41: Chapter 41: The Boss Battle Begins, with Thunderous Force

The cyan-purple streak of light swooped down with an Aura like a falling meteor.

Both sides facing off on the ground were startled by this sudden turn of events. Players outside the encirclement looked up, and when they saw the figure wreathed in wind and thunder power, most could not react in time. The members of the Heavenly Court trapped in the center, however, revealed joyful expressions.

"Brother Ye!" Chen Hao shouted.

Lin Ye did not land directly. He hovered ten zhang above the ground, his wind and thunder wings flapping slowly behind him, the resulting airflow whipping up the dust on the ground. Cyan-purple lightning danced between the wings, reflecting his figure as if he were a Heavenly God descending.

"Dao Palace Realm... He broke through to the Dao Palace Realm!" someone in the crowd exclaimed.

"wind and thunder wings! That is flying equipment! At least Epic Rank!"

"Didn't they say he was only level 30? How did he break through so quickly?"

Whispers spread through the crowd. The originally aggressive encirclement loosened slightly due to Lin Ye's sudden appearance.

Lin Ye's gaze swept across the ground.

There were about eighty players surrounding the Heavenly Court, belonging to three different factions: the black battle armor of the Overlord Pavilion, the blood-colored emblems of the Blood Fiend Alliance, and a strange purple badge—likely the "Ziyun Sect" of Zhao State. The leaders of the three factions stood at the very front, all between levels 32-34, considered the top tier among players.

But at this moment, the expressions of these three leaders were not looking good.

"Lin Ye..." The president of the Overlord Pavilion, 'Overlord Spear', was a burly man holding a black long spear. He stared at Lin Ye in the sky, his eyes complex. "You broke through to the Dao Palace Realm?"

"As you can see." Lin Ye's voice was calm, yet carried an invisible pressure. "Do you three have some business bringing so many people to surround my Heavenly Court members?"

The president of the Blood Fiend Alliance, 'Blood Blade', was a tall, thin young man with a scar on his face. He spoke sinisterly: "Nothing major, just heard that you Heavenly Court got some good things from the Wind and Thunder Valley, and wanted to see them. Besides... everyone knows the news about Zeus breaking through to the Dao Palace Realm, right? We players of the Eastern Wasteland must unite; we cannot fall too far behind the West. Our guilds want to form an 'Eastern Wasteland Alliance' and specially invite the Heavenly Court to join."

The words sounded high-minded, but the meaning was clear: either hand over the harvest from the Wind and Thunder Valley, or join their Alliance and be controlled by them.

The representative of the Ziyun Sect was a female Cultivator named 'Ziyun', holding a purple long sword. She did not speak, but the meaning in her eyes was clear—she was on the same side as the other two.

Lin Ye laughed.

It was a cold laugh, filled with undisguised mockery.

"Eastern Wasteland Alliance? Sounds good. But why did I hear that you three were fighting tooth and nail over a silver mine outside the city just yesterday? Is this what you call unity?"

Blood Blade's face darkened: "That was before. Now that Zeus has broken through, the big picture is what matters..."

"What a great 'big picture'." Lin Ye interrupted him. "So your big picture is forcing other guilds to hand over resources and submit to your leadership?"

Overlord Spear frowned: "Lin Ye, don't refuse a toast only to be forced to drink a forfeit. Although you broke through to the Dao Palace Realm, you just broke through, and your Realm is unstable. Our three houses have over eighty people combined; if we really start fighting, you will not benefit either."

"Is that so?" Lin Ye descended slowly, hovering three feet above the ground, looking the three of them in the eye. "Then you can try."

The atmosphere instantly became tense.

More than eighty players gripped their weapons simultaneously. The light of Spells began to shine everywhere, archers drew their bowstrings, and assassins slipped into the shadows.

On the Heavenly Court side, Chen Hao, Zhang Meng, and others also assumed combat stances. Su Qingyue's staff lit up with an ice-blue glow, and the cold air of her Vast Cold Spirit Body began to permeate the area.

Just as the battle was on the verge of breaking out, a long whistle came from afar.

It was a long whistle like a Dragon's roar, with extremely strong penetrating power, shaking everyone's eardrums until they hurt. Immediately after, a golden light of escape sped over from the direction of the Capital City of Yan State, arriving outside the East Gate in a few breaths.

The light dissipated, revealing a middle-aged man wearing golden armor. The man had a dignified face, held a golden halberd, and radiated a powerful Aura—that was the Aura of the Dao Palace Realm, and at least at the Dao Palace Third Layer or above!

[Yan State Imperial Guard Commander · Jin Buhuan (NPC)]

Level: 48

Identity: Commander-in-Chief of the Yan State Imperial Guards, Royal Court Supporter

Status: Dignified, Displeased

Description: One of the most loyal guardians of the Yan State royal family, in charge of the thirty thousand Imperial Guards of the capital city. He has an upright and unyielding personality and detests fighting and making trouble in the capital city.

"The East Gate is a critical area, yet you gather to fight! You have some nerve!" Jin Buhuan's gaze was like lightning as he swept across the crowd. "Overlord Pavilion, Blood Fiend Alliance, Ziyun Sect, and Heavenly Court... I give you three breaths of time to disperse immediately! Otherwise, you will be treated as disturbing the peace of the capital city and all be thrown into the dungeon!"

His voice contained the pressure of the Dao Palace Realm, shaking the blood and Qi of some lower-level players.

Blood Blade's face changed, and he gritted his teeth: "Commander Jin, we were just discussing the Formation of an Alliance, not fighting..."

"Discussing?" Jin Buhuan snorted coldly. "Eighty people surrounding a dozen people, this is called discussing? This Commander asks one more time, are you dispersing or not?"

Overlord Spear took a deep breath; he knew today's matter could not be accomplished. With Jin Buhuan, a level 48 Dao Palace Realm NPC, here, let alone their eighty people, even if they added another group, they would not benefit. Moreover, if they offended the Imperial Guard Commander, they would not be able to survive in the Yan State anymore.

"Let's go." Overlord Spear waved his hand and led the Overlord Pavilion people away first.

Blood Blade looked at Lin Ye unwillingly, but could only take the Blood Fiend Alliance people away. Ziyun of the Ziyun Sect was even more direct and turned around to leave.

In the blink of an eye, the eighty-plus people scattered like birds and beasts.

Jin Buhuan then looked at Lin Ye, a flash of appreciation in his eyes: "Lin Ye, right? Your Majesty has mentioned you. Not bad, breaking through to the Dao Palace Realm at such a young age, and even obtaining the ability to fly. However..."

He changed the subject: "The capital city has the capital city's rules. Next time you have something to settle, you can go to the arena, or go outside the city. Do not cause trouble at the city gate, understand?"

"Junior understands, thank you for the relief, Commander Jin." Lin Ye cupped his hands.

"Hmm." Jin Buhuan nodded and looked at the Heavenly Court members again. "Return to the city as soon as possible, it hasn't been peaceful outside lately."

After saying this, he turned into golden light and left.

The crisis was resolved, and the Heavenly Court members breathed a sigh of relief.

Chen Hao walked quickly to Lin Ye's side, excitedly saying: "Brother Ye, you really broke through! And these wings... too cool!"

Zhang Meng also came over: "How does the Dao Palace Realm feel? How much did your attributes increase?"

Lin Ye landed, put away his wind and thunder wings, and briefly explained the changes after the Breakthrough. When they heard his blood and Qi were close to sixty thousand and his attack was nearly five thousand, everyone gasped.

"These attributes... can you solo a level 40 BOSS?" Wang Iron Pillar clicked his tongue.

"Pretty much." Lin Ye nodded. "But now is not the time to talk about this. Let's return to headquarters first; I have things to arrange."

The group returned to the Heavenly Court headquarters. Qin Ruoxue was already waiting in the conference hall, and seeing everyone return safely, she clearly breathed a sigh of relief.

"I've investigated clearly." She went straight to the point. "The Overlord Pavilion, Blood Fiend Alliance, and Ziyun Sect are indeed plotting to form an Alliance. Their goal is to integrate the small and medium guilds of the Eastern Wasteland to compete with Olympus. But they have many internal contradictions, and they haven't agreed on who will be the leader. Blocking us today was, first, to establish authority, and second, to snatch the harvest from the Wind and Thunder Valley to improve their strength."

"Clowns." Chen Hao said disdainfully. "If we really fought, Brother Ye could take care of most of them by himself."

"Don't underestimate the enemy." Lin Ye shook his head. "Although their individual strength is not strong, they have strength in numbers. And... someone might be directing this from behind."

Everyone looked at him.

"Zeus." Lin Ye said slowly. "The best way for Olympus to enter the Eastern Wasteland is not through brute force, but through division and wooing. These three guilds suddenly forming an Alliance, the timing is too coincidental. I suspect that at least one of them has already secretly contacted Olympus."

Qin Ruoxue's eyes lit up: "That makes sense! I'll go check the recent contact records of these three guilds with Western players immediately."

"Also," Lin Ye looked at everyone, "the news of me breaking through to the Dao Palace Realm will spread soon. Next, the Heavenly Court will become a target—those who are envious, jealous, want to cling to our coattails, or want to step on us to get ahead, will all come knocking. Everyone needs to be prepared."

Qian Duoduo patted his chest: "Don't worry, I'll handle the business side. Now that we have the status of allies with the Yaoguang Holy Land, and Brother Ye, a Dao Palace Realm expert, is sitting in charge, many forces will have to weigh their options."

"Leave the combat side to me." Chen Hao gripped his spear. "It just so happens that my hands have been itching lately; whoever comes to provoke us, I'll beat them."

Su Qingyue asked softly: "Lin Ye, what is your plan next?"

"Consolidate my Realm, and then go complete a mission." Lin Ye took a map out of his storage ring. "The matter of the Wind and Thunder Valley is not over yet. Although the Thunder Eagle King is dead, there is still a place deep in the Wind and Thunder Valley that I haven't been to."

The map was unfolded, marking the terrain of the Wind and Thunder Valley. In the deepest part of the valley, there was a specially marked area—the Lightning Pool.

"The Lightning Pool is the source of the wind and thunder power in the Wind and Thunder Valley." Lin Ye pointed at the map. "The Thunder Eagle King was able to inhabit that place for thirty years because the lightning power of the Lightning Pool could temper its Physical Body and demon core. I suspect that there might be something more precious hidden at the bottom of the Lightning Pool."

"You want to explore the Lightning Pool?" Su Qingyue frowned. "But the environment of the Lightning Pool..."

"It drains 100 points of blood and Qi per second, and the lightning interferes with Divine Sense and Spells." Lin Ye nodded. "I know it's dangerous, so I need to be fully prepared."

He looked at Qian Duoduo: "Purchase a batch of [Lightning Resistance Potions] and [lightning evasion talismans], the higher the quality, the better. Also, prepare a set of diving equipment that can be used in the Lightning Pool."

"Diving equipment?" Qian Duoduo was stunned. "Is there water under the Lightning Pool?"

"Not ordinary water, it is liquefied lightning." Lin Ye explained. "It requires special Materials to withstand it. Go ask the Artifact Refiners Association, Master Wang Chui should know."

"Understood, I'll go handle it right now."

"Others," Lin Ye looked at Chen Hao and the others, "Cultivate hard these few days. When I return from the Lightning Pool, there might be a tough battle to fight."

The group dispersed, each busy with their own tasks.

Lin Ye returned to the cultivation room and began to consolidate his Realm.

The biggest difference between the Dao Palace Realm and the Wheel Sea Realm lies in the opening of the "Divine Treasure". The five internal organ Divine Treasures correspond to the Five Elements. Each time one is opened, one can obtain corresponding attribute bonuses and unlock exclusive skills.

Because Lin Ye has the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body, he opened the Chaos Divine Treasure, which has higher bonuses, and also has an extra Void Divine Treasure. But accordingly, the cultivation difficulty is also greater.

He sat cross-legged and sank his consciousness into the Dao Palace Secret Realm.

In the center of the Secret Realm, the Void Divine Treasure slowly rotated, like a gray star. Around it, five Chaos Divine Palaces were arranged according to the Five Elements, with Chaos Power circulating between them, forming a perfect cycle.

Lin Ye first studied the Void Divine Treasure.

This Divine Treasure is very special; it does not provide direct attribute bonuses, but it can enhance the mastery of space Laws. Lin Ye could feel that the Void Divine Treasure was like a "space node"; through it, he could perceive and control the surrounding space more easily.

He tried to inject his Divine Sense into the Void Divine Treasure.

Instantly, his perception range skyrocketed! Originally he could only perceive three hundred meters around him, but now it expanded directly to five hundred meters! And the "precision" of his perception also greatly improved—he could "see" those subtle wrinkles and nodes in space, just like a nearsighted person who suddenly put on the right glasses.

"This is the feeling of 20% space affinity..." Lin Ye murmured.

With a thought, his body disappeared from where he was and appeared in another corner of the room.

Void Step, Minor Achievement level, maximum distance 30 meters. But this time moving, Lin Ye clearly felt the difference—more fluid, more natural, and with less consumption. If before he was "squeezing" through the cracks of space, now he was "sliding" over the surface of space.

He tried Void Evasion again.

This new skill was similar to Void Step, but with a longer distance and higher consumption. Lin Ye aimed at a tree thirty zhang outside the window, and his figure flashed.

No sound, no light or shadow, he just appeared under the tree.

Distance: exactly one hundred meters. Consumption: 100 points of Divine Power. Cooldown: 10 seconds.

It is a very practical long-distance displacement skill, useful for both pursuing enemies and escaping.

Finally, there is the Void Barrier.

Lin Ye raised his hand and pressed it lightly against the air in front of him.

A translucent barrier appeared before him, with subtle spatial ripples flowing across its surface.

He picked up the teacup from the table and smashed it forcefully against the barrier.

"Bang!"

The teacup struck the barrier, but instead of shattering, it bounced back.

Ripples spread across the surface of the barrier, but they quickly faded.

"The defensive power is not bad," Lin Ye estimated. "It can block a full-force strike from a Dao Palace First Layer Cultivator. If more Divine Power is injected, the defense can be further enhanced."

After familiarizing himself with his new skills, he began to Cultivate the "Void Scripture - Dao Palace Chapter".

This Cultivation Technique mainly describes how to utilize the Void Divine Treasure to Cultivate the Law of Space.

The method is quite unique: instead of absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, it involves absorbing "spatial fluctuations."

Space is not static; it is constantly undergoing tiny fluctuations.

These fluctuations contain fragments of the Law of Space; by absorbing them, one can improve their understanding and control of space.

Lin Ye followed the records in the Cultivation Technique and began to attempt it.

It was difficult at first.

The spatial fluctuations were too subtle and almost impossible to capture.

But when he focused his Divine Sense on the Void Divine Treasure, the situation changed.

The Void Divine Treasure acted like an amplifier, magnifying the surrounding spatial fluctuations by ten or even a hundred times.

Lin Ye could clearly "hear" the "breathing" of space—a kind of extremely subtle rhythm that felt like a heartbeat.

He attempted to absorb these fluctuations.

Wisps of cool energy entered his body, flowed along specific Meridians, and finally converged into the Void Divine Treasure.

The speed at which the Divine Treasure rotated increased by a fraction; although it was imperceptible, it was indeed growing.

[System Prompt: You have absorbed spatial fluctuations!]

[Void Divine Treasure Growth +0.01%]

[Spatial Affinity: 20% → 20.01%]

It works!

Lin Ye felt energized and continued to Cultivate.

Time flew by during his cultivation. In the blink of an eye, three days passed.

During these three days, many things happened in the Capital City of Yan State.

First, the news of Lin Ye's Breakthrough to the Dao Palace Realm spread completely, triggering a new wave of excitement.

Countless players stuck at Rank 30 were desperately doing quests and farming dungeons, hoping to achieve a Breakthrough as soon as possible.

The price of Breakthrough Pills at the trading house rose to 1,000 Spirit Stones each, yet they were still in short supply.

Secondly, the Olympus guild officially announced its entry into the Eastern Wilderness and established its first branch in the Capital City of Yan State.

The branch president is a Western player named "Apollo," Rank 34, who is said to be ranked in the top ten on the Western servers.

As soon as Apollo arrived at the Capital City of Yan State, he visited various major guilds, including the Heavenly Court.

He sent an invitation for Lin Ye to attend the "Eastern Wilderness Player Exchange Meeting" in three days, saying it was to discuss how to deal with the pressure brought by Zeus.

Lin Ye accepted the invitation but did not reply immediately.

The third matter concerned the preparations for exploring the Lightning Pool.

Qian Duoduo successfully purchased enough supplies: twenty bottles of [Advanced Lightning Resistance Potion] (each bottle provides 30% Lightning Resistance for 1 hour), fifty [lightning evasion talisman] (reducing Lightning attribute damage by 20%), and a set of special [Lightning Pattern Diving Suit].

The diving suit was personally crafted by Great Master Wang Iron Pillar, using [Lightning Pattern Shark Skin] and [Lightning Evasion Silver Thread], allowing one to persist in the Lightning Pool for at least one hour.

The cost was 5,000 Spirit Stones, which almost emptied half of the Heavenly Court's liquid assets.

But Lin Ye felt it was worth it. The secret at the bottom of the Lightning Pool might far exceed this value.

On the morning of the fourth day, a five-person team gathered at the East Gate of the Capital City of Yan State.

Lin Ye, Su Qingyue, Chen Hao, Zhang Meng, and a new member—Li Qingshan.

This exploration required knowledge of Formation, and Li Qingshan had recently made rapid progress in Formation, so he was chosen by Lin Ye.

"Are you all ready?" Lin Ye scanned the group.

"Ready!" the four answered in unison.

"Let's go."

The five rode out of the city and galloped toward Wind and Thunder Valley.

This time, they did not hide their tracks.

With Lin Ye in the Dao Palace Realm and the core team of the Heavenly Court, unless they encountered a large army surrounding them, they could basically travel anywhere within Yan State without fear.

Along the way, they encountered several groups of players who, upon seeing the wind and thunder wings on Lin Ye's back (Lin Ye did not fly continuously as the consumption was too great, only displaying them when necessary), automatically cleared the path, not daring to provoke them.

At noon, the five arrived at Wind and Thunder Valley.

The entrance of the valley was still filled with howling gale winds and dense thunderclouds.

But this time, Lin Ye could clearly perceive the energy flow within the valley—the Wind element and Lightning element were like two giant Dragons, circling and entangling in the valley, forming a violent yet orderly cycle.

"Go straight to the Lightning Pool," Lin Ye dismounted. "Avoid the monsters we encounter on the way if possible; do not get bogged down in battle."

The five entered the valley.

Because they had been here once, they were much more familiar with the terrain.

Combined with the improved sensory ability after Lin Ye's Breakthrough, he could detect the monsters' locations in advance, so they avoided most battles.

Only once did they encounter a group of [Wind and Thunder Bats].

Those were Rank 35 gregarious monsters, numbering over fifty.

Lin Ye directly unleashed the Chaos Domain to weaken the monsters' attributes, then Su Qingyue used large-area Ice-type Spells to freeze them, while Chen Hao and Zhang Meng quickly cleared them out, ending the battle in less than three minutes.

One hour later, the five arrived at the depths of Wind and Thunder Valley.

The terrain here was different from the outer area. The mountain walls on both sides converged inward, forming a funnel-shaped structure.

At the bottom of the funnel was a circular pond with a diameter of about fifty zhang.

No, that was not a pond.

The pool water was deep purple, and electric snakes were constantly leaping on the surface.

The pool water surged as if boiling, emitting a "sizzling" sound.

The air was filled with a strong smell of ozone, along with a powerful coercion—a force field formed by pure Lightning power.

The Lightning Pool!

Standing ten zhang away from the edge of the pool, the five could feel a stinging sensation on their skin.

That was the free Lightning elements attacking their Protective Aura.

[System Prompt: You have entered the "Lightning Pool" range!]

[Environmental Effect: Lose 100 HP per second, Lightning attribute Spell power +50%, other attribute Spell power -30%]

[Warning: The pool water contains violent Lightning power; direct contact will cause 500 True Damage per second!]

Losing 100 HP per second sounds like a small amount, but it is terrifying if it continues.

A Rank 30 player only has about 10,000 HP; standing by the Lightning Pool for two minutes would leave them at low health.

Not to mention the 500 True Damage from the pool water, which ignores defense.

"Drink the Lightning Resistance Potion and apply the lightning evasion talisman," Lin Ye ordered.

The five acted simultaneously. They drank the potion and applied the Talisman to their chests.

A faint layer of light appeared on their bodies, isolating most of the Lightning elements.

HP loss dropped from 100 per second to 70 per second, which was still within an acceptable range.

"I will go down to scout the path first," Lin Ye changed into the Lightning Pattern Diving Suit. "You all stay on the shore on alert. If there is a situation, Qingyue, use Ice-type Spells to freeze the pool surface to provide backup."

"Be careful," Su Qingyue said softly.

Lin Ye nodded, walked to the edge of the pool, took a deep breath, and leaped into the Lightning Pool.

"Splash—"

The moment he entered the water, terrifying Lightning power surged from all directions.

Even with the protection of the Lightning Pattern Diving Suit, Lin Ye still felt as if his entire body was being pricked by countless needles at the same time.

Numbness, stinging, burning—various sensations mixed together.

HP dropped at a rate of 350 per second—the lightning evasion talisman and Lightning Resistance Potion reduced it by 150, but the remainder was still alarming.

He immediately circulated his Chaos Power, forming a second layer of protection on his body surface.

A gray light lit up, assimilating and absorbing the violent Lightning power.

HP loss dropped to 150 per second; with his current 58,000 HP, he could persist for about six minutes.

Lin Ye dived downward.

The Lightning Pool was very deep, and the further down he went, the denser the Lightning power became.

Underwater visibility was very low, and electric snakes and purple lightning light were leaping everywhere.

His Divine Sense was also severely interfered with, and he could only explore a range of ten meters around him.

He swam toward the brightest spot at the bottom of the pool.

There was a purple sphere of light with a diameter of about three zhang, and something could be vaguely seen floating inside the sphere.

Around the sphere, dozens of arm-thick Lightning snakes were circling and guarding it, and the Aura of each Lightning snake was equivalent to a Rank 35 elite monster.

Lin Ye did not force his way in.

He swam around the sphere and observed carefully.

There were naturally formed runes on the surface of the sphere, and those runes were constantly changing, as if they were living creatures.

Inside the sphere, a few things could be vaguely seen: a fist-sized purple crystal, a beating heart-shaped object, and... a bamboo scroll?

Lightning Crystal Core? The heart of the Thunder Eagle King? And a bamboo scroll?

Lin Ye's mind raced.

The Thunder Eagle King could dominate Wind and Thunder Valley for thirty years; it must have had a special Opportunity.

That heart might be its Origin, and the purple crystal should be the [Lightning Source Crystal] condensed from the essence of the Lightning Pool.

As for the bamboo scroll... could it be a Cultivation Technique or records?

He had to get in.

But those Lightning snakes were troublesome.

Dozens of Rank 35 elites, whose combat power doubled in the underwater environment; if he fought them head-on, even if he could win, the consumption would be huge.

He had to find a way to lure them away.

Lin Ye took a piece of [Wind and Thunder Beast Meat] from his storage ring—this was a Material collected when he killed the Wind and Thunder Beast last time.

He injected a trace of Chaos Power and then threw the meat toward the left side of the sphere.

The meat entered the water and immediately emitted Wind and Lightning Aura.

Those Lightning snakes were attracted.

Most of the Lightning snakes swam toward the meat, but seven or eight still guarded the sphere and did not leave.

Not enough.

Lin Ye took out three more pieces of meat and threw them in different directions.

This time, the remaining Lightning snakes also moved.

Only the two thickest Lightning snakes remained guarding the sphere, but their attention was obviously also distracted.

Opportunity!

Lin Ye activated Void Step, his figure instantly disappeared and appeared at the edge of the sphere.

The two Lightning snakes reacted and opened their mouths to spray purple lightning pillars.

But Lin Ye was faster.

He pressed his hands on the surface of the sphere, and Chaos Power surged out crazily.

"Open for me!"

The gray light fiercely confronted the purple lightning light.

The runes on the surface of the sphere flashed crazily, trying to prevent the intrusion.

But Chaos Power is the Origin of all things and has an assimilation effect on any energy.

After three breaths, a gap was "corroded" on the surface of the sphere.

Lin Ye flashed in.

Inside the sphere, the Lightning power was actually much gentler.

It was a pure, absorbable energy, not as violent as it was outside.

He first looked at the heart.

It was a heart the size of a millstone, purple all over, with lightning patterns flowing on the surface.

Even though it was separated from the body, it was still beating slowly, and every beat induced fluctuations in the surrounding Lightning elements.

[Heart of the Thunder Eagle King (Epic)]

Quality: Epic (Purple)

Type: Material / Special Item

Effect: Contains the life essence of the Thunder Eagle King, can be used to refine Lightning attribute Magic Treasure or Medicinal Pill.

If refined directly, there is a chance to obtain some of the Thunder Eagle King's abilities (Lightning control, flight instinct, etc.).

Status: Active (can be transplanted using special methods)

Description: The life-bound heart of the Thunder Eagle King, nourished in the Lightning Pool for thirty years, has resonated with the Lightning Law.

If this object is used to refine a Magic Treasure, it will be at least Earth Rank.

Good stuff!

Lin Ye put away the heart and then looked at the purple crystal.

The crystal was fist-sized, completely transparent, and it seemed as if a sea of lightning was sealed inside.

Looking closely, there were even tiny lightning creatures swimming in the sea of lightning.

[Lightning Source Crystal (Legendary)]

Quality: Legendary (Gold)

Type: Material / Energy Source

Effect: The essence condensed from the Origin of the Lightning Pool, containing the purest fragments of the Lightning Law.

Can be used to refine Lightning-type Immortal Artifact, set up Lightning-attribute Formation, or assist in cultivating Lightning-type Cultivation Technique.

Special: This crystal has birthed a faint spirituality; if cultivated with special methods, it may grow into a [Lightning Spirit].

Description: A rare treasure of Heaven and Earth, hard to encounter in ten thousand years.

The Lightning Pool has existed for three thousand years and only condensed three Lightning Source Crystals; this is the last one.

Legendary grade Material! And it is a growth-type one!

Lin Ye was excited.

Legendary grade Materials were rare treasures even in the Middle Stage of the game in his past life, let alone only a month after the server opened.

The value of this Lightning Source Crystal even exceeded the wind and thunder wings on his body.

He carefully put the Lightning Source Crystal into a jade box specially prepared in his storage ring—this level of Material needs to be stored in a special container, otherwise the energy will be lost.

Finally, there was the bamboo scroll.

The bamboo scroll was very old, the surface was yellowed, and it was tied with a thin purple string.

Lin Ye untied the thin string and unfolded the bamboo scroll.

The text on the bamboo scroll was not modern text, but a kind of ancient Seal script.

Fortunately, the game System had an automatic translation function:

"I am Lei Xiaozi. I meditated in Wind and Thunder Valley for three hundred years and created the 'Nine Heavens Thunder Technique'. This technique is divided into nine layers; each layer corresponds to a Lightning Tribulation. Upon reaching the Perfection of the ninth layer, one can control the Nine Heavens Divine Thunder. However, this Thunder Technique is overbearing. It cannot be cultivated without a Thunder Spirit Body; forcing its cultivation will surely lead to a backlash. I leave this scroll in the Thunder Pool, waiting for a fated person to obtain it..."

This is a thunder-element Cultivation Technique! And its Rank is not low!

Lin Ye continued to read down.

The first half of the bamboo slip is the general outline, explaining the principles of the Thunder Technique and the key points of cultivation. The second half is the cultivation method for the first layer, [Palm Thunder].

[Nine Heavens Thunder Technique · First Layer (Earth Rank High Grade)]

Cultivation Requirements: Thunder attribute affinity ≥ 30%, Divine Sense ≥ 200.

Effect: Master the basic thunder technique "Palm Thunder". Attacks carry a paralysis effect and deal extra damage to evil spirits and ghosts.

Description: Created by the ancient thunder Cultivator Lei Xiaozi. The complete technique is Heaven Rank Top Grade. This scroll is only the first layer; the subsequent eight layers must be found elsewhere.

Earth Rank High Grade, and that's just the first layer! The complete Nine Heavens Thunder Technique is actually Heaven Rank Top Grade!

Unfortunately, Lin Ye does not have a Thunder Spirit Body, and his thunder attribute affinity is far from enough. He cannot Cultivate this technique, but he can give it to someone suitable—like Chen Hao. Although he also doesn't have a Thunder Spirit Body, the God King Body has strong compatibility and could potentially try it.

Just as he was about to put away the bamboo slip, Lin Ye suddenly noticed a line of small text at the end:

"Beneath the Thunder Pool, there is another grotto-heaven. I discovered an ancient corpse in the grotto-heaven, suspected to be the remains of the fallen ancient Thunder God. The corpse contains the terrifying power of Lightning Tribulation. I dared not approach it, so I hereby issue a warning: Do not enter unless you are in the Undergoing Tribulation Stage!"

Another grotto-heaven beneath the Thunder Pool? The corpse of an ancient Thunder God?

Lin Ye's heart trembled. He looked at the bottom of the light sphere—there was indeed a hole there, about three feet in diameter, bottomless, and even purer thunder power kept surging out from it.

Should he go down and take a look?

Lin Ye hesitated.

The corpse of an ancient Thunder God must hold a massive Opportunity. But the danger is surely immense; even an ancient Cultivator like Lei Xiaozi dared not approach it, and he is just a small Cultivator who has just entered the Dao Palace Realm...

Just then, the Thunder Snakes outside the light sphere discovered him.

"Hiss, hiss, hiss—!"

Dozens of Thunder Snakes attacked the light sphere crazily, and purple thunder pillars struck it continuously. The light sphere trembled violently, and the runes on its surface began to dim.

Lin Ye knew he had to make a decision.

Go down, and he might obtain a Heaven-Defying Opportunity, or he might die without a burial place.

Leave, and return safely, but miss an Opportunity that could change his destiny.

There was not much time left. The light sphere had already developed cracks.

Lin Ye gritted his teeth, put away the bamboo slip, and swam toward that hole.

If you don't enter the tiger's den, how can you catch the tiger cub!

He leaped into the hole.

The hole was very deep and spiraled downward. Lin Ye dived along the current; it was getting darker and darker around him, but the power of thunder was getting stronger and stronger. Even with Chaos Power protecting his body, his blood loss rose back to 200 points per second.

After diving for about a hundred zhang, the area ahead suddenly opened up.

It was a huge underground space, about the size of half a football field. In the center of the space, a corpse was floating.

It was a corpse three zhang tall, entirely purple, with lightning patterns on its skin. The corpse sat cross-legged, hands forming a Seal, eyes closed, as if sleeping. But the pressure radiating from it made Lin Ye almost unable to breathe.

That kind of pressure was a hundred times stronger than the Thunder Eagle King, and a thousand times stronger than Jin Buhuan! Even... more terrifying than Elder Xuanwei!

[Ancient Thunder God Corpse (???)]

Level: ???

Status: Dead (suspected), but the divine body is undying, entangled with the power of Lightning Tribulation.

Warning: The concentration of Lightning Tribulation in this area is extremely high. A Dao Palace Realm Cultivator who stays for more than ten breaths will have their Divine Soul destroyed!

Countdown: 9 breaths, 8 breaths...

Lin Ye's expression changed drastically. He immediately wanted to retreat, but his peripheral vision caught something in front of the Thunder God's corpse.

There were three items there: a purple ring, a broken shield fragment, and... a drop of golden blood.

The blood floated in mid-air, with countless tiny lightning bolts being born and dying inside, emitting an Aura that made Lin Ye's Soul tremble.

Thunder God's Essence Blood!

Intuition told him that that drop of blood was the greatest Opportunity!

But there were only five breaths left in the countdown.

Fight!

Lin Ye activated Void Step and instantly appeared in front of the Thunder God's corpse. He reached out to grab the drop of golden blood, while his other hand swept toward the ring and the shield fragment.

The moment his fingertips touched the blood, terrifying thunder power surged into his body along his fingers!

"Ahhh—!"

Lin Ye let out a silent scream (he couldn't make a sound underwater). His right hand instantly turned charred black, bones shattered, and Meridians were broken inch by inch. The power contained in that drop of Thunder God's Essence Blood, even just a trace, was enough to kill a Dao Palace Realm Cultivator thousands of times over.

But right at this life-or-death moment, the Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body within him erupted!

Gray Chaos Power surged out from his Five Viscera Divine Storehouses and Void Divine Storehouse, fiercely resisting the invading thunder power. The two forces fought and entangled in his Meridians, and finally... began to fuse!

Chaos encompasses everything!

The thunder power was assimilated and absorbed by the Chaos Power, turning into pure energy to repair his damaged right arm. The charred skin grew back, the shattered bones reorganized, and the broken Meridians reconnected.

At the same time, that drop of Thunder God's Essence Blood flowed through the wound and merged into Lin Ye's blood.

[System Prompt: You have absorbed the ancient Thunder God's Essence Blood (diluted one hundred millionth)!]

[Chaos Heavenly Emperor Body triggers special evolution!]

[Unlocked new attribute: Lightning Tribulation Resistance + 10%]

[Thunder Power Affinity: 0% → 5%]

[Obtained passive skill: [Lightning Tribulation Body] (Prototype) — Thunder attribute damage received is reduced by 20%, Thunder-type skill power + 20%]

[Warning: The energy of the Thunder God's Essence Blood is too vast; 99.99% of the energy is sealed deep in your blood. As your strength increases, the Seal will gradually be unlocked.]

Countdown: 1 breath!

Lin Ye didn't have time to look closely; he swept the ring and the shield fragment into his storage ring, then swam upward with all his might.

Void Evasion!

He directly consumed one hundred points of Divine Power to teleport thirty meters, but he still couldn't escape this space. The pressure from the Thunder God's corpse was too strong; the space was locked, and the distance of Void Evasion was greatly compressed.

"Again!"

Second Void Evasion.

Third time!

When Lin Ye used Void Evasion for the fourth time, he finally returned to that hole. He rushed upward without looking back, his speed reaching the extreme.

Behind him, the entire space where the Thunder God's corpse was located began to collapse.

Countless lightning bolts erupted, completely submerging that space. A terrifying shockwave followed up through the hole, and Lin Ye was pushed hard, accelerating as he rushed out of the hole.

The light sphere had completely shattered. Dozens of Thunder Snakes saw Lin Ye come out and rushed over crazily.

But Lin Ye had no time to tangle with them. He rushed straight up, his wind and thunder wings unfolding behind his back, flapping violently in the water.

"Boom—!"

The surface of the pool exploded, and a figure shot into the sky.

On the shore, Su Qingyue and the others breathed a sigh of relief when they saw Lin Ye rush out. But immediately afterward, they saw the entire Thunder Pool behind Lin Ye begin to boil!

The purple thunder water surged up dozens of zhang high like a fountain, and countless Thunder Snakes were thrown into the air. In the center of the pool, a huge vortex formed; deep in the vortex, one could vaguely see a space that was collapsing.

"Run!" Lin Ye landed on the shore and shouted, "The Thunder Pool is collapsing!"

The five of them turned and ran.

Behind them, the Thunder Pool erupted completely. Billions of lightning bolts shot into the sky, illuminating the entire valley in purple. A terrifying shockwave followed, sending the five of them flying and crashing heavily to the ground.

Lin Ye gritted his teeth and climbed up, looking back.

Deep in Wind and Thunder Valley, the Thunder Pool that had existed for three thousand years had now turned into a huge deep pit. Lightning flashed in the pit, but the majestic power of thunder from before was gone.

The Thunder Pool... had dried up.

[System Prompt: You have explored the Thunder Pool Secret Realm!]

[Obtained: Thunder Eagle King Heart (Epic), Thunder Source Crystal (Legendary), Nine Heavens Thunder Technique · First Layer (Earth Rank High Grade), Ancient Thunder God Ring (Damaged), Thunder God Shield Fragment (Unknown), Thunder God's Essence Blood (Already absorbed)]

[Wind and Thunder Valley map permanently changed: The Thunder Pool has dried up, and the wind and thunder powers are unbalanced. Within the next three months, Wind and Thunder Valley will gradually become an ordinary valley.]

Lin Ye looked at the System prompts, his feelings mixed.

The harvest was huge, but there was a price—Wind and Thunder Valley, this natural dangerous area, had disappeared because of him. He didn't know what impact this would have on Yan State and the players.

"Brother Ye, are you okay?" Chen Hao walked over and was startled when he saw Lin Ye's charred right arm.

"It's nothing, just a superficial wound." Lin Ye shook his head. In reality, the injury on his right arm had already healed under the effect of the Thunder God's Essence Blood and Chaos Power, but it just looked scary.

He looked at the purple ring and the shield fragment in his hand.

The ring was very simple and ancient, entirely purple, with a purple gem the size of a grain of rice embedded in it. But there was a crack on the surface of the ring, obviously severely damaged.

[Thunder God Ring (Damaged)]

Quality: ??? (Originally an Immortal Artifact, now fallen to Legendary grade)

Status: Severely damaged, spirituality dormant

Effect: ??? (Can only be viewed after repair)

Repair Requirements: At least requires [Thunder Source Crystal] × 1, [Nine Heavens Dark Iron] × 10, [Lightning Tribulation Liquid] × 3 drops

Description: A ring worn by the ancient Thunder God, containing the Origin of the Law of Thunder. It was damaged when the Thunder God fell, and its Rank plummeted. If it can be repaired, some of its power can be restored.

An Immortal Artifact! Although damaged, it was once an Immortal Artifact!

Lin Ye's heart rate accelerated. What is the concept of an Immortal Artifact? In the entire game, there are no more than ten pieces of equipment at the Immortal Artifact level, and each one is a strategic presence capable of changing the course of a battle.

Although the repair requirements are harsh, at least there is hope.

Then there was the shield fragment.

It was a purple metal piece the size of a palm, with irregular edges, as if it had broken off from something large. The surface of the fragment was engraved with lightning patterns; although incomplete, it still radiated an unyielding will.

[Thunder God Shield Fragment (Special)]

Type: Quest Item / Material

Effect: Unknown

Description: A fragment of the ancient Thunder God's shield, containing the Thunder God's final will of protection. It seems to be related to some lost myth or legend.

For now, the purpose is unknown, but it is definitely not simple.

Lin Ye put away the two items and looked at the others: "This place is not suitable for a long stay. The commotion of the Thunder Pool drying up is too great, and people will come to check it soon. Let's return to the city immediately."

The five of them left Wind and Thunder Valley quickly.

Not long after they left, several beams of light descended from the sky, landing by the ruins of the Thunder Pool.

There were both players and NPCs.

One of the golden lights was Jin Buhuan. He looked at the dried-up Thunder Pool, his brows locked in a frown: "A three-thousand-year-old Thunder Pool, just destroyed like this... What on earth happened?"

A player next to him reported in a low voice: "Commander, I saw people from the Heavenly Court leave here before..."

Jin Buhuan's eyes narrowed, but he didn't speak.

Elsewhere, the figure of Ji Mingyue also appeared in the void. She looked at the ruins of the Thunder Pool, then looked in the direction where Lin Ye and the others had left, a trace of worry flashing in her eyes.

"The Thunder Pool has dried up, the wind and thunder are unbalanced... Lin Ye, what exactly did you obtain inside?"

And at this moment, on the Western Continent, thousands of miles away.

In a magnificent temple, a blond man opened his eyes.

He was wearing a golden divine robe, holding a thunder scepter, and his whole body exuded an Aura like a god or a demon. It was none other than Zeus.

"In the East... there is an awakening of the Thunder God's Aura." Zeus muttered to himself, "Although weak, it is indeed the power of the Thunder God. Interesting."

He looked toward the East, a trace of Battle Intent flashing in his eyes.

"It seems that the trip to the Eastern Wasteland must be Advanced."