243: Chapter 242 Lightning Strike Technique

That purple-gold key in Chen Erniu's hand was likely obtained from that altar within the Liuhuo Secret Realm.

Although Qin Changsheng didn't understand who this Demon Empress was,

he knew that he absolutely could not allow this Demon Empress to break through the Seal.

Otherwise, what awaited their Human Race would be a catastrophe.

Qin Changsheng gave a gentle wave of his hand, a glimmer of light flashed, and a lustrous white Jade Slip appeared out of thin air in his palm.

This Jade Slip had a warm texture and its surface was carved with fine thunder patterns, with faint spiritual power fluctuations leaking out. It was exactly the Earth Grade Medium Grade Spell Jade Slip that Shen Guhong had bestowed upon his External Incarnation Wang Cheng — "Falling Thunder Spell".

Qin Changsheng looked down at the Jade Slip in his palm, a trace of expectation flashing in his eyes.

He recently needed a lightning-based Cultivation Technique to pair with his Heavenly Dao Trait [Thunder God], and this "Falling Thunder Spell" came at just the right time.

Without any hesitation, he raised his hand and gently pressed the Jade Slip against his forehead, slowly injecting his mind into it to trigger the cultivation information sealed within.

In the next instant, the Jade Slip suddenly lit up with a faint thunderous glow. Streams of profound characters, obscure Spell incantations, and energy circulation routes flooded into Qin Changsheng's mind like a tide.

The details regarding lightning control and Spell evolution were incredibly clear. From drawing the power of thunder from heaven and earth to condensing lightning glows and releasing attacks, every step was explained in minute detail, as if an invisible Cultivator were personally guiding him from the side.

Qin Changsheng closed his eyes, held his breath, and focused on digesting the information flooding his mind.

His Divine Thought operated rapidly, sorting through and memorizing those obscure incantations and circulation routes one by one. The Spiritual Qi around his body also began to flow slowly, quietly aligning with the circulation method of the Falling Thunder Spell as he gradually realized the subtleties of lightning-based Spells.

After about half an hour, Qin Changsheng slowly opened his eyes, a sharp light flashing within them. With a slight movement of his hand, a faint wisp of thunder condensed in his palm before quietly dispersing.

The information on the Falling Thunder Spell in his mind had been completely digested; he had already mastered seventy to eighty percent of this Earth Grade Medium Grade Spell.

At the same time, on his attribute panel, in addition to his original cultivation and trait information, a new skill had appeared.

[Falling Thunder Spell (Earth Grade Medium Grade): Draws upon the thunder of heaven and earth to condense lightning glows for attacks. It possesses impressive power and can be improved as cultivation increases].

...

Heavenly Sword Sect.

Qingyun Tower.

Qin Changsheng controlled Hu Nan and arrived here.

Qin Changsheng sent Hu Nan here specifically to gather information,

to learn about the major events that had recently occurred in the cultivation world,

whether there was any news regarding heavenly dao fragments or qiankun tokens,

and whether there would be any treasures he was interested in at the upcoming trade assembly.

Finally, he wanted to see if there was a chance to trade that qingling fruit away from Jiang Hui.

When Hu Nan walked into the private room on the fourth floor, he found that more than ten people had already gathered there.

These people were discussing recent major events.

Almost the instant Hu Nan stepped into the room, the ten-plus people inside stood up in unison and bowed to him, their voices respectful. "Greetings, Senior Brother Hu!"

"Congratulations to Senior Brother Hu for taking first place on the Qingyun Ranking! It is truly well-deserved!"

"Senior Brother Hu, you are truly amazing!"

"Taking the top spot in the Qingyun Trial with eleven thousand five hundred points!"

"Senior Brother Hu, your name has already spread throughout the entire Southern Region. There is no one who doesn't know it!"

"Indeed! Brother Hu Nan is so young yet possesses such strength. With such high talent, he can be called a top existence among the Foundation Establishment Cultivators of the Southern Region. In my opinion, Brother Hu Nan's Breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm is merely a matter of time!"

"Exactly, among us, only Senior Brother Hu is capable of reaching Core Formation!"

"Before long, our Heavenly Sword Sect will have another Core Formation powerhouse!"

The rest of the group nodded in agreement, their words filled with praise and admiration.

Last year, these people had also participated in the Flowing Fire Sect's trial.

However, their rankings were not very good.

They had only obtained a few hundred points.

Naturally, they held Hu Nan, who had obtained over ten thousand points, in very high regard.

Hu Nan raised his hand slightly, his tone calm as he signaled for everyone to sit down. "Everyone is too kind. Taking first on the Qingyun Ranking was merely a stroke of luck, nothing worth mentioning."

Hu Nan sat down in a chair while dealing with the group's pleasantries.

Looking at Hu Nan being surrounded by everyone, Lin Hao's expression was very unsightly.

He was a Prodigy of the Heavenly Sword Sect.

In the past, these Cultivators would all gather around him, their hearts set on currying favor with him.

But ever since Hu Nan's rise, these people had gathered around Hu Nan instead.

This disparity was difficult for him to accept.

Listening to these words, Lin Hao felt extremely unwilling.

He also wanted to challenge Hu Nan.

But Hu Nan's strength was simply too great; he was no match for Hu Nan at all.

He could only watch helplessly as Hu Nan was surrounded by the crowd like stars around the moon, silently enduring this embarrassment and sense of loss.

Not long after, Jiang Hui, Jiang Lijuan, Senior Brother Wu Yong, and others also arrived inside the private room.

Qin Changsheng noticed that Jiang Hui's mood seemed low, as if something was weighing on his mind.

After Jiang Hui, Jiang Lijuan, and the others entered the room, this gathering officially began.

Everyone began to share their insights and discuss major events in the cultivation world.

"The biggest event this year is probably Senior Brother Hu taking the top spot on the Qingyun Ranking!"

"Yes! Senior Brother Hu is truly incredible!"

"It has been a long time since anyone from our Heavenly Sword Sect entered the top ten of the Qingyun Ranking!"

"And he even obtained three Earth Grade High Grade treasures!"

Everyone spoke one after another, keeping the core of the conversation firmly locked on Hu Nan and the Qingyun Ranking, their words full of admiration.

It wasn't until fifteen minutes later that the group began to talk about recent strange news.

"Speaking of recent big events, besides the Qingyun Ranking, something strange has happened over in Qingfeng County."

"True. I heard that within the borders of Qingfeng County, a powerful Yao Beast has recently appeared. It is extremely ferocious and has already devoured several villages in succession."

"The Jiang Family of Qingfeng County has sent people to suppress it many times, but they all failed. It's said that even several Elders of the Jiang Family have perished."

As soon as these words were spoken, the private room immediately fell into an uproar.

"Qingfeng County? The Jiang Family?"

"Isn't Jiang Hui from the Jiang Family of Qingfeng County?"

Everyone's gaze turned simultaneously toward Jiang Hui, who sat among them with a somber expression.

Jiang Hui seemed to notice everyone's gaze and nodded slightly without speaking.

Hearing the group's discussion, Qin Changsheng finally understood why Jiang Hui's mood had been so low these past couple of years.

It turned out a powerful Yao Beast had appeared in his Jiang Family's territory.

Qin Changsheng also realized that this was his chance to obtain the qingling fruit.

At the same time, Qin Changsheng remembered that a few days ago, Shen Guhong had personally summoned Wang Cheng and secretly ordered him to go to Qingfeng County to eliminate the Jiang Family of Qingfeng County.

Originally, Qin Changsheng thought it was just a random arrangement by Shen Guhong, but thinking about it now, there must be some connection hidden within.

Fifteen minutes later, everyone had no more major events to discuss, and the private room fell into a brief silence.

Seeing this, Jiang Lijuan, who was seated at the table, slowly stood up and said, "Everyone, since we are gathered here today to exchange Foundation Establishment insights, why don't we start a trade?"

"If any of you have treasures, techniques, or Materials that you don't use, you can bring them out to exchange for what you need."

As soon as these words came out, the room instantly became lively again. The Cultivators' eyes lit up, and they responded one after another.

"Senior Sister Jiang is absolutely right!"

"Great idea! I just happen to have a few Magical Artifacts I don't use and was looking to trade for some Spiritual Plants!"

"I have a few bottles of Medicinal Pills here, looking to exchange for some Talismanic Incantations!"

Before the words even finished, the Cultivators began to move. Some took out cold-glinting Magical Artifacts from their storage pouches, some brought out well-packaged Spiritual Plants and medicines, and others took out Jade Slips carved with Cultivation Techniques.

Qin Changsheng's Divine Sense was released inconspicuously, slowly sweeping over every treasure on the table.

He had sent Hu Nan here with the intention of scouting for treasures at the trade assembly, so he naturally wouldn't miss such an opportunity.

But after a round of inspection, although there were many treasures on the table, they were all common goods. Not a single one caught his eye, let alone moved his heart.

At that moment, Jiang Hui suddenly approached a spot not far from Hu Nan.