Chapter 521: Heavenly Thunder Root, Lu Chensha!

“Exorcism Golden Thunder? Is this the Heavenly Thunder Root?”

Lu Changsheng raised an eyebrow as he observed this reward.

There are many natural spiritual objects in the world.

Heavenly Spiritual Flames, Heavenly Spirit Plants, Water Essence, and Earth Vein Spirits.

The original seeds formed by thunder are called Heavenly Thunder Roots.

Their effects are similar to the Thunder-Reinforced Flame and Heartburn Flame he obtained earlier.

All are born from the natural wonders of heaven and earth, developing a touch of spirituality to form an original thunder seed.

If one cultivates thunder attribute techniques, refining a Thunder Root can turn it into their own Thunder Technique, greatly enhancing the power of thunder-based techniques and Divine Abilities.

However, compared to Heavenly Spiritual Flames, Thunder is more violent and domineering, making it harder to control.

Occupations like pill refiners and equipment refiners often seek methods for controlling flames to refine them, but few study Thunder.

Thus, Thunder is less known.

Not only are Heavenly Thunder Roots more scarce, but they are also more difficult to control and refine.

Lu Changsheng’s mind wavered as he looked at the details of the Exorcism Golden Thunder.

[Thunder Seed: Exorcism Golden Thunder]

[Grade: Third Tier]

[Description: The root of a Ten-Thousand-Year Golden Thunder Bamboo, struck by heavenly thunder, formed a touch of spirituality, forming an original Thunder Root. This Thunder bears the attributes of Yang and Dominance, with the effects of exorcism and warding off evil, particularly effective against demon and ghost paths.]

“Effective against demon and ghost paths?”

Lu Changsheng immediately thought of the Yin Ghost Sect in the Jin Kingdom.

However, he had no plans to trouble the Yin Ghost Sect anytime soon.

Unless he breaks through to the Nascent Soul stage; otherwise, the most he can do is intimidate the Yin Ghost Sect.

After all, with the protection of a Fourth-Tier formation, even if he reaches the late Golden Core stage or even the peak, he still wouldn’t be able to handle the Yin Ghost Sect.

“This kind of Heavenly Thunder Root is extremely violent. Even ordinary Golden Core cultivators would find it difficult to refine.”

“Although some in the family practice thunder-related techniques, they can’t refine this Third-Tier Thunder Seed.”

Lu Changsheng contemplated for a moment, deciding to refine this Exorcism Golden Thunder himself later.

On one hand, no one in the family could utilize it.

On the other hand, from his experience with the Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame, he knew that even without practicing fire or thunder techniques, these Heavenly Spiritual Flames and Thunder added significant power to physical combat.

Currently, the effects of the Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame are rather average.

If he refines another original Thunder, it would further enhance his close-combat effectiveness.

Moreover, his Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame already possesses extreme Yang and thunder attributes.

If he refines this Exorcism Golden Thunder, the two might merge, potentially doubling their power.

Even if the result isn’t satisfactory, he could always separate the Thunder-Reinforced Dragon Flame and Exorcism Golden Thunder later, keeping them as family assets.

Purple Secrets Realm.

A slightly damp forest filled with a foul decay.

Lu Qingyan opened her eyes and immediately placed a talisman in her palm, cautiously scanning her surroundings.

After ensuring there was no one around, she let out a soft breath and took out a map from her Storage Bag.

While her family didn’t have much experience with the Purple Secrets Realm,

their father had prepared a detailed information dossier for all of them.

It included descriptions of key locations and landmarks in the Purple Secrets Realm.

It also detailed where spiritual herbs could be found and which areas were dangerous.

Lu Qingyan compared the map with her surroundings, roughly determining her location before taking out her identity Jade Token and infusing it with spiritual power.

Instantly, a faint, barely perceptible sense connected her to another Lu Family member somewhere in the distance.

She didn’t rush to meet them, instead waiting for the remaining family members to activate their tokens.

About fifteen minutes passed, and she sensed four connections.

“Why is one missing?”

Lu Qingyan frowned slightly.

They had agreed beforehand.

The moment they entered the realm, they’d activate their tokens.

Then they’d gather at the spirit spring lake as their designated meeting point.

If two members were nearby, they’d meet first.

How come fifteen minutes had passed, yet one was still missing?

“Could they have been transported to a dangerous location?”

Lu Qingyan, clad in silver armor and wielding a silver spear, had a heroic and striking appearance.

Transport in the Purple Secrets Realm is random.

Some are sent directly to the core area, surrounded by spiritual herbs.

Others find themselves in the midst of a beast horde or even in dire spots.

Though rare, these scenarios do happen.

“It could also mean they’re in a remote area or somewhere unable to connect.”

After a moment of thought, she headed in the direction of the spirit spring lake.

However, she remained highly alert throughout the journey, wary of potential ambushes.

The Purple Secrets Realm has some people who forsake entering the central region, instead forming teams to hunt down scattered cultivators in the outskirts.

In a remote valley.

“Damn!”

Lu Yunfei was enveloped in a golden shield of light, looking extremely grim.

Unexpectedly, he had been transported to a valley surrounded by wolves as soon as he entered the realm.

Though these Bloodshadow Wolves were only first-tier demonic beasts, there were just too many of them.

If not for the Second-Tier Golden Light Talisman, he would’ve almost died.

“I can’t break through like this.”

“Once the Golden Light Talisman’s energy is exhausted, I’ll be in even more danger. I’ll have no choice but to use the Avatar Talisman.”

Lu Yunfei knew he couldn’t escape on his own.

His only option was to use the Avatar Talisman his father had given him.

But the Avatar Talisman was something every Lu Family member only received one of.

It’s a true Substitute Life Charm.

Using it so soon after entering the realm made him reluctant.

Moreover, the Avatar Talisman could randomly transport him elsewhere, making him wary of ending up in another dangerous spot.

“Roar——”

Just as he was contemplating his escape, a deafening roar echoed.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh——”

Gale-force winds surged down the cliff along with a pungent stench, sweeping toward Lu Yunfei.

He looked up to see a massive Bloodshadow Wolf King standing atop the cliff, its blood-red eyes glowing.

The Wolf King let out a low growl, its entire body shrouded in a blood-colored aura that appeared to burn like fire as it pounced toward him with terrifying momentum.

“Crap!”

Lu Yunfei felt a chill down his spine, fear gripping him.

He had sensed something was off earlier. The pack somehow lacked a Second-Tier Wolf King.

He hadn’t expected the Wolf King to arrive now.

He quickly formed hand seals, conjuring an earth wall in front of him.

But the other Bloodshadow Wolves immediately lunged again.

“Roar, roar, roar——”

The pack swarmed, while the Bloodshadow Wolf King struck him with a blood-red energy wave, its force overwhelming and soul-shaking.

“Bang!”

Lu Yunfei was sent flying like a broken kite, his body wracked by a turbulent surge of blood.

The golden light shield around him dimmed significantly, almost fading away.

However, under the relentless gnawing of the other Bloodshadow Wolves, the shield was covered in cracks, on the verge of shattering.

“Damn it!”

Lu Yunfei knew he couldn’t hesitate any longer.

If the Golden Light Talisman breaks and he’s heavily injured before using the Avatar Talisman, he’d be in even greater danger.

“Buzz——”

He activated the Avatar Talisman at his forehead, which instantly burned, releasing a mysterious power that enveloped him entirely.

Then, like a beam of light, he shot out, leaving behind a puppet that was instantly torn apart by the wolves.

Lu Chensha sat cross-legged on a shiny, pitch-black centipede adorned with countless legs, carefully observing the surroundings.

Anyone who looked closely enough would notice that the centipede’s belly seemed to glow with traces of black fire.

Though riding on such a creature made him conspicuous,

Lu Chensha felt it was the safest option.

For one, a Top-Tier first-tier Thousand-Legged Centipede would deter potential enemies.

Moreover, the keen senses of demonic beasts like the Thousand-Legged Centipede far surpass those of cultivators of the same tier.

It would immediately detect any distant movements or battles, preventing ambushes.

Of course, there were drawbacks.

Cultivators seeing Lu Chensha’s array of Artifacts and his mount might consider him difficult to deal with and not worth attacking.

But to demonic beasts, the presence of the Thousand-Legged Centipede’s aura is a direct provocation; they wouldn’t care if he’s dangerous.

Not long after.

“Huff, huff——”

Heavy footsteps and breath echoed from the nearby forest.

Lu Chensha’s expression froze momentarily as he saw an enormous wild boar, jet-black like a small mountain, charging toward him.

Its red eyes, sharp tusks, and needle-like fur, all exuding a faint demonic aura, projected an overwhelming sense of danger.

This was a peak first-tier demonic beast.

It was probably just a step away from advancing to the second tier.

Facing this wild boar demonic beast, Lu Chensha became vigilant, raising his hand slightly.

“Buzzing——”

The black glowing traces beneath the Thousand-Legged Centipede’s belly instantly turned into a swarm of black fire ants, attacking the wild boar.

These black fire ants dove directly into the wild boar’s blood-red eyes, causing it to roar in agony as its pupils bled.

“Hiss, hiss, hiss——”

At the same time, the Thousand-Legged Centipede arched its body, spewing dark poisonous fog from its terrifying maw.

“Roar, roar, roar——”

The wild boar howled in agony, trying to escape.

But the black fire ants clung tightly to its body, turning its fur black as soot.

Lu Chensha stood on the Thousand-Legged Centipede, using the Filthy Spirit Insect to scan the surroundings, then cautiously pursued the boar from a distance.

The wild boar, realizing it couldn’t escape, turned around and charged at Lu Chensha frantically.

But after maneuvering around with the Thousand-Legged Centipede for a moment, it eventually collapsed, charred black and bleeding profusely.

“Hiss, hiss, hiss——”

The black fire ants swarmed the boar, devouring its flesh as its life force faded and it finally died.

Lu Chensha calmly observed the scene before him.

He had long known the strength of the Ironfire Ants.

That’s why, during his earlier training with his elder brother Lu Ping’an, he was never allowed to use the Ironfire Ants.

“Once I break through to the Foundation Establishment stage, I can breed and control even more Ironfire Ants.”

Lu Chensha was growing more eager for the end of the Purple Secrets Realm and his breakthrough to Foundation Establishment.

Currently, his Divine Sense can only manage eight hundred Ironfire Ants.

But breaking through to Foundation Establishment would allow him to control several times more!

Eight hundred Ironfire Ants resemble a black flame cloud!

Eight thousand Ironfire Ants would cloak the sky with fire!

With eighty thousand Ironfire Ants… he could be an entire army by himself.

“However, controlling tens of thousands of Ironfire Ants would likely require a breakthrough to the Golden Core stage.”

Lu Chensha chuckled at himself, suppressing his thoughts.

After the boar’s body was half-devoured by the Ironfire Ants, he took out a bone knife and meticulously dissected the remaining flesh, storing it in his Insect Nest Pouch.

The swift growth and proliferation of his Ironfire Ants were inextricably linked to the Insect Nest Pouch.

Not only does it provide a breeding and living environment for the Ironfire Ants, but it also automatically converts stored flesh into blood-filled insect pellets.

Once everything was prepared, the Ironfire Ants retreated to the centipede’s belly like grains of sand, and Lu Chensha continued moving forward on the Thousand-Legged Centipede to meet the others.

“Kid from Bihu Mountain, running into us today is your bad luck!”

A nearly two-meter-tall young man and a cold-looking woman in her mid-twenties sneered as they prepared to attack Lu Qingze.

Without hesitation, they activated their Artifacts and launched their attack.

Knowing that the two ahead were from the Sima Family of Xuanwu Ridge and that their strength was no weaker than his, Lu Qingze didn’t engage in a prolonged battle. He immediately took out a first-tier High-Tier Wind God Talisman and activated it, fleeing.

When they entered the realm, the Lu Family had supplied them with talismans, Artifacts, and puppets to prepare for any situation.

The Lu Family members usually have convenient access to talismans, so they tend to keep a few for emergencies.

“Hmph, trying to flee!”

The two Sima Family cultivators chased after him, not willing to let Lu Qingze escape.

Their family had ordered anyone who encountered a Bihu Mountain Lu Family member to kill them without mercy.

The reward for each kill was a Foundation Establishment spirit material!

Killing two would grant them priority in obtaining a Foundation Establishment Pill!

With such rewards, they couldn’t let him go.

A few days later.

“Buzzing——”

After seeing the Ironfire Ants take down two cultivators, Lu Chensha rode his Thousand-Legged Centipede forward, using the Filthy Spirit Insect to check the surroundings for any ambushes.

Once he confirmed the area was safe, he approached and cleaned up the bodies and Storage Bags.

“No wonder people say there’s gold in murder and arson—just robbing these two alone netted me several thousand Spirit Stones.”

“If I relied solely on my regular earnings from breeding spirit beasts, it’d take me ten years to make this much Spirit Stones.”

Lu Chensha looked at the Storage Bags in his hands and felt quite sentimental.

The resources from Bihu Mountain provided a steady income source, so they never really lacked Spirit Stones.

But despite that, who wouldn’t want more wealth?

Just by taking on family missions or working outside, one could barely earn a thousand or so Spirit Stones in a year at best.

In contrast, killing two cultivators within the realm instantly earned him thousands of Spirit Stones, leaving him with mixed emotions.

“Their ambush nearly caught me off guard. If it wasn’t for the Thousand-Legged Centipede and the Filthy Spirit Insect, it would’ve been really dangerous.”

“But their methods could be useful to me.”

“I could mimic their approach, using bait or arranging their bodies to look like victims of a beast attack, leaving behind Storage Bags, and then hiding the Ironfire Ants within the bodies.”

“If anyone is greedy enough to approach, the Ironfire Ants can be unleashed to attack them immediately.”

“Ordinary Qi Refining cultivators wouldn’t have time to react.”

As Lu Chensha analyzed the situation, an idea suddenly came to him.

He realized that by doing this, he could make a substantial profit.

But the thought alone startled him.

This was his first time taking a life.

However, since the Ironfire Ants did all the work, it didn’t feel much different from killing demonic beasts.

Yet the idea of treating human lives so casually, of survival of the fittest, still shocked him to his core.

Neither his previous character nor the teachings of Bihu Mountain condoned such a reckless disregard for life.

“The more risky actions one takes, the more likely it is to backfire. Many who choose to become bandits or rogue cultivators often get a taste of some easy gains first.”

“If I keep going down this path, I might eventually run into someone much stronger, so it’s better to regroup with the others first.”

Lu Chensha abandoned this idea, cleaned up the area, and continued on his way.

However, the thoughts from earlier and his first experience of killing gnawed at him. They made him feel more indifferent toward life.

His mindset had quietly begun to change without notice.

About half a day later, Lu Chensha regrouped with Lu Qingyan and Lu Qingze.

Both showed signs of battle.

Especially Lu Qingze, who was pale and had suffered significant injuries.

In contrast, Lu Chensha, riding his Thousand-Legged Centipede, was spotless, his clothes neat and clean without a single wrinkle.

“The Sima Family.”

Lu Chensha heard Lu Qingze’s words and suggested they should hit back if they encountered them again.

Two days later, Lu Mingfeng and Lu Ziyun arrived.

The two had been closest to each other, so they regrouped first.

Though they had visible battle scars, they weren’t injured, only encountering beasts along the way.

“Only Yunfei is left. He might’ve been sent to some remote area, which is why his token isn’t responding.”

Lu Qingyan said with a concerned expression.

In such cases, things usually turn out bad.

“What should we do now? Should we search for spiritual herbs in the outer area while waiting for Yunfei, or should we head toward the central region?”

Lu Mingfeng asked.

“We’ve regrouped under difficult conditions with little to show for it so far, so we can stay in this area for a while and see if Yunfei makes contact.”

Lu Qingze thoughtfully suggested.

He also wanted to take this time to recover from his injuries.

“Alright.”

The others agreed without objection and began to act together.

Although Lu Qingze was injured and not participating much.

Lu Qingyan, Lu Chensha, Lu Mingfeng, and Lu Ziyun together were more than enough to deal with most situations.

As the five began their exploration, most of the other clan members and Spirit Sect disciples also finished regrouping and began clearing out lone cultivators.

If those they encountered were from another clan and no animosity existed, they’d often pass each other without incident or engage in minor skirmishes.

A few days later, Lu Qingyan, Lu Chensha, and the others encountered cultivators from Jinlong Ridge.

Seeing each other immediately inflamed their enmity.

“Kill!”

The Jin Family cultivators also numbered five.

But noticing that Lu Qingze was injured,

and considering that Lu Family had just battled, they decided to strike while the iron was hot and try to take down one or two of them.

“Whoosh whoosh whoosh——”

They launched their Artifacts and techniques, aiming to take down Lu Qingze first.

“Hmph!”

Lu Qingyan stood at the front, clad in silver armor and wielding a silver spear.

“Buzz!”

Lu Qingze, though low on Spiritual Energy, still had his puppets.

Additionally, Lu Chensha had lent him his puppet, allowing him to control two at once.

“Puppets!?”

The Jin Family cultivators narrowed their eyes but weren’t too surprised.

The Lu Family was famous for their Talisman Making, but their puppet business was the most widespread.

Not only at the Hongye Valley Marketplace but even the Jinlong Ridge Market was dominated by the Lu Family’s puppets.

Lu Mingfeng and Lu Ziyun each did their part, one wielding a Flying Sword and the other casting techniques.

“Buzz!”

Standing behind the three, Lu Chensha appeared to be casting an unknown Secret Technique.

In reality, he was controlling the Ironfire Ants, waiting for the right moment to strike.

At the perfect moment, the Ironfire Ants flew like a black sword toward one of the opponents.

“Wind Dragon Technique!”

The Jin Family cultivator quickly gathered his spiritual power and unleashed a dragon-like whirlwind to engulf the Ironfire Ants.

However, the black sword sliced through the whirlwind, pierced his defensive barrier, and burned with scorching pain as it struck his chest.

Moments later, the black sword transformed into a swarm of Ironfire Ants, covering his entire body and gnawing into his flesh.

“Ah——”

He screamed in agony.

“Kunfei!”

His companions were shocked and quickly cast techniques to drive away the Ironfire Ants.

But they were hesitant to use powerful methods, worried they might harm him, thus only knocking the ants away slightly, leaving them unharmed and still biting.

Kunfei’s screams continued, his spiritual power flickering, barely able to repel a few of the ants.

“Attack!”

Lu Qingyan and the others were surprised by the Ironfire Ants’ ability to bypass their opponent’s defense.

But seeing the Jin Family’s chaotic defense, they pressed their attack.

“Hiss, hiss, hiss——”

By then, the Thousand-Legged Centipede also moved in, spewing poison without discriminating friend from foe.

Lu Chensha and his companions quickly took an antidote pill, each holding one in their mouth.

“Hold your breath and pores! Retreat!”

The Jin Family cultivators immediately shouted.

Seeing Kunfei’s body covered in black ants, his flesh charred and bleeding, they decided to retreat.

Realizing the Lu Family members weren’t to be underestimated and knowing they were outmatched, they fled.

“Sister Yan, don’t chase them!”

Lu Chensha noticed Lu Qingyan seemed eager to pursue and quickly called out.

While the Ironfire Ants could quickly neutralize a Qi Refining cultivator,

their current numbers couldn’t handle a group attack yet.

Considering the dangers of the Purple Secrets Realm, they couldn’t risk being caught in another faction’s ambush while fighting.

Lu Qingyan understood the logic and focused on finishing off Kunfei, who was still being eaten by the Ironfire Ants, before stopping the chase.

“Chensha, you’ve really been hiding your abilities.”

Lu Mingfeng looked at Lu Chensha with admiration.

During their earlier training with Lu Ping’an, Lu Chensha had never shown much, nor did he use the Ironfire Ants.

While they had all been acting together these past few days, they hadn’t seen Chensha use his Ironfire Ants, so they hadn’t realized how strong he was.

“It was just luck catching them off guard.”

Lu Chensha replied humbly.

He knew that the opportunities he had received from the family were more than what other Lu Family members got, so he preferred to keep a low profile to avoid jealousy.

“You’ve done the most this time, Chensha, so you should take this Storage Bag.”

Lu Qingyan gave her brother a second look.

In her impression, Lu Chensha had always kept a low profile, rarely standing out.

The only memorable aspect was his Beast Taming talent, with their father even entrusting him to care for the family’s Blackwater Flood Dragon.

“We all contributed, so I should just take a few items.”

Lu Chensha smiled and replied.

The group cleaned up, found a cave to rest in, and began meditating.

Once they recovered, they discussed it and decided to head toward the central area.

Given that they hadn’t sensed Lu Yunfei for so long, it was likely he had been transported directly to the central area.

Since the central area around Purple Secrets Mountain is often shrouded in mist, it might be blocking the token’s signal.

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