35: Thunder tempers the body, and the cultivation level is further improved

Stepping across that invisible line, the entire world abruptly changed.

Terrifying pressure surged from all directions, as if trying to crush him into dust.

Lin Gou's bones emitted a fine, crackling sound, unable to bear the immense strain.

In the air, the silver-white electric snakes vanished.

In their place were eerie, heart-pounding pale purple electric arcs.

They silently danced in the viscous, pulp-like air, each flicker tearing open an imperceptible spatial rift, exuding an unadulterated, undisguised aura of destruction.

On the platform, Guardian Elder's rock-like, unperturbed face finally showed a slight twitch of muscle.

His sharp eyes were fixed on the back of the figure who had stepped into the middle layer.

A madman.

A complete and utter madman!

The lightning in the outer layer was already a near-certain death for those in the Qi Refinement Stage.

The Purple Firmament Divine Lightning in the middle layer was a forbidden zone that even Cultivators in the Late Stage of Foundation Establishment needed to form arrays to enter!

Did this Qi Refining Stage, Eighth Level boy think that if he died enough times, he would become immune to heavenly might?

"Here it comes, here it comes."

"The first elite monster zone outside the Novice Village (Newbie Village)."

"This pressure, this atmosphere, this destructive aura—five-star rating!"

Not only did Lin Gou feel no discomfort, but every cell in his body was trembling with excitement.

He had just barely found his footing in the middle layer, walking less than two steps.

The tribulation clouds above his head, like an enraged Vicious Beast, instantly went berserk.

A pure purple Divine Lightning, like a Heavenly God's spear, silent yet incredibly fast, crashed down!

In that instant, Lin Gou's vision was filled with nothing but a dazzling purple.

He didn't even have time to finish hearing the legendary reward prompt.

"Ding! Host died!"

"Cause of death: Brushed by the aftershock of Purple Firmament Divine Lightning, instantly vaporized!"

"Overall rating: B-class!"

At the entrance's anchor point, light and shadow flickered slightly.

Lin Gou's figure reformed.

He stood there, stunned for a moment.

Then, under Guardian Elder's increasingly blank gaze.

He grinned, laughing silently.

His smile was bright, pure, and filled with the joy of a good harvest.

B-class!

Just being grazed by the aftershock was a B-class!

This middle layer wasn't an elite monster zone.

This was a treasure trove, damn it!

"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining the lightning-element Cultivation Technique, 'Lightning Guiding Art' (Fragment One)!"

"Congratulations to the Host for a slight increase in lightning affinity!"

"Congratulations to the Host for +20% lightning resistance!"

"Congratulations to the Host for a significant increase in Cultivation!"

A massive surge of pure energy, at the moment of his resurrection, poured into his limbs and bones.

The Bottleneck of the Qi Refining Stage, Eighth Level, loosened slightly under the impact of this energy.

Lin Gou clenched his fist, feeling the surging Spiritual Qi within him, and the curious shift in his feelings towards the purple lightning, from fear to craving.

He glanced at the Guardian Elder meditating in the distance.

The Elder was staring at him, unmoving, with the look one would give a prehistoric monster.

Lin Gou offered the Elder an apologetic smile, as if to say, "My apologies, I slipped just now."

Then, he turned around again.

Like an arrow released from a bowstring, he rushed into the purple death lightning zone for the second time.

Guardian Elder's mouth slightly opened.

His Dao Heart, which he had Cultivated for two hundred years and was as firm as a rock, for the first time, showed cracks.

This time, Lin Gou was prepared.

He no longer blindly resisted without defense.

He attempted to circulate the incomplete 'Lightning Guiding Art' in his mind.

Boom!

Another purple Divine Lightning struck.

The Spiritual Qi within Lin Gou circulated in an abstruse trajectory, and a faint purple electric glow even appeared on his skin.

The two forces of lightning collided.

Lin Gou lasted for 0.5 seconds.

Then, he was blown into particles scattered across the sky.

"Ding! Host died!"

"Cause of death: Failed to circulate 'Lightning Guiding Art', drawing lightning into the body, resulting in self-detonation!"

"Overall rating: B- class!"

"Congratulations to the Host, 'Lightning Guiding Art' (Fragment Two) has been completed!"

"Congratulations to the Host for a slight increase in lightning affinity!"

"Congratulations to the Host for +15% lightning resistance!"

At the entrance, Lin Gou's figure appeared for the third time.

His eyes grew even brighter.

"Again!"

Thus, Guardian Elder became completely numb.

He gave up thinking, gave up understanding, and even gave up being shocked.

He remained seated in his original spot, like the most loyal audience member, quietly enjoying a bizarre one-man show he could never have imagined in his lifetime.

That Disciple named Lin Gou began his crazy reward-farming journey in the middle layer of the lightning pool.

He plunged into a dense electric net, and under the cutting of countless electric arcs, he was decomposed into the most basic dust.

"Ding! Host died! Rating: B-class! Gained Divine Soul resistance +5%!"

He faced a thick lightning pillar, spread his arms, and was melted into a puddle of liquid in the lightning glow.

"Ding! Host died! Rating: B+ class! Obtained 'Lightning Evasion Art' (Fragment)!"

He even climbed onto a huge charred rock, tempered by lightning for thousands of years, struck a flamboyant pose on it, turned his backside to the sky, successfully attracted the simultaneous bombardment of three Divine Lightning bolts, and together with the charred rock, turned into nothingness.

"Ding! Host died! Rating: B+ class! Obtained a special item: 'Lightning Rod' (one-time use)!"

Once.

Ten times.

Thirty times.

Lin Gou, in the middle layer, experienced hundreds of different and creative lightning-related deaths with unbelievable efficiency.

His lightning affinity rapidly increased with each death.

His lightning resistance also grew higher and higher.

From being instantly killed by a touch, to later being able to withstand a full purple lightning bolt without falling apart.

Even later, he could stroll leisurely under the bombardment of three to five purple lightning bolts, searching for the next more exciting death spot.

That incomplete 'Lightning Guiding Art' was also quickly completed through the gifts of each death.

He could now barely manage to divert a Divine Lightning bolt aimed at him to an empty spot nearby.

And his Cultivation, through these repeated B-class death empowerments, soared like a rocket.

Boom!

Accompanying his resurrection after the thirty-seventh death.

An aura far more powerful than before erupted from Lin Gou's body!

Around his body, Spiritual Qi formed a small vortex, madly pouring in.

The Bottleneck of the Qi Refining Stage, Eighth Level, was completely shattered by this violent force, like dry weeds and rotten wood!

Qi Refining Stage, Ninth Level!

In just half an hour, he soared from the Early Stage of Qi Refining Stage, Eighth Level, all the way to Qi Refining Stage, Ninth Level!

If this Cultivation speed were to spread, it would drive the entire Qingyun Sect mad!

Guardian Elder's eyelids twitched violently.

He had personally witnessed the birth of a miracle.

No.

This wasn't a miracle.

This was a divine phenomenon.

Or rather, a demonic phenomenon.

He looked at the Disciple whose aura had surged, who not only showed no sign of stopping but also cast his gaze deeper, with an even more eager light in his eyes.

The Elder's heart sank.

What exactly did this monster want to do?

...One hour was about to end.

Lin Gou stopped.

He looked around, a little reluctantly.

Those ordinary purple Divine Lightning bolts that could easily blast him to smithereens now only caused a slight tingling sensation when they struck him, not even enough to seriously injure him.

"Ding! Struck on the back by Purple Firmament Divine Lightning!"

"Rating: D-class!"

"Reward: Lightning resistance +0.5%!"

"System, what the hell, are you giving handouts to beggars?"

Lin Gou pouted.

It was time.

It was time to challenge the final BOSS of this dungeon.

He made a decision that froze Guardian Elder's Divine Soul.

His gaze pierced through layers of lightning, firmly locking onto the core of the middle layer.

There, there was no earth-shattering thunder.

Nor was there lightning tearing through the sky.

There was only a pool of water.

A "Lightning Pulp Pool" composed entirely of liquid, viscous, pure purple lightning essence!

The pool wasn't large, only about ten zhang in circumference.

The surface of the pool was calm, yet it emitted terrifying energy fluctuations that could make even a Golden Core Immortal Master feel a heart-pounding fear.

That wasn't lightning.

That was the Origin of lightning.

It was the personification of destruction.

Guardian Elder's body trembled uncontrollably.

He finally knew what this monster wanted to do.

He wanted to jump in!

No! Don't!

The Elder's heart roared frantically, he even wanted to shout to stop him.

But he couldn't make any sound.

He could only watch helplessly.

Watching that figure, with a pilgrimage-like piety and determination.

Step by step.

Passing through the final lightning zone.

Arriving beside that silent, purple pool of death.

Then.

Under the Elder's completely blank, as if he had seen a ghost, expression.

Lin Gou took a deep breath, a look of immense satisfaction on his face.

He plunged in.

Pfft.

A soft sound.

Like a red-hot branding iron dropped into a basin of cold water.

Lin Gou's figure didn't even produce a single bubble.

At the moment of contact with the lightning pulp.

He was completely "melted."

From flesh and blood to bones, from Divine Soul to true spirit.

Decomposed into the most primitive particles by that pure power of destruction, returning to nothingness.

Guardian Elder's pupils contracted to the size of needlepoints.

This time.

He should be... completely dead, right?

However, at this very moment.

In Lin Gou's mind, a System prompt sounded, unlike anything before, like the sound of the Great Dao!

"Ding! Host died!"

"Cause of death: Threw himself into the Purple Firmament Lightning Pulp Pool, experienced the ultimate electrotherapy sauna, Divine Soul Origin completely annihilated!"

"Overall rating: A-class!!!"

"Detected that the Host has completed the epic death achievement—Lord of the Lightning Pool!"

"Reward settlement in progress..."

"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a special Physique: Thunder Spirit Saint Body (Protoform)!"

"Congratulations to the Host, the Cultivation Technique 'Lightning Guiding Art' has been completely perfected, and automatically achieved Perfection!"

"Congratulations to the Host for obtaining a lightning-element Divine Ability: Palm Lightning (Beginner)!"

"Congratulations to the Host, Cultivation has skyrocketed! Current Cultivation: Peak of Qi Refining Stage, Ninth Level!!!"

Boom!!!

The anchor point at the entrance burst into brilliant light!

This resurrection was completely different from any previous one.

No longer a silent condensation.

But a small energy storm!

Endless Spiritual Qi was forcibly gathered, madly surging into the figure that was taking shape.

One hour had passed.

Guardian Elder was about to retract the token, intending to bury this shocking event in his stomach and never mention it again.

But just then.

Behind him, that terrifying energy fluctuation made him turn his head sharply.

He saw it.

That Disciple who had just thrown himself into the Lightning Pulp Pool, whom he had deemed "completely dead."

Was slowly walking out from the center of that energy storm.

He was still wearing his ordinary Qingyun Sect Disciple robes.

But his temperament had undergone an earth-shattering change.

Every inch of his skin flowed with a faint purple electric glow.

His eyes were as deep as the night sky, occasionally flashing with thunder, captivating and awe-inspiring.

He simply stood there quietly, and an immensely powerful, terrifying aura, far exceeding the Qi Refinement Stage, uncontrollably spread outwards.

Peak of Qi Refining Stage, Ninth Level!

Just one step away from Foundation Establishment!

Lin Gou respectfully performed a standard grand bow to the completely petrified Guardian Elder.

"Disciple Lin Gou, Cultivation complete."

"Thank you, Elder, for your protection, Disciple... has gained much."

His voice was calm and sincere.

Guardian Elder looked at the Disciple before him, whose Cultivation had soared and whose temperament had drastically changed.

Then, subconsciously, he looked back at the middle layer of the lightning pool.

He was horrified to discover.

The lightning glow there was at least thirty percent thinner than before!

Especially the Lightning Pulp Pool in the core area.

It had visibly shrunk by a circle!

This guy... he wasn't Cultivating!

He was... eating!

He had eaten a part of the lightning pool!

The Elder's mouth opened and closed, making a "ho-ho" sound in his throat, but he couldn't utter a single word.

Everything he had witnessed today.

Had completely shattered his two hundred years of Cultivation knowledge.

He looked at Lin Gou's "harmless" smiling face, and for the first time, felt a fear from the bottom of his heart.

No!

This matter had already exceeded his jurisdiction!

Must!

Must report it immediately!

Report it to the old monsters in the Sect who were truly in seclusion!

Grand Elder!

Yes! Must report it to the Grand Elder!

...Just as Lin Gou contentedly returned to his Immortal Cave, preparing to consolidate his Cultivation and study his newly acquired "Thunder Spirit Saint Body."

The ground beneath his feet suddenly shook violently!

Not just his Immortal Cave.

It was the entire Qingyun Sect!

It was the entire Qingyun Mountains!

Rumble—!

A muffled roar came from deep underground, as if an ancient giant beast was awakening.

All the Disciples and Elders of the Qingyun Sect, at this moment, were startled and rushed out of their Immortal Caves.

They looked in horror in the same direction.

Only to see in the distant sky, ten thousand li away from the Sect.

A thick, seven-colored auspicious light, like a sky-pillar, tore through the clouds, soaring into the sky, dyeing half the sky in brilliant colors!

At the top of that auspicious light, the illusory image of a magnificent, ancient immortal palace ruin, exuding an endless desolate aura, flickered in and out of sight.

A vast pressure from ancient times, spanning tens of thousands of li, descended upon everyone's hearts.

A great Opportunity!

And also... a great crisis!

It had arrived!