Chapter 23: Fifteen Taels of Silver

In this continent, lightning represents the power of divine punishment. Those who can control lightning are considered messengers of heaven. Among all the powers, lightning is the most powerful. When cultivators reach a certain level, they can use various treasures nurtured by heaven and earth to strengthen their bodies. Among these treasures, lightning is the most dominant and powerful.

"Xiao Yilin! You didn't expect this, did you?! I brought this back from the big city. This time, I want to see how your little servant can withstand it." Ling Hua laughed arrogantly, her voice extremely shrill.

After saying this, Ling Hua actually ignored the black willow under Xu Feng's feet and threw a Thunderbolt Seed at him.

"Xu Feng! Quickly dodge!" Xiao Yilin and Jiang Yuan's faces changed drastically as they shouted at Xu Feng. The Thunderbolt Seed was not something at their level that they could withstand.

Although Xu Feng wanted to dodge, he found that the speed of the Thunderbolt Seed thrown at him was several times faster than the black willow. Just as Xu Feng moved his foot off the black willow, the Thunderbolt Seed exploded and struck him. As it exploded, a lightning bolt as thick as a chopstick struck Xu Feng.

Jiang Yuan's eyes widened in terror, and he shouted almost hoarsely, "Xu Feng!"

Although Xu Feng was now a cultivator, his rank was definitely not high. How could someone like him withstand a Thunderbolt Seed that even a fifth-rank cultivator dared not face?

The lightning bolt struck Xu Feng as everyone had imagined. When the lightning hit Xu Feng, including Xiao Yilin, several people couldn't help but close their eyes for a moment.

The sound of crackling lightning rang out as expected, and Jiang Yuan finally mustered the courage to open his eyes and look at Xu Feng. To his surprise, Xu Feng did not fall to the ground as everyone had expected; he still stood straight in place. Lightning flickered around his body, and wisps of black smoke rose from his clothes.

No one noticed that, as the lightning flashed, a purple lightning flower was spinning wildly under Xu Feng's forehead, emitting an eerie purple glow. The purple lightning flower was absorbing the lightning power that enveloped Xu Feng.

At first, the lightning from the Thunderbolt Seed made Xu Feng extremely uncomfortable, and he felt numb all over. However, this state didn't last a second. Before the numbness could intensify, the purple lightning flower began to absorb the lightning. Under the absorption of the purple lightning, although Xu Feng still felt the pain of the electric shock, he could endure it.

Faced with this situation, Xu Feng stood still, his heart surging with shock.

This strange purple lightning flower could actually absorb lightning!! Lightning, known as the power of divine punishment, could be absorbed by it? Oh my God, what is this thing?!

Although Xu Feng was ignorant, he knew that lightning was the most revered and powerful force in this world. But if even the most powerful force could be absorbed by the purple lightning flower, how should this purple lightning flower be classified? Xu Feng couldn't imagine.

What puzzled Xu Feng the most was that this purple flower was in the form of lightning. In this world, lightning also has a ranking system. However, he had never heard of lightning that could absorb other lightning. Xu Feng's purple lightning was an anomaly.

The lightning on Xu Feng's body was quickly absorbed by the purple lightning. What surprised Xu Feng the most was that as the purple lightning absorbed the lightning, it also cleansed and strengthened his body. Xu Feng could feel his physical strength continuously improving.

This improvement was indeed very rapid, no wonder people said that lightning was the easiest way to strengthen one's body.

"Huh?" Ling Hua saw that although Xu Feng's clothes were scorched black by the lightning, he still stood straight in place, her face showing surprise.

Similarly, Xiao Yilin and Jiang Yuan also stared at Xu Feng with disbelief, clearly surprised that he could still stand.

"Hmph!" Ling Hua snorted and threw another Thunderbolt Seed at Xu Feng. Knowing that the Thunderbolt Seed was beneficial to him, Xu Feng actually hoped Ling Hua would throw more.

Seeing Ling Hua throw another one, Xu Feng did not retreat but advanced, facing it head-on. The other servants looked at Xu Feng with sympathy: "Ah! Poor kid, he's been struck by lightning and gone crazy."

"Bang..."

The lightning from the Thunderbolt Seed struck Xu Feng again, wrapping him in lightning. Lightning bolts coursed through Xu Feng's body. Under the guidance of the purple lightning flower, these lightning bolts struck Xu Feng's flesh, gradually strengthening his body.

In this situation, Xu Feng did not forget to practice the Dao Xuan Scripture.

As Xu Feng practiced the Dao Xuan Scripture, he felt a force strengthening his body. Under this strengthening, Xu Feng, who was originally at the peak of the third rank, began to slowly advance in rank.

This situation made Xu Feng extremely happy, and he practiced the Dao Xuan Scripture even more diligently.

Of course, as Xu Feng's body continuously strengthened through practicing the Dao Xuan Scripture, he also felt that his mind was more focused than usual. Xu Feng seemed to understand why, when Black Willow and Skinny Monkey attacked him, as long as he concentrated, their speed would slow down.

Seeing that two Thunderbolt Seeds had not made Xu Feng fall, Ling Hua became even more determined: "I don't believe you, a little servant, can still stand."

After saying this, she threw her third Thunderbolt Seed at Xu Feng. After it exploded, Xu Feng still stood straight in place.

This situation made Jiang Yuan and the others stare at Xu Feng as if they were witnessing a miracle. Three Thunderbolt Seeds, although not of high rank, could knock down even a fifth-rank cultivator. Yet, Xu Feng, a thin and small servant, stood still, his clothes scorched black and looking disheveled, but showing no other injuries.

"Your Thunderbolt Seeds are nothing special." Xu Feng laughed, looking at Ling Hua with a mocking expression.

Ling Hua could not bear Xu Feng's provocation and threw her last two Thunderbolt Seeds at him. The two Thunderbolt Seeds struck Xu Feng simultaneously, and he was pushed back several steps by the lightning.

Under the simultaneous impact of the two lightning bolts, Xu Feng felt the pain intensify several times. The purple lightning flower spun even faster. Whether it was Xu Feng's imagination or not, he noticed that the purple lightning was slightly larger than before.

Of course, from the pain he felt, Xu Feng realized that although the purple lightning could absorb lightning, it was not unlimited. It had a limit. If it exceeded this limit, the lightning could still harm Xu Feng. However, the absorption speed of the purple lightning was much faster than before, so the two Thunderbolt Seeds did not cause him any significant harm.

"Absorbing lightning can strengthen the purple lightning."

This thought suddenly came to Xu Feng's mind. Although it was just a fleeting thought, Xu Feng was convinced it was correct. This strange certainty, Xu Feng couldn't explain why.

The lightning from the two Thunderbolt Seeds strengthened Xu Feng's body, and as the purple lightning absorbed and spun, Xu Feng's body reached the fourth rank. Under the continuous impact of the lightning, Xu Feng felt his strength still improving.

Xu Feng, practicing the Dao Xuan Scripture, was both surprised and delighted: "I've reached the fourth rank so quickly?"

Xu Feng originally thought that even with his extraordinary cultivation speed, it would take him ten to fifteen days to reach the fourth rank. But he didn't expect Ling Hua to help him. Not only did she help Xu Feng understand some of the functions of the purple lightning, but she also pushed him to the fourth rank.

As the lightning was absorbed by the purple lightning and Xu Feng's body strength continuously improved, the others were already staring at him in shock. Five Thunderbolt Seeds, and Xu Feng had taken them all without dodging.

When the last bit of lightning on Xu Feng's body was absorbed by the purple lightning, Xu Feng looked at Ling Hua and said, "Your Thunderbolt Seeds are nothing special. They look good but are useless."

Ling Hua, whose eyes were partially obscured by fat, tried to open them wide, looking at the disheveled Xu Feng and then at her empty hand. She was deeply shocked. The sorcerer who gave her the Thunderbolt Seeds had told her that even a fifth-rank cultivator would die from five Thunderbolt Seeds. How could this be explained now?

"Damn! That sorcerer lied to me."

Ling Hua was furious and felt a deep sense of injustice.

In contrast, Xiao Yilin was extremely excited, her face full of joy. She looked at Ling Hua and giggled, "You're still so useless. You can't even handle my little servant with Thunderbolt Seeds. If I were you, I'd jump into a pit and die."

Hearing Xiao Yilin tell Ling Hua to jump into a pit and die, Xu Feng weakly reminded her, "Second Miss! You can't let her jump into a pit and die!"

Xiao Yilin raised an eyebrow, her enchanting eyes making people dare not look directly, and said, "Do you have a problem with that?"

Xu Feng nodded seriously. Seeing Xiao Yilin's expression turn slightly unpleasant, he quickly added, "Second Miss! With the length of her belt, no matter how deep the pit, she can climb out using her belt. Jumping into a pit and dying is absolutely impossible for her."

Xiao Yilin was taken aback, then giggled, patting Xu Feng's shoulder heartily and said, "You'll follow me from now on! I didn't expect you to be able to insult people without using foul language."

Hearing Xiao Yilin say this, the other servants looked at Xu Feng with envy. If Xiao Yilin let him follow her, Xu Feng's status would change dramatically. Most importantly, who wouldn't want to follow a beauty of the level that could captivate men's hearts? Of course, they were also surprised by how Xu Feng could insult Ling Hua in such a refined and elegant way. Xu Feng was becoming more and more different from before.

Ling Hua, angered by Xu Feng, her fat body trembling, her face turning green and twisted, glanced at the black willow lying on the ground, glared at Xu Feng, and then looked at Xiao Yilin and said, "Xiao Yilin! Don't be too smug, I won't let you off."

Xiao Yilin giggled, stepped on the black willow, and looked at Ling Hua provocatively, "When you find a new lover, remember to find someone better. At least better than my little servant Xu Feng. But with your taste, you definitely won't find anyone better than him."

"You..." Ling Hua was furious, snorted, and then suddenly laughed, "So the second miss of the Xiao family is actually stealing from her own servants. Haha, that's quite a piece of news."

Ling Hua's words made Xiao Yilin's face turn red. She glared at Ling Hua and shouted, "You're shameless, you're the one who steals men."

Xu Feng, seeing Xiao Yilin forced into such a corner by Ling Hua's words, shook his head. He thought Xiao Yilin's face was ultimately not as thick as Ling Hua's, and in such a sensitive topic, Xiao Yilin would clearly suffer a great loss.

Seeing Xu Feng step forward to help Xiao Yilin, Jiang Yuan quickly stopped him, "Miss Ling already hates you to the bone, don't get involved. They are misses, and they can easily play with your life."

Seeing Jiang Yuan block him, Xu Feng shrugged and smiled at Jiang Yuan, "This isn't what a good servant should do."

Jiang Yuan's face turned red, then changed the subject, "You've really changed. When did you become a cultivator? Why can't even Thunderbolt Seeds do anything to you? Damn, you even tricked a fifth-rank cultivator, that's really despicable."

Xu Feng chuckled and said to Jiang Yuan, "Do you want to know why I can do this?"

Jiang Yuan nodded vigorously, and there was probably no one present who didn't want to know.

"It's simple, because I pursue a realm," Xu Feng chuckled.

"What realm?" Jiang Yuan asked.

"A realm where being despicable becomes a habit, a quality, and every move exudes an unparalleled despicable aura!" Xu Feng squinted his eyes and looked at Jiang Yuan, "You can try it too."

"Damn..." Jiang Yuan couldn't help but mutter, thinking this kid was really despicable to the extreme. Was it really true that in this world, the more despicable one was, the more invincible they became?

While Jiang Yuan and Xu Feng were joking, the confrontation between Ling Hua and Xiao Yilin came to an end. Seeing that she couldn't gain the upper hand verbally, Xiao Yilin stepped on the black willow again and said, "My servant can take care of all of you. Hmph, your Ling family is nothing."

"You..." Ling Hua was furious, looked at the black willow under Xiao Yilin's foot, and knew she couldn't regain the upper hand this time. She snorted and shouted at her injured servant, "Let's go!"

Xiao Yilin watched Ling Hua's massive body sway as she left, and actually jumped up in excitement. After so many confrontations with Ling Hua, this was the first time she had the upper hand.