Chapter 292: Thunder Strike

It turned out that the ceremony held before cultivating the “True Inheritance of the Shangqing Shenxiao Inductive Thunder Method” was a test that involved drawing heavenly thunder into the body, a trial that was almost a narrow escape from death (although in fact, this test also had a lot of preparatory work beforehand, which could significantly reduce potential risks. However, for George, its difficulty was several times harder than establishing that altar).

Its most important purpose, besides using heavenly thunder to refine the body so that the caster’s physical body had a higher tolerance for lightning, was to establish a Thunder Pool within the caster’s body structure.

It could be said that this Thunder Pool was the key to using the Shangqing Shenxiao Inductive Thunder Method; it was the fundamental energy source for these Thunder Methods. Before constructing the Thunder Pool, a cultivator’s application of Thunder Methods was truly like duckweed without roots, water without a source, or a tree without a base. Either they were borrowing power from the external Heavenly Realm, or it was a temporary conversion of their own life essence.

As a result, it was not pure, making it difficult for the user to wield it like an arm, let alone perform some special uses and conversions. Naturally, it was also impossible to further cultivate the true inheritance content within the Shangqing Shenxiao Inductive Thunder Method.

‘Alas! If only I had finished reading the entire content back then. I wouldn’t have ended up in such a big mess now! It was truly a waste of more than a month’s time.’ After careful analysis, George thought with considerable annoyance.

To some extent, George’s previous approach was clearly one of taking the process of a matter for granted as the final result and purpose. If he hadn’t put this document aside in disappointment back then, but had patiently read it all and analyzed it properly, there would definitely have been a different result.

As the saying goes, the ocean accepts hundreds of rivers; only through tolerance can one be great. If the True Inheritance of the Great Dao did not have a hint of inclusiveness, how could it be called one of the general outlines of the Thunder Method! The fact that one of the three major cultivation schools recorded in its background was somewhat undeserving of its reputation. Of course, the more George interpreted the information in this regard, the more he believed it was a product of another parallel world.

Of course, the Shangqing lineage was originally known for teaching without discrimination, and the legendary Battle of the Gods reflected this to some extent. Although the Maoshan Shangqing Sect in reality was a famous righteous sect, the Daoist methods that spread from it were the most bizarre.

In fact, rumors had it that besides orthodox Daoist arts, Maoshan disciples might also use various witchcraft and evil arts found in the martial world, such as raising ghosts, refining Gu, driving corpses, casting curses, and living sacrifices. It could be said that the impression given by the entire Maoshan Sect disciples was of mixed quality: ranging from the great path to immortality at the top, to Feng Shui and divination in the middle, and down to folk scams, they were involved in everything.

Naturally, this True Inheritance also contained cultivation methods for facing special circumstances. Among them was a method for George’s current situation—the part where he had already constructed a Thunder Pool himself.

Since he already possessed a Thunder Pool, he could naturally skip the first step of drawing thunder into his body. According to the standards of Thunder Method cultivation, George could already be considered to have achieved Foundation Establishment. It could be said that this was one of the situations closest to the orthodox method among many circumstances, and it could even be said: as long as one had a certain foundation in cultivation, one could directly practice the following methods.

Of course, such cultivation was also somewhat different from those orthodox cultivators who had experienced the heavenly thunder trial. The reason there was such a specific record was because in the cultivation world where this secret manual existed, the methods to construct a Thunder Pool were not limited to just one.

But if that were the case, why did this Thunder Method inheritance, which claimed to be the orthodox true inheritance of Daoism, choose the method of drawing heavenly thunder to refine the body, a method that was a matter of life and death and stealing heavenly secrets? One had to know that orthodox cultivation had always been about taking one step at a time, relying on the slow grinding work of water to slowly grind upwards.

Although this kind of unconventional method should have at least been criticized as a left-hand path, it was actually an orthodox Daoist inheritance. The main reason for this was that the Thunder Pool constructed by it was quite pure.

It was even more so because the heavenly thunder carried a trace of the aura of the will of the Heavenly Dao. This not only made the subsequent cultivation of its Thunder Method twice the result with half the effort, but also made the application of many different divine types more handy. This, in another aspect, also conformed to the theory of the orthodox school: difficult as climbing to the sky at the beginning, but success follows naturally later.

And the Thunder Pools constructed by other various methods were not as pure as this one obtained directly from the source of thunder. At the same time, they often carried the characteristics of one’s previous cultivation and the imprints within one’s bloodline, forming all kinds of various mutations.

This mutated Thunder Pool could be said to have both pros and cons: George’s Silent Thunder, which carried the Force Field ability, could already be considered a top choice among them. Among thousands of cultivators who successfully constructed a Thunder Pool, there might not be even one who could obtain an ability on the same level as his.

If one mutated into some chicken-rib abilities that were of little use, it actually wouldn’t be considered too unlucky. What one feared most was obtaining effects similar to Yin Thunder Evil Arts, which completely conflicted with subsequent Thunder Method cultivation. The conflict between this thunder, which was almost sanctified like positive energy, and those evil and filthy attributes would not only wear down one’s own strength but also cause the constructor abnormal pain.

Moreover, once the Thunder Pool was established, although it wasn’t like “once the Golden Core is formed, there is no regret” where it couldn’t be changed, the price required to do so was simply too high.

Therefore, the previous ceremony of drawing thunder into the body could completely eliminate this series of uncertain hidden dangers. This allowed the cultivator to obtain a future that, although lacking in distinctive features, had broader space for development. This was like a blank sheet of paper, allowing the user to splash ink to their heart’s content. Those with good mutations could still be considered semi-finished paintings, while the bad ones were just paper with stains.

Perhaps this was the essence of the Shangqing lineage—regardless of your background, even if you were a person with fur and horns, or born from moisture or eggs; as long as you passed this tribulation, you would be reborn and step into the ranks of the orthodox.

After realizing that he had no restrictions on his cultivation next, George devoted twelve percent of his energy to the great cause of cultivating this Thunder Method. Even his daily territory affairs were let go of more noticeably.

Regarding this, neither the few Knights nor Viscount Bolerum had any objections; it could even be said they were happy to see it happen. After all, in the general cognition of this world, one’s own strength was the most important link for a Knight. Everything else was just icing on the cake, mere details.

Of course, after that long period of local conflict with the Dark Elves. Not only the rulers of the Duchy of Nohan, but even the traveling merchants felt a sense of relief. It could be said that after the lifting of this high alert, the urgent matters in the territory during this period had also lessened considerably. In this way, George was able to just grasp the key points like he did in the capital Kalatu, handing over other matters to the bureaucrats in the territory to handle themselves.

Even the garrison in Broken Halberd Fortress, after more than a week of being suspicious at the beginning, finally let go of the worries in their hearts. They turned from the previous wartime state to combat readiness duty.

In this way, the light cavalry patrols that were originally cruising everywhere outside Broken Halberd Fortress also temporarily entered a rotation for rest and adjustment. However, the so-called “Lords of the Sky” sent by those Elves, the two Heavenly Giant Eagle Knights and Heavenly Giant Owl Knights. Were still patrolling day and night over Broken Halberd Fortress. It seemed they still had some doubts about whether those Dark Elves had really retreated.

After receiving the message, George immediately talked to Mr. Val after his daily training: “Mr. Val, those Elves aren’t planning to station those personnel at Broken Halberd Fortress of our Duchy of Nohan for the long term, are they!”

Such a question had been hovering in George’s mind after the crisis was lifted.

“Perhaps they will! This kind of thing requires His Grace the Duke and the noble Parliament led by the Lord Viscount to negotiate with the Elf Empire to get the final answer. However, according to past conventions, whenever a passage to the Underdark appears, the Elves will inevitably arrange personnel to monitor the vicinity. So the most important thing regarding the final outcome of this situation is what kind of price those Elves can offer.” Mr. Val, who had found a comfortable position for himself and sat on the ground, spoke eloquently to George.

Hearing this, George’s thoughts immediately began to diverge: ‘Is this essentially a disguised overseas garrison? A formal observer? Or an existence similar to the Cuban listening station? But doesn’t this affect national sovereignty? No, this world probably doesn’t have the specific concept of national sovereignty yet…’

Of course, due to the change in his thinking ability, George’s current appearance was just a fleeting dullness between his eyes. However, this slight change could not be hidden from the eyes of a strong man like Mr. Val. Although the ability to accelerate thinking was rare, Mr. Val had not never seen it before.

Seeing George looking a little lost, Mr. Val immediately teased: “Did you fall for that Elf Miss you competed with before? If that’s the case, you really don’t need to worry. Although some Elves have already left Broken Halberd Fortress, that Miss is still here! It looks like if the agreement between our Duchy of Nohan and the Elf Empire is reached, that Elf Miss will probably stay in Bolerum Territory for a long time.”

‘Mr. Val, can you not be so gossipy! And do I look like that kind of person?’ George was a bit annoyed by Mr. Val’s teasing.

But before George could speak, Mr. Val seemed to intentionally want to see George’s embarrassed look. He preemptively continued: “Even if that Elf Miss leaves here for other reasons, you don’t need to worry about it. Because didn’t she propose before that she would compete with you again after her strength improved? Elves basically keep their promises, so you will definitely meet one day. Moreover, with the Elves’ naturally romantic nature, it’s not impossible for there to be a romance between you two after the war!”

“Mr. Val, is this the kind of talk suitable for a gentleman who is already engaged? I suspect you are intentionally instigating!” George shouted at Mr. Val with a red face.

“It is precisely because you are already engaged that I would make such a suggestion! You are not a noble young lady who needs to maintain chastity; having a romantic history before stepping into marriage is normal! If you step into the hall of marriage with a blank slate like this, it would really be a waste of your youth.” Mr. Val looked like someone who had been there before, stood up, and patted George’s shoulder.

Made somewhat speechless and embarrassed by Mr. Val’s remarks, George’s eyes spun around as he started his counterattack: “I don’t like the Elf’s figure, which is not much better than a bamboo pole, at all. And although that guy’s face is pretty, her personality is just too bad. But if it were Lacia, I would be quite happy to have a romance.”

After saying that, George also touched his chin, making a look of considerable longing. At the same time, he was muttering in his heart: ‘I don’t believe this won’t turn the tables on you.’

But unexpectedly, Mr. Val was not annoyed at all: “If your interactions can guarantee that Lacia’s reputation is not affected. As a father, I actually don’t mind that much.”

George, who never expected to get such an answer, could be said to be dumbfounded for a moment. He constantly complained in his heart: ‘Isn’t it said that a daughter is her father’s lover from a previous life? What kind of dad acts like this!’

Immediately after, Mr. Val’s tone changed, and he said with a slightly ferocious look on his face: “But if you cross the line, don’t blame me for disregarding our friendship.”

George, who felt he had achieved a certain goal, shook his head helplessly and said: “It was just a joke. Mr. Val, do you think I have time for any romance right now? Just my own training and the management of the territory make me a bit out of breath. I feel like time is always not enough!”

“This is the path you chose yourself; no one can truly help you. Since you want to grasp both with both hands, how could you not pay a price.” At this point, Mr. Val also put away his previous playful attitude and spoke solemnly.

“Yes! One must pay the price for one’s actions. So my youth can only be spent amidst the glint of swords and the sea of books. I never had any extravagant hopes for anything else.” As he said this, George also stretched his waist.

Seeming to be touched by this, Mr. Val patted George’s shoulder and said: “Actually, you don’t need to go to this extent. The current situation of the territory is already much better than in the past; you should relax when it’s time to relax! Don’t be too harsh on yourself. In my experience, no one among your peers has done better than you.”

George was silent for a good while and said: “But I like to see the happy smiles on the faces of those who have worked hard all day when they receive their due rewards. I hope to stand on the balcony of the City Hall and watch this vibrant city. I like the Freemen from other places to yearn to come to Bolerum Territory to settle. This is my persistence, the reason why I can give up other enjoyments…”

“Since you have said it to this extent, as your Knight mentor, I can only say—I am proud of you. Really!” Mr. Val sighed, left the training ground.

And George, who felt a bit cathartic after pouring out his heart, waved his hand. One could see obvious white-blue electric sparks accompanied by crackling sounds rushing out from George’s palm, and then like a silver snake, it struck the target standing on the side. Easily turning that practice target into a wisp of green smoke.

‘I have finally mastered a form of ranged energy attack. However, this is really too conspicuous; once used, there is no way to conceal my tracks. And if I want to conceal it, I can’t bring out the greatest power of this thunder…’ George’s sigh seemed to be splitting hairs.

In fact, the sound in that thunder just now was deliberately emitted by George. Because according to records, creatures that fear thunder and holy power would feel fear because of it. Of course, enemies with strong willpower might also resist it and not be affected.

In fact, according to the records, those who cultivated the Thunder Method basically had high requirements for their mental state and morality. In the original world, regardless of their background, Thunder Method cultivators were often seen as part of the righteous faction.

In addition, George also obtained 4 unique usage methods from this Divine Thunder: The first, Continuous Divine Thunder; the thunder was like a cracking whip, connected section by section. After the Thunder Method hit a target, it could choose to strike another target. To put it plainly, it was a controllable Chain Lightning. However, this method not only consumed a lot but was also very difficult to control. At the very least, George hadn’t been able to master it yet.

The second, Silent Divine Thunder; the thunder sound was faint, formless and signless. This thunder was launched without any warning, requiring no hand movements, and the strike produced no sound or light effects. Because it was so hidden, it could completely be used for sneak attacks.

But in this way, the enemy hit would neither suffer sonic wave damage, nor would they feel fear or tinnitus. It could be said that one could not have both fish and bear’s paw! However, the attribute attached to George’s Thunder Pool made practicing this ability twice the result with half the effort. In just a few days, he was already able to use it proficiently.

The third, Oscillating Divine Thunder; the sound of tigers and leopards, shaking the bones and marrow. This move directly used the power of sound waves to oscillate the opponent’s body. At this moment, if the opponent had a weakness to sound waves, they would definitely suffer heavy damage. It was truly a good ability to deal with magical constructs like Constructed creatures, but unfortunately, it could not be used simultaneously with the Silent Divine Thunder.

Perhaps because of the mutual generation and restraint, George didn’t spend much time practicing this release method. However, regarding the final Taiyi Divine Thunder, which centered on oneself for large-scale damage, George similarly hadn’t mastered it yet. It was a pity that this True Inheritance only contained these four basic usage methods; the rest had to be explored by himself.

Of course, cultivating this Thunder Method was not without other problems. Because after the Thunder Method cultivator reached the bottleneck of this stage, they had to build a more high-end altar, absorb the heaven and earth primal energy, and form a glittering Golden Core within the body.

At the same time, there were three disasters that were severe. First, heavenly thunder would descend from the sky; one needed to see one’s nature and clarify one’s heart to dodge in advance. If one endured it, one’s life would be as long as the sky; if not, one’s body would die and the Dao would disappear. On the second day, there would be heavenly Yin Fire coming to burn; this Yin Fire would burn from the Yongquan acupoint below, directly penetrating the Niwan Palace, turning the five viscera into ash and the four limbs rotten, making a thousand years of bitter cultivation an illusion. If one endured it, the body would be solid and firm; if not, the body would die and the Dao would disappear. On the third day, there would be a wind from the sky, blowing into the six bowels from the fontanelle, passing the Dantian, piercing the nine orifices, dissolving the bones and flesh, and the body would know it was dissolving. After three rounds of blowing, if one endured it, the Jade Liquid Golden Core would be formed; if not, the body would die and the Dao would disappear.

However, the statement here that life would be as long as the sky was obviously an exaggeration. It was just that the natural lifespan would be extended tenfold, not affected by aging, immune to aging effects, and would still die from the end of one’s lifespan, but would not suffer aging penalties before death.

It could be said that crossing these three disasters was difficult at every step! Of course, George couldn’t take the path of establishing an altar. But according to the above statement, as long as one cultivated the Thunder Method, even if one used other methods to form a Golden Core in the future—one still couldn’t escape these three disasters. It was still hard to say whether the gain outweighed the loss or not!