148: Chapter 148 Drawing Lightning into the Body, First Stage

This place was an absolute forbidden zone for mundane aircraft.

Any flying object that intruded would lose control due to the chaotic electromagnetic fields and finally be ruthlessly torn apart by the violent heavenly lightning.

Li Wen took a deep breath, and the air filled with ionized particles flooded into his lungs, making his spirit surge.

Without the slightest hesitation, he stepped onto a narrow mountain path that wound through jagged rocks and low-lying lightning-patterned shrubs.

This path was the safe route specifically emphasized by Eldest Senior Brother Gu Yan when he led the newcomers to familiarize themselves with the environment last time.

Meanwhile, halfway up Nine Heavens Peak, inside the ancient and majestic "Nine Heavens Hall."

Sitting in the main seat, the Peak Master of Nine Heavens Peak, with faint lightning flowing around his body, slowly opened his eyes.

He appeared to be in deep meditation, but in reality, his peerlessly powerful Primordial Spirit had already spread out, covering the entire peak like an invisible canopy.

The moment Li Wen stepped onto the foot of the mountain, he was keenly sensed.

The Peak Master was aloof and taciturn by nature, rarely taking the initiative to pay attention to his Disciples' cultivation on weekdays.

However, Li Wen was different.

That peerless spiritual sense and the stunning Comprehension Ability shown during the entrance exam—both made this King-level Expert, who was accustomed to geniuses, take notice.

In his heart, Li Wen's future minimum baseline was to become a Marquis, and his potential to charge toward the King-level was immense.

For a King-level Expert who could single-handedly guard two underground city passes, the significance of a King-level Disciple from his own peak,

who also followed the Nine Heavens Divine Body path, was self-evident.

“Seven layers—this boy should have a great hope of reaching seven layers, right?” the Peak Master calculated silently in his heart.

His own achievement back then was a world-shaking eight layers, and he knew well how demanding the requirements for Aptitude and will were for every additional layer.

Even with the talent Li Wen displayed, his initial expectation was that seven layers would be satisfactory enough.

Thinking that Li Wen was currently at the critical juncture of his first attempt to draw lightning into his body, the Peak Master's heart stirred.

There were instances where improper guidance for a novice led to injuries from violent lightning or even damage to one's Foundation.

“Gu Yan.” The Peak Master's Primordial Spirit rippled slightly, and a thought silently crossed space, accurately transmitting into the mind of Gu Yan, who was cultivating in his own Immortal Cave over ten miles away. “At the foot of the mountain, your Junior Brother Li has just arrived, wishing to ascend the peak and enter the Lightning Induction Tower. Go down the mountain to secretly follow and protect him for a while; do not let the wild lightning of the mountains damage his Foundation, and then tell him about the precautions for drawing lightning.”

Gu Yan, who was comprehending a lightning-type secret seal, suddenly opened his eyes, a hint of surprise flashing through them.

If he remembered correctly, Li Wen had only been in contact with the Nine Heavens Divine Body for over a month, and he was already going to start drawing lightning into his body?

However, since his Master hadn't discouraged it, it wasn't his place to ask too many questions.

As for why his Master asked him to personally make the trip, he didn't ask further.

According to custom, the Peak Master would never personally concern himself with an errand like protecting a new Disciple climbing the mountain, let alone name him, the Eldest Senior Brother, to go.

In this batch, because the top three on the Golden Rankings—Li Wen, Du Yun, and Fang Chenghong—all chose Nine Heavens Peak, Master indeed paid much more attention—but Gu Yan's intuition told him it was mostly because of Li Wen alone.

The weight this Junior Brother held in Master's heart was probably far beyond what others imagined.

“Yes! Your Disciple obeys!” Gu Yan did not dare to delay and bowed respectfully toward the direction of the Peak Master.

The next second, his figure was like a bolt of lightning merging into the wind; after a few flickers, he vanished from outside the Immortal Cave, racing toward the foot of the mountain.

On the other side, Li Wen was completely unaware of the Peak Master's attention and the Eldest Senior Brother's reinforcement.

He was walking with focused attention on the rugged mountain path.

Thunder roared all around, moving from far to near, shaking the soul.

—

From time to time, thick purple lightning snakes tore through the dark clouds overhead, striking various parts of the mountains and erupting in deafening explosions and blinding flashes.

The whistling mountain wind was mixed with the characteristic scorched scent of ionized air.

A common Super Martial Artist in such an environment would likely already be trembling with fear, needing to be constantly on guard against random lightning strikes and the ubiquitous stray charges; their speed would inevitably be greatly affected.

However, Li Wen walked through it with exceptional steadiness and swiftness.

His steps never hesitated or paused; every footfall landed precisely on the protruding rocks or hard soil of the route that had been stepped on countless times by predecessors and rarely showed signs of lightning strikes.

Facing the sudden flashes of light ahead, he either dodged slightly in advance or leaped lightly over a hollow where an arc of electricity had just dissipated.

Those areas of dense stray charges, enough to paralyze a High-level Martial Artist and prove troublesome even for a Super Martial Artist, were bypassed by his imperceptibly agile footwork or crossed with a brief burst of speed.

He was not relying on some "peerless spiritual sense" to predict every bolt of lightning—although his Primordial Spirit did indeed allow him to more keenly perceive changes in the electric fields in the air.

The true root of his ability to walk as if on level ground was one of the traits of his Level 11 Scholar class: One Proof, Eternal Proof.

.

When Gu Yan led the way last time, the safety points, the distribution of dangerous areas, the special landscape markers, and even the muscle memory details Gu Yan unintentionally revealed when walking certain sections—

all that information was recorded, analyzed, and permanently archived in the depths of Li Wen's memory by his powerful Mental Energy and Scholar instincts at that moment.

Walking now, there was no need to deliberately recall; the environmental information naturally triggered the corresponding optimal path, like a replicated template.

A few minutes later, when Gu Yan silently landed in the shadow of a giant rock with a wide view overlooking the mountain path below, this was exactly the scene he saw.

Li Wen's figure was like a nimble fish, weaving through the interlacing lightning and fierce winds.

His speed was even far beyond the level of ordinary old Disciples in Gu Yan's memory when they first climbed the peak alone.

That posture, that fluidity of movement—how did he look like a rookie venturing into a thunderstorm zone for the first time? He was practically comparable to a senior Disciple who had cultivated on Nine Heavens Peak for several years.

“Hiss—” Even though Gu Yan was a top-tier Flying Star Rank expert with extraordinary experience, he couldn't help but suck in a breath of cold air at this moment, his heart filled with an unspeakable shock. “What fast reactions, what precise path judgment! Such spiritual sense—no wonder Master values him so much!”

He almost instantly attributed Li Wen's performance to that legendary transcendent spiritual sense talent.

This performance was stunning enough.

Meanwhile, inside the Nine Heavens Hall.

The Nine Heavens Peak Master, who kept a strand of his Primordial Spirit watching this side at all times, also showed an imperceptible trace of emotion on his normally placid face.

The climbing ability Li Wen displayed was no longer just passively perceiving danger; it was more like having a considerable degree of active understanding of this complex thunderstorm environment.

The difference between the two and the significance it represented forced him to re-evaluate this boy's potential—

Thus, under Gu Yan's shocked gaze and the Peak Master's re-evaluating thoughts,

Li Wen's steps were steady as his figure wove freely through the violent lightning. He actually remained unscathed the entire way, crossing the final stretch of the treacherous mountain path and standing firmly on the massive plaza in front of the magnificent Lightning Induction Tower.

The sunlight was obscured by dark clouds; only the churning lightning at the peak stretched his shadow long.

Ahead was the true starting point of his path toward the God-Fiend Tyrant Body—the Lightning Induction Tower cultivation room.

Just by getting close, Li Wen could feel that the lightning aura here had become several times denser than in other parts of Nine Heavens Peak.

Fine electrical arcs drifted in the air, making slight popping sounds, and his skin felt a slight numbness just by being near.

He focused his gaze. The Lightning Induction Tower stood towering, its entire body seemingly like a giant lightning-attracting stone, connecting heaven and earth.

Its external structure presented a strange sense of layering, and at the very top, the phenomenon of lightning condensing and circling was faintly visible.

The behemoth before him was overall a three-story pagoda. The higher up one went, the deeper the metallic luster of its construction became, and the lightning flowing on the surface became more dazzling and thick, with the energy pressure radiating from it increasing exponentially.

The first layer was a deep purple-copper color, with lightning patterns that were gentle but dense.

The second layer turned to dark purple with gold; the lightning was already as thick as pythons, and even a sliver of energy that occasionally leaked out made the air smell of char.

The third layer was nearly pure black, like the core of a small thunderstorm vortex, inspiring awe and fear; it was a forbidden zone that even Flying Star Ranks dared not easily set foot in.

According to the records of the Nine Heavens Divine Body, cultivating the first three layers of the Foundation only required enduring the relatively mild lightning baptism in this first layer.

As for the second layer? With Li Wen's current Physical Body strength as an Intermediate Super Martial Artist, if he were to rush in blindly, he would likely be torn to shreds by that violent lightning in an instant.

Withdrawing his observing gaze, Li Wen's eyes were calm as he walked straight toward the heavy bronze door of the first layer, which was covered in profound lightning patterns.

“Junior Brother, wait!”

Just as Li Wen was about to reach out and push the door, a familiar voice sounded from behind him.

The figure of Eldest Senior Brother Gu Yan turned out from behind a nearby bluestone covered in lightning patterns.

“Senior Brother Gu?” Li Wen stopped his steps and looked back.

Gu Yan stepped forward quickly, his expression solemn. “Junior Brother Li, the first time you draw lightning into your body, you must not take it lightly. This first step of 'Drawing Lightning to Refine the Body' is exceptionally dangerous. I have come specifically to share some experience with you.”

He did not speak fast, but every word was clear and grave. “First, although the lightning power in the room has been guided and controlled, you still need to use the Nine Heavens Divine Body Foundation Establishment Chapter Mind-Cultivation Technique as a guide to slowly lead the electricity to temper your body. You must never seek speed or greed; otherwise, the violent lightning will flood in instantly, easily injuring your Meridians and tearing your flesh.”

“Second, and most critically, during the Body Refining process, you must maintain extremely high mental concentration. There can be no slackening or distraction while running the technique's key formulas!

Any external interference must be discarded, focusing entirely on sensing the movement of the lightning power within your body. A slight error can lead to failure and injury at best, or Foundation damage and even life-threatening danger at worst. Back when several of us Senior Brothers entered the sect, we all suffered greatly due to minor distractions.”

Li Wen listened carefully without any impatience.

Although his Primordial Spirit had reached the second layer and he had Absolute Focus to back him up, giving him absolute confidence in mental singularness and subtle control, and he had already understood the Foundation Establishment Chapter thoroughly with full confidence,

he knew well that Gu Yan's actions came from genuine concern and responsibility as a fellow Disciple, so he listened to all the instructions very humbly, without the slightest arrogance.

“Thank you for your guidance, Senior Brother.”

Li Wen cupped his fists solemnly.