Back Mountain, Body Sect.
"Absorbing thunder to increase strength… truly defying the heavens. But I like it."
Jiang Jue stood before a cliff face where dark purple lightning occasionally struck with terrifying force, murmuring softly to himself.
Before long, the thunderclouds above dispersed, and the lightning vanished. Jiang Jue leapt into the air, soul power surging, and drifted toward the cliff.
"Hey! You're here!"
Before Jiang Jue even landed, a voice filled with joy and excitement rang in his mind.
In the next instant, arcs of lightning flickered—a thick Thunder Prison Vine appeared beneath his feet, catching him and carrying him toward the cliff.
Boom!
The moment Jiang Jue landed, the colossal figure of Thunderclap appeared before him, circling once around him.
"I've been waiting for you so long!" Thunderclap said in a tone that carried a hint of grievance.
Just moments ago, it had controlled one of its Thunder Prison Vine clones to fetch Jiang Jue over.
Ever since it had absorbed a wisp of fortune energy from Jiang Jue yesterday, it couldn't forget that intoxicating sensation. It had been eagerly anticipating Jiang Jue's arrival.
After all, this concerned its hundred-thousand-year tribulation—its very life!
"Thunderclap…"
Jiang Jue chuckled softly. The vine beneath his feet withdrew, and he landed firmly.
"No, no, just call me Xiao Lei!" (Little Lei)
Thunderclap hurriedly interrupted.
Jiang Jue fell silent for a moment. He hadn't expected that a thread of fortune, as fine as a strand of hair, could make a soul beast nearing a hundred thousand years so humble and servile.
But that only proved how important fortune truly was.
"Xiao Lei, didn't we just meet yesterday?"
"A single day apart feels like three autumns, Brother Jiang!"
"Brother Jiang, you came today to temper your body again?" Thunderclap asked, unconsciously calling him Brother Jiang now.
"Yes. I just managed to reach the beginner level of the Impeccable Golden Body last night. I plan to consolidate and refine it further today." Jiang Jue nodded slightly.
"Brother Jiang, your talent is miles above that little Goldie's. That bird took a whole week just to get started! When I see him next, I'll rub it in his beak real good!"
Thunderclap praised Jiang Jue while taking the chance to insult Jin Peng (the Golden Roc).
"Shall we begin then?" Thunderclap asked eagerly, its body swaying with anticipation.
"No rush. Xiao Lei, last time when you tempered my body with lightning, the power suddenly spiked near the end. What did you add back then?"
Jiang Jue's eyes flickered curiously. He could distinctly remember that last time, midway through the process, the thunder had suddenly gone wild—intensifying the tempering effect.
"You mean the Thunder Pulp? That's good stuff! Only our Thunder Prison Vine race can produce it—true heavenly treasure!"
"Oh? How so?"
Jiang Jue raised a brow, interest piqued.
"That Thunder Pulp is refined from the thunder force I absorb each time I undergo tribulation. I purify it again and again. But only after ten thousand years of age can it truly be made—since lesser tribulation lightning is too weak."
Thunderclap explained proudly.
"And how efficient is the conversion each time?" Jiang Jue asked, eyes glinting.
"Eh… not very. Each tribulation gives only about a dozen drops. First, because I absorb some during refining to strengthen myself. Second, recent tribulations have been weaker—like the heavens are sick of letting me freeload."
Thunderclap ended with an awkward laugh.
"A dozen drops, huh? Not bad." Jiang Jue pondered, then nodded.
"Brother Jiang, no need to worry! However much Thunder Pulp you need, I've got two words for you—plenty more!" Thunderclap said boldly, eager to earn Jiang Jue's favor.
Though it could only refine a dozen drops at a time, over the years it had saved quite a lot.
And really, it thought—how much could one man need for body tempering? It's not like he could drain it dry.
"Alright then, let's begin."
Jiang Jue nodded faintly and strode straight toward the cluster of Thunder Prison Vines, sitting cross-legged in a familiar spot.
"Since you've chosen this path, I'll give you a little reward," Jiang Jue thought to himself as he activated the secret art of the Impeccable Golden Body.
"Got it! Watch me work."
Thunderclap's eyes brightened. After all these years as a living "power station," no one knew more about "zapping people"—er, tempering with thunder—than it did.
Crackle! Snap!
Crack-boom!
As Thunderclap spoke, deep-blue lightning lit up the air, weaving into a dense net that descended upon Jiang Jue.
Hummm!
A strange hum echoed. Jiang Jue's body began to glow faintly golden. Lightning surged and burst across his body, yet he stood unmoving—like a golden-bodied Arhat, letting the thunder rage freely.
Within his body, the secret art circulated, stirring and refining every thread of blood energy.
Under his control, that energy flowed through his limbs and bones, tempering his physique before finally merging into flesh, muscles, and skin.
Ordinary body-refining methods tempered skin first, then bones—but the Impeccable Golden Body worked all at once, brutally and overbearingly.
It demanded both immense physical strength and abundant resources—after all, as the saying goes: the poor study literature, the rich practice martial arts.This truth was most evident when cultivating blood energy.
"How's the intensity? Feels alright?" Thunderclap asked with concern, tossing two drops of violet Thunder Pulp into the storm.
"Add more!" Jiang Jue said deeply, feeling the surging thunder grow wild.
"You got it."
Thunderclap hesitated, then added two more drops. After all, Jiang Jue had already mastered the basics—he could surely endure more this time.
Sparks danced across Jiang Jue's skin. He inhaled deeply, driving the secret art faster.
Lightning wrapped around him; blood energy rose—interweaving in brilliant harmony.
After half an hour, the thunder slowly faded. The glow of Jiang Jue's blood dimmed—signaling the end of this session.
"Brother Jiang, how was it? Pretty good, right?" Thunderclap hurriedly asked as Jiang Jue opened his eyes.
"Mm. Not bad."
Jiang Jue exhaled lightly, gazed at Thunderclap, and between his brows, strands of radiant golden fortune—thick as hairs—floated out and drifted toward the vine.
As the fortune merged into its body, Thunderclap trembled—an overwhelming feeling of pleasure spreading through it.
"Mmm~ yes, that's the stuff! That's the feeling!"
Watching the blissed-out Thunderclap, Jiang Jue rose slowly to his feet.
This time, besides tempering his body with lightning, he had come here—for Thunderclap itself.
(End of Chapter)