“What is this?” Lei Qingchuan waved his hand, gathering a wisp of black ash. He rubbed it lightly between his fingers, and the ash instantly broke apart into even finer dust that scattered away.
“Master, look.” Jiang Han summoned the Thunderbolt Sword. A thin strand of black lightning flickered faintly along its blade.
“You obtained this from refining that Lightning Spirit?” Lei Qingchuan sensed the aura upon it, and his eyelids twitched uncontrollably.
He was more familiar with this aura than anyone. He had once witnessed it with his own eyes. It had been a black divine lightning bolt that pierced through heaven and earth. Though there had been only a single strike, it had instantly reduced a peak Divine Transformation Realm evil cultivator to ashes.
He had been slightly doubtful before, but now he was completely certain. This truly was Annihilation Divine Lightning.
Annihilation Divine Lightning was a heavenly punishment lightning that appeared only during tribulation, belonging to the Heavenly Dao itself. He had never heard of anyone capable of controlling it.
If Jiang Han could cultivate this Annihilation Divine Lightning to a high level, would he one day be able to wield heavenly punishment like the Heavenly Dao itself, annihilating even peak Divine Transformation Realm experts with a single gesture?
Lei Qingchuan stared at Jiang Han in disbelief. Merely refining a Lightning Spirit had produced a trace of Annihilation Divine Lightning.
What kind of heaven-defying fortune was this?
Moreover, when Jiang Han first arrived, he had only been at the early stage Foundation Establishment Realm. In just one month, his cultivation had risen to the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm.
Even if refining the Lightning Spirit had contributed to this, such cultivation speed was unheard of.
Lei Qingchuan’s gaze toward Jiang Han grew increasingly fervent.
Annihilation Divine Lightning alone would allow him to fight across realms.
Combined with Jiang Han’s terrifying rate of advancement, he would likely reach the Divine Transformation Realm soon.
And when the time came, if he could also subdue that Purple Firmament Divine Lightning within the Thunder Pool Forbidden Area…
With two divine lightnings unleashed at a wave of his hand, countless enemies would be reduced to scattered souls. What a breathtaking scene that would be.
At that point, no one in the lower realm would be able to withstand a single strike from him. Even after ascending to the spirit realm, with these two divine lightnings by his side, he would be enough to dominate one region as a powerhouse.
The more Lei Qingchuan thought about it, the more excited he became. His eyes narrowed into thin slits from smiling.
“Good, good, good! With Annihilation Divine Lightning in your grasp and your cultivation at the Great Perfection of the Foundation Establishment Realm, you will surely claim first place in the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm this time. My Purple Firmament Sword Sect can finally wash away its humiliation. Hahaha!”
“Master, what exactly is the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm?” Jiang Han asked curiously. His master had mentioned it more than once. In his previous life, he had heard of it but had never entered.
“The Spirit Abyss Secret Realm is where the five great sects determine the distribution of resources for the next hundred years.”
Lei Qingchuan waved his sleeve, sweeping away the black ash on the ground. He then tossed out a black stone table at the level of a mid-grade magical artifact and gestured for Jiang Han to sit.
“Every hundred years, the five great sects send their most talented disciples who joined within the past twenty years into the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm to search for Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures.”
“After one month, when the Secret Realm closes, all disciples must hand over their harvests. The five great sects are ranked according to the total value of Heavenly Materials and Earthly Treasures obtained. Based on that ranking, resources for the next hundred years are distributed.”
At this point, Lei Qingchuan sighed softly. “My Purple Firmament Sword Sect has ranked last for seven consecutive times.”
“In these seven hundred years, countless spirit mines and resource secret realms have been handed over to others. If we fail to turn the tide this time, it will only grow more difficult in the future.”
Jiang Han understood and immediately asked the question that concerned him most. “What is the cultivation level of the disciples entering the Spirit Abyss Secret Realm this time?”
“Rest assured, we’ve already investigated. The highest among them is Xiao Ruohuan of the Yin-Yang Sect, and she is only at the False Core Realm.”
“Although the Yin-Yang Sect’s techniques allow rapid cultivation, their early-stage offensive power is insufficient.”
“The others are mostly at the Foundation Establishment Realm. With your strength and Annihilation Divine Lightning in hand, even if someone at the False Core Realm appears, you could annihilate them with a single gesture.”
Hearing this, Jiang Han was reassured. He said firmly, “Master, rest assured. In this Spirit Abyss Secret Realm, this disciple will give his all and seize all the resources from the other four sects.”
“Good! Hahaha!” Lei Qingchuan waved his hand and teleported Jiang Han outside the cave dwelling. He called toward another cave dwelling not far away, “Yucheng, come and meet your junior brother.”
As soon as his voice fell, a figure in black appeared silently and nodded slightly at Lei Qingchuan. “Master.”
Jiang Han’s pupils contracted. Teleportation again. That was a divine ability possessed only by those in the Nascent Soul Realm.
“Come, let me introduce you.” Lei Qingchuan pulled Jiang Han forward. “This is your junior brother, Jiang Han.” Then he pointed at the woman in black. “Jiang Han, this is your Senior Sister, Du Yucheng.”
“Mm.” Du Yucheng’s voice was cold, as though she had no intention of speaking further. She did not even glance at him. At first sight, it was clear she had a proud and aloof personality.
“Alright. Yucheng, take Jiang Han down the mountain for a stroll. You two should get to know each other better.”
After saying that, Lei Qingchuan disappeared, leaving the two of them standing there in silence.
Du Yucheng’s fist clenched quietly within her sleeve, though her face showed no fluctuation. Her voice remained calm. “Let’s go.”
The moment she spoke, Jiang Han felt his vision blur. In the next instant, the two of them were standing on a lively street.
…
Mo Qiushuang returned to the inn looking somewhat disheveled. She entered her room and sat down to meditate and regulate her breathing.
She did not know Jiang Han’s exact location. For more than twenty days, she had searched aimlessly through the surrounding area. Within a radius of 500 million meters, aside from the mountain gates of the Purple Firmament Sword Sect, she had scoured every corner. Yet she had not found even the slightest trace of Jiang Han.
It seemed highly likely that Jiang Han was truly inside the Purple Firmament Sword Sect.
The thought made her heart ache.
No matter how flawed the Heavenly Dominion Sect was, Jiang Han had been a direct disciple there. With his aptitude, if he entered the Purple Firmament Sword Sect, he would likely be reduced to an ordinary menial disciple at best.
Menial disciples bore heavy daily tasks, had no time to cultivate, and received pitifully few resources. It was practically nothing.
Mo Qiushuang sighed softly. No matter what, Jiang Han was her junior brother. She would never stand by and watch him continue down the wrong path.
She had wanted her master to step in and demand Jiang Han’s return.
But she no longer wished to return to the Heavenly Dominion Sect. The current atmosphere there only filled her with frustration. Her master and junior sisters spent their days drinking tea and wine, admiring flowers and gazing at the moon.
Jiang Han had been missing for so long. How could they still be so carefree? Did they truly not care about him at all?
“Junior Brother, where are you?”
Mo Qiushuang sighed softly, but suddenly her heart stirred. She abruptly turned her head toward the window.
Just now, she had sensed a familiar aura flash past.
Jiang Han. That was Jiang Han’s aura. She was absolutely certain.
Boom!
Her divine sense at the Great Perfection of the Nascent Soul Realm instantly enveloped the entire town. In her anxiety, she did not care that this was Purple Firmament Sword Sect territory. She only wanted to confirm whether that person just now had truly been Jiang Han.
Moments later, “It’s him. It’s his aura!” Mo Qiushuang was overjoyed. Her divine sense followed the aura’s trail.
Bang!
But just as she pursued it, an extremely sharp divine sense suddenly struck, shattering her own divine sense to pieces.
Yet instead of fear, she felt joy. “He’s there!”
Mo Qiushuang vanished and reappeared directly above Jiang Han.
When that familiar figure appeared before her eyes, her nose stung. The grievances of many days surged into her heart, and tears nearly fell.
She wanted to ask him, why did you leave? Why couldn’t you just speak? I am your Senior Sister. Did you truly distrust me so much?
She hovered in the air for a long while. Only when the woman beside Jiang Han looked up at her did she finally regain her composure.
“Du Yucheng?” Mo Qiushuang frowned deeply. Why was this madwoman here, and why did she seem to be with Jiang Han?
With a teleportation, she appeared in front of Jiang Han, her voice anxious. “Jiang Han, why are you with this crazy woman? Do you even know who she is?”
Jiang Han had been wandering the street. Although his Senior Sister was extremely cold, it was still his first time strolling with her, and he felt a hint of excitement.
But no matter how he tried to start a conversation, she would respond with nothing more than a single “Mm.”
Just as he was thinking of what else to say, a familiar figure suddenly appeared before him and asked such an inexplicable question.
He had long known this day would come. He just had not expected it to arrive so quickly.
According to his original plan, Ji Yuchan and the others should not have started searching for him so soon, much less located him already.
These lunatics. He had run so far away, yet they still chased him here.
Seeing him ignore her, Mo Qiushuang felt a sharp pain in her chest. She hurried to block his path and called softly, “Junior Brother…”
With nowhere else to go, Jiang Han finally raised his head and looked at her. But his eyes were icy and indifferent, devoid of the happiness she had expected.
“I’m not your junior brother. You have the wrong person.”
His voice was calm, as if he were speaking to a complete stranger.
Hearing such cold and merciless words, Mo Qiushuang felt suffocated. Her eyes instantly reddened.
Her lips trembled as she spoke carefully, “I’m your Senior Sister. Junior Brother, do you… not recognize me?”
“I’ve been looking for you these days. How are you here? Come back with me. Little Xuan has been very worried about you.”
As she spoke, she grabbed Jiang Han’s arm, her eyes pleading.
Jiang Han’s gaze did not waver. Why pretend to be pitiful now? When I begged you not to beat me before, why didn’t you pity me then?
“Let go.”
“Junior Brother, Master and the others miss you. Little Xuan is nearly frantic. Come back with me. I promise, with me protecting you this time, they won’t beat you again.”
Jiang Han sneered. “Miss me? Ha. Don’t make me laugh. You all wish I had died outside.”
“You’re going to such lengths to drag me back. What do you want this time? Lock me in a dark room and make me bark like a dog again? Or test how many bones you have to break before I pass out?”
Jiang Han shook off Mo Qiushuang’s hand and strode forward.
“Jiang Han! Come back with me! Whatever grievances you have, we’ll speak to Master about it. Master is not unreasonable. If you explain properly, she will forgive you.”
Mo Qiushuang stepped forward and grabbed both of Jiang Han’s arms, her eyes red.
Unable to break free, Jiang Han did not care about her Great Perfection Nascent Soul Realm cultivation. He asked mockingly, “Mo Qiushuang, tell me honestly. Do you even believe what you just said?”
“I…” Mo Qiushuang faltered.
“Heh. So you understand.” Jiang Han let out a soft laugh. “Let go. My Senior Sister is watching. Don’t let her misunderstand.”
“Your Senior Sister?” Mo Qiushuang’s heart trembled. What Senior Sister? Wasn’t I your Senior Sister?
Her heart sank as she slowly turned her head. Du Yucheng was standing nearby, watching her expressionlessly.
“Du Yucheng, why are you still here?”
“He is my junior brother now,” Jiang Han said calmly.
“Mo Qiushuang, you should leave. I have no connection with your Heavenly Dominion Sect anymore. I am now a direct disciple of the Purple Firmament Sword Sect.”
“What did you say?!” Mo Qiushuang felt her heart twist painfully.
“How could you be a direct disciple of the Purple Firmament Sword Sect? With your aptitude, at most you could be a menial disciple!”
Mo Qiushuang was furious. “Why won’t you learn? At a time like this, you’re still telling lies!”
“Even if you were just a menial disciple, what’s so shameful about admitting it?”
“You must remember, no matter how useless you are, you are still a member of the Heavenly Dominion Sect! You are my junior brother! I will not abandon you!”
“I have already withdrawn from the sect!” Jiang Han shouted.
“No! I don’t agree!” Tears streamed down Mo Qiushuang’s face as she stared at him stubbornly. “As long as I don’t agree, you will always be Jiang Han of the Heavenly Dominion Sect! You will always be my junior brother!”
“No.” Du Yucheng suddenly spoke. She reached out and grabbed Jiang Han’s arm, her gaze cold as she looked at Mo Qiushuang. “He is my junior brother.”