50: Chapter 50 Battle to the Death

He came to the Creation Divine Cauldron Space and began to carefully study the chant of the Myriad Phenomena Thunder Fist.

"Myriad phenomena thunder, fists unleash thunderbolts. Drive Qi with intent, drive power with Qi. Strength rises from the earth, fists are born from the heart. Thunder moves the myriad phenomena, fists break the myriad techniques..."

Baili Yunche silently recited the chant in his mind, slowly raising his hands to circulate the magic power in his body according to the method in the chant.

To Cultivate a lightning-attribute Cultivation Technique, the first thing to do was to condense the first wisps of lightning force within his body.

This lightning force was different from ordinary magic power; it was more violent and fierce, requiring a special method to compress and temper the magic power until a qualitative change occurred.

Baili Yunche closed his eyes, guided the magic power in his Dantian according to the chant, and circulated it along a specific Meridians route.

The magic power surged within the Meridians like rivers, finally converging on specific Acupoints of his fists.

He could feel a force condensing and compressing within his fists, as if something was being conceived.

Crackle!

A faint sound rang out.

Baili Yunche suddenly opened his eyes and looked down at his fists.

He saw tiny electric arcs faintly dancing on the surface of his fists, making crackling sounds as blue-and-white light flowed between his fingers.

The first wisp of lightning force was successfully formed!

Great joy filled his heart, but he quickly restrained his mind and continued to Cultivate.

In the following days, Baili Yunche locked himself in his room, Cultivating the Myriad Phenomena Thunder Fist day and night without rest.

He practiced throwing punches over and over again.

With every punch he threw, a ball of blue-and-white electric arcs would burst on the surface of his fist, emitting a muffled sound of thunder.

At night, he sat cross-legged on the bed, closed his eyes in meditation, and used his mind to guide the lightning force within his body to circulate along the Meridians, constantly tempering and strengthening it.

Cultivation was boring.

Repeating the same action over and over again, enduring the stinging pain brought by the lightning force wandering through the Meridians time and time again, and watching his progress be negligible day after day.

But Baili Yunche never complained.

He knew that if he wanted to become stronger, he had to pay a price.

There was never anything obtained for free in this world; even the Pure Yang Holy Body had to undergo thousands of refinements to truly bloom with brilliance.

For several days in a row, the residents of Courtyard Xuan No. 9 could hear the muffled thunder coming from the direction of Baili Yunche's room.

The sound was not loud, but exceptionally muffled, like thunder from the distant sky, one after another, endless.

On the seventh day.

Baili Yunche stood in the courtyard, took a deep breath, and slowly raised his right fist.

On the surface of his fist, blue-and-white electric arcs twined like spirit snakes, crackling loudly.

He could feel the power contained within his fist—violent, fierce, and as if it would burst open at any time.

His gaze concentrated, and he punched out fiercely with his right fist.

Rumble!

A deafening clap of thunder sounded.

A blue-and-white fist aura burst from the surface of his fist, like a real flash of lightning, fiercely striking forward.

A millstone-sized bluestone in the corner of the courtyard was hit by the fist aura and directly shattered into countless fragments.

Sun Huo's room door was pushed open abruptly, and Xiao Pangzi poked his head out with a look of shock.

"My goodness! Are you trying to demolish the house?!"

Baili Yunche withdrew his fist, looked at the bluestone blown to pieces, and a satisfied smile curled up the corner of his mouth.

One day.

In the Creation Divine Cauldron Space, that meant a whole month of time.

After a full month of unremitting Cultivation, he finally brought the Myriad Phenomena Thunder Fist to Major Achievement.

Although it was still some distance away from Perfection, it was already enough to unleash considerable power in combat.

Next was the Startled Swan Swimming Dragon Step.

Unlike the rigid, fierce, and domineering Myriad Phenomena Thunder Fist, the Startled Swan Swimming Dragon Step emphasized lightness, elegance, and lightning-like swiftness.

Baili Yunche stood in the courtyard, closed his eyes, and silently felt the Concept within the chant.

"A startled swan flashes by, a swimming dragon pierces the clouds. The body moves with intent, the intent travels with Qi. A single thought spans a thousand miles, a single thought returns to nothingness..."

The next moment, his figure suddenly moved.

An afterimage remained in place, while his true body had already appeared three zhang away.

Fast!

Too fast!

Baili Yunche opened his eyes, looked back at the afterimage he left in place gradually dissipating, and was overjoyed.

He continued to practice.

Once, twice, ten times, a hundred times...

His figure flickered continuously in the courtyard, sometimes appearing in the east, sometimes in the west...

At the very beginning, the controlled position was not very precise.

Right, there was once when he directly crashed open Xiao Pangzi Sun Huo's room.

"Holy crap! You must have a penchant for Dragon-Yang, right? I'm taking a bath! I won't easily surrender my chrysanthemum!"

Sun Huo, who was taking a bath, was startled and immediately cursed angrily.

Baili Yunche's face turned dark, and he quickly fled.

...

Streaks of afterimages trailed behind him, like a startled swan skimming across shadows, or a swimming dragon piercing the clouds.

Later on, his speed became so fast that even the naked eye could hardly capture it.

Only a blurry shadow could be seen shuttling back and forth in the courtyard, leaving behind strings of afterimages that lingered for a long time.

He spent another month in the Creation Divine Cauldron Space.

When the last afterimage dissipated, Baili Yunche stood steadily in the courtyard, his breath steady and his expression unchanged.

The Startled Swan Swimming Dragon Step had reached Major Achievement.

...

That day, Baili Yunche was Cultivating in his room when he suddenly heard a noisy commotion coming from outside the courtyard.

"Extra! Extra!"

"Explosive news! Explosive news!"

"Inner Sect Disciple Zhu Biao has initiated a life and death battle against Baili Yunche! He said he wants to avenge his deceased younger brother!"

The voice came from afar to near, quickly spreading throughout the entire residential area.

Baili Yunche opened his eyes and frowned slightly.

A life and death battle?

Before he could react, the door was pushed open abruptly.

"Senior Brother Baili! Senior Brother Baili! Things are bad!"

Sun Huo's round figure rushed in, his face full of anxiety, his small eyes wide open, and a thin layer of sweat on his forehead.

Baili Yunche looked at his flustered appearance and asked unhurriedly, "Xiao Pangzi, what's wrong? Why are you in such a rush?"

"You don't know yet? That Inner Sect Disciple, Zhu Biao, has initiated a life and death battle against you! The news has spread throughout the entire Sect!"

"Oh." Baili Yunche responded indifferently, "I just heard about it."

Sun Huo was stunned.

He stared at Baili Yunche with wide eyes, looking at him like a monster: "You... Aren't you worried?"

"Zhu Biao is at the Foundation Establishment 7th Layer cultivation! You are only at the Foundation Establishment 5th Layer, a difference of two small Realms!"

"What is there to worry about."

Baili Yunche stood up, stretched his muscles and bones, his skeleton making crackling sounds.

A faint smile curled up the corners of his mouth, and he said calmly, "Since he is courting death, then I'll grant his wish. It's just right to send him to reunite with his younger brother."

Even Wang Yang of the Foundation Establishment 8th Layer died at his hands; he really didn't take Zhu Biao of the Foundation Establishment 7th Layer seriously.

Sun Huo opened his mouth wide, unable to close it for a long time.

He really couldn't figure out where this newly arrived roommate got such great confidence.

Foundation Establishment 5th Layer against Foundation Establishment 7th Layer was a difference of two full small Realms. In the world of immortal cultivation, this was a nearly insurmountable gap.

"You... Are you serious?" Sun Huo asked tentatively.

Baili Yunche glanced at him, his gaze as calm as water: "Go help me spread the word, just say that I, Baili Yunche, accept it!"

Sun Huo still wanted to persuade him: "Well... actually, according to the rules of the Sect, Disciples with lower cultivation can refuse a life and death battle initiated by Disciples with higher cultivation."

"Are you really not going to think it over again? How about we lay low for a bit first and talk after your cultivation improves?"

Baili Yunche shook his head, a confident light flashing in his eyes: "No need. This battle will just let everyone know that I, Baili Yunche, am no longer that trash from the Waste Pill Room who couldn't Cultivate!"

Looking at the determination in his eyes, Sun Huo swallowed back the words that were on the tip of his tongue.

He opened his mouth, and in the end simply sighed and nodded.

"Alright then, I'll go spread the word."

After saying that, he turned and walked out the door.