ATPnovel Chapter 62: Thunder Palace
Chapter 62: Thunder Palace
Inside a private room of a restaurant.
On the table in front of Li Wu were several jade slips, each containing a record of a dangerous place.
These dangerous places all contain spiritual creatures at least at the Foundation Establishment level.
However, the dangerous place is extremely dangerous. Many cultivators have entered the dangerous place to search for treasures, but the vast majority of them went there but did not return alive.
Of all these dangerous places, the one that interested Li Wu the most was a place called [Lei Ze Palace].
According to the information Li Wu bought, this [Thunder Palace] is the cave dwelling of a Thunder Cultivator who has reached the Perfection of Core Formation.
He died after failing to break through to the Nascent Soul stage.
This [Thunder Palace] has existed for several years, and many cultivators have ventured into it, looting most of the spiritual items inside.
However, it is said that there is a Core Formation treasure in the inner hall.
"There are three dangers within this [Thunder Palace]."
Li Wuling probed the jade slip with his spiritual sense, read its contents, and pondered:
"These are the Death-Slaying Thunder Bridge, the Illusion Pool, and the Thunder Dragon that has reached the Foundation Establishment stage and is coiled inside the hall."
"Passing the Thunder Bridge and the Illusion Pool shouldn't be difficult, but that Thunder Dragon will probably be hard to deal with."
Li Wu is currently at the early stage of Foundation Establishment, but in this Qi Refining Realm, his actual combat strength is estimated to be able to fight against a late-stage Foundation Establishment cultivator.
However, it would be difficult to suppress a Thunder Flood Dragon that has reached the Foundation Establishment stage.
"Give it a try."
It is indeed a cave dwelling at the Core Formation level, and its former owner was a lightning cultivator. Who knows what kind of lightning-attribute spiritual objects or even spells might be inside?
If Li Wuxiu could obtain one or two pieces of the [Divine Thunder] technique, his strength would surely increase greatly.
After thinking it over, Li Wuxiu set off alone for the [Thunder Palace].
【Leize Palace】is located in a mountain range about a thousand miles east of Tianji City.
Li Wu was not in a hurry. He summoned his flying shuttle and flew through the clouds while continuing to research information about the [Leize Palace].
After flying for an unknown amount of time, Li Wu suddenly heard a shout in his ear:
"Fellow Daoist!"
Li Wu frowned slightly, put away the jade slip, stood up and looked in the direction from which the sound came, and saw a spaceship break through the clouds and appear in his eyes.
There were three people standing on the spaceship, two men and one woman, and the one who spoke was the female cultivator.
Li Wu extended his spiritual sense and found that the female cultivator was at the early stage of Foundation Establishment. The other two male cultivators were also at the middle stage of Foundation Establishment: one was burly and rugged-looking, and the other was tall and handsome.
The female cultivator spoke again:
"My name is Su Wan, and these two are Senior Brother Meng Hu and Senior Brother Zhou Cang."
"If you are also going to the Thunder Swamp Palace, why don't you travel with us?"
Hearing the invitation, Li Wu narrowed his eyes slightly, pondering in his heart:
"These three are probably trying to take advantage of me by casually recruiting others to explore the secret realm on the road."
"However, I'm currently struggling with how to deal with that thunder dragon, so I might as well make use of these three."
Li Wu sneered inwardly, but a smile appeared on his face, revealing a hint of interest.
"Are the three of you also going to the Thunder Swamp Palace?"
Li Wu returned the greeting with clasped hands, his tone carrying just the right amount of joy:
"I was worried about the dangers of traveling alone. If I could travel with you, that would be wonderful."
Upon hearing this, a hint of joy flashed in Su Wan's eyes, and she quickly nodded:
"Exactly, exactly. The Thunder Palace has a fearsome reputation, and the more people there are, the more certain we are to succeed."
The burly man called Meng Hu sized Li Wu up and down, then said in a deep voice:
"Boy, what's your cultivation level?"
"I'm ashamed to say I'm only at the early stage of Foundation Establishment," Li Wu said, shaking his head.
Meng Hu frowned and looked at Su Wan, seemingly dissatisfied.
Su Wan gently shook her head and gave a wink.
Zhou Cang, on the other hand, never looked directly at Li Wu from beginning to end. He stood with his hands behind his back at the bow of the boat, gazing into the distance, as if Li Wu, such a minor character, was not even worthy of his attention.
Li Wu took in the reactions of the three men and already knew what was going on.
These three are clearly missing a scout.
The Thunder Palace is fraught with danger at every turn, especially the deadly Thunder Bridge. Legend has it that the bridge surface is covered with lightning patterns, and if you take the wrong step, you will be blasted into dust by lightning.
Having an unknown "accompany" leading the way can save a lot of risk.
"In that case, fellow Daoist, please board the ship."
Su Wan smiled and gestured for them to proceed.
Li Wu did not refuse, put away the shuttle, and leaped onto the spaceship.
It must be said that this spaceship is much larger than the shuttle, and it even has cabins on it where people can rest.
"Not bad." Li Wu nodded in satisfaction.
He was secretly planning to steal this spaceship later as well.
…………
About two hours later, a valley appeared in the mountains.
The valley was enveloped by an array, but the array was clearly damaged, with many gaps of varying sizes on it.
This meant that Li Wu and his group no longer needed to spend time breaking the formation.
The entrance to the Lei Ze Palace is a dilapidated stone gate, with two ancient characters carved on the lintel. The strokes are as fierce as thunderbolts, and they are the two characters "Lei Ze".
Beyond the stone gate lies a deep, dark passageway, where faint flashes of lightning can be seen.
Su Wan took out a jade slip, looked at it, and said softly:
"At the end of the passage lies the Bridge of Deathly Lightning, everyone be careful."
After saying that, the group took out their magical artifacts, made hand seals, and carefully walked inside.
After walking for about the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, a huge palace appeared before them.
In front of the palace, there was a stone bridge about ten feet wide.
Thunderclouds covered the bridge, lightning flashed, and the rumbling thunder was unsettling.
"It is said that one must step on specific spots to safely cross this deadly bridge."
Su Wan stepped forward, her voice soft yet clear:
"The jade slip in my hand records thirty-six footholds discovered by our predecessors. As long as we follow these, we should be safe."
After saying that, she took out a jade slip, made a copy of its contents, and handed it to Li Wu.
Li Wu took the jade slip, scanned it with his spiritual sense, and then looked at the stone bridge, thinking to himself:
"The route recorded in this jade slip is correct."
Li Wu didn't know where they got the route from, but he guessed it was probably purchased from a cultivator who had been to this place before.
However, out of caution, they still sent Li Wuqian to scout ahead.
However, Li Wu still pretended to be timid and looked at Su Wan, saying:
"Fellow Daoist Su Wan, has anyone personally verified this route?"
Su Wan waved her hand and smiled:
"Fellow Daoist, please rest assured. This route was purchased by my master from a rogue cultivator who survived the Thunder Swamp Palace many years ago. It is absolutely reliable."
Meng Hu, standing to the side, impatiently shouted:
"What are you dawdling for? If you're too scared to leave, just wait here. We won't mind if you get a smaller share of the spiritual items!"
"One plays the good cop, the other the bad cop, what a perfect pairing," Li Wuxin thought to himself.
He hesitated for a moment, then gritted his teeth, a forced look on his face, and said:
"In that case, I will go ahead and scout the way for you all."
Upon hearing this, a look of satisfaction flashed across the eyes of all three.
"Fellow Daoist, rest assured, we will be watching over you."
Li Wu nodded, then walked onto the Thunder Bridge. He walked carefully and slowly, taking a full half hour to cross it.
"Fellow Daoists, come here quickly!"
Seeing Li Wu walk across the Thunder Bridge unharmed, Su Wan and the other two immediately smiled.
Zhou Cang chuckled:
"It seems that idiot's news was true."
"In that case, his death did have some value."
Su Wan nodded slightly and said:
"However, we still need to find an opportunity to get rid of this kid."
"Let's wait until we reach the [Illusion Pool]."
Meng Hu sneered:
"With the [Tranquil Jade] protecting our minds, that illusion pool won't be able to trap us for long. Once we're out of the illusion, we'll kill this brat."
Su Wan shook her head and said:
"Isn't it too early? Isn't there a Thunder Flood Dragon at the peak of Foundation Establishment inside that hall?"
Zhou Cang smiled dismissively and said confidently:
"That beast is no longer at its peak. The three of us setting up the [Earth Covering Formation] is enough to deal with it."
"Then let's do as our two senior brothers suggest."
Su Wan smiled gently.
After the three finished discussing their plan, they crossed the Thunder Bridge safely, following the designated route.
"Fellow Daoist, we are very grateful for your assistance in paving the way."
As soon as they crossed the bridge, a smile appeared on Su Wan's face as she looked at Li Wu.
Li Wu waved his hand and said with a smile:
"Thanks to your route map, fellow Daoist, otherwise I certainly wouldn't have been able to get here so safely."
Su Wan chuckled softly and nodded:
"Then let's keep going."
After crossing the Lei Bridge, you will see many small, independent rooms ahead.
"These small rooms originally contained many pills, talismans, and magical artifacts, but now they have probably all been looted."
The four did not linger, since those who came to explore the Thunder Swamp Palace were all after the Core Formation level treasure in the inner hall.
The four walked for a while, then pushed open a large door. The interior was extremely empty, except for a pool of crystal-clear water.
The pool was not deep, only waist-deep, but you could see skeletons floating on the water.
All of them were cultivators who had not passed the test of the illusion.
"This is the Illusion Pool," Su Wan explained.
"To enter the final inner sanctum, you must pass through this illusion pool."
"This illusion pool will conjure different illusions according to each person's inner demons. If you cannot see through the illusions, you will be trapped in the pool forever until your spiritual power is exhausted and you die."
"Therefore, fellow Daoist, you must be extremely careful."
Upon hearing this, Li Wu smiled faintly and said:
"I see."
Immediately, the four stepped into the Illusion Pool, and in an instant, the scene before them changed drastically.
Li Wu found himself in a magnificent golden palace, filled with spirit stones, elixirs, and magical artifacts, each radiating an alluring light.
"What's going on? My inner demons are these rare and precious treasures?" Li Wu was stunned.
He admitted that he really liked these various spiritual objects, and that everything he had done since he began cultivating was for them, but surely it shouldn't have become a demon in his heart?
"Or is it that I don't have any inner demons, so the Illusion Pool can only reveal the desires in my heart?" Li Wu pondered.
"However, if that's the case, I'm afraid this illusion pool won't be able to trap me."
After all, although he coveted spiritual objects, he was never controlled by greed.
After thinking it over, Li Wu closed his eyes, circulated his lightning spiritual power, and a tiny bolt of lightning burst forth from between his eyebrows, instantly shattering the illusion before him.
The pool water was still icy cold. Li Wu opened his eyes and found that he had reached the other side of the pool.
Looking back, Su Wan and the other two had not yet appeared.
He wasn't in a hurry. He found a corner, sat down cross-legged, and closed his eyes to regulate his breathing.
About an hour later, Su Wan and the other two woke up one after another, feeling much more relaxed and comfortable than Li Wu.
They were covered in sweat, their faces filled with lingering fear, especially Meng Hu, who kept muttering to himself:
"Don't blame me, you all stood in my way on my path to immortality, you deserve to die!"
Su Wan's face turned pale. Looking up, she saw that Li Wu had somehow already reached the other side of the river, and she was immediately horrified.
"This guy is even faster than us?"
You should know that they went to great lengths to obtain the three [Tranquil Jade] pieces in order to cross this illusion pool. These pieces can protect the mind and awaken the soul at crucial moments.
That's how they managed to cross the Illusion Pool without any major incidents.
However, it was still slower than others.
"Could it be that he doesn't have inner demons?" Su Wan immediately shook her head.
"No, that's not right. It should be that he has some kind of magical artifact that can resist the illusion."
Thinking of this, she slowly walked over and smiled:
"Fellow Daoist has quite the composure, managing to emerge even before us."
Li Wu smiled faintly:
"My cultivation level is low, and my inner demons are naturally weak as well, not worth mentioning."
"Fellow Daoist is too modest." Su Wan's smile remained unchanged.
At this moment, Meng Hu and Zhou Cang also came over, their eyes filled with murderous intent as they looked at Li Wu.
They originally intended to kill Li Wu in the Illusion Pool, but now it seems too late.
"Let him be the bait to lure the Thunder Dragon over there," Zhou Cang thought to himself.
Just then, the mechanisms inside the hall were activated, and array patterns appeared on the ground. Li Wu and the others immediately felt an irresistible force sweep over their entire bodies.
The next moment, when he opened his eyes again, he found himself in a spacious hall.
"Is this the inner sanctum?"
Li Wu looked around and found himself on a huge pillar, while Su Wan and the other two were on another pillar.
But to Li Wu's surprise, there was no sign of any treasure here.
"roar!"
Just then, a roar suddenly rang out.
Li Wu turned around and saw a hundred-zhang-long, silver-white dragon, surrounded by lightning, roaring as it charged towards him.
Li Wutong's pupils shrank suddenly, and lightning crackled around his body as he ran towards Su Wan and the other two without hesitation.
"roar!"
"not good!"
Before Zhou Cang could finish speaking, the thunder dragon had already swung its long tail, sweeping across with immense thunder.
"spread!"
Zhou Cang shouted, and the three of them leaped up at the same time, barely avoiding the attack.
The thick dragon's tail slammed into the stone pillar where they had stood, sending shards of stone flying and dust billowing everywhere.
Li Wu stepped on lightning and leaped several times to land on another stone pillar, putting distance between himself and the three.
"Fellow Daoist, don't run around! We need to work together to deal with this beast!" Su Wan shouted urgently, a hint of ruthlessness flashing in her eyes.
Upon hearing this, Li Wu sneered inwardly, but his face betrayed a look of panic:
"Fellow Daoists, this Thunder Flood Dragon is too powerful. My cultivation is too low; I'm afraid I can't be of much help!"
After saying that, he retreated to a greater distance.
"waste!"
Meng Hu cursed angrily, but he had no time to pay attention to Li Wu, because the thunder dragon had already changed direction and pounced on him.
He quickly threw out a large number of talismans to delay the thunder dragon, fighting and running at the same time.
Zhou Cang's face was grim. He formed a hand seal and said in a deep voice:
"Set up the formation!"
The three of them clearly had a tacit understanding. Upon hearing this, Su Wan and Meng Hu immediately moved, taking up their respective positions in the three directions, and each took out an earth-yellow array flag.
"Earth-Covering Formation, activate!"
As the three array flags were simultaneously planted into the ground, a surge of spiritual energy caused an earth-yellow light screen to rise abruptly, enveloping the thunder dragon within it.
Lei Jiao roared, his body surging with lightning, countless arcs of electricity bombarding the light screen, making it teeter on the verge of collapse.
"Hold on!" Zhou Cang gritted his teeth and frantically poured his spiritual power into the array flags.
Li Wuli stood at a distance and began searching for spiritual objects within the inner hall, but found nothing.
He pondered to himself:
"There are no spiritual objects in this inner hall. Could it be inside that thunder dragon's body?"
Li Wuling scanned the inner hall several times but found no restrictions.
In this case, either there are no treasures in the inner hall at all, or the treasures are on Lei Jiao.
After thinking it over, he looked at the thunder dragon inside the formation.
Trapped within the formation, the thunder dragon grew increasingly ferocious, its mouth condensing lightning into a thick pillar of light that shot out with a deafening roar.
"boom!"
The earth-covering formation trembled violently, and cracks appeared on the formation flags.
Su Wan's face turned pale, and blood trickled from the corner of her mouth:
"Senior Brother Zhou, this beast is stronger than we expected!"
Zhou Cang's face turned ashen. He gritted his teeth, took out a blood-red pill from his pocket, hesitated for a moment, and then put it into his mouth.
After the pill entered his stomach, Zhou Cang's aura suddenly surged, showing faint signs of breaking through to the late stage of Foundation Establishment.
"Suppress them!"
He pushed hard with both hands, unleashing his spiritual power. The cracks on the array flags began to heal, and the earthen-yellow light screen grew thicker.
Lei Jiao was already injured and was further restrained by the "Earth Covering Formation". Over time, the lightning on his body gradually dimmed and his attacks became weaker and weaker.
"A great opportunity!"
Meng Hu's eyes narrowed, and he took out a large axe from his storage bag. He leaped up and smashed it towards Lei Jiao's head.
However, the thunder dragon, disregarding the suppression of the Earth-Covering Array, suddenly opened its mouth and a thin, silver lightning bolt shot out.
The lightning bolt was incredibly fast, instantly piercing Meng Hu's chest.
"what!"
Meng Hu screamed in agony as he was blasted into a charred corpse by the lightning and plummeted straight down.
"Senior brother!" Su Wan exclaimed in surprise.
"Damn idiot!" Zhou Cang's expression changed drastically.
Without Meng Hu, a gap appeared in the Earth Covering Formation, and the Thunder Dragon took the opportunity to break free of its restraints, its massive body sweeping across the area.
Zhou Cang was unable to dodge in time and had no choice but to summon a blue magic shield in an attempt to defend himself.
"Bang!"
The dragon's tail struck the magic shield firmly, and Zhou Cang was sent flying backward like a kite with a broken string, spitting out blood.
"Senior Brother Zhou!"
Su Wanhua turned pale and fled towards the palace gate without thinking.
She hadn't run more than a few steps when Lei Jiao caught up, opened his blood-red maw, and swallowed her whole.
All of this happened in the blink of an eye; in just over ten breaths, two of the three Foundation Establishment cultivators were dead and one was injured.
Li Wuxin was greatly alarmed:
"This Thunder Dragon is probably several times stronger than the Crimson Dragon in Chishan back then."
Li Wu frowned slightly, preparing to turn around and flee the place.
"Where do you think you're going!"
However, just as Li Wu was about to move, a golden light suddenly shot out from behind him.
Li Wu suddenly turned around, swung his halberd, and shattered the golden light.
Looking up, Zhou Cang struggled to his feet, his face ashen, and countless bones in his body broken.
He gave a bitter laugh:
"I can't leave, and you can't leave either!"
Li Wu frowned slightly, initially not wanting to pay attention, but then he saw Zhou Cang chanting incantations and making hand seals, sending spells and talismans flying towards Li Wu.
Li Wu quickly dodged and then unleashed a bolt of lightning.
"Since that's the case, don't blame me for being ruthless."