Chapter 53: The Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon

Thunderclouds pressed down upon the mountain. Inside a damp cave below, Lu Jin’s clothes were in disarray; Long Xiwei was in a state of equal disorder.

However, at this moment, the two of them could not afford to be bashful about the absurd thing they had done while under the influence of the medicinal powder. The gathering thunderclouds overhead and the horrific waves of power erupting from Lu Jin’s body left them in a state of frantic, overwhelmed confusion.

“Miss Long, I… I am sorry…”

Long Xiwei lowered her head in a shy silence. After hearing Lu Jin’s words, she took a deep breath to muster her courage. “Young Master Lu, there is no need to apologize. Neither of us could help ourselves in that situation. You should… you should quickly prepare to cross your tribulation!”

the momentum of this Lightning Tribulation was so powerful that Long Xiwei had previously doubted if Lu Jin was truly the one who had triggered it.

“Very well. Then, Miss Long, I shall make my apologies properly on another day!”

The spiritual power within Lu Jin’s body surged like a rising tide, echoing the thunderclouds in the nine heavens. The heavenly thunder beckoned the earthly fire: the connection grew increasingly dense and violent.

He had not expected that after the fish and water joy he shared with Long Xiwei, the unification of his nine pearls would happen so naturally. Within his Dantian, the spiritual power of the nine pearls roiled, showing a sign of merging into one. This had triggered the Lightning Tribulation for the Jindan Realm without any warning; it was completely beyond his control.

Since it was happening, he would charge forward. he would sprint toward that Jindan Realm above the Spirit Pearl stage!

“Young Master Lu, do not feel a sense of guilt. Just focus entirely on the tribulation. I do not wish to become your… heart demon. I will leave first!”

Long Xiwei sensed that Lu Jin’s aura was reaching a point where she could no longer remain close to him. She knew that if she stayed, his tribulation would be a disaster for her, so she chose to depart. If that lightning struck, forget her: even this entire mountain forest would likely be reduced to ruins.

She just didn’t understand why his breakthrough tribulation was so powerful. It was simply inconceivable.

Long Xiwei walked out of the cave with her skin crawling in fear. Yet she worried for Lu Jin’s safety, so she moved slowly and eventually chose a spot not far from the cave to watch.

“Huh? Isn’t that woman Long Xiwei?”

The moment Long Xiwei stepped out of the cave, she was spotted by the experts of the Song family.

“Heh. It seems she was scared out by the master crossing the tribulation inside that cave!”

“That bitch! Everything my Song family has suffered is because of her. Everyone, follow me and take her down! Capture her alive! This Young Master wants to torture her properly!” Song Wen gritted his teeth as he saw her; he wanted to begin his torment immediately.

“Young Master, you must not!”

One of the experts in the Song group spoke up to stop him. “Young Master, I can sense many powerful auras hiding nearby. The person who blocked us before is likely among them.”

“Furthermore, most of the powerhouses here were drawn by the master crossing the tribulation. If we offend that master, with our strength, I am afraid…”

“In this situation, we can only wait for an opportunity. Do not worry, Young Master. This woman and that bastard Lu Jin cannot escape!”

Hearing this, Song Wen could only grind his teeth in silence, his eyes burning with rage. Like the other experts present, a shred of doubt surfaced in their hearts. Lu Jin had clearly entered the cave with Long Xiwei, yet now only she had emerged. What was Lu Jin doing inside?

BOOM!

After the thunderclouds had brewed for a long time, a bolt of lightning suddenly descended from the heavens, instantly striking the forest below. The earth vibrated with a low hum. The lush trees and even the mountain rocks on the peak were instantly turned into charred, black earth.

Feeling the tremors from the ground, several experts were filled with awe. How could the one crossing the tribulation withstand such staggering energy? Without a Jindan at the peak grade, they would likely be turned to ash instantly!

However, amidst everyone’s shock, no one noticed a wisp of smoke silently slipping into the cave where Lu Jin was located.

When that strange mist entered the cave, it immediately transformed into a massive sea demon. The cave suddenly felt incredibly cramped.

“Huh?”

Lu Jin was focusing entirely on the tribulation when he suddenly saw this gargantuan creature. He frowned immediately.

“Vile beast! Get out!”

Boom!

With a sharp shout, a burst of spiritual power shot out to blast the beast away. To his surprise, the great demon opened its massive maw and actually swallowed Lu Jin’s lightning-infused attack whole!

“This is…”

Only then did Lu Jin see the creature’s full appearance. He was shocked. “A Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon! How did I run into this thing? And…”

Lu Jin swallowed hard. Sensing the crisscrossing demonic Qi radiating from the beast, he realized its combat power was at the 9th-grade Jindan! A Thunder-Devouring Mist Demon at the peak of the Jindan Realm had come to interfere with his tribulation?

This…

Lu Jin was momentarily speechless. It seems choosing the right place for a tribulation is vital! But what can I do now? This thing floats in the sea mists year-round; it loves lightning more than its own life. The lightning I’ve drawn is too terrifying: it actually lured this ghost in!

Rumble!

Right then, another bolt of lightning struck down from the nine heavens. Lu Jin had been preparing his Dragon Runes to resist the strike, but the sudden appearance of the demon caused an unexpected change: he was slightly panicked.

ROAR!

Sensing the lightning descending from the sky, the demon roared at the heavens. The sound waves from its fanged maw were actually entwined with lightning. When the bolt fell, the demon actually swallowed a portion of the heavenly power into its mouth!

Crackle! Spark! Boom!

The lightning raged within its mouth. A violent suction force even began to pull at the lightning energy surrounding Lu Jin’s body. Lu Jin’s expression turned complex.

“This lightning is for tempering my body. What do you think you’re doing, stealing my thunder?”

The Jindan Lightning Tribulation was a necessary trial for a master to temper their physical form. Though the lightning was violent, it was the key to forging a strong body. If the foundation was not solid, the body would be weak in future cultivation; it would be like a castle in the air, making it hard to achieve anything great.

“Nine Spirits as One: Great Transformation Dragon Art! Thunder Runes, possess my body!”

“Vile beast, you steal my lightning? Then I shall destroy your soul!”

Lu Jin resisted the tempering of the lightning while simultaneously launching an attack. This was not a strike of lightning power, but an attack of mental strength! The Mist Demon was a thunder-beast; lightning strikes did it little harm. He had to find another way to subdue it.

A humming sound echoed as his mental power transformed into a spear, thrusting directly toward the demon’s mind.

Bang! Bang!!!

In the next second, the mental attack collided with the lightning surrounding the demon. Bursts of flame erupted. A large portion of the mental strike was actually neutralized by the power of the lightning!

Lu Jin was surprised. This lightning was the pure spiritual energy of heaven and earth, not mere spiritual Qi. It was incredibly overbearing. It was normal for it to resist mental power, but this normal fact left Lu Jin without a plan. Furthermore, a small portion of the mental strike that hit the demon’s soul did no damage: it only made the beast erupt in rage!

ROAR!!!

A violent wave of sound swept in all directions. The cramped cave actually began to teeter under the impact of the soundwaves. Combined with the previous lightning strikes, the entire mountain peak seemed as if it were about to collapse.

“A thunder-demon at the 9th-grade Jindan… it is indeed quite troublesome!”

At that moment, the voice of Empress Qinglian rang out. “The strength of this beast is great. Allowing it to interfere with your tribulation will have endless consequences. Use the Heaven Burial Coffin to imprison it first. Once you have advanced to the Jindan Realm, you can subdue it!”