Seeking Immortality in a Bizarre World-Chapter 661 - 655 Addicted to Absorbing Lightning, The Disappeared Wushan Alliance?_1

Chapter 661: Chapter 655 Addicted to Absorbing Lightning, The Disappeared Wushan Alliance?_1

Thunderbolts crisscrossed the sky, and countless pairs of eyes stared at the miles of thunderclouds, where a silhouette could vaguely be seen crashing into the heart of the thunder. The azure thunder serpents danced wildly, the lightning as dense as rain. Jia Ren, having learned from his previous experience of easily shattering thunderbolts, did not activate the State of Law, Heaven, and Earth, instead carefully ’nurturing’ the thunderbolts. He ventured alone into the thunder, transformed into a giant bird with thunder wings on its back, soaring continuously within the sea of thunderbolts. Inside the thunderbolts, the destructive force was absent; it felt as warm as returning home. This was the bloodline of the ancient Exotic Beast obtained from the exchange with the Imperial Spirit Sect: the Thunder Roc.

Below Divine Beasts, the Thunder Roc was an ancient Exotic Beast, innately mastering the power of thunder and possessing the talent to harness it for its own use. The Heavenly Tribulation grew even more ferocious, the endless thunder illuminating the entire sky, seemingly intent on annihilating the one who dared offend Heaven’s might right there and then. Bolt after bolt of lightning struck the Thunder Roc, whose feathers acted as a barrier, leaving it unharmed. The power of the thunderbolts was like an energy supply pack, entirely absorbed by the Thunder Roc, strengthening its body and inner abode.

The majority of Cultivators have strong exteriors but weak interiors; their Body Refinement often remains superficial and fails to reach the depths. High-level Body Refining Techniques from ancient times mostly included a Chapter on Heavenly Tribulation refinement, which could only maximize its effect under the Heavenly Tribulation. Because Heavenly Tribulation Body Refinement was too perilous, many alternatives had emerged in its place. Nonetheless, while the Heavenly Tribulation is dangerous, the gains it brings are astounding. Although the thunder from the Heavenly Tribulation contains destructive tribulation power, it also carries the power of creation. This power lay dormant deep within the body, an undiscovered force. Jia Ren had interfered with the thunder last time, and the world had already formed tribulation qi against him. A second interference with the Heavenly Tribulation would bring even more terrifying crises. 𝘧𝑟𝑒𝑒𝘸𝘦𝘣𝑛𝑜𝘷𝑒𝓁.𝘤𝘰𝓂

The three-hundred-mile span of tribulation clouds continued to expand, eventually reaching three thousand miles, exuding an overwhelming pressure that could take one’s breath away. Compared to the pressure and destructive power brought by the Pill Tribulation, its might was more than ten times stronger. Ordinary Body Integration Realm Cultivators would not dare partake; they would flee as far as possible.

"Not strong enough!" Jia Ren knew the power of thunder could not threaten him and stopped wasting time. The Thunder Roc he had transformed into opened its mouth wide and, with the most domineering stance, devoured the thousands of miles of thunderclouds into its belly. This was the most efficient way to maximize strength; not a bit of the power of the Heavenly Tribulation was wasted, all of it assimilated. Arcs of electricity flickered around his body, strange noises emanated from within, and occasionally, the smell of something burning wafted out. The power of the Heavenly Tribulation stimulated the secret forces hidden within his body, ensuring a deeper fusion of his Divine Soul with his body and blood, awakening a strange power. This power took residence within his blood, slowly altering its very essence.

"This is the power!" Jia Ren felt his Immortal Physique gradually growing stronger. With his Immortal Physique, the time he spent recovering from injuries became shorter. This power could not last for too long; as the energy of the tribulation was exhausted, the remaining thunderbolt power could no longer cause harm.

Is it over?! The quantity was a bit lacking!

However, this was a good thing; at least it confirmed his guesses were correct. Undergoing the Heavenly Tribulation was indeed the correct method to achieve rebirth from a drop of blood. If there were more power from the Heavenly Tribulation to stimulate it, the Immortal Physique would surely advance further, reaching the legendary rebirth from a drop of blood.

I’ll just have to wait until I can refine the Deceiving the Heavens Pearl, or until the Sect manages to refine a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, and then I can hitch a ride on the Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure Tribulation...

Jia Ren reverted to his original form and flew back to the Lingbao Sect. Before long, all Heaven-reaching Refiners at the Refining Palace received the message that the Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure refinement was complete, and they needed to report to the Grand Elder. He would shoulder the Heavenly Tribulation for the Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, ensuring that the Sect produced more Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures. Once the message was out, all Heaven-reaching Refiners wore peculiar expressions. Although it was good news, for some reason, something felt off.

The Grand Elder wouldn’t have developed an addiction to absorbing lightning, would he?

Experiencing it a few more times, achieving the legendary rebirth from a drop of blood should not pose a problem, Jia Ren thought. One instance of the Heaven-reaching Spirit Treasure Tribulation was not enough to meet the requirement. The solution was to experience it multiple times. If the quality of the Heavenly Tribulation was lacking, he could compensate with quantity. The Lingbao Sect was an Artifact Refining Sect. With Sky-reaching Spirit Treasures refined year after year, his requirements could surely be met.

The last option was the Mahayana Realm Heavenly Tribulation, which posed much greater dangers. Mahayana Stage Cultivators could not guarantee their survival through the Mahayana Realm tribulation, facing almost certain death, let alone a tribulation with tenfold increased power. Apart from Jia Ren, few in the world could survive it. However, the Lingbao Sect had no one about to ascend to the Mahayana Realm, so his plans to experience a Mahayana Realm tribulation fell through.

Jia Ren had just returned to the Sect when several familiar figures waved towards him.

"Greetings to the Grand Elder!" The people at the forefront were Ji Ning and Jue Wushuang. The two had only recently returned from the Source Treasure Cave Heaven and had heard many rumors.

Jia Ren had become the Grand Elder of the Lingbao Sect? Battle power of a top-tier Mahayana Stage Cultivator?! Was this the Jia Ren they knew, the one they strived to surpass?

As their time back in the Mysterious Realm grew longer, they had no choice but to accept this fact. Now, having witnessed Jia Ren transform into the Thunder Roc and swallow the Heavenly Tribulation, an indelible impression had formed in their minds.

"Initially, I thought of you as a target to aim for, but now, I am already trailing far behind..." Ji Ning’s talent was extraordinary; whether it was before the arrival of the Lingbao Sect’s Fire Seeds or after, he had consistently suppressed his peers. That was until Jia Ren, an unforeseen variable, appeared and quietly advanced to the Body Integration Realm, leaving Ji Ning far behind. What he thought to be a dull life had finally acquired new color, and he vigorously pursued Jia Ren, only to find... Jia Ren had taken strides too large. Having just ascended to the Body Integration Realm, he had already become one of the top-tier combatants in the Mysterious Realm, solidifying the Lingbao Sect as the undisputed overlord of the Mysterious Realm. Ji Ning admitted that even if he reached the same Realm, he wouldn’t even be qualified to carry Jia Ren’s shoes.

On the other side, Jue Wushuang remained silent throughout. Had it not been for Jia Ren’s arrival, escaping alone would have been too conspicuous, and he would have slipped away at the first opportunity. He had once coveted the Jikong Lineage’s Spirit Devouring Treasure Art and other Divine Skills, even wanting to challenge Jia Ren. Now, it seemed a purely suicidal endeavor. Fortunately, no conflict had erupted between them, so there was still room to maneuver. However, if word of this got out in the Lingbao Sect, who knew how many people would give him a thrashing to curry favor with Jia Ren. He could only pretend to be an ostrich, hoping that Grand Elder Jia would not remember an insignificant figure like him.

"Jue Wushuang, I recall you wanted to challenge Grand Elder Jia and seize his Spirit Devouring Treasure Art and Ji Kong Palm, didn’t you?"

Jue Wushuang’s hope of remaining unnoticed was ultimately shattered. There were too many people in the Second Spirit Treasure Sect who disliked him and were happy to see him roasted over the fire. In an instant, countless eyes fell on Jue Wushuang, like sharp thorns pricking his back.

THUD!

Jue Wushuang immediately fell to his knees, pleading to Jia Ren, "Grand Elder Jia, I was blind back then! Thank goodness I didn’t put my thoughts into action... Whether you choose to punish or kill me, I am at your mercy." He dared not quibble, as cultivators from both the Spirit Treasures Fire-Seeds and the Second Spirit Treasure Sect were witnesses. His only way out was to be forgiven by the Grand Elder.

"It’s just a trifle, there’s no need to mention it again," Jia Ren said. Jue Wushuang had only issued a challenge to him and hadn’t harassed him since, so Jia Ren didn’t mind.

"Thank you very much, Grand Elder Jia."

After chatting with his old acquaintances for a few moments, Jia Ren turned into an Escape Light and left. Jue Wushuang was tearfully grateful, watching as Jia Ren disappeared. Times had changed. Now, even if Jia Ren didn’t openly express such an intention, who knew how many would volunteer to be the executioner’s hand and behead him.

This matter was not yet settled, for unfriendly gazes fell upon him.

"Junior Brother, you dared to challenge Grand Elder Jia! Your combat power must be above the rest. Please enlighten us."

"Senior Brother, do you dare to fight me!"

"And me! I want to experience Senior Brother’s profound skills. Where did you get the courage to challenge Grand Elder Jia?"

A Void Refining Stage Cultivator headed straight for Jue Wushuang, eager to try his hand.

The Grand Elder is magnanimous and won’t bother with you, but that doesn’t mean others will let you off, you buffoon!

Jue Wushuang was surrounded by a group of imposing fellow sect members, his eyes filled with helplessness. His days in the sect were about to become very difficult.

Jia Ren was unaware of these subsequent developments, and even if he knew, he would not care. With his change in status and position, such a trivial matter was not worth his attention. He meditated in seclusion, absorbing the Heavenly Treasure Spirit Power accumulated by the Demon-Sealing Spirit Tower over twenty years, continuously transforming it into Cultivation Level, drawing ever closer to the late-stage Body Integration Realm.

With the refinement of the Heaven and Earth Mountain and Sea Pearl completed, the next item to be refined was the Deceiving the Heavens Pearl. Compared to upgrading the Heaven and Earth Mountain and Sea Pearl to a Sky-reaching Spirit Treasure, making the Deceiving the Heavens Pearl was no less difficult, and the process was quite complex. Thanks to having refined the Inscription templates for the Deceiving the Heavens Pearl several times before, the Inscription process was extremely proficient, significantly aiding the Artifact Refining as well. He did not use the Wishful Artifact to wish for materials, opting instead to experiment and improve his Proficiency Level by starting hands-on.

「Time flew by swiftly, and in the blink of an eye, another twenty years had passed.」

The million Cultivators gathered outside the Breath of Stars Barrier of the Lingbao Sect, after confirming the reduction of Bizarre Demons in the Mysterious Realm, began to leave one after another. More Cultivators wished to join the Lingbao Sect, but unsurprisingly, most could only hope in vain. The Lingbao Sect had extremely high standards for recruiting disciples, and few could meet them; only a handful of Cultivators could join. The vast majority could only leave in dejection, heading to the Mysterious Realm, ripe with opportunities, to seek their futures. These people would form sects and families, becoming the emerging forces of the Mysterious Realm.

The Lingbao Sect underwent significant changes and had already started new initiatives. For example, the branching plan! The Mysterious Realm was too vast, with the Lingbao Sect only occupying the West; the other three regions—East, South, and North—were too far apart to be effectively managed. With resource-rich areas in these other regions, they naturally couldn’t let others benefit. The plan involved establishing branches in the other three regions, within the zones demarcated by the territories of various top sects, along with ultra-long-distance Teleportation Arrays. This would facilitate the integration of resources in the Mysterious Realm. With the resources of all four regions of the Mysterious Realm falling into the hands of the Lingbao Sect, monopolizing the resources of this part of the Cultivation World, the Lingbao Sect was sure to flourish with an endless emergence of talents.

「As the Lingbao Sect thrived, two battered Yuxu Flying Boats passed through the Void and arrived in the Mysterious Realm.」

"Is this the Mysterious Realm mentioned by the Wushan Alliance? The Spiritual Energy is average, nowhere near the Cultivation World we just discovered."

"We were counting on the Wushan Alliance to give us a hand this time, to take down that Cultivation World."

The newcomers took out a communication treasure to contact the Wushan Alliance, but there was no response for a long time. They were following up on information from the Wushan Alliance. However, their journey had been delayed by several decades due to encounters with a few Cultivation Worlds en route.

Finally, we’ve made it to the Mysterious Realm... but where have the Wushan Alliance Cultivators gone?