100: Comprehend extraordinary power

Shen Xiaochuan's combat power had been stuck at 499 points for six days now. He had tried many methods, but none worked.

Standing on the high platform outside the Main Hall, the Thunder Force within his body continued to sink. He hadn't returned to his room, nor had he seen anyone. He knew that the path of piling up resources was a dead end. Continuing like this would only make things worse.

Just then, someone sneered, "Yo, isn't this the trash stuck at 499? What are you still busy with?"

Shen Xiaochuan's gaze turned cold as he turned to look. The voice was harsh, but he didn't stay angry for long. He simply said, "A person like you wouldn't understand what I'm doing at all."

Right then, his communication talisman lit up. It was a message from White Snow Princess.

"Have you been practicing lightning-element skills lately?"

Shen Xiaochuan replied, "Yes. Why?"

"I saw an ancient book that says you can't force a Breakthrough. It has to match your own divine energy attribute."

Shen Xiaochuan stopped his movements.

Attribute matching?

He had always relied on faith points to increase his combat power and used Heroic Spirit Possession to forcefully jump levels. But now, this trick no longer worked.

He continued reading.

"The book says that thunder is the power of ultimate Yang, capable of breaking all shackles. If you are following the path of thunder, the best way is to draw Heavenly Thunder for Body Tempering. Only by cleansing your body with true Heavenly Thunder is it possible to open the door to the extraordinary."

Shen Xiaochuan's eyes lit up.

Drawing Heavenly Thunder for Body Tempering?

This was very dangerous, equivalent to risking his life.

But he had studied in the Mechanical System and understood energy conversion. Heavenly Thunder was one of the strongest energies in nature. If he could channel this power into his body and achieve Fusion with his own Thunder Force, he might truly achieve a Breakthrough.

He immediately opened the System panel.

faith points +1 per second, currently at sixteen million. With thirty thousand Believers, a stable Divine Kingdom, and the industrial zone operating normally, this was his safest moment.

He couldn't wait any longer.

He turned and walked toward the Star-Gazing Platform.

The Star-Gazing Platform was at the highest point in the north of the city, built of obsidian and originally used for observing the starry sky. As he climbed the steps, the Gear Pendant on his cuff swayed gently. It was a gift from his parents that he had worn since childhood.

Reaching the top, he stood still and formed hand seals.

This wasn't an ordinary technique. He had modified it himself based on the records of "Thunder-Fire Metal Forging" in the Artificer's Record. The ancients used thunder and fire for Artifact Refining to give metal a spirit. Now, he was going to treat himself as a weapon and re-forge himself in the thunder and fire.

He released his Divine Thought, carrying lightning-attribute faith fluctuations, and sent it toward the sky.

The sky changed.

Clouds surged from all directions, forming a deep purple vortex over Skydome City. The wind stopped, and the air grew heavy. The machines in the distant workshops were still turning, but their sound grew fainter, as if suppressed.

Someone noticed.

"Quick, look at the sky!"

"Is it going to thunder? But it's a sunny day!"

"No, the Lord is on the Star-Gazing Platform!"

The news spread quickly. People walked out of their houses and looked up at the sky. They recognized these clouds; they only appeared during great battles or disasters. But this time was different; it didn't seem like an enemy was coming.

Shen Xiaochuan stood on the platform, motionless.

He knew everyone was watching him. But he couldn't afford to be distracted. Once interrupted, all his previous efforts would be in vain.

He circulated the Thunder Force within him, pushing the power of the Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor to its peak. Pale gold light patterns appeared on his skin, spreading along his blood vessels to his arms and chest.

The first Heavenly Thunder was coming soon.

He took out his communication talisman and sent a city-wide broadcast:

"I am about to Breakthrough to a new Realm. This is neither a battle nor a disaster, so do not be afraid."

Just after the message was sent, a crack opened in the center of the sky's vortex.

A purple-white bolt of lightning struck down violently.

It was too fast to react to.

Boom!

Half of the Star-Gazing Platform exploded. Stones shattered, and obsidian flew everywhere. Shen Xiaochuan stood still, but his shoulder blade was pierced through. His clothes were incinerated, and his skin turned charred and peeled away, revealing gleaming muscle underneath.

It hurt.

It wasn't ordinary pain. His entire body was hurting.

But he didn't dodge.

Instead, he spread his arms and met the strike with the Thunder Force inside him.

That thunder exploded inside him like a bomb in his chest. At that very moment, he felt the Thunder Force within him move. It was no longer rushing wildly but began to synchronize with the energy of the Heavenly Thunder.

He endured the first strike.

The crowd was silent.

The Old Craftsman and Lolia watched tensely. No one knew what was happening, but they knew the Lord was undergoing a life-and-death trial.

The second Heavenly Thunder began to condense.

Deep within the clouds, crimson-gold light rolled, brighter and more terrifying than before.

Shen Xiaochuan knelt on one knee, his bones creaking. His left arm had lost all sensation, and his right leg was shaking. But he still stood up.

He looked up at the sky.

He muttered to himself, "Thunder and fire forge metal; a hundred temperings make steel."

This wasn't a struggle for survival; it was a challenge.

He was going to transform himself into a body that could withstand Heavenly Thunder.

The third strike was ready to fall.

He raised his hand that could still move and aimed it at the sky.

Not to block, but to receive.

The wind stopped.

Everyone in the city held their heads high.

No one spoke.

Only the muffled rumbles from within the clouds.

His hand was shaking, but he didn't lower it.

He knew that if he couldn't catch this one, he might die on the spot.

But he knew even better that if he dodged, he could forget about ever achieving a Breakthrough in this lifetime.

Crimson-gold lightning drew long lines in the clouds and shot straight down.

This time, his entire being was swallowed.

Charred skin began to peel off, and new tissue grew within the lightning. The Thunder Force inside him flowed crazily, rushing through his entire body. Those places that were previously blocked were forced open one by one.

He heard his bones creaking.

It sounded like a machine being reassembled.

His body was being rebuilt.

When the third strike passed, he was still standing.

Though he only had one breath left, he didn't fall.

The fourth strike began to brew.

Higher, further, stronger.

He gasped for air, electrified blood flowing from the corner of his mouth.

Then he raised his hand again.

This time, it wasn't just about receiving.

He was going to use his Divine Thought to pull the Heavenly Thunder down.

When the fifth strike fell, his clothes were long gone, leaving only his belt and the glowing red Gear Pendant on his cuff. The light patterns across his body shone to the extreme, flashing along with the falling thunder.

He was still moving.

His fingers could bend.

His consciousness was still clear.

The sixth strike came even faster.

He endured it, his knees smashing half a foot into the ground.

The seventh strike followed immediately.

He spat out a mouthful of black blood containing shattered Meridians.

But he didn't fall.

When the eighth strike hit, he suddenly laughed.

The laugh was light, but it was clear in the quiet city.

When the ninth strike fell, he looked up, his eyes turning a pale gold.

The tenth strike crashed down with a roar.

His body began to glow.

It wasn't reflected light, but light emanating from within.

Like a machine that had finally started up.

The eleventh strike descended.

He raised his hand, drawing an arc of electricity from his fingertip to connect with the Heavenly Thunder.

When the twelfth strike hit, he no longer endured it passively.

Using the power of the thunder, he allowed the Thunder Force within him to complete its final cycle.

At that moment, he felt something open up.

It wasn't that his combat power had risen to 500.

Nor was there a System notification of a Breakthrough.

Rather, it was a change. He could see the trajectory of the lightning clearly and control every shred of power. His strength had truly increased.

The antagonist who had mocked him stared wide-eyed, unable to believe it, and collapsed directly onto the ground.

"Now you know who the trash really is," Shen Xiaochuan sneered, his gaze sharp as a knife.

The thirteenth strike was condensing.

He stood on the ruined Star-Gazing Platform, his feet three inches off the ground.

His body was floating.

Thick purple electricity wrapped around him.

The bronze Gear Pendant turned bright red but did not melt.

He raised his hand and pointed it at the sky.

In the next second, crimson-gold thunder tore through the clouds and shot straight down.