Immortality and cultivation begin with full comprehension.

Chapter 726 Teaching Disciples, Breaking Through in Seclusion (Seeking Monthly Tickets)
"Senior Brother Chu! This formation is too strange!"

Elder Shouzhu roared, and the Xuan Turtle Shell suddenly made a crisp sound as it was smashed to pieces by a thunder dragon as thick as a water bucket. "Let's retreat!"

How could Chu Xinghe be willing to accept this?
He stared at Li Yunjing, who stood calmly not far away, his eyes bloodshot: "Retreat? If we don't kill this brat today, how will my 'Star River Dao Sect' save face!"

He suddenly bit his tongue, spitting a mouthful of blood onto the "Qiankun Copper Coin".

The cracks on the copper coin were temporarily healed, and it burst out with unprecedented golden light. The yin-yang fish phantom reversed and actually devoured several lightning souls!

"Break it for me!"

Chu Xinghe seized this fleeting opportunity, activated the "Star River Map," and condensed the power of billions of stars into a light sword, which pierced straight into the northeast corner of the formation!
That place is the life gate of the "Nine-Bend Thunder Soul Formation," and also a "flaw" deliberately left by Elder Xuan Yang.

"It's now!"

A glint flashed in Li Yunjing's eyes, and lightning patterns surged at the tips of his fingers.

That seemingly weak gate to life was actually a place where the most violent "thunder prison" was laid out.

As soon as the lightsaber pierced the gate of life, the surrounding lightning surged back like a tidal wave, with countless lightning threads wrapping around it and instantly corroding the lightsaber until only half of it remained.

"not good!"

Chu Xinghe's expression changed drastically. He wanted to take back the "Star River Map", but found that the lightning threads had spread along the light sword to the map, shattering the illusory images of billions of stars!
"what……"

Elder Xingyan was unable to dodge in time and was swept up by the counterattack of lightning. His entire body was transformed into a charred figure in the sea of ​​lightning, and he was completely annihilated before his nascent soul could even escape.

Elder Shouzhuo desperately used his last defensive magic weapon, but it only protected half of his body. His other arm was torn apart by the thunder dragon, and blood mixed with bone fragments splattered everywhere.

"go!"

Elder Shouzhu roared, grabbing Chu Xinghe with his remaining arm and shoving him out of the Gate of Life, "As long as the green hills remain..."

Before he could finish speaking, he was pierced by a purple-gold lightning bolt that fell from the sky. His nascent soul was burned by the lightning and fire as soon as it left his body, and he let out a shrill scream.

The moment Chu Xinghe was pushed out of the Gate of Life, he felt as if he had been struck by lightning in the back. A violent lightning force spread along his spine, and the nascent soul in his dantian let out a painful roar. His cultivation level actually dropped from the ninth level of the nascent soul realm to the eighth level of the nascent soul realm!

The copper coin in front of him shattered completely with a "crack," its fragments embedding themselves in his flesh, each movement feeling like a thousand ants gnawing at his heart.

"Li Yunjing..."

Chu Xinghe stared at the tall figure in the sea of ​​lightning, his eyes filled with resentment and fear.

He knew that if he had delayed any longer, he would have ended up like the two elders.

He dared not linger, and transformed into a disheveled streak of light, fleeing towards the edge of the "Crossing Mountains." The blood droplets scattered along the way were scorched into blue smoke by the remaining lightning power in the air.

The sea of ​​thunder gradually subsided, and the "Nine-Bend Thunder Soul Array" slowly dissipated.

Li Yunjing stood in the center of Meteor Valley, looking in the direction Chu Xinghe had escaped, his face as pale as paper.

Forcibly drawing upon the residual power of the ancient lightning tribulation caused a significant backlash to his golden core, with blood continuously spilling from the corner of his mouth.

"Vice Sect Leader Li!"

Elder Xuan Yang and Elder Lie Huo rushed over and breathed a sigh of relief when they saw that only two charred corpses remained in the valley.

Li Yunjing waved his hand, looked at Aman who was safe and sound behind the boulder, and a hint of relief flashed in his eyes: "How is Fei Zhenrong doing?"

"Fei Zhenrong, seeing that the situation was not good, had already fled with his remaining troops."

Elder Cui Ming's voice came through the communication talisman: "The new disciples have all been transferred to a safe base, with no casualties."

Li Yunjing nodded, staggered to Elder Xingyan's corpse, and picked up the shattered "Star-Fixing Plate".

The remaining star power and lightning power on the disc eroded each other, producing a hissing sound.

"This grudge... can be avenged for now."

His eyes flashed with a cold light, "But Chu Xinghe and Fei Zhenrong have escaped, which will cause endless trouble in the future."

"His cultivation level has plummeted, and he has also lost the 'Qiankun Copper Coin' and the 'Star River Map,' so he can't cause any trouble in the short term."

Elder Xuan Yang looked at the bloodstains left by Chu Xinghe outside the valley and said in a deep voice, "Our most urgent task is to strengthen the defense of the branch altar and at the same time report to the sect and request an investigation into the ambush by the two major sects."

Li Yunjing hummed in agreement and looked up at the sky.

The dark purple thunderclouds in Meteor Valley gradually dissipated, revealing a clear blue sky, as if the earth-shattering battle that had just taken place had never happened.

After this battle, the feud between the "Shenxiao Dao Sect" and the "Tianluo Dao Sect" and "Xinghe Dao Sect" was finally over.

He looked down at the bloodstains on his palm, then glanced at the direction of the branch altar in the distance.

There, the new disciples are waiting for news, while the deceased outer disciples are waiting for a belated memorial service.

"Dangdangdang..."

As the mountain breeze gradually dissipated the stench of blood from "Meteor Valley," the bells within the branch altar finally rang.

Three long and two short are signs that the crisis is over.

The new disciples heard the bell at the safe base, and their tense nerves suddenly relaxed.

When Aman was brought back by Elder Xuanyang, her face still showed lingering fear. However, when she saw the more than one hundred stretchers covered with white cloth at the entrance of the branch altar, her eyes suddenly darkened.

"That is……"

The round-faced boy's voice trembled.

Zhao Hao walked over and handed Aman a blood-stained outer disciple's robe: "It's from the senior brother who was killed while gathering spiritual herbs."

He paused, his voice low, "The deputy sect leader said that we will see them off at Chenshi (7-9 AM) tomorrow."

This is also an introductory education!

The hope is that the deaths of ordinary disciples will deepen the sense of belonging of these new disciples to the sect.

Otherwise, given Li Yunjing's status, there would have been no need for such a grand commotion; he could have simply sent a Golden Core elder to preside over the funeral.

Ah Man gripped the rough linen shirt tightly, her fingertips turning white from the force.

He recalled Li Yunjing's back as he sheltered him behind a boulder in the "Meteor Valley," and he also thought of the disciples he had never met but who died because of him. For the first time, a heavy sense of responsibility arose in his heart.

What use is the power of the "Thunderbolt Body" if it cannot protect those around you?
This was the first time the young man had seriously considered his role within the "Shenxiao Dao Sect".

Perhaps one day he can be like Vice Sect Leader Li and the other Supreme Elders, protecting the disciples of the sect.
At the branch altar square, Li Yunjing led five Nascent Soul elders to pay their respects to the more than one hundred coffins.

The new disciples stood in the back row, watching those young faces forever frozen on the memorial tablets, and no one dared to speak.

“They could have cultivated peacefully, but they are now in danger because of us.”

Li Yunjing's voice echoed across the square, "We who are alive will seek justice for them! The disciples of the Shenxiao Dao Sect must not have died in vain!"

"Justice!"

"Justice!"

……

Thousands of disciples shouted in unison, their voices echoing throughout the Shenxiao Temple.

Looking at Li Yunjing's straight back, Aman suddenly stepped forward and bowed deeply to the coffin.

This bow has nothing to do with rules, but only with the weighty responsibility of life.

After a day of rest, the "sky patrol ship" rose back into the sky.

When the new disciples boarded the ship again, they were less excited than when they first met, and more silent.

The sights and sounds along the way, and the brutal war they experienced, helped them grow a lot.

Aman stood alone at the stern of the ship, gazing at the gradually shrinking outline of the branch altar below, stroking the first volume of "Five Thunder Orthodox Method" that Li Yunjing had given him the night before.

This time, the full text of "The Gentle Thunder Chapter" is clearly printed at the beginning of the book, with Li Yunjing's handwritten annotations next to it: "The power of thunder lies in protection, not in killing."

"What are you thinking about?"

Lin Xuan walked over and said with a smile.

Aman looked up: "Uncle Lin, Vice Sect Leader Li could have asked the Sect Leader for help, why did he choose to take the risk?"

"Because he said that the sect is there to protect its disciples, not to let them hide under its wings."

Lin Xuan looked towards the direction of the "Crossing Mountains" and smiled, "Today he sheltered you from the wind and rain, hoping that tomorrow you can support yourselves."

"I understand!"

Ah Man was silent for a moment, then suddenly clenched her fist.

The "Sky Patrol Ship" passed through the last barrier of the "Mountain Crossing" and flew above the "City of Glory".

Li Yunjing stood in the driver's seat, looking at the vast and open world ahead.

An elder under his command handed him a battle report: "Chu Xinghe fled to the northern border and was picked up by the people of the 'Xinghe Dao Sect'; Fei Zhenrong has disappeared without a trace, probably returning to the East Sea to recuperate."

"As expected."

Li Yunjing took the battle report, glanced at it, and casually remarked. Three days later, they entered the heart of the "Great Ming Cultivation World" and spotted a colossal dragon, no smaller than the one that "crossed the mountain range," in the distance.

"That's... the mountain gate of the 'Shenxiao Dao Sect'?"

"I've heard that the Nine Heavens Thunder Pool on the main peak can temper all thunder-based cultivation techniques!"

Ah Man also stared at the long dragon, muttering to himself.

“That’s right, that is the foundation of our ‘Divine Firmament Dao Sect’, the ‘Divine Firmament Mountain Range’!”

Lin Xuan stood beside A Man, his eyes gleaming with pride.

Above the distant mountain range that winds like a giant dragon, purple thunderclouds are shrouded year-round, with countless bolts of lightning faintly visible moving within the clouds, as if they were alive.

"This is a dragon vein!"

Ah Man listened intently, and the "Thunderous Body" within her body seemed to sense something, and it began to operate on its own, with strands of thunderous power flowing through her meridians, echoing the distant thunderclouds.

"boom!"

Suddenly, a bolt of purple lightning as thick as a bucket struck down from the thunderclouds, hitting the summit of the main peak.

What's astonishing is that the lightning bolt did not dissipate, but instead transformed into a phantom of a thunder dragon, circling the peak several times before gradually disappearing.

"That is……"

"The manifestation of the mountain-protecting formation."

Li Yunjing had arrived on the deck at some point, standing with his hands behind his back: "The sect's main formation can refine and kill a Nascent Soul True Monarch."

"hiss……"

Upon hearing this, the new disciples all gasped in shock.

Ah Man noticed that when Li Yunjing said this, his gaze remained fixed on a certain spot on the main peak.

There, one could vaguely see a grand hall made entirely of purple and gold, with nine thunder pillars standing on its roof, their surfaces wrapped with tangible chains of lightning.

"Once you arrive at the sect, follow the people from the 'Hall of Affairs,' who will arrange where you will cultivate."

Li Yunjing turned to look at the enthusiastic group of people: "Whether your foundation is good or bad, I hope you will cultivate diligently and not give up!"

"Yes!"

The new disciples responded in unison, their voices less naive than when they first met, and more filled with a solemn determination.

The "Sky Patrol Ship" slowly descended and flew towards the Welcoming Peak of the "Divine Firmament Mountain Range".

The closer they got to the mountains, the richer the spiritual energy became, and the new disciples could even feel the spiritual power within their bodies resonating joyfully.

"We've arrived at Welcoming Peak."

With Lin Xuan's reminder, the "Sky Patrol Ship" landed steadily on the mountaintop platform.

Amidst the swirling mist, dozens of inner disciples dressed in blue Taoist robes, led by several stewards and elders, were already lined up and waiting.

"Welcome back to the sect, Vice Sect Leader Li!"

The leading elder bowed respectfully, but his gaze couldn't help but search among the new disciples, finally settling on Aman.

Li Yunjing nodded slightly: "These new disciples are now in your care."

He turned to Aman and said, "Cultivate diligently!"

Amidst the envious gazes of the crowd, Aman was the first to be chosen by the elders, riding auspicious clouds into the mountains.

As for the others, they were sent away in batches by the people of the "Affairs Hall," each performing their own duties.

After dealing with these matters, Li Yunjing gave a few instructions to his disciple Lin Xuan and then returned to Qiwu Manor to go into seclusion.

"It's better to go home!"

After reassuring Zhao Qi and telling her not to worry about his injuries, Li Yunjing sighed softly and went to his secluded cultivation room.

Although he won the battle at "Meteor Valley", it also left his golden core covered with tiny cracks, and the Xuanbing Sha remaining on his left shoulder was like a bone-deep ailment, making every time he circulated his spiritual power, it was accompanied by a bone-chilling cold.

Li Yunjing sat cross-legged, surrounded by lightning. The "Yin and Yang energies," "five-colored divine light," and "purple lightning" appeared and disappeared on his body.

He closed his eyes slightly and focused his consciousness into his dantian. He saw that the two guardian deities, the Azure Dragon and the White Tiger, on the surface of the golden core had shattered and lost their former vitality.

"Ugh……"

After the inspection, Li Yunjing sighed, took out a bottle of "Fountain of Life," and poured it directly into his mouth, swallowing it down in large gulps.

At this point, it would be too difficult for the pills in his hand to heal his injuries.

Only such rare and precious materials could restore injuries and maintain peak condition most quickly.

Li Yunjing trembled all over, feeling a sharp burning pain in his dantian.

That was the crack in the golden core being forcibly opened, and then being frantically filled by an even more domineering force of life.

"Uh... ah..."

He gritted his teeth, letting the force surge through his body.

At the cracks on the surface of the Golden Core, golden light and lightning intertwined, faintly outlining entirely new patterns.

The shattered phantom images of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger guardian deities have now reformed in the golden light, only now they are more condensed than before.

The Azure Dragon Guardian was enveloped in purple lightning, its eyes as piercing as thunder; the White Tiger Guardian was pure white, its claws and teeth gleaming with sharp golden light.

"To destroy and then rebuild is indeed a stroke of luck."

Day after day, Li Yunjing examined his dantian and discovered that not only had the golden core's injuries healed, but an eighth mysterious lightning pattern had also appeared on its surface.

Li Yunjing's aura grew stronger once again, and his mental power erupted within his sea of ​​consciousness, seemingly ready to sweep away everything.

"Boom!"

Inside the secluded cultivation room, the thunderous sounds grew increasingly deep and resonant, no longer the initial violent roar, but rather like the rhythm of the Great Dao at the beginning of creation, each sound striking Li Yunjing's soul and body.

The transformation of the soul has long transcended the realm of "purity".

Within his sea of ​​consciousness, the once hazy sea of ​​lightning was now as clear as a mirror. The billions of purple-gold lightning bolts were no longer chaotic, but flowed along some mysterious trajectory, like a miniature starry sky.

In the center of the thunderous sea, Li Yunjing's soul sat atop it, its beauty beyond description as "pure as jade."

It had a nearly transparent, glassy texture, with faint lightning patterns swirling around the edges of the soul, as if it were naturally integrated with the Great Dao of Thunder.

He tried to extend his soul hand, flicking his fingertips, and the lightning in his sea of ​​consciousness instantly condensed into a miniature lightning sword.

On the sword, the phantoms of "Yin and Yang Qi" and "Five-Colored Divine Light" appeared and disappeared, which turned out to be his attack that incorporated his own knowledge into the soul level.

Even more alarming was that as the power of the soul spread, the spiritual energy of heaven and earth outside the secluded training room resonated with it, and the phantom of the thunder dragon on the main peak of the "Divine Firmament Mountain Range" in the distance seemed to sense it and let out a long dragon roar.

"The soul resonates with the thunder of heaven and earth... Is this the prototype of the 'Thunder Soul'?"

Li Yunjing understood.

In the past, he controlled the lightning by relying on his cultivation techniques and spiritual roots. Now, his soul itself has become a part of the lightning, and he can draw upon the power of heaven and earth with every move he makes. His comprehension has also increased significantly.

Previously obscure chapters in "The Way of the Divine Firmament" now appear as clear as vernacular Chinese to him, and he can even draw inferences from them to deduce new variations.

The transformation of the physical body, however, is even more forceful.

The vitality of the "source of life" intertwined with the power of thunder, like countless small hammers, pounding his muscles and flesh day and night.

At first, it was an excruciating pain, but later it transformed into a tingling, itchy sensation, as if every cell was cheering with joy.

He looked down at his left shoulder, where the skin that had been eroded by the Xuanbing Sha had recovered completely, even more lustrous than other areas.

Trying to circulate spiritual energy, a warm current spread throughout the body, and the bones made a faint "crackling" sound, which was a sign that the bone density was constantly increasing under the tempering of lightning.

He raised his hand and clenched his fist. A flash of lightning appeared in his palm and disappeared, leaving a faint scorch mark in the air.

The connection between his physical body and lightning had reached the point where he could summon lightning with his bare hands.

Even more astonishingly, when he deliberately activated his physical body, lightning patterns similar to those on the surface of the Golden Core appeared under his skin, making him seem as if he were wearing an invisible armor of lightning.

This is not a supernatural power, but rather the result of the transformation of his physical body. Ordinary swords and even low-level magic weapons probably cannot even damage his skin in the slightest.

Finally, on a stormy night, the transformation of the Golden Core reached its climax.
Inside the dantian, the eighth lightning pattern slowly formed on the surface of the golden core.

This lightning pattern is more complex than the previous seven, resembling a lightning dragon with its head and tail connected, completely enveloping the illusory images of the Azure Dragon and White Tiger, the two guardian deities.

As soon as the lightning pattern was formed, the golden core suddenly contracted and then expanded, and a torrent of spiritual power several times stronger than before swept through the entire body, impacting every meridian in the limbs and bones.

"Om..."

The stone door of the secluded chamber was blasted open by an invisible force, and a gray beam of light shot into the sky, connecting with the thunderclouds in the sky.

The protective array of the "Divine Firmament Mountain Range" seemed to sense something, and the phantom of the thunder dragon on the main peak reappeared, facing the pillar of light from afar, emitting a deafening roar.

(End of this chapter)