Translator: CKtalon Editor: CKtalon
“What a huge cave abode.” Daoist Xiahou could not help but marvel when he looked at it from afar.
Qin Yun and company took in the rather majestic immortal abode. There was a contiguous palatial complex running through it, and deep within the cave abode was a towering mountain. There were also palatial complexes on the mountain itself.
Bolts of lightning were flowing through the immortal abode’s buildings.
“Let’s enter.” Sa Xu said as he was the first to fly over.
The surrounding void was sealed.
No method, be it Major Void Transference, or transmission methods developed by the Daoists, Buddhists or Heavenly Courts, could send an individual straight into the Lightning world! The Chaos Lightning Beast was truly wealthy, far more wealthier than many Golden Immortals and Buddhas. His possession of a Heaven Earth Spirit Root made his status in the Three Realms supernatural! It was all because he had secretly taken the Connate Lightning Fruit Tree at the birth of the Three Realms. Later, when Pangu split the heaven and earth, he rapidly sought out the Lightning world, a place most suited for the growth of the Lightning Fruit Tree. He went to great lengths to establish his nest and plant it there.
Even now with him dead, his nest was still sealed under numerous array formations. Mighty figures were unable to descend with their true bodies. Up to this day, no one had been able to take the Connate Lightning Fruit Tree for themselves.
“Whoosh! Whoosh! Whoosh!”
Qin Yun and company landed in front of the Lightning Beast Manor’s entrance.
Qin Yun immediately sensed the White Jade Token in his clothes yearning to fly out.
“Junior Brother Qin,” Daoist Xiahou said with a smile. “Take the White Jade Token out or we won’t be able to enter.”
“Alright.” Qin Yun took out the White Jade Token.
It immediately flew to the middle of the complex array chart on the door, a result of its strong attraction to the abode, landing snugly into an empty runic spot.
Hua—
The doors began to slowly open.
Sa Xu walked in without any hesitation. Qin Yun and company followed behind one after another.
“The White Jade Token has been taken away just like that.” Qin Yun looked at the manor’s huge door.
Ravenhorn sighed. “The next time the Connate Lightning Fruits ripen, the White Jade Token will appear in the world once again and be discovered once again. Another six will come and this will go on for generations… Everyone will owe a huge karmic debt to Bai Xiao!”
“He wants to kill an Ancestral Fiend!” Fairy Mu said coldly. “It’s not even defeating, but killing… Only a pinnacle Golden Immortal would be able to resolve that karma. It’s still something that eludes us.”
“How can killing an Ancestral Fiend be easy?” Daoist Xiahou Zhen shook his head and sighed. “This Connate Lightning Beast really hated that Ancestral Fiend to the bone. However, if any of us can really reach the pinnacle of the Golden Immortal realm, perhaps it won’t be terrible to be tied to this karma.”
Daoist Xiahou looked at Sa Xu and immediately said with a smile, “Of course, Senior Brother Sa has created the Heavenly Constellation Lightning Dharma himself. He is famous throughout the Three Realms, being able to match mighty figures whilst being a ninth firmament Skyimmortal. If he were to become a Golden Immortal… it would not be difficult for him to have strength matching that of a pinnacle Golden Immortal.”
Sa Xu did not say a word as he continued proceeding forward.
“Whoosh—”
The manor door behind them slowly closed.
Qin Yun and company entered the open cave abode’s front yard. It was very wide and spanned nearly fifty kilometers. The ground was paved neatly with granite.
“Here it comes.” Qin Yun’s eyes lit up. Sa Xu, Fairy Mu, Ancestral Master Zhang, and the rest watched as a white-haired elder materialized out of light that condensed in the distance.
“It’s the Guardian General.”
“From the Guardian General’s aura, it should have the strength of a ninth firmament Skyimmortal.”
Qin Yun and company made a rough estimate.
The white-haired elder chuckled as he bowed, “Greetings esteemed guests. The six of you probably know the rules of my Lightning Beast Manor; however, I will still have to briefly explain them.”
“Follow the path of this main palace through Lightning Beast Manor. Once you reach the mountainside, there will be three palaces, each having a test,” said the white-haired elder with a smile. “These three tests will test your strength. The stronger you are, the higher the number of Connate Lightning Fruits you’ll receive.”
“Apart from the three main tests, there are seventy-two other tests in the Lightning Beast Manor. However, they test one’s Lightning Dharma. If you have never cultivated in the Lightning Dharma, don’t bother entering,” said the elder. “My master was a Chaos Lightning Beast who was born before Pangu split the heaven and earth apart. He has a natural affinity with the Lightning Dharma, and he has many treasures that suit the cultivation of the Lightning Dharma. I believe the seventy-two Lightning Dharma tests will be of some help to all of you.”
“The seventy-two tests can be taken one after another. They take quite long, and my Lightning Beast Manor only gives our six guests ten years. Once those ten years are up, all your achievements in Lightning Beast Manor… will ultimately decide the number of Connate Lightning Fruits you will receive. After the Connate Lightning Fruits are handed out, I will send the six of you away.”
“Everyone, you can enter any testing ground from the start, but there are places where you should give some thought before barging in. You might lose your life,” said the elder smilingly. “Alright, I won’t disturb you any further.” With that said, he bowed slightly and his body dissipated into beams of light.
Qin Yun and company watched this scene, but they already knew this ahead of time.
After all, they were not the first batch who had entered.
“Junior Brother Qin.” Daoist Xiahou smiled cheekily. “You do not cultivate in the Lightning Dharma so all you need to do is participate in the three palaces. Yet, we only have ten years… Counting the three palaces, we have a total of seventy-five tests to take. There’s not enough time at all.”
“Senior Brother Xiahou, to think you are still not admitting to the benefit you received,” said Qin Yun with his lips curled.
Ancestral Master Zhang gazed at the three palaces, the most conspicuous buildings on the mountainside, in the distance before saying, “According to what I know, the first of the three palaces on the mountainside requires one be a powerful ninth firmament Skyimmortal before they have a chance of passing. The second palace requires one to be a half-step Golden Immortal. As for the third palace, it requires one to have a strength that matches that of a mighty figure.”
He was the weakest person present. He had no hopes of getting beyond even the second palace.
“Junior Brother Zhang,” said Daoist Xiahou immediately. “Don’t lose heart. If you do well enough, you will still be given quite a number of fruits even if you fail completely. The Guardian General is constantly watching the Lightning Beast Manor. Therefore, you should do your best and try to work to the full extent of your capabilities.”
“Thank you, Senior Brother Xia.”
“Senior Brother Sa Xu, shall we head for the three main palaces first?” Fairy Mu stared at the strongest person present instead, Sa Xu.
Sa Xu nodded. “The three palaces are the most important. Let’s attempt them one after another. We can then choose any of the seventy-two Lightning Dharma tests later.”
“We will heed your suggestion. Let’s attempt the three palaces first. Haha, I believe I will only barely manage to pass the second palace. I would have to leave the third palace not long after entering anyway.” Daoist Xiahou chuckled.
The others did not say a word.
The third palace?
One could pass only if they were at the strength of a mighty figure. The only one present that met that qualification was Sa Xu.
Hu! Hu! Hu!
The six immediately flew on clouds through Lightning Beast Manor. Many regions in the manor had lightning bolts stirring.
“The speed at which time flows here is very strange,” thought Qin Yun alarmingly. “Although I had gathered sufficient information on this prior to coming, it still feels weird when I experience it for myself.”
“In Lightning Beast Manor, time flows at different rates in different zones,” exclaimed Daoist Xiahou.
“In the vast Three Realms, some Small Worlds are very special. This Lightning world contains an ancient lightning pool. Sa Xu pointed at the towering mountain in the distance. “The lightning pool is said to be inside the belly of the mountain. The Connate Lightning Fruit Tree is only able to grow because of the lightning pool.”
“That must be the Connate Lightning Fruit Tree, right?” asked Ancestral Master Zhang as he pointed at the mountaintop.
Qin Yun also looked to the mountain.
Inside Lightning Beast Manor, one could see the towering palaces covering the mountaintop. Behind the palace was a sturdy and huge tree. The tree had leaves and branches, as well as a few fruits. However, the trunk, branches, and fruits were filled with blinding lightning! The entire fruit tree… resembled a tree formed out of lightning.
“It’s the Connate Lightning Fruit Tree.” Sa Xu nodded as well. “Unfortunately, we can only see it, but not touch it. That Connate Lightning Fruit Tree’s roots are said to be entrenched inside the lightning pool. The pool contains massive energies that can even churn space-time! Lightning Beast Manor is built atop the lightning pool, so time flows strangely in many of the zones in here.
“The Chaos Lightning Beast was like a fish in water in here, but we have to be careful,” warned Sa Xu. “Apart from the three main palaces and the seventy-two test venues, it’s best we do not fly around recklessly. If you’re not careful, don’t blame anyone when you die! Back then, the Chaos Lightning Beast had used the environment in here to deceitfully harm immortals and fiends that coveted this place.”
“Yes.” Everyone nodded.
“The spot we just passed through had time flow at a rate 110 times faster than the Effulgent Great World. And here, it’s only 5 times. Half of my body is experiencing time faster, while the other half is experiencing time slowly. It’s really uncomfortable,” said Daoist Xiahou with a chuckle.
Qin Yun also found it quite eye-opening.
Due to the different speed at which time passed, there were indeed times when their bodies would experience different rates.
It was only because everyone present had extraordinary strength, with Qin Yun also casting his protective great divine power. The Heavenly Cycle Stellar Robes formed a world that protected his body, reducing the influence the different rates of time had on his body. If it were a weaker person, just the environment would be enough to severely injure them.
“We have arrived at the first palace.” Qin Yun and company reached the foot of the mountain as they saw the palace sitting on the mountainside nearby.
“I’ll go in first.” Sa Xu said before he transformed into a lightning bolt. With a flash, he entered the palace.
“Let’s wait and go in one at a time. The first palace will be fast.” Daoist Xiahou chuckled as he spoke. He flipped his hand and took out an alcohol gourd and drank from it. He looked at Qin Yun and said, “Junior Brother Qin, I say, although Junior Brother Zhang is weaker, he does cultivate in the Lightning Dharma. There are seventy-two Lightning Dharma tests here which will be very helpful for him. What’s a sword immortal like you doing in here? All you will do is take the first palace’s test and you will be done. Then, will you be waiting sillily here for ten years before leaving with three fruits? If I had a say, you would have sold this spot of yours.”
“Just broadening my horizons,” said Qin Yun with a smile. Naturally, he came here with a plan.