Chapter 173 - 173 73 Body Refinement

Chapter 173: Chapter 73 Body Refinement Chapter 173: Chapter 73 Body Refinement Amidst the flashing lightning and booming thunder, a disciple from Tianhe Sect transformed his Immortal Sword into a rainbow, chopping down directly towards Chen Ting. This move caught everyone by surprise. Chen Ting’s figure burst backward, and a round mirror appeared above his head, from which a beam of grey Xuanwei light shot out, rushing towards the broadsword of the Tianhe Sect disciple. A few disciples from the Great Freedom Demon Sect looked here and there, hesitating for a moment, seemingly unsure about whom to attack. The Qingyun above their heads slowly faded away, as if they wanted to observe the situation of the battle. Just at this moment— A bolt of thunder as thick as a bucket suddenly struck. It lit up behind them! The disciple at the edge of the group was enveloped by the thunder light, emitting a piercing scream. Everything happened so fast that by the time the thunder light dissipated, the others finally reacted. Within the thunder light, a figure appeared. It turned out to be the disciple from Tianhe Sect. He took advantage of the momentary laxity of these few to directly strike down a disciple from the Great Freedom Demon Sect. Zheng Fa twitched the corners of his mouth; this person was too unscrupulous in martial morality. “You... how audacious!” One had fallen, leaving only four disciples of the Great Freedom Demon Sect. They quickly spread out simultaneously, throwing incredulous looks towards the Tianhe Sect disciple. Zheng Fa could understand why these few called the other person audacious. Can’t you come one by one? Do you have to provoke them together? This shows this person’s absolute self-confidence. “Disciples of the Demon Sect, so what if there are a few more of you?” The Tianhe Sect disciple snorted contemptuously, leaping forward to battle the group. This disciple from Tianhe Sect was very strong. This was Zheng Fa’s most direct impression as he watched the individuals combat each other. This strength did not stem from cultivation. In the Thunder Pool, these people probably didn’t dare to reveal their most powerful cultivation; most of the time, they fought with the strength of the Foundation Establishment Stage. However, with equal cultivation, the outstanding aspect of this Tianhe Sect disciple was comprehensive— His broadsword seemed extremely mysterious, equaling Chen Ting in their fight. And with his bare hands against several disciples from the Great Freedom Demon Sect, he did not fall behind. This person also seemed to practice Thunder Skill, comfortable in the Thunder Pool like a fish in water, occasionally tossing out a few Spirit Talismans, throwing the opponents into disarray. Whether it was Magical Treasures, Spells, or Spirit Talismans, he demonstrated high proficiency in all. On the other hand, Chen Ting and others seemed somewhat constrained in the Thunder Pool, their Spells and Magical Treasures less powerful than their adversary. Zheng Fa had some realizations on the side. This was the influence of the Thunder Pool— In the Xuanwei Realm, the Cultivation Techniques of the Demon Sect were mostly sinister, whereas Thunder Skill was supremely yang and sturdy, inherently conflicting with them. In the Thunder Pool, their combat power was more significantly reduced than others. As the fight progressed, the Tianhe Sect disciple held his ground against many, even gaining the upper hand. Chen Ting and those four disciples from the Great Freedom Demon Sect seemed to realize this was not going to work; after exchanging looks, they actually drew closer with tacit understanding. Standing together, there was an inclination to collaborate. Zheng Fa couldn’t help but feel impressed on the side— Wasn’t Chen Ting being chased by these people just before? And now they are teaming up? That shows the pressure the Tianhe Sect disciple put on them. Looking towards the Tianhe Sect disciple, to everyone’s surprise, he did not grow angry but happy, bursting into laughter: “I’ve been waiting for you to join forces!” Everyone was stunned, only to see his crane robe raised, and under the facade of an ethereal Taoist attire, there was an extremely muscular and sturdy body! Zheng Fa sharp sense told him something was not right, and he quickly navigated the Calamity Boat to distance himself. But for Chen Ting and the others, it was already too late to escape. Only to see the Tianhe Sect disciple wave his hand, and the broadsword landed above his head, plunging straight into the stormy clouds in the sky! The spiritual power fluctuations from that sword far exceeded the realm of Foundation Establishment. “!” Zheng Fa suddenly realized what this person intended to do! Of course, the Thunder Pool would not indulge him; in the sky, the storm clouds quickly gathered, layer upon layer, like a mountain of cotton quilts. The clouds above his head were frighteningly low, seemingly within reach with an outstretched hand. In the next moment, countless thunders surged down! This forest of thunder serpents looked like a forest of thunderclaps. That Tianhe Sect disciple who dared to defy the Thunder Pool was of course the main target of these thunders. But Chen Ting and others also suffered grievously! They stood too close. One strike of thunder could hit three of them, not anticipating the opponent to be so daring. Directly suffering the collateral damage. Zheng Fa could see, among the four disciples of the Great Freedom Demon Sect, probably two with insufficient strength were instantly turned to ash. The remaining two were in extreme disarray, scrambling in all directions. And Chen Ting, protected by the round mirror, seemed slightly better off, but he was also rapidly fleeing from this thicket of thunders, clearly not daring to linger. Yet, the most struck was that Tianhe Sect disciple. He attracted at least half of the thunder like a lightning rod. But, he seemed utterly indifferent, with thunder flashing about him, he still pursued the others. Quickly, those two from the Great Freedom Demon Sect were caught up by him; they met their demise under the Heavenly Thunder without him having to lift a finger. What a kamikaze attack! Having killed those two, the Tianhe Sect disciple turned towards Chen Ting. Under the protection of the round mirror, Chen Ting barely made some distance when he turned back and saw his pursuer grinning wickedly, charging towards him with dark clouds overhead. His whole body shuddered, hastening his figure even more. Zheng watched the two rushing towards him, turned the Calamity Boat around, and hid to the side, intending to give them a way out. Unexpectedly, Chen Ting turned around and charged straight towards him. “Junior Brother Zheng!” he said, “Please, out of our past camaraderie as fellow disciples, lend me a helping hand!” Upon hearing this, Zheng Fa, without a word, quickly urged on the Calamity Boat. The Calamity Boat was well-suited for the Thunder Pool. Moreover, with the Tianhe Sect disciple occasionally slashing towards Chen Ting from behind, hindering his escape, The distance between Zheng Fa and Chen Ting not only failed to close but instead widened somewhat. Watching Chen Ting’s somewhat astonished face, Zheng Fa couldn’t help but think: Are we familiar with each other? He was already carrying the roiling Heavenly Thunder with him! You want me to block it for you? “I have news of Zhang!” Chen Ting called out to him, seeing that he was running away fast. Zheng Fa paused, taking a closer look at him, and the Calamity Boat slowed down a bit. The expression on his face seemed sincere, as though he was telling the truth. “I’ve recently been hunted by people from the Great Freedom Demon Sect, and I’ve killed quite a few of them, obtaining some information about Zhang!” Chen Ting said urgently. This could logically be possible. Chen Ting had sacrificed not just his grandfather, but also part of the Divine Power of the Great Freedom Demon Ancestor. If the Great Freedom Demon Sect did not know about it, that would be one thing. But now, it seems that they were aware. And indeed Zhang did disappear during a conflict with people from the Great Freedom Demon Sect. “I know you and Zhang have a deep connection. If you help me escape, I will certainly...” Chen Ting hadn’t finished his words. The Calamity Boat under Zheng Fa’s feet sped up again. “Zheng, don’t you care about Zhang anymore?” He shouted out involuntarily. “Brother Chen, before I came to the Thunder Pool, Master Pang gave me many warnings. The most frequent one was not to trust others easily, especially those who are double-faced, cunningly deceitful, and inconsistent.” Zheng Fa’s voice came from afar. “I’m not like that! I was also a disciple of our Master, he knows me best!” “Indeed, very understanding.” Zheng Fa’s tone carried a hint of lament: “All those cautions, indeed mentioned your name time after time...” “...” ... Zheng Fa did want to know news of Zhang; otherwise, he wouldn’t have gone against his nature to witness the battles of several people. But this Chen Ting was someone who’d caused the death of his own grandfather. Zheng Fa didn’t particularly dislike him, but he absolutely did not trust him. He even suspected that even if he did help Chen Ting, there would be other demands... The news from his mouth might not be false, but the price Zheng Fa would have to pay was significant—at the very least, he might have to confront that disciple from the Tianhe Sect, and perhaps, he would have to block the disciples from the Great Freedom Demon Sect. That disciple seemed mad... With that way of fighting, if others take one strike of thunder, that person would take at least ten. Getting involved in the conflict between these two, not to mention what would happen to Zheng Fa, The Jiushan Sect would probably have a headache. However, one piece of information from Chen Ting caught Zheng Fa’s attention... the Great Freedom Demon Sect knew of Zhang’s whereabouts. The Jade Pendant left to him by Junior Master Huang was still flashing, indicating the Great Freedom Demon Sect had yet to make a move on Zhang. After a thought, Zheng Fa knew that if he wanted to find Zhang, Chen Ting might indeed have a clue—but his intentions were too deep. The most straightforward approach would be to find someone from the Great Freedom Demon Sect. ... Zheng Fa still followed the map given by Zhang to look for places suitable for Heavenly Thunder Body Refining. Five possible places were marked on Zhang’s map. He did not rashly make a choice but spent over half a month inspecting every location. After checking them out, he felt somewhat disappointed... Not because these places were unsuitable for Heavenly Thunder Body Refining. But because... in reality, he had hoped that Zhang would have left some clues at these places for him to follow. But he found none. Ultimately, he could only choose the most secluded place, where there were the fewest people, to stop the Calamity Boat. Zheng Fa sat cross-legged at the bow of the boat, his Divine Soul leaving the body and charging towards the thunderous clouds above. Boom! A bolt of Heavenly Thunder struck him directly. His whole body shuddered. Compared to the intensity of thunder when refreshing his blood, this Heavenly Thunder was much stronger. But compared to the pain of blood-refreshing, he now felt comfortable—the Heavenly Thunder seemed to carry a hint of vitality. As it destroyed Zheng Fa’s body, it was also reshaping him, even subtly causing a slow change—no, an evolution in his body! He was now beginning to grasp the concept of the Five Thunders Body; the so-called four layers were just to prepare Zheng Fa to withstand the destructive force of this Heavenly Thunder until the nourishment of vitality came. Zheng Fa could feel that something was growing inside his body. Before he could figure out what exactly was growing inside him, suddenly, the Green Yang energy that the Jiushan Ancestor had given him in his Dantian exploded! Since this Green Yang energy had entered his Dantian, it had never moved. It seemed as if it was waiting for the day Zheng Fa mastered the Five Thunders Body. A part of this Green Yang energy scattered into Zheng Fa’s body. Another part rushed towards the heavens, piercing through the thunderclouds above Zheng Fa’s head and ascending into the boundless sky. In the sky, a colossal tree appeared. The great tree had a trunk without branches, and red broad leaves grew around the main stem, like a sunset glow. So vast was this tree, it seemed to connect the heavens and the underworld. Inside the Thunder Pool, clouds dispersed and thunder ceased, as if paying homage to the enormous tree. The sounds of incessant battle everywhere also quieted. Everyone looked up, their gaze toward the heavens. Zheng Fa felt the Green Yang energy spreading within him, creating numerous fine meridians in his body. The patterns of these meridians seemed to resonate faintly with the veins of the leaves of the giant tree in the sky. The words of the Jiushan Ancestor surfaced in his mind—when his Pure Yang Body Refining Skills were perfected, it would be the day the Green Sun Dao Body was accomplished. Now, these newly born delicate meridians, were they the signature of the Green Sun Dao Body? Zheng Fa did not have the luxury to ponder on this matter at the moment, as he hurried the Calamity Boat, wanting to leave this place—the recent commotion had been quite noticeable. He was concerned that others might come. “Do you also enjoy being struck by lightning?” Suddenly, a voice came from far behind him. Zheng Fa turned around, the disciple from the Tianhe Sect was watching him intently, with what seemed like a hint of kinship in his eyes? No. What do you mean by “also”?