Immortal and Martial Dual Cultivation

Chapter 773: Bound Together for Good or Ill

For the state of thunder to form a will, it required a central point to serve as a focus for the scattered state.

Xiao Chen finally found this point. That was the high-grade Thunder Talisman in that small world.

Under his control, that originally vague and hazy state of thunder slowly coalesced. Its initial form resembled a clump of dirt, totally unlike that talisman.

Furthermore, this clump of dirt would shatter with no warning at all. If an impatient person tried to do this, he would probably give up after a while.

Xiao Chen felt no irritation. At this moment, excitement and exhilaration stirred up inside him. Although he did not know how the Thunder Emperor comprehended his will of thunder, he was sure that the Thunder Emperor had not known that this was actually a talisman, a treasure left behind by the strongest Immortal from the Immortal Epoch. Otherwise, Ao Jiao would not call it a Divine Lightning.

The will of thunder that Xiao Chen would comprehend would not only be different from the Thunder Emperor’s will of thunder but would also be unique in the entire Kunlun Realm, replicated by none.

That supreme Lightning Talisman had suddenly and very clearly imprinted itself in Xiao Chen’s mind, leaving a deep and unforgettable impression in one glance.

However, he faced many difficulties in merging his state of thunder with this Lightning Talisman.

The power of a state was formless and traceless. First, he had to pull these formless things together, something not easy to do.

This challenge was like trying to make a pile of loose sand take shape. How could it be easy?

After several attempts, the state of thunder that coalesced resembled an ugly pile of dirt that looked soft and mushy. Once Xiao Chen released it, it immediately reverted to a pile of loose sand.

The concept was wonderful, but the reality was awful. This was the situation Xiao Chen encountered.

Sometimes, one could feel very excited when one thought of certain things, feeling that it would definitely be perfect, that it would be an accomplishment unattainable by anyone before or after him, shocking everyone.

However, when the time came to execute it, one would discover everything to be chaotic, unable to materialize the perfect image in one’s head.

“Damn it! I failed again!”

After trying for a few thousand times, Xiao Chen still had no results to show. He now became very frustrated. He glared furiously and punched the golden lake.

When his fist landed on the lake, a golden water pillar shot up about three kilometers, looking like a treasured sword glittering with light.

This punch contained all the anger and frustrations Xiao Chen accumulated. Even a very calm person would still have a temper. He was no exception.

After the lakewater crashed back to the surface, the lake rippled, and waves surfed out. Soon, it returned to its previous calm, looking like a flat mirror.

There was nothing in this world that could be as gentle and tolerant as water.

No matter how high water was, it would flow downwards. Along the way, it would silently absorb all the dirt.

When it reached the lowest point, the water would only ripple and calm down. No matter what the outside world was like, it would settle down and become still. Not a single drop of water would leap out on its own.

If Xiao Chen tossed a pile of sand into the lake, barring external forces, the pile would always have some variance in height with a few dips and uneven peaks.

As he watched the golden lake below him, his frustrated heart slowly settled down. First, he reined in his agitated emotions. Then he calmly analyzed his failures for the cause.

Xiao Chen closed his eyes and pondered, entering into a state where he forgot his own existence, casting all the excitement and hotbloodedness aside.

After a long time, he opened his eyes and looked at the calm lake again.

“It is impossible for sand to hold a shape on its own. Likewise, I cannot force the state of thunder by itself to take form. I have to add something else, water for example.”

“Sand is indeed not resilient. However, when sand and water are mixed, building a castle that does not fall would not be a problem.”

“If the state is sand, what should be water?”

Xiao Chen mumbled to himself. Some of the problems slowly became clearer. What did he have most of in the sea of consciousness? Naturally, it would be his vast Mental Energy.

Only when he merged his Mental Energy and state would his state hold up and take form. It would be resilient and hard to break.

When Xiao Chen figured out the solution to the problem, he remained calm and proceeded to give it a try. Excitement and joy could wait until he accomplished his objective.

Closing his eyes, he gathered the sandlike state, forming a clump of ugly “mud.” This “mud” still looked like it would crumble at any moment.

Xiao Chen was not discouraged at this. He proceeded to infuse Mental Energy like it was water.

“Buzz!”

A buzzing sound rang out in his mind. The clump of “mud” that would crumble at any moment slowly firmed up as he infused Mental Energy, coalescing more tightly.

Xiao Chen revealed a faint smile on his face. Indeed, the solution was similar to his concept. The state of thunder was sand and Mental Energy, water. Only when both were present would it be perfect.

He persisted, continuing to gather his peak state of thunder. The clump of mud-like matter grew larger.

At the same time, the Mental Energy in Xiao Chen’s sea of consciousness infused into the clump of “mud” drop by drop, merging perfectly.

When all the state of thunder had coalesced, Xiao Chen’s consciousness leaped over and took a human form as it entered the sea of consciousness. Then he sat on the scarlet throne.

He stretched his hand out, and the clump of Mental Energy and state of thunder flew over to him.

Xiao Chen stood up from the throne and recalled the appearance of the Lightning Talisman, slowly molding the clump into that shape.

As he molded the clump, it slowly started to gain intricate detail, taking the form of a talisman.

When looking at it, one could at least make out that it was a talisman and would not mistake it for a clump of mud.

Xiao Chen did not understand and could not draw the Immortal scripts of a Divine Grade Lightning Talisman. However, he did not need to draw such scripts completely. After all, he was not trying to create a Divine Grade Talisman.

Firstly, he did not have the capability to do so. Secondly, he did not have the materials. He only wanted to use this opportunity to form his own unique will of thunder.

After some contemplation, Xiao Chen knew what he wanted to carve on it—the immortal attribute.

This place was Xiao Chen’s mental world. He stretched his hand out, and a brush appeared in his grasp.

Along with his movements, all sorts of startling mysterious phenomena appeared in the boundless and vast world of the sea of consciousness.

Volcanoes erupted, lightning flashed, thunder roared, seas howled, snowy shores collapsed. Everything kept changing, never settling down for an instant.

Only Xiao Chen remained still on the scarlet throne. His expression was calm, not changing in the face of the horrifying mysterious phenomena. He drew on the talisman stroke by stroke, writing the characters for immortal (不朽).

The lines took form on the purple talisman, connecting to each other.

When Xiao Chen finished the final stroke, the rough form of the talisman gained some spirituality. The changes in the sea of consciousness stopped at this moment. In this world, only the talisman would be eternally immortal.

His consciousness emerged from the sea of consciousness, and he opened his eyes. A light flashed on his forehead, and the purple talisman flew out.

At this moment, the state was still a state, and Mental Energy was still Mental Energy. The two had only blended together. A will had not formed yet; there was still a final step.

Xiao Chen’s expression remained calm as he bit the tip of his tongue. Then he opened his mouth and spat out some Life Essence Blood.

“Pu ci!”

When the blood permeated into the talisman, it immediately released a strange light. At this moment, Xiao Chen’s consciousness, spirit, flesh, and blood linked to this talisman.

They were bound together for good or ill.

He had provided the final requirement for a will, elevating it into the only one of its kind in the world, becoming his immortal will of thunder.

After the talisman lit up, it no longer dimmed. As long as Xiao Chen did not die, the will’s light would be eternal.

“This is still not enough!”

Xiao Chen’s eyes gained a determined sheen as he looked towards the Lightning Talisman hidden in the small world encased in the clump of light. He stretched out his finger, and another finger-sized hole appeared in the clump of light.

“Pu ci!”

The lightning that shot out brushed by Xiao Chen’s shoulders. However, it struck the flickering purple talisman in the air.

When the golden lightning struck the talisman, Xiao Chen immediately howled in agony; it was as if the golden lightning had struck him instead and caused him unbearable pain.

If jade was not cut and polished, it could not be made into anything. If a sword was not sharp, it could not kill!

The newly born will of thunder had to accept the baptism of the Divine Lightning before it could hone itself and display its glory.

As Xiao Chen experienced the boundless pain, his eyes did not show any intention of giving out. He stretched out his finger and created another hole in the clump of light, releasing another golden bolt of lightning.

His figure flickered to dodge. All in all, he performed this eighty-one times, allowing this newly born will of thunder talisman to be baptized a total of eighty-one times by the Divine Lightning.

At some point in time, Ao Jiao surfaced from the bottom of the lake. When she saw Xiao Chen enduring pain in the air, the expression in her eyes became complex; it was like déjà vu.

Even after thousands of years, the scene did not change. Xiao Chen’s countenance and the Thunder Emperor’s continuously interchanged with each other in Ao Jiao’s eyes.

Ao Jiao squinted, and her face froze. The exquisite features of the somewhat handsome young Thunder Emperor stopped appearing.

The legends of the past and the inextinguishable glory should continue to flow down the river of history. Now, with ambition and the resolution to never suffer defeat, Xiao Chen would create an even more glorious myth.

Back then, this was how the Thunder Emperor had been like too. Although he comprehended a different will from Xiao Chen’s, the instant he comprehended his will, he also used the powerful Divine Lightning to baptize his will.

Foolish people had thousands of ways to be foolish. However, the true demonic geniuses would be the same, regardless of whether it was ten thousand years ago, five thousand years ago, or now.

If one gave up on the baptism of the Divine Lightning due to the pain before achieving a certain effect, it would only render one’s efforts for naught.

The light continued to flicker for seven days. The rough shape of the talisman, which was Xiao Chen’s will, took on more exquisite detail, perfected under this baptism.

After seven days, the Divine Lightning stopped coming out from the clump of light.

The purple talisman gleamed with light, and faint golden light occasionally came from the immortal characters. The shape looked very defined and clear, appearing like a consummate work of art.