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Chapter 193 Lei Pojun, Deep Blue Heavy Industry!! (Update 55 of 2 words)

Just a split second before the lightning struck.

Fang Qingyu's suppressed roar erupted like a trapped dragon bursting from its abyss!
"Roar--!!!"

This roar was not one of fear, but rather a culmination of the entire body's energy and will, carrying an indomitable courage and an almost insane desire to challenge!
The roar was instantly drowned out by the deafening thunder.

Yet it clearly reached Wei Banmeng, and the tense hearts of Jiang Wei and the others were filled with shock!

Thunderbolts strike!

Time seemed to be infinitely stretched at this moment.

Fang Qingyu's vision was instantly and completely engulfed by a blinding, pure white light that was enough to scorch his eyes!

An indescribable feeling.
A sharp pain and numbness, originating from the depths of one's soul, instantly swept through the entire body!
That wasn't just a simple physical impact; it was more like a rule-based, obliterating will to destroy the essence of life!

The extremely violent electric current instantly drilled into Fang Qingyu's limbs, bones, and internal organs, like millions of red-hot steel needles piercing, burning, and tearing him apart!

Every muscle fiber was groaning, and every bone was groaning from the unbearable strain!

The terrifying impact was like an invisible giant hammer, slamming hard into the head, spine, and chest!
My heart felt like it was being squeezed by a giant, cold hand, and it stopped beating instantly!

"puff--!"

Fang Qingyu's body trembled violently, and he uncontrollably spat out a mouthful of blood, which was instantly evaporated into blood mist by the extremely high temperature!
The dark red and bronze halo on the skin's surface flickered wildly, like a candle in the wind, flashing violently under the destructive energy!
The indestructible Vajra of the Immovable King Technique, the high-temperature resistance of the Extinction Body, and the shock-absorbing force of the Heavenly Drum Thunder Body were pushed to their limits at this moment!
But Fang Qingyu was prepared!

The thought struck like a steel blade!
"guide!!!"

A violent current surged into his body, some of which was absorbed, dispersed, and worn away by his inhumanly strong physique.

The other part was forcibly guided by Fang Qingyu and poured into the scorched earth beneath his feet, which had been ravaged by thunder and fire, through the dragon sparrow!

Swish-la-la——!!!
Centered on Fang Qingyu's feet, blinding electric snakes spread out like a spider web in an instant, covering the ground within a radius of several meters!

The charred rocks were instantly melted and vaporized, sending up thick blue smoke and a pungent burnt smell!

The ground trembled violently.

It was as if a ferocious beast of subterranean fire had been awakened!

The whole process lasted only a few seconds, but it felt like an eternity.

The pale lightning suddenly dissipated.

The terrifying, destructive roar that shook the heavens and earth seemed to pause for a brief moment.

Just as the lightning dissipated!
"then!"

Wei Banmeng's voice was more urgent than ever before. She was already ready to go. With a flick of her wrist, the Thunder Lizard's Reverse Scale, which was glowing with a faint blue light, shot towards Fang Qingyu like an arrow!
Fang Qingyu almost instinctively reached out and caught it, then instantly put it back in his pocket.

Buzz.
The reverse scales began to function again, a faint light swirling around them, starting to interfere with the dissipating charges once more.

The blinding white light completely dissipated.

"Aoko!"

"Fang Shen!"

Wei Banmeng, Chu Kuanglan, and Lu Jiuyuan rushed to Fang Qingyu's side like three gusts of wind, their faces filled with indescribable shock and worry!
Jiang Wei's small hands gripped Fang Qingyu's clothes tightly, her clear eyes fixed on him.

When they saw Fang Qingyu's condition, the expressions on the three people's faces froze instantly, as if they had been frozen in place!

Fang Qingyu remained standing upright. Apart from several obvious char marks on his face and neck, his hair standing on end and emitting blue smoke, and his combat uniform being charred and torn in many places, his exposed skin, although having an abnormal dark red hue and covered with fine electric burn lines, did not show the expected gruesome state of torn flesh and broken bones!

And Fang Qingyu's eyes.
Within those deep eyes, purple and white lightning seemed to be alive, surging and leaping wildly in the depths of the pupils!
It was as if a portion of that destructive lightning bolt had been imprisoned within it.

Wherever that gaze swept, a faint crackling sound seemed to emanate from the air!
"Are you injured anywhere?!"

Wei Banmeng's voice trembled slightly as she reached out to check Fang Qingyu's injuries.

Fang Qingyu slowly raised his hand and gently waved it.

"Cough, it's nothing."

His voice was somewhat hoarse, as if his throat had been burned, yet he remained unusually calm.

As Fang Qingyu blinked, the terrifying lightning in his eyes receded rapidly like a tide, returning to a deep calm, leaving only a faint, almost imperceptible purple tinge deep within his eyes.

Fang Qingyu raised his hand and wiped the charred soot from his face, the corners of his mouth slowly curving upwards into a barely perceptible arc.

really!

With 40 points of Golden Body attribute, a terrifying physical body formed by the near-perfect stacking of three hard skills, coupled with his deliberate guidance of most of the lightning to flow into the earth, and the critical moment when the Crimson Light Calamity Fire Scripture resisted the high temperature and the Five Elements Rotation Force (Wood) provided resilient protection for his meridians and internal organs, he actually managed to withstand it.

Although the intense pain and numbness of that moment are still unforgettable, and my blood and qi were churning violently, and I suffered some slight internal shock, my muscles, bones and skin were completely undamaged.

The foundation is unobstructed!

This result far exceeded Fang Qingyu's best expectations.

Chu Kuanglan's mouth dropped open, and the way he looked at Fang Qingyu was no longer just looking at him.

Lu Jiuyuan's knuckles were white from gripping the knife hilt, his eyes filled with extreme shock and a hint of awe!

Can they withstand the Thunder?

Is this something a Transcendent Realm martial artist could do?!

They actually succeeded?!
Wei Banmeng's heart, which had been hanging in suspense, finally settled down a bit. But looking at the calm expression on Fang Qingyu's face, with a hint of "I knew it," her cold eyes were filled with a complex mix of emotions, leaving her speechless.

Monster! An absolute monster!

Jiang Wei tilted her head back, looking at Fang Qingyu's slightly upturned lips. Her lips moved silently, but in the end, they only turned into a very soft sigh, full of unspoken meaning.

"madman."

The process of leaving the storm cloud sea went much more smoothly after that.

Perhaps it was the lingering power of the lightning bolt, or perhaps it was the violent aura remaining on Fang Qingyu that made the ghosts feel an instinctive fear, and they encountered almost no significant obstacles along the way.

As the five of them dragged their weary but exhilarated bodies through the heavy alloy gate of Anvil Fortress once again, the murky air and clamor of the base's lower levels rushed towards them.

Many eyes immediately focused on them.

Especially when they saw the fresh, extremely conspicuous charred marks on Fang Qingyu's face, and his slightly damaged combat uniform that exuded the aura of thunder and fire, some people's eyes changed instantly.

Shock! Unbelievable!
Even with a hint of schadenfreude mixed with disappointment!
Most of these people had shifty eyes and bore surgical scars and signs of modification with the life-ghost material, similar to those of the previous trackers.

They clearly knew that their "peers" had their eyes on this new team today.

They also knew that the team had followed them into the thunderstorm cloud sea.

The target team is back, looking a bit disheveled, but all members are present.

The stalker disappeared without a trace, and his fate was self-evident.

Especially when they saw the several very conspicuous charred marks on Fang Qingyu's face, and his slightly damaged combat uniform that carried the scent of thunder and fire, some people's eyes changed instantly.

To survive being struck by lightning deep within a thunderstorm cloud sea
This strength and luck were enough to make these hyenas put away their greedy fangs and replace them with wary eyes.

The five ignored these stares.

Walk straight through the chaotic lower-level area and head towards the upper-level residential area.

Just as they were about to step into the narrow, pungent passage leading to the upper level.

In the shadows of the passage ahead, several figures blocked the way like iron towers.

The leader was exceptionally burly, half a head taller than Chu Kuanglan. He wore a specially made sleeveless black alloy vest, and his exposed bronze arms were muscular and bulging like cast iron, covered with hideous scars and some kind of dark purple lightning patterns.

With a rugged face, short hair like steel needles standing on end, and eyes like a tiger hunting its prey, full of wildness and ferocity, his body exudes a powerful aura and carries a strong and domineering sense of pressure. He is none other than Lei Pojun of the Tiangang Martial Arts School!

Behind him followed two equally imposing disciples from the Tiangang Martial Arts School, their gazes unfriendly.

Lei Pojun's oppressive gaze, like a tangible searchlight, instantly locked onto the charred lightning wounds on Fang Qingyu's face.

His lips curled into an extremely domineering arc, his eyes sharp as knives, carrying a condescending scrutiny and an unquestionable declaration:

"Fang Qingyu?" The voice was like a muffled thunderclap.

Fang Qingyu stopped in his tracks. His face, which was somewhat tanned from being struck by lightning, remained expressionless as he calmly looked at the other person: "What is it?"

Lei Pojun stepped forward, his massive body almost blocking the narrow passage, exuding a strong sense of oppression. He stared intently into Fang Qingyu's eyes and spoke each word as if delivering a verdict:
"The Thunder Source Essence... will only be mine! And can only be mine!"

He paused, his tone carrying a blatant threat and an air of self-righteous dominance:
"I advise you not to even think about stealing it." The air seemed to freeze.

Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan's eyes instantly turned cold, and their muscles tensed.

Wei Banmeng silently placed his right hand on the hilt of the Xuan Chi sword behind his back.

Fang Qingyu was slightly taken aback by the other party's absurd and extremely arrogant declaration.

Then, as if he had heard something utterly absurd, he looked Lei Pojun up and down with a strange expression, and his lips twitched very slightly.

Those eyes clearly conveyed three words.
You are sick?
Too lazy to utter a single word of nonsense, Fang Qingyu immediately withdrew his gaze, as if the person blocking his way was not the infamous genius of the Tiangang Martial Arts School, but rather an eyesore of air.

Without pausing for a moment, he brushed past Lei Pojun's massive body blocking the entrance to the passage, even slightly bumping his shoulder against Lei Pojun's and pushing him aside.

"Walk."

The calm voice rang out, addressed to Wei Banmeng and the others.

Wei Banmeng and the other two glanced coldly at Lei Pojun, then followed closely behind Fang Qingyu and filed in.

Completely ignored, Lei Pojun's face instantly turned extremely ugly, as dark as the bottom of a pot.

He turned around abruptly, watching Fang Qingyu's figure disappear into the depths of the passage, his eyes burning with rage like a volcano about to erupt!

Back in the cramped, smelly room.

The five people sat around the rusty iron table.

"Damn it, what kind of idiot is Lei Pojun? Did he get struck by lightning? It's inexplicable!"

Chu Kuanglan slammed his fist on the table, looking utterly displeased.

“The people from the Tiangang Martial Arts Academy have always acted domineeringly, and Lei Pojun is one of the best among them. I guess they know we’ve gone deep into the core of the thunderstorm and see Fang Shen as a potential competitor, so they came to ‘warn’ us in advance,” Lu Jiuyuan analyzed, his tone cold.

Wei Banmeng looked at Fang Qingyu: "It seems that we are not the only ones eyeing the Thunder Source Essence over at Thunderstorm Cloud Sea. Lei Pojun's Heavenly Gang Overlord Thunder Fist also requires high-purity thunder power for tempering. He will definitely fight us to the death."

Fang Qingyu wiped the charred marks on his face with a wet wipe, his tone calm: "Ignore him. When the Source Tide appears, each will rely on their own abilities."

He then looked up at Wei Banmeng and said, "Your 'Dark' Source Essence is also very important. Since the Thunderstorm Cloud Sea is temporarily quiet, I suggest we rest for one night and set off for the Eternal Silent Pool immediately!"

Fang Qingyu's thoughts were clear: "Firstly, there is also a possibility of source matter appearing over at the Eternal Silent Pool, and the environment is relatively more suitable for us to rest and recover. Secondly, we have been engaged in high-intensity activities in the thunderstorm cloud sea for a long time, and we are exhausted both physically and mentally, especially Lao Chu and Lao Lu, who have consumed a lot of energy trying to comprehend and need to recover."

A hint of agreement appeared on Wei Banmeng's usually cold face: "Yes. Although the environment of the Eternal Silent Pool is cold and dangerous, at least there is no incessant thunder to disturb the mind, which is indeed more suitable for rest and enlightenment. Moreover," she looked at Fang Qingyu, "your injuries also require rest."

"I'm fine."

Fang Qingyu shook his head; with his recovery ability, he could recover from that internal tremor quickly.

The group was discussing the route and precautions for entering the Eternal Stillness Pool.

Buzz. Buzz.
The black communicators carried by the five people vibrated slightly and emitted a notification sound almost simultaneously!

Everyone immediately looked down.

Two prominent official federal announcements popped up on the screen:

[Urgent Notice: Monitoring has confirmed that the secondary entrance located at coordinates (X-117, Y-098) in 'The Abyss' has been stably opened for 48 hours. All participants in Project Hidden Dragon can freely enter and exit 'The Abyss' through this entrance for rest and resupply within 48 hours. Coordinate information and route maps have been synchronized to all base terminals.]

[Hidden Dragon Project Casualty Notice: Trainee IDs PL-071 and PL-089 have been confirmed dead within the 'Abyss'. Location of death: Outskirts of the Howling Rift. Preliminary cause of death: Attacked by a horde of mutated Life Ghosts at the peak of the Profound Realm. All trainees are urged to be vigilant and explore cautiously! Life is precious, safety first!]

The room fell into a deathly silence.

The second message struck everyone's hearts like a cold hammer.

Two days!

We've only been in the "Abyss" for two days!

Two people have already perished!
He was still surrounded and killed by a group of Fate Ghosts at the peak of the Profound Realm!

The Wailing Rift. The danger level marked on the map doesn't seem to be particularly high!
An invisible chill spread out, diluting the emotional turmoil caused by Fang Qingyu's resistance against Lei Ting and Lei Pojun's provocation.

“Wailing Rift,” Lu Jiuyuan murmured the name, his eyes grave. “The Howling Species that inhabit there are troublesome, but they usually don’t form large-scale groups. How could this be?”

"The environment in the 'Abyss' constantly stimulates the evolution of the life-destroying ghosts, so it's not surprising that any accidents happen. It seems that our previous caution was correct."

Chu Kuanglan let out a heavy sigh and said in a muffled voice, "Damn it, this godforsaken place is no place for a human to stay!"

Fang Qingyu stared at the two cold announcements on the screen, remained silent for a few seconds, and then tapped his fingers lightly on the table.

“The secondary entrance has opened. 48 hours.” He looked up, his gaze sweeping over his companions. “My suggestion remains the same: first, explore the Eternal Still Pool to find an opportunity to obtain the source of ‘Darkness.’ Then, before the main entrance closes, go out through the secondary entrance to rest!”

Fang Qingyu said firmly, "It's impossible to truly rest and recover in the stronghold, let alone practice new martial arts. We all need a safe and quiet environment to fully adjust our condition, replenish our supplies, and then make the next plan based on our experiences over the past two days."

"agree!"

Wei Banmeng was the first to speak, her eyes sharp.

The Eternal Still Pool was her goal, and Fang Qingyu's suggestion was indeed the optimal solution.

"No comment!"

"Listen to Fang Shen!"

Chu Kuanglan and Lu Jiuyuan nodded immediately.

After witnessing Fang Qingyu's feat of withstanding the thunder, the two were quite impressed.

"Okay." Fang Qingyu stood up.

"Take a quick rest, we'll set off tomorrow morning. Our destination: the Eternally Silent Pool!"

At the same time, it is one of the five major strongholds of 'Yuan'.

Starfire Fortress.

Inside a luxurious room, a stark contrast to the filth and chaos outside.

Outside the huge floor-to-ceiling one-way glass window, the ground floor of the stronghold resembled a post-apocalyptic wasteland.

Twisted metal pipes, flowing sewage, a grotesquely modified martial artist, and flickering cheap neon lights.
It forms a bizarre and wonderful picture.

Inside, however, was a luxurious space with thick carpets, genuine leather sofas, and the air filled with the aroma of fine cigars and rich coffee.

An obese middle-aged man, wearing a silk bathrobe and a large gemstone ring on his finger, was comfortably sinking into a soft sofa, puffing on a cigarette.

With a plump face but shrewd eyes like a fox, he was the head of Deep Blue Heavy Industry's "Abyss" Starfire Fortress stronghold.

Donald.

Deep Blue Heavy Industry, one of the Federation's largest military-industrial complexes and energy giants, has tentacles that extend to every corner of the Federation. In resource-rich lands like "Abyss," it wields considerable power and can be considered a local tyrant.

An elderly man, dressed in a crisp butler's uniform and with his hair neatly combed, stood respectfully to the side, holding a light screen in his hand.

“Mr. Donald, these are some of the more outstanding trainees from the Hidden Dragon Program who recently entered the ‘Abyss’,” Uncle Fu’s voice was steady and clear. “Qu Qi, Duan Jingyi, Xia Haoyang.”

He paused, then slid his finger across the screen to bring up a document containing blurry images of Fang Qingyu fighting in the Songdu pit, along with some textual descriptions.

"And this one, Fang Qingyu. He comes from the Qingjian City branch, and his background is almost completely clean. But his combat record is extremely terrifying. He possessed divine weapons when he was a martial apprentice. On the outskirts of the Songdu pit, with his cultivation at the Microscopic Realm, he directly killed the Chosen One 'Sikong Zhen' and led his companions to kill a red-headed, white-bodied ferocious beast with near-second-tier strength."

"Oh?" Donald's fat face showed great interest.

The cigar paused at his lips, his narrowed eyes gleaming with shrewdness. "Divine weaponry? Hammering down Chosen Ones? Tsk tsk, that's quite a feat. Looks like a real ruthless character who crawled out of mountains of corpses and seas of blood, not one of those hothouse flowers."

“Yes, sir.” Uncle Fu nodded. “He has enormous potential, and at present, he does not seem to have been explicitly recruited by any top family or conglomerate. Yan Shouzhen of Longyuan Pavilion seems to favor him, but only to the extent of providing protection.”

Donald took a deep drag on his cigar, slowly exhaling thick white smoke, his gaze passing through the smoke as he once again looked out the window at the chaotic wasteland.

"A potential stock, and one that could potentially hit a super jackpot."

A calculating smile, typical of businessmen, curled at the corner of his lips. "These are exactly the kind of people Deep Blue Heavy Industries needs. The qualification to form special teams will inevitably lead to fierce competition and bloodshed in the future. Investing in advance is always better than scrambling at the last minute."

He then flicked off his cigarette ash, his tone carrying an unquestionable command:
"Uncle Fu, make the arrangements. Keep a close eye on him, figure out his preferences, what resources he needs, and Deep Blue Heavy Industries will do its utmost to provide them! Find a way to make contact, express our goodwill and strength. We must win him over to our side before he truly takes off!"

"Yes, sir. I'll arrange it right away." Uncle Fu bowed respectfully, a knowing glint in his eyes.

Donald nodded in satisfaction, shifted his obese body on the sofa to find a more comfortable position, and turned his gaze back to the window.

It was as if they were admiring a golden wheat field waiting to be harvested.

(End of this chapter)