Chapter 34: Defeated Fighting Spirit

Swallowing the pill he held in his mouth, Xiao Li strained to endure the first load on his body; his complexion looked a bit off, but it was no big deal.

Seven‑Star Great Fighter!

"Chief Xu, let's fight again!"

Xiao Li laughed brightly, took a step forward, and his Thunder Scale Spear crackled with lightning, the thunder booming louder than before.

"Mystic Thunder Flash!"

Lightning flickered in Xiao Li's eyes; he had recently acquired many fighting techniques, and had neglected the advanced mysterious‑tier fighting technique given by Hu Gan, which today's battle unexpectedly inspired him further.

Mystic Thunder Flash is like an upgraded version of a lightning strike—faster, stronger, sharper.

Fighting Qi merged with thunder and lightning, containing the most rigid and fierce thunderous might of heaven and earth.

The fish on the Thunder Scale Spear also glowed white, its body elongated as if about to change form, but it got stuck midway, turning from a carp‑shaped spear spirit into an eel shape, yet fiercer, spitting lightning that seemed to compress the air itself.

"One move decides the outcome!"

Xu Lianghai dared not be careless; although Xiao Li now looked ragged, his strength had multiplied several times, even he felt extremely uneasy.

"Little friend, forgive me, Crumbling Stone Blade!"

The blade of light cut through, a bright earth‑yellow light blade met Xiao Li's Thunder Scale Spear; the Crumbling Stone Blade clashed again with Mystic Thunder Flash, the impact far surpassing before.

"Boom!"

Lightning and shattered stone raged, the surrounding spectators were swept by the aftershock, staggering backward; the tribute Xu Lianghai brought was overturned on the ground.

As the aftershock faded, Lin Yi could no longer stay seated and stood up, a cold gasp escaping at the scene before him.

Xu Lianghai was defeated, his clothes torn to pieces by lightning, only scraps of cloth clung to him, and he could only stand holding his great sword.

In contrast, Xiao Li, though also in poor condition with a strand of fresh blood at his mouth, stood upright in the arena, proudly wielding his Thunder Scale Spear.

Lin Qi's mind went blank, muttering, "We won, we won!"

Lin Qi suddenly turned his head toward Xu Xingyue, "Yue!"

Xu Xingyue smiled, wanting to respond, but seeing the smiling Lin Yi, the family head, and her injured father, she felt she should remain modest.

Xiao Li retracted his Thunder Scale Spear into his seal ring; the wounds Xu Lianghai had inflicted still bled.

"Family head Lin, may you not disgrace your command."

Lin Yi hurriedly nodded, rushed forward to support Xiao Li, "Thank you, little friend, you saved the face of the Lin family, thank you."

By the end, Lin Yi's murky eyes even glistened with tears; who knows how much pressure he had been under these days.

Lin Yi pulled a seal ring from his chest and whispered, "Xiao little friend, inside are the corpses of five third‑tier demon beasts and most of our family's first‑ and second‑tier demon beasts; we owe you a great debt, and our family will surely assist you in the future."

Xiao Li took the seal ring, nodded, "Thank you."

Xiao Li took the seal ring, found a new set of clothes, and silently left the Lin household; the two families would handle the aftermath themselves, and he would not waste time here.

"Wait a moment, Brother Xiao."

Lin Qi grabbed Xu Xingyue to block Xiao Li.

Xiao Li turned his head, "Anything else?"

Lin Qi and Xu Xingyue exchanged a glance and said in unison, "Thank you, Brother Xiao, for your help."

Though it was gratitude, Xiao Li, who felt like he had just swallowed dog food, forced a wry smile, his heart increasingly longing for a certain little girl.

"Happy wedding."

Xiao Li bowed with a smile, said no more; after this parting, they likely would never meet again—life is full of fleeting visitors, and growth requires learning to say goodbye.

…Half a month later, in an unknown mountain range of Heijiao Yu

"Hurry up, hurry up, kid, the fragrance has made me dizzy," Qian Lao drooled, eyeing the demon beast roasting on Xiao Li's rack.

Bai Lao silently swallowed, "No wonder you kid want demon beast corpses; you have this trick too."

Xiao Li smiled calmly; roasting it was simply to confuse the two elders; he intended to save the other demon beast corpses for use a year later.

Xiao Li dared not reveal the odd Siphon Technique; Qian Bai Er Lao were now stuck at the peak of the Fighting Sect, and if they learned of this technique's existence, who knows what they might do.

After a satisfying roast, Qian Lao rubbed his hands maliciously, gesturing vaguely, "Kid, after half a month of so many lightning strikes, you'll succeed soon, lightning, come!"

In an instant, dark clouds gathered overhead; Xiao Li sighed as if accepting fate and sat cross‑legged atop a hill.

Qian Lao chuckled, his hand movement simple and clear, directly summoning two bolts of heaven‑shaking thunder.

Xiao Li held his breath, dispersed all defenses, preparing to harden his flesh against the heavens' thunder; his previous battle with Xu Lianghai had already shown the power of his fused thunder body, and even the nascent Mystic Thunder Body could endure a Fighting Spirit strike with only a light wound.

The black sky split with countless fissures, lightning surged through like roaring dragons rolling in the clouds; the deafening thunder tightened Xiao Li's heart.

Lightning, like a ferocious electric eel, instantly tore the air; the sharp crack of the void made the earth tremble, and the massive energy released seemed ready to shatter the world.

Purple thunder serpents slithered over Xiao Li, several massive violet bolts fell like giant serpents from the heavens, instantly illuminating the oppressive darkness; their overwhelming momentum represented the harshest punishment of this realm.

Amid the violet glow spreading across the sky, the cyan‑black Mystic Light on Xiao Li grew ever more distinct, like a single white dot in an ink painting, strikingly clear.

The Mystic Light merged with his whole body; his skin turned a deep midnight blue, resembling an uncarved block of jade, exceptionally hard.

…The thunderclouds gradually cleared, Xiao Li's eyes slowly opened, a flash of blue‑purple passing through them.

Six‑Star Great Fighter, Mystic Thunder Body, complete!

Qian Lao clicked his tongue in amazement, "Kid, your cultivation is truly like cheating, so fast—jumped from two stars to six stars in a month."

Xiao Li exhaled lightly, smiling; he had previously been limited by technique rank, and a high‑grade Yellow Tier method had taken him to Great Fighter, his effort unknown compared to using an Earth Tier method.

Now he possessed an Earth Tier method to fuse thunder body, had taken the Two‑Pattern Azure Spirit Pill, and, unafraid of the pain of thunder tempering, a short‑term explosion was inevitable; later, as his cultivation rose, progress would naturally slow.

"Thank you, elders, for protecting me; I am deeply grateful," Xiao Li bowed.

If not for Qian Lao constantly gathering lightning for him, he would have spent most of his time searching for suitable cultivation sites; the half‑month of lightning tempering, absorbing pure lightning energy, saved him at least two months of arduous practice.

Hearing this, Qian Lao's smile became sincere, "That's because you worked hard yourself, but next, the two of us will assign you a trial."

"Hm? Where to?"

"Black Seal City!"

(End of Chapter)