"Who exactly are you? Did you kill Hong Chen?"
The Four Great Elders of the Wind and Lightning Northern Pavilion, Feng, Yun, Lei, and Dian, were led by Yang Lei. True to his name, Yang Lei was the most hot-tempered among them, and his consideration of matters was rather superficial.
However, this did not mean he was truly foolish; he was merely slow to react.
At this moment, sensing the pressure Chen Xiao brought and hearing his words, Yang Lei finally reacted with belated realization.
Chen Xiao did not answer his first question, but he did not conceal his answer to the second.
"You could say I killed him. If it were just a disciple who hadn't truly entered the inner pavilion, the Wind and Lightning Northern Pavilion certainly wouldn't place so much importance on him. You must be here for the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement.' Unfortunately, you won't be taking the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' back with you. Not only that, but I also need to seek an explanation from your Pavilion Master."
Without paying any more attention to Yang Lei, who was becoming more confused the more he listened, Chen Xiao directly summoned the Heavenly Flame Honored One.
"Have your Pavilion Master come to collect his people personally. If he disobeys, kill him directly."
After giving the instruction, Chen Xiao went to the side alone and briefly sorted through the spoils in Hong Chen's Storage Ring.
Setting aside the miscellaneous items, Chen Xiao's gaze lingered on the three scrolls.
A Low-Level Earth Tier Dou Skill, the 'Wind Lightning Hammer Technique.'
A Secret Skill, 'Thunder God's Descent.'
And the familiar 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement.'
These three techniques were all secret, unpassed knowledge of the Wind and Lightning Pavilion.
However, the importance of the former two paled in comparison to the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement.'
After storing the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' into his Storage Ring, Chen Xiao unrolled the scrolls for the secret skill 'Thunder God's Descent' and the 'Wind Lightning Hammer Technique' to examine. Although these items were not suitable for him, all techniques in the world shared commonalities. By extracting the essence and discarding the dross, he could gradually form his own techniques in the future.
On the other side.
Yang Lei noticed Chen Xiao's actions in the distance, a fierce glint flashing through his eyes before quickly disappearing.
"Who exactly are you people!"
The Heavenly Flame Honored One smiled, a hint of innate pride emanating from his bones. "I am Yao Tian Huo. Some people also call me the Heavenly Flame Honored One. As for my Pavilion Master, you are not qualified to know."
"This matter is actually very simple. Last night, my Pavilion Master had a moment of sudden enlightenment. That Hong Chen happened to pass by this place. I had already kindly warned him, but he ignored my advice. Not only did he not restrain himself, but he even attempted to disturb it. Do you think he deserved to die?"
"Honored One?!"
Hearing this title, Yang Lei's heart suddenly pounded fiercely.
He understood very well what this suffix symbolized.
Unlike the self-proclaimed 'this Venerable,' the title 'Honored One' was a suffix only Dou Zun experts dared to use!
Yang Lei's heart sank, and he knew that this matter would be difficult to handle.
To obstruct someone's opportunity was no different from killing their parents. Moreover, that was an opportunity that could be encountered but not sought.
If it were him, and his opportunity was thus blocked, not annihilating the entire clan would have been benevolent.
He deserved to die, he truly deserved to die!
Cursing inwardly, Yang Lei didn't even need the Heavenly Flame Honored One to urge him. He took out a jade slip, crushed it, and notified the Wind and Lightning Northern Pavilion.
Involving a Dou Zun expert meant this was no longer something he could manage. He could only hope that when the Pavilion Master arrived, he could downplay the situation and resolve it.
Otherwise, he might truly be implicated and die because of Hong Chen.
"I have already notified the Pavilion Master. Is that satisfactory?"
When one is under another's roof, one must bow their head.
Looking at the soul body of the Heavenly Flame Honored One, Yang Lei did not dare to relax in the slightest.
The Heavenly Flame Honored One smiled slightly, his gaze sweeping over the Storage Ring on Yang Lei's finger.
"Hand over your Storage Ring as well. Regardless of your Pavilion Master's attitude, you attacked my Pavilion Master, and it won't be so easily forgiven."
"Impossible!"
Veins bulged on Yang Lei's forehead, and without even thinking, he angrily refused.
The reason the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' was so highly valued by the Wind and Lightning Pavilion was that it was a prerequisite for cultivating the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body.' The 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' was the most precious foundation of the Wind and Lightning Pavilion.
And within his Storage Ring, there was a fragment of the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body'!
After his words fell, Yang Lei only then realized his predicament. He was not in control of his own actions, so he immediately softened his tone and explained, "I didn't intend to kill when I attacked earlier. I can apologize, but I will absolutely not hand over my Storage Ring. If I hand it over, even if our Northern Pavilion Master agrees, Lord Thunder Honored One will not agree!"
Yang Lei's meaning was clear: the Wind and Lightning Pavilion also had Dou Zun experts.
This was his last resort.
However, the Heavenly Flame Honored One paid no attention to this veiled threat.
He was an old fox. The more Yang Lei resisted, the more it indicated that there were good things in the Storage Ring, and the Heavenly Flame Honored One's resolve to obtain it would only strengthen, even if such actions would make reconciliation between the two parties difficult.
In the Heavenly Flame Honored One's opinion, since Yang Lei had attacked, he deserved to die. Keeping his life at this moment and only taking his Storage Ring was already a form of benevolence.
"That is not up to you."
The Heavenly Flame Honored One sneered contemptuously and floated forward.
Sensing the oppressive aura, Yang Lei gritted his teeth. Ultimately, he did not dare to gamble with his life. He snatched off his Storage Ring and threw it to the Heavenly Flame Honored One, then closed his eyes, as if saying this was truly his limit and they should not expect him to do anything else.
The Heavenly Flame Honored One probed it with his consciousness. Finding that Yang Lei had not erased the soul imprint, he didn't care and merely left a brief evaluation.
"Courting disaster."
Without paying further attention to Yang Lei, the Heavenly Flame Honored One brought the Storage Ring to Chen Xiao.
"Pavilion Master, this is that old fellow's Storage Ring. I took the liberty of bringing it here as a form of compensation for his attack on you."
Chen Xiao looked up and couldn't help but smile.
He had to admit that having an old fox by his side made many things smoother.
Hong Chen's death was a minor matter to him and the Wind and Lightning Northern Pavilion. If the matter was explained clearly and an explanation was given, it would be insignificant.
Because the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' was involved, Yang Lei pursued him and attacked first, which escalated this minor matter.
Now, by taking Yang Lei's Storage Ring, it involved the Wind and Lightning Pavilion's foundation, the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body.' This matter seemed to be escalating.
"Alright, let me see."
Chen Xiao said nothing more. The Heavenly Flame Honored One had already gone this far, and he didn't mind going along with it.
Taking the Storage Ring, Chen Xiao's consciousness seeped into it, and he perceived the soul imprint within.
Yang Lei, standing in the distance, curled his lips slightly. He dared not openly oppose the two, but he was happy to see Chen Xiao and the Heavenly Flame Honored One embarrassed.
It was not easy for one's consciousness to penetrate a Storage Ring that already had an owner, unless one's Soul Power far surpassed that of the Storage Ring's owner.
This was also one of the reasons Yang Lei dared to hand over the Storage Ring.
He had played a little trick. He had only agreed to hand over the Storage Ring, but he had not agreed to erase the soul imprint!
With this time, as long as the Pavilion Master arrived, the problem could be resolved.
It was a good thought, but unfortunately, Yang Lei knew too little about Chen Xiao.
As he was closing his eyes and pretending to be dead, a sharp pain suddenly came from the depths of his soul, as if his skull were about to split open. Instantly, Yang Lei fell to the ground, clutching his head and wailing.
After a moment of recovery, Yang Lei gritted his teeth, his eyes red as he looked at the two in the distance.
At this moment, he finally understood what the Heavenly Flame Honored One meant by "courting disaster."
His soul imprint in the Storage Ring was as fragile as paper in front of Chen Xiao, and it had been completely erased!
"Stop! You... stop now, and there's still room for recovery. Otherwise... Lord Thunder Honored One will absolutely not stand by and watch the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' be leaked!"
Enduring the sharp pain in his soul, Yang Lei warned intermittently. After finishing his speech, he felt relieved, sweat beading on his forehead.
Chen Xiao and the Heavenly Flame Honored One glanced at him and then looked away.
Subsequently, as if no one else was present, they took out all the items from the Storage Ring, including a silver scroll!
This silver scroll was wider than the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' scroll and was a brilliant silver all over. However, upon closer inspection, one could discover that it was covered with dense, tiny red patterns, like blood vessels, spreading across every part of the scroll.
Without hesitation, Chen Xiao directly unrolled it.
"Bang!"
As soon as the scroll was opened, silver light suddenly erupted from it, followed by an angry thunderous roar. A bolt of lightning as thick as a thigh shot out, fiercely striking towards Chen Xiao's chest.
However, Chen Xiao seemed to have anticipated this. The moment the lightning struck out, he had already pointed a finger, causing it to instantly shatter and dissipate into specks of lightning.
"Dou Zun expert!!!"
Seeing this, Yang Lei's heart was greatly shocked, his eyes wide open.
At this moment, he finally confirmed completely that Chen Xiao was also a genuine Dou Zun expert!
Because the lightning hidden within the scroll, even a high-level Dou Zong would suffer a great loss if caught off guard. Chen Xiao's ability to resolve it so easily was enough to explain everything.
With the facts before him, Yang Lei still found it difficult to digest.
After all, Chen Xiao appeared to be only in his early twenties. At such an age, how could he possess Dou Zun strength?
He couldn't figure it out, couldn't understand it!
But, it was terrifying!
Chen Xiao had no time to pay attention to Yang Lei; his attention had already been captured by the scroll.
The 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' was renowned. Chen Xiao had thought about pre-paying for it before, and now it saved him trouble.
His gaze fell upon the scroll, and the first thing he saw was a description that seemed to be gathered from lightning.
"'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body,' the treasure of the Wind and Lightning Pavilion!"
"It is said that this is a Dou Skill passed down from ancient times, ranked as High-Level Earth Tier. Upon mastering this technique, one can condense lightning phantom bodies. The strength of the lightning phantom body is similar to the main body. As long as the main body is not dead, the phantom body will not be destroyed. This miraculous effect is described by outsiders in four words: comparable to Heaven Tier!"
"Although the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' is formidable, its cultivation is extremely difficult. One of the conditions is to first cultivate the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' to the highest realm. Over the years, within the entire Wind and Lightning Pavilion, very few people have managed to cultivate it successfully. I, after decades of research, have finally achieved some success. Yet, even so, I am already ranked within the top ten in the Wind and Lightning Pavilion!"
It was evident that these were annotations left by Yang Lei himself.
Chen Xiao looked up at Yang Lei again and saw the old man turn his head, his old face flushed.
Leaving annotations for cultivation techniques and Dou Skills was normal. Many people did this as a form of self-entertainment. After their demise, it could be passed down and leave behind an image of profound mystery for future generations.
But to have it leaked while still alive was like having one's diary publicly executed, a source of shame.
Especially when the person reading your diary was even more powerful than you!
"Pavilion Master, is this 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' real?"
Seeing Yang Lei's description of it being comparable to Heaven Tier, the Heavenly Flame Honored One felt a trace of doubt.
His 'Five Rounds of Departing Fire Technique' was also comparable to Heaven Tier.
But to truly reach that level required the augmentation of several Heavenly Flames, and the conditions were extremely harsh.
In contrast, although the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' required cultivating the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' to great mastery first, its difficulty seemed much simpler compared to the 'Five Rounds of Departing Fire Technique.'
"Real, it couldn't be more real. I've cultivated the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' before and was somewhat interested in the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body.' I'll leave this old fellow to you; I need to cultivate."
Chen Xiao nodded affirmatively.
He knew that the scroll in his hand was only a fragment, but it was not important.
The subsequent steps for pre-paying cultivation techniques were now complete. It would be a waste not to use the opportunity, and he could start cultivating the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body.'
Most importantly, with the matters involving Hong Chen and Yang Lei, a conflict with the Wind and Lightning Pavilion was already unavoidable.
Since that was the case, Chen Xiao was too lazy to conceal it. He would cultivate it openly, resolve this matter in one go, and it would be more convenient to use in the future.
The Heavenly Flame Honored One nodded slightly and floated to the side to stand guard.
Yang Lei turned his head back, filled with surprise and uncertainty. He had heard Chen Xiao's words just now.
"You've cultivated the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement'? The Wind and Lightning Pavilion's 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' has only been leaked twice in the past twenty years. Once was ten years ago when someone infiltrated and stole the scroll, and the other was a few years ago when a traitor took it away. You are the ones who stole the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement' back then!"
"Your imagination is quite vivid. What if there's a possibility that the traitor from your Wind and Lightning Pavilion happened to be killed by me?" Chen Xiao said with a chuckle.
Yang Lei fell silent. This was indeed a possibility.
But whether it was true or not remained to be verified.
"Don't waste your efforts. Even if you've cultivated the 'Three Thousand Lightning Movement,' you won't be able to master the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' because the scroll I possess is only a fragment!"
Regarding this, Yang Lei had absolute confidence. No one could be an exception.
Chen Xiao smiled and said no more, sinking his consciousness into his mind.
[Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body: High-Level Earth Tier, can be pre-paid.]
[Pre-pay?]
"Pre-pay!"
Without hesitation, Chen Xiao gave a positive reply in his heart.
Now that there was a conflict with the Wind and Lightning Pavilion, obtaining the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body' was not difficult. The current task was merely to enjoy it in advance, and the completion of the subsequent cycle would be very, very short.
Putting the fragment in his hand into his Storage Ring, Chen Xiao flipped his palm, and a brand new silver scroll appeared in his hand.
It looked no different from the previous scroll, but the cultivation method within was already complete!
Moreover, cultivating a technique that he had pre-paid himself was more reassuring than obtaining it from someone else.
With a slight smile, Chen Xiao closed his eyes, and his Soul Power directly infiltrated the silver scroll that emanated lightning.
As his Soul Power seeped in, a world of lightning appeared in Chen Xiao's mind. Countless bolts of lightning poured down from the void like a waterfall, accompanied by earth-shattering roars and rolling heavenly might.
The moment Chen Xiao's Soul Power appeared in this lightning world, the dense lightning seemed to sense it. With a 'crack,' it tore through the sky, and the sudden burst of light almost obscured the entire sky.
Facing the overwhelming lightning that shot towards him, Chen Xiao's expression was calm, without the slightest hint of nervousness.
Because he could clearly perceive that these were not real lightning bolts, but rather some residual Soul Power from the scroll.
"Disperse!"
Chen Xiao raised a finger and lightly tapped the void. His powerful Soul Power surged out continuously like ripples from his fingertips.
In an instant, wherever the Soul Power passed, the surging lightning disintegrated, turning into countless silver light spots that slowly dissipated.
After breaking through the Soul Power left within the scroll with a single finger, Chen Xiao's 'gaze' slowly swept across this space.
As far as the eye could see, the vision was filled with dazzling silver. In the center of his vision, there was a conspicuous lightning pool, with small bolts of lightning flickering like silver snakes.
The entire space, apart from this lightning pool, contained nothing else.
Locking his gaze onto the lightning pool, Chen Xiao pondered for a moment and then extended another finger, gently tapping the lightning pool.
Vast Soul Power surged down, instantly sweeping across the entire lightning pool. At this moment, the silver snakes coiling around the surface of the lightning pool rapidly dissipated. As these small lightning bolts dispersed, the lightning pool gradually became clear like a mirror.
Chen Xiao stared intently. After a long while, ripples quietly appeared on the surface of the lake, and the ripples grew more and more intense, as if something was about to break through the water.
Soon, with a 'hiss,' the answer was revealed.
Fonts condensed from lightning gradually emerged!
They were, in fact, the cultivation method of the 'Three Thousand Lightning Phantom Body'!
-----------
Machine Translation by: https://beta.randomtranslator.com/
Read 1111+ original & fanfic translations/ Translate for free in English, Español, Português, Deutsch, Français, or Русский at: https://beta.randomtranslator.com/