Chapter 50
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Chapter 50: Breakthrough Amidst Thunder and Lightning
The spirit birds danced in the sky, intercepting the thunder.
This was Zhang Yang’s moment.
He charged into the dark clouds, where the swirling silver serpents, as if recognizing their target, all launched their attacks at him—striking both him and the spirit birds.
The purple-eyed spirit birds shuddered, their fear overwhelming—some even forgot how to fly for a brief moment.
Zhang Yang, however, showed no fear.
He let out a long, triumphant howl, stretched out his arms, and fully embraced the thunder.
At the same time, he rapidly activated the Divine Strength Technique.
His vital energy surged, enveloping his entire body, creating a powerful suction force that pulled all the lightning toward him.
The thunderbolts crashed against his form, one after another.
Yet there was no pain.
No burning sensation.
Instead, the instant the lightning touched him, it dispersed, transforming into pure lightning energy, which was absorbed through his 36,000 pores.
The energy then merged into his vital energy, which he tempered, refined, and absorbed, all to break through to Level Seven of the Returning to Origin Realm.
The whole process felt effortless—just like when he practiced absorbing the wind.
The only difference was that some parts of the lightning still couldn’t be fully absorbed and ended up striking the purple-eyed spirit birds.
However, these lightning bolts no longer carried the ferocity they had in the high skies. Instead, they became a source of energy, allowing the spirit birds to absorb and refine them. Even the residual energy contained the purest and most masculine thunder essence—a force far beyond the ordinary. This caused the purple-eyed spirit birds’ bodies to undergo subtle changes, as if they had been granted the ability to wield thunder.
The transformation from the recent Blood Contract was still fresh.
Now, this unexpected absorption and refinement showed signs of further enhancing the spirit bird’s evolution.
Gradually, the purple-eyed spirit bird stopped fearing the thunder.
Instead, it began to crave it.
“Charge!”
Zhang Yang laughed heartily.
The purple-eyed spirit bird let out a joyful cry and broke through the sky, its wings parting the mist and clouds with sheer force.
At a height of a hundred miles, the thunder zone unfolded before them.
One man, one bird—rushing straight toward the heart of the storm.
Lightning descended wildly, yet Zhang Yang absorbed its essence, while the purple-eyed spirit bird took in the residual energy.
They soared through the storm, dancing amidst the chaos of thunder and lightning, completely alone in the vast sky.
The pursuers dared not follow.
Outside the thunder zone, more than a thousand purple-eyed spirit birds hovered at a distance, scattered and sparse, unwilling to step into the deadly storm.
Ding Yunpeng and Ning Feixiao stood close together on their spirit birds, their expressions dark and unreadable.
Both were in the Touching Heaven realm—one at Level Nine, the other at Level Eight.
They were just one step away from the Ascending to Heaven realm, but that final step was as daunting as crossing an abyss—far from easy.
Ning Feixiao harbored both resentment and fear toward Zhang Yang.
The battle at the Divine Forbidden Gate had dealt him a severe blow and awakened a ruthless side of him.
Once, the beast bone arrow had been his most prized possession.
Yet Zhang Yang had easily caught it with one hand, then snapped it in two, turning that moment into a nightmare that haunted him.
But that fear had disappeared the moment they left the Vast Forest.
His cultivation level was no longer restricted.
Now, at Level Eight of the Touching Heaven realm, Ning Feixiao felt an overwhelming sense of confidence.
Even if Zhang Yang had reached perfection in the Returning to Origin realm, they were still eight minor realms apart.
He was certain of victory.
Raising his hand, he nocked an arrow, pulled the bowstring taut, and released it in one smooth motion!
A special arrow shot forth at lightning speed.
Its silver surface shimmered, intricate patterns glowing as silver fire erupted around it.
The arrow raced toward Zhang Yang like a falling star.
Boom!
Thunder roared, and a lightning bolt struck the arrow directly.
Instantly, the arrow veered off course.
Bang! Bang! Bang!
More than a dozen lightning bolts followed, each striking the arrow in rapid succession.
Within moments, the arrow that Ning Feixiao had placed so much hope in was obliterated into nothingness.
Ning Feixiao’s face twisted in frustration.
He gritted his teeth.
“Damn it! He’s inside the thunder zone! The lightning itself is protecting him!”
Ding Yunpeng frowned, staring at Zhang Yang.
“What is he trying to do? Why go in there? It almost seems like he’s… absorbing the lightning.”
Ning Feixiao snorted coldly.
“Perhaps he’s training.”
Ding Yunpeng’s expression darkened.
“That monster is already ridiculously strong. If he continues training, who could possibly stop him? If he reaches his peak in the Vast Forest, he will become truly invincible.”
Ning Feixiao was reluctant to admit it, but deep down, he knew it was true.
Ding Yunpeng’s voice turned sharp.
“Scatter and take positions! The moment Zhang Yang comes back—we kill him!”
Over a thousand purple-eyed spirit birds spread out across the sky, waiting for Zhang Yang to emerge from the thunder zone.
Then, someone approached.
A woman.
She was stunningly beautiful, her long hair flowing like a waterfall in the wind and rain.
Her face, sculpted like fine jade, radiated a cold and untouchable aura.
A soft glow surrounded her, keeping the wind and rain at bay.
In the dim sky, she wore a white dress, which floated gracefully, giving her an ethereal presence—like a celestial being descending upon the battlefield.
In her delicate yet powerful hand, she held a sword.
Its blade gleamed brilliantly, flashing cold light amidst the raging thunder and lightning.
A murmur swept through the pursuers.
“Qiu Lingshui… the genius from the Golden Cauldron Sacred Land!”
The Southern Region was ruled by one great empire, two sacred lands, four forbidden zones, and two intelligence organizations—all of which were controlled by Saints who had maintained their dominance for centuries.
Their strength and foundations were beyond imagination.
Qiu Lingshui was a rising star of the Golden Cauldron Sacred Land, but what truly set her apart was her cultivation level—
Ascending to Heaven Realm!
She moved effortlessly through the storm.
She could fly freely in the sky.
It is important to note that among the top ten rising stars of the Great Xia Empire, most—like Lu Fang—were at the Touching Heaven realm, and none had yet reached the Ascending to Heaven realm.
From this perspective, even though the Great Xia Empire had remained the sole empire in the Southern Region for just over a thousand years, it still paled in comparison to the sacred lands; the gap in their foundations remained vast.
Qiu Lingshui stepped forward gracefully.
"Can’t we kill him?"
She spoke with a voice as light as the wind, exuding an agility that matched her name.
Ding Yunpeng responded, “The thunder acts as his natural protection. We can’t break through.”
"I will kill him."
With just those four words, Qiu Lingshui soared into the Thunder Zone.
Her speed outmatched that of the purple-eyed spirit birds, and in an instant, she had pierced deep into the storm.
Any creature that entered the Thunder Zone was immediately struck by its relentless lightning.
It did not matter whether one was man or woman, beautiful or ugly—the lightning was indiscriminate in its fury.
Thunder roared.
A silver bolt, like a furious python, lashed toward her.
Yet Qiu Lingshui remained calm.
Her sword trembled in her grip, ready to strike.
Whoosh!
A dazzling arc of sword light cut through the air.
Before the lightning could even reach her, it was severed in two.
One bolt after another surged toward her like a torrential storm.
Yet, her sword danced in response, unleashing a blizzard of slashes, scattering the lightning like a storm of falling blades.
Each strike that threatened her was cut down with ease.
Her sheer strength and precision left Ding Yunpeng and Ning Feixiao stunned.
They had long been considered powerhouses—not young enough to compete among the top new stars of the Great Xia Empire, but still powerful in their own right.
And yet, they knew—
Even if they stepped into the Ascending to Heaven realm, they would never be capable of such a feat.
Meanwhile, Zhang Yang had already reached the center of the storm.
Sitting cross-legged on the back of his purple-eyed spirit bird, he trained in deep concentration.
Activating the Divine Strength Technique with his full might, he madly absorbed the falling thunder, drawing it into his body at an astonishing speed.
Soon, he was nearly engulfed within the storm, his form becoming nothing more than a faint silhouette amidst the cascading lightning.
At the same time, his purple-eyed spirit bird, having undergone purification through Zhang Yang’s power, began actively absorbing the lightning as well—bathing in it, transforming alongside him.
With an abundance of lightning and the relentless force of his cultivation, Zhang Yang’s incredible breakthrough speed became evident.
His dantian rumbled, resonating with the thunder above, merging with its rhythm.
Then, his eyes snapped open—
His gaze shone like twin swords of light.
He had broken through.
Level Seven of the Returning to Origin realm!
