The two had just stepped into the ranks of Dou Zhe, so the techniques they were practicing naturally weren't very advanced. A transition period was necessary — they couldn't jump straight into high-level martial arts.
In this world, martial techniques were divided into four great tiers: Heaven, Earth, Mysterious, and Yellow. Each tier was further split into high, intermediate, and low grades.
Different techniques provided different speeds of progress, but it wasn't as if a Dou Zhe could simply pick a Heaven-tier technique and suddenly soar to the heavens. Growth had to be gradual — solid foundations first, glory later.
For his transitional technique, Lei Qi chose the Intermediate Mysterious-tier Thunder Seal Body Forging Technique. Though not a particularly high-level art, it was excellent for tempering the body and enhancing physical strength — exactly what Lei Qi valued most.
He knew well that power isn't just about attack — it begins with a body that could stand firm.
Lei Dong, on the other hand, ambitiously chose a High Mysterious-tier technique.
Once the techniques were selected, Lei Ying dismissed them to rest. They would enter the family's ancestral land the following day.
As they returned to their quarters, Lei Dong turned to Lei Qi with a serious look."Lei Qi, I'm not going to keep losing to you."
Lei Qi smirked. "While no gambler loses every day, you have to remember — you're facing me."
"Hmph! Sooner or later, I'll strike you down with my strongest thunderbolt!" Lei Dong snorted stubbornly.
Lei Qi chuckled and patted his shoulder. "Then keep training. If you can keep up with me, I'll take you on a world tour." It was one of his rare moments of sincerity.
Lei Dong was simple-minded, without much ambition or scheming — and when Lei Qi got bored, Lei Dong often volunteered as his sparring partner. For that alone, Lei Qi admired him.
"I'm older than you, you know," Lei Dong grumbled.
"In this world, age means nothing — only strength matters. Remember that."
A flicker of doubt crossed Lei Dong's face. Could I really become stronger than Father? Maybe even… spank him?
Lei Qi ignored the foolish thought as they arrived. He pushed open his door and stepped inside.
This room, deep within the inner clan grounds, was far better than anything he had outside — even equipped with a barrel of medicinal liquid prepared especially for cultivation.
Eight years!
After eight long years, he was finally living like a young master of the Thunder Clan.
With a splash, he stripped off his clothes and slid into the wooden tub. "Ahh… now this is life."
Then he suddenly frowned. "What if a few beautiful women came to deliver tea?"
A pause. Then a sigh. "No… this is the Lei Clan. Fat chance of that."
---
The next morning, Clan Leader Lei Ying and Great Elder Lei Jin personally arrived.
They stood before a massive pile of rare thunder-element crystals, and with a coordinated strike, they activated the ancient array. In an instant, the Thunder Clan's Ancestral Land opened.
"You can remain here for up to ten years," Lei Ying said. "But whether you can last that long… depends entirely on your own strength."
Elder Lei Jin handed each of them a jade slip. "If you can't endure any longer, crush this. I'll bring you out."
The two nodded, took their slips, and stepped into the ancestral land.
The moment Lei Qi entered, a numbing surge of thunder energy swept through his body. The sensation was dreadful.
"Sizzle... sizzle...!!!"
Lightning flashed endlessly around him, illuminating a world filled with nothing but thunder and storm.
"Lei Dong?"
He called out, but there was no response — the two must have been separated when they entered.
Rather than rushing ahead, Lei Qi sat cross-legged and began cultivating. This was the land of his clan's origins — a place saturated with lightning. If anywhere could sharpen his comprehension, it was here.
As soon as he started channeling his Dou Qi technique—
"Zzzzz... Crack! Crack!"
Bolts of lightning exploded across his body, each strike searing his flesh with pain.
Yet amidst the agony, his Dou Qi greedily absorbed the abundant thunder energy.
Before reaching the Dou Zhe realm, cultivation had been excruciatingly slow. But now, with the right technique, his progress was ten times faster — though the toll on his body was equally severe.
After barely half an hour, Lei Qi collapsed to the ground, trembling from the pain.
As he stopped cultivating, the lightning's fury eased, its energy flowing softly into him instead of ravaging his body. Painful as it was, this process was undeniably effective.
He took a deep breath, allowing the gentle currents of energy to settle in his meridians.
The elders had mentioned there were multiple levels to this place, with the first being relatively safe. Still, since it hadn't been opened in years, he stayed vigilant.
The real danger here came from the Dou Qi Puppets left behind by the Thunder Emperor. They weren't weak — their strength ranged from Dou Master up to Dou Huang. Though they couldn't grow stronger, they also didn't just stand idle.
Luckily, Lei Qi's area remained quiet — nothing disturbed him but the endless rumble of thunder.
After a short rest and a meal, he once again embraced the lightning's baptism.
Each strike was agonizing, yet every wave of pain was followed by newfound strength. His physique hardened; his Dou Qi condensed; his thunder attribute grew fiercer with every session.
---
After a full month of cultivation, Lei Qi finally broke through to Dou Shi. His physical power had skyrocketed, and his thunder now crackled with a depth and intensity beyond that of ordinary practitioners.
Even among those of the same realm, his attacks would carry far greater destructive force.
"This place really is a treasure..." he murmured.
Still, Lei Qi didn't rush to leave. He stayed and continued refining his foundation. His progress had slowed, but he knew haste would only bring instability.
"Step by step," he whispered to himself. "Once I emerge from this, my 'Family Prosperity' system will finally have its time to shine."
He closed his eyes and sank into cultivation once more — surrounded by lightning, baptized by thunder, reborn in power.