Chapter Ninety-Seven: The True Sound of Thunder Magic

The scorching sun rose higher, its rays blazing outside. Although cultivators were unaffected by heat or cold and feared no summer heat, they still searched for divine thunder in the mountains. The cave’s coolness was a welcome comfort.

Gu Cang sat cross-legged in meditation, circulating true qi, regulating his blood flow, and healing his injuries. As a demon immortal with a unique bloodline, his recovery was naturally much faster than an ordinary person’s.

Qing Yuan held the Sound-Listening Shell in his hand, his head slightly bowed in contemplation, his expression unreadable.

“Among the spoils this time, aside from the Sound-Listening Shell, there are indeed some valuable treasures: an Ice Silkworm Thread Daoist robe, an Ice Silkworm Thread whisk, seventeen pieces of dark ebony nails, five azure talismans, and one wind talisman.”

“I originally also had two tiger-wolves and two iron god gallbladders.”

“For cultivators of the Second Heaven, this is an incredibly rich haul. Even among those of the Third Heaven, it would be considered quite good.”

“Though I can face cultivators of the Third Heaven without fear, if I truly encountered a master from the mid-Third Heaven, I would be unable to resist. Moreover, most of these items are only effective against ordinary cultivators; at the mid-Third Heaven level, their impact is minimal.”

Qing Yuan gazed at the Sound-Listening Shell in his hand, his teeth clenched slightly.

Setting aside whether the treasure had been discovered or taken by others, the journey southeast alone was perilous. He might encounter Han Yu, the Sun family, or even masters from the Seven Spirits Sect.

His cultivation was still too shallow; he had no choice but to take risks.

...

This divine thunder, shimmering blue and white, was the kind that could condense into a nascent magical tool.

But the Sound-Listening Shell was not a weapon; it had other uses, so the effect of the thunder changed.

“Thunder Dao law sound?”

Qing Yuan took a deep breath.

Gu Cang, having completed his cultivation and regained consciousness, looked at Qing Yuan’s deep contemplation with growing curiosity and asked.

Qing Yuan did not conceal anything and explained honestly.

“This divine thunder entered the Sound-Listening Shell, embedding thunder sounds within. It originates from innate divine thunder, containing the ultimate principles of the Dao, which only immortals can fully comprehend. But for ordinary cultivators, even grasping a faint trace is a tremendous opportunity.”

Qing Yuan said in a low voice, “I intend to use this to perceive the law’s meaning and attempt to step into the Third Heaven.”

Upon hearing this, Gu Cang suddenly understood and said, “So this shell holds such great value? I had thought it a pity that the divine thunder was fused into this object... It’s wonderful that you might use this to reach the Third Heaven...”

But as he spoke, Gu Cang sensed something was amiss, his voice growing quieter.

...

“If it’s such a good thing, why do you seem so burdened?”

He looked at Qing Yuan, as if wanting to ask but hesitating.

“To be able to hear the true thunder law sound and hope to step into the Third Heaven is indeed a great blessing. But...” Qing Yuan sighed, “Since the earth dragon entered my body, my innate talent has surged, and my cultivation advanced rapidly. Yet I fear my foundational accumulation is insufficient—too much too soon can be harmful. My grasp of condensing the law’s meaning is shallow; I lack confidence.”

For cultivators, the safest path is to increase their Dao foundation bit by bit, progressing steadily with ample accumulation. When the time is right, breakthroughs come naturally—this is the orthodox way. Though Qing Yuan’s body refining had succeeded, his accumulation was inadequate, making this a gamble.

This danger was difficult to estimate.

If he succeeded, all would be well, but even then hidden risks might remain.

If he failed, the consequences were unpredictable.

At best, his cultivation might be damaged, leaving setbacks or latent hazards that could possibly be recovered from.

At worst, death and complete destruction of the Dao.

“If the treasure falls into others’ hands, the hope of reclaiming it would be exceedingly slim.”

“On the path of cultivation, one must risk it all.”

Qing Yuan raised his iron staff, pointing deep into the cave.

True qi surged to his forearm, where crimson thunder patterns appeared. The qi then flowed along the thunder veins of his arm into the iron staff, culminating in a thunderbolt at its tip.

A red divine thunder erupted with a roar.

The rock wall deep inside the cave shattered, stones scattering.

Qing Yuan turned his head and said, “Gu Cang, I shall enter seclusion. You heal your wounds here and guard for me.”

Gu Cang nodded, then after a moment said, “I wish you a smooth path and success in condensing the law’s meaning.”

Qing Yuan smiled, “I hope so.”

...

Deep within the cave, darkness enveloped the surroundings, but Qing Yuan’s night vision made this irrelevant.

He sat cross-legged, holding the Sound-Listening Shell.

...

Divine thunder fused with other objects could form high-grade magical tools, with potential to become true treasures. The Sound-Listening Shell was special; after merging with the divine thunder, it barely qualified as a magical tool, but its true value lay in the sounds it contained.

While in the cave, Qing Yuan eavesdropped on Elder Fan and others and learned that the shell’s listening function remained only twice more.

After two uses, it might be damaged or not—it might still count as a treasure.

Qing Yuan lifted the shell to his ear and faintly heard a buzzing and a muffled sound. This was normal—ordinary people picking up a shell by the sea and holding it to their ear would hear similar noises.

The real effect would only manifest when he used true qi to activate it.

He placed the shell aside, first visualizing the Nine-Tiered Jade Tower, then circulating true qi using the Yellow Court Immortal Scripture.

In the Nine-Tiered Jade Tower, the refined form of Qing Yuan appeared, also seated cross-legged, holding a jade ruler.

Strangely, after refining the divine thunder, similar traces appeared on this spirit form: the dark red thunder patterns on his forearm and the identical crimson veins on the jade ruler, resembling those on the iron staff.

“Is there a connection between the jade ruler and the iron staff?”

The thought flashed and vanished, leaving his mind serene.

When his cultivation reached completion and his essence, qi, and spirit were full, he took the Sound-Listening Shell, paused briefly, and infused it with true qi.

As the qi activated the shell, he raised it to his ear.

He heard an aged voice begin to speak slowly, in a calm tone, explaining some matters.

Accompanying the voice was a buzzing thunderclap, making the words hard to discern.

The old voice belonged to a master of the Sixth Heaven, sharing insights and solutions to cultivation difficulties.

Regardless of the content, the mere voice of a Sixth Heaven master contained the lofty aura of the heavens and clouds, imparting boundless benefit.

Yet the thunder’s noise obscured the teachings, making only faint fragments audible.

If this had been heard by Elder Guo and the others, they would likely have been angered by the disturbance. But Qing Yuan was different: this time, he listened not only to the master’s teachings but also to the endless thunderclap.

Qing Yuan closed his eyes, fully attentive to the thunder’s sound.