117: Chapter 117 The Thunder Essence Fruit Ripens

Time is a strange thing; sometimes it passes quickly, and other times it crawls.

For Qi Tianyuan, three months was nothing more than the duration of a single seclusion.

For Lin Xuan, however, these three months were stretched thin—making Talismans, cultivating, nurturing spiritual plants, and training Spirit Beasts; every day was packed to the brim.

Yet, no matter how busy he was, the days still passed one by one.

When the cicadas outside the window began to chirp with desperate intensity, and the afternoon sun could bake the bluestone slabs in the courtyard until they were hot to the touch, Lin Xuan knew that the height of midsummer had arrived.

It had been a month and a few days since the rumors about Thunderfall Ravine began.

During this month, he had increased his visits to the Spirit-Taming Tower Space from once to twice a day—early in the morning and late at night. Each time he entered, he would stand before the thunder essence fruit tree for a while, observing the changes in the fruit.

The fruit grew larger day by day.

It grew from the size of a chicken egg to the size of a fist, shifting from a greenish-purple to a deep purple, and then slowly revealing hints of gold.

The thunder patterns on its surface became increasingly deep and dense, as if a Master rune-Master were adding a few strokes to it every day.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse and the Pangolin were dying to get their paws on the fruit. Every time Lin Xuan approached the tree, the two little fellows would squat nearby, watching with eager eyes, their drool almost dripping.

But Lin Xuan wouldn't let them touch it.

"What's the rush?" he patted the Pangolin on the head. "When it's ripe, there will be benefits for you two."

The Pangolin rubbed against his palm with a pitiful expression before turning and burrowing back into the ground.

On this day, the afternoon sun was so scorching it felt like it could peel a layer of skin off a person.

Lin Xuan had taken his scheduled time off that day. As usual, he sat cross-legged in the Quiet Room to Cultivate for an hour. Once the sun had shifted slightly to the west, he rose to stretch his limbs, preparing to enter the Spirit-Taming Tower Space to take a look.

With a thought, he was already inside the space.

The moment he stepped in, his footsteps faltered slightly.

Something was off in the air.

The Thunder Spiritual Energy was no longer evenly diffused throughout the space as it usually was; instead, it was flowing slowly—towards one direction.

The center of the spirit field.

Lin Xuan walked over quickly, parted the lush branches and leaves of the thunder essence fruit tree, and fixed his gaze on the fruit.

His heart skipped a beat.

The fist-sized fruit had now turned a pure, regal purple-gold!

It was not the purple-tinged gold from before, but a true, pure purple-gold—like the finest purple copper coated with a thin layer of gold dust. Under the faint spiritual light of the space, it emitted a warm and noble luster.

The natural thunder patterns on the surface of the fruit had become infinitely deep and complex.

Every line was no longer a simple streak, but resembled some kind of ancient rune, with every stroke containing a mysterious rhythm.

These patterns were pulsing rhythmically.

Like breathing.

With every pulse, the Thunder Spiritual Energy within the space would vibrate slightly, as if responding to some kind of summons.

A layer of pale purple halo had condensed around the fruit.

It was the Spiritual Qi, now so dense it had taken on a visible form.

A strange fragrance wafted over.

It wasn't the faint, fresh scent of ordinary spiritual fruits, but an intense aroma that seemed almost solid. Just by inhaling a breath, he felt his pores open up, and the Thunder Spiritual Energy in his Meridians began to stir.

Lin Xuan stared at the fruit for a long time.

Then, he took a deep breath, forcibly suppressing the excitement in his heart, and turned to exit the space.

He was in no rush to pick it.

For a Heaven And Earth Treasure like the thunder essence fruit, one needed to be fully prepared before harvesting and consuming it.

If he acted while restless or impatient, not only would he waste a precious item, but if something went wrong, he would have nowhere to cry.

Lin Xuan left his small courtyard, cast his Wind Control Technique, and headed straight for Thousand Talisman Peak.

The Hundred Talisman Hall was as busy as ever. The light of runes flickered in various compartments, and the conversations of Disciples, the rustling sound of Talisman brushes on Talisman paper, and the occasional sigh of failure blended into a cacophony.

Lin Xuan found the deacon in charge of shift adjustments and handed over his token.

"Three days off?" The deacon looked up at him. "Reason?"

"My cultivation has reached a critical juncture," Lin Xuan said.

The deacon didn't ask further and made a note on the jade tablet: "Fine."

Lin Xuan nodded, took back his token, and turned to leave.

After leaving the Hundred Talisman Hall, he went to the market.

At the Hundred Herb Pavilion, he bought two bottles of peiyuan pill—although they were for use after a Breakthrough, it was better to be prepared.

At Fuyuan Pavilion, he restocked some Talisman paper and cinnabar—although he wasn't in a hurry to use them, having supplies on hand kept him at ease.

Finally, he made a trip to Artifact Refining Peak.

Chen Hao was not there.

A note was posted on his door: "Accompanying Master to the Main Peak to deliver goods, returning in three days."

Lin Xuan smiled, didn't go inside, and turned to leave.

Everything that needed to be prepared had actually been prepared long ago.

During this month, he had thought of everything he could—he had five bottles of peiyuan pill, three bottles of rejuvenation pills, added two more second-tier Talismans, re-refined the earth fiend bell and the cloud-piercing shuttle, and practiced the Thunder-Striking Thorn until he was proficient.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse and the Pangolin were also in their best condition.

He had harvested another batch of thunder-pattern grass from the space, the thunder spirit flower remained the same, and the seedlings of the shocking thunder flower had grown a bit taller.

Everything was ready.

He was only waiting for this one fruit.

In the evening, Lin Xuan returned to his small courtyard on Emerald Bamboo Peak.

The setting sun slanted westward, dyeing the bluestone slabs in the courtyard a warm orange-red. In the distance, the lights of Thousand Talisman Peak and Artifact Refining Peak lit up one by one, forming a brilliant river of light across the horizon.

Lin Xuan stood in the courtyard for a while, watching the sky darken bit by bit, watching the night curtain slowly shroud the earth.

When the last trace of the sunset vanished on the horizon, and the stars began to twinkle in the night sky, he turned and returned to the Quiet Room.

He sat cross-legged.

With a thought, he entered the Spirit-Taming Tower Space.

The space remained bright, with soft light falling from all directions; there was no distinction between day and night.

In the center of the spirit field, the thunder essence fruit tree stood silently.

The purple-gold fruit, under the light of the space, emitted a warm and mysterious halo.

Lin Xuan walked to the tree, reached out, and gently cradled the fruit.

It felt warm to the touch.

The sensation was slightly numbing, like holding a wooden core just taken from a lightning-struck stone; that pure thunder spiritual vitality almost seemed to seep through his skin and into his body.

He took a deep breath and gave it a gentle twist.

The fruit came off at once.

There was no difficulty as imagined, no unexpected twists.

Just like that, with a gentle movement, this fruit—which had been gestating for over half a year and had gathered countless essences of Thunder Spiritual Energy from the space—was in his hands.

Lin Xuan cradled the fruit and sat cross-legged under the tree.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse and the Pangolin had approached at some point and were squatting nearby, their four eyes fixed intently on the fruit in his hands.

"Don't be impatient," Lin Xuan glanced at them. "After I finish refining it, the pit is yours."

The two little fellows quieted down, squatting obediently and staying perfectly still.

Lin Xuan stopped looking at them.

He looked down at the thunder essence fruit in his hand.

Fist-sized, purple-gold, covered in dense thunder patterns, with a swirling halo and an exotic fragrance.

This was the crystallization of his years of hard work.

This was his ladder to becoming stronger.

He opened his mouth and took a bite.

The flesh melted the moment it entered his mouth.

In an instant, a surge of Thunder Spiritual Energy, so immense it was hard to describe, poured into his body like a breached floodgate!

It was not the gentle nourishment of ordinary spiritual fruits, nor was it the slow and steady kind.

It was violent.

It was overbearing.

It was rampaging!

That source energy seemed to have been pent up for far too long; having finally found an outlet, it rushed eagerly into every part of his body!

His Meridians felt a tearing, distending pain!

Electric arcs were darting beneath his skin!

The purple thunder seed in his Dantian seemed to be stimulated, spinning crazily and shining brilliantly!

Lin Xuan gritted his teeth and desperately circulated the Purple Heaven Divine Thunder Art!

Guide it!

Refine it!

Absorb it!

But the source energy was too fierce, so fierce that his Meridians were struggling to bear it. A trickle of blood seeped from the corner of his mouth, dripping onto his lapel and spreading into a small patch of dark red.

Just at this moment—

The spirit control tower trembled slightly.

A gentle, clear light surged from the depths of his Sea of Consciousness, flowing into his body like water.

Wherever that clear light passed, the distending pain in his Meridians eased, the violence of the spiritual power was tamed, and even the crazily spinning purple thunder seed in his Dantian calmed down slightly.

Lin Xuan's spirit lifted, and he continued to refine it.

The thunder-attracting vine also moved without wind.

Its vine body swayed gently, continuously drawing the purest Thunder Spiritual Energy in the space to surround him, then seeping it through his skin to assist him in refining that source energy.

One person, one tower, one vine—the three worked in unison.

Time passed minute by minute.

He didn't know how long it had been—perhaps an hour, perhaps two, perhaps longer—when the last trace of the thunder essence fruit's source energy was refined, integrated into his Dantian, into his Meridians, and into every inch of his flesh—

A crisp sound suddenly rang out within Lin Xuan's body.

"Crack—"

The sound of a Bottleneck shattering!

In his Dantian, the Qi vortex suddenly expanded!

From the size of a fist to the size of a bowl!

The speed of rotation increased sharply, so fast that the outline was almost invisible; one could only see a purple vortex spinning crazily!

The purple thunder seed expanded in a flash!

From the size of a longan to the size of an infant's fist!

More, more complex, and more mysterious natural thunder patterns appeared on its surface. Those thunder patterns pulsed on and off, echoing the rotation of the vortex, as if forming a small world of its own!

The total amount of Spiritual Qi surged!

Doubled!

More than doubled!

The purity reached a new level!

His cultivation aura climbed steadily!

Qi Refining Stage 5 Peak—

Qi Refining Level 6 Early Stage—

Qi Refining Level 6 Middle Stage—

It was still rising!

Lin Xuan guarded his mind tightly, not daring to relax in the slightest, continuing to circulate his Cultivation Technique to stabilize his Foundation and consolidate his Realm!

When his aura finally stabilized—

Qi Refining Level 6 Late Stage!

One thunder essence fruit had allowed him to leap across an entire Realm from the Middle Stage of Level 5, reaching the Late Stage of Level 6 in one go!

He was just one step away from Qi Refining Stage 7!

Lin Xuan slowly opened his eyes.

In his eyes, purple electricity swirled; it took a while before it slowly receded and returned to calm.

He clenched his fist.

A surge of Thunder Spiritual Energy, nearly twice as thick as before, rushed through his Meridians, moving as he willed, obedient as an arm.

Power.

This was true power.

He stood up and stretched his limbs. A series of crisp cracking sounds came from his whole body; it was his bones adapting to the new power, and his muscles readjusting.

He looked at the bluestone used for testing not far away.

He had moved it in from outside; it was taller than a person and hard in texture. A full-force strike from an ordinary Qi Refining Stage 5 cultivator would at most leave a fist mark.

Lin Xuan raised his hand, with a thought—

Palm Thunder!

Thunder light condensed in his palm, compressed, and took shape!

The entire process took less than a breath!

Nearly twice as fast as before!

He pushed it out casually.

"BOOM!!!"

The thunder light exploded!

That bluestone, taller than a person, was blasted to pieces by this strike! Gravel flew everywhere, dust filled the air, and only a pile of fragments of various sizes remained in place!

Lin Xuan looked down at his hand.

His palm still felt slightly numb; that was the lingering effect of the thunder Spell's recoil.

But the power—

It was at least forty to fifty percent stronger than before!

He also tested the Thunder Flash Step.

With a thought, his figure flashed—

Ten zhang away!

A pale purple afterimage was left in place, which took two breaths to slowly dissipate.

The speed was nearly fifty percent faster than before!

The turns were smoother, the start was more swift, and even the consumption was significantly less than before!

He also tested the startling thunder whip, the Thunder-Striking Thorn, the earth fiend bell, the Thunder Net Technique, the Thunder Spear Technique...

Every Spell, every Magical Artifact, had a noticeable increase in power.

With higher cultivation, everything rose accordingly.

Lin Xuan stood in the space and turned to look at the thunder essence fruit tree in the center of the spirit field.

After picking the fruit, the tree body was visibly wilted. The branches and leaves were slightly curled, the edges of the leaves were turning yellow, and the whole tree exuded a feeling of having been "hollowed out."

But the root system remained stable.

Those thick roots were deeply embedded in the soil, still slowly absorbing nutrients.

Lin Xuan walked over and carefully watered the tree with some spiritual spring water.

Then, he took out some lightning-struck stone powder from his Storage Pouch and gently buried it around the roots.

After doing all this, he stood in front of the tree and watched quietly for a while.

The tree body slowly regained some vitality.

The curled leaves slowly unfurled, the yellow on the edges faded a little, and the whole tree no longer looked so wilted.

Lin Xuan nodded.

The thunder essence fruit tree would continue to grow.

In a few years, it would bear new fruit.

By then, it wouldn't just bear one.

He looked at the two little fellows squatting nearby.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse and the Pangolin stared at him with eager eyes, the look in them full of "What about the fruit pit you promised?"

Lin Xuan smiled and took out the leftover fruit pit from his robe.

The pit was the size of a walnut, entirely purple-gold, with some blurred thunder patterns remaining on the surface, and a faint light flowing within.

He tossed the pit to the two little fellows.

The Herb-Seeking Mouse dashed out, caught it in mid-air, and began gnawing on it as soon as it landed.

The Pangolin leaned in, the two heads together, taking turns biting, gnawing away happily.

Lin Xuan didn't pay them any mind; with a thought, he exited the space.

Outside, the Quiet Room was pitch black.

He pushed open the window; the moonlight was like water, spilling a clear radiance all over the ground.

In the distance, the lights of Thousand Talisman Peak had dimmed by more than half, with only a few places still lit.

In the direction of Artifact Refining Peak, one could faintly see the red light of the earth fire furnace. At the top of Rising Sun Peak, in the direction of the Golden Sun Grotto-Heaven, a faint golden halo still swirled.

He looked up towards the north.

There, the mountain shadows were layered, and the night was deep.

The direction of Thunderfall Ravine.

He had waited for that place for a month.

No, not just a month.

From the second year after he started, when he saw that old notebook in the Library, he had remembered that name.

Later, in the Cloud Mist Valley, when he saw that sleeping Purple Lightning Sable, he knew that one day, he would go to look for that direction again.

Now, the time had come.

Cultivation—Qi Refining Level 6 Late Stage.

Magical Artifacts—earth fiend bell, cloud-piercing shuttle, startling thunder whip, and Thunder-Striking Thorn; four top-grade items, all complete.

Talismans—four second-tier Low Grade, two second-tier Medium Grade, and over a hundred first-tier.

Spirit Beasts—Herb-Seeking Mouse at first-tier Low Grade Peak, Pangolin at first-tier Medium Grade Peak, Thunder-Light Bug at first-tier Medium Grade Peak.

They cooperated well, and each had their own strengths.

Everything was ready.

Lin Xuan stood by the window, gazing at the deep night in the north.

The moonlight cast faint shadows on his face, making his expression unclear.

But those eyes were glowing slightly in the darkness.

Thunderfall Ravine.

It was time to go.