The entire valley was still trembling from the aftermath of Li Chen's chaotic thunder awakening. The air crackled with residual lightning, and the ground beneath him was charred black, forming a massive crater that stretched for dozens of meters. Smoke rose slowly, but within the center of destruction, a figure stood tall, his entire body wrapped in a faint, purple-gold thunder glow.
Li Chen slowly opened his eyes.
Where there had been pain and despair before, there was now only endless calm and a sharp, dominating will. His eyes flickered with tiny thunderbolts, as if the power of heaven's punishment itself dwelled within his gaze. The chaotic thunder that had nearly torn him apart had instead merged into his flesh, bones, meridians, and even his soul, forging him into something entirely new—a body of thunder, a heart of chaos.
He could feel it.
Every breath he took drew in the spiritual energy of heaven and earth at a speed dozens of times faster than before. His dantian, once shattered and crippled, had been reconstructed into a thunder-type core, pulsing with violent yet orderly power. The ancient thunder inheritance hidden within his bloodline had finally awakened, triggered by the life-and-death crisis and the resonance of the chaotic thunder between heaven and earth.
A voice, ancient and vast, echoed faintly in his mind.
"Chaos Thunder… the first thunder under the heavens… suppresses all laws… commands all spirits…"
Li Chen's lips curled into a cold, faint smile.
The senior brother who betrayed him.
The fiancée who abandoned him.
The sect that abandoned him like trash.
All of them would soon learn what it meant to provoke someone who had just awakened the most terrifying power in the world.
He lifted his right hand slightly.
Crackle—
A strand of chaotic thunder emerged from his palm, twisting like a small purple dragon. It did not rage wildly, but instead hovered gently, as if submitting to its master. This was no longer natural thunder; this was sovereign-level thunder power, capable of judging all living beings and destroying evil.
With his current strength, even if he were to face a Foundation Establishment cultivator head-on, he was confident in defeating them with a single strike.
The gap between him and his enemies had not only been closed—it had been reversed.
Li Chen took a step forward.
His body flickered, leaving behind a trail of thunder afterimages. In the blink of an eye, he crossed the entire valley and stood at the edge of the forest, gazing toward the direction of the Azure Cloud Sect. The mountains were distant, but his vision was now sharper than ever, enhanced by the thunder's divine sense.
He could almost see the towering main peak of the sect, the pavilions where the elders gathered, and the training grounds where disciples practiced.
That place once represented his home, his future, his glory.
Now it represented only his stage of revenge.
But he was not reckless.
Chaos thunder was powerful, but his cultivation base had just recovered and risen to a new level. He still lacked real combat experience, suitable martial skills, and sufficient resources to support his rapid growth. If he returned to the sect immediately, he might defeat one or two enemies, but he could not overthrow the entire structure of conspiracy and suppression.
He needed time.
Time to grow.
Time to comprehend the inheritance.
Time to accumulate power until no one in the sect could stand in his way.
Li Chen turned his gaze toward the deeper parts of the mountains.
Demonic beasts roamed there.
Natural treasures grew there.
Dangerous trials awaited there.
And that was exactly where he needed to be.
A true immortal does not walk on the path paved by others; he carves his own road with thunder and blood.
He took another step, and his figure vanished into the dense forest, thunder light flickering between the trees.
The era of Li Chen's suppression had ended.
The era of his thunderous return had only just begun.