88: Chapter 88 Li Kun

Zhang Wen had just walked a short distance out of the Secret Realm Hall when he was blocked on the stone steps by a person named Li Kun, who had brought others with him.

"Zhang Wen, don't play dumb!"

Li Kun's expression was unfriendly. His "Scarlet Flame Spirit Body" talent had always been popular among his peers, and he couldn't stand seeing someone else outshine him.

"As for the record in the Meteorite Valley, I think you used some kind of trick! If you have the guts, fight me, and let everyone see exactly how much weight you, a New Student, really carry!"

More and more students gathered around, and some whispered among themselves.

"Li Kun's Scarlet Flame Spirit Body can draw upon the surrounding Fire Spiritual Qi; an ordinary person in the Subtle Realm simply cannot withstand his Flame Wave Fist."

"Zhang Wen looks so ordinary; can he really go head-to-head with Li Kun?"

Zhang Wen lifted his eyes, Lightning Radiance faintly swirling in his pupils.

He originally didn't want any trouble, but since the other party was pressing him step by step, he couldn't be bothered to say much: "Make your move."

Zhao Kun sneered upon seeing this. The Spiritual Qi within his body erupted suddenly, and crimson flames half a foot high rose around him—this was the sign that his Scarlet Flame Spirit Body had been pushed to its limit.

"Since you are courting death, I will grant your wish!" He stomped his foot, and his fist, carrying a scorching wave of air, flew straight toward Zhang Wen's face.

Before the force of the fist arrived, the bluestone on the ground had already been scorched, leaving faint burn marks.

Just at the moment the fist wind reached his body, Zhang Wen's figure swayed violently.

One could see his feet tapping rapidly on the ground; with every step he took, faint Thunder patterns flashed and vanished on the stone slab—this was none other than "Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks".

When this movement technique was activated, his entire person seemed to turn into a streak of wandering electric light. Even though he looked to be right in front of him, Li Kun's fists repeatedly missed, only brushing against the corner of his clothes.

"Is that all you can do, just dodge?!"

Li Kun roared, launching both fists at once. The Scarlet Flame Spiritual Qi transformed into a sky-filling net of fire, completely sealing off all of Zhang Wen's escape routes.

He didn't believe the other party could keep dodging forever; this move, the "Prairie Fire Stance," was his trump card technique.

It consumed a massive amount of Spiritual Qi, but no one had ever been able to retreat from his net of fire unscathed.

Zhang Wen's eyes narrowed slightly, and he stopped dodging.

He planted his feet firmly on the spot, and Thunder patterns suddenly lit up under his soles.

A domineering Thunder Power surged through his Meridians straight to his fists.

"Rushing Thunder Delusion Breaking Fist—Startling Thunder Arises!"

Before his words had even faded, he slammed his right fist forward.

There was no earth-shattering momentum, only a streak of Lightning Radiance, condensed to the extreme, that flashed and vanished across his fist.

It was as if a clap of thunder had suddenly erupted on flat ground; carrying a sharp whistle that tore through the air, it struck precisely in the center of Li Kun's fire net.

"Sizzle!"

The instant the Lightning Radiance collided with the crimson flames, the fire net shattered inch by inch as if it were made of paper.

The remaining force of that thunder-like fist strike did not diminish, landing directly on Zhao Kun's chest.

Li Kun felt an unstoppable surge of Thunder Power flood into his body. His Scarlet Flame Spirit Body was instantly shattered, and the Spiritual Qi throughout his body became chaotic, as if he had been struck by lightning.

He let out a muffled groan, stumbled back several steps, and a trace of blood spilled from the corner of his mouth. The look he gave Zhang Wen was filled with disbelief.

He had clearly used all his strength, pushing his Scarlet Flame Spirit Body to its limit.

He had even spared no cost in burning his Spiritual Qi to lay down the fire net, yet in the face of that seemingly simple punch from the other party, he had no power to fight back at all.

Zhang Wen withdrew his fist and stood still; the Thunder patterns brought about by the Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks slowly dissipated.

He hadn't even used the true power of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder; relying only on the coordination between his movement technique and fist technique, the outcome had already been decided.

The surroundings were deathly silent; everyone was stunned by this scene.

No one had expected that Li Kun, who possessed the Scarlet Flame Spirit Body, would be defeated by Zhang Wen so cleanly and decisively.

Zhao Kun clutched his chest, his face pale as paper. His lips moved a few times, but in the end, he couldn't say a single word. He knew he had lost completely.

Zhang Wen didn't even look at him; he turned and continued on his way.

The talent of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder was still hidden deep within his Bloodline; what he had revealed today was merely the tip of the iceberg.

To him, this contest was no different from the battle in the Secret Realm; both were merely touchstones on the path of Cultivation.

As for Zhao Kun's unwillingness and the shock of those around him, they were nothing more than another inconsequential echo.

Returning to his dwelling, Zhang Wen put the Meteorite fragment into his Storage Pouch and sat cross-legged on the prayer mat.

He didn't rush to flip through the newly acquired Cultivation Technique, but closed his eyes to recall the details of his fight with Zhao Kun just now.

The Thunder pattern of the third step of the Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks had bloomed a bit slowly, causing a barely perceptible stagnation in the connection of his movement technique.

If his opponent were a faster character, this fleeting flaw would have been fatal.

His fingertips tapped lightly on his knees, simulating the rhythm of applying force when treading on Thunder.

The talent of the Nine Heavens Tribulation Thunder was hidden deep within his Bloodline. It usually didn't show itself, yet it allowed his control over Thunder Power to far exceed those of the same rank.

With every breath, tiny threads of Thunder were exhaled and inhaled through his pores, colliding with the wandering Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi in the surroundings, emitting an almost inaudible "crackle."

He didn't know how much time had passed, but there was a light knock at the door.

"Is Junior Student Zhang Wen there?" It was Lin Hao from the same academy, a gentle-natured Wood Element cultivator.

"Teacher Li asked me to pass on a message: the venue for this afternoon's combat class has been changed to the Martial Arts Field."

"Understood, thank you."

Zhang Wen responded. When he opened his eyes, the Lightning Radiance in his pupils had already faded, leaving only a calm gaze.

The Martial Arts Field in the afternoon was even livelier than yesterday. The Elder teaching the combat class was none other than Teacher Feng, who was known for his mastery of Thunder Element Cultivation Techniques.

This teacher had a fiery temper and never taught according to conventional rules.

He started by calling two students onto the stage for sparring, and the collision of fists making contact with flesh made onlookers' eyelids twitch.

Zhang Wen stood behind the crowd, but his thoughts were on optimizing the Tremor Step Treading Thunder Marks.

He had already thoroughly understood the basic Thunder Element fist theories that Teacher Feng was teaching before he even entered the sect, so listening to them now just felt redundant.

For the same act of drawing upon Thunder, Teacher Feng said one needed to gather strength for three breaths to form the fist force, but the Tribulation Thunder power within his body circulated much faster.

It could condense in a single breath; this difference might just be because his talent was good.

"That New Student over there, what are you spacing out for!"

Teacher Feng's angry shout suddenly slammed over, accompanied by a sharp burst of Thunder energy that flew past Zhang Wen's ear.

It exploded against the stone wall behind him, sending stone fragments flying. "Yes, you, come up here!"

Zhang Wen lifted his eyes and slowly walked out of the crowd.

The surrounding students all turned to look. Remembering the scene where he had overpowered all the heroes at the New Student Competition, their eyes held a bit more anticipation.

Teacher Feng looked him up and down, his tone unfriendly.

"Did you understand the 'Splitting Thunder Hand' I just explained? Demonstrate it for me. If there is even one mistake, I will punish you by making you stand by the Thunder Pool for three hours!"

The Splitting Thunder Hand was a basic Thunder Element technique that required condensing Thunder with one's fingers to shatter a hanging bluestone from three zhang away.

This technique appeared simple, but it was a severe test of one's precise control over Thunder Power.

Zhang Wen didn't say much; he raised his hand and brought his fingers together like a blade.

Unlike others who had to build up strength, a streak of Lightning Radiance as thin as a hair lit up at his fingertips almost the moment he raised his hand.

The Lightning Radiance was a dark purple, and when it condensed, it didn't emit even a fraction of sound.

"Swoosh!"

He flicked his fingertips, and the purple lightning shot out like an arrow.

The bluestone three zhang away cracked in response. When the fragments hit the ground, they didn't have a single scorched mark from the Thunder.

The Thunder Power was condensed to the extreme; it only broke the stone's body without damaging its surface.

Teacher Feng's arms, which he had been holding, suddenly froze, and his eyes instantly widened: "This... this is the Splitting Thunder Hand?!"

Ordinary Splitting Thunder Hand draws upon the wandering Thunder Power in the world; it is pale white in color and makes quite a racket when it explodes.

But this purple lightning of Zhang Wen's was clearly the Origin Thunder Power condensed within his own body; its density and penetrating power far exceeded the upper limit of the technique itself!

"This Thunder Power of yours..." Teacher Feng stepped forward quickly, staring at the bluestone fragments, then looking at Zhang Wen, his tone filled with an incredulous urgency.

"Which Thunder Element Cultivation Technique do you practice? Why is the Thunder Power within your body so condensed?"

Zhang Wen withdrew his hand and said calmly: "A basic Cultivation Technique passed down in my family."

Zhang Wen certainly didn't dare to say it was a Cultivation Technique given by the System, but to Teacher Feng's ears, those four words, "basic Cultivation Technique," were simply a fantasy.

To be able to condense Thunder Power to this extent, even those senior students within the academy might not necessarily be able to do it!

The surrounding Disciples also erupted in an uproar. A moment ago, they thought Zhang Wen had only won because of his movement technique, but now they realized with a shock that his control over Thunder Power had actually reached such a level.

Teacher Feng stared at Zhang Wen for a long time, then suddenly clapped his hands and laughed: "Good! Good! The Elemental Academy actually hides a piece of uncut jade like you!"

He stepped forward, his tone softening a lot.

"Your name is Zhang Wen, right? You don't need to attend the afternoon class; after all, attending would just be a waste of time. You might as well spend the time Cultivating."

Zhang Wen was slightly stunned, then nodded: "Thank you, Elder."

As he followed Elder Feng away from the Martial Arts Field, the discussions behind him had still not died down.

Zhang Wen, however, didn't take it to heart; all he cared about was what he should eat tonight.