Shi Hao sat cross-legged by the riverbank. Before him, the golden translucent herb with five leaves was slowly dissolving. Golden liquid radiated endless thunderous power.
Crackling sounds echoed continuously, filling the air with electric tension. Shi Hao’s expression turned solemn. He activated all his strength, fully prepared for the confrontation.
It was more troublesome and dangerous than he had imagined. Though the herb contained only a few glyphs, their Overbearing force shook his body violently.
The entire herb melted into a pool of golden liquid brighter than the sun, flowing through the void and radiating endless lightning.
“Be careful!” said Da Shen Shi, standing guard beside him.
Shi Hao activated his Thunder Dao Treasure Art, trying to comprehend its mysteries. Carefully, he guided a thin thread of the golden liquid into his mouth. Though only a small sip, it triggered catastrophic consequences.
“Boom!”
Heavenly thunder descended. At the critical moment, he spat out the golden liquid, narrowly preventing his mouth from exploding.
Lightning surged through the void. Mysterious glyphs flickered, illuminating the heavens with terrifying power.
“Incredible! No wonder it contains a trace of Immortal Dao thunder. This is simply…unresistable,” exclaimed Da Shen Shi in astonishment.
Shi Hao’s expression grew even more serious. He unleashed his full magical power to suppress the golden liquid, preventing its spread and anchoring it in midair.
“So Overbearing!” he thought in shock. Even a trace of Immortal Dao thunder was awe-inspiring.
No wonder the Demon Sovereign perished back then. Imagine countless bolts of Immortal thunder raining from the heavens – what a mighty spectacle it would be!
And yet, this golden liquid contained only remnants of glyphs. That alone spoke volumes.
“Immortal Dao essence, rarely seen in this mortal world. Though these are only fragments, they are invaluable. I must grasp them, comprehend them, and channel them into my body.”
Focusing intensely, Shi Hao attempted refinement once more. This time, he dared not absorb much – only a thin strand of golden liquid entered his mouth as he cautiously began the process of refinement and comprehension.
Instantly, thunder erupted. Shi Hao’s entire body glowed with electric energy. His hair stood on end, and every pore in his body radiated bolts of lightning.
Da Shen Shi was amazed, sensing the overwhelming intensity of this thunder energy. It began to doubt whether it could even handle that human-head-sized stone.
Shi Hao now activated the Laws and Dao of the Lei Tian Que (Thunder Sky Bird), using the Immortal Dao thunder essence to purify and enlighten himself. It was an indescribably wondrous process.
A fierce bird manifestation appeared behind him. Its purple feathers resembled swords, fully unfurled, revealing piercing silver pupils and an imposing aura.
This was the Lei Tian Que. As Shi Hao channeled this technique, it manifested amidst flashes of lightning, emitting thunderous cries that shook heaven and earth.
Shi Hao was cultivating Dao enlightenment, refining the Laws of the Lei Tian Que through the golden liquid. Having previously mastered the Thunder Dao Treasure Art of the Suanni, this cultivation was now more effective.
With the assistance of this divine golden liquid, everything proceeded smoothly as if guided by fate.
Soon, half a watch passed. Shi Hao opened his eyes, having exhausted that trace of golden liquid. This time, he inhaled again, drawing another thin strand into his mouth.
Thunder erupted immediately, making the surroundings extremely perilous.
Masses of symbols spread through the void, manifesting the Lei Tian Que, the Suanni, and the vein patterns within the leaves, all converging and emitting profound, sacred Dao resonance.
Time passed. Days flew by. Half the golden liquid had disappeared as Shi Hao remained immersed in his Dao enlightenment state, cross-legged and motionless, his body surface interwoven with intricate patterns.
This was a rare opportunity. Ordinary enlightenments lasted briefly, but the Immortal Dao thunder essence prolonged his state indefinitely.
After several more days, all the golden liquid vanished, fully absorbed by Shi Hao. He opened his eyes, and simultaneously, a Lei Tian Que soared skyward, unleashing endless thunderclouds that swallowed the heavens.
“Have you mastered this Treasure Art already?” Da Shen Shi asked in surprise.
Shi Hao also expressed astonishment. Indeed, this exotic herb proved invaluable, enabling immediate mastery of the Lei Tian Que’s Laws to perfection.
Then he closed his eyes again, carefully integrating the Lei Tian Que’s Dao with his previously acquired Thunder Dao Treasure Art, fusing them together.
Moreover, he incorporated the glyphs from the golden liquid, instantly amplifying his thunderous presence and strengthening his innate lightning power dramatically.
Clearly, the fused technique surpassed both the Suanni and Lei Tian Que, advancing toward the supreme domain of thunder – a crucial step forward!
Three days later, Shi Hao opened his eyes, his gaze transforming into lightning, his breath conjuring and dispersing thunderclouds.
“You’re ready now. Help me refine this stone,” said Da Shen Shi, eyeing the human-head-sized stone with some trepidation.
Inside this golden mystical stone also lay thunderous energy and residual glyphs, no fewer than those in the herb.
“Alright, let’s refine it together!” Shi Hao nodded.
Over the following days, Da Shen Shi howled like a ghost, experiencing both pain and pleasure. Chewing on the mystical stone, each small piece swallowed caused its body to convulse, summoning heavenshaking lightning.
Throughout this process, Shi Hao assisted in refining the stone, using his Divine Eye to memorize all thunder glyphs. He also guided the Immortal Dao thunder essence into his body, cleansing his physical form.
The two jointly absorbed this thunderous energy.
Finally, after six days of effort, the mystical stone vanished, completely decomposed. Shi Hao mastered the thunder glyphs while Da Shen Shi consumed the stone itself.
This was a tremendous gain, rivaling the effects of consuming the herb. Shi Hao experienced another sudden enlightenment, advancing his Treasure Art through these Immortal Dao glyphs!
On this path, his progress was nothing short of meteoric.
The Thunder Treasure Art he now mastered was vastly superior to his former Suanni technique!
Da Shen Shi also gained significantly. When entering the Upper Realm, its passage had collapsed, leaving it cracked all over. Now fully healed, it radiated terrifying thunderous power.
“From now on, call me Lightning Stone!” it proudly proclaimed.
“We’ve lingered too long. It’s time to move on,” Shi Hao said, walking along the Milky Way River, eager to explore the mysteries of the Immortal Grave.
Along the way, he occasionally peered into the river, inspecting floating corpses.
Li Yun Cong actually fished out a segment of Thunder God Tree from the river, proving that the Milky Way held great treasures within, albeit with immense danger. Few dared to approach, facing both lightning and curses difficult to survive.
“What a treasure! That’s a True God’s corpse. The sword on its back must be terrifyingly powerful, but it’s too far away to retrieve.”
A corpse floated down the river center. Its bone sword shimmered with strong glyphs, and even at a distance, one could sense an indescribable power.
Unfortunately, any attempt to approach would transform the entire river into a sea of lightning, reducing the intruder to ashes.
They witnessed numerous artifacts drifting beside corpses, stirring excitement yet remaining unattainable.
Soon, Shi Hao’s eyes turned red as he spotted a Heavenly God’s corpse. Even in death, it clutched a bone blade – a Heavenly God artifact.
“What a pity,” he could only sigh helplessly.
“Hey, we’re nearly there. Look! See the auspicious lights soaring into the heavens? This place is different,” Da Shen Shi pointed out.
The curse power intensified unexpectedly. Remarkably, not only Shi Hao, but also Da Shen Shi and Huang Die withstood it, capable of enduring for some time longer.
“Are we about to reach the Immortal Grave?” Shi Hao murmured to himself. At this pace, it would still take another two days, as their speed was slowing along this section.
“Another treasure! Look! There’s a cauldron!” Da Shen Shi howled excitedly.
Shi Hao also noticed. All along their journey, they had kept watch on the Milky Way River, hoping for discoveries. Now they finally saw an opportunity.
A corpse floated near the shore, its right hand tightly gripping a small cauldron, perhaps more accurately described as a censer. It was merely fist-sized, earth-yellow in color, and polished from precious bone material.
Cauldrons and censers often shared terminology, collectively called Ding-Lu (cauldron-censer). This was such an example – it could be called a cauldron or a censer.
Shi Hao’s heart quickened. Though small, this censer exuded an indescribable aura, undoubtedly a remarkable ancient artifact. Despite the passage of countless ages, it remained intact in the Milky Way River.
Had they possessed such a censer earlier, refining the exotic herb would have accelerated significantly, avoiding the arduous process.
The corpse drifted near the shore. Shi Hao employed his Treasure Art to retrieve the censer.
“Boom!”
Unexpectedly, the Milky Way River erupted violently. Countless thunderbolts descended, targeting Shi Hao.
He resisted fiercely but was overwhelmed by divine power and endless curses, nearly crushed to dust.
“Pu!”
Instantly, his entire body bled from countless electric discharges piercing into him, threatening his very vitality as curses descended.
Fortunately, since the corpse had floated to the shore, the river’s explosive power wasn’t at its strongest.
Shi Hao withdrew Da Shen Shi and Huang Die into his inner sanctum and confronted the onslaught alone. Using glyphs, he seized the censer and pulled it toward him.
Thunderous waves battered him, severely injuring his body, nearly tearing it apart. Yet he persisted against the odds.
Finally, the thunder and curses receded. Bloodied but standing, Shi Hao smiled in satisfaction.
Da Shen Shi emerged from his sanctuary and stared at the censer, surprised. “This censer is unfathomable. Something strange surrounds it.”
This item could be called a cauldron or a censer.
Its three legs entwined true dragons, while its lid bore a resting Immortal Phoenix. The entire piece was pale yellow, crafted from unknown bone material of some ancient race, exuding crystal-like luster, smooth and translucent.
Shi Hao caressed it before lifting the lid. Instantly, his eyes widened in shock and disbelief.
Da Shen Shi cried out in alarm as if witnessing a ghost.
Inside the fist-high censer surged auspicious mist, emanating a fragrant aroma and boundless vitality, instantly bursting forth.
Though small, this censer contained dozens of treasured medicinal herbs. Some were emerald green, others golden yellow, crimson red like blood, or purple with swirling mist.
Most remarkably, these herbs remained alive. Covered in dewdrops, they seemed freshly unearthed from a medicinal field.
“What kind of censer is this? For these herbs to remain unchanged despite countless ancient ages passing is simply incredible!” Da Shen Shi exclaimed in confusion.
Shi Hao also expressed shock, having personally seen the corpse – wearing ancient attire, having floated the river for untold eons.
Now, trying to locate the corpse again was impossible, swept away by the waves.
“This must be a priceless treasure. Could this censer be forged from the bones of an Immortal Phoenix and true dragon?” muttered Da Shen Shi. It had heard legends that the bones of forbidden beings could create various mystical artifacts.
Shi Hao shook his head. Even a drop of true dragon’s blood or a single scale was unseen in this world, priceless and unattainable.
Soon, his expression froze once more, overwhelmed with shock, trembling as he spoke: “These herbs… they are…”
He randomly picked up an ancient herb from within the censer, its leaves sparkling with dewdrops and violet mist swirling between its flowers. What he held was none other than… a Saint-level medicinal herb!
Tai Sui Yellow Amulet Paper FuLu Taoist Love Talisman Traditional Chinese Spiritual Charm Attracting Love Protecting Marriage