115: Chapter 115 The Legend of Thunderfall Ravine

Three months after the Golden Core Tribulation, the Tianzhu Mountain Range welcomed the clearest day since the beginning of autumn.

Sunlight filtered through the thin clouds, dyeing the bamboo sea of Emerald Bamboo Peak into a flowing expanse of green.

The bamboo leaves swayed gently in the breeze, emitting a rustling sound like countless tiny wind chimes whispering.

Lin Xuan pushed open the courtyard gate and took a deep breath of the morning air.

The fresh scent of vegetation mixed with the smell of earth, moist and refreshing.

In the distance, Thousand Talisman Peak, Artifact Refining Peak, and Danding Peak were still emitting blue smoke, but the tense, murderous atmosphere that had persisted for half a year had finally faded significantly.

It had been three months.

Since Qi Tianyuan—now to be called Master Tianjian—had successfully undergone his tribulation and achieved the Golden Core, the Sanyang Sect was like a giant ship that had sailed through a long storm, finally entering relatively calm waters.

The quota for the Hundred Talisman Hall had been adjusted back to four sheets.

The price of purple-patterned paper had also slowly fallen back from its Peak of two hundred and thirty points per bundle to one hundred and eighty-five points.

Although the war-time restricted supplies in the market were still limited, at least there was no longer a need to risk using black market channels.

Lin Xuan used the Wind Control Technique to fly toward Thousand Talisman Peak.

Along the way, he encountered several patrols of law enforcement Disciples. The questioning was still strict, but their attitude had clearly relaxed a lot. One familiar law enforcement Senior Brother even nodded at him.

Everything was recovering.

But Lin Xuan knew that this "recovery" was only on the surface.

The mark left by the Golden Core Tribulation three months ago was deeply engraved in the heart of every Sanyang Sect Disciple.

The phenomenon of golden clouds filling the sky, the blessing of Spiritual Qi turning into rain, the figure of Master Tianjian slicing through the thunder with one sword... it was enough for many to reminisce about for a long time, and enough to inspire many to go further.

And Lin Xuan himself was one of the beneficiaries.

For the past three months, he had unwaveringly Cultivated, made talismans, nurtured Spirit plants, and trained his Spirit Beast every day.

The operation of the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art had become more rounded and smooth. The purple thunder seed in his Dantian was now the size of a dragon's eye, its surface thunder patterns as clear as if carved, and every beat resonated faintly with the thunder Qi between heaven and earth.

His cultivation at Qi Refining Stage 5 had stabilized at the Middle Stage, not too far from the Late Stage.

He was just waiting for the thunder essence fruit to mature, and he could then attempt to break through to the sixth level.

In terms of talisman making, the success rate of the Thunder Shield Talisman was stable at over ninety-five percent, and exceeding the daily quota by two sheets was easy. The success rate of the occasionally drawn Thunder Spear Talisman had also improved to sixty percent.

His contribution point balance had accumulated to over two thousand three hundred points again.

Everything was progressing steadily.

Until a few days ago, when he inadvertently heard some Disciples chatting in the rest area of the Hundred Talisman Hall.

"Have you heard? Things haven't been peaceful over at Thunderfall Ravine recently."

"Thunderfall Ravine? Isn't that place always wicked? It has year-round thunderstorms and nothing grows there."

"That was before! It's different now. I heard from a Senior Brother in the Earth Vein Department that ever since the day Master Tianjian underwent his tribulation and the Golden Sun Grotto-Heaven absorbed the tribulation clouds, it seems to have triggered an ancient thunder vein that had been sleeping deep within the Tianzhu Mountain Range for many years."

"An ancient thunder vein?"

"Yes! That thunder vein passes through the underground of Thunderfall Ravine. After being stimulated by the tribulation clouds, it revived! Now, every few days, thunder light shoots into the sky over there, and sometimes it's even purple. Some say a thunder-attributed Heaven And Earth Treasure has been born, while others say some powerful thunder-type beast has been awakened..."

"Really? Is the Sect not doing anything about it?"

"Why wouldn't they? People from the Earth Vein Department and Spirit Beast Peak went in to investigate a round last month. I heard they actually found a few rare thunder-attributed treasures, and one Senior Brother even picked up a natural lightning-struck stone the size of a palm and sold it in the market for over three hundred contribution points!"

"Hiss... Three hundred points! That's half a month of drawing talismans for us!"

"Hehe, tempted, aren't you? But they said that was just the outer perimeter. Even Foundation Establishment Deacons dare not easily enter the true core area; the thunderstorms are too fierce, and it is said there are traces of Yao Beast activity..."

At the time, Lin Xuan remained calm on the surface, his talisman brush steady in his hand.

But inside, it was as if a stone had been thrown into his heart.

Thunderfall Ravine.

He was all too familiar with this name.

As early as his second year after joining, he had found an old notebook wrapped in animal skin in the piles of old paper in the Library of Emerald Bamboo Peak.

It recorded that about a hundred years ago, a Disciple saw purple light shooting into the sky and heard clear beast cries in the direction of Thunderfall Ravine, suspected to be the emergence of the rare thunder-attributed Yao Beast, the "Purple Lightning Sable."

That was the first time he had heard the name.

It was also the first time he had connected the Purple Lightning Sable, the lightning-struck stone fragments, and the rumors of the Listen-Wind Bamboo Grove.

Later, he captured a Purple Lightning Glow Insect in the Cloud Mist Valley, shared its [Thunder Gathering] talent, and completely changed his own cultivation Aptitude.

But that real Purple Lightning Sable, a powerful Tier 1 High Grade Yao Beast, had always lingered in his heart like a faint shadow.

Now, there was a disturbance at Thunderfall Ravine.

Heaven And Earth Treasure, a high-level thunder beast...

Could it be the Purple Lightning Sable?

Lin Xuan suppressed the waves in his heart and decided to find someone to ask.

In the afternoon, at the Qinglin Valley herb garden.

He hadn't been here for three months, and almost nothing had changed. The herb fields were still neat, the Spirit plants were still lush, only a few familiar faces were missing.

Lin Xuan met Liu Qingyan at the entrance of Zone C.

The young girl was squatting next to a cluster of thunder-pattern grass, holding a small jade shovel and carefully loosening the soil.

That red squirrel, "Xiao Huo," was lying on her shoulder, munching happily on a nut.

"Senior Brother Lin?" Liu Qingyan looked up, her eyes lighting up, "Why are you here?"

"I came to ask Deacon Wu about something." Lin Xuan smiled, "How are things on your end?"

"It's fine." Liu Qingyan stood up, patted the dirt off her hands, her face showing a bit of fatigue, but her spirit was good, "It's just that the tasks in the herb field have been heavier recently. Junior Brother Liu isn't very skilled, Senior Brother Zhao Ming was transferred to Zone E, and the two new Junior Brothers and Junior Sisters... sigh, I'll just have to teach them slowly."

She paused and lowered her voice: "Senior Brother Lin, you came because of the matter at Thunderfall Ravine, right?"

Lin Xuan did not deny it.

Liu Qingyan blinked, not asking further, and gestured toward the depths of the herb garden: "Deacon Wu is in the No. 3 warm cellar on the east side; he just finished checking a batch of thunder fire jujube seedlings. You can just go straight over."

"Many thanks."

Lin Xuan walked along the bluestone path toward the warm cellar.

From afar, he saw a familiar figure standing at the entrance of the warm cellar.

Deacon Wu was still wearing that worn-in grey-blue Dharma robe, his hair tied meticulously behind his head, holding a jade tablet, looking down and recording something.

Three years had passed, and his back seemed a bit more hunched, but that calm, rigorous, and meticulous demeanor had not changed at all.

"Lin Xuan?" Deacon Wu looked up, his gaze lingering on Lin Xuan's face for a moment, then nodded slightly, "Come in."

The warm cellar was much muggier than outside, and the air was filled with rich wood and fire Spiritual Qi.

More than a dozen thunder fire jujube seedlings were neatly planted in special jade pots, their leaves bearing faint purple patterns, and they were growing well.

Deacon Wu put down the jade tablet, turned to look at Lin Xuan, and went straight to the point:

"Because of Thunderfall Ravine?"

Lin Xuan nodded: "Yes."

Deacon Wu said nothing, pacing back and forth in the warm cellar with his hands behind his back.