffered such a crushing loss?

Most infuriating of all, he had been utterly sincere when he thanked them. They could tell that he genuinely appreciated their decision to rob him, which had brought him such a tremendous haul. He had not merely cut them down-he had stabbed them through the heart!

"What a humiliation! Thanking robbers-does he have any sense of decency?"

Watching his departing figure, which seemed cheerful even in flight, the young dark-faced male cultivator's face grew darker still. A bellyful of curses had already risen to his tongue, demanding to be spat out.

Just then, however, Li Wangxian seemed to sense something in the distance. He turned to look back at them from afar, and he even seemed to smile.

The dark-faced cultivator immediately shut his mouth, not daring to utter his curses. After all, that distance was not particularly far for a cultivator.

Only once Li Wangxian was completely out of sight did they dare vent their anger with a few curses. Then the bearded man led them away as well. They were in poor shape, and they had offended plenty of people over the years. If they did not flee now, they might truly lose their lives.

The teleportation formation was not far from Thunder City to begin with, and Li Wangxian soon flew to his destination.

Thunder City was nothing like the cities he had seen before. There were no carved railings, jade masonry, or elegant pavilions and towers. Everything had a rugged air, from the city gates to the streets, buildings, and homes.

Once he entered the city, most of what he saw were stone houses. Many homes, inns, and even the local outposts of certain sects were built that way.

Puzzled, Li Wangxian asked a few passersby before he finally understood.

Thunder City was also covered by formations that defended against lightning, but one of the city's purposes was to draw lightning down so cultivators could temper themselves. Moreover, the Thunder Sea was simply too vast. Under its relentless bombardment day and night, the formations could not last long despite repeated repairs, so lightning frequently struck within the city. Whether a house was sturdy enough thus became a crucial factor in whether it could save someone's life at a critical moment.

Divine metals and the like were certainly sturdier than stone, but they also conducted lightning far more effectively. Wood offered some insulation, but divine wood was expensive and beyond the means of ordinary people, and it caught fire easily. Stone had therefore become the best choice.

Soon, Li Wangxian had gathered more than enough information. A friendly old man even noticed that he was a newcomer and kindly pointed him toward the Heavenly Thunder Platform.

The Heavenly Thunder Platform was where Thunder City's formations drew in lightning from outside. The formations controlled its power, allowing people to temper themselves effectively without truly endangering their lives. It was one of Thunder City's treasured sites, and many people came expressly for it.