Chapter 88: The Mighty Thunder Crystal and the Thunder Talisman

At the edge of the core region of the Thunder Wasteland, a young man shrouded in sword energy arrived. He paused only briefly before plunging headlong into the heart of the area. At the same time, on another stretch of the core region’s border, another young cultivator, this one enveloped in a solemn and formidable aura, also hesitated for a moment before entering the core zone.

Since stepping into the core of the Thunder Wasteland, Yang Xiao had been searching everywhere for thunder crystals. Within the core, the force of lightning was multiplied many times over compared to the outer regions. Yet, with the aid of his Lightning Mark, Yang Xiao could completely ignore the surrounding thunderbolts and move about freely.

It wasn’t long before he discovered an exceptionally large thunder crystal, about the size of a fist—a truly rare find, far superior in quality to any he had previously encountered. “What a marvelous treasure! To think such a massive thunder crystal exists in this world. With this haul, I won’t just be able to refine a single magical artifact—making several should be no trouble at all. If I can find a few more of these, I’ll truly be in fortune,” Yang Xiao thought joyfully.

As he searched for more thunder crystals, he also absorbed ambient lightning using the Lightning Mark. The sheer abundance of lightning here seemed inexhaustible, an extraordinary phenomenon indeed.

“So much lightning would be wasted if I simply absorbed it all with the Lightning Mark. I recall that during my time in the Myriad Peaks Mountain Range, I acquired a jade slip on talisman crafting called the ‘Spirit Talisman Manual,’ which detailed various methods. One of them described sealing lightning into talismans. This is a perfect opportunity to make some thunder talismans—then, should I meet a powerful adversary, I’d have more means at my disposal. More importantly, these talismans require minimal spiritual power to use—far less than most other techniques. In fact, it could prove even more effective than the Lightning Mark itself,” Yang Xiao mused, recalling the jade slip.

Though he’d never crafted a talisman before, Yang Xiao knew that such artifacts could unleash extraordinary power in combat. With little spiritual energy, one could trigger a barrage of talismanic attacks, which tended to be even more destructive than direct spiritual assaults.

Most talismans were designed to detonate, making them far more lethal than simple spiritual attacks. Conveniently, Yang Xiao still had the hide of a great serpent spirit beast—a mid-level spirit beast whose hide was suitable for crafting even earth-grade talismans. With all the necessary materials at hand, he set to work at once.

Despite his lack of experience, Yang Xiao found the process surprisingly smooth, largely thanks to the Lightning Mark, which seemed to command and suppress all forms of lightning. Using its power, he would first draw down a bolt of lightning from the air, then seal it within a piece of serpent hide.

Of course, the serpent hide had already been divided into a thousand palm-sized pieces. Each time he guided down a thunderbolt, he sealed it into one of these fragments. It was only with the aid of the Lightning Mark that the lightning behaved and submitted to his will, with no danger arising during the sealing process. Normally, making such potent thunder talismans would be fraught with peril—one mistake could cause the bolt to explode prematurely, not only ruining the talisman but likely killing the craftsman as well. For Yang Xiao, however, such dangers did not exist, and he crafted talismans with remarkable ease.

Thus, as Yang Xiao roamed the core of the Thunder Wasteland, he searched for thunder crystals, absorbed lightning, and crafted talismans all at once. Despite juggling three tasks simultaneously, he showed no sign of strain, moving about as if he were simply sightseeing.

Whenever he found a thunder crystal, he stowed it in his storage pouch, and when there were none to be found, he absorbed lightning from the air, occasionally producing another thunder talisman.

In this way, after wandering the core region for some time, Yang Xiao had secured several fist-sized thunder crystals and crafted dozens of thunder talismans. Even his Lightning Mark, fueled by the surrounding lightning, had grown visibly brighter, its power steadily increasing.

But as he roamed the core, Yang Xiao unwittingly ran into Wang Hai, one of the three young lords of the demonic path.

Within the Thunder Wasteland, the pervading lightning limited the reach of spiritual sense, and with the core region not being especially vast, it was inevitable that Yang Xiao’s unrestrained wanderings would lead him to cross paths with others who had entered.

Had he encountered a righteous cultivator, it would likely not have led to conflict—fighting in such a perilous environment benefitted no one. But this time, he had run into someone of the demonic path, infamous for their bloodlust. Wang Hai, naturally, had no intention of letting Yang Xiao go so easily.

“Well, well—what a surprise! A righteous cultivator here, and your cultivation isn’t even that advanced. Yet you’ve made it to the core region—how curious. Too bad for you, though. You’re unlucky to have run into me. I’ll drain your blood to consecrate my Bloodthirst Banner. Judging by your cultivation, you’re quite strong for the Qi Condensation realm—just what I need to further empower my banner. Who knows, it might even advance a grade, and once it becomes a spirit treasure, its power will be truly formidable,” Wang Hai said, looking at Yang Xiao with smug satisfaction.

“So, I’ve run into a demonic cultivator. Despite his youth, his cultivation has reached the late stage of Qi Condensation—clearly a gifted figure, likely an important member of the demonic triad. I’ll have to be extremely cautious,” Yang Xiao thought to himself.

“Which sect are you from? You’re out of luck today, running into me. I suggest you hand over your thunder crystals and magical artifacts right now, and end your own life. That way, you’ll suffer less. Otherwise, if I have to kill you, you’ll find out just how unpleasant it can be,” Wang Hai sneered coldly.

“Expecting me to take my own life? That’s wishful thinking. Your cultivation is indeed impressive, but in this lightning-filled environment, I’m not necessarily afraid of you. If you insist on being my enemy, who can say who will have the last laugh?” Yang Xiao retorted sharply, provoked by the other’s arrogance.

“How amusing! You’re not even afraid after running into me, and you actually want to fight? How interesting. All these years, only two of the greatest geniuses in the righteous path have dared speak to me like that. Since you’re so eager to die, I’ll grant your wish,” Wang Hai replied, his blood energy surging with even greater ferocity. The immense power he unleashed sent tremors through the surrounding sea of lightning.