96: Thunder Emperor's Broken Armor Appears

Shen Xiaochuan had just learned a new skill in the Main Hall when he heard that strange mutated beasts had appeared outside. They were reportedly contaminated Shadow Wolves, and he knew he had to handle them.

Having exhausted himself earlier, he stood in the Main Hall to rest for a moment. His palms still felt numb as Thunder Force continued to circulate within his body. The final golden light slowly sank into his skin, and his aura finally stabilized.

He looked down at the copper gear pendant on his sleeve and touched it lightly with his fingertip, feeling a faint electric current.

Four diamond treasure chests were laid out before him.

He knew that what he lacked most was defensive capability. His thunder blade had already reached Max Level A-Rank, but if someone got close to him, he lacked the means to endure a direct hit and would still inevitably face defeat. He desperately needed a skill that could hold the line, even if it only kept him alive for three extra seconds.

He picked up the first treasure chest.

With a click, it opened.

"Obtained [Star-Patterned Profound Iron], Quality: Rare."

He remained silent. This was a Material item and provided no direct buff to himself.

He opened the second one.

"Obtained [Sky Bell], Accessory. Equipping it increases Believers' favorability by one point."

He sighed softly and set it aside.

The third one was opened as well.

"Obtained [Elementary Summoning Scroll: Wind Wolf]. Can summon a B-Rank wind-attribute Spirit Beast to assist in battle."

Still not what he wanted.

The three chests had cost nine hundred faith points. Money wasn't the issue, but failing to get what he needed three times in a row left him feeling inevitably suppressed.

He stood up and walked out of the Main Hall.

Aphrodite lived in the west of the city and was currently feeding four tiger cubs.

"You've come," she said in a cold tone.

"Yes," Shen Xiaochuan replied with a nod.

"Here to open treasure chests again?" She smiled with a hint of mockery.

"All I can do is offer a blessing." After speaking, she raised her hand, and a white light flickered at her fingertip as she drew a symbol on his chest. The light flashed and vanished instantly.

"Fate has been fine-tuned. The rest is up to you."

Shen Xiaochuan said his thanks and turned to return.

Back in the Main Hall, he sat down, took a deep breath, and picked up the final treasure chest.

This was his last chance.

He forced it open.

A purple-gold light soared into the sky, illuminating the entire hall. A booming sound echoed in the air, like a clap of thunder.

Shen Xiaochuan's pupils constricted.

System Prompt:

"Obtained A-Rank Evolvable Skill Book: <Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor>!"

He recognized the name. It was a legendary defensive technique that could withstand a fatal attack and reflect a portion of the damage.

He immediately chose to learn it.

[Unable to learn, Aptitude does not match]

He frowned and tried again.

[Unable to learn, requires high affinity with the thunder attribute]

He tried again.

[Unable to learn, Divine Thought intensity has not reached the standard]

After three failures, he stopped.

It wasn't bad luck, but rather that the conditions hadn't been met.

"Only those destined can learn it..." He recalled the System prompt.

What did it mean to be destined?

Was it thunder attribute compatibility? Sufficient Divine Thought? Or something else?

He closed his eyes, recalling all the skills he had mastered. The strongest was <Thunderous Overlord Slash>, A-Rank Max Level, with pure thunder attributes. Could he use this as a lead to try and touch this secret technique?

He stopped clicking 'learn' and instead placed the skill book before him, probing its structure with his consciousness.

Within his Sea of Consciousness, Thunder Force surged slowly. He followed the book's instructions, attempting to construct the armor's form. Every step was extremely slow; the slightest error would cause the thunder Qi in his body to vibrate and churn.

Sweat gradually seeped from his forehead.

The runes on his arm suddenly lit up—this time, with purple electricity.

Time passed quietly.

He noticed a problem: whenever the Thunder Force tried to encircle him into a shield, it would always break at his left shoulder. That was where he had been injured by Dian Wei's chained weapon years ago; though long healed, it seemed as if some obstruction remained.

He changed his strategy. Instead of forcing it to close, he started from the heart, guiding the Thunder Force up his spine, around his neck, splitting it to both shoulders, and finally meeting at his chest.

This time, the crack narrowed significantly.

He then introduced the vibrations of the copper gear, using the faint current conducted by the metal to guide the flow of the Thunder Force.

Suddenly, his chest felt hot.

The symbol Aphrodite had left behind actually glowed faintly.

The Thunder Force flowed along that pattern of light, finally completing the connection.

Buzz!

A soft chime rang deep within his Sea of Consciousness.

[Resonance conditions met. Initiate owner recognition process?]

Without hesitation, Shen Xiaochuan chose "Yes."

All the Thunder Force in his body was retracted, gathering at his chest. A massive force squeezed from the inside out, as if it were going to crush his internal organs. He gritted his teeth and endured, his fingers digging deep into the prayer mat until his knuckles turned white.

Three seconds later, the pressure vanished abruptly.

A layer of semi-transparent purple armor appeared on his upper body, extending from his chest to his shoulders, with a faint dragon-shaped pattern appearing on his back. Tiny sparks of electricity danced on the surface of the armor, pulsing like a breath.

[<Remnant Armor of the Thunder Emperor> mastered!]

[Current Proficiency: Beginner]

[Effect: Condenses half-body armor within three seconds, absorbs 70% of thunder-attribute damage, and completely parries one non-rule-based fatal attack]

[combat power +2]

Patrollers outside saw this strange phenomenon and cast envious glances.

Shen Xiaochuan slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

It was done.

He condensed a ball of thunder light in his right hand and fired it at his own left arm.

Boom!

The thunder light exploded.

The armor manifested instantly, electricity weaving into a net that blocked most of the energy impact. Only a small amount dissipated, scorching his skin. The pain was clear, but bearable.

The defense was a success.

He also understood that this was only the beginning. True absolute defense required higher proficiency. Currently, he could only maintain it for three seconds, and it only covered his upper body.

He stood up and moved his shoulders.

The armor faded, and the runes sank back beneath his skin.

Footsteps came from outside the door, and the sound of fighting still echoed from the distant training grounds. Everything was as usual.

He walked to the cabinet, took out a clean dark blue work uniform, and changed. He carefully wiped the Gear Pendant on his sleeve and sewed it back on securely.

It was time to go out and test it in actual combat.

There were many dangerous areas within thirty kilometers of the city—some were mutated beast nests left over from old battlefields, others were secret outposts set up by enemies. This was the perfect chance to practice and clear out hidden threats along the way.

He pushed open the doors of the Main Hall.

The morning sun spilled onto the steps, and the air was slightly cool.

He walked down step by step.

Just as he reached the gate, his sleeve suddenly jolted.

The Gear Pendant transmitted an electric current once more.

He looked down to check and found a very fine crack on the metal surface, as if it had endured immense pressure.

He said nothing, only clenched his fist.

The next instant, he had already leaped onto the city wall.

The wind rushed past his ears.

He stood on the high ground, looking into the distance.

There was movement over there.

A Shadow Wolf appeared, destroying houses and roaring at him in fury.

The Shadow Wolf's eyes were blood-red, and it howled like a madman, as if mocking his overconfidence.

Shen Xiaochuan raised his hand, and thunder light condensed in his palm.

He gave a cold laugh, and the thunder light in his hand surged violently, instantly enveloping the Shadow Wolf.

He leaped down from the city wall and lunged straight at it.

The Shadow Wolf roared and lunged forward to kill.

He turned in mid-air, the thunder light on his right arm exploding as the armor on his left shoulder manifested instantly.

Boom!

The two collided.

Electric sparks flew everywhere, and the black mist dissipated.