Chapter 444

Chapter 444: Hidden Cultivating (Continued)

Thunder cores are indeed valuable, but hunting Thunder Beasts is no simple feat.

Thunder Isle spans hundreds of miles, and aside from the peaks of Angry Thunder, Frenzied Thunder, and Storm Thunder, the island is a labyrinth of rugged mountains and countless caverns.

Thunder Beasts are born from the power of thunder, possessing innate intelligence. They are swift, adept at concealment, and have an incredibly keen sense of their surroundings. Capturing them in the unique environment of Thunder Isle is a daunting challenge.

Moreover, Thunder Beasts are formidable opponents; they naturally harness lightning and wield innate spells.

Even Purple Palace cultivators might find themselves outmatched if they encounter these creatures!

“Since you’re familiar with Thunder Beasts, I’ll spare you the details,” Wu Yanqiu said, her eyes glinting. “Junior Brother, would you be interested in joining us to hunt Thunder Beasts?”

“I’m afraid not,” Wang Chen replied, shaking his head. “Senior Sister, my focus is on hidden cultivating the lightning technique.”

With his Cultivation Panel, Wang Chen was advancing rapidly without the need for thunder cores. He was even aiming for perfect mastery, leaving little time for hunting Thunder Beasts.

The crux of the matter was that Wang Chen doubted he would have much influence in Wu Yanqiu’s Hunting Team. The thought of toiling away only to receive a meager share of the spoils seemed utterly foolish.

Wu Yanqiu was taken aback by Wang Chen’s swift refusal. After a moment of hesitation, she said, “Junior Brother, you should know that we’ve discovered a beast nest on the island…”

“Senior Sister,” Wang Chen interjected, “I appreciate your offer, but I truly have no interest. My apologies.”

Thunder Beasts are social creatures, often living in groups of ten or even dozens within a single nest.

Wiping out an entire nest could yield a substantial number of thunder cores.

But such a task is far from simple!

The greater the potential reward, the higher the risk. Even if Wang Chen needed thunder cores, he wouldn’t risk raiding a beast nest with a group of unfamiliar disciples.

Being cut off mid-sentence left Wu Yanqiu feeling somewhat flustered and embarrassed.

However, she maintained her composure and offered a bitter smile. “Since Junior Brother is unwilling, let’s consider the matter closed.”

Wang Chen nodded. “Thank you for understanding, Senior Sister. I’ll take my leave now.”

After Wang Chen departed, a tall, thin cultivator approached and took his seat. “What’s the situation?”

Wu Yanqiu shook her head in resignation. “Junior Brother Wang declined.”

“Declined?” The tall, thin cultivator frowned. “Did you explain the terms to him?”

“I couldn’t,” Wu Yanqiu replied, frustration evident in her voice. “Junior Brother Wang showed no interest in Thunder Beasts and refused outright.”

She then asked, “Brother Zhao, why is his participation so crucial?”

The tall, thin cultivator paused before responding, “We need someone to lure the Thunder Beasts out of their nest.”

The nests of Thunder Beasts are deeply embedded within the mountains, with intricate networks of tunnels. If the beast horde senses danger, they will scatter immediately, making capture nearly impossible.

Therefore, someone is needed to lure them out.

This task is undoubtedly perilous; one must not only possess considerable strength but also a high resistance to lightning.

Wang Chen is precisely the target selected by the tall, thin cultivator.

Wang Chen’s cultivation level is at the second layer of the Purple Palace, neither too high nor too low—just perfect. He has spent an exceptionally long time practicing in the meditation cave, and his diligence is widely recognized.

Conversely, Wang Chen’s ability to endure long periods in the meditation cave suggests his lightning resistance must be substantial.

Most importantly, he is a solitary figure with no background or connections, completely rootless within the sect.

Such a person is easy to manipulate.

However, the tall, thin cultivator’s calculations were meticulous, but he did not anticipate that Wang Chen would not fall into his trap.

After returning to the meditation cave, Wang Chen continued to practice the Sky Thunder technique.

He aimed to master this lightning technique to the Master level before returning to West Sea City to break through to the third level of the Purple Palace, and then return.

However, after reaching the advanced level in the Sky Thunder technique, progress became even more arduous, and Wang Chen could only accumulate a small amount of experience points each day.

Advancing to the Master level would require at least four to five hundred days.

That’s too lengthy.

This technique is profound and certainly not something an ordinary cultivator can master!

Half a month later, an exchange event was held at the Yuan Nourishing Cave.

Though termed an exchange event, it was essentially a trading gathering for disciples of the sect who practiced at Angry Thunder Peak. They exchanged or purchased cultivation resources, elixirs, spiritual materials, and similar items.

If it were ordinary goods, there would be no need for such a gathering, as Thunder Isle is only a few thousand miles from West Sea City, and traveling there by sword flight or boat wouldn’t take much time.

If something was needed, one could simply go to the city to purchase it.

However, the environment on Thunder Isle is harsh, and some local specialties are rare elsewhere.

For example, thunder cores from Thunder Beasts, thunderstruck wood, purple lightning vines, and thunder crystals. Disciples often seek treasures on the island, and as long as their luck isn’t too bad, they usually find something.

These materials are highly suitable for cultivators practicing lightning techniques, making them most convenient to sell at the Yuan Nourishing Cave and fetch a good price.

Additionally, everyone would share cultivation insights.

Such exchange events are held once a month and are organized spontaneously by the cultivators. Wang Chen had been on Thunder Isle for nearly four months, so he naturally understood the situation.

During this time, his progress in cultivation had been slow, which left him feeling somewhat gloomy; thus, he decided to participate in today’s event, considering it a way to relax.

The day of the exchange event is also the liveliest time at the Yuan Nourishing Cave, with most disciples in attendance.

Many cultivators set up stalls.

The West Sea Sect has strict rules, and since everyone is of the same sect, although there is no one managing or hosting, the disciples still adhere to the rules. The atmosphere is lively and chaotic, yet orderly—no one is foolish enough to cause trouble in public and embarrass themselves or their status.

Wang Chen wandered around with great interest.

There are about a hundred stallholders; since this isn’t a formal marketplace, everyone is rather casual.

Here, the roles of stallholders and customers are completely interchangeable.

After browsing through dozens of stalls, Wang Chen found nothing of interest.

First, his standards had risen, and he truly regarded ordinary items with disdain.

Furthermore, Wang Chen was not lacking in magical tools, elixirs, or talismans; he had obtained plenty of spoils from defeating enemies, so he didn’t find common items appealing.

After wandering around, Wang Chen stopped in front of a stall.

The stallholder was a tall, thin cultivator who had only one item on the table:

A crystal about the size of a baby’s fist, completely surrounded by lightning.

A thunder core!

Wang Chen recognized at a glance that this was a thunder core taken from a Thunder Beast.

The characteristics were too obvious.

Anyone practicing lightning techniques knows the benefits of a thunder core, so many people gathered in front of this stall.

“Senior Brother, how many spirit stones for this?”

“Senior Brother, can I trade you an upper-grade Yuan Cultivating Pill for it?”

“Set a price!”

The stallholder sat calmly on his perch, and after seeing that the crowd had gathered, he finally spoke: “Starting bid is five hundred Intermediate Spirits; the highest bidder wins!”

Immediately, the crowd surrounding the stall thinned significantly.

A starting price of five hundred Intermediate Spirits and a bidding system genuinely discouraged weaker participants; those with insufficiently filled storage bags had no reason to embarrass themselves.

The ones that remained, of course, were those with strength, including Wang Chen.