Chapter 5: Thunder Shocks the Inner Sect, New Tribulations Await (Continued)
The moonlight spilled over the quiet bamboo courtyard, casting a soft silver glow over every corner, yet the faint residual thunder aura lingering in the air still made the nearby disciples who'd gathered to watch dare not approach casually. All of them stared at the courtyard gate with shock etched deep into their faces, still unable to recover from the breathtaking fight they'd just witnessed. A former woodchopping servant, a youth once mocked for having a trash spirit root, had defeated three elite inner sect disciples in just a few breaths—this scene would spread throughout the entire Azure Cloud Sect before dawn, igniting an even bigger storm of discussion.
Song Zhong paid no heed to the startled gazes outside the courtyard. He turned and walked back to the center of the yard, his steps steady and unhurried, as if he'd just resolved a trivial annoyance rather than defeating three jealous rivals. He sat cross-legged on the stone bench once more, closing his eyes to calm his restless spiritual energy, his mind completely focused on the Chaos Thunder Bead hanging against his chest. The bead remained dark and unassuming, but the gentle vibration emanating from it told Song Zhong that it had absorbed a wisp of the chaotic energy from the recent fight, quietly nourishing his thunder-attuned meridians.
He took a deep breath, expelling the faint trace of irritability from being interrupted during his breakthrough, and once again activated the Chaos Thunder Cultivation Technique. The abundant spiritual energy in the courtyard, mixed with the pure thunder power flowing out from the bead, surged into his body like a gentle yet powerful tide. It rushed through his widened meridians without the slightest obstruction, circulating rapidly along the unique circulation route of the chaos thunder technique, continuously tempering his flesh and bones, and consolidating his cultivation at the 5th Layer of Qi Refining.
Previously, his rapid breakthrough from the Body Tempering Realm to the 5th Layer of Qi Refining had left his foundation slightly unstable, a common flaw among cultivators who advanced too quickly. If not rectified in time, it would become a hidden danger that hindered future breakthroughs, even leading to cultivation deviation. But with the tempering of the Chaos Thunder Bead's pure thunder energy and the steady operation of the top-tier chaos thunder technique, this hidden danger was quickly resolved. Every inch of his meridians became more resilient, every strand of his spiritual energy more condensed, and the thunder power dormant in his dantian grew more vigorous.
As the night wore on, the moon climbed higher into the sky, and the spiritual energy between heaven and earth became even richer. Song Zhong's cultivation state reached its peak; he could clearly feel the barrier separating the 5th Layer and 6th Layer of Qi Refining trembling faintly, on the verge of breaking. He focused all his mind, guiding the surging thunder-attributed spiritual energy in his body to crash against the barrier again and again. Each impact brought him closer to success, and the thunder light lingering around his body grew brighter, flickering like tiny stars dancing around him.
Unbeknownst to him, an elder of the Azure Cloud Sect stood silently on a distant cloud peak, his eyes fixed on the bamboo courtyard, his face filled with astonishment. This elder was the sect's Law Enforcement Elder, who'd sensed the thunder energy fluctuation from the fight and come to investigate. When he saw the dense thunder power surrounding Song Zhong and the stable, powerful aura of his cultivation, he couldn't help but gasp softly. "A genuine Chaos Thunder Spirit Root… it's actually the legendary supreme spirit root. This child's comprehension and control over thunder energy are far beyond ordinary geniuses. To stabilize his realm so quickly after a rapid breakthrough, and even attempt to advance again—his future is limitless."
The elder watched for a long while, then nodded silently and turned to leave without disturbing Song Zhong's cultivation. He planned to report this shocking discovery to the sect leader at dawn, believing that Song Zhong would become the most crucial genius of the Azure Cloud Sect in the next hundred years, enough to lead the sect to rise to greater heights in the wider cultivation world.
Inside the courtyard, Song Zhong finally broke through the final barrier. A faint thunder roar erupted from within his body, and his cultivation surged steadily from the 5th Layer of Qi Refining to the 6th Layer of Qi Refining, stopping only when it was completely stable. He opened his eyes slowly, a flash of purple-gold thunder light flashing in his pupils before fading away, and a wisp of white air escaped from his lips. He clenched his fists slightly, feeling the surging power flowing through his body, and a calm sense of satisfaction rose in his heart.
This breakthrough was not just a rise in realm; he had also fully mastered the Thunder Fist, Thunder Movement Technique, and Thunder Shield he'd unlocked earlier. The Thunder Movement Technique made his speed as fast as thunder, almost teleporting; the Thunder Shield could condense thunder energy to form a defensive barrier, strong enough to resist attacks from cultivators two realms higher; and the Thunder Fist, when fully unleashed, carried the destructive power of heavenly thunder, enough to crush enemies with one punch. More importantly, he'd glimpsed a hint of the deeper secrets of the Chaos Thunder Bead—it was not only a cultivation inheritance but also a supreme treasure that could absorb all kinds of thunder energy between heaven and earth, evolve continuously, and unlock even more terrifying thunder techniques and chaotic powers.
Song Zhong knew that the sudden defeat of the three inner sect disciples would not end the troubles. On the contrary, it would draw more attention and hostility from the inner sect's powerful disciples, especially those top-ranked inner sect geniuses who viewed themselves as the sect's future. They would never allow a former servant to threaten their status, and more blatant provocations would surely follow. But he felt no fear; every challenge was a sharpening stone for his will and strength, and every enemy was a stepping stone on his path to supremacy.
He rose to his feet and began to practice the Thunder Movement Technique and Thunder Fist in the courtyard under the moonlight. His figure flickered like a fleeting thunderbolt, leaving afterimages in the air, and every punch he threw carried a sharp thunder roar, shaking the surrounding bamboo leaves to rustle continuously. He honed every move to perfection, merging the thunder power with his body and will, turning the destructive thunder energy into a weapon for him to defy the heavens and avenge his parents.
As the first ray of dawn pierced through the sky, Song Zhong stopped his practice, his breath steady and unhurried, not a single drop of sweat on his forehead. The thunder light on his body converged completely, hiding his sharp edge, making him look like an ordinary, quiet youth—only those with strong enough cultivation could sense the terrifying thunder power dormant beneath his calm exterior.
He changed into the neat inner sect disciple uniform, pinned on the identity badge, and pushed open the courtyard gate. The disciples lingering nearby saw him and immediately scattered, their eyes filled with awe and fear, no longer daring to show the slightest disdain or mockery. Song Zhong ignored their gazes and walked straight towards the Resource Hall according to the information on the jade slip, ready to receive his monthly share of spiritual stones and spiritual herbs.
The Resource Hall was a grand hall located in the center of the inner sect, bustling with disciples coming and going to collect cultivation resources. When Song Zhong stepped in, the entire hall fell silent instantly, and all eyes focused on him, mixed with shock, awe, envy, and hidden jealousy. No one had expected that the legendary servant-turned-inner-sect-disciple would appear here so soon, and his aura was even more powerful than the night before, clearly having broken through to a higher realm.
Song Zhong walked straight to the counter, handed over his identity badge, and said calmly, "I'm here to collect my monthly cultivation resources." The deacon in charge of distributing resources looked up at him, his eyes filled with respect, and quickly handed over a cloth bag containing ten low-grade spiritual stones and several bottles of spirit-gathering herbs. These resources were far more abundant than what outer sect disciples received, enough to support his daily cultivation and speed up his progress.
Just as Song Zhong was about to leave with the resources, a cold, arrogant voice sounded from the entrance of the Resource Hall: "Stop. You're the trash servant who defeated my junior brother last night? How dare you show your face here, and even dare to claim inner sect resources?"
A tall young man in a luxurious inner sect disciple uniform walked in, his face cold and fierce, his cultivation exuding the aura of the 8th Layer of Qi Refining—far stronger than the three disciples he'd defeated the night before. He was the senior brother of the leading disciple Song Zhong had injured, a well-known powerful genius among the inner sect's middle-tier disciples.
The surrounding disciples stepped back one after another, their faces showing sympathy for Song Zhong. They knew that a new conflict was about to break out, and this time, Song Zhong might not be able to win so easily.
Song Zhong turned around slowly, looking at the arrogant young man, his eyes calm and cold, without the slightest fear. He gripped the cloth bag of resources tightly, the Chaos Thunder Bead on his chest trembling slightly, ready to unleash its thunder power at any moment.
A new battle was about to begin, and this was just the beginning of the countless tribulations waiting for him in the inner sect. But Song Zhong was ready—he would use the power of chaos thunder to crush all enemies, break all obstacles, and walk step by step towards the peak of cultivation, uncovering the truth of his parents' death along the way.