Chapter 663: So This Is How the Thunder Prison Clan Treats Their Benefactor?
Thunderlight fell like a torrential downpour, roaring as it descended—
As if to obliterate all living beings in the world!
The golden array covering the summit of Blackstone Mountain instantly rippled with layer upon layer of shockwaves.
Through the ripples, Lei Zhonghe could barely make out the figure inside the formation. It was someone standing with his back to him.
Lying on the ground was Lei Zizhen, still unconscious.
"Break it open!!"
Lei Zhonghe roared in fury and suddenly revealed his true form.
His manifestation was a jagged, bizarrely shaped stone.
Around the stone, wind and thunder constantly swirled.
It was as if the essence of storm and lightning resided within it.
This was the ancient arcane stone known as the Ringing Thunder Stone.
When the Ringing Thunder Stone resounds, storm and lightning rise across the world.
A lifeless object such as this, much like Shen Mo's Undying River manifestation, was among the most difficult avatars to visualize.
Blinding radiance burst forth from the Ringing Thunder Stone manifestation.
Dense lightning transformed into columns of light—each as thick as fifty zhang—cutting through the heavens and striking directly at the formation.
Boom!
A violent explosion rang out.
The blinding light turned everything in the surroundings into broad daylight.
Within several thousand li of Black Tortoise Lake and its surrounding region, all cultivators witnessed this scene and felt shock and dread in their hearts.
Such heavenly power clearly wasn't something ordinary cultivators could unleash.
At the very least, it had to be eighty Dao patterns.
It might even be ninety—or a full hundred!
Whoosh whoosh whoosh.
Over a dozen figures soared into the air, gazing toward Blackstone Mountain from afar.
At the lead was the sect master of Douxuan Sect, Shi Ping.
He was accompanied by the elders of Douxuan Sect.
However, from their positioning alone, one could see that the elders were split into two clear factions.
One side had only three people, gathered closely around Shi Ping.
The other side had many more, led by the Grand Elder Qi Heng.
"There seems to be a clash between powerhouses atop Blackstone Mountain."
"Such a commotion—could it be a hundred-pattern cultivator?"
"I've seen that technique before—there's no mistake. It's Lei Zhonghe, the patriarch of the Thunder Prison Clan, a Nirvana cultivator with one hundred Dao patterns!"
"What?!"
The elders were both shocked and skeptical.
Sect Master Shi Ping said in a deep voice, "Everyone remain where you are. I will go greet Patriarch Lei myself."
But Grand Elder Qi Heng moved a step ahead, flying into the sky. "Patriarch Lei has arrived. How could we be negligent? All elders should go together!"
As he spoke, the elders from the Grand Elder's faction immediately followed, completely ignoring Shi Ping's command.
Shi Ping watched their receding figures with a cold glint in his eyes.
"We'll go too," he said in a low voice.
Moments later, all the elders gathered outside Blackstone Mountain.
Grand Elder Qi Heng immediately recognized Lei Chuan.
He hastened forward with a respectful tone, "Elder Lei Chuan, what brings you here? Is that Patriarch Lei Zhonghe over there?"
Lei Chuan glanced at him. "Don't speak."
Qi Heng quickly nodded and held his tongue.
Just then, the blinding light dispersed.
Lei Zhonghe looked down and was stunned to find that the golden formation covering the summit of Blackstone Mountain had not weakened in the slightest.
That full-force strike of his had barely done anything!
Lei Zhonghe was dumbfounded.
He was a Nirvana cultivator with one hundred Dao patterns.
He was the patriarch of the Thunder Prison Clan.
His strength was formidable beyond compare.
Any cultivator with eighty or ninety patterns would be gravely wounded by such an attack.
Yet this formation—
What grade was it? It had only rippled slightly!
Shi Ping, Qi Heng, and the others all showed expressions of disbelief.
If not even Lei Zhonghe could shake this formation…
What kind of grandmaster in the Dao of Formations had created it?
At that moment, a cold voice rang out from within the formation.
"So this is how the Thunder Prison Clan treats its benefactor?"
In an instant, the golden light dispersed.
Shen Mo stood alone, hands clasped behind his back, standing quietly.
Beside him was Lei Zizhen, now awake, his face pale.
Lei Chuan's eyes widened in disbelief.
He's awake?
Lei Zizhen recovered?
Shi Ping got a clear look at Shen Mo's face and was instantly startled—then overjoyed.
Qi Heng and the others, however, looked puzzled, unable to recognize this man.
Only one middle-aged elder suddenly turned pale upon recognizing Shen Mo.
He was the very one who had demanded Shen Mo vacate the cultivation chamber beneath Black Tortoise Lake.
Lei Zizhen let out a bitter laugh and quickly stepped between Lei Zhonghe and Shen Mo.
"Grandfather, don't let friendly forces clash. This benefactor saved my life."
The moment these words were spoken, silence fell over the entire area.
Lei Chuan was overjoyed. "Young master! You're truly alright?!"
Lei Zhonghe immediately landed atop the mountain and infused spirit power to examine Lei Zizhen's condition.
Indeed—
Though Lei Zizhen's body was riddled with injuries, none were critical.
Not only that, it seemed he had even been refined by some mysterious power.
His blood now flowed like mercury, his meridians taut like bowstrings, and his bones gleamed like jade.
He had far surpassed his condition before leaving home.
"What exactly happened?"
Lei Zhonghe was both amazed and confused.
Lei Zizhen quickly recounted everything in full detail.
Then, solemnly, he said, "Grandfather, Fellow Daoist Shen raised the formation only to protect me."
He turned to Shen Mo and bowed slightly. "Benefactor, I truly apologize. Grandfather was desperate to save me and attempted to forcibly break the formation, causing you trouble."
Lei Zhonghe, though powerful, was not unreasonable.
After listening to Lei Zizhen's explanation, he immediately understood just how reckless he had been.
While a benefactor was saving the Thunder Prison Clan's top genius, he had been attacking the formation from outside.
What madness!
Lei Zhonghe turned to the black-clad cultivator, cupped his fists, and bowed deeply to Shen Mo. "Many thanks for your life-saving grace, Fellow Daoist!"
"Lei Zhonghe, on behalf of the Thunder Prison Clan, shall remember this forever!"
"My earlier actions were rash. I beg you not to take offense!"
His words were sincere, his tone respectful—
There was none of the arrogance one might expect from the patriarch of a top-tier clan.
Shen Mo gave a faint nod.
As expected of the patriarch of one of the five supreme powers in Eastern Province.
This kind of bearing was worthy of the Thunder Prison Clan's name.
"It's fine. I understand your concern," Shen Mo replied with a wave of his hand.
Lei Zhonghe spoke earnestly, "Fellow Daoist, since you've saved the pride of our Thunder Prison Clan, as hosts, it's only right that we treat you with the utmost hospitality."
"Would you be willing to visit our Thunder Prison Clan?"
But Shen Mo didn't immediately accept. Instead, he turned his gaze to Shi Ping in the distance.
"Master Shi, Chen Nanxuan went to find you. Where is he?"
Lei Zhonghe looked surprised and followed his line of sight.
With a glance, he could tell something was amiss.
Qi Heng and his faction felt a jolt of dread in their hearts.
Shi Ping hurried forward to Shen Mo, bowed deeply, and said, "Greetings, Protector Shen."
He spoke gravely, "I have not seen Chen Nanxuan today."
Lei Zhonghe looked thoughtful and turned to Lei Chuan.
Lei Chuan, in turn, shot a sharp look at Qi Heng.
Sweat appeared on Qi Heng's forehead as he quickly said, "Protector Shen, I too do not know Chen Nanxuan's whereabouts. I'll send people to find him immediately!"
Seven or eight elders dispersed at once to search for Chen Nanxuan.
Within less than a hundred breaths, Chen Nanxuan was brought before Shen Mo.
This handsome youth had changed into clean clothes, though his lips were slightly pale.
At a glance, he appeared unharmed.
But with Shen Mo's cultivation, he could instantly tell that Chen Nanxuan had been severely beaten.
Clearly, his earlier disappearance was due to the handiwork of Qi Heng's faction.
Chen Nanxuan had never seen such a grand scene before.
He knew only one thing: the only reason he was alive now was because of Shen Mo.
"Greetings, Protector Shen," he said, holding back tears.
Shen Mo gave a slight nod and turned to Lei Zhonghe. "Patriarch Lei, let's go."
Lei Zhonghe nodded. "Very well."
"Lei Chuan, I leave this place to you."
"Yes," Lei Chuan responded respectfully.
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