Chapter 178: Th

Don't get too happy too early!

Seeing Qin Shuo's eyes light up, eager to try, Nie Jin Feng spoke gloomily, pouring cold water on his enthusiasm:

Do you know why this place is called the Thunder Pool Forbidden Land?

It's not my backyard, how would I know?

Qin Shuo complained inwardly, but his face remained unchanged as he shook his head.

Because in the very center of this place lies a valley, the sitting‑meditation death site of the founding ancestor of our Wind Thunder Valley, the Wind and Thunder Two Saints.

It's a land of absolute thunder!

Any living thing that enters will be struck by heavenly thunder.

That is true heavenly might; even a Martial Dao Grand Master who rashly enters will, if slightly careless, be split into a handful of ashes.

As he spoke, Nie Jin Feng had already employed the Wind Thunder Valley's supreme art, Wandering Dragon Riding the Wind Step, drifting toward the island's center like a mountain breeze.

Qin Shuo moved slightly, following lightly as if carrying a great weight were nothing.

Though he had no outstanding lightness skill, relying on the Great Dragon Temple's Divine Foot Ability, he still kept up easily.

This kid's talent for lightness skill is also this good?

On the small island, Nie Jin Feng heard the faint wind behind him and felt somewhat surprised.

This kid not only masters Buddhist External Training, archery, and swordsmanship, but his lightness skill is also quite impressive—he can actually keep up with me?

Feeling a stir in his heart, Nie Jin Feng quickened his pace.

The Wind Thunder Valley's Wandering Dragon Riding the Wind Step, meant to evoke a breeze threading through trees, is light as snow in its rise and fall, lands soundlessly, and moves like a phantom.

Hah! Trying to show off again!

Qin Shuo muttered inwardly, exerting a little force with his feet, still keeping neither too close nor too far behind Old Nie.

This kid is truly a martial arts prodigy! His lightness skill is already on par with Visceral Tempering Great Accomplishment...

Nie Jin Feng accelerated several times, seeing Qin Shuo keep up without letting go, he then lost the desire to continue testing, steadied his speed, and shot straight toward the island's center.

Qin Shuo followed at an even pace; if that shameless old bastard went all out with Wandering Dragon Riding the Wind Step, he himself couldn't catch up.

After all, their internal energy cultivation could be described as worlds apart.

But Old Nie clearly just wanted to suppress him a bit within reasonable limits to deal a blow, which wouldn't faze him.

The small island isn't large; about the time it takes to burn an incense stick, the two arrived before a huge valley.

From afar, the valley's scenery seemed not bad—lush vegetation covered the surrounding mountains, green grass like a carpet, full of vitality.

But when the two drew near, Qin Shuo finally sensed something off.

All vegetation, as it neared the valley floor, ceased spreading and growing.

It was as if some mysterious force had fenced off the entire valley floor, leaving it barren, with not a blade of grass.

Among the scattered rocks, Qin Shuo saw some corpses, their deaths gruesome, many torn apart.

Some even had their skulls pierced, the wounds completely scorched black.

Is this the Thunder Pool Forbidden Land?

Looking at the bleak, strange yet utterly ordinary valley before him, Qin Shuo couldn't help but frown.

The valley isn't large; its depth is only about three hundred zhang, so he could see the end at a glance.

Forget thunder and lightning—there isn't even a wisp of cloud or mist; where is the mysteriousness Old Nie spoke of?

He looked around and finally found something special in the valley.

They were a few strangely shaped small trees, completely scorched black, with only a few half‑withered green leaves on their branches, indicating they were still alive.

Thunder Strike Ironwood Bow? Qin Shuo exclaimed in astonishment.

He recalled that Old Nie had earlier told him that the ironwood bows grow naturally within the Thunder Valley Forbidden Land.

Now focusing his gaze, he saw that the branches of those small trees were indeed bent like a bow.

However, most of those branches had been broken midway, leaving only a stub; one had to look closely to see the bow shape.

Only a tree relatively near the valley's edge retained a branch with a complete bow shape, though it was scarred all over, as if struck by lightning.

Not bad, that is the Thunder Strike Ironwood Bow.

Nie Jin Feng casually explained, then kicked a pebble into the valley.

Boom—

Thunder burst from flat ground!

The pebble had just shot out ten or so meters when a blazing bolt of lightning suddenly appeared out of nowhere, blasting it to ashes.

This…

Qin Shuo felt his hairs stand on end.

He now finally understood why this valley, resembling a desert wasteland, had so many carcasses of birds and beasts.

Presumably they wandered in by mistake and were slain by the sudden thunderbolts.

Is this valley naturally formed, or did it arise because your ancestors entered meditation here? Qin Shuo wondered.

It's naturally formed!

Nie Jin Feng spoke with a wooden expression: 'Even if it were a divine‑ability secret realm left by a Martial Saint, lasting a thousand years would already be the limit.'

The Wind and Thunder Two Ancestors, though they held the title of Two Saints back then, were ultimately not Martial Saints.

Otherwise, Yun Province's First Sect would never have yielded to the Great Dragon Temple.

Naturally formed? Could it be due to an abnormal magnetic field?

Qin Shuo muttered to himself, involuntarily recalling a very famous holy mountain from his past life: Kunlun Mountain.

It is said that on that mountain there is a Death Valley where the grass is lush, yet herdsmen dare not set foot.

Because it is a deadly place, also called the Gate of Hell, a moment's carelessness will get one struck dead by lightning.

Later, geological surveyors who disbelieved went to Death Valley to investigate, and many died, all struck down by lightning for no reason.

However, with the development of technology in the previous life, the truth of Death Valley was finally uncovered.

The underground of that valley is very strange, with extremely high magnetic anomaly values.

Under the effect of the electromagnetic field, the geomagnetic field interacts with the charge in the cloud layer, causing discharge, thus making Death Valley a thunder‑prone area.

This valley before us resembles the Death Valley of the previous life; since both are naturally formed, it must also be caused by geomagnetic anomaly.

If that is indeed the case, perhaps he is not completely without options.

However, Qin Shuo did not act rashly, because he thought of a problem.

Since the thunder in this valley is so fierce, how was the Thunder‑strike Ironwood Bow taken out of the valley?

"The lightning in the valley is not evenly distributed.

The further one goes inward, the stronger the lightning's power, reaching its extreme in the central area.

Those ironwood bows grow at the edge of Thunder Valley; as long as one is careful, a martial artist who has succeeded in tempering their viscera can harvest them."

Nie Jin Feng explained while stepping into the valley.

Zizzle!

At the moment his foot fell into the lightning pool, an abrupt change occurred.

Bright arcs of electricity, like silver snakes, emerged from the void and coiled around his body, emitting a zizzle‑zizzle sound.

Pop!

Like sparks exploding.

The bright arc exploded on Nie Jin Feng's shoulder, but was blocked by his body‑protecting vigorous qi, unable to injure him in the slightest.

"Give me the Spirit‑communicating Mystic Jade, and I'll go look deep into the valley."

Nie Jin Feng spoke, extending his palm toward Qin Shuo.

"No need!"

Qin Shuo circulated his primordial magnet true qi, attempting to step into the valley.

In an instant, he felt that the valley before him had completely changed.

Streams of primordial magnet meridians that only he could perceive appeared in his mind, like an ocean of primordial magnet.

Crackle!

As he entered the valley, the surrounding primordial magnet meridians were immediately disturbed, and thin arcs of electricity generated within the primordial magnet fluctuations coiled toward him like little snakes.

"Indeed so!"

Qin Shuo's mind settled greatly.

He covered his whole body with primordial magnet true qi, rebounding the coiling primordial magnet meridians with opposite polarity.

Thus, the currents produced by the magnetic field fluctuations were, as if isolated, unable to land on his body.