Chapter 586: Nine Mystical Golden Thunder

After his cultivation realm grew stronger, Xiao Yan became bolder and somewhat arrogant; if Yao Zunzhe were beside him, he would surely strike him down.

"Let's go take a look—maybe there's some treasure. If I can pick up a Heavenly Thunder Bead, I'll be rich." Xiao Yan's eyes gleamed with greed; he licked his lips and set off at once, walking toward the Void Thunder Pool.

The Void Thunder Pool is a supreme training ground for body refinement, attuned to thunder, and the only such place existing within space, uncontrolled by any faction.

No one knows whether it's because of the Grand Void Dragon Clan or for some other reason—the Void Thunder Pool has simply been left floating in space, ignored and unclaimed.

Though called a "thunder pool," it is in truth an endless ocean of lightning—a boundless sea of thunder, which even now still leaves Xiao Yan awestruck, compelled to marvel at nature's wonder.

"Tsk tsk tsk, this Void Thunder Pool is truly a peerless treasure. If I were a member of the Grand Void Dragon Clan, I'd move it straight home." Xiao Yan blinked his eyes, plotting in his mind—perhaps he could learn from the Nine Underworld Earth Snake Clan and the Heavenly Demon Phoenix Clan, and relocate this thunder pool into the Xiao Realm.

Now that Xiao Yan has reached the Sage Emperor realm, he can open a little world—it's time to seize an opportunity and bring the Xiao Realm back to the Yan Alliance, allowing Xiao Clan disciples to return to their ancestral homeland.

Erect ancestral tablets for the Xiao Clan's forebears, let disciples offer incense—this would at least give Ancestor Xiao Xuan some peace.

The Yan Alliance's four major factions: the Jia Ma Empire now fully controls all territories of the Northwest Region, and many cities in Zhong Zhou's North Domain and West Domain also fall under its jurisdiction—its territory is vast and sprawling.

The Yun Lan Sect has merged with the Hua Sect, becoming one of Zhong Zhou's top two mighty sects; even Cai Lin's Snake Empire now occupies the Huang Quan Shan Mai, seizing half of Shou Yu.

All territories have expanded greatly.

Yet Xiao Clan's domain remains only Xiao City and Wutan City—this makes no sense at all! He must at least secure a little world for them!

Xiao Yan nodded silently, stepping into the Void Thunder Pool.

Here, whenever thunderstorms rage, the entire sea is ripped apart by countless lightning bolts, emitting blinding light; lightning arcs surge like ocean spray, as if a colossal beast were violently struggling.

The thunder here dares not even be approached by chaotic space currents, radiating a suffocating aura. When Xiao Yan stepped in, the lightning arcs surged wildly, as if pushed by invisible forces. Storms and explosions frequently ravaged the area, making the entire Void Thunder Pool perilously treacherous.

Deep within the thunder sea lurked many mysterious creatures. Their bodies were robust, capable of withstanding lightning strikes; some could even harness thunder to strengthen themselves. Some were as massive as whales, others as agile as serpents, gliding effortlessly through the lightning.

Of course, even when he was still a Dou Zun, Xiao Yan dared walk through this Void Thunder Pool to refine his body—how much more so now?

The lightning arcs at the outer edges of the Void Thunder Pool striking Xiao Yan felt like the shock from a lighter.

As Xiao Yan reached the spot where he had once stopped, black lightning arcs now appeared before him—he knew, having refined Ji Pin Dan Yao, that these were Black Demon Thunder; even the weakest Black Demon Thunder matched the force of a high-level Semi-Sage's strike.

Xiao Yan gazed deeper into the Void Thunder Pool—a strange place, like a massive vortex and black hole, which even Mang Tianchi once dared not approach.

"No wonder even Dean Mang Tianchi had to turn and flee."

Upon reaching the depths, as Xiao Yan looked upon the suddenly dimming surroundings and raised his gaze to the swirling mass of black lightning ahead—like a colossal dark dragon slowly writhing—even his current strength could not prevent his expression from turning grave.

After all, one Black Demon Thunder? He wasn't afraid. But continuous bombardment? That was another matter entirely.

Yet only here could a Heavenly Thunder Bead possibly form—just as the Earth Fire Pearl was obtained from the Yang Fire Altar, the Heavenly Thunder Bead is superior to the Earth Fire Pearl and can replace the Magic Core required for Ji Pin Dan Yao.

The Magic Core needed for Ji Pin Dan Yao comes from a level-four to six Sage Emperor beast—these are ancient monsters; finding them is hard, let alone killing them.

"Let's see how far my current strength can take me."

"Boom!"

As Xiao Yan stepped into the depths of the thunder pool, he immediately drew the attention of Black Demon Thunder—a black lightning bolt, roughly ten zhang thick, writhed like a sea giant python and slammed straight toward him.

Facing the Black Demon Thunder, Xiao Yan immediately summoned Mao Wu, who opened his mouth and—slurp! —swallowed the entire bolt whole.

Meow! ~o(=∩ω∩=)m!

"Huh? You can artificially condense Heavenly Thunder Beads?!"

Meow meow~~ Mao Wu extended his tongue, upon which floated a tiny black sphere—just a speck. The Black Demon Thunder had been refined by Mao Wu's devouring power into a small bead, but it was still far too small to serve as a Heavenly Thunder Bead for Ji Pin Dan Yao.

This unexpected boon delighted Xiao Yan—truly, as an evolved Heavenly Emperor Fire, Void Swallowing Flame's devouring power could manually craft Heavenly Thunder Beads.

Xiao Yan's heart leapt; with a thought, vast amounts of Dou Qi and Soul Force surged into Mao Wu's body. Empowered by Xiao Yan's energy, Mao Wu opened his mouth wide and sucked violently—black thunder bolts even those not targeting Xiao Yan were violently drawn in like a storm.

At this moment, Xiao Yan and Mao Wu resembled janitors: Xiao Yan wielded Mao Wu like a vacuum cleaner, absorbing Black Demon Thunder to condense Heavenly Thunder Beads, so he wouldn't have to worry about Magic Cores when practicing later.

As Xiao Yan walked deeper, the terrifying Black Demon Thunder were absorbed by Mao Wu's devouring power. Though some powerful Black Demon Thunder caused minor trouble, they were nothing more than minor annoyances—his current strength rendered ordinary Black Demon Thunder harmless.

After seven days of continuous absorption, suddenly a strange sensation rose in Xiao Yan's heart—a sense of danger made his scalp tingle!

Mao Wu also sensed the danger, his fur bristling like a startled cat, staring at a single point in the boundless Void Thunder Pool.

Boom! Suddenly, a golden lightning arc leapt from the darkness—though it flashed by at light-speed, that single streak of gold made Xiao Yan's pupils contract and his face fill with shock.

"Golden?!!"

Xiao Yan's heart trembled—he remembered only one kind of golden lightning: the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder summoned during the refining of Ji Pin Golden Pill!

Xiao Yan fixed his gaze on that region, his eyes flickering; after a moment, he slowly rose into the air, retracted Mao Wu into his body, and stepped forward cautiously toward the dark zone.

As he drew nearer, the peculiar pressure intensified—until finally, his steps halted. His dark pupils widened in shock as he stared at the center of the thunder sea: there, a colossal golden dragon, forged entirely of gold, coiled and curled, golden lightning splashing from its body.

"Woh!! Kuang kuang kuang kuang!" Xiao Yan's heart shook: "This is Nine Mystical Golden Thunder! No—this is Nine Mystical Golden Thunder gathering spirit?!"

The Nine Mystical Golden Thunder, if judged purely by power, rivals the top three Heavenly Flames on the Heavenly Flame Ranking. But Heavenly Flames are called so not merely for power, but for their unique abilities.

Yet there is no denying: the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder remains an immensely powerful entity!

Only when refining a Ji Pin Golden Pill does this Nine Mystical Golden Thunder appear in the world—each appearance shakes heaven and earth, making the skies tremble; ordinary Sage Emperors are insignificant beneath its thunderous might. Ancient texts from antiquity frequently record the sky phenomena summoned by peak Alchemists when refining Ji Pin Golden Pills.

Even high-level Sage Emperors dare not easily intercept Nine Mystical Golden Thunder!

No matter how confident Xiao Yan was, he would never claim he could harness Nine Mystical Golden Thunder!

And most crucially—this Nine Mystical Golden Thunder has begun gathering spirit! Just like the Fallen Heart Flame, Nine Dragon Thunder Fire, and Three Thousand Yan Flame—it is no longer mere flame, but has taken form.

Perhaps due to its proximity to the Grand Void Dragon Clan, this Nine Mystical Golden Thunder has taken the shape of a long golden dragon, faintly resembling the Grand Void Dragon Clan.

The more powerful a supreme heavenly treasure, the harder it is to gather spirit—look at the Bodhi Ancient Tree; its spirit remains at the level of mere instinct. Of course, this is also due to its suppression by Dou Di's negative energy for ten thousand years. But this still reveals how immense the Qi Circulation required is for such a being to awaken sentience.

Even with Xiao Yan's composure, he could not help but feel his breath grow labored; after a long pause, he murmured unconsciously, his voice filled with awe and disbelief.

The golden thunder dragon coiled at the deepest heart of the thunder sea, its eyes closed, golden lightning arcs flickering across its body—within them, a force of annihilation quietly spread, causing the Void Space itself to twist violently.

Countless Black Demon Thunder surrounded the golden dragon at a thousand zhang distance, bowing before it as if worshipping their king.

As Xiao Yan's heart reeled, the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder slowly opened its dragon eyes—its gaze carried a faint sadness, only the faintest trace of sentience. The instant it looked at Xiao Yan, a chill ran from his head to his toes.

Clearly, the Nine Mystical Golden Thunder was not pleased to be spied upon.

"Damn!"

Without hesitation, Xiao Yan turned and fled—boom! A golden lightning bolt, no thicker than an arm, flashed through space and appeared instantly behind him.

"I just looked once!" Xiao Yan cursed inwardly—who leaves their door open when sleeping? How can you blame me?!

Seeing that thread of Nine Mystery Golden Thunder surge toward him, Xiao Yan's eyes sharpened, and with a thought, he unleashed every ounce of his power at once!

"Dual Clan Marks—appear!"

"Diamond Glass Body, Gu Huang Bell Shield, Dragon Phoenix Ancient Armor—guard my body!"

"Flame Emperor Seal!"

Boom!! In that instant, Xiao Yan erupted into his strongest state, the Burning Scripture spinning wildly, all Eight Different Flames wrapping around his body to protect him.

Xiao Yan's right hand condensed a palm seal—the Flame Emperor Seal emerged, and ten thousand flames bowed before it! One seal struck, scorching the heavens and boiling the seas!

With a crash, even though the Burning Scripture had reached Heavenly Rank Advanced Grade, the Flame Emperor Seal still drained most of Xiao Yan's Dou Qi. With this blow, the entire Void Thunder Pool trembled, instantly raising ten-thousand-zhang-high waves of lightning.

Golden Thunder collided with the Divine Flame Emperor Seal; lightning and flames intertwined, blinding white light exploded like a sun detonating, shaking the entire Void Thunder Pool with overwhelming force.

Whoosh! A figure shot backward like a meteor, instantly flung out from the depths of the Void Thunder Pool.

Without doubt, it was Xiao Yan.

"Cough—cough." Xiao Yan coughed heavily, wiping blood from the corner of his mouth.

At this moment, although Xiao Yan was not seriously injured, he was utterly disheveled—his hair had been fried into a wild, spiky mess.

Gazing at the distant Void Thunder Pool, Xiao Yan gritted his teeth, yet had no recourse—he now understood Feng Qing'er's feelings.

"You—you wait! When I reach Seven Star Dou Sheng—no, Six Star Dou Sheng—I'll refine you into an Elixir!" Xiao Yan snarled, furious. It was just a curious glance—why was this like dealing with Xiao Yu?!

But Xiao Yan knew the Nine Mystery Golden Thunder bore him no lethal intent; otherwise, it wouldn't have merely sent a faint lightning arc his way.

Now, after being brutally beaten, Xiao Yan abandoned his carefree, unbound heart, spat out a few threats, and slunk away from the Void Thunder Pool in shame.

"Thank goodness no one saw—otherwise, I'd be utterly humiliated."

Although Xiao Yan had gained several Heavenly Thunder Beads this time, preparing for future Nine Grade Profound Pill refining, his face—had been slapped!

There still existed Supreme Treasures in this world he could not provoke.

In the ceremony Hall of East Dragon Island, powerful figures sat scattered throughout—the weakest among them were Half-Sage level, and even Hei Qing, an Eight Star Peak Dou Zun, could only stand quietly to the side and listen.

"Strange—why have the South, West, and North Dragon Islands shown no movement at all?" Zhu Li, seated below, frowned tightly.

Earlier, Zi Yan had fully refined the Dragon Phoenix Origin Fruit, completed the Ancient Dragon Clan's inheritance, and emerged from seclusion, summoning all Elders back from afar. The First Elder, Second Elder, and Zhu Li, the Three Elders, then departed for the Three Great Dragon Islands.

They demanded the Three Great Dragon Islands immediately cease internal strife, halt mutual slaughter, and reunite under the rule of the Dragon Emperor once more.

Since then, the Three Great Dragon Islands had indeed stopped fighting—but what puzzled Zhu Li and the Elders was that, after a long time had passed, the Three Great Dragon Kings had never reappeared, nor had they come to East Dragon Island to pay homage.

For a time, the Three Great Dragon Islands fell deathly silent, even sealing off Dragon Island, exiling themselves into Space, vanishing from sight.

(End of Chapter)