Chapter 473

Chapter 473: Teaming Up?

"Lightning Element Law?"

The young man beside Jun Ruolan froze, his eyes filled with disbelief. While cultivating Thunder Spirit Qi wasn’t unheard of—though few had achieved it in recent centuries—it still occasionally appeared among elite disciples of great sects like the Misty Sect.

But the Lightning Element Law stood on an entirely different level. Mastering this law could multiply the power of Lightning Techniques severalfold, even ten times stronger than normal.

Thunder Falls Valley had been carved by ten thousand years of lightning strikes, its terrain saturated with violent energy. Those with weak thunder affinity would perish instantly without Thunder Avoidance Talismans. Even Golden Core stage experts couldn’t withstand the endless strikes without those protective charms.

While Thunder Spirit Qi improved one’s chances of surviving the core area’s onslaught, it couldn’t compare to the Lightning Element Law’s supremacy. Possessing this law would make the entire valley bend to one’s will—thunderbolts becoming nourishment rather than threats, endlessly replenishing the user’s strength.

Jun Ruolan’s accusation made both Misty Sect disciples gasp, their faces tightening with shock.

Ye Yun narrowed his eyes. "You’re mistaken, Jun Ruolan. I’ve merely mastered Thunder Spirit Qi. What’s this Lightning Element Law you speak of?"

Admitting such mastery would paint a target on his back. While others struggled against lightning, he’d stroll through storms unharmed, his energy perpetually renewed—making him every competitor’s prime enemy.

The treasure area’s serene landscape was pure illusion. Every rock and tree hid lethal thunder energy, from common strikes to unpredictable Purple Mansion Thunder waiting to ambush the unwary.

"Casually neutralizing lightning reveals your comprehension." Jun Ruolan’s tone remained impassive. "But denial changes nothing. We proceed together regardless."

Ye Yun scanned the idyllic scenery—azure skies, emerald peaks, cotton-cloud rivers. Where could treasures hide?

"Stop looking." Jun Ruolan anticipated his thoughts. "The valley’s riches are scarce, contrary to legends. Even Thunder Wood isn’t abundant here."

"Then how do we find it?" Ye Yun frowned.

Jun Ruolan gestured toward a seventy-foot tree crowned with golden leaves. "There. That’s Thunder Wood manifesting through lightning."

The massive tree still crackled with residual energy from its earlier thunderbolt. Ye Yun studied its golden-tinged trunk warily.

"Break its thunder-formed Deceptive Array to reveal the true wood," Jun Ruolan explained.

"How?" Ye Yun didn’t budge. Trusting this scheming woman felt likelier than a lightning strike.

"Fight thunder with thunder. Channel your Thunder Spirit Qi into the array." A ghost of a smile touched her lips. "Feel its rhythm."

Ye Yun chuckled. "Why not demonstrate first? I’ll watch and learn."

Before Jun Ruolan could respond, her male companion snarled: "Do as Senior Sister commands! Fail and you’ll pay dearly, you impudent—"

"Leash your hound, Jun Ruolan." Ye Yun’s voice turned glacial. He reciprocated respect—or lack thereof.

The disciple’s face purpled. "You dare?! I’ll teach you manners befitting the Great Qin Empire!"

As the man lunged, glowing palms outstretched, Ye Yun’s Purple Shadow Sword flashed. Lightning danced across its blade a thousand times in a heartbeat before coalescing into Divine Thunder Annihilation—the Thundercloud Lightning Sword’s third form.

At the pinnacle of Foundation Establishment stage, his refined Thunder Spirit Qi empowered the technique beyond recognition. The resulting blast shook the valley.

Boom!

The Divine Thunder descended, instantly erasing the glow. Its remaining momentum crashed into the young disciple’s chest as he stared in disbelief. Blood sprayed from his mouth, bursting into crimson blossoms in the air—a gruesome spectacle.

The Misty Sect disciple collapsed heavily, his right chest pierced by the Divine Thunder Annihilation. Blood gushed from the gaping hole. Pale-faced and trembling with terror, he struggled uselessly to rise.

“Is this all the Misty Sect’s disciples are worth? Pathetic.” Ye Yun stood with hands clasped behind his back, voice icy.

Jun Ruolan and the other disciple stood frozen. The latter couldn’t fathom how Ye Yun—bold enough to strike—had crippled a Misty Sect genius at the Fifth Level of the Golden Core stage in one move. Had the Divine Thunder veered left, the disciple’s heart would’ve shattered, bringing death and spirit’s extinction.

“Ye Yun, how dare you!” Jun Ruolan’s composure shattered, her delicate features hardening. Shock flickered in her eyes; she’d never imagined Ye Yun hid such power.

“Cooperate obediently, or I’ll kill you without hesitation.” Ye Yun’s chilling tone carried a crushing pressure that seemed to press down like a physical weight.

“A Foundation Establishment pinnacle cultivator… severely injuring a Golden Core genius from my sect. I underestimated you, Ye Yun.” Jun Ruolan inhaled sharply, finally grasping his true strength.

Her surprise vanished as quickly as it appeared. “Since Junior Brother Wood insulted you and has been punished, let this matter end. Break the Thunder Tree’s array now.” Her voice regained its gentle calm.

“Why should I act alone while you watch? Unfair, don’t you think?” Ye Yun smirked.

“The Thunder Wood inside will be yours,” Jun Ruolan offered, brows knitting slightly.

“Oh? So there’s more than Thunder Wood? We’ll need… adjustments.” Ye Yun’s eyes narrowed.

Jun Ruolan’s face chilled. “Greed invites ruin. Isn’t Thunder Wood sufficient?”

Ye Yun shrugged. “You break it, then. Take the Thunder Wood first.”

After a tense pause, Jun Ruolan relented. “Split the contents equally. You claim the Thunder Wood first.”

Ye Yun snorted. “If you contribute nothing, fifty percent is excessive. You get twenty.”

The other disciple flushed crimson. “Overstep again, Ye Yun, and the Great Qin Empire will offer you no refuge!”

“I’ll risk it,” Ye Yun retorted with a cold snort.

The disciple recoiled, fear overriding anger. How could a Foundation Establishment cultivator’s One Sword technique overwhelm a Golden Core peer?

“Enough.” Jun Ruolan cut in coldly. “State your demands.”

“Disclose every secret about Thunder Falls Valley’s treasure area. Now. Or handle the thunder array yourselves.”

Exchanging glances, Jun Ruolan and the disciple nodded reluctantly. “Agreed.”

Ye Yun hid a sneer. These Misty Sect fools hadn’t mastered Thunder Spirit Qi—how could they navigate the valley’s deadly arrays? Their desperation proved hidden truths remained: more treasures, deeper secrets.

“Explain everything first. Then we break the array.”

Cross-legged on the ground, Ye Yun smiled faintly.