blueteamnovel Chapter 9: Thunderous Body Tempering
Chapter 9: Thunderous Body Tempering
"BOOM!!!"
The moment the thought landed, it wasn't a real thunderous sound, but it was like the Dao sound that opened up the world, directly exploding in the deepest part of Xuan Tianyi's soul and the core of his sea of consciousness!
The dormant "Thunder Seed Jade Token" suddenly lit up, bursting out with an incredibly dazzling, blazing white lightning that could burn one's soul!
Like an ancient thunder dragon slumbering in the depths of chaos, it suddenly opened its cold and ruthless vertical pupils!
In that instant, Xuan Tianyi's consciousness was seized, engulfed, and violently lifted upwards by an irresistible, primal force!
As if breaking free from the shackles of the physical body and transcending the dimensions of space, it transformed into a wisp of formless and intangible perception, yet sharing the same origin as thunder, and merged into that blazing white lightning that was born out of thin air and struck down from infinite height!
His perspective was infinitely elevated, as if he were standing in the heavens, coldly looking down at a vast, boundless, yet desolate and hopeless inner world!
This is not a real image of meridians and internal organs, but rather a manifestation of his own life state, energy circulation, and even the severity of his injuries at the level of his mind:
The sky was dark and gloomy, filled with thick, dark red clouds that looked like congealed blood, creating a suffocating atmosphere.
It was the pent-up resentment, the deep-seated wounds, and the lingering mental shadows after intense emotional turmoil.
The earth was parched and cracked, with deep, jagged fissures crisscrossing it like the bulging veins on an old man's withered hand, full of decay and decay.
This symbolizes a dried-up, shrunken, and damaged network of meridians.
The original "rivers, lakes and seas" have long since dried up, leaving only bare, ugly riverbeds silted up with grayish-white "mud and sand," winding and lifeless.
This signifies that the channels for the circulation of Qi and blood have been completely severed, and vitality has ceased to flow.
A thin but viscous gray "fog" permeated the air, intertwined with dark red "dust haze" and lingered in the valleys and ravines, motionless.
The entire "Inner World" was deathly silent, as if it had long been forgotten by time and calamity, leaving only endless desolation and numbness waiting for its end.
The "thunder" that his thoughts manifested was the first "spring thunder," the first "dawn light," and the first "power of destruction and rebirth" that this desolate world had been waiting for for countless years!
"BOOM—!!!"
The blazing white lightning, like a divine sword that splits the heavens, carrying the absolute will to judge all things, cleanse the mortal world, and awaken all that is asleep, ignored the distance and the obstacles, and fiercely struck into the core of this inner world, the darkest, most stagnant, and most deathly area!
"Sizzle—!!!"
The instant the lightning exploded, the blazing white light, like billions of red-hot steel needles, pierced through the thick, dark red clouds, tearing apart and evaporating the viscous, gray mist!
Wherever the light reached, the "hills" symbolizing blocked meridians were violently shaken by the terrifying energy, countless tiny cracks appeared on their surfaces, and the dark red "blood stasis" and grayish-white "mud" accumulated inside were shaken loose.
The dried-up "riverbed" was illuminated, and the "black gas" lurking within, representing cell necrosis and deep toxins, melted and disintegrated rapidly under the lightning, like a snow nightmare encountering its nemesis!
Destruction! Pure, domineering, and unquestionable destructive power!
However, the power of thunder is not something to be trifled with!
The exploding lightning was not a gentle energy rain, but rather, within this inner world, it transformed into countless tiny, wild, and completely uncontrollable purple electric snakes!
Like ferocious beasts imprisoned for millennia suddenly freed, they surged, rampaged, and clashed wildly in this newly cultivated and incredibly fragile inner world!
"Ugh—!!!"
Xuan Tianyi, standing outside, suddenly trembled violently!
It felt like being simultaneously and brutally stabbed by thousands of high-voltage electric batons!
Unimaginable tingling, numbness, excruciating pain, and burning sensations erupted like a tsunami from every part of the body, from the depths of the bone marrow, and from the gaps between every cell!
It instantly overwhelmed all his senses!
The pain surpassed the sum of all his previous injuries, as if countless red-hot molten irons were surging through his veins, and countless tiny blades were scraping his bone marrow!
He forced out a muffled groan, a mixture of pain and suffocation, his throat tight. Veins bulged on his forehead, and cold sweat poured down his face, instantly soaking his tattered clothes and the ground beneath him.
His face was contorted, his teeth were clenched so tightly they seemed about to break, and his body convulsed and trembled uncontrollably, as if he would be torn to shreds from the inside by the violent power of the thunder at any moment!
This is the terrifying backlash from forcibly drawing upon the power of thunder to temper the body!
If he hadn't just stabilized his soul and enhanced his mental strength and control with the "Eight Views Mysterious Life Lamp Visualization Method," he would probably have already lost his mind and consciousness, and been shattered by the lightning, turning into a charred corpse or an idiot!
"Get it under control! We must get it under control!"
"The earthquake struck with a tremor, then was followed by cheerful laughter! Fearful yet not chaotic, startled yet composed!"
"The eight scenic lanterns shine brightly, illuminating my soul!"
A strong will to survive, combined with the wisdom and imagery of the "Zhen" hexagram, is like the hardest black iron core in the deepest, frozen abyss, suddenly bursting forth with a cold light amidst boundless suffering!
Within his sea of consciousness, the flame of the "Eight Scenes Mysterious Fate Lamp" pulsed violently at this moment, its light shining brightly!
The warm and clear radiance of crystal shines down on every corner of the sea of consciousness with unprecedented intensity, bringing ultimate calmness, clarity and a detached observer's perspective!
The spiritual power enhanced and purified by the visualization method spread with unprecedented intensity and precision, as if it had transformed into the will of the Heavenly Dao of this "inner world"!
Countless invisible and intangible yet incredibly resilient spiritual tendrils or chains of law burst forth from the core of consciousness, forming a net that enveloped the purple lightning snakes that were rampaging and destroying within the inner world!
This is an extremely dangerous, meticulous, and mentally exhausting life-or-death struggle! It's like trying to use the finest threads to guide and bind raging thunder dragons amidst a raging storm and towering waves!
His consciousness multiplied into countless forms, each imbued with the tranquil radiance of the "heart lamp" and the restraining essence of the "Zhen hexagram," like the most skilled surgeon wielding the most precise scalpel, or the most patient animal trainer wielding an invisible whip.
"This way! Avoid that main channel's crack! Draw it towards the blocked tributary!"
"That electric snake is too violent; we can't confront it head-on. We must use gentleness to overcome hardness and guide its rotation to neutralize its force!"
"Now! Join forces to force those few streaks of lightning into that valley with the heaviest death aura!"
Under the precise guidance, interference, and control of mental energy, the violent electric snakes began to deviate from their original erratic trajectories.
"boom!"
A large electric snake was forcibly deflected and slammed into the side of the tallest "hill" with dark red bruises that were almost solidified!
The rocks crumbled, and a dark red aura spread out, as if stubborn bruises were being violently dissolved by the power of lightning. Although it brought more intense pain, it also revealed a fresh "texture" underneath.
"Sizzle!"
Another streak of lightning, fine yet sharp, was intricately woven into a "drill" by several strands of mental energy, driving it into the end of a "stream" that was almost completely blocked by grayish-white "mud" and devoid of any life.
The powerful penetrating force and high-frequency vibrations forcefully created a hair-thin, yet real, "gap" in the solidified blockage!
A faint, almost imperceptible sense of vitality, representing the possible restoration of blood and qi circulation, peeked out from the gap.
Just as spring thunder awakens all things from their slumber, wherever the thunder passes, the deep-seated "evil atmosphere" and "death energy" that linger there are directly cleansed and purified by the supremely yang and powerful force.
Those "key points" and "fine veins" that were blocked like silt for thousands of years made a "hissing" sound under the powerful scouring and vibration of the electric current, and the stubborn impurities attached to them were peeled off and crushed.
And those cellular signs of decay and mental trauma, deposited deep within the body and difficult to remove with medicine or ordinary cultivation, are like thin ice exposed to the scorching sun, beginning to melt and disintegrate at an accelerated pace...
This process is a mixture of pain and a strange sense of pleasure, a double experience of ice and fire.
Each time a lightning serpent is successfully guided and neutralized, forcibly breaking through a blockage, it's as if an invisible "thunderclap" rolls across that inner world area. What follows is an indescribable feeling of ease and freedom after the blockage is cleared, though brief, it is real and undeniable.
Meanwhile, an even more wondrous change quietly occurred after the destruction by thunder.
Just as he forcefully guided the power of lightning, blasting open paths of life within the lifeless "inner world" of his body, forcibly creating tiny spaces and crevices—
"Buzz..."
Under the dual stimulation of the new life force and the thunderous vibration, every pore on my body involuntarily and unprecedentedly opened!
Like parched earth receiving timely rain, the plants and trees began to greedily absorb the omnipresent, free-floating stellar energy from the outside world!
These energies, which were originally slowly seeping in and mostly dissipating, were now attracted by the body's instinctive craving and the newly opened channel, and transformed into wisps and strands of pale silver energy rain that were almost invisible to the naked eye.
It silently fell upon this inner world, which had just been baptized by thunder and was covered with "scorch marks" and "new cracks".
Destruction and rebirth, thunder and rain, have reached a cruel yet exquisite balance and cycle at this moment!
The violence of thunder brought purification, dredging, and forceful expansion.
The following stellar rain brings nourishment, repair, and slow recovery.
This perfectly aligns with another profound meaning of the "Zhen" hexagram—the thunder of spring awakens the insects, and all things revive!
After the thunder, comes the vibrant rainy season!
The rain seeped into the "land," softened and scorched by the lightning, but now cleansed of stubborn filth, flowing along the tiny "grooves" and "crevices" forcibly carved out by the lightning, attempting to converge towards the nascent "riverbeds" that had been dry for who knows how long.
The earth began to greedily absorb this life-giving "rain," and the "scorch marks" burned by the lightning were actually growing at a speed that was "visible to the naked eye" in the mind.
The faint, almost imperceptible, greenish "buds" of the sprouts emerged!
That's a sign that deeper cellular activity has been stimulated and the tissue is beginning to attempt repair!
That newborn, strange vitality, a blend of the power of thunder and the nourishment of pure star energy, was like a stream thawing in early spring, though it was a trickle.
Yet, carrying an undeniable vitality, it began to flow slowly and steadily along the nascent "rivers and streams" that had been dredged, nourishing every inch of "land."
Wherever it passed, the previously aching wound area felt a clear tingling and itching sensation, which was the new tissue growing and connecting at an accelerated rate;
The image of weak and powerless limbs seemed to be infused with a warm spring, becoming heavy and full again.
Even the dim, gritty light and shadow of the internal organs seemed to be gently brushed by this mixed vitality, and the lingering gloom dissipated by a negligible wisp.
Xuan Tianyi's consciousness seemed to be suspended above this "inner world" that was undergoing alternating "thunderstorms," like a cold and precise "Heavenly Dao," calmly observing and meticulously guiding the landing point of each bolt of lightning, and regulating the flow of star energy rain.
He carefully balanced destruction and creation, seeking a glimmer of hope for new life amidst the agony, directing his precious energy towards the most critical areas with the deepest "cracks" and the most barren "land".
This is a process of dancing with death and drawing life from the edge of a knife.
His mental energy was being consumed at an unprecedented rate. If it weren't for the constant nourishment and stabilization provided by the "Eight Scenery Mystic Life Lamp," he would have collapsed long ago.
Time loses its meaning in the face of extreme pain and focus.
Countless minor thunderstorms and rainstorms occurred within the "inner landscape." When the last tiny purple electric snake, guided by consciousness, exhausted its energy and transformed into a wisp of pure life force, merging into a certain "tributary," the light of the "Thunder Seed Jade Token" in the sea of consciousness completely dimmed, and peace was restored.
Xuan Tianyi's consciousness, like a drowning person who has exhausted the last bit of strength, slowly withdrew from that mysterious and dangerous state of "inner vision of the Heavenly Dao" and returned to reality.
"Hoo...ho...ho..."
He remained seated against the cold, dilapidated wall, as if he had not moved an inch.
But at this moment, his whole body was as if he had just been pulled out of the water, completely soaked in cold sweat, his thin, tattered clothes clinging to his skin, outlining his slightly trembling figure.
Her face was as pale as paper, yet it had a strange, faint flush from exercise.
He was breathing heavily, each breath pulling at his seemingly reconstructed body, bringing a complex sensation of aches and new life.
But if someone were to look closely at him now, they would find that deep within his originally dull and lifeless eyes, although filled with extreme exhaustion, there was an indescribable, restrained brilliance, a composure that came from hardship and tempering.
Beneath his deathly pale face, a faint trace of blood was slowly circulating.
The deathly aura around him had dissipated. Although he was still weak, he was like a withered tree that had been watered by spring rain, revealing a faint but real vitality from the deepest part of him.
This extremely risky "lightning tempering" was only a preliminary process, like blasting open the first crack in the ruins and bringing in the first spring. However, it undoubtedly brought a real and irreversible opportunity for the body to recover from its near-complete destruction!
Like the earth deep within, covered by thick ice and permafrost, awakened by spring thunder, finally sensing the signals of warmth, and beginning to sprout its first tender green shoots.
Exhaustion washed over him like a tidal wave, and Xuan Tianyi almost wanted to fall into a deep sleep immediately to let his body process this dramatic change.
But he forced himself to stay upright, slowly raising his still trembling hand to wipe away the cold sweat on his forehead and the physiological tears from the corners of his eyes.
It was already late at night.
Most of the campfires in the makeshift camp had gone out, leaving only a few scattered ones burning in the distance, emitting a faint, flickering light that barely dispelled a small patch of thick darkness.
Thousands of refugees, like a wounded herd of beasts, huddled in the shadows of the ruins, sleeping soundly. Their snores, suppressed murmurs, painful groans, and the occasional mournful cry of an owl flying overhead intertwined to form the background music of the apocalyptic night.
That eerie blood moon seemed to rise even higher, its light becoming colder and purer, less sticky than at dusk, but with an unchanging indifference and eeriness, silently overlooking the ant-like struggles on the earth.
Xuan Tianyi's gaze, unconsciously carrying the lingering effects of his Qi Observation Technique, slowly swept across the slumbering camp.
Most people's aura of good fortune dims and recedes during their slumber, like a candle flickering in the wind.
The blue aura of the patrolling soldiers flickered and moved in the distance.
However, just as his gaze inadvertently swept over a small, still-burning campfire in the distance, his pupils suddenly contracted and his breath caught in his throat!
A figure sat by the campfire.
She wore a slightly oversized, stained leather armor of the patrol army, stained with dirt and dark red blood, but even so, it could not hide her tall, alluring, and breathtakingly curvaceous figure.
She didn't fall asleep like the others; instead, she hugged her knees, rested her chin gently on them, and quietly watched the flickering, dying flames before her.
The flickering, dim firelight illuminated half of her profile, outlining a breathtakingly beautiful silhouette under the cold glow of the blood moon, yet carrying a sense of aloofness and a faint weariness.
But these were not the reasons that truly shocked Xuan Tianyi.
What truly terrified him was the image he "saw" hovering above the female military doctor's head from the perspective of his "Aura Observation" technique, which was not yet completely deactivated!
It was completely different from the scattered, cloud-like halos above other people's heads, which were either gray, white, blue, or green!
Above the female military doctor's head, about three feet above the void, there was not a halo, but a lifelike, incredibly clear "image" that even conveyed a sense of awe-inspiring Daoist energy!
The image was none other than a blue lotus standing proudly amidst endless wind, snow, and frozen wasteland!
The blue lotus is not a physical object, yet it is more real and awe-inspiring than any physical object!
The lotus stem is straight and its color is as warm and smooth as jade, yet it exudes an indestructible resilience forged through countless ages of ice and snow.
Three lotus leaves unfold, plump and full, with a faint bluish halo around their edges, as if containing endless vitality and spirituality, yet they are wrapped and sealed by a layer of visible, crystal-clear ice crystals, blooming with breathtaking beauty in the extreme cold.
In the center of the three leaves, a green lotus bud, about to bloom, is cradled.
The flower bud was tightly closed, its surface covered with even finer and more mysterious ice patterns. A pure, chilling, and seemingly soul-freezing blue light shone through the gaps in the tightly closed bud, illuminating a small patch of void.
The radiance was not scorching; instead, it carried an extreme coldness and holiness that purified everything and was inviolable.
The entire lotus plant, lifelike and naturally imbued with Taoist charm, floats serenely.
It seems to exist independently outside this bloody and filthy apocalypse, rooted in eternal ice and desolation, exuding a dignified aura that is untainted by the mud, pure and unpretentious, nurturing the purest vitality in the coldest and most desolate places, and steadfastly upholding its original heart in eternal solitude!
It inspires awe and a sense of inferiority in those who behold it, yet one cannot help but be drawn to its ultimate beauty and aloofness.
Snow-covered Green Lotus!
Stand proudly alone!
The essence of Tao will naturally manifest!
"What...what kind of weather is this?!"
In Xuan Tianyi's heart, an unprecedented storm surged, and his soul trembled violently!
This was far beyond anything he had ever seen before!
This is more like... a natural manifestation of some supreme physique, unparalleled bloodline, supreme destiny, or unfathomable cultivation level!
Who exactly is this woman... this female military doctor?!