Chapter 187: The Thunder Tribulation

This is a season of harvest and fulfillment. Little One practices diligently every day, feeling invigorated and joyful.

In his spare time, he visits many of his fellow disciples, shares a grand meal, and has Mao Qiu steal a few barrels of aged wine from the elders for a lively drink. These moments are incredibly pleasant.

These are happy times, and no matter how many years pass, he will never forget this period, keeping it forever in his heart.

Many years later, even though many people are no longer in the world, he can still vividly recall their voices and appearances.

"Senior brothers, you lost again. Drink up."

It is a night filled with laughter. A group of people, quite tipsy, including some senior sisters, are flushed and cheerful, their faces redder than flowers.

In the distance, Elder Xiong Fei's roar can be heard: "Damn it, who stole my medicinal wine again? If I catch him, he's finished!"

Meanwhile, Elder Zhuo Yun is cursing. His situation is even worse—almost all of his precious old wine has been looted.

The group of young men and women all burst into laughter, their faces flushed with joy, drinking to their heart's content and feeling immensely happy.

"Sigh, we have to part ways. I don't know when we'll meet again. Little Junior Brother, take care."

"Senior brother, senior sister, take care as well."

This is not the first farewell. Over the past month, some important disciples from the Sky Repair Pavilion have disappeared one after another, sent to other places.

Farewells are always sorrowful. Although they drank heartily and were in high spirits, the end still brought a sense of melancholy and reluctance, given that they had lived here for many years.

"We will return sooner or later."

Another batch of senior brothers and sisters has left, departing from the familiar Sky Repair Pavilion to an unfamiliar land to avoid potential disasters.

Little One doesn't know how many groups he has seen off. The Genius Camp is now mostly empty, and the old monsters' disciples are nearly nowhere to be seen, leaving only a few.

"Little Junior Brother, when will you leave?"

"I am still here practicing Thunder Techniques. I'll leave once I achieve certain results," Little One replied. He hoped Qingfeng would leave soon, but Qingfeng insisted on waiting for him to leave together.

Then, he began another challenge.

"Boom!"

Thunder roared, lightning interweaving on the Spirit Mountain, cascading like waterfalls. It shattered Little One's protective talisman and struck him, causing blood to seep from the corner of his mouth as he was thrown off the mountain and fell into a ravine.

With a crash, even his strong body could not withstand it. He was in excruciating pain, feeling as if his bones were broken, creating a human-shaped crater in the ground.

"Senior, take it easy," he gritted his teeth.

"To learn the laws of thunder, you must experience it with your heart and body. Without undergoing the Thunder Tribulation, how can you understand its true meaning and secrets?"

Ancestor Mu Yan, with hair and beard like steel needles, was extremely fierce, showing no mercy. His palm glowed, and another series of violent thunderbolts struck Little One, sending him flying.

The ground was shattered, and thousands of pounds of boulders turned to dust.

Little One cried out in agony. This was truly a hellish ordeal. Recently, he had only been contemplating the essence of the Thunder Technique, but now he was facing real punishment, enduring severe torment.

"I am sensing it with my heart," Little One persisted, fighting against the Thunder Ancestor. His body glowed, golden symbols flashing as a Suan Ni (a mythical beast) took shape and roared forward.

"You have made progress compared to before, but it's still not enough. You have not reached the ultimate realm," Ancestor Mu Yan said, opening his mouth to release a river of thunder, crashing towards him.

With a boom, the Suan Ni was torn apart and then shattered, golden lightning dancing and flattening the forest, leaving nothing behind.

"Lightning represents violence and destruction, one of the most powerful attack techniques. Yet it also has life, nurturing new beginnings. Right now, you only understand its destructive side."

Mu Yan said, bathing in the thunderlight, his aura growing stronger, as if brimming with vitality. He then attacked again with lightning.

"I am always being struck down, so of course, I can only sense its destructive side," Little One cried out in agony, struggling desperately. His little arms turned golden, with lightning striking forward.

However, there was a huge gap in realms. One was one of the top experts of the Sky Repair Pavilion, known as an ancestor, while the other was just a child. How could he compete?

As a result, he was struck down again, hit by a bolt of lightning that made him emit black smoke, his hair standing on end, with the smell of burnt flesh wafting from him.

"Smells really good," from a distance, Er Tuzi gloated, licking his lips, eager to take a bite.

"It does smell good, really want to have a taste," said the Great Red Bird, its viewpoint remarkably aligned with Er Tuzi's for once.

Boom!

Little One soared through the air, wielding lightning like a golden thunder god. He cast eighteen bolts of lightning, all striking his opponents.

"Ow!"

The two bird monsters screeched, their feathers standing on end, their bodies charred black, flying up and emitting white smoke, then starting to convulse.

"It hurts so much!"

A stone rolled around them, the Thunder God Stone. Although it was hit by lightning, it wasn't in severe pain, so the two birds bit it together out of anger.

"Ahhh!"

In the distance, Little One cried out again. This was the worst he had ever faced since starting his journey. Even when Ghost King punished him, it wasn't this harsh. Now he was being relentlessly pummeled by countless bolts of lightning.

Ordinary people would have been pierced and shattered by the lightning long ago, but even he was in immense pain, his flesh smelling of burning, feeling as if he were about to be cooked.

This was a purgatorial trial, endless and relentless. Never before had he been so eager to finish his training; it was unbearably painful.

"Your talent is excellent, but with a series of victories and no defeats, it’s not good," Ancestor Mu Yan said.

Little One: ""

He really didn’t know what to say. Finally, he couldn’t help but shout, "I came to learn Thunder Techniques, not to be defeated. In this life, I want to keep winning, always undefeated!"

"Very good, full of conviction and the tenacity to become the strongest. Take another hit."

With a crash, dozens of layers of lightning surged like waves, slamming him to the ground. Little One screamed, his cries like those of a ghost or wolf. His entire body was in agony, and as soon as he opened his mouth, lightning surged from his stomach.

This torment and intense pain made him feel as if he were breaking apart. It was unbearably painful.

Thus, he was struck from morning until evening. Only then did Ancestor Mu Yan stop, advising him not to slack off and to study ancient scriptures in the Scripture Pavilion.

Little One was disheveled and blackened, his hair standing on end, with only his big eyes still bright. The rest of him looked like coal, barely recognizable.

The Great Red Bird and Er Tuzi greeted him, but he blasted them away with a scowl, as they were clearly gloating and enjoying his misfortune.

"Oh, isn’t this our prodigious and world-famous troublemaker?" Fire Spirit Er approached, graceful and outstanding. Clearly having heard the news, she came to see the spectacle of Little One being punished.

"Don’t provoke me," Little One said, smoke billowing from his mouth. He was staggering, utterly tortured.

“Haha, why am I so happy? Did someone roast you? Maybe you ate too much roasted wild game and now it's come back to haunt you,” Fire Spirit Er said, her skin snow-white, hair jet-black, eyes full of spirit. Her bright red lips showed her teeth as she laughed heartily, her white neck, full chest, slender waist, and long legs forming an enticing curve.

"Fatty," Little One glared at her.

The laughter stopped abruptly. Fire Spirit Er hated those three words the most. Furious, she said, “Everyone, come on, let’s deal with him together!”

This time, she had come prepared, having contacted a group of her friends, intending to take advantage of Little One's injuries to give him a severe beating.

In an instant, symbols flew everywhere, and radiant lights flooded the area, engulfing Little One. A group of female disciples, giggling, helped Fire Spirit Er to teach him a lesson.

The Great Red Bird and Er Tuzi, showing no loyalty, ran off immediately, disappearing in the blink of an eye without making a move.

“Roar!”

With a roar, a Suan Ni appeared, extraordinarily powerful and majestic, its entire body radiating golden light. It shattered all the symbols and then opened its mouth wide, spewing lightning in all directions.

A chorus of gasps filled the air. Everyone was astonished. Little One, severely injured, was even more terrifying than usual. His lightning strikes were so thick that they immediately knocked many of the female disciples down.

In a real battle, they would have been completely destroyed.

In reality, Little One had been beaten up all day, his body filled with lightning, all introduced by Thunder Ancestor Mu Yan. Since not all of it had been expelled yet, he took this opportunity to unleash it fully.

Fire Spirit Er tried to escape, but Little One caught up with her, knocked her down, and ransacked her.

Even after the vicious child left, Fire Spirit Er was still screaming, infuriated, always being at a disadvantage and feeling frustrated.

“Junior Sister, quickly change your clothes,” a senior sister came over and whispered to her, while others looked at her with strange expressions.

“What’s wrong?” Fire Spirit Er asked suspiciously.

Suddenly, she turned around and screamed upon realizing the problem, gritting her teeth in anger.

Today, she was wearing a pristine white gown that fluttered with the wind, looking otherworldly, like an immortal about to ascend. It was a beauty of transcendent elegance.

However, her now prominent and full hips were marked with a row of black paw prints, very neatly.

“Damn child,” she was incredibly embarrassed and angry.

After the little rascal had knocked her down, he had taken the opportunity to leave his mark, and this was the most noticeable place. The black paw prints stood out, and she felt a stinging pain.

Fire Spirit Er was frantic, but she couldn’t defeat the child. Every time she tried to deal with him, she ended up being knocked down instead. The little rascal was quite a troublemaker.

“Fatty, you’re no match for me,” Little One muttered to himself as he limped towards the Scripture Pavilion.

He had been thoroughly beaten by the Thunder Ancestor and was still in intense pain, struggling to walk, but he did not slack off. He followed the instructions and came here to read the scriptures.

It was clear that the place had been much emptied. Over ninety percent of the bone books had been moved away to other locations.

“Look, after a few months, you’ve almost read through the entire Scripture Pavilion. There are only these left,” Old Liu said with a kind smile.

“Thank you, Uncle Liu,” Little One said, touched. Old Liu had left the scriptures he had not finished reading and moved the others away first.

“Don’t thank me. I didn’t delay your time. I just selected the books you had read first when they came to get them. However, several divine techniques were taken away. Those were the most precious items and couldn’t be left to the end. You can learn them later if you have the chance. Moreover, I think focusing on Thunder Techniques is sufficient for you. It’s stronger than those divine techniques,” Old Liu said.

Little One grimaced, unable to sit down due to the pain, and stood while reading the scriptures and flipping through the bone books.

“Why is it so miserable?” Old Liu asked with a smile, very kind and different from the Thunder Ancestor’s demeanor.

“Sigh, I’ve been beaten up terribly. Since my birth, I’ve never been defeated, but today I almost got beaten to death,” Little One sighed, his face darkened with distress.

Old Liu could hardly suppress his laughter and said, “He’s doing this for your own good, to let you perceive the life force within the lightning. You shouldn’t only understand its destructive nature. To elevate your Thunder Techniques, you must comprehend all its mysteries. Don’t worry. Although Mu Yan has a fiery temper and is like lightning, his strictness will surely benefit you greatly.”

Over the next month, Little One cried out in pain daily, his loud wails attracting many disciples from the Sky Repair Pavilion to watch. The process of dealing with the troublesome child became a spectacle, even more exciting than watching beautiful women, and gradually became a notable scene.

Little One was truly frustrated, wondering why he was always beaten up. If he could defeat Mu Yan, he would have bitten him by now.

Of course, during the beatings, his understanding of lightning had indeed advanced by leaps and bounds. He finally touched upon another layer of profound meaning and caught a glimpse of vitality.

However, it was very faint and still not apparent. Even with careful perception, he could only vaguely sense it.

“What? You touched upon that thread of vitality?” Thunder Ancestor Mu Yan was shocked when he heard this.

“What’s wrong?” Little One asked suspiciously. This old guy kept beating him up, wasn’t he the one who said he needed to sense this vitality? Why was he now acting so surprised?

Soon, Old Liu, who guarded the Scripture Pavilion, was also alarmed and rushed over, his voice trembling, “To actually capture a trace of vitality within the lightning—what a miracle! You truly have extraordinary talent.”

“What’s the big deal? Didn’t you tell me to strive to sense it? I get struck by lightning every day; I have to figure out how to survive, and it seems I’ve touched upon that kind of aura,” Little One said.

“Your future prospects for perfecting the sect’s treasure techniques are promising,” Old Liu said with admiration, gently patting his head.

Thunder Ancestor Mu Yan’s face turned red, nodding repeatedly.

Little One suddenly widened his eyes, roaring at the Thunder Ancestor, “You wouldn’t have not sensed it yourself, would you? Yet you keep beating me up, making me experience it.”

The little rascal was really angry, feeling deeply wronged.

“Your talent surpasses mine; you are indeed extraordinary,” Thunder Ancestor’s face was flushed red.

“You’re so hateful,” Little One stomped his feet, feeling rebellious.

Suddenly, with a crackle, a bolt of lightning descended, engulfing him. He cried out in pain as the lightning surged through his mouth and nose, unable to scream anymore.

“Talent must be cherished. Others spend their entire lives without comprehending the vitality within destructive lightning. You have now planted a seed. Your future achievements in the Thunder Path’s laws will be limitless, and you could become the strongest,” Old Liu said.

“In a few days, when the thunderstorm arrives, I’ll take you to catch the Thunder Tribulation Liquid. It’s a divine liquid that seizes the essence of heaven and earth and will greatly benefit you,” Thunder Ancestor said.

Since Little One had vaguely sensed it, Mu Yan felt it might be worth a try. In the past, he had spent a long time and suffered severe injuries to forcefully obtain a drop, which he then offered to the Old Vine.

Now, things were different. The little rascal had actually touched upon that threshold. Perhaps he could obtain another drop in the next thunderstorm.

Old Liu’s expression turned serious upon hearing this. He knew that Thunder Ancestor was determined. Such divine liquid was not easily obtained and might even result in death.

“You must remember Mu Yan’s kindness,” Old Liu sighed softly. Doing so could risk one’s life, and Thunder Ancestor Mu Yan was truly trying to help this child.

Little One nodded, realizing the seriousness of the situation and refraining from speaking recklessly.

It hurts so much. The child struck by lightning cried out in pain, a