Chapter 3

In the midst of the endless sea of lightning, the young man witnessed his fellow disciples fall one by one, his eyes bloodshot with grief and despair. He knew, however, that this was not the time for sorrow. The powerful surge of lightning had reached its peak, each bolt stimulating his soul, as if trying to turn all his thoughts and senses to dust. The lightning whips that penetrated his body were almost tearing his spirit from his flesh.

The cave, which had long since become an ocean of thunder, was no longer filled with the pure and invigorating lightning essence that once brought joy. Instead, it was now a torrent of deadly currents.

At this moment, all the struggles were no longer about cultivation levels but a test of willpower. If one could not endure, they would immediately meet the same fate as the senior disciples, with no place for burial.

The young man's expression grew increasingly grotesque and terrifying, his face contorted by the countless external forces, sweat pouring down in large droplets. His body was already severely deformed, as if he were a criminal being dragged by iron chains, enduring the cruelest of punishments.

All his cultivation and external forces had become mere illusions; nothing could resist the pain that came from the depths of his soul. Only the instinct for survival, a strong will to live, supported him in his struggle against the pain.

The young man believed that even cultivators at the Foundation Establishment or Golden Core stages might not have fared better if they had to endure this pain.

In fact, he had underestimated himself. This kind of test of willpower was not something cultivators at his level could experience. It was a tribulation that only high-level cultivators faced when advancing to the next stage. Before the tribulation, these high-level cultivators would make extensive preparations, even preparing several extraordinary treasures to protect their spirits, so no one would foolishly rely on willpower alone to endure such pain.

Just as the young man felt he had reached his limit, a sudden change occurred!

The lightning currents that had been ravaging his body suddenly emerged from his acupoints, carrying him involuntarily toward the bottom of the cave. The aquatic plants, countless grasses, beasts, and even humans that had been sucked into the cave were now charred and stretched out in terrifying poses.

The young man's body plummeted at an incredible speed, smashing through countless withered branches and rotten wood. Just as he was about to hit the bottom, a powerful suction force suddenly appeared, intertwining with the lightning currents and pulling him into a cave within the rock wall.

In his dazed state, the young man felt the pulling force gradually disappear, and his body fell from the wall. He took several deep breaths, and after a long while, his mind cleared. He first inspected the damage to his body internally. Many bones were definitely broken, and the pain was still surging like a tide. Compared to the immense pain in his spirit, this physical pain was insignificant. Of course, if not treated promptly, death was not far off. With this thought, the young man opened his eyes and surveyed his surroundings.

This was a natural cave, not very spacious, filled with the remains of birds and beasts, showing no signs of human intervention. The light that allowed him to see came from a purple pearl embedded in a broken bone, with mysterious and intricate energy flows circulating within the pearl.

The broken bone resembled a human arm and had been there for countless years, severely weathered. Otherwise, the pearl would not have been exposed, as it seemed to have been forcefully embedded into the bone marrow. It was neither too long nor too short, perfectly fitting in the middle.

The young man stared intently at the pearl, feeling greatly surprised. How could there be a pearl inside a human bone? Was it an inner core or a Buddhist relic? The young man's mind recalled the many Daoist texts he had read in his teacher's room.

According to legend, both of these were rare treasures. For mortals, consuming them could repair the body and extend life. For cultivators, they had numerous miraculous effects.

However, the Thunderfall Abyss was only accessible to low-level cultivators below the Foundation Establishment stage. How could there be such high-level treasures here?

The young man's heart raced. Perhaps this was a chance to survive, or perhaps it was just a daydream. But was there anything worse than his current situation?

With this thought, the young man, without hesitation, endured the pain and moved with great difficulty to the broken bone, dug out the pearl, and without wiping it, swallowed it whole.

A loud "boom" echoed in his mind. The pearl, as if endowed with a spirit, did not enter his abdomen but rushed directly to his brain. A tremendous force collided with his consciousness, causing excruciating pain, and he immediately fainted.

...

The surroundings were silent, and a faint spiritual energy began to flow, nourishing the space. The ground was already faintly green.

The first to awaken were several sky buffalo bugs, known for their tenacious life force. These bugs, about half an inch long, resembled cockroaches, had wings but could not fly, and had mouths but could not chirp. They were at the bottom of the food chain. After being tainted by the boundless death aura, their bodies had grown to the size of an adult's palm, with thick green carapaces and long, sharp fangs that glowed mysteriously.

This cycle of rebirth had been too long for them. Now, they only wanted to sweep away everything in front of them, devouring anything that could fill their bellies, whether it was roots, leaves, or the human corpse that seemed abnormally large to them.

The corpse, which showed no signs of movement, was severely decayed, with bones visible at the extremities, emitting a cold, eerie glow. Surprisingly, it did not emit any foul odor, as if it were only rotting and not decaying. The wounds did not form a purple scab but continued to ooze blood.

The sky buffalo bugs, of course, paid no attention to these details, swarming over the corpse, opening their sharp fangs, and chewing on the delicious flesh.

After an unknown amount of time,

"Ah—" The dry lips of the corpse slightly parted, emitting a painful groan. The eyelids slowly opened, revealing the face of a young man. He seemed to be in a daze, his eyes flickering as he glanced at the sky buffalo bugs feasting on his wounds. He did not brush them away, his gaze filled with contemplation. After a while, he murmured, "I am Ye Bai, the sixth disciple of Old Tree Peak. I am still alive."

The sky buffalo bugs, sensing the movement of the corpse, were not afraid and continued to gnaw. In their past life experiences, there were many similar scenes, and struggling life forms were more to their liking.

Ye Bai, enduring the pain throughout his body, curled his index finger, and a burst of qi energy shot out, turning the sky buffalo bugs to ash.

He did not want to move, or perhaps he could not move. Even this simple action caused his entire body to spasm in pain.

Ye Bai examined his internal condition and found that his injuries had not improved at all. The pearl he had swallowed had vanished without a trace, clearly having no effect. This left him deeply puzzled and fearful. The unknown and the uncontrollable were always the greatest sources of fear for humans.

This trial had brought too many unexpected events. First, he was caught in a large vortex, then suffered the torment of lightning essence, teetering on the brink of life and death.

Thinking of the deaths of his senior disciples, even with his cold nature, his expression darkened. He himself had fallen into this half-dead state, unsure when he would be able to leave.

Fortunately, after the death aura had swept through, the Thunderfall Abyss began a new cycle of life energy. Ye Bai could clearly feel the life force surging around him. As long as he continuously absorbed the abundant and diverse essence from the air, purifying it, he could recover quickly and then find a way out.

Ye Bai's tense nerves relaxed slightly. He adjusted his breathing, activated the Lightning Essence Technique, and let his body, conditioned by long-term cultivation, naturally absorb the elemental energy.