346: Chapter 346 Transforming the Sea and Shattering the Heavens

"Senior Brother Ye..." Bai Ling gripped her sword tightly, her knuckles turning white. Her eyes were fixed on the Thunder Pool without blinking, trying to peer through the thunder plasma to catch a glimpse of Ye Tian.

Bai Shaoyi was even more nervous, not daring to breathe.

At some unknown moment, Ghost Girl had silently moved to a spot further inside the platform, just thirty zhang away from the Thunder Pool.

"Drawing the power of the Thunder Pool into one's body for Soul Refining... What a grand gesture, what immense courage. Among these three, who will be reduced to ash first, and who... will be able to endure it?"

Li Xuanxiao stood alone, arms crossed over his sword, beside a destroyed thunder spirit pillar. His white clothes were scorched in several places, yet his Aura remained as deep as a dark pool.

He looked up at the Thunder Pool, and in his usually calm eyes, a fiery Battle Intent burned.

Clearly, not managing to enter the Thunder Pool was a regret for him, but it also increased his interest in the Legacy that might be obtained inside.

"Brother Chi! Brother Chi and Brother Yu are still inside!" shouted the remaining True Martial Eighth Stage collateral Disciple of the Nangong Family to his companion, his face full of anxiety.

"What are you panicking about!" another older Nangong Disciple scolded, though he couldn't hide the worry in his eyes.

"Young Lord Chi has the 'blazing sun heart-protecting shield' and the 'Burning Heaven Ancient Jade' given by the clan to protect him, and Young Master Yu also has life-saving items, so they will definitely be fine! As for that kid from the Liuli Xuan Sect, he's probably already been reduced to ash by now!"

That's what he said, but looking at that terrifying Thunder Pool that seemed capable of swallowing everything, no one felt confident.

Half an hour passed. The Thunder Pool remained as violent as ever, but the intensity of its churning seemed to have peaked and began to stabilize at a certain level.

An hour passed. On the surface of the Thunder Pool, streaks of near-black lightning would occasionally explode, as if a fight were happening inside.

Suddenly!

"Hum!"

A cold ripple burst forth from the depths of the Thunder Pool!

Even separated by the thunder plasma, this ripple still made the people on the platform—especially those close by, like Ghost Girl and Li Xuanxiao—feel a stinging chill in their minds, causing them to subconsciously take a few steps back.

"It's Bei Minghong's Water Silence Frost Soul power!" Ghost Girl's pupils constricted. "He is not only resisting the Thunder Pool's refining inside, but is also turning the tables to refine the lightning power within the Thunder Pool? No, it seems he is using his Eternal Silence Ice Soul to forcibly 'freeze' and 'control' a portion of the Thunder Pool's Law! This strength is too terrifying!"

"The Beiming Family's Bloodline talent, 'Eternal Silence Ice Soul,' can actually contend with such wild lightning?" Feng Xuan also gasped.

This Bei Minghong, a Sea Transformation First Layer, was probably more formidable than the average Sea Transformation Second or Third Layer!

Just a few seconds after Bei Minghong's Aura erupted.

"Roar!"

A mental fluctuation filled with pain and anger came from another part of the Thunder Pool!

Following that, a domineering shadow of flames, seemingly intent on burning everything to nothing, forcibly burst open a small area on the surface of the Thunder Pool, revealing itself.

Inside, Nangong Chi was covered in flames, his face twisted, both hands bracing against a cracked red bronze shield.

Beside him, Nangong Yu's figure was completely engulfed in fire, making it impossible to see clearly, and his Aura was much weaker than before he entered.

"It's the Young Lord of the Nangong Family! He is using the 'Burning Heaven Art' and the blazing sun heart-protecting shield to hold out!"

"What powerful Fire True Qi! To think he could temporarily carve out a space within the Thunder Pool!"

"But look at that shield... it doesn't seem like it can last much longer!" everyone exclaimed.

Nangong Chi had clearly chosen a different path than Bei Minghong—resisting head-on!

Using the Burning Heaven flames to clash directly with the thunder plasma.

This method was certainly direct, but the consumption was too great, and the burden on his Magic Treasure and his own body was too heavy; it was not a long-term solution.

"Bei Minghong is refining, Nangong Chi is resisting head-on... Then, what about Ye Tian?" someone asked curiously.

The platform suddenly fell silent. Everyone's eyes searched the surface of the Thunder Pool in unison, probing for Ye Tian's Aura.

However, apart from Bei Minghong and Nangong Chi, in other parts of the Thunder Pool, there was only violent lightning churning.

"No movement..."

"I can't feel a shred of Aura..."

"Could it be... that he has already..."

Bai Ling's face was as white as paper. Bai Shaoyi gripped her Senior Sister's arm tightly, her fingers icy cold.

Feng Xuan's brows were furrowed tightly, and he frantically calculated with the Jade Slip in his hand, but he couldn't get a result. The other Disciples of the Liuli Xuan Sect also looked worried.

"Junior Brother Ye, could it be that you really..."

Ghost Girl shook her head slightly, seemingly also feeling that Ye Tian could not survive. Li Xuanxiao's gaze was profound, and it was unknown what he was thinking.

The few people from the Nangong Family looked relieved. Zhao Mao was dead; if Ye Tian also died in the Thunder Pool, it would naturally be a good thing for them.

However, just when almost everyone began to think that Ye Tian had been swallowed by the Thunder Pool...

"Boom!"

A thunderous sound exploded from the very center of the Thunder Pool!

This sound seemed to emanate from the depths of everyone's hearts, striking directly at the Soul!

"What is that sound?!"

"A heartbeat? In the Thunder Pool... there's a heartbeat?!"

Everyone's faces changed in fear, unable to believe it.

"Thump!"

The second "heartbeat" followed immediately, deeper and more powerful!

Following this heartbeat, an Aura of the birth and destruction of all things began to spread from the center of the Thunder Pool!

Even Bei Minghong's cold power was suppressed by this Aura, causing him to pause, and Nangong Chi's flame shadow wavered violently.

"Is this... the manifestation of the Thunder Emperor's remaining will?" Feng Xuan blurted out, but immediately shook his head violently. "No!

This Aura carries a sharp Sword Intent!

It's Ye Tian! It's Junior Brother Ye's Sword Intent!

Is he contending with the will left by the Thunder Emperor?

No... are they echoing each other?!

He is using the Thunder Emperor's lightning Law... to refine his own Sword Intent and break through to the Huahai Realm?!"

This conjecture was too astonishing; even as Feng Xuan said it, his voice trembled with disbelief.

"Thump-thump! Thump-thump-thump!"

The deep and powerful "heartbeat" began to grow faster and stronger!

With every beat, the entire Thunder Pool shook along with it, and massive amounts of lightning power crazily converged toward the center!

A terrifying massive energy vortex formed on the surface of the Thunder Pool, and thunder plasma was crazily sucked in. The light at the center of the vortex slowly changed from dark gold to dark purple, and finally, it revealed a hint of the grayish-white color from when heaven and earth were first separated!

A powerful pressure began to rise from the center of the vortex!

Even Li Xuanxiao and Ghost Girl on the platform felt the oppression!

"Sea Transformation! This is... the sign of breaking through to the Sea Transformation Realm!"

An experienced old Loose Cultivator shrieked, his voice distorted by excitement. "In the very depths of the Thunder Pool, enduring the infusion of ten thousand jin of thunder malice, triggering the Thunder Emperor's Law to echo... forcing a Breakthrough to the Huahai Realm?! He's crazy! No... this is Heaven-Defying!"

"How is that possible? He was injured before and his condition was so poor; how can he break through in such a desperate situation?" someone couldn't understand.

"It's the heartbeat! It's the Sword Intent echoing with the Thunder Emperor's will! He has found his own 'path,' and is using the lightning here as firewood, igniting the flames of life to burn upwards!"

In Ghost Girl's bottomless eyes, an unprecedented brilliance erupted; it was the excitement of encountering a rival.

"Senior Brother Ye... is going to break through?" Bai Ling murmured, tears of excitement streaming down her face; it was the joy of finding hope in a desperate situation.

"Thump-thump-thump-thump-thump!!!"

The heartbeat sounds merged into one, like a Divine Being from the primordial era beating a war drum!

The energy vortex of the Thunder Pool shrank to its smallest point, and the grayish light at the center reached its peak brightness, like a Chaos thunder star being born!

Just at the moment when this Aura gathered to its peak...

"Clang!"

A sword chime that pierced metal and cracked stone, shaking the heart, exploded from the center of that "Chaos thunder star"!

Following this sword chime, a sword-shaped beam of light shot up from the center of the Thunder Pool!

Wherever the sword-shaped beam passed, the churning thunder plasma parted and made way, like subjects seeing their king!

Bei Minghong's eroding cold power, upon being struck by the Aura of this beam, immediately disintegrated. He let out a muffled groan, and for the first time, shock appeared in his silver-gray eyes!

Nangong Chi's flame shadow was directly dispersed, and the two rolled about in the thunder plasma in a sorry state, gazing at the heaven-piercing sword pillar with shock and fear.

The sword pillar didn't strike anyone; it just stood there, as if it had become the sole center of this Thunder Pool and this Chixiao Thunder Hall!

A vast Aura of new life slowly spread from the base of the sword pillar, enveloping the surroundings.

It was the Aura of the Sea Transformation Realm!