At the bottom of Falling Thunder Valley, wild winds howled. The sky above churned with dark clouds, rumbling with thunder, and streaks of lightning flashed relentlessly. From time to time, a thick bolt of lightning would crash down from the heavens, striking a shimmering silver barrier hovering in mid-air.
No one knew how much time had passed. That silver barrier still floated at the valley's center, crackling faintly with electric light. The flickering glow illuminated the sheer rock walls around it, casting eerie shadows across the valley floor.
Inside the barrier, Xiao Yun sat cross-legged in midair. After his earlier confrontation with the power of lightning, his mind had slipped into a strange, trance-like state, hovering between consciousness and unconsciousness, drained from guiding the thunderforce into his body.
In this half-unconscious state, the silver barrier continued to draw lightning from the surrounding storm clouds. One bolt after another streamed into Xiao Yun's body, the power of thunder coursing through his meridians. Each surge of energy worked to repair his damaged body from the inside out.
Electric arcs danced along his meridians, lighting them up like glowing rivers. Muscles, bones, and flesh absorbed the lightning's raw energy, rapidly strengthening and regenerating. His meridians thickened, his muscles grew denser, and even his bones became sturdier—enhanced far beyond their previous limits.
Meanwhile, the charred, coal-black skin covering his body began to peel away.
Beneath the crusted surface, newly formed muscle rippled with explosive power. Layer by layer, the burnt skin cracked and flaked off like a snake shedding its scales, revealing pale, baby-smooth skin that glowed with vitality.
As more and more thunderforce entered him, Xiao Yun's heavily injured body didn't just recover—it became stronger than ever before.
Then, suddenly, the silver barrier stopped drawing lightning.
In the next instant, a brilliant flash exploded from the barrier, flooding the entire valley with light. And within that blinding radiance, a slender figure slowly took shape.
BOOM!
With a thunderous roar, countless silver arcs erupted outward from the barrier like a burst dam. The moment the barrier vanished, Xiao Yun's body floated serenely in midair.
His eyes snapped open—bright arcs of electricity flashed within his pupils, radiating a vivid blue light. Slowly, he drifted down to the shattered valley floor, where the boulder he'd sat on had long been pulverized by thunder.
He clenched his fists. A crackling pop-pop-pop echoed from his bones with each motion. A wild grin spread across his face as he raised his head and let out a long, victorious howl that echoed across the valley walls.
"All that pain was worth it!"
"Brat! You scared this old man half to death!"
Just as Xiao Yun was beginning to savor his transformation, an old, familiar voice boomed through the valley. His expression lit up with joy.
"Teacher? You're here?"
Whoosh!
A gust of wind tore through the air, and the next moment, an old man appeared before him—Elder Huo, his irritable but dependable master.
Without a word, Elder Huo raised his hand and thwack!—knocked a firm knuckle against Xiao Yun's head.
Seeing his disciple's sheepish expression, the elder snorted. "Do you have any idea how long you've been sitting here, drawing thunder into your body like some madman?"
"Uh… about a day?" Xiao Yun squinted up at the brightening sky, not entirely sure.
"A day?" Elder Huo's voice went up an octave. "You've been in here for seven! And three days ago, those little roommates of yours finally noticed you hadn't come back and ran to Old Man Su. He came to me. That's when I found out you'd gone and decided to play lightning rod!"
"I told you, didn't I?" Elder Huo scolded, "If you couldn't handle the pressure, you were supposed to leave the valley immediately! Is this how you keep your promises?"
"Er… I didn't think it would take this long…" Xiao Yun scratched his head, trying to look pitiful. "Sorry for worrying you, teacher."
As he lowered his head in embarrassment, Xiao Yun suddenly realized—he was stark naked. His clothes had long been disintegrated by lightning. His face turned beet red, and he frantically pulled a robe out of his storage ring, awkwardly draping it over himself.
Seeing his disciple's clumsy panic, Elder Huo burst into laughter. "What, you're blushing? You're not even grown yet!"
"Teacher, please don't say it like that…" Xiao Yun's face turned an even deeper shade of red. Sure, Elder Huo was his master, but being buck naked in front of another man? That was pushing it.
Elder Huo chuckled and circled around him twice. "Still, you've changed a lot… Wait, what's this? You broke through to nine-star Dou Grandmaster already? Weren't you only at seven stars the last time you came back?"
"Nine stars?" Xiao Yun blinked in surprise. He quickly summoned his status panel, and joy flooded his face. He hadn't expected this at all! By his estimates, reaching nine stars would've taken at least another month. But now, after one dangerous thunder-forging session, he'd made a whole breakthrough.
"Must've been the sheer density of energy in the valley," he explained. "While I was absorbing the lightning, I must've unconsciously drawn in a bit of ambient heaven-and-earth energy too."
Elder Huo's expression twisted—half concern, half begrudging admiration.
"You lucked out this time," he muttered. "Normally, raw natural energy is full of impurities. Anyone who tries to absorb it directly would risk polluting their battle energy. That's no joke—it can cripple your cultivation if you're not careful."
"But…" Elder Huo gave him a long look. "Your internal energy feels pure and dense. Not a hint of contamination. I'm guessing the thunder acted like a purifier—refining the energy as it entered you."
After a thoughtful pause, Elder Huo reached out and patted his disciple's head. "Still, promise me you won't be reckless again. Cultivation isn't something you rush. You've got talent, kid. Don't throw it away chasing quick gains."
Xiao Yun looked up at the old man and nodded seriously. "I understand, teacher. I won't try drawing lightning again until I've reached Dou Spirit Realm."
"Good," Elder Huo nodded. "Now, tell me—how did it feel? This whole thunder-body-forging experience?"
Xiao Yun grinned and eagerly launched into the tale, describing everything: the golden thunder flower he consumed, the raw energy of the storm, and how the lightning had repaired and empowered his body.
Elder Huo listened, his brows knitting deeper and deeper. After a long pause, he exhaled.
"You crazy brat… If it weren't for that golden thunder flower protecting your meridians, the first bolt would've fried your organs like meat on a spit."
Thunder was no joke—it was far more violent than fire. Even Elder Huo himself had never dared to channel natural lightning into his body. Xiao Yun had done it at the Grand Battle-Master level—either incredibly brave or utterly mad.
"But the result turned out fine, right?" Xiao Yun chuckled, scratching his head sheepishly.
"You can't rely on luck every time!" Elder Huo glared at him. "Your cultivation method uses the golden thunder flower to protect your meridians, right?"
"Yes," Xiao Yun replied. "It helps me absorb thunderforce more safely."
"Well then! Why didn't you think to use some proper thunder-resistance pills? Even third-grade pills like the Purple Thunder Pill or fourth-grade Heaven Thunder Pill offer better resistance than a wild flower. Don't even get me started on the sixth-grade Wind-Thunder Pill—it's practically made for this!"
Elder Huo rapped him on the head again for good measure.
"…Because you haven't taught me how to make them yet?" Xiao Yun muttered, eyes full of grievance.
Elder Huo blinked, then harrumphed. He rummaged through his storage ring and tossed over a handful of scrolls.
"There. Next time, don't go blaming your teacher for your idiocy. Pick a pill, any pill, and learn it!"
"Thank you, teacher!" Xiao Yun beamed and stowed the scrolls with great care.
"Alright, brat, since you're not dead, I'm hauling you back to the Inner Academy." Elder Huo's aura surged as fiery wings of battle energy flared from his back. With a practiced motion, he scooped Xiao Yun up like a sack of potatoes, and the two soared into the sky.
—
Before long, they landed back at the Inner Academy.
Elder Huo nagged him all the way to his dorm, reciting lecture after lecture until even Xiao Yun, ever the patient one, began to look desperate. Only then did the old man finally wave him off and leave.
Creak.
Xiao Yun pushed open the wooden door to his dorm courtyard and stepped inside.
"Boss! You're finally back!"
The ever-loyal Fang Wen rushed over, his face lit with delight. Xiao Yun blinked. "Where's everyone else? Did they all head to the Blazing Sky Qi Refining Tower?"
Fang Wen's smile faltered.
"Not quite. After you left… a bunch of senior students started bullying the new ones—shaking them down for 'protection fees.' A lot of the new guys, including the other three from our room, couldn't handle the pressure and joined the Inner Academy factions for safety. It's just you and me left now."
"Oh?" Xiao Yun raised a brow. "And why didn't you join one?"
"I wanted to… but I felt bad. What if you came back and found out I ran off? Wouldn't that be kind of heartless?"
Xiao Yun nodded approvingly. "Good. Here's what you'll do—go find all the freshmen who haven't joined any factions yet. Tell them I'm starting one, and I can provide protection."
Fang Wen's eyes sparkled. "Seriously? Boss, you're founding a faction? Then I can join too, right?"
"Of course you're joining!" Xiao Yun said with a laugh. "I'll be busy cultivating, so I need someone to manage things for me. Go gather the names. Anyone who wants in—write them down. I'll check in tomorrow at this time."
With a wave, he turned and headed inside, leaving behind a dumbfounded but excited Fang Wen.
He still needed to examine the changes in his body. Idle chatter could wait.