Even from a distance, the explosion echoed clearly.
Moments later, Qi Sheng, the Core Formation third-layer cultivator from Nether Spring Temple, landed at the bottom of Thunderfall Abyss. The pitch-black environment disrupted his vision slightly.
He conjured several fireballs, evenly spaced around him, illuminating a radius of ten meters. The pit wasn't just deep—it was vast. Its base spanned nearly a hundred li in diameter.
It was practically an underground world.
He wasn't sure which direction Wang Yu had fled, but judging from the descent point, the nearest cavern wall couldn't be far.
"Fragrant Snout Bat."
"Squeak squeak—!"
As expected, the spirit beast locked onto Wang Yu's true location without hesitation, ignoring the nine decoys Wang Yu had released.
Qi Sheng followed immediately, but not without caution. He retrieved several black-gold talismans and affixed them to his body—Lightning Ward Talismans.
These would instantly generate a protective layer against sudden lightning strikes, preventing paralysis or entrapment. Experience had taught him to be prepared.
There was no sign of rain, but summer weather was fickle. A sudden sunshower could trigger the abyss's latent mechanisms.
Better safe than sorry.
Within less than a stick of incense's time, Qi Sheng reached a suspicious area. The Fragrant Snout Bat circled, squeaking alerts.
"A concealment array? Heh—naïve."
Qi Sheng flicked his sleeve. A gust of wind surged forth, slicing through the array with a dense net of pale green blades.
He sensed danger and tried to retreat—
Too late.
Dozens of pre-laid talismans exploded. Many were tier-two, and some were even signature Nether Spring designs.
"Ninefold Phantom Blade Talisman, Ice Lance Curse, Sandstorm Glyph, Smoke-Erosion Poison Seal…"
No doubt—Wang Yu's handiwork.
Qi Sheng raised his protective aura. It absorbed most of the blast. The rest he deflected with ease.
"Wang Yu—"
He was getting irritated. Wind surged beneath his feet and around the Fragrant Snout Bat. He accelerated.
—
Elsewhere, in a hidden cavern—
Wang Yu heard the explosion and calculated the timing. His expression darkened.
"So fast… That means he didn't hesitate at all. He went straight for the real me."
He sped up, activating his perfected Frostmoon Wings for maximum escape velocity.
No doubt about it.
His pursuer's tracking ability was terrifying.
Wang Yu's divine sense spread outward, using Soul-Seeking Mountain Search to map the cave network.
He reached a junction and blew it apart, then used his Purple Dragon Earthshift Technique to bypass the area—hoping to disrupt Qi Sheng's tracking.
But—
The plan backfired.
Thunderfall Abyss was saturated with lightning. Years of storms had infused the rock and soil with volatile energy.
As Wang Yu tunneled through, he was electrocuted with every step. The Earthshift technique nearly collapsed.
Fortunately, his body was tough. His arms bore Wind-Lightning Spirit Marks, making him highly resistant to lightning.
He barely tunneled a thousand meters before surfacing, body numb.
"Damn!"
He cursed, rubbing his limbs—then froze.
"Hmm?"
The Dragonblood Elixir stored in his spine began absorbing rapidly. His blood essence condensed at double speed.
"Of course… Ancient cultivators tempered their bodies with lightning. Facing heavenly tribulation is suicidal, but ambient lightning is perfect.
"Thunderfall Abyss is ideal—strong enough to stimulate the body, but not lethal."
He glanced back, frustrated.
To miss this opportunity would be maddening.
"Snowjade!"
He halted and released his three-tailed snow fox. It blinked at him in confusion.
Wang Yu removed his hairpin, handing over the Lunar Corpse Coffin and Ghoul Puppet, then draped his robe over Snowjade.
"Run. Full speed. If you're exhausted, use the pills in the pocket. If you're caught, release the ghoul to stall."
Snowjade looked betrayed—but couldn't argue.
It was about to embark on a long, uncertain sprint.
"Oh, wait."
Wang Yu pulled out an old storage pouch—standard issue for Blood Reversal outer disciples, saturated with his aura.
Inside was a dried arm—his discarded Divine Strength Corpse Arm. He had Snowjade wrap it with its tail.
"If lightning strikes, hide in the coffin. You'll be fine. Now go—all out."
Snowjade hesitated, then dashed off, leaving icy mist in its wake.
Wang Yu dove back into the earth, letting lightning seep into his body. He tunneled two thousand meters before activating the Wind-Lightning Spirit Marks to absorb the energy.
His arms glowed with lightning patterns, gradually spreading across his limbs.
Another three thousand meters down, the technique reached its limit. Wang Yu summoned the Starfall Cold Furnace and climbed inside.
He released Ice Wyvern Flame, sealing the furnace with chains of fire—using the Cold Wyvern Alchemy Art's Sealing Method.
High-grade pills required long refinement. During the Essence Infusion Phase, brute-force fire wasn't enough. Sealing allowed slow, steady progress.
Even if the alchemist left, the process continued.
This sealing method also doubled as a powerful Aura Concealment Technique.
Though the Cold Wyvern Art was a broken tier-three legacy, Wang Yu had restored it to tier-two perfection. The sealing method barely reached tier-three.
Combined with his stealth arts and Snowjade's distraction, he was confident he could evade pursuit.
Once the Ice Wyvern Flame faded, silence returned.
Wang Yu began absorbing lightning in earnest. Blood essence condensed rapidly.
His body cultivation surged—almost without limit.
Qi Sheng continued chasing.
He blasted through blocked tunnels with ease. When he reached a dead-end, he tapped the Fragrant Snout Bat. A thousand meters vanished in seconds.
As long as wind flowed through the tunnel, the bat could track scents across vast distances.
Upon arrival, the bat grew agitated.
"Squeak, squeak!"
Qi Sheng communed with it via divine sense, nodding.
"Got it… Wang Yu's scent is stronger here. The ghoul and fox are nearby too. We're close. Keep going!"
After he left, Wang Yu sensed the tremors fading. He exhaled quietly.
If Qi Sheng could track him, Wang Yu could sense him too.
Only one pursuer. That ruled out retreat—Qi Sheng's allies might be guarding the abyss entrance.
Besides, Wang Yu couldn't abandon Snowjade, the ghoul, or the coffin.
Better to stay underground and push his body cultivation to the limit.
So—
Inside the furnace, Wang Yu absorbed lightning from the earth. The Dragonblood Elixir digestion accelerated. Blood essence surged through his spine.
Once the stored elixir was depleted, he retrieved more from his Oceanheart Ring.
This was a once-in-a-lifetime chance.
His blood essence neared the bottleneck—999 drops.
Unbeknownst to him—
His active absorption triggered a resonance with the Wind-Lightning Spirit Marks, drawing lightning toward the furnace.
Crackling arcs danced around it, forming a dense shell. Only Wang Yu's divine sense could permit entry.
He became a living lightning core.
The energy built and built…
Until the abyss itself reacted.
The Thunderstorm Mechanism activated.
Lightning erupted from every cavern wall—arm-thick bolts weaving into a massive grid, converging toward the center.
As they passed through tunnels and junctions, they merged into a colossal storm.
When they reached the hundred-li-wide central chamber—
They would form a Sea of Lightning.
Foundation cultivators couldn't survive it.
Even Core cultivators would struggle—only those with specialized defenses could endure.
As the storm brewed—
The ambient lightning intensified. Wang Yu's absorption rate skyrocketed.
At the moment his blood essence reached 999 drops, it fused—then scattered—then fused again.
Three cycles later, it stabilized into a single drop of True Mixed Blood.
His Nether Demon Drake Technique roared to life.
"Unleash!"
With a shout, his blood essence manifested into a thirty-meter-long drake.
His physical power surged.
Body Cultivation: Second Realm, Late Stage—Achieved.
(End of Chapter)
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