62: Chapter 62 Refining the Origin of Lightning, Sun Lin Secludes Himself for Cultivation!

Risking one's life, life and death are unpredictable.

Shi Jian returned to the stone cave and lay motionless on the ground.

Wounds all over his body were still seeping blood; his left shoulder blade was exposed, and his fractured tailbone was twisted at a bizarre angle.

Although the muscles and bones of his limbs were healing, every time he tried to move, the muffled sound of tearing flesh could be heard...

He didn't move; he didn't want to, and he truly couldn't.

This physical shell of flesh and blood had been charred on the outside and tender on the inside by the heavenly thunder. Although his vitality was robust and his recovery speed far exceeded those of the same rank, it couldn't withstand such severe and heavy injuries!

The residual power of thunder and lightning in his Meridians was still rampaging, with currents occasionally bursting from the gaps in his bones, making his eyelids twitch.

But Shi Jian's attention was entirely focused on the Yao core...

Silver electric arcs slowly drifted around the Yao core. Though weak, they were self-contained, unyielding to external forces and undispersed by fluctuations in vitality.

This was something he had traded half his life for; the price was high, but it was worth it!

“Sun Lin.”

Shi Jian called out, his voice as hoarse as sandpaper scraping against iron.

Outside the cave, Sun Lin arrived in a few steps. Seeing Shi Jian's miserable state, he said nothing and waited obediently to the side.

“Take out the Spirit Stones and arrange them around me. The more, the better.”

“Also, pour some of those crystalline powders on the ground in a circle.”

Sun Lin nodded in agreement, took out Spirit Stones and white crystalline powder from his Storage Pouch, and arranged them as Shi Jian directed.

“Alright, go back to drawing your Talismans.”

“From now on, do not disturb this seat unless it's important. I will be recuperating here for a while; you shall guard this place well for me.”

“Yes, Old Ancestor.”

Sun Lin bowed and slowly withdrew.

Seeing this, Shi Jian fell into a light sleep, beginning to regulate his breathing and Qi to suppress his injuries while sinking his consciousness into the Yao core to touch that wisp of newly born thunder and lightning Origin.

He needed time.

Not just to heal, but to comprehend the true meaning of this wisp of lightning.

To thoroughly realize it bit by bit, understand the essence of lightning, and contemplate the mysteries of the Way of Thunder. The cultivation goals of humans and Yao might differ, but in essence, they are both a pursuit of the Great Dao.

Some things cannot be fully understood just by eating a few fruits.

One must grind away and realize it bit by bit.

Ordinary Yao Beasts might only follow instinct, but because Shi Jian had applied Enlightenment to himself for many years, his Comprehension Ability regarding the word 'Dao' was extremely deep!

This was also the third manifestation brought by the Enlightenment System.

First was Enlightenment to grant intelligence, second was strengthening the Divine Soul.

Third was the opening of realization.

...

Days passed by.

Shi Jian remained in seclusion, and muffled snores like rolling thunder echoed from within the Immortal Cave, occasionally joined by the sound of bones resetting.

Sun Lin wasn't idle either.

Every day, he wandered through the Stone Forest, observing the lightning strike patterns on the stone pillars and pondering the descent trajectories of the heavenly thunder. From time to time, he would squat on the ground to draw a few strokes, then erase them and start over, studying with a calm heart.

Ever since he had witnessed the scene of heavenly thunder descending upon the Stone Forest that day, he had been deeply moved.

Ten thousand lightning bolts crowning the head, the heavenly might was vast and majestic.

That pure, destructive power had given him a profound shock; such a scene made him feel a great deal.

Although he didn't Cultivate thunder techniques, the Talisman Way emphasized “capturing the intent of heaven and earth and containing it within a square inch,” which was a profound field of study.

The trajectory of the heavenly thunder, the guidance of the stone pillars.

The naturally formed layout and the supernatural craftsmanship of heaven and earth were all so similar to Formations.

They also contained the intent of heaven and earth—gathering and releasing, moving with the heart, and acting with the mind—so similar to the “starting stroke, flow, and finishing touch” of the Talisman Way.

Sun Lin studied devotedly, trying to integrate the laws of movement of the heavenly thunder into his Talisman-drawing techniques to refine his Talisman arts...

He failed countless times.

Hundreds of talisman papers were burned, three jars of spiritual ink were used up, and new calluses formed on his fingertips, but in the process of constant repetition, he frequently gained insights.

After more than a month of repetition, he drew a Talisman he had never drawn before.

On the surface of the Talisman, the trajectory of the spiritual light's movement was no longer the regular curves of traditional Talismans, but carried a sharp edge like a lightning strike.

Sun Lin stared at the Talisman in his palm for a long time, silent.

He tore it up.

Redrew it.

Tore it again.

Drew it once more.

Time flew by, and day after day, his Talisman arts became increasingly clear and his techniques more fluid, gaining insights into his own unique methods.

His cultivation also quietly broke through from the fifth level of Qi Refining to the sixth level amidst this day-and-night refinement; his heart was as still as water, undisturbed by any ripples.

...

Two months and nine days.

Shi Jian emerged from seclusion; after more than two months, his injuries had mostly healed.

The fractured tailbone had reconnected, new flesh had grown on his shoulder blade, and his limbs moved freely without any lingering issues.

Only the fur on his body hadn't fully grown back, patchy and looking as if it had been gnawed by a dog, extremely unsightly...

But his gaze had changed.

Deep within those giant eyes, a wisp of silver light would occasionally flash and vanish in an instant; it was impossible to detect unless one were deliberately looking for it.

After more than two months of contemplation, he had grasped some minor insights into the thunder and lightning Origin within his body; though not much, it was enough.

At least now, Shi Jian could actively guide the circulation of that sliver of thunder and lightning power instead of letting it wander on its own...

Although his injuries had improved, Shi Jian was in no hurry to leave.

He stood in the center of the Stone Forest and looked around.

To him, the value of this place far exceeded that of a Spiritual Vein.

Every two or three months, there was an opportunity for heavenly thunder to crown the head; this was his best place for cultivation and realizing the Dao.

Coupled with the thunder spirit qi spread throughout the Stone Forest, various thunder-attribute spiritual plants could also be nurtured...

He couldn't just leave like this.

But he couldn't stay here permanently either; Hongtian City was his Foundation, and without him, the Sun Clan would ultimately lack its pillar of support.

And he also needed the Sun Clan's support to plot for other spiritual items...

Therefore, he needed a gatekeeper.