Outside the Ancient Thunder Tribulation Tower, the world was still shrouded in silent thunderclouds, with flashes of lightning like the lingering echoes of the end times.
After the divine light dissipated, the disciples who had entered the ancient tower with Zhou Yu landed on the ground, exchanging glances with serious and wary expressions. The mystery and terror of that cultivation technique were deeply imprinted in their minds.
"I want to try that area. There seems to be a surge of lightning Spiritual Qi ahead; perhaps there's an opportunity related to the path of lightning," a disciple said, and then left.
"Take care, everyone." The other person bowed and then vanished into thin air.
Si Yao remained silent for a moment, a cold glint flashing in his eyes. He glanced at Zhou Yu, said nothing more, and then stepped into the air and departed, heading towards another thunderstorm valley.
In the end, only Zhou Yu remained standing alone on the scorched earth of Cang Lei, with the Lightning Tribulation Pagoda towering behind him like a Realm God of the world, still standing quietly and never dissipating.
He lowered his head, raised his hand and slowly reached into his robes. The book "Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon" lay quietly in his palm. The pages were covered with gray-blue thunder patterns. The cover was blank, but a thunder seal in the center pulsed slowly, like the heartbeat of a living creature, steady and heavy, as if sealing away the sound of countless tribulations.
Zhou Yu sat cross-legged, his five fingers stroking the pages of the book, his divine sense slowly probing in.
In an instant, his soul seemed to be drawn into a realm of thunder—
In the void, streaks of purple-gold lightning formed a nine-layered lightning diagram in the air, covered with mysterious ancient script. Each streak seemed to be a forbidden verse of heaven and earth. The nine-layered lightning diagram slowly rotated, nested layer upon layer, sealing a world-shining "lightning heart" deep within, like a thunderous lock.
"This is the true structure of the Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon..." Zhou Yu's mind was shaken, and boundless thunderous waves surged in his sea of consciousness in an instant.
Thunder from heaven and earth roared in from all directions, instantly turning the sea of consciousness purple and blue. The Thunder Codex slowly opened, and its nine chapters appeared on the soul.
Zhou Yu focused intently, examining each item one by one.
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The Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon - Ninefold Silent Lightning Realm (Nine Abysses of Silent Lightning)
First Stage: Initial Tribulation - Lightning Mark Opens the Abyss
Upon first sensing the aura of Silent Lightning, the first "Silent Lightning Mark" is inscribed within the body, which can induce ordinary thunder to transform into a seed of Silent Lightning.
Second Tribulation: Second Calamity - Abyss Lightning Soul Shaking
When the spiritual sea of consciousness is first tempered by the Silent Lightning, the Spiritual Sense grows. The thunder can penetrate the sea of consciousness, shake the soul and extinguish thoughts, and is specifically designed to destroy those who cultivate mental and Soul Arts.
Third Level: Three Tribulations - Profound Lightning Avatar
It draws external lightning to form a "lightning body illusion," which has a semi-solid protective function and can self-destruct to strike enemies during battle.
Fourth level: Fourth Tribulation - Tribulation Flame Sinking Lightning
It controls the tribulation flames and thunder, with the flames and thunder coexisting. Once it erupts, it will burn the world and destroy the soul, unleashing a continuous, destructive attack that burns across a wide area.
Fifth Level: Five Tribulations - Abyss Breath Realm Lightning
It can draw upon the power of "Boundary Lightning" to lock onto a spatial fragment and create Lightning Prison within it, trapping the enemy and preventing them from escaping.
Sixth Level: Six Tribulations - Reverse Soul Lightning Bind
It can summon "Soul-Reversing Lightning Chains" to entangle and sever souls, specifically targeting opponents such as ghosts, corpses, puppets, and evil cultivators.
Seventh Level: Seven Tribulations - Ultimate Silence Heavenly Blast
It triggered the Sevenfold Silent Lightning Ring, which gathered power from the sky and descended, silencing everything and shattering souls.
Eighth Level: Eight Tribulations - Order-Extinguishing Lightning Bane
This transcendent level lightning technique can shatter an enemy's cultivation structure, render their foundation ineffective, and reverse their cultivation trajectory.
Ninth Level: Final Tribulation - One Restriction of the Nine Abysses
The essence of the lightning tribulation condenses into One Restriction Lightning Heart," which, if unleashed, can annihilate an enemy's concept of Mieyin, death, cause and effect, destiny, and existence.
As the last page of the Thunder Pattern Divine Runes slowly closed in Zhou Yu's sea of consciousness, the Ninefold Thunder Diagram disappeared, and the "Restricted Lightning Heart" that condensed the thunder of the Nine Abyss seemed to be imprinted deep into Zhou Yu's soul.
He slowly opened his eyes, and faint lightning patterns were reflected in his pupils.
"This kind of technique... is simply unbelievable."
Zhou Yu murmured, his heart still filled with shock. He came from the inner sect of the Thousand Realms Sect and boasted that he had seen many inherited secret manuals, but the profundity and magnificence of the Nine Abyss Silent Lightning Canon was far beyond that of ordinary thunder techniques, especially the last level, "One Restriction of the Nine Abysses," which was simply a forbidden technique that could obliterate concepts and destiny!
"If I could master all nine levels of it... any strange beast in this secret realm would likely be annihilated by my thunder!"
He took a deep breath and sealed the book back into his sea of consciousness, forming hand seals to prevent the leakage of his lightning intent. Just as he was about to get up, suddenly, a dazzling celestial light, as radiant as divine light, pierced through the sky from a distant mountain peak.
Within the light, a familiar figure appeared.
"Qin Yu?"
Zhou Yu's eyes flickered, and he immediately recognized the figure. Sure enough, the celestial light landed and transformed into a man dressed in Qingyi, with sword-like eyebrows and a deep, Silent Abyss -like aura. He was none other than Qin Yu, the most mysterious and powerful being in this secret realm.
"It really is you," Zhou Yu said with a light laugh.
After landing, Qin Yu relaxed, glanced around, and then stood side by side with Zhou Yu.
"I just repelled a giant ape wielding an ancient sword, and halfway there I sensed lingering lightning gathering on your side. I thought I had encountered some terrifying treasure, but I never expected... it was you."
Qin Yu spoke casually, but a hint of surprise still flickered in his eyes.
"This secret realm is even more bizarre than I imagined." Zhou Yu nodded slightly and briefly recounted their experience of entering the ancient tower, breaking the lightning array, and retrieving the scriptures.
Qin Yu nodded slightly after hearing this, his expression becoming serious. "It seems that we are facing not only the trials of sect disciples, but also... a far deeper situation than we imagined."
"What about your end?" Zhou Yu asked.
"I just went through a life-or-death battle." Qin Yu's eyes darkened slightly, but he didn't say much. He simply clenched his right hand, and the faint trace of the Ring Spear that had shattered the void remained between his knuckles.
The two looked at each other for a moment, then smiled simultaneously. Though they didn't say much, their smiles conveyed their unspoken message.
Zhou Yu suddenly said, "Now that we've met, why don't we... go deeper together?"
Qin Yu laughed loudly, "Just what I wanted!"
Without further hesitation, the two transformed into two streaks of lightning and azure light, breaking through the Thunderous Wilderness and flying deeper into the secret realm.
In the distance, the clouds churned and thunder filled the sky, seemingly leading to a deeper Abyss of Cause and Effect, a prison of fate, and the source of eternal calamities.