Chapter 234: Commanding Wind and Thunder, Subduing All Demons!

At the moment when the thick, heavy clouds churned and lightning and thunder intertwined, all the cultivators felt a shock in their hearts, clearly sensing that an aura capable of destroying heaven and extinguishing the earth was boiling above their heads.

Anyone possessing basic common sense could recognize that the thunder technique Lu Yuan was currently unleashing appeared to be of a certain kind.

Thunder techniques are supremely rigid and yang, breaking evil and eliminating filth; they are far stronger than Five Elements arts in restraining Corpse Demons. Thus, in the Yuanling Heaven cultivation world, thunder techniques are known as the number one method. Even War Hall Master Xing Tianding is famous for his Shenxiao Thunder Technique, and when truly engaging in combat, he is completely fearless even when facing Jiedan Peak cultivators, which is why he was able to delay the Corpse Bone Giant Buddha last time.

But at this very moment, all the cultivators clearly discovered that the thunder technique Lu Yuan was unleashing had not yet fully formed, yet its grand and violent fluctuations were actually more astonishing than those of Xing Tianding, a master of thunder techniques!

Facing such Heavenly Might, the cultivators closest to Lu Yuan, including Qin Ruoning, felt their hair stand on end and their eyelids twitch; every reaction was a warning that a terrifying power was brewing in the dark clouds overhead. Even the tens of thousands of bloodthirsty, crazed Corpse Demons within a radius of one mile stopped in their tracks at this moment, letting out howls as if fearing the Heavenly Might.

Crack!

The next moment, the sky seemed to shatter like a mirror. A blinding, intense light that deafened and blinded people, along with a terrifying, massive roar, radiated across the horizon. One could see lightning and thunder amidst the rolling dark clouds, and chains of lightning erupted violently. In an instant, over a dozen thick bolts of thunder tore through the dark sky, pierced the air, and struck the nearby frenzy of Corpse Demons in the air and on the ground!

The thunder, containing the power of destruction, cracked the earth. Amidst the violent lightning, the weaker Corpse Demons at every point of impact were instantly reduced to ashes, and even the Corpse Generals, comparable to the Foundation Establishment Stage, had their bodies torn apart like tofu, turning into charred chunks. In just a blink of an eye, over a dozen vacuum zones appeared within the surging Corpse Tide!

But this was clearly not the end.

The light in the sky shone brilliantly, and the violent lightning and thunder emitted roars even more massive than raging waves and tsunamis. Streaks of lightning snakes swayed and rolled incessantly, flashing across the sky and weaving into a thunderous purgatory filled with a destructive aura, sweeping in all directions like a tsunami.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom—

The moment large swathes of Corpse Demons were enveloped by the thunderous purgatory, a series of earth-shattering, ear-splitting roars followed, loud enough to rupture one's eardrums. Blinding, unbearable light shone, the void twisted and shook violently amidst the series of intense explosions, and lightning splashed everywhere. All the air collapsed layer by layer, forming a wave-like surge of air that rushed out in all directions.

Amidst the deafening, grand thunder, the sky shattered, thunder raged, and electric light scattered like a doomsday divine punishment. In just a blink or two, thousands of Corpse Demons melted away like snowflakes under the shining sun, revealing large vacuum zones.

One could see that hidden within the Corpse Tide in this area were a few individual Corpse Kings with powerful death energy. They possessed higher instincts and intelligence, as well as bodies as tough as third-tier Spirit Tools, but under such terrifying thunder strikes, they could not even manage to escape. They were struck by several bolts of thunder simultaneously and their bodies were torn apart, turning into dust.

The terrifying lightning illuminated the horizon. At this moment, all the cultivators on the front line watched the destructive scene in the night sky, which resembled divine punishment, with shocked eyes.

Even the other Jiedan cultivators fighting nearby, and even War Hall Master Xing Tianding, had horrified expressions, their minds captured by the sight.

It was truly because this thunder technique was so astonishing in both power and range that even Xing Tianding, who was deeply immersed in the Shenxiao Thunder Technique, felt a faint sense of inferiority.

As the crowd was shocked.

Above the sky, the heavens were startled and the earth moved. The terrifying lightning exploded incessantly, and the thunderous purgatory flashed and intertwined, cutting the rolling thunderclouds into pieces, as if the night sky itself were being torn apart.

However, this astonishing scene did not last long. After just three to five breaths, the dark clouds covering several miles quickly dissipated, and the violent lightning filling the sky also vanished without a trace.

But even though the time the Heavenly Thunder swept through was extremely short, the results were extremely astonishing.

One could see that the ground and the air in this area, which had been packed with a dense Corpse Tide, now had huge vacuum zones. Most of the Corpse Demons within them had been reduced to ashes, leaving only scattered charred fragments. A rough count showed at least two or three thousand Corpse Demons had perished under that thunderous purgatory, and at least three Corpse Kings had been killed, greatly reducing the pressure on this defensive line.

At the same time, Lu Yuan also took the opportunity to put on a show of being overly exhausted, weak, and listless, retreating rapidly.

Xing Tianding, several miles away, could not spare the thought of how such a newly promoted Jiedan Late Stage cultivator could master such an astonishing thunder technique, and immediately shouted:

"Everyone, in one go, push back the Corpse Tide!"

The divine sense transmission spread across the battlefield, and the many cultivators immediately came to their senses, taking this opportunity to launch a counterattack. The brilliance of various Dharma Powers swept across the world like a tidal wave.

By now, Lu Yuan had already retreated from the front line. Qin Ruoning flew over immediately and asked with concern, "Fellow Daoist Lu, are you alright?"

Lu Yuan played the part to the end, first taking two Replenishing Qi Pills from his Storage Bag and swallowing them, then smiling and saying:

"I am fine, it was just that the consumption earlier was a bit high; a little rest will suffice."

"I truly could not have imagined that Fellow Daoist Lu would have such astonishing attainments in thunder techniques."

Qin Ruoning said solemnly:

"Fellow Daoist Lu must be careful in the future. The front-line battlefield changes in an instant; it is best not to let yourself fall into a state of exhaustion or weakness, otherwise, even the most powerful cultivator risks falling."

The words were a warning, and also well-intentioned. Lu Yuan nodded and smiled:

"Many thanks for the reminder, Fellow Daoist Qin. Lu understands."

The large-scale, terrifyingly powerful thunder purgatory from earlier was naturally not some thunder technique, but the Supernatural Power he had recently lit up: 【Mastering Five Thunders】.

【Mastering Five Thunders】:

Thunder is the command of Heaven. The Five Thunders are Heavenly Thunder, Earth Thunder, Water Thunder, Divine Thunder, and Society Decree Thunder. The wonderful uses of Mastering Five Thunders include driving thunder and commanding electricity, praying for rain and requesting clear skies, curing spirits and subduing demons, warding off locusts and sweeping away plagues, and refining and crossing over wandering souls.

Compared to the other thirty-six Heavenly Gang Supernatural Powers, Mastering Five Thunders is undoubtedly one of the few Supernatural Powers focused on offense and supplemented by transformation.

Among them, Heavenly Thunder governs the correct order of Heaven, operates the four seasons, generates all things, protects and controls the destiny of calamities, slays Heavenly Demons, sweeps away plagues, and captures Heavenly Monsters and all kinds of intractable spirits;

Earth Thunder governs the generation of all things, nourishes the five grains, sweeps away insects and locusts, slays mountain spirits and stone monsters, clears away mountain mists and miasmas, liberates dead souls, and controls earthly residences;

Water Thunder, also known as Dragon Thunder, governs commanding thunder to bring rain, rescuing from droughts, eliminating flood dragons, poisonous snakes, evil mirages, and spirits, raising winds and clouds, and managing the affairs of the Water Mansion;

Divine Thunder governs killing, acts on behalf of Heaven, shakes with thunderbolts, executes people and things, commands wind and thunder, subdues all demons, turns the world upside down, and shakes the universe;

The final Society Decree Thunder governs killing ancient artifacts and spirits, subduing original stagnant energy, and destroying altars and temples; it can be carried out at one's convenience without the need for reporting.

The five great thunders have different functions. After lighting up this Supernatural Power, Lu Yuan condensed a Divine Seed and could already initially use Dharma Power to condense and attract the five types of thunder. The massive thunder tide from earlier was him unleashing the Heavenly Thunder from the Five Thunders method.

Heavenly Thunder is the head of the Five Thunders. Compared to the Divine Thunder which focuses on killing, it has a larger range and is more effective at restraining evil and filthy spirits. Once triggered, it can condense thunderclouds, bring down wild thunderbolts from the sky, and cleanse evil and filth.

Of course, the consumption to trigger this thunder is also the highest among the Five Thunders. With Lu Yuan's Refining Qi into Spirit mid-stage cultivation, he could only sustain the Supernatural Power for a few breaths before his Dharma Power was seven or eight-tenths depleted. If he did not have the 【Nine Breaths Serving Qi】 Supernatural Power in his possession, he would never have dared to use this Supernatural Power casually.

The reason he lit up this Supernatural Power was that although the 【Sword Technique】 Supernatural Power is sharp and unparalleled, it is not good at large-scale damage. Conversely, 【Mastering Five Thunders】 can not only perform large-scale group attacks, but its nature can also specifically restrain Corpse Demons. On this front-line battlefield where one can harvest Heavenly Dao Merit experience, it is simply a supreme Supernatural Power.

At this thought, Lu Yuan secretly communicated with the Heavenly Book and received feedback:

【Supernatural Power Master】: Lu Yuan

【Mastered Arts】:

【Earthly Fiend Arts】: -

Ingestion (Earth: 31%); - Guidance (Divine Communication: 10%); - Invisibility (Earth: 7%); -

Staff Sending (Divine Communication: 8%); - Medicine (Earth: 23%); - Earth Travel (Earth: 10%); -

Generating Light (Earth: 11%); - Sword Technique (Divine Communication: 3%); - Boiling Stones (Earth: 17%); -

Pot Heaven (Earth: 3%); - Great Strength (Earth: 2%); - Sprouting (Divine Communication: 6%); -

Wind Control (Earth: 7%); - Obstacle Clothing (Divine Communication: 3%); - Dream Grafting (Earth: 1%); -

Body Immobilization (Divine Communication: 3%); - Nightmare Prayer (Earth: 3%); - False Form (Earth: 1%): -

Cloning (Earth: 1%); - Soul Absorption (Earth: 1%); - Warding Off Calamities (Earth: 1%); -

Rain Prayer (Earth: 1%); - Stone Penetration (Human: 1%); - Array Formation (Divine Communication: 1%); -

Violent Sun (Earth: 1%); - Slaying Demons (Human: 1%)

【Heavenly Gang Method】: Nine Breaths Serving Qi (Divine Seed: 7%); Fetal Transformation (Divine Seed: 4%); Flying Body Hiding Traces (Divine Seed: 2%); Mastering Five Thunders (Divine Seed: 1%)

【Luck Power】: 13,324 units

【Heavenly Dao Merit】: 65 wisps

Lighting up the 【Mastering Five Thunders】 Supernatural Power required spending 50,000 units of Luck Power; after this consumption, the Luck Power stored within the Heavenly Book now only has a little over 10,000 left.

However, in terms of 【Heavenly Dao Merit】, after the scene just now, it surged by a full 70 wisps, which, when converted, is equivalent to nearly 6,000 units of Luck Power!

Having such a huge harvest in just a short moment, Lu Yuan felt a joy in his heart that could not be expressed in words.

After all, in the entire Xiyanzhou, the number of Corpse Demons is far more than hundreds of millions; with such an efficient harvesting method, Heavenly Dao Merit will surely be endless, and gathering half of the Heavenly Gang Supernatural Powers to light up the first one, 【Mediation of Creation】, no longer seems like a distant dream!

Amidst his joy, he did not reveal anything unusual. After resting briefly, he and Qin Ruoning charged into the front line again. The thunder-like sword light crisscrossed and slaughtered; whether they were Corpse Soldiers, Corpse Generals, or ordinary Corpse Kings, none were enemies that could withstand a single blow. At the first encounter, they were decapitated and killed on the spot.

By this time, this great battle was actually nearing its end. As more than ten Corpse Kings were killed one after another, the violent Corpse Tide also became scattered and fragmented under the resistance of the Immortal City cultivators. Except for a portion that was being surrounded and suppressed, the rest began to retreat amidst the roars of the other few Corpse Kings.

In just a moment, the Corpse Tide that stretched for twenty or thirty miles left behind a ground full of hideous, mangled corpses, with only small groups of Corpse Demons retreating back into the Yin Corpse Mountain Range.

The corpse aura and poisonous mist were still drifting in the sky. The Immortal City cultivators, who had experienced a bitter battle and suffered no small losses, had already begun to cheer. Meanwhile, Lu Yuan of the Immortal City gazed at the rapidly retreating, scattered Corpse Tide, knowing that this front-line position could only enjoy a brief moment of peace.

Although the Yin Corpse Mountain Range stretches for hundreds of miles, the Corpse Demons within are not inexhaustible. The reason why this front-line position has been enduring the impact of Corpse Tides for hundreds of years, even with over a million Corpse Demons wiped out, is mainly because nearly half of the territory in the Xiyanzhou has now fallen into the Corpse Demon Catastrophe.

The living beings in half of the territory are far more than hundreds of millions; they are practically in the trillions. Even if only a small portion are converted into Corpse Demons, it is a shockingly huge number. Some of them wander aimlessly across the wild land, while more are led by high-level Corpse Kings, constantly encroaching and spreading toward places rich in vitality.

And Longshan Immortal City, along with the dozens of Immortal Cities on this line facing the impact of the Corpse Tide, have become the bridgeheads for resisting the Corpse Tide. They face the endless impact of the Corpse Tide year after year. Even if a Great Cultivator takes action to wipe out the invading Corpse Demon army all at once, in a year or half a year, a new surge of Corpse Demon madness will arrive, making it impossible to kill them all.

As these thoughts turned.

Thousands of cultivators had already begun to clean up the battlefield and treat the wounded. War Hall Master Xing Tianding, along with the two Deputy Hall Masters and the remaining Golden Core Cultivators, all flew toward where Lu Yuan was with varying expressions.

When they were several feet away, Xing Tianding took the lead and cupped his hands, saying:

"Many thanks to Elder Lu for taking action in time to purge the evil, which timely eased the pressure on the other cultivators. Otherwise, today's ordeal would likely not have been so easy to get through."

After he finished speaking, the two Deputy Hall Masters and the other Golden Core Cultivators also arrived one after another, bowing to Lu Yuan with respect to show their gratitude.

Wherever a strong person goes, they will be respected. Even though Lu Yuan was still relatively unfamiliar to them, the astonishing thunder technique from just now had already won the respect of all the Golden Core Cultivators.

Facing the crowd, Lu Yuan returned the salute one by one:

"Hall Master Xing is too polite. I am now a member of the Immortal City; wiping out the Corpse Tide and sweeping away evil is my duty. Why give thanks? I observed that today's Corpse Tide was quite massive; regarding personnel losses..."

Xing Tianding sighed slightly:

"The losses today are not small. I fear that more than ten percent of the three thousand battle cultivators have been lost, and we will have to draft some more cultivators from the Immortal City."

Ten percent of three thousand, a loss of over three hundred cultivators, does not sound like much, but the impact of the Corpse Tide on the defense line happens every few days. Not counting the small-scale Corpse Tides throughout the year, there are several medium-scale ones, so the accumulated combat casualties are not a small number.

However, the War Hall has a fixed quota of eight thousand battle cultivators, and there are a large number of rotating cultivators stationed in the Immortal City, so replenishing personnel is also very fast.

Lu Yuan nodded slightly and looked around: "Is there anything else that needs to be done by me?"

"The rest are all minor matters; there is no need to trouble Elder Lu."

Xing Tianding cupped his hands and said:

"The great battle has just passed, and this is not the place to talk. Please, Elder Lu, go to the rear camp to rest for a while, and we will properly welcome you later."

Lu Yuan, having just arrived, naturally had no objections. After a brief exchange of pleasantries with the others, he was immediately arranged to stay at a camp on the defense line for the time being.