Chapter 548 521: Thunder Realm

"ROAR!"

Gao Kangzi coughed up blood after Zhaang Ye's three strikes, his face turning livid. He was a dignified Fifth-Layer True Dao expert, yet he had been beaten to the point of vomiting blood by Zhaang Ye, someone who had only joined the sect three years ago. It was a complete humiliation. A mixture of shock and fury overcame him, and with a tremendous roar, a gleaming Sharp Sword appeared in his hand as he lunged toward Zhaang Ye.

"That's enough!"

Just as Gao Kangzi lunged, an icy voice rang out. A faint water curtain suddenly materialized in front of him. When Gao Kangzi collided with it, the curtain didn't break, merely warping slightly.

The one who had created the water curtain was none other than Qi Qingle. Having blocked Gao Kangzi, Qi Qingle said coldly, "Junior Brother Gao, you have already lost."

Gao Kangzi froze, his chilling gaze fixed on Zhaang Ye. "Junior Brother Zhaang, what skill! I admit defeat this time. At the Assembly of Young Masters, I, Gao Kangzi, will ask for your guidance again!"

With those parting words, Gao Kangzi stepped aside.

Zhaang Ye had successively defeated two great young experts, displaying an unfathomably profound fighting prowess. In the Barbaric World, strength earned respect, and power was the only thing that mattered. After Zhaang Ye defeated Yan Ming and Gao Kangzi, no one dared to look down on him anymore. By the tacit agreement of the other young experts, the position of Vice Leader fell to him.

Once the Vice Leader was decided, Qi Qingle announced in a heavy voice, "This session of the Assembly of Young Masters will be held in the Sunset Secret Realm, located within the Black Death Sea. The area around the Black Death Sea is teeming with Barbaric Beasts, so we must work together to arrive safely. When fending off Barbaric Beasts and encountering powerful enemies, everyone must obey commands.

"As is tradition, the positions of leader and vice leader will be dissolved upon reaching our destination, after which you will be free to act on your own. Alright, let's depart immediately."

With a wave of his hand, Qi Qingle and the eight other young experts shot into the sky, transforming into nine faint streaks of light as they flew away from the Green Cloud Mountain Range.

After flying for tens of thousands of miles, Zhaang Ye noticed the other young experts were picking up speed, as if breaking into an all-out sprint. Clearly, they still weren't convinced of his abilities. They all began using their Body Techniques in unison, pushing their speed to the absolute limit, trying to leave Zhaang Ye behind and humiliate him.

Zhaang Ye's heart stirred, instantly grasping their intentions. He gave a silent laugh, his body transforming into a gentle breeze as he flew along at an unhurried pace.

Zhaang Ye had comprehended the Wind Realm. Even back when he was at the Early-stage Third Layer of the True Dao, his flying speed was already so fast that even an expert like Ximen Lie Fire couldn't catch up to him.

Now, Zhaang Ye's Cultivation had risen to the Third Layer Peak of the True Dao. The Celestial River Righteous Qi within him was far more abundant, and his Control Power over the Heaven and Earth Essence Qi had improved significantly, making his flying speed even faster. Although the other young experts flew as fast as streaks of light, Zhaang Ye followed closely behind them, never falling a single step behind.

Qi Qingle, Pingcang Mountain, Taishu Gang, and the other top young experts had been paying close attention to Zhaang Ye. Seeing how effortlessly he kept pace, they were all secretly astonished and began to regard him with even more importance.

Zhaang Ye couldn't be bothered with their reactions. As he traveled, he observed the clouds in the sky, faintly sensing that they seemed to contain the Supreme Truth of Heaven and Earth. 'If I can comprehend the principles within them,' he thought, 'I should be able to merge the Wind Realm and the Water Realm.'

The more he observed the clouds, the deeper his understanding became. The secret to merging the Wind Realm and Water Realm seemed to be right in front of him, yet no matter how hard he tried, he couldn't quite grasp it.

「On the third day of their flight,」 a massive dark cloud suddenly appeared before Zhaang Ye's eyes.

A wind carrying a hint of Water Qi blew in from the horizon, continuously buffeting the dark cloud. Under the gale's assault, more and more Water Qi gathered within the cloud, causing it to grow larger and darker. Streaks of lightning began to flash within it.

"BOOM!"

As the cloud grew ever larger and blacker, a tremendous peal of thunder erupted from within. Thigh-thick Fire Snakes danced through the void like golden dragons, darting about wantonly. Then, tiny droplets of water began to pour from the cloud, falling toward the earth below!

Witnessing such a wondrous spectacle up close, Zhaang Ye was completely stunned. The fog in his mind vanished in an instant, replaced by a look of utter joy and astonishment.

"Hahahaha! I finally understand! I finally understand! The clouds in the sky are, in essence, water. Under the influence of wind, clouds can undergo all sorts of Transformations. A violent wind can rapidly gather Water Qi and turn water into clouds—this is the principle of surging winds and gathering clouds. A gentle wind, however, can transform clouds into life-giving droplets of water that bring vitality to the earth—this is the principle of a spring breeze turning into rain!"

Zhaang Ye's Comprehension was extremely high. Having personally witnessed the dark cloud transform into tiny water droplets, all the questions in his mind were instantly answered, and a sense of profound relief washed over him!

Looking at the streaks of lightning in the void, another thought surfaced in Zhaang Ye's mind. 'Wind is formless, and water is tangible. If I can combine wind and water with a sufficiently masterful technique, I can definitely create Thunder! Haha, if I can truly merge the Wind Realm and the Water Realm, I'm certain I can generate Thunder!'

At this thought, Zhaang Ye trembled with excitement.

Thunder was one of the most terrifying forces in all of heaven and earth. It could be said that Thunder was an Envoy of the heavens, its most powerful weapon for punishing aberrations, possessing a frightening might.

Zhaang Ye had deeply experienced the terror of lightning during his tribulation. A single bolt as thick as a water bucket could strike a True Dao Third Layer expert dead. A bolt the size of a water vat would be exceptionally difficult for even a True Dao Fifth Layer expert to withstand.

If he could really combine the Wind Realm and Water Realm to create Thunder, Zhaang Ye's combat power would skyrocket. He wouldn't even fear facing a True Dao Sixth-Layer expert!

In his excitement, Zhaang Ye's Spiritual Sense suddenly entered the Fire Spirit Realm. He said urgently, "Fire Spirit, I know how to merge the Wind Realm and the Water Realm now! I'm going to practice using the clouds in the Fire Spirit Realm. I need to merge the two Realms quickly, and I need to generate Thunder quickly!"

After greeting the Fire Spirit, Zhaang Ye focused his thoughts, and a white cloud suddenly flew over.

"WHOOSH WHOOSH WHOOSH!"

Under Zhaang Ye's control, white clouds rapidly gathered together. As they converged, their color slowly changed, transforming into a single dark cloud.

The dark cloud grew larger and thicker. At that moment, Zhaang Ye focused his will, unleashing his Wind Realm. A fierce wind continuously battered the dark cloud, causing it to churn violently. But no matter what he did, he couldn't make the cloud produce raindrops, let alone generate lightning.

Zhaang Ye knew his technique must be wrong. He didn't grow anxious. He simply gathered the dark cloud again and again, experimenting repeatedly until his spirit felt fatigued. Only then did he stop and withdraw from the Fire Spirit Realm.

Over the next several days, Zhaang Ye continued to experiment while flying. Through repeated trials, his control technique grew more and more refined, and the Wind Realm and Water Realm slowly began to merge.

「On the fourth day,」 a flash of inspiration struck Zhaang Ye as he gathered a dark cloud. He carefully controlled a faint breeze, letting it gently caress the cloud. Finally, under the soft wind's touch, the dark cloud began to change naturally. Tiny water droplets cleverly combined and transformed into specks of rain.

"Excellent! I've succeeded in 'a spring breeze turning into rain.' Next, I need to use a fierce wind to control the dark cloud, make it change violently, and generate Thunder!"

Overjoyed, Zhaang Ye set a new goal for himself. He repeatedly controlled a fierce wind, letting it buffet the dark cloud over and over to alter the water droplets within.

It was difficult to control the dark cloud with a fierce wind, as it would quickly disperse. However, Zhaang Ye's Comprehension was extremely high. Through repeated failures, his control technique became increasingly profound. After several days of this practice, his Wind Realm and Water Realm began to merge, and with a mere gesture, he could stir up both wind and water.

The fusion of the Realms greatly increased the power of his attacks. But Zhaang Ye had no mind to test the might of this wind-water fusion. He was completely focused on one thing: how to create Thunder.

Zhaang Ye's Heart Spirit was completely immersed in his experiments, his expression vacant. His flying speed, however, did not slow in the slightest. Over more than ten days, Zhaang Ye followed the young experts, and they soon covered tens of millions of miles.

「The eleventh day.」

"WHOOSH!"

A fierce wind raged within the Fire Spirit Realm, continuously battering a dark cloud in the void. The cloud's shape constantly shifted, undergoing all sorts of profound Transformations. Finally, a strange power appeared within it.

Electricity!

Within the water droplets of the dark cloud, faint traces of a weak power could be found. It was a power that felt both familiar and strange to Zhaang Ye. This was it—the electricity he had been striving so hard to create!

An excited expression appeared on Zhaang Ye's face. His keen Spiritual Sense clearly perceived that the electricity within the water droplets was divided into two types. The large droplets contained one type, while the small droplets contained another. If these two opposing types of electricity were to collide, they would produce terrifying Thunder!

"CRACK!"

Zhaang Ye clapped his hands together. The water droplets in the cloud instantly merged, and a tiny Fire Snake flashed out, illuminating the entire cloud!

"Excellent! Success! I've finally succeeded in creating Thunder!" Seeing that tiny bolt of lightning, Zhaang Ye was overcome with ecstasy and nearly burst out laughing.

The Fire Spirit's excited voice rang in Zhaang Ye's mind: "Congratulations, Master! You have gained an initial comprehension of the Thunder Realm!"

-(To be continued.