Chapter 123: Accidents and Alterations

High above the sky.

"Liyue Valley?"

Hongyang had ordered his disciples to investigate and had employed formations to calculate the location of Liyue Valley. Upon closer inspection, he realized that Mount Fuzhong bore the marks of mountains being moved and seas being overturned. Yet, after a thousand years, these traces had long been buried by time, gradually taking on a natural appearance, possessing an almost supernatural craftsmanship.

Had he not observed it with such scrutiny, even he would have struggled to sense the anomaly.

"I wonder which master moved these mountains and seas in the past, and what they set up here?"

Hongyang mused to himself, "Judging by this handiwork, it far exceeds my own. It must be at least a semi-immortal, perhaps even an immortal... What exactly lies within?"

He was quite intrigued by the wonders of this place, but now was not the time to be distracted.

A few practitioners at the Fourth Heavenly Layer should not be able to obtain whatever an immortal had left behind. Perhaps he should wait until this matter was concluded before investigating further; after all, the Divine Thunder and the Immortal Lotus were the priorities.

"Still, I cannot allow those practitioners to disrupt the original layout, lest they trigger something."

Hongyang pondered for a moment, preparing to send a message to his disciples in the mountains to head to Liyue Valley and drive those practitioners away. However, at that very moment, the divination disc in his hand suddenly flickered erratically. Clearly, something had gone wrong.

Hongyang felt a jolt of alarm, thinking, "What is happening?"

...

Mount Fuzhong, Liyue Valley.

Boom!

A crimson thunderbolt erupted within the dark, empty chamber.

Qingyuan gripped his iron staff, frowning as he pondered the thunderbolt that had just flashed. Before unleashing the lightning, he had calculated the process many times in his mind. In theory, the amount of true energy he estimated should have been precise to the utmost degree—not a fraction more, not a fraction less.

The true energy used by the "self" that had manifested earlier to unleash the thunderbolt divine ability should have been identical to his calculations. Yet, when he actually channeled it, the flow of his true energy was still a split second behind.

"Must I refine my control of true energy to such an infinitesimal level?"

Qingyuan closed his eyes, lost in thought for a long time.

...

The treasure was right here.

Although the exit had been destroyed, as long as he obtained the treasure within, there was no need to worry about finding a way out, and the threat posed by the many practitioners outside had been neutralized. Qingyuan did not know that the Shouzhen School had set its sights on this place; he only felt that the current situation was no longer as urgent as before.

After some contemplation, he felt that merely attempting to surpass the "self" that had manifested was still insufficient. Thus, he did not rush forward, but sat there, scrutinizing every nuance of the other "Qingyuan" during their clash.

"Channeling true energy, unleashing thunder—the process was a split second faster, yet the power was immense. Moreover, because he possessed the essence of the Dao, he mastered all five elements, and he could skillfully unleash them all."

"That must be the pinnacle of my current cultivation—the most perfect way to engage in combat."

Qingyuan knew that to defeat the manifested "self," he must possess the same capability: to perfect everything he had learned and to manifest his full potential in the most flawless manner, striving for the greatest speed and the most overwhelming power.

Thinking this, he felt a sudden sense of reflection.

Since he began his cultivation, he had held the belief that skills were merely methods to protect the Dao, while the Dao itself was the foundation. Therefore, he had always prioritized his Dao cultivation. Although he never belittled combat skills, he had ultimately placed them on a secondary tier. He had never imagined that one day he would be so painstakingly devoted to studying the art of fighting.

...

After another long period of silence.

He did not know how many times he had calculated, and he had gained much. Now, his thunderbolts were unleashed slightly faster than before. As for the power of the lightning, it was also much stronger.

However, leaving aside other factors, even in the realm of thunder-based divine abilities, it remained uncertain whether he could surpass the manifested "self."

"Enough of other things, let us test the thunder arts first!"

Qingyuan took a deep breath, stood up, and surveyed the terrain, first identifying a retreat path. If he could not overcome the opponent, he would withdraw from this chamber to avoid being struck down on the spot by his own reflection.

Only after securing his route did he move forward.

He stepped into the chamber; nothing changed.

With a grave expression, he moved forward slowly.

As he reached the corner ahead, he steeled himself and turned, facing the smooth, bright wall.

Sure enough... the wall reflected his own image.

Only, while Qingyuan held his iron staff, the "Qingyuan" in the reflection held a white jade ruler, his expression icy.

In a flash, the reflection on the wall vanished.

Qingyuan turned back to see another "self" standing in the middle of the empty chamber.

"Come!"

Qingyuan pointed his iron staff. Thunder patterns emerged on his forearm, true energy surged, and an instant later, a crimson thunderbolt erupted from the tip of the staff.

Almost simultaneously, the manifested "Qingyuan" also raised the white jade ruler, unleashing a crimson thunderbolt.

The thunderbolts collided with a deafening roar!

The lingering force of the lightning spread, truly astonishing.

The two thunderbolts canceled each other out.

Qingyuan felt a mix of shock and joy. He was joyful because the situation was no longer as it had been before, where his own lightning was shattered by the opponent's, leaving the opponent's strike with enough power to injure him.

He was shocked, however, because he had struck first. Even though the opponent’s reaction was not slow—striking almost at the exact same moment—it was still a fraction slower. Even if that fraction was negligible, in the realm of thunder, it should have been enough to strike the opponent down.

Yet, despite striking first, he had failed to defeat the opponent, which still indicated... even though Qingyuan had improved, and his speed and power had increased, he was still slightly slower than this manifested "Qingyuan."

"Is what he unleashed the most powerful, most perfect method?"

Qingyuan held his breath, and this time, he did not strike first, opting instead for a defensive stance as he had before.

He focused his true energy into his eyes, watching closely as the opponent unleashed the thunder.

The true energy flowed to the thunder patterns on the forearm, reached the white jade ruler in an instant, and the light patterns on the ruler swirled, carrying the energy to the tip of the jade ruler in a heartbeat, where it erupted into a crimson thunderbolt.

"So... that is how it is..."

...

The fight was intense.

But by the end, Qingyuan ultimately fell into a disadvantageous position.

Having planned his retreat, he quickly smashed through the rock wall and exited the chamber as soon as he began to falter.

The other "Qingyuan" that had manifested in the chamber vanished along with his departure.

"I have calculated exactly how much true energy is required to channel the thunder ability, and there is not the slightest error in that regard. To master the precise flow of true energy, one must achieve microscopic control... and I have managed to barely accomplish that."

Qingyuan panted, a hint of joy in his eyes. He mused, "But the final missing piece is that there should be a subtle transformation in the true energy as it passes through the thunder patterns."