Chapter 70: Two New Techniques

In ancient times, the Si Nong would send forth clouds and rain — why must thunder come first?

In the chaotic Calamity Era of antiquity, demons and monsters ran rampant; to alter or fix the heavenly seasons was exceedingly difficult.

Thunder arts were used to purge the malevolent spirits between heaven and earth, making all living creatures submit and conform to the heavenly seasons set by the Si Nong.

From this one can see how important thunder arts were among the Si Nong's spells.

Zhao Xing was also skilled in thunder arts in his previous life, so the comprehension effect of the Lei Ting stone on him was extremely powerful.

First, because like the Pure Yuan Vermilion Fruit, it purely added spell comprehension!

Second, after Zhao Xing's body was remade by the Dao Embryo Pill, his aptitude and comprehension had both become extraordinarily strong.

When comprehending, his speed was faster and the effect was better.

Even if someone else obtained this thunder-attribute spiritual marrow, they might not achieve such a startling effect.

"The power of Lei Ting can be yang-fierce and mighty, or yin-gentle and dim, but no matter which, it possesses tremendous destructive force — pure Lei Ting means pure destruction."

"There are over ten thousand kinds of Lei Ting; some drift gently like strands of hair, some are nimble like fish, and some gallop like fierce beasts…"

Zhao Xing watched the different Lei Ting flicker before his eyes, and his comprehension of thunder arts was rapidly rising.

Before he knew it, the Lei Ting stone grew smaller and smaller, and threads of electricity gradually spread out from the stone, climbing onto Zhao Xing's body.

At this moment the electric light became very gentle and docile; even with subconscious control, none of this Lei Ting harmed Zhao Xing's body at all.

In the end, the purple stone turned to powder, and Zhao Xing became a man of purple lightning.

Within his chest cavity, it was as if thunder rumbled.

With every beat of his heart, the sound of Lei Ting emerged.

Though the sound was faint, the clerks resting and waiting near the Heaven Altar Square all vaguely heard it.

The more skilled one was, the more clearly they heard it.

"What's going on? The sky is clearly clear — why do I hear thunder?" The middle-aged scholar fanning himself with a feather fan looked up at the sky.

"You heard thunder too?" The blade-bearing martial artist beside the feather-fan middle-aged man also looked up at the sky in puzzlement.

"Strange — the heavenly-season ritual here is extremely stable; I see no trace whatsoever of anyone casting thunder arts." Wenzhao looked around.

"Maybe we heard wrong? Perhaps there are too many clerks here, and we're too tense." The martial artist picked at his ear.

"Boran, you're a Ju Yuan eighth-stage martial artist, your control over yourself has reached the realm of unified harmony — could you really be hearing things?" Wenzhao asked. "Do you believe that yourself?"

Zhang Boran adjusted his sword hilt and chuckled lightly: "I'd rather it were a hallucination. Otherwise, if someone cast a spell and I couldn't detect where it came from, wouldn't that be dangerous? I'm planning to compete for the first incense tonight."

Wenzhao thought for a moment, then turned his gaze to that pile of straw figures, lost in thought.

Zhang Boran raised an eyebrow: "You think that kid caused it? That seems unlikely — when I observed him going up the mountain earlier, he was at most Ju Yuan sixth-stage. The straw-figure spell is exquisite, but it's not especially powerful."

"He looks young, and being skilled in the straw-figure spell is already remarkable — could he also be skilled in thunder arts?"

Wenzhao shook his feather fan, a hint of worry in his eyes: "It's true he was Ju Yuan sixth-stage before entering the temple, but don't forget he carries three spiritual marrows — anything is possible."

The thunderous anomaly did not last long; soon all the lightning on Zhao Xing's body was completely withdrawn.

When he opened his eyes, a flash of Lei Ting vanished from within them.

"The Dao of thunder arts is endlessly profound." Zhao Xing could not help but sigh.

The further he advanced, the more he felt the road ahead was long.

"Zizi zi~"

Zhao Xing extended five fingers, and a bolt of Lei Ting appeared at each fingertip.

When these five bolts of Lei Ting extended, they intertwined with one another and actually formed a noose!

If an old Si Nong were here to see it, they would probably offer a word of praise.

Because this was a brand-new spell!

It was a spell naturally comprehended after 【Thunderstrike】 reached max level and broke through further.

Just like Xue Wenzhong, who had immersed himself in beginner thunder arts for a full sixty years and comprehended 'Three-Foot Heaven Thunder' and 'Palms-Riding Clouds'.

Zhao Xing named this new technique 'Lei Ting Noose'.

"There's still a variation." At a thought from Zhao Xing, the Lei Ting Noose suddenly disintegrated like a scattered tangle of cotton thread, then immediately recombined, revealing a second transformation.

These fine Lei Ting threads slowly assembled, forming a shape exactly identical to Zhao Xing's palm!

"Lei Ting Giant Palm."

Zhao Xing couldn't help but laugh — mainly because he imagined using this second new technique in a fight would be like delivering a huge slap to someone mid-air; truly high in damage and extremely insulting.

"Not bad — this is the new spell I wanted."

Checking the panel record, Zhao Xing found that the thunder-attribute spiritual marrow had brought him considerable improvement.

First, the beginner spell 【Thunderstrike】 was already maxed out.

The intermediate spell 【Lightning Draw】, on the other hand, had broken through in one breath all the way to seven revolutions!

But the most important thing was the two new techniques comprehended on the foundation of Thunderstrike and Lightning Draw!

After Zhao Xing named the new techniques in his mind, the names and characteristics of the two new techniques also appeared on the panel.

【Lei Ting Noose (Self-Created): Intermediate Spell】

【Proficiency: Five Revolutions (5121)】

【Effect: Uses the power of Lei Ting to form up to five spell nooses, which can quickly trap an enemy and rob them of mobility.】

【Lei Ting Giant Palm (Self-Created): Intermediate Spell】

【Proficiency: Six Revolutions (6354)】

【Effect: Uses the power of Lei Ting to deliver a fierce, mighty strike to the enemy.】

The two spells — 【Lei Ting Noose】 is yin-gentle, with very little movement or sound when cast, which is the complete opposite of ordinary thunder arts' characteristic of great commotion; it is perfectly suited for ambush!

Wenzhao and Zhang Boran, one at Ju Yuan ninth-stage and one at Ju Yuan eighth-stage, both only vaguely heard the thunder, but were unable to tell where it came from.

One must understand that these two had cultivated the 【Piercing Ear】 spell, capable of hearing the buzz of a mosquito over a hundred meters away.

【Thunder Palm】 is fierce and overwhelmingly destructive; paired with 【Thunder Whip】, one yin and one yang, they complement each other perfectly.

Because they are mid-tier spells he created himself based on summoning and channeling thunder, the moment he comprehended them, the spells' grades reached the five-fold and six-fold tiers respectively.

Since Zhao Xing is the originator of these two spells, their power can keep growing and keep surpassing itself, with no ceiling.

Just like the old Agricultural Minister—his casting still falls within the framework of Moving Clouds and Summoning Thunder, but the spell's power has long since exceeded the nine-fold tier.

Of course, if new insights or new opportunities arise in the future, he can also create even higher-grade spells.

He can also use these as a foundation to learn high-grade spells created by others. Learning from others means a path already laid out, with all kinds of experience and instruction available, making cultivation far smoother.

Self-created spells, on the other hand, are more powerful—because you are the originator, casting them feels more natural and free. But this path has no one to teach you; everything depends on yourself.

How to choose depends on each person's trade-offs.

"Having used the Thunder Spiritual Essence to comprehend these two new spells, I have a much greater grasp on winning the first incense tonight." Zhao Xing thought to himself, then turned his gaze to the other two Spiritual Essences.