The golden net, having absorbed so many cyan arcs of lightning, expanded wildly above Han Li’s head, growing several times larger and covering an area of over thirty zhang.
As the first wave of lightning ceased, a second wave of heavenly thunder gathered in the sky, forming arcs even thicker than before, which plummeted downward once more.
Han Li formed a hand seal with one hand and swiftly traced a few strokes in the air with a finger.
A golden flash later, a radiant golden rune materialized beneath his fingertip. With a thunderous crack, it transformed into a golden arc that shot straight into the sky.
In the blink of an eye, the rune-turned-lightning merged into the golden net.
The entire net trembled, and several swirling orbs of light within it converged into a single massive golden halo, within which faint runes drifted incessantly.
By this time, the second wave of cyan arcs had already descended with overwhelming force.
The same scene repeated—despite their increased power, the arcs vanished without a trace as they plunged into the golden halo.
The second wave of heavenly thunder was clearly far more formidable than the first.
Under the relentless barrage of lightning, after the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the once-calm golden halo began to tremble. A low hum emanated from within, growing louder and louder.
Meanwhile, the golden net below expanded further, its arcs crackling fiercely.
Soon after, a muffled explosion sounded, and white cracks appeared across the golden halo before it gradually disintegrated under the onslaught of heavenly thunder.
With no further obstacles, the arcs struck the golden net directly.
The moment they collided, cyan and golden lights intertwined, and deafening thunderclaps shook half the sky.
Despite the ferocity of the heavenly thunder, the massive golden net remained steadfast, blocking the majority of the descending arcs.
The few stray bolts that slipped through were swiftly neutralized by the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light below.
Standing atop the mountain, Han Li observed the spectacle but made no further move to release his Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning, as if harboring another plan.
After another span of time, the golden net finally shattered into fragments amidst the thunderous roars, and the second wave of the tribulation ceased.
However, the dark clouds above had turned pitch-black, churning violently. Within moments, clusters of cyan thunderballs emerged from the roiling mass.
Each was the size of a fist, radiating cyan light as they slowly rotated in the clouds—clearly far more powerful than the previous arcs.
Han Li’s expression grew graver. He pressed both palms—one black, one white—toward the sky.
Instantly, the gray light in the air solidified, and the shadow of a small black mountain eerily manifested within it.
Simultaneously, five skull phantoms, each as large as a cartwheel, appeared above the gray light. Their jaws gaped open, spewing forth torrents of five-colored flames that formed an additional protective layer atop the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light.
With a low shout, Han Li activated the small cyan cauldron hovering above his head. It glowed brilliantly, swelling over tenfold into a massive cauldron several zhang in size.
Inside, cyan mist churned, accompanied by faint rumbling.
The third wave of heavenly thunder descended mercilessly!
The cyan thunderballs, like enormous hailstones, roared with an eerie thunderclap, their might far surpassing the previous waves.
Having once withstood a dual-colored thunder tribulation at the early Nascent Soul stage, Han Li was hardly defenseless against such an assault.
As the thunderballs crashed into the five-colored flames, an astonishing sight unfolded—under the flickering radiance, their descent slowed to a crawl, each one trapped within the flames.
In moments, over a hundred thunderballs hung suspended mid-air, their cyan light flickering incessantly.
Han Li’s eyes gleamed. The shadow of the black mountain within the gray light spun rapidly, and the surrounding gray radiance swept upward.
The moment the Yuan Magnetic Divine Light passed over them, the thunderballs vanished without a trace.
At the same time, a burst of cyan light erupted from the massive cauldron below, and the thunderballs reappeared mysteriously at its mouth. With a thunderous roar, countless cyan threads lashed out, dragging them all inside…
Watching this, Han Li allowed a faint smile to cross his lips.
—
Half an hour later, the dark clouds above the mountain dispersed, marking the end of the tribulation.
Han Li now sat cross-legged in a secluded chamber within the Wood Spirit Cave, the small cyan cauldron floating before him.
Its lid was wide open, and faint thunderclaps echoed from within amidst flickering lightning.
After a moment of contemplation, Han Li beckoned with a hand.
The cauldron flashed and gently landed in his palm.
With a tap, it trembled slightly and spat out a thunderball the size of an egg.
The ball crackled with electricity, its surface pulsating erratically, yet tightly bound by a web of cyan threads—unable to escape. This was the heavenly thunder Han Li had captured.
Though it paled in comparison to the gold-silver thunder he had once collected, its power far exceeded ordinary lightning.
Seizing the opportunity, Han Li had harvested a vast quantity of this thunder, intending to refine it into thunder pearls.
A single pearl might only pose a threat to a Void Refinement cultivator, but a dozen unleashed together could force even a Body Integration cultivator to retreat.
Apart from the initial two waves, which he had countered with his newly mastered Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning technique, the rest had been absorbed into the Void Sky Cauldron.
The sheer volume of cyan lightning was enough to refine dozens of pearls at once.
However, due to the thunder’s inherent limitations, these pearls would be slightly weaker than his previous creations.
Still, such a stockpile would serve as a formidable trump card against unforeseen dangers.
Though this tribulation had posed no threat, Han Li knew each subsequent one would grow fiercer. After seven or eight more, he might not fare so easily.
As for the grand tribulation awaiting him upon advancing to Void Refinement—its very first instance was perilous enough that many cultivators perished during it, far surpassing the minor tribulations in lethality.
But those were concerns for another day. For now, his immediate dilemma was escaping the Abyssal Depths.
The thought of future perils darkened Han Li’s expression once more.
Over the past year, the demoness Mu Qing had spared no effort in instructing him in thunder manipulation.
Combined with his own expertise in the Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning, he had swiftly grasped certain techniques for summoning and controlling thunder.
It seemed meeting her demands within two years would not be an issue.
Perhaps because of this, Mu Qing had grown more amiable, occasionally offering him cultivation advice beyond thunder techniques.
Given her realm, even casual pointers to a mere Nascent Soul cultivator like him proved invaluable.
Yet Han Li had no intention of remaining docile.
During this period, he had secretly scouted for escape routes, probing the cave’s restrictions for weaknesses and researching ways to remove the four marks implanted by the demon kings.
Had he found solutions, he would have fled long ago. But the results left him disheartened.
The restrictions around the Wood Spirit Cave were far more intricate than he had imagined. Once sealed by Mu Qing, the cavern became a veritable prison, rendering escape impossible without detection.
Not that Han Li lacked the means to break the restrictions—both his Yuan Magnetic Divine Light and Devouring Spiritual Heavenly Fire were exceptionally effective against barriers.
But forcibly dismantling them would instantly alert Mu Qing, with dire consequences.
As for the marks left by the four demon kings, they were even more troublesome. Rooted deep within him, they resisted all attempts at removal.
The only method was gradual refinement using his Nascent Soul’s inner flame, but erasing marks left by Body Integration demon kings would take years—assuming their owners didn’t sense his efforts and intervene.
Frustrated but undeterred, Han Li devised a temporary workaround: using his Yuan Magnetic Divine Light and Evil-Suppressing Divine Lightning to momentarily mask the marks’ presence.
Though untested to avoid alerting the demon kings, his confidence in these techniques gave him a seventy percent chance of success.
Of course, such concealment would be fleeting. If the demon kings actively summoned the marks within a certain range, the ruse would fail. But it was better than nothing.
Exhaling deeply as if expelling his frustrations, Han Li tossed the cauldron before him and began refining thunder pearls.
Though this was once Mu Qing’s cultivation site, his own restrictions ensured privacy.
Soon, the chamber echoed with thunder as Han Li crafted pearl after pearl.
Days later, a streak of green light shot from the garden, vanishing into the chamber’s door.
After a long pause, the yellow door creaked open, revealing Han Li with a furrowed brow and a puzzled expression.
It wasn’t yet time for their weekly thunder lesson—why had Mu Qing summoned him now?
This was unprecedented in the past year.
With cautious steps, he made his way toward the garden path.
Inside his storage bracelet lay over thirty thumb-sized cyan pearls, gleaming brilliantly.
These had consumed most of the captured thunder. Had Mu Qing not interrupted, he would have refined the remainder.
Yet upon entering the hall, Han Li froze.
Beside Mu Qing sat another figure—a blood-robed man.
It was none other than the Blood Robe Elder, Di Xue.
“Fellow Daoist Han,” Mu Qing said, sipping tea leisurely, “Fellow Daoist Di Xue has come specifically to see you.”
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