Chapter 107: Thunder Stone

The cave was dark, while the world outside appeared exceptionally bright. Two figures emerged from the cave—one tall and one small, both female. They were Hua Mei and Yu Ling.

Behind Hua Mei, a small bed woven from green vines hovered in the air. Lu Yushuang lay upon it, still lost in unconsciousness; her white robes were stained with blood, lending a delicate, striking beauty to her frost-like complexion.

"Truly an ice-cold beauty," Hua Mei remarked, glancing sideways. With a flick of her hand, the vine bed rose, floating steadily beside her.

She spoke with a light, airy tone, "Little Flower Spirit, let us be off."

Yu Ling did not respond immediately. Her small face was set in a pout, and she said indignantly, "Why did you give him the bamboo tube? Are you trying to find me a father?"

"You naughty girl, what are you saying?" Hua Mei’s brows furrowed with feigned irritation. "I haven't even found a man for myself, and yet I ended up with a little girl like you. Be reasonable—has it been easy for me these past few years? Besides, finding you a father—hmph... or perhaps a brother-in-law, what of it?"

"He bullied me!" Yu Ling retorted angrily.

Hua Mei nodded. "I know."

Hearing this, Yu Ling was momentarily at a loss for words.

"Come now, such trivial bullying isn't exactly a grave offense. Let it go," Hua Mei teased, her expression gradually turning more serious. "Besides, there is something about him that is hard to fathom. Otherwise, why would he be worth your sister's attention?"

"What is hard to fathom?" Yu Ling asked.

"Many things," Hua Mei said, brow furrowed. "For instance, his cultivation is only at the Third Heaven, yet his aura is difficult to penetrate—as dense and profound as the earth itself. Furthermore, with only Second Heaven cultivation, he could match you and escape from under your senior sister's nose, and as a fledgling Third Heaven practitioner, he could hold his own against the elite disciples of the Huanhua Pavilion."

Yu Ling snorted. "They were all defeats—what is so impressive about that?"

"No, these things seem ordinary, but upon reflection, they are anything but." Hua Mei looked at her. "The elite disciples of the Huanhua Pavilion are not like ordinary people; they learn the techniques of the Taoist Ancestors and are accustomed to defeating opponents with higher cultivation than their own. That Qingyuan could fight Lu Yushuang to a draw means that most peak Third Heaven practitioners would be no match for him."

Yu Ling finally quieted down, pondering for a moment before asking, "Is he really that capable?"

"Capable isn't the word, but he is certainly not an ordinary cultivator." Hua Mei glanced back, a strange glint passing through her shimmering eyes. "Otherwise, with my sister's protective nature, do you think he would still be alive after bullying you?"

She recalled what she had seen earlier: as soon as the young man entered the mountains, the formations of the Shouzhen Sect had been compromised. Those were the Five Elements arrays formed by five Daoists of the 'Hong' generation, with a Sixth Heaven master sitting at the core, yet this Qingyuan had easily breached a corner of it. Others did not know this, but she had seen it with her own eyes.

"Breaking the array... the map..."

Since entering the Fuzhong Mountains, the young man had consulted a map and observed the terrain as he traveled. Through the surrounding flora, she had already caught a glimpse of it. It was a map pointing toward the Liyue Valley, where the relics of ancient immortals were hidden. This legend was known only to her; as for the ancestor of the Sun family, his discovery had been mere luck.

"Ancient immortal relics—what kind of treasure could that be?"

Thoughts swirled in Hua Mei's mind. She had been quite invested in that treasure years ago, but after many fruitless attempts, she decided she was not destined for it and stopped pursuing it. As time passed, she had grown more detached. Especially now, with the matter of Yu Ling being of such great importance, she could not afford to covet immortal treasures, lest she invite complications that might harm the little girl.

Hua Mei scooped the girl up. "Come, let’s go."

"Where to?"

"To find those senior sisters of yours who have already obtained plenty of divine lightning."

Hua Mei carried Yu Ling, rising into the air without the aid of wind, followed closely by the green bed bearing Lu Yushuang.

"As for Qingyuan, I have sent him a gift, a gesture of goodwill."

...

Inside the cave, Qingyuan looked at the mountain path, now blocked like a scene of ruins.

The dust and rocks that had collapsed behind him had piled up for nearly a mile, and in front of him sat a massive boulder. This rock was three or four zhang in circumference and over a zhang thick; it had been part of the upper cliff face before falling during the collapse. Standing before this gargantuan object, Qingyuan seemed minuscule.

"Thunder Stone," Qingyuan exhaled softly.

Before Hua Mei left, she had mentioned it. The blue serpent he had encountered was actually a thunder snake—a manifestation of divine lightning that could fuse with objects to create high-grade artifacts. That thunder snake had been struck by Lu Yushuang’s sword, fallen into the rock, and merged with it.

Now, this boulder was a Thunder Stone. Originally reddish-yellow with brown veins, it was now traced with faint, naturally formed blue lightning patterns.

These patterns acted like talismans, tracing trajectories, and the power of the thunder had seeped into the stone, rendering it a magical artifact in its own right.

"A truly fine object."

Looking at the Thunder Stone, he thought of the Giant Rock Technique. This spell was difficult to categorize; it could be considered profound, yet also mundane. It was profound enough that celestial beings in the heavens used it to move sacred mountains, and it was even recorded in the Zixiao Palace. However, to ordinary cultivators, it was somewhat cumbersome, as it required the long, tedious process of refining an object that could easily be damaged.

It required daily practice, breathing and meditating to establish a connection with the boulder—a labor of slow refinement. If the rock was too large or dense, it was hard to refine; if it was too small, its power was diminished; and if it was porous, it would shatter when used in combat, becoming a laughingstock.

But now, it was different. This massive boulder was a Thunder Stone, already imbued with the power of lightning that had formed patterns within it. If he could refine these patterns, it would become a powerful artifact, and if he utilized the Giant Rock Technique to wield it, its power would be immense.

If not for the urgency of the situation at Liyue Valley, he would have gladly stayed to refine this stone, adding another layer of protection to his journey. But the matters at Liyue Valley were pressing, and he could not linger. He had to reach the valley quickly to recover the relics of the Ancient Master Guangyuan. The treasure itself was secondary, but it could cure the disaster of the Earth Dragon essence within his body, which was a matter of life and death.

He raised his hand and summoned Gu Cang.

"Look at this stone..."

Qingyuan explained the situation truthfully. Gu Cang listened in stunned silence, his expression soon turning to one of wild joy.

"Refining this Thunder Stone will take a significant amount of time. You may stay here to refine it and wait for my return," Qingyuan said, pausing before adding, "If I have not returned by the time you finish, you need not wait for me."

Gu Cang seemed to want to say something, but ultimately nodded in agreement.

"No time to lose..." Qingyuan patted his shoulder. "Take care of yourself."