Seize the opportunity

"The wind is strong here; it blew it."

Yun Yuzhen took a deep breath and instantly circulated the Grand Yin True Scripture. A cold chill surged through her body, forcibly suppressing the heat in her face.

She regained her cold and unreachable demeanor as the Peak Master of Purple Bamboo Peak, but her frigid eyes were now like tempered ice as she stared intently at the seemingly harmless youth in black robes within the water mirror.

Just wait.

Wait until you come out.

As your Revered Master, I must make you understand what it means to respect your teacher and the Dao!

...Inside the Secret Realm, by the Cold Pond Valley.

Su Ye had no idea that his tsundere Revered Master was sharpening her blade outside.

He was currently stretching lazily and comfortably, feeling the terrifying power surging through his body like a vast river.

Nascent Soul Sixth Heaven.

This feeling of overflowing power was simply intoxicating.

"Senior Brother, where are we going now?"

Lin Waner leaned in close to Su Ye like an obedient little wife, her large, watery eyes filled with admiration.

After these three days of "deep cultivation," not only had her cultivation skyrocketed, but her entire being was like a flower that had been nourished—vibrant, dripping with charm, and radiating an astonishing allure.

Although Lin Qianxue didn't speak, her cold eyes followed Su Ye closely. The long sword in her hand hummed slightly, as if she were ready to cut through any thorns for her Senior Brother at any moment.

Su Ye was just about to speak.

Boom!

An earth-shattering roar exploded without warning from the southeast of the Secret Realm.

Immediately following that,

A massive purple lightning pillar rose from the ground like a pillar holding up the sky, shooting straight into the Nine Heavens!

Zizizi—!

Even from dozens of miles away, one could clearly see the terrifying electric snakes dancing around the lightning pillar, dyeing half the sky a strange purple-black.

The violent power of thunder, mixed with an ancient and vast aura, instantly swept across the entire Taichu Secret Realm.

"That is..."

Lin Qianxue's beautiful eyes narrowed slightly, and the long sword in her hand let out a clear chime, as if sensing some powerful pressure.

"A phenomenon of heaven and earth; a great treasure must have appeared."

Su Ye narrowed his eyes, and a faint black vortex slowly rotated within his deep pupils.

He felt it.

That aura was extremely pure, fierce, and overbearing, just like the Cultivation Technique practiced by the Thunder Peak lineage of the Taichu Holy Land.

"Normally, I wouldn't care about such an Opportunity."

The corners of Su Ye's mouth curled up slightly, revealing a signature villainous smile. "But since it has appeared before me, Su Ye, then it is fated to be mine."

"Senior Brother, that direction..."

Lin Waner said with some hesitation, "It seems to be the area occupied by the Eldest Senior Brother of Thunder Peak, Lei Jingtian."

The Taichu Secret Realm was vast.

According to established custom, after the Disciples of each peak entered the Secret Realm, they would divide their own exploration areas and not encroach upon each other.

And the Thunder Roar Canyon in the southeast was precisely the territory of Thunder Peak.

"Lei Jingtian?"

Su Ye sneered, a flash of disdain in his eyes. "That muscle-head who spends all day talking about 'acting on behalf of heaven'?"

"Perfect."

"Didn't he claim he wanted to challenge my Purple Bamboo Peak during the Sect competition a few days ago?"

Su Ye waved his sleeve, and a domineering surge of spiritual power instantly enveloped his two Junior Sisters.

"Let's go!"

"Let's go deliver a 'great gift' to our Senior Brother Lei!"

Whoosh!

Three streaks of light soared into the sky like meteors chasing the moon, heading straight for that purple lightning pillar with a piercing sound of breaking air... Taichu Secret Realm, Thunder Roar Canyon.

This place was an ocean of lightning.

Countless silver electric arcs jumped in the void, and the ground was charred black without any vegetation, only jagged rocks.

And at this moment,

In the deepest part of the canyon,

A group of Disciples wearing blue-purple Daoist robes were forming a profound Formation, firmly trapping a massive beast in the center.

It was a giant purple beast surrounded by lightning, shaped like a Qilin but with three eyes. Every roar caused the surrounding thunder to explode.

And on a huge rock behind the giant beast,

A stalk of bamboo, purple-black and only as thick as an arm, was emitting terrifying fluctuations that made one's heart tremble.

On the body of the bamboo, nine lightning patterns had grown naturally, each one seemingly containing the power of a Heavenly Tribulation!

"nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo!"

"It's actually the legendary nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo! And looking at its quality, it's a Saint Grade spiritual material that has grown for at least three thousand years!"

In the center of the Formation,

A burly youth with a coarse face had eyes filled with fanatical greed.

He was the Eldest Senior Brother of Thunder Peak, Lei Jingtian.

A Cultivator of the Nascent Soul Second Heaven!

"Hahaha! Heaven is helping me!"

"As long as I obtain this nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo and refine it into my Lifebound Flying Sword, my 'Nine Heavens Thunder Induction Technique' will reach Major Achievement!"

"At that time, whether it's Su Ye of Purple Bamboo Peak or the Supreme Bone, all of them will be trampled under my feet!"

Lei Jingtian laughed wildly, lifting his broadsword to draw down the lightning from the sky.

"Junior Brothers, hear my command!"

"Fully activate the 'Ten Thousand Thunder Purgatory Formation' and trap this Thunder Qilin Beast!"

"Wait for me to take the treasure!"

"Yes, Eldest Senior Brother!"

The dozen or so Thunder Peak Disciples shouted in unison, each biting the tip of their tongue and spitting out a mouthful of essence blood to forcibly activate the Formation.

Boom!

Countless lightning chains emerged from the void, firmly binding the half-step Soul Transformation Realm Thunder Qilin Beast.

"Roar—!"

The Thunder Qilin Beast let out a heaven-shaking roar and struggled frantically, but the power of the Formation was too great. It could only watch helplessly as that human Cultivator approached the spiritual bamboo it guarded step by step.

Closer!

Even closer!

Lei Jingtian was now less than ten feet away from the nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo.

He could even feel the pure thunder power blowing against his face, making his Golden Core leap with joy.

"Baby, you're mine!"

Lei Jingtian's eyes burst with brilliant light as he suddenly thrust out a hand of True Qi, grabbing fiercely toward the nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo.

At this critical moment,

"Moo—"

A strange Dragon's roar, seemingly carrying a hint of mockery, suddenly came from the horizon.

Immediately after,

A giant hand, pitch-black as ink and large enough to cover the sky, emerged from the clouds without warning.

This palm was too big.

So large that it almost covered the entire sky above Thunder Roar Canyon.

On the palm, demon patterns swirled, emitting a suffocating and terrifying pressure, like a divine punishment sent by the heavens, carrying a domineering aura of supreme arrogance!

"What is this?!"

The wild joy on Lei Jingtian's face instantly froze, replaced by deep terror.

He subconsciously looked up.

He saw that the pitch-black hand did not strike him, but instead, with a speed that reached its target first, it directly passed over his head and snatched the nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo!

"No!!!"

"That's mine!"

Lei Jingtian's eyes nearly split as he let out a shrill, angry roar.

He suddenly turned his sword, his internal Nascent Soul vibrating frantically, and a hundred-zhang-long purple thunder Sword Qi slashed fiercely toward the giant black hand.

"Thunderous Might! Break for me!"

This strike was delivered in his fury, its power enough to level a mountain peak!

However,

The giant black hand didn't even try to dodge, and it didn't even pause for a moment.

Clang—!

A crisp sound of metal clashing rang out.

That thunder Sword Qi, powerful enough to kill an Early Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator, struck the black hand and only sent up a few insignificant sparks before shattering directly!

"What?!"

Lei Jingtian's pupils contracted violently, as if he had seen a ghost.

How is this possible?

This was an Earth Rank High Grade Flying Sword, combined with the peak-guarding technique of Thunder Peak; even a Middle Stage Nascent Soul Cultivator wouldn't dare take it head-on!

This hand... what on earth is it?

Before he could react,

The giant black hand had already grabbed the nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo and pulled it out with force.

Crack, crack, crack!

The sound of roots snapping rang out.

The Saint Grade spiritual material that had made Lei Jingtian's eyes red with envy for so long had changed hands just like that, effortlessly.

Whoosh—

The black hand clutched the spiritual bamboo and quickly retracted, disappearing into the clouds.

At the same time,

Three figures, like exiled immortals descending to the mortal world, slowly landed on a protruding giant rock above the canyon.

The leader,

With black robes fluttering, stood with his hands behind his back, a playful smile on his lips.

In his hand, he was playing with that nine heavens thunder tribulation bamboo, which was still crackling, as if he were fiddling with an ordinary fire poker.

"Tsk, tsk, tsk."

"A three-thousand-year-old thunder bamboo... it can barely be made into a pair of chopsticks."

Su Ye shook his head, seemingly a bit disdainful.

Pfft—

Below, Lei Jingtian heard this and spat out a mouthful of old blood.

Chopsticks?!

This is a Saint Grade spiritual material! It's a divine object that can be used to refine a Lifebound Treasure!

And you're freaking using it to make chopsticks?

"Su Ye!!!"

When Lei Jingtian saw who it was, his eyes instantly turned blood-red, thunder light exploded from his body, and his whole person was like a powder keg about to blow.

"It's you! It's you again!"

"This is an Opportunity discovered by my Thunder Peak! On what basis are you snatching it?!"

Su Ye looked down at the fuming Lei Jingtian and casually picked his ear.

"Snatching?"

"Senior Brother Lei, those words are unpleasant."

Su Ye smiled slightly, revealing a row of white teeth. "These Heaven And Earth Treasures belong to those with virtue."

"This bamboo just flew into my hand on its own, which means it thinks I have more virtue than you."

"Isn't that right, Waner?"

Lin Waner, standing beside him, covered her mouth and chuckled, her eyes full of charm as she nodded in agreement:

"Senior Brother is right. This bamboo clearly has a destiny with our Purple Bamboo Peak."

"And..."

Lin Waner glanced at the miserable Thunder Peak Disciples below and said delicately, "Senior Brother Lei is so fierce, he would surely scare this little bamboo baby."

"You! You guys!"

Lei Jingtian was so angry his whole body was shaking, and the finger he pointed at Su Ye was trembling.

Too much! This is simply too much!

"Su Ye! I want to duel you!"

Lei Jingtian roared, no longer able to suppress the rage in his heart.

"Junior Brothers! Change the Formation!"

"Ten Thousand Thunders World Destruction!"

Following his command,

Although the dozen or so Thunder Peak Disciples were fearful of Su Ye's reputation, they were already in a position where they had to act.

Rumble!

The Formation that had originally trapped the Thunder Qilin Beast instantly shifted direction. Countless bolts of lightning converged, forming a ferocious thunder dragon that charged toward Su Ye with bared fangs and claws.

The momentum was massive, enough to move even a half-step Soul Transformation expert!

"Stubborn and foolish."

The smile on Su Ye's face slowly faded, replaced by an indifferent chill.

He didn't even lift his hand.

"Shallow Snow."

Su Ye called out faintly.

"Here."

Lin Qianxue, who had been silent, took a step forward.

Buzz!

An extremely frigid aura instantly erupted with her as the center.

The originally hot Thunder Roar Canyon, filled with the aura of destruction, saw its temperature plummet in an instant, and heavy snow actually began to fall in the air.

In Lin Qianxue's cold eyes, the howling thunder dragon was reflected.

She did not draw her sword.

She merely joined her fingers like a sword and made a light stroke across the void.

"Ultimate Sword Intent—Freeze."

Ssh—!

An almost transparent Sword Qi silently sliced through the air.

There was no earth-shaking explosion.

Nor were there any dazzling lights or shadows.

Only a deathly silence.

In the next second,

A scene that everyone would remember for the rest of their lives occurred.

That incredibly violent, hundred-zhang-long thunder dragon formed from countless lightning bolts... stopped the moment it touched that transparent Sword Qi.

Crack, crack, crack!

The crisp sound of freezing rang out.

The surface of the purple lightning was actually covered with a layer of crystal-clear profound ice!

Even the lightning... was frozen!

That was the manifestation of comprehending the path of cold ice to the extreme, even touching the edge of the laws!

Ultimate Foundation Establishment!

Terrifyingly powerful!

"Break."

Lin Qianxue's red lips opened slightly as she uttered a single word.

Bang!

That massive, ice-sealed thunder dragon instantly shattered into a sky full of ice shards, dissipating in the wind.

"Pfft!"

"Pfft, pfft!"

Lei Jingtian and the dozen or so Thunder Peak Disciples felt as if they had been struck by lightning. They all spat out a mouthful of blood, their faces instantly turning as pale as paper.

Formation backlash!

With just one move!

Just a Foundation Establishment Stage Junior Sister by Su Ye's side had broken their proud Ten Thousand Thunder Formation!

"This... this is impossible..."

Lei Jingtian slumped to the ground, his broadsword falling with a clang.

He looked at that beautiful figure standing on the rock like an ice goddess, his eyes full of despair and disbelief.

Is this the strength of Purple Bamboo Peak?

Is this the Lin Qianxue whose Foundation was supposedly damaged?

This is a damaged Foundation? This is simply a Prodigy!

"Too weak."

Lin Qianxue retracted her finger, her cold voice devoid of any emotional fluctuation.

She stepped back behind Su Ye, returning to being that obedient little Junior Sister.

"Did you hear that?"

Only then did Su Ye slowly speak, his gaze indifferently sweeping over the crowd below. "My Junior Sister says you are too weak."

His figure flashed, appearing before Lei Jingtian like a ghost.

That terrifying demonic pressure made it difficult for Lei Jingtian to even breathe.

Su Ye slowly crouched down, reached out, and lightly patted Lei Jingtian's stiff face.

Slap!

Slap!

The sound wasn't loud, but it was highly insulting.

"Senior Brother Lei, remember this."

Su Ye leaned in close to his ear and said softly:

"In the future, when you see people from my Purple Bamboo Peak, take a detour."

"Otherwise, the next thing to break won't be your Formation, but your... bones."

After saying that,

Su Ye stood up and didn't even glance at the trembling Thunder Qilin Beast.

"Let's go."

He called out.

Lin Waner and Lin Qianxue immediately followed.

The three of them took to the air, leaving Thunder Roar Canyon in a grand manner, leaving behind a group of Thunder Peak Disciples questioning their lives and a mess on the ground.