"The Thunder Elemental Power within the spiritual energy here is so intense that even normal breathing feels like needles piercing the internal organs."

Ge Yuchan frowned, leaping down from the boat with the agility of a black cat.

Jiang Yuebai and Yun Shang followed suit, and Xie Jingshan put away the Smoke and Mist Light Boat.

Yun Shang whispered, "Legend says that the Ancient Thunder Marsh was once called Liubo Mountain in ancient times, the domain of the Thunder God Beast Kui Ox, which brought thunder and lightning wherever it went. Later, it was vanquished here by the Human Clan, forming this Ancient Thunder Marsh, whose outline on the map resembles the silhouette of the Kui Ox."

Anything related to beasts, Yun Shang almost knew it all.

Xie Jingshan scanned the desolate black land, "Because of the presence of magnetic stones deep in the marsh, magic treasures and spiritual energy are easily disrupted, so we can only cross on foot. We need to head southwest from here; if all goes well, it will take about a month to reach Wind Hoof Country."

"Let’s see how it goes. If you guys feel like you can’t hold on, retreat immediately," Jiang Yuebai said to Yun Shang and Ge Yuchan.

The Ancient Thunder Marsh itself is a place for Golden Core Cultivators’ trials and gathering thunder element resources. It’s rare for Foundation Establishment Cultivators to risk entering.

Xie Jingshan drew his sword, with Little Hou Dou perched on his shoulder, while Little Green also emitted a phosphorescent light, illuminating the surroundings, tightly following beside Jiang Yuebai.

A group of four slowly advanced against the raging thunderstorm, silver lightning striking down from above from time to time, violently hitting the ground and exploding into a shower of silver sparks.

After walking for just a quarter of an hour, Jiang Yuebai suddenly stopped, as the surrounding rumbling thunder sounds grew denser, but they were not coming from above.

Ge Yuchan also sensed something amiss and drew her dagger, turning around, while Yun Shang and Xie Jingshan instantly became on guard.

Three figures emerged from the darkness, composed of black clouds with bodies full of silver lightning, their ferocious faces and bloodthirsty eyes fixated on the four of them.

They opened their mouths and roared, and the thunderous sound echoed across the land, shaking the soul and causing tinnitus and dizziness.

"It’s Thunder Beasts, they aren’t physical and are incredibly fast, everyone be careful!"

Just as Yun Shang finished speaking, one Thunder Beast darted in front of them like lightning, forcing Ge Yuchan to step back, from her body flew twelve daggers that pierced the Thunder Beast like a barrage.

The daggers passed through the Thunder Beast without causing any damage, and the beast turned back to attack Ge Yuchan.

The other two charged in with full-bodied electricity, Yun Shang released a Lightning Mink Thunder Fire, and Jiang Yuebai thrust out with a spear, slamming the Dragon Claw Illusion heavily down.

The Thunder Beast was repelled, Yun Shang’s Lightning Mink trailing a string of crimson light, whirling around the Thunder Beast’s body, as electric and electric fiercely clashed, exploding continuously.

Xie Jingshan protected the backs of Jiang Yuebai and Yun Shang alone, slashing fiercely with his sword when another Thunder Beast pounced on top.

The Fiery Flame Sword Aura collided with the Thunder Beast’s body, causing a tremendous explosion of fire and thunder, with flames and lightning scattering everywhere.

Jiang Yuebai glanced with the corner of her eye and quickly opened the Taihe Umbrella to shield both herself and Yun Shang, sparing only Xie Jingshan, who was scorched by the nearby flames, his hair curling and smoking.

"Are you stupid? Don’t you know fire and thunder together explode? Can’t you drive it away before detonating?"

Jiang Yuebai scolded angrily. Both Xie Jingshan and the Little Hou Dou on his shoulder drooped their ears, with Little Hou Dou even baring its teeth secretly.

The other Thunder Beast was driven away by Yun Shang’s Lightning Mink, depleting its electricity bit by bit until it vanished into thin air, leaving only Ge Yuchan still entangled with another Thunder Beast.

The electric arcs on the Thunder Beast’s body continuously whipped Ge Yuchan, who gritted her teeth to withstand the pain, constantly dodging and retreating.

Xie Jingshan wanted to help but was stopped by Jiang Yuebai.

"She’s testing her movement technique speed with the Thunder Beast."

Xie Jingshan looked closely and realized it was indeed so.

The Thunder Beasts on the periphery weren’t generally strong. As long as the late-stage Foundation Establishment Cultivators remained cautious, they might not be able to kill the non-corporeal Thunder Beasts in one blow, but they could deplete the power of thunder and lightning in the Thunder Beast’s body quickly enough for the beast to dissipate on its own.

Ge Yuchan mostly avoided and lured the Thunder Beast to attack her.

Xie Jingshan muttered, "She’s exactly like you, never forgetting to enhance her abilities, no matter when."

Yun Shang nodded, whispering, "Yuchan said she wants to work as hard as Little Bai. Thinking about it, I’m really lazy, I need to make the Spiritual Beasts cultivate more diligently."

Jiang Yuebai and Xie Jingshan looked at Yun Shang, who smiled shyly as her cheeks slowly turned red.

After a cup of tea’s time, Ge Yuchan seemingly grasped the Thunder Beast’s attack rhythm, her entire being suddenly becoming sharp.

The twelve daggers moved with the speed of lightning, and following her movements, the Thunder Beast vanished like smoke in an instant, leaving only her daggers still entangled with silver arcs.

Ge Yuchan stood in place, contemplating for a moment, then looked up at Jiang Yuebai and said, "I’m not moving forward. I want to stay here and hunt Thunder Beasts, they are very helpful for improving my martial arts and cultivation."

Seeing this, Yun Shang also said, "I’ll stay with Yuchan. Our cultivation is still quite a bit behind yours. It’s safe enough here, and if we go deeper, we’ll just be a burden. Besides, I’ve always wanted to try capturing non-corporeal Thunder Beasts for cultivation."

Xie Jingshan looked at Jiang Yuebai. Jiang Yuebai surveyed the two of them, took out a Blank Jade Scroll, and after placing it on her forehead for a moment, handed it to Yun Shang.

"This is a Qi Cultivation Stage Body Refining Cultivation Technique, ’Fierce Thunder Body Refining Technique.’ The method inside to digest the Thunder Elemental Power for body refining can be referenced to help you resist the Thunder Elemental Power here."

Yun Shang accepted the jade scroll, "Be careful, by the way, let me see that Flower-Furred Rat."

Jiang Yuebai raised his hand and let Yun Shang take Jixiang and the Flower-Furred Rat from his waist.

Yun Shang reached out, and immediately laughed, poking Jixiang on the forehead.

"Jixiang, you’re amazing, you’ve already got something in just ten days."

Yun Shang carefully cradled the Flower-Furred Rat. It was rare for Jixiang, who has mixed bloodlines, to survive. Seeing Jixiang for the first time made Yun Shang want a few mouse babies from it for research.

The Flower-Furred Rat was taken away by Yun Shang, looking longingly at Jixiang, but Jixiang didn’t seem sad at all, jumping back into the basket on Jiang Yuebai’s waist to sleep.

"Trashy mouse."

Jiang Yuebai sighed, nodded at Ge Yuchan without saying much, and turned to Xie Jingshan, indicating him to follow and continue moving southwest.

Yun Shang watched them disappear into the darkness before holding the Flower-Furred Rat and turning back to Ge Yuchan.

"Let’s find a place to set up camp. Here, we must be careful of the Thunder Beasts and other cultivators here for trials."

"I hear weaker thunder to the north, with echoes underground, there should be caverns, let’s go take a look."

"Little Thunder Fire, follow. There’s abundant Thunder Elemental Power here, you should work hard to cultivate and advance, or I won’t take you out next time."

Yun Shang followed behind Ge Yuchan, and the two disappeared into the darkness in another direction.

Companions part ways for now, to reunite one day and fight side by side.

...

To the southwest, the Black Sand Wilderness stretched endlessly, thunder and lightning flashing.

Jiang Yuebai expanded the Protective Gang Qi to shield against the black sand and pervasive lightning, with Little Green by her side, constantly charging into the surrounding darkness, using its own fire to explode Thunder Beasts to protect Jiang Yuebai.

Luckily, its body was tough enough, or it would have blown itself up.

"Thanks to you, Little Green, otherwise those endless Thunder Beasts would make traveling difficult. You’re great. When we reach the Extraordinary People Country, I’ll find you plenty of Spiritual Fire to eat."

Little Green’s phosphorescence flickered more energetically, excitedly seeking Thunder Beasts to show off.

Xie Jingshan followed behind, full of disdain. A dignified Golden Core Cultivator, fooling its own artifact spirit, how shameless.

Turning his head, Xie Jingshan saw Little Huo Dou yawning on his shoulder and angrily said, "Look at Little Green, now look at you, lazybones. When I don’t move, you don’t move."

Woof!

Little Huo Dou protested with a bark, and both turned their heads away, ignoring each other.

Jiang Yuebai suddenly stopped, causing Xie Jingshan to almost bump into her without looking.

"What’s wrong? Enemy attack?"

Xie Jingshan drew his sword, Little Huo Dou bared its teeth.

Jiang Yuebai smiled, "No, I found some underground magnetic stones, going to dig for a bit."

"Where? I didn’t spot any." Xie Jingshan looked around.

"Not here, thirty miles away, in a deeper part of the Thunder Marsh."

Jiang Yuebai took out four spider-like mining puppets from the storage bracelet, all jet black.

Made entirely of metal, resistant to water, fire, and thunder, with eight legs featuring mining pickaxes of Eighth-Grade Magical Artifact strength, the abdomen inscribed with a Small Transposition Array.

She improved and crafted these during her two years of learning Artifact Refining in the sect after Core Formation, making them more effective than available on the market.

Inserting three Top-Grade spiritual stones into each puppet, the four mining puppets swiftly sped off in the same direction, with the Sword Sky Puppet waiting at the magnetic stones.

The White Dragon Small Sword on the Sword Sky Puppet could effectively sense the surrounding magnetic field changes to locate the magnetic stones and help break the ground to dig stones, which she had deployed earlier.

"Let’s go."

Jiang Yuebai continued onward, Xie Jingshan walked by her side, curiously watching the direction the mining puppets left in.

"Aren’t you going to wait for them to send back the magnetic stones?"

Jiang Yuebai took out a black iron basin and hugged it, the bottom similarly inscribed with a Small Transposition Array. Soon enough, black magnetic stones of various sizes appeared in the basin out of thin air.

Xie Jingshan’s eyes widened, and after a moment, he swallowed and said, "Name your price, I want the schematics for this setup for the Mountain and Sea Building!"