152: Chapter 152 Six Months Later

"Let's begin," Li Wen muttered to himself.

He guided the massive thunder energy, which remained incredibly powerful even after being tamed, to begin washing over, penetrating, and tempering every tiny corner of his body.

An intense pain, like needles piercing his bone marrow, instantly spread throughout his body; this intensity far exceeded the first time.

Yet Li Wen didn't even flinch; his will had long since been honed to be as firm as a rock.

This bit of pain was nothing more than a few sparks flying off a whetstone.

He closed his eyes, immersing his entire mind and spirit into this deeper level of transformation, using his own body as a cauldron and the heavenly thunder as the furnace fire.

Inside the quiet room, only the low rumble of the ceaseless electric currents remained, along with the figure suspended in the center of the sea of lightning,

standing as motionless as a reef.

Violence and tranquility, destruction and rebirth, formed an incredibly shocking scene at this moment.

A new chapter quietly unfolded amidst the higher-intensity lightning tempering.

Time flew by like a white stallion passing a crack; in the blink of an eye, several months had passed.

The calendar pages turned, freezing on December 12th.

It had been exactly six months since Li Wen joined Kindling University and became a Disciple of Nine Heavens Peak.

These six months had been dull yet fulfilling.

Li Wen's life trajectory had almost fixed into a perfect closed loop.

In the mornings, he experienced the tearing and rebirth of his entire body under the baptism of violent electric currents in the Lightning Induction Tower; in the vast sea of books in the Xinhuo World, he absorbed the nutrients of knowledge;

in the afternoons, he drenched himself in sweat at the martial arts arena, his blade cutting through the air as he honed his already nascent Saber Intent; late at night, he tempered his bodily functions in the martial arts room of his villa, feeling every bit of transformation brought by the "Nine Heavens Divine Body."

With a level of self-discipline that was almost harsh, he packed every day to the brim.

The morning light poured in through the huge floor-to-ceiling windows on the top floor of the villa, illuminating the interior.

Li Wen woke up on time, a restrained divine light in his eyes, showing no sign of sleepiness.

With a slight thought, the familiar data panel clearly unfolded before his eyes:

【Name: Li Wen】

【Age: 18 years old】

【Realm: Advanced Super Martial Artist (Level 25.6 -> 27.4)】

【Class: Scholar Lv11 (27084 -> 71084/102400)】

【Skills: Blade Technique - Concept (26%), Five Styles of Dawn (Instant Rainbow Style 100%, Silent Rainbow Style (30%))】

【Cultivation Technique: Nine Heavens Divine Body - Fifth Stage (99%), Nine Heavens Divine Body Foundation Chapter (100%)】

A hint of satisfaction flashed through his heart.

These six months of hard cultivation had not been in vain.

His Physical Body Rank had successfully stepped into the level of an Advanced Super Martial Artist, and he was not far from the Peak.

The experience bar for his Scholar class was growing pleasingly, having taken a solid step toward the hundred-thousand experience line of the next level.

In terms of skills, he was progressing steadily; the Instant Rainbow Style, which pursued ultimate speed among the Five Styles of Dawn, had reached Perfection, allowing him to use it as he pleased.

As for the Silent Rainbow Style, which began to touch upon the spiritual level, emphasized the stillness of movement and extinction, and contained the mysteries of illusions, it had also crossed the 30% threshold, with each practice bringing new insights.

However, what made his heart burn most was the progress of the "Nine Heavens Divine Body"—Fifth Stage, 99%.

That final 1% was like a layer of window paper so thin it was transparent, needing only today's final push.

"The sixth stage, today." As the thought arose, a scorching fire instantly ignited in Li Wen's eyes. Without the slightest hesitation, he leaped up from his soft bed with crisp and neat movements.

After consuming a customized high-nutrition, high-energy breakfast to replenish his body's needs, he wasted no time, changed into a special training suit, and stepped out the door.

The piercing cold wind brushed against his cheeks, which had little effect on a Super Martial Artist of his Realm; instead, it brought a bit of refreshing clarity.

Arriving at the entrance of the Lightning Induction Tower with practiced ease, he did not stop in the first-floor hall this time but headed straight up the stairs to the second floor.

The scene on the second floor was completely different from the first.

If the first floor was an Entry-Level lightning pool, then the second floor was a high-voltage electrical zone.

The overall material had changed from a purple-copper color to a deeper dark purple, and the golden thunder patterns flowing on the alloy walls were thicker and more complex. As they intertwined and collided, they erupted into fine golden electric sparks, making a tooth-aching "

crack" sound.

The air was more stagnant, and the thunder and lightning energy, so dense it was almost liquefied, formed a pale purple mist; every breath carried a slight sense of numbness.

The hall space was a bit smaller than the first floor, and the number of quiet rooms was significantly reduced, yet it seemed even more bustling at this moment.

Outside almost every quiet room marked with "Grade A," "Grade B," or "Grade C," people were either waiting or had just finished their cultivation and were coming out.

Because those who could reach the second floor were basically senior Super Martial Artists who had achieved some success in cultivating the "Nine Heavens Divine Body" and had reached at least the fourth stage; they stayed longer, making the population density higher than on the first floor.

The clamor was mixed with the hum of energy flow and the tired panting after finishing cultivation.

On the giant energy display screen, the energy levels and occupancy status of each quiet room flickered in real-time.

Li Wen's appearance immediately caught the attention of several Nine Heavens Peak Disciples waiting to enter or stretching their limbs in the hall.

"Yo, Junior Apprentice Brother Li, so early?"

"You're here, Junior Apprentice Brother Li! You look good today!"

"Looking at you, are you going to make a big move today?" Greetings came one after another, their tones carrying sincere familiarity and admiration.

As was often said on the Peak, they were few but united.

Over the past six months, with his astonishing speed of progress and resilient Heart-Nature, Li Wen had long since integrated into this small but highly cohesive collective.

The Senior Brothers and Senior Sisters of the Peak loved to bring this infinitely potential little Junior Brother along to their occasional private gatherings, and they had long become familiar with each other.

Facing the enthusiastic faces, Li Wen also showed a heartfelt smile and nodded in response to each: "Yeah, my state is okay today, I'm planning to give it a try."

His tone was relaxed, but beneath that deliberate steadiness was an irrepressible eagerness to try.

After a few simple pleasantries, Li Wen did not linger; his gaze swept across the large screen, and he walked straight toward the quiet room in the middle of the second floor, which was inscribed with a deep purple B-1 and had the highest energy reading.

That had been his regular cultivation spot during this period.

Pushing open the heavy door of the quiet room, a surge of violent thunder energy far exceeding that of the hall rushed toward him, causing the skin all over his body to tighten subconsciously.

The interior space of this quiet room was much larger than the Grade B room he used on the first floor, but the internal environment could be described as terrifying.

There were no conduits on the ceiling, only a vortex-shaped "thundercloud" purely formed from dense lightning.

Golden lightning tumbled and roared within it like giant pythons, with thick electric snakes constantly striking down from it, slamming hard onto the lightning induction platform in the center of the floor, which was made of some strange black crystal.

The walls and floor were also covered in rugged golden thunder patterns, and the material in the gaps between the patterns appeared dark red, as if scorched by high temperatures.

The air was no longer a mist but as viscous as golden liquid plasma, filled with a destructive aura.

Every inch of space here pulsated with violent energy sufficient to instantly carbonize an ordinary Super Martial Artist below the Flying Star Rank.

Had Li Wen not already practiced the "Nine Heavens Divine Body" to the Peak of the fifth stage, completed multiple rounds of thunder source tempering for his Physical Body, and possessed extremely high lightning affinity and terrifying defensive power, he would have found it difficult even to breathe here based solely on the blood-qi of an Advanced Super Martial Artist, let alone Cultivate.

Without the slightest hesitation, Li Wen strode toward the lightning induction platform and sat down cross-legged.

In an instant, the thundercloud overhead seemed to be provoked; a bolt of golden lightning as thick as a little finger, like an angry dragon discovering its prey, tore through the air and struck the top of his head with a deafening roar.

"Hmph!" Despite being prepared, the moment this violent thunder energy, far exceeding that of the first floor, poured into his body, the piercing, Soul-tearing pain made Li Wen groan, and his body trembled violently.

But his eyes were exceptionally calm and firm.

The fifth-stage Mind-Cultivation Technique of the "Nine Heavens Divine Body" operated at full power.

Inside his Dantian, the blood-qi, long since condensed like mercury and containing a hint of thunder source characteristics, surged powerfully, rushing ceaselessly along the cultivation path to form a solid defense and guidance system.

Destruction and rebirth were in a tug-of-war at this moment.

Under the guidance of the "Nine Heavens Divine Body" Mind-Cultivation Technique, part of the pure and domineering thunder energy was forcibly restrained and used to frantically temper and hammer his muscles, bones, skin, and deeper cells.

Another part was swallowed and assimilated by the Mind-Cultivation Technique, transforming into his own Origin Thunder Power and injected into his limbs and bones, pushing the progress bar stuck at 99% slowly forward.

From deep within his body came bursts of rumbling, like the forging of copper hammers or the clashing of gold and iron.

His bones were like jade marrow, containing golden thunder patterns; his blood flowed like lead and mercury, carrying fine sparks of electricity.

With every tear and reorganization, his muscle fibers became tougher, containing explosive power.

A faint golden glow emanated from the surface of his skin, as if he were wearing armor of thunder.

Time passed in extreme focus and the cycle of destruction and rebirth.

Over an hour felt like a long cycle of centuries to Li Wen, who was immersed in cultivation.

Finally! Just as the body's absorption efficiency of this violent thunder energy reached a certain Peak, a tiny yet incredibly clear cracking sound seemed to ring in his mind.

That long-stalled progress bar—99%—suddenly jumped forward.

100%! "Nine Heavens Divine Body - Fifth Stage"—Perfection!

A torrent of blood-qi, more powerful and pure than before and carrying faint thunderous vibrations, erupted from his Dantian, instantly washing over his entire body.

Li Wen suddenly opened his eyes, a golden electric flash vanishing in them.

He forcibly suppressed the excitement in his heart and the desire to induce lightning again.

At this point, the fifth stage was already at Perfection; although continuing to temper in this B-1 room would have effects, it would not directly help in breaking through to the sixth stage.

The next step was a Breakthrough.

He stood up neatly, left the quiet room, and walked toward the breakthrough quiet room next to the hall, specially designed for Breakthroughs.

The two Nine Heavens Peak Disciples waiting at the door immediately focused their gaze on Li Wen as he came out, especially sensing the unique aura he carried that had not yet been fully restrained after just reaching Perfection.

"Junior Apprentice Brother Li? Have you... reached Perfection in the fifth stage?"

One of the younger Senior Brothers couldn't help but ask, his tone carrying surprise and a trace of undetectable envy.

They were all Senior Brothers, but who wasn't aware of the difficulty of cultivating the "Nine Heavens Divine Body"? The progress of the Junior Apprentice Brother before them was truly terrifying.

Li Wen didn't waste words and nodded in confirmation: "Yes, I'm preparing to break through to the sixth stage."

As soon as these words were spoken, a bright light erupted in the eyes of the two.

"Hiss! Awesome!"

"So fast! You're going to charge for the sixth stage just after reaching Perfection in the fifth? Junior Apprentice Brother Li, impressive!"

"Quick, the Grade A breakthrough quiet room is vacant."

The other Disciple reacted extremely quickly, immediately swiping open the heavy alloy door lock nearby.

They were well aware of the danger of breaking through each stage of the "Nine Heavens Divine Body" and did not dare to be the least bit negligent.

"Thank you, two Senior Brothers." Li Wen cupped his fists toward them and, without staying any longer, slipped into the Grade A breakthrough quiet room that was exclusively his.

The space of the breakthrough quiet room was larger than the lightning induction quiet room, but the internal structure was relatively open and simple.