Chapter 122: Thunder! Spellcasting and Might!

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The Outside World

Daoist Hongyang’s expression darkened slightly.

Judging by the passage of time, the formation should have held them for roughly this long. Yet to this day, he had received no news of the Immortal Lotus.

According to the reports, thirty percent of the divine thunder within had already fallen into the hands of disciples from their sect. The only thing still missing was the Immortal Lotus. Many disciples of the Flower-Washing Pavilion were currently traveling through the Central Lands, and one of the main reasons for their journey was the Immortal Lotus. Based on the information obtained earlier, this group of Flower-Washing Pavilion disciples at Fuchong Mountain might know something about the White Lotus.

And yet, even now, there had been no movement at all.

Instead, something unusual had happened among the wandering cultivators who had previously gathered in Luoyue Commandery.

Of the two Eminent Ones from the Sun family, only one had appeared, and he had even fought a battle against the wandering cultivator Jin Lan. As for the others—the Sun family’s Sun Yu, Daoist He of the Seven Spirits Gate, and the two wandering cultivators Han Yu and Gan Huan—not a trace of them could be found.

With Hongyang’s cultivation and background, even the Sun family’s ancestor was beneath his notice. But this situation was far too strange, and he could not help becoming solemn.

“Could it be that the Flower-Washing Pavilion failed to obtain the White Lotus, while these Eminent Ones of the Fourth Heaven discovered its whereabouts? Perhaps they gathered together to fight over it—or perhaps they joined forces to claim it?”

He had always been cautious in his dealings. After pondering for a moment, he formed a hand seal and quietly sent a command into Fuchong Mountain through profound arts and immense magical power, ordering the many disciples of the Guarding Rectitude Dao Sect to investigate the matter.

…

Fuchong Mountain, the depths of the Liyue Bottom Valley.

The place had remained still for a long while. At last, everything settled, and the lingering heat of thunder and flame gradually dissipated.

The area around the empty chamber once more sank into darkness, silent as death.

In the darkness, Qingyuan quietly cultivated.

The empty chamber was so silent that it was almost dead, enough to make one feel uneasy.

But Qingyuan had cultivated for many years. Though the path had never been easy, and though it had often been tedious and bewildering, he had persisted for a long time. By now, he was accustomed to emptiness and solitude.

After an unknown length of time, Qingyuan finally completed his cycle of cultivation. He withdrew his true qi and opened his eyes, a glimmer of light flashing within them.

“So this is the trial?”

Could this place create an identical person according to whoever entered it?

If an Eminent One came here, would they face another Eminent One identical to themselves? If a True Immortal came, would they be confronted by an identical True Immortal?

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Regardless of the height of one’s cultivation or the depth of one’s attainment, anyone who came here and wished to proceed farther would have to defeat themselves.

Ordinarily, the higher one’s cultivation, the greater one’s advantage when seeking treasure; those with shallow cultivation would naturally be at a disadvantage. But the Ancient Grand-Industry Heavenly Venerable had arranged things in such a unique manner that everyone’s opponent was themselves. In that respect, it was impartial—and could even be considered fair.

Qingyuan closed his eyes, his brows drawing tightly together.

To face oneself as an opponent?

How many people beneath Heaven could truly defeat themselves?

It was as inconceivable as an ordinary person seizing his own hair and pulling himself into the air by sheer force.

What was more, that other “self” seemed capable of displaying all his abilities to perfection, making it even more formidable than Qingyuan himself.

Take his thunder arts, for example. The thunder manifested by that other self was cast more swiftly than Qingyuan’s and possessed far greater might.

Or take the intent of his Dao. That other self was proficient in all five elemental arts, while Qingyuan himself had only refined his fire arts to the point of perfection. With a mere thought, he could cast them effortlessly. As for his other arts, he had not yet mastered them to such a degree; he still needed to form seals and recite incantations. But that other self could employ all five elemental arts with complete ease, casting them without seals or incantations, just as naturally as his fire arts.

Now that he had calmed down, Qingyuan understood that the obstacle ahead was, in truth, himself—

A version of himself capable of unleashing every one of his abilities to the fullest.

If this was truly the arrangement left behind by the Ancient Grand-Industry Heavenly Venerable, then who could possibly pass through this road?

Even if one possessed abilities surpassing those of a True Immortal, what could one do when faced with a self capable of displaying every skill one possessed?

The higher one’s cultivation, the greater the obstacle.

“What a pity. The Red River White Night Yin-Spirit Chariot and the others have all been destroyed. Otherwise, perhaps I could have defeated him with them.”

This thought flashed through his mind, but he immediately reconsidered.

“No… If I possessed the Red River White Night Yin-Spirit Chariot, would the person manifested here possess one as well?”

A multitude of thoughts arose chaotically, filling him with profound vexation. He could only visualize the Six-Month Illumination of the Body, purifying his mind of distracting thoughts.

…

“The road ahead is difficult. Fortunately, the Ancient Grand-Industry Heavenly Venerable left a way to survive.”

Qingyuan looked toward the empty chamber ahead. A vague understanding stirred within him, accompanied by a growing suspicion.

“This empty chamber should be the place where the battle is fought. If I leave the chamber, the other self manifested here will disappear. But… if I wish to proceed, I must inevitably defeat the self that has been manifested.”

He did not move forward again, for he knew that he could not yet defeat the “self” that had appeared moments ago.

His true qi had already recovered, but his injuries remained. He rested for a while before circulating his true qi once more and beginning to heal.

Even after he recovered, the “self” he would face next would surely be the version of himself after healing as well. But there was no immediate urgency. Qingyuan still hoped to bring himself into the best possible condition before challenging it again.

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…

“That thunder art… When he cast it, the true qi he used was slightly less than mine. Yet that mere fraction allowed him to cast the technique a moment faster.”

“Thunder moves with extraordinary speed. In battle, a single instant can determine life or death.”

“As for its might… It is not true that the more true qi one uses, the more powerful the thunder becomes.”

Qingyuan closed his eyes.

When that incarnation cast the thunder art, it had clearly discovered the key to circulating true qi. Neither too much nor too little, the amount complemented the technique perfectly, making the casting faster while also increasing the thunder’s might. If the true qi were even slightly greater, the casting speed would be reduced; if it were even slightly less, the power of the thunder art would weaken.

When Qingyuan usually cast the thunder art, he relied entirely on instinct.

After refining the scarlet divine thunder, the thunder art he had obtained had become akin to an innate divine ability. It was as natural as instinct itself, requiring no deliberate practice before it could be cast. He had always relied on that instinct when using it, yet subtle, imperceptible variations inevitably remained.

And it was precisely those subtle variations that allowed the incarnation’s thunder art to surpass Qingyuan’s by a narrow margin.

“A difference of the slightest degree can lead to an error of a thousand miles.”

He sighed softly, thinking, So that is how it is.

He had originally believed that his abilities were already formidable, and that he had wielded them with consummate skill. He had never imagined that many minute imperfections remained, places where his techniques had yet to become truly harmonious and complete.

In truth, these abilities could still be advanced further.

He sat in meditation, pondering, calculating, and deducing.

Then he experimented, practiced, and corrected himself.

When his spirit grew weary and his true qi was depleted, he continued cultivating until he had recovered.

Thus the cycle repeated, again and again.

He did not find it tedious. He was wholly immersed in it.

P.S. I originally wrote a long note at the end of the chapter, but after thinking it over, I decided to get straight to the point and leave only one sentence: Happy Dragon Boat Festival, everyone! O(∩_∩)O Haha~

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