Lou Zhenxiao had a feeling his Senior Brother Fu Lizi’s plan wasn’t so simple. Yet when he raised a hand to perform a divination, the karmic threads were clear and distinct, revealing no hidden potential for chaos.

After a moment of contemplation, he nodded and said,

"Senior Brother, your idea is indeed feasible. But permit me to speak plainly and establish three ground rules first.

Whether opening Fengdu or seizing a disciple’s Life Qi, you must prioritize the greater good of our Dharma Lineage. You cannot act on your playful whims."

"Of course, of course!"

Fu Lizi nodded repeatedly, looking completely agreeable and consenting to everything Lou Zhenxiao said.

"Now that the rules are set, should you intend to break them, Senior Brother, do not blame me for being unforgiving."

Lou Zhenxiao’s voice was like the clanging of metal. Even though he had received a favor and was thus indebted, matters of the Dharma Lineage could not be treated with the slightest neglect.

"Rest assured, Junior Brother."

Fu Lizi stood with his hands clasped behind his back, looking for all the world like he was just here to watch a show.

"The Thunder Core is making a terrible racket. The rest is up to you."

He knew perfectly well that among the current True Inheritance disciples of the Taifu Sect, aside from the unfathomable Eldest Senior Brother Zhang Yuansheng,

Lou Zhenxiao was the strongest in Magical Combat and possessed the most profound foundation.

Otherwise, the Sect would never have sent him alone to guard the north and south, patrol the Dharma Lineages, and stabilize the entire situation!

"A mere Thunder Core. It is nothing but a Sign of Manifestation triggered by two Fierce Fiends."

Lou Zhenxiao’s tone was level. As the thought crossed his mind, the Exquisite Magic Tower suddenly trembled, and the streams of clear light cascading from its body surged outward.

With a great ROAR, it smashed through layers of gale-force winds. Amid a sound like shattering glass, the tower’s brilliance streaked across the sky like a soaring dragon, teleporting above Hanyang Prefecture in an instant.

Lou Zhenxiao acted with lightning speed. First, he pointed with two joined fingers, and a powerful Metal Qi flared to life.

Thousands of sword beams condensed into a single, radiant pillar of light that came crashing down.

The two Fierce Fiends, their Primordial Spirits long clouded as they slaughtered mortals, disintegrated like scattered lint before they could even scream.

Immediately after, Lou Zhenxiao circulated his Magical Power and casually tossed out several pitch-black Water Thunders, each the size of a longan.

The moment they touched the dispersing fiendish yin, the orbs erupted with a bone-chilling cold that froze the clouds of black energy solid. A great gust of wind blew past, and the frozen masses crumbled, scattering across the ground.

Having dealt with the source that triggered the Thunder Core, the Three-Color Mirror Wheel behind Lou Zhenxiao’s head suddenly flared. His immense Magical Power surged forth like a tidal wave, spreading out with overwhelming force.

The Qis of water and fire churned and merged in the void, transforming into a thousand coiling Qiu dragons that swiftly condensed into a Flaming Giant Palm spanning a hundred zhang.

This move, the Profound Flame Hand Seal, was derived from the Foundation Establishment Sixth Grade technique, the Red Bright Earth Leveling Skill.

Refined from the Ding Fire Yang Melt Ming and Harmony Qi, it was a grand and righteous technique, specializing in countering yin and evil, and it had no fear of the Thunder Core’s lightning.

"Seize!"

With Lou Zhenxiao’s great shout, the Flaming Giant Palm tore through the viscous plasma dripping from the void. Its five fingers spread wide and closed firmly around the Ancient Gate suspended high in the sky.

"Such immense Magical Power! Truly worthy of a True Monarch candidate who has already gathered three of the elements!"

Fu Lizi exclaimed in admiration from the top of the Dharma Tower, clapping his hands.

An ordinary Foundation Establishment True Master would possess nowhere near this level of power.

They would never dare to face the laws of the Thunder Core directly, unafraid of its Qi Mechanism or the tribulation it could bring down upon them.

"How dare you act so presumptuously!"

The Ancient Gate, which upheld the laws of the Thunder Core, suddenly trembled, and a Thunder General leaped out.

It wore a Celestial Soldier Crown and had fleshy wings sprouting from its back. In its left hand, it held a Spiral Thunder Drill, and in its right, a Rippled Thunder Hammer. Arcs of electricity wreathed its body, giving it a majestic and solemn air.

"Merely something formed from Thunder Essence, and you dare to make a fuss?"

Lou Zhenxiao glanced at it with contempt.

’I am a grand Foundation Establishment True Master. How could I be intimidated by this sort of Majestic Spirit Essence Qi?’

Even with the empowerment of the Thunder Core’s laws, this Thunder General’s Cultivation was only comparable to the Qi Cultivation Twelfth Layer. It might be able to intimidate a Lower Cultivator, but before him, it was utterly insignificant.

With a mere thought, Lou Zhenxiao activated the Foundation Establishment Fifth Grade Lanmiaoze Divine Skill, and a mass of Kui Water True Qi suddenly dispersed.

In an instant, the sky was filled with a rolling, hazy mist, creating a magnificent sight that seemed to blot out the sun.

Lou Zhenxiao formed a seal with his hand and pointed. Three hundred sixty-five heavy water droplets condensed within the mist, each one containing the power to sunder mountains and cleave oceans.

In a flash, they all began to rotate in unison, emitting the grand, overlapping boom of thunderclaps!

"Go!"

At Lou Zhenxiao’s soft command, the heavy droplets shot down with the force of meteors chasing the moon.

The Thunder General had just raised its thunder hammer when it was struck head-on by the droplets. It exploded into a sky full of sparks, unable to coalesce again.

Having cleared the obstacle, Lou Zhenxiao once again urged the Flaming Giant Palm forward. It tightened its grip on the Ancient Gate formed by the Thunder Core and began to slowly push it toward Goose Mountain, which had risen from the ground.

...

...

’So this is the power of a True Inheritance disciple from an Ancestral Sect Dharma Lineage.’

Jiang Yi gazed at the churning flames and lightning high above, clicking his tongue in amazement.

As the saying goes, an amateur watches the spectacle, but an expert sees the craft.

With True Master Xuanmiao explaining at his side, he was able to discern some of the subtleties of Lou Zhenxiao’s Daoist Techniques.

’Xin Metal Breaks Evil, Kui Water Thunder Control, Ding Fire Seal... just gathering three of the elements gives him this much power. If I achieve Five Elements Perfection in the future, wouldn’t I be nearly invincible?’

Jiang Yi couldn’t help but daydream.

It wasn’t that he had never petitioned the Celestial Book about opportunities to "join an Ancestral Sect." But as soon as he added the preconditions "suitable for my current situation" and "No Aftermath," all the seemingly tempting opportunities would vanish.

Later, settling for the next best thing, he changed his target to "Branch Sects" and "Grand Sects," which yielded far more options.

The Zhao You Sect of Beimang Ridge and the Celestial Yin Sect of Dangyin Ridge were both on the list.

But these opportunities either concealed the potential danger of the "Dang Dao Ginseng," or they required him to marry into the sect and voluntarily become a choice for "breeding."

The only opportunity marked "No Aftermath" had a bizarre name: Binding Yin Fate.

The details were vague, saying only that it would allow him to form a "yin marriage" and complete a fateful connection.

Jiang Yi had wanted to perform a divination on it, but the time required was so long that it was daunting.