The violent thunder filled the entire space, like a stormy sea, with the monstrous waves directly engulfing Liu Bai.
Of course, although any one of these terrifying bolts of lightning could easily reduce Liu Bai to ashes, he felt no danger at this moment. Instead, there was a refreshing sensation, as if a dragon had returned to the sea or a tiger entered the mountains.
The instant he entered this black thunder sea, Liu Bai immediately sensed the thunderous power that permeated it. Moreover, within the sea, many Black Divine Thunders were swimming about. They looked like enormous black dragons lurking in the depths, winding and terrifying.
As soon as Liu Bai appeared, several of the Black Divine Thunders swam toward him and began circling around, resembling mischievous little serpents that occasionally brushed against him.
Fortunately, Liu Bai's entire body was currently shrouded in a layer of five-colored thunder light. Otherwise, even without malicious intent, a single touch from the Black Divine Thunders would have reduced him to charred ash. Though he knew he would not be harmed, the mere thought still made his heart pound nervously.
It felt like stepping into a zoo filled with ferocious beasts. Even if one knew they were caged and restrained, approaching them still brought unease.
Steadying his mind and confirming the Black Divine Thunders would not attack, Liu Bai's figure flickered. He cut through the thunder sea like a sharp blade through molten metal, swiftly heading toward the oppressive depths below.
The thunder sea was vast, and Liu Bai had no clear idea where the Thunder God Pill lay. Still, from the words of the Northern Sea Dragon, he could guess it would form in the place where thunder power was the densest.
As he ventured deeper, the thunder force surrounding him grew more intense. The once snake-like Black Divine Thunders had become colossal sea dragons, their hundred-zhang-long thunderous bodies stretching across the depths. A single glance was enough to chill the soul.
Liu Bai frowned. More than ten minutes had passed, yet he still found no trace of the Thunder God Pill.
From what the Northern Sea Dragon had said earlier, the longer he remained here, the greater the risk of being discovered. He had to find a way to complete this task swiftly.
As for how Mu Chen had discovered the Thunder God Pill in the original story, Liu Bai no longer remembered clearly. Even if he did, the method might not suit him. Thus, he could only rely on himself.
"Right. Since my Five Elements Divine Thunder possesses the ability to attract myriad lightning, it should also have an immense pull on the Thunder God Pill."
At that thought, joy flickered in Liu Bai's eyes.
If he could not find it, he would simply let it come to him.
He closed his eyes, channeling all his focus into his Five Elements spiritual apertures, gradually stirring the Five Elements Divine Thunder coiled within.
Time ticked away, and within mere minutes, sweat beaded on Liu Bai's forehead.
At that moment, the once relatively calm thunder force around him suddenly boiled over. Even the enormous Black Divine Thunders in the distance began to stir restlessly, as if sensing something.
Rumble!
Countless bolts of thunder converged toward Liu Bai. The massive commotion caused the depths of the thunder sea to roil violently.
"Hm? This fluctuation… could it be the aura of the Thunder God Pill?"
Abruptly, even with his eyes shut, Liu Bai detected a unique ripple. Though fleeting beneath the overwhelming thunder, it was distinct from the aura of ordinary Black God Thunders, and he caught it.
His body shot forward like a fish swimming through the sea, accelerating toward that direction.
From the way that aura had vanished so quickly, it was clear it lacked the mobility of the Black Divine Thunders. Otherwise, it would have already drawn near.
This made sense. Since the Thunder Spirit had intelligence, it would never leave the Thunder God Pill unguarded. With the bald old man outside scheming as well, even simple protections were inevitable.
Meanwhile, as Liu Bai risked himself as bait within the thunder sea, the Thunder Spirit, locked in battle with the Northern Sea Dragon, suddenly faltered for an instant.
In that moment, its consciousness shifted elsewhere.
"Not good!" The Northern Sea Dragon instantly realized the problem. Without hesitation, it unleashed its most frenzied assault.
The Thunder Spirit, sensing overwhelming danger, had no time to investigate further. It erupted with its full power, summoning the thunder force of the entire sea to resist the terrifying beast above.
This shift lightened the burden on Liu Bai considerably. Many of the immense Black Divine Thunders were drawn away, leaving his path unobstructed.
Seizing the opportunity, Liu Bai surged forward. Within mere minutes, he reached the deepest part of the thunder sea. Here, the thunder grew darker and denser, black as ink and almost viscous.
Thunder light flashed in Liu Bai's eyes as he scanned the surroundings, piercing through the murky lightning in search of his goal.
Suddenly, as he pressed forward, his hands brushed against a thin membrane-like barrier.
Liu Bai's eyes brightened. Lightning flared across his palms, and he easily tore through the barrier.
On the other side, he discovered a secluded pocket of space completely isolated from the thunder sea.
At its center floated a massive black lotus, over ten feet across, its liquid-like petals rippling softly. Nestled at the heart of the lotus was a black orb the size of an infant's head, slowly rotating.
From it emanated a wave unlike any other, as though it was the birthplace of all thunder between heaven and earth.
"The Thunder God Pill!"
Liu Bai's heart instantly loosened in relief. He had finally found this treasure.
At this moment, perhaps because the thin outer membrane-like barrier was gone, both the black lotus and the Thunder God Pill within its stamen slowly drifted toward Liu Bai. In the end, they hovered less than a foot before his chest.
Threads of faint five-colored lightning transformed into strands of silk, absorbed by the slowly rotating black lotus. Within its stamen, specks of the Five Elements' colors began to appear…
"Hm?" Liu Bai let out a sound of surprise.
This black lotus seemed to be condensed entirely from black thunder slurry. Its texture appeared liquid, yet it gave off a strange sense of indestructibility.
Moreover, unlike the thunderous powers within the sea of lightning that were violent enough to destroy heaven and earth, this lotus bore no trace of such destructive fluctuations.
Most importantly, after absorbing his Five Elements Divine Lightning, the black thunder lotus not only underwent a special transformation but also faintly established a mysterious connection with Liu Bai himself.
At this instant, a thought suddenly arose within his mind. If he continued to nurture it with his Five Elements Divine Lightning, this black thunder lotus might one day bring him an astonishing surprise.
With that thought, Liu Bai did not hesitate. He immediately attempted to control the black lotus with his spiritual will. The next moment, the lotus that had been hovering before his chest was drawn by the Five Elements lightning and slowly merged into his body.
As the black lotus and the Thunder God Pill entered Liu Bai's body, the isolated space trembled violently. The distortion of space revealed signs of collapse.
Liu Bai was startled. Without delay, he wrapped himself in vast amounts of lightning and rushed at top speed toward the outside of the lightning sea.
Meanwhile, high above the lightning sea, the Thunder Spirit that had been locked in combat with the Northern Sea Dragon suddenly let out an earth-shaking roar.
It went completely berserk. Countless black thunderbolts detonated at once, causing the entire lightning sea to explode violently.
Seeing the Thunder Spirit suddenly erupt, the Northern Sea Dragon's heart leapt with joy.
Judging by this reaction, Liu Bai must have succeeded.
Boom. Boom.
The Thunder Spirit roared as countless black thunderbolts shot out like dragons, aiming to obliterate the thief who had stolen the Thunder God Pill.
Since Liu Bai had completely merged into the lightning sea, even the Thunder Spirit could not accurately lock onto his position. It could only unleash attacks across the entire range in hopes of directly annihilating the hidden intruder.
However, the Northern Sea Dragon would not allow it to slay Liu Bai. Its massive jaws opened, unleashing a black cold current that froze space itself, sealing all the thunderbolts in ice.
Seeing such shameless interference, the Thunder Spirit was driven into a frenzy.
Its enormous body suddenly exploded, transforming into a rain of thunder slurry that fell into the lightning sea. A thousand-zhang black divine lightning streaked forth, tearing through the sea at indescribable speed toward the isolated space.
Clearly, the Thunder Spirit intended to directly break into the barrier it had set up and personally seize the thief.
The Northern Sea Dragon also reverted to the form of a bald elder. With a wave of his hand, countless terrifying cold currents chased after the Thunder Spirit's true body into the lightning sea, continually obstructing its advance.
The Thunder Spirit roared furiously, but it could not break free from the Northern Sea Dragon's obstruction. It could only thrash about in impotent rage.
In the midst of their heated clash, a streak of lightning suddenly shot out from the lightning sea and transformed into Liu Bai's figure.
Seeing this, the Northern Sea Dragon was overjoyed. The enraged Thunder Spirit, however, let out another crazed roar. Its body surged with lightning slurry, unleashing a towering tide of thunder that swept directly at Liu Bai.
"Hmph."
The Northern Sea Dragon snorted coldly. His hands shifted, and the space surrounding the lightning sea twisted. Black cold currents surged out, forming an enormous prison of black ice that completely sealed the lightning sea.
Countless bolts of lightning crashed against the icy prison, yet they could not shake it in the slightest.
If not for the concern that the Thunder Spirit might destroy the Thunder God Pill he had painstakingly nurtured, the Northern Sea Dragon would have erased its intelligence long ago when he first discovered it. Why would he have wasted so many years waiting?
Now that the Thunder Spirit was bound and could not interfere, the Northern Sea Dragon smiled warmly at Liu Bai, his intent clear without words.
Liu Bai did not intend to play coy. With a thought, the black lotus emerged from his chest, carrying the Thunder God Pill.
"Oh? That is actually a Thunder God Lotus…" Seeing the black lotus, even the Northern Sea Dragon revealed a trace of surprise.
It was also the first time Liu Bai learned the name of this lotus.
The Northern Sea Dragon explained, "This is an extremely rare heaven-and-earth treasure. Just like the Thunder God Pill, it only has a minuscule chance of being born within lightning. I never expected both a Thunder God Pill and a Thunder God Lotus to appear together within this lightning sea."
For a moment, even the Northern Sea Dragon did not know whether to consider his luck good or bad.
"This thing was discovered by you, so it belongs to you. Although it is precious, it is useless to me. Its power is not merely the immense lightning it contains. It can also absorb the stray thunder energy in the surrounding space. For one who cultivates lightning attribute body-refining arts, it is an unparalleled treasure."
"Although you have not cultivated any lightning attribute body-refining techniques, you can nurture it with your Five Elements Divine Lightning. Given the nature of this Thunder God Lotus, perhaps one day it might even evolve into a sacred artifact."
Of course, even as he said this, the Northern Sea Dragon did not fully believe it. After all, a sacred artifact could not be nurtured so easily. Unless Liu Bai spent centuries on such a task, it was practically impossible. But that was for the distant future.
Still, while the sacred artifact claim might be exaggerated, in the Northern Sea Dragon's eyes, with Liu Bai's current mastery of the Five Elements Divine Lightning Art, it might take only a few years for him to cultivate this Thunder God Lotus into a spirit treasure comparable to an artifact. That would already be immensely powerful.
Afterward, with the Thunder God Pill collected, the Northern Sea Dragon directly led Liu Bai out from the tenth layer of the lightning domain. In an instant, they appeared within a grand, unfamiliar hall of the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy.
The moment he arrived, Liu Bai felt his breathing grow easier, as the terrifying pressure upon his body vanished.
Yet soon after, he sensed that this hall was no ordinary place. Hidden within were countless powerful auras lying in wait. If not for the Northern Sea Dragon at his side, Liu Bai was certain that the instant he appeared here he would have been bombarded by countless powerful attacks and killed on the spot.
At last, he understood. This must be one of the restricted areas of the Northern Heaven Spiritual Academy, never once opened to ordinary students.
His presence here today was only possible thanks to the protection of the Academy's guardian beast, the Northern Sea Dragon.
While Liu Bai was still speculating, the Northern Sea Dragon looked at him with a wide smile and said, "Now, let us go and take a look at your reward."
...
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