135: Chapter 135 Thunder River Reveals Wind Feather Clan! Ranking of Myriad Races: 151 - Wind Feather Clan!
While Zhou Heng was in the hidden mountain hollow absorbing the Thunder Dragon Essence Blood and comprehending the inverse scale secret technique,
in other corners of the Nine Heavens Thunder Domain, trials were also proceeding in full swing.
Deep within an extremely cold ice cave somewhere in the Thunder Domain Canyon.
Chen Ye knelt on one knee, his ice soul long saber thrust into the ground before him. His entire body radiated an astonishing chill, freezing the entire cave into a shade of icy blue.
Before him lay the massive corpse of a demonic beast that resembled a spider but was composed entirely of blue ice crystals.
It was precisely the overlord of this area—the Ice Crystal Thunder Spider King.
Utilizing the Xuanming Ice Prison Body's absolute control over ice-attributed power,
as well as his even purer mutated extreme cold power, Chen Ye had forcibly frozen this spider king, which excelled at manipulating ice and lightning, into an ice sculpture before shattering its core with a single slash.
At this moment, he was absorbing an Extreme Cold Thunder Core that had condensed within the Ice Crystal Thunder Spider King's body.
This thunder core contained two vastly different yet ingeniously fused powers of ice and thunder, serving as the key to the further transformation of his Ice Prison physique.
As he absorbed the energy, Chen Ye's aura rose steadily. His already cold gaze grew deeper, and the icy blue color in his pupils seemed as if it were about to materialize.
The chill surrounding him was no longer just a low temperature; it now carried a conceptual intent that could freeze the soul.
Buzz—!
A powerful momentum erupted from his body, causing the ice layers within the cave to emit faint cracking sounds.
[Realm Breakthrough! 2-Star Spirit Nurturing Peak → 3-Star Spirit Nurturing!]
[Xuanming Ice Prison Body Deep Mutation! Comprehended the embryonic form of an Ice Domain: Absolute Zero!]
[Thunder Resistance increased; can now preliminarily guide the fused power of Ice and Thunder!]
Chen Ye slowly opened his eyes. Feeling the surging power within him and the newly born embryonic domain, a rare, extremely faint look of satisfaction appeared on his cold face.
He pulled out his long saber and looked deeper into the cave, where there seemed to be something even more attractive to him...
His fortuitous encounter clearly did not end here.
The scene shifts back to Zhou Heng.
In three days, Zhou Heng had absorbed most of the essence blood at the edge of the Thunder Dragon Blood Pool and had preliminarily comprehended the introductory mantras for the Eye of Thunder Punishment and the Thunder Dragon Emperor Armor.
Although he was still some distance away from truly manifesting them, his foundation and potential had increased immensely.
He estimated the time; three days had already passed since entering the Nine Heavens Thunder Domain. It was time to set out for the second layer, the Thunder Dragon Forest, to regroup with his teammates.
This mountain hollow, the remaining Thunder Dragon Essence Blood, and the skeletal remains were all priceless treasures, but he couldn't take them with him. He could only leave a temporary mark, hoping to return if the opportunity arose in the future.
After carefully concealing the traces of the entrance and reinforcing the concealment formation,
Zhou Heng left the mountain hollow. Following the map's guidance, he headed toward the River of Thunder at the boundary between the Thunder Domain Canyon and the Thunder Dragon Forest.
The closer he got to the River of Thunder, the more abundant and active the thunder yuan energy in the air became,
and he could even faintly hear the rumbling sound of water from the distance.
Several hours later, a vast and spectacular sight appeared before Zhou Heng.
It was a river truly composed of lightning!
The river water was not liquid but was formed by the convergence of countless leaping and surging silver electrical sparks. Its width was immeasurable, and it wound its way toward the end of his vision.
The river's surface was turbulent, with waves made of bursting thunderballs that emitted deafening roars.
The entire long river radiated a destructive aura, yet it also contained a strange vitality, as if it were alive.
Even more amazing was that above the surging River of Thunder,
one or two beautiful phoenix-like creatures composed of pure thunder energy could occasionally be seen dancing gracefully.
Their postures were elegant, and their feathers were woven from electrical light. They were the rare phantoms of Thunder Phoenixes!
They were not physical entities but manifestations of the River of Thunder's laws.
"The River of Thunder... it truly lives up to its reputation!" Zhou Heng marveled.
He did not rashly approach. The energy contained in the river water was too violent; with his current strength, attempting to cross the river by force would likely be dangerous.
He walked upstream along the riverbank, planning to find a crossing where the energy was relatively calm.
At the same time, he operated his Omniscient Eye at full power, analyzing the energy flow patterns of the River of Thunder and the trajectories of those Thunder Phoenix phantoms, trying to gain a sliver of comprehension regarding the wonders of lightning's creation.
After walking for about half an hour, a relatively open riverbank appeared ahead, and the river's flow seemed to have slowed down slightly.
However, Zhou Heng suddenly stopped in his tracks, his gaze sharply looking toward a dense woodland on the opposite bank.
The Omniscient Eye sent a warning!
[Large number of living organisms detected! Energy attributes: Wind and Thunder hybrid!]
[Target Analysis: Rank 151 on the ten thousand races ranking - Fengling Clan (Small Tribe)]
[Racial Characteristics: Lithe bodies, transparent wings on their backs, skilled in Wind and Thunder secret techniques, swift movement, highly organized, and united yet xenophobic.]
[Strength Assessment: Most tribe members are Rank 3. The tribal chief's energy reaction is strong, suspected to be mid-Rank 4! Unknown dangers present!]
"A Fengling Clan tribe?" Zhou Heng's heart stirred.
Rank 151 on the ten thousand races ranking, one rank higher than the Mirror Race; they were clearly not to be trifled with.
He immediately restrained his entire aura and, using the shadows of the boulders on the bank, stealthily crept closer, preparing to observe carefully.
Through a crack in the rocks, he saw the scene in the woodland on the opposite bank.
There were dozens of simple houses constructed from some kind of glowing vines and wood. Many Fengling tribespeople with wings on their backs, slender builds, pale green skin, and pointed ears were active there.
Some were at the riverside using unique wind vortex techniques to draw the relatively mild River of Thunder water, while others were in the forest gathering glowing fruits.
Still others were performing a ritual-like activity, chanting around an elderly Fengling man who held a scepter and possessed a clearly more powerful aura.
The entire tribe appeared orderly, exuding a primitive and mysterious atmosphere.
Zhou Heng did not act rashly.
He carefully observed the tribe's defensive arrangements, the patrol patterns of their personnel, and the aura of that tribal chief.
[Weakness Analysis initiated...]
[Tribal Defense: Relies on natural woodland and simple warning formations. Aerial defense is strong, but defense against underground and underwater infiltration is average.]
[Patrol Patterns: Fixed routes with intervals of about fifteen minutes. Visual blind spots exist.]
[Chief's Status: Aura is steady, but there seem to be old injuries or hidden ailments. Energy circulation has a slight blockage at the chest.]
"A mid-Rank 4 chief... barging in is definitely out of the question." Zhou Heng's brain worked rapidly.
"Their goal is to cross the river; there's no need to clash with these locals. Moreover, the Fengling Clan is skilled in wind secret techniques. Perhaps... I can glimpse some Wind-Thunder fusion techniques from them?"
A plan gradually took shape in his mind.
He noticed that not far downstream from the tribe, the river surface was relatively narrow, and there was a massive black reef protruding from the water that could serve as a stepping stone.
However, that spot was at the edge of the tribe's patrol vision, and the river water was more turbulent there.
"Perhaps I can wait until nightfall and use Wind Thunder Illusion Steps along with the cover of darkness to pass through that position quickly..."
Zhou Heng silently calculated the distance, speed, and risk.
However, at that moment, an abrupt change occurred!
Rumble—!!!
A massive commotion suddenly came from upstream, as if some gargantuan object were approaching!
Immediately after, the water of the River of Thunder surged violently, the waves becoming even more turbulent, even forming lightning crests several meters high!
The Fengling tribe was instantly thrown into a commotion. All the tribespeople acted as if facing a great enemy.
They picked up their weapons and flew into the air one after another. The old chief also held up his scepter with a solemn expression, chanting under his breath as he prepared to respond.
Zhou Heng also held his breath, staring intently upstream.
In the turbid River of Thunder, a massive, mountain-like dark shadow was slowly drifting along with the current! The aura radiating from that shadow made even Zhou Heng feel a pang of palpitations!
"What is that?" Zhou Heng's pupils constricted slightly.
With the Omniscient Eye looking with all its might, he faintly made out the outline of the dark shadow—
It seemed to be the remains of an incredibly massive... ancient beast?!
An opportunity? Or a crisis?
Zhou Heng's eyes flickered, and he made a decision in an instant:
Wait and see!
This sudden turn of events might break the existing balance and bring him an unexpected opportunity!