Chapter Fifty-One: Thunder Seal

"I have a solution!"

A feeble spiritual message from Zhu Chi echoed in Lei Xiang’s mind. This time, after employing the astounding Hongyi technique, Zhu Chi, who had just regained a third of his strength, plummeted back into the depths of weakness. Who knew how many years it would take for him to recover again.

Lei Xiang, having just survived the torment of ice and fire, now focused all his resolve on breaking its seal. Otherwise, if it erupted again unexpectedly, he might not be so lucky as to escape next time.

Zhu Chi’s voice rang out once more, "Find a place to land, then use the newly mastered Divine Thunder Slash to assist the Prison Seal Technique. You can temporarily seal the parasite, preventing the uncontrollable eruption of the ice and fire duality. Of course, this is only my conjecture; I estimate a sixty to seventy percent chance of success. I am truly exhausted now. Take care."

With that, the spiritual message faded away.

Lei Xiang, standing atop his Swift Steps, pondered for a long while before finally deciding to use Divine Thunder Slash to seal the ice and fire duality. His spiritual sense swept downward, spotting a cluster of low hills where cultivators seemed to gather. He set his Swift Steps toward them.

His spiritual power was now fully restored, thanks to Swift Steps. Had he traveled by Chrysanthemum Thorn, the consumption would have been unbearable, though even Swift Steps cost him seven or eight spirit stones.

On a low earthen mound, Lei Xiang dismissed his Swift Steps and concealed the gravely wounded Du Gu Yi Xiao, then darted toward a figure he sensed nearby—a familiar aura. Lei Xiang sought to learn more about this place.

There, a young man and woman were conversing quietly, both wearing troubled expressions. Suddenly, a flash of light heralded Lei Xiang’s appearance.

Startled, the young man—barely over twenty—slapped his storage pouch. Seven willow-leaf flying knives hovered before him, manipulated by a disk in his hand. The woman, perhaps just past thirty, deftly summoned a silk cloth, transforming it into a golden light that shielded them both.

"Who are you? Do you intend to slaughter us all?"

Lei Xiang grinned, revealing his little tiger teeth. The woman was Su Hua from the Blazing Fire Treasure Street, and the knife-wielding man was Cheng Long, the one who had supplied Lei Xiang with the complete set of Twin Swallow Mother-Child weapons. How had these two ended up together?

Su Hua recognized Lei Xiang instantly, though she kept her silk artifact raised. She bowed gracefully. "Greetings, sir. How do you come to be in this wilderness?"

"I was merely passing by and sensed familiar auras. I came to take a look."

"Oh," Su Hua’s expression flickered with uncertainty, then she suddenly recited, "Blood Fiend, in Full Bloom!"

Lei Xiang was baffled; this was the Blood Fiend Alliance’s code. Why mention it now? Sensing her intent, he replied, "Demonic Desire, Surges Skyward!"

Su Hua’s face turned pale. "Cheng Long, he’s one of the Blood Fiend Alliance—attack!"

Without hesitation, Cheng Long spun his disk, sending the seven flying knives whistling toward Lei Xiang’s head.

But suddenly, everything blurred before Cheng Long’s eyes, and his hand was empty—the control disk gone. Looking up, he saw Lei Xiang smiling at them, the disk in his hand; the seven knives hovered obediently above.

How did Lei Xiang accomplish this? Su Hua’s silk artifact offered no defense at all. His cultivation was terrifying.

Yet Su Hua was not overly alarmed. Her spiritual scan had already confirmed Lei Xiang’s cultivation far surpassed theirs. She spoke calmly, "Sir, we are acquaintances. As husband and wife, we once gave all we had to provide you with weapons and materials. We hope you will spare us."

---

Lei Xiang finally understood; Su Hua and Cheng Long had misunderstood him. "Cheng Long, Su Hua, I am not a member of the Blood Fiend Alliance and have no intention to harm you. Judging by your tension, are you being hunted by them?"

Su Hua stared at Lei Xiang with seriousness, then slumped to the ground, exhausted. "Sir, do you know the Blazing Fire Kingdom has fallen? The crown prince is dead, and the Blood Fiend Alliance extorts and plunders. Back on Treasure Street, Boss Wang merely charged extra, but the Blood Fiend Alliance simply robs! If we cannot pay, they kill us."

Robbery?

Lei Xiang’s brow furrowed. When did the Blood Fiend Alliance start brazenly robbing? He recalled the Spirit Gathering Array at Hengyang Mountain, where he had used the pile of spirit stones for his foundation. Clearly, their reserves were vast—now he understood: all stolen and looted.

"Cheng Long, what about your mother?"

Cheng Long’s face contorted in pain; Su Hua answered for him. "She was killed, not even her soul escaped. Damn the Blood Fiend Alliance."

Lei Xiang fell silent until Su Hua broke it. "Sir, your cultivation has soared—fourteen layers now?"

"Just established my foundation."

Cheng Long and Su Hua were shocked. It had been barely a year since they parted, yet Lei Xiang’s progress had leapt several stages. His cultivation speed was astounding.

Lei Xiang didn’t wish them to dwell on this and changed the subject. "Do you know where this place is? And what are your plans?"

Cheng Long sighed. "This is still within the Blazing Fire Kingdom, in the Icefire Mountain Range. Su Hua knows of a teleportation array here—we hope to use it to escape to another country. Word is even Dongyue’s royal city has fallen; it’s really not safe here."

Lei Xiang thought for a moment, omitting his plan to eradicate the Blood Fiend Alliance. He asked for a map of Icefire Mountain and had Su Hua mark the teleportation array’s location. It was not far from the volcano where Lei Xiang had previously obtained the Xuantian Blazing Fire Array.

After comforting Cheng Long and Su Hua, and gifting them two middle-grade spirit stones, Lei Xiang made his request. "Could you help me? My friend was wounded in battle against the Blood Fiend Alliance. Please look after him, and once their threat is gone, I will come for him."

Hearing the Blood Fiend Alliance was involved, Cheng Long jumped up. "No problem! Anyone who opposes them is my friend. Leave him to me, sir!"

Lei Xiang entrusted Du Gu Yi Xiao to the couple, then ventured deeper into the mountains. Though not prone to gossip, he noted their age difference—an unusual pairing for their era, suggesting untold secrets.

But now was not the time for such thoughts. Lei Xiang’s priority was to seal the ice and fire duality.

At the base of the volcano, deep in Icefire Mountain.

Thousands of feet below, Lei Xiang sat cross-legged, silently activating the Divine Soul Treasure Mirror.

He had visited here three times already; it was familiar. This was where he had acquired the Xuantian Blazing Fire Array, where he and Lan Xi once escaped the clutches of the Black Chancellor. At the thought of Lan Xi, his heart stirred, but his formidable resolve quickly calmed his emotions.

Lei Xiang produced a stack of formation flags, sending them flying to various points like arranging flowers and willows. Holding a rhombic formation disk, he cast several incantations to activate the Precious Time Array.

What he needed most was time!

---

Lei Xiang did not stop there. A beast-hide tent unfurled, expanding dozens of feet before settling down, enveloping even the Precious Time Array. Finally, he unleashed the Prison Seal Technique, temporarily sealing off this space.

With his mind at ease, Lei Xiang closed his eyes and recited the incantation Zhu Chi had taught him. Beneath his shut eyelids, blue flames seemed to flicker endlessly.

Lei Xiang held his breath and focused inward. At the edge of his spiritual sea, a streak of brilliant blue flame appeared. Without hesitation, he released the yellow light from the boundless domain, allowing the blue flame to enter.

Under Lei Xiang’s control, the blue flame rushed toward a corner of his mind where a parasite’s shadow lurked. Its body split along a distinct line: one side red, the other white. This red-and-white parasite shadow was the source of his torment—the ice and fire duality.

As soon as the blue flame touched the parasite, it twisted, easily evading, but Lei Xiang was not surprised. His hands formed seals once more, conjuring a faint lightning shadow in the air. At his command, the lightning silently shot into his spiritual sea.

It struck the parasite’s shadow solidly, scattering it in an instant, though it slowly began to regroup and squirm, gradually restoring its form.

Lei Xiang sighed inwardly. Even the Divine Thunder Slash couldn’t annihilate the ice and fire duality completely—a pity. Yet its power was evident; at least it could temporarily disrupt the parasite’s shadow, and reformation would take five breaths.

Five breaths were enough.

A clear incantation sounded from Lei Xiang’s lips; his right hand, already poised in a seal, pointed to his temple, then he checked inward.

Another streak of blue lightning!

Silently, it shattered the parasite’s body. As it slowly reformed, thousands of squares affixed themselves to it, gradually tightening.

This was Lei Xiang’s Prison Seal Technique, executed with foundation-stage cultivation—far more effective than before. In two breaths, the parasite’s reassembling body was sealed, with a Divine Thunder Slash locked within.

Thus, should the parasite break the seal, the Divine Thunder Slash would immediately strike, destroying it in an instant, buying Lei Xiang time and ensuring nothing could go wrong.

With the ice and fire duality sealed, Lei Xiang let out a long breath and collapsed, exhausted. After two Divine Thunder Slashes, only a third of his spiritual power remained. The attack was formidable, but the consumption was astonishing. Clearly, he needed to increase his cultivation and amass overwhelming spiritual power to wield Divine Thunder Slash freely.

A month later, once his strength returned, Lei Xiang packed away the Precious Time Array, took out the Northern Dipper Pearl to orient himself, and flew toward Dongyue’s royal city atop Swift Steps.

Reaching a low thicket, Lei Xiang tapped his Swift Steps, descended from his flight, and retrieved them. With a single-hand seal, he cast the Concealment Technique, vanishing without a trace.

Soon, two streaks of light sped past—one ahead, a green orb; behind, a blood-red cloud in pursuit.