Chapter 136: The Seal of Thunder

Chu Han looked down at them from a position of superiority. Li Tie and his companion dared not speak, while Gu Yan’er and the others were already pale with fright, not even daring to breathe deeply. To them, the strength Chu Han had displayed was enough to chill their hearts.

"Senior Sister, I can only offer my apologies for what just happened; it was not my original intention. If you wish to seek revenge, I am ready at any time."

Chu Han walked up to Gu Yan’er and cupped his hands in a salute. After all, he had been in the wrong, and an apology was due. With that, he flicked his sleeves and walked away, leaving the inner sect disciples of the Taiyi Sect staring at one another in bewilderment.

They all sensed that Chu Han was destined to become the new terror of the Taiyi inner sect. It was likely that within the entire Central City, there were few among his peers capable of standing against him.

Upon returning to his quarters, Chu Han reflected on the recent skirmish. He felt that the strength of the Taiyi inner sect disciples was decent enough; although Gu Yan’er and her two companions were senior disciples, they were certainly not the strongest the sect had to offer. There had to be more formidable individuals within the Taiyi Sect.

As for the Yin-Yang Realm, while he still coveted it, entering it was not simple without the required object. Moreover, he was currently only at the fifth level of the Dao Palace realm. His primary focus had to be securing a spot for the Great Scarlet Heaven; the rest could wait.

"Chu Han, I have finished deciphering that ancient artifact you obtained last time. You are in luck this time; it contains a cultivation technique."

Just as he was about to begin his practice, Emerald’s voice echoed in his mind. Chu Han was overjoyed. He was desperate to improve his strength, and having reached a bottleneck in his cultivation, the addition of a powerful technique could push him to the next level.

"What kind of technique is it? What grade?"

Chu Han asked urgently. With the Great Scarlet Heaven gathering approaching, where all the geniuses would converge, he could not guarantee victory. Improving his strength now was of the utmost importance.

Emerald chuckled, and suddenly, a flood of memories surged into Chu Han’s mind. Emerald forcefully imprinted the technique into his brain so that he would never forget it.

Once this was done, Emerald fell back into a slumber. Chu Han organized the memories in his mind, and after reading through them, he gasped in shock.

This was an Earth-grade technique named the Seal of Thunder. Wherever its attack landed, it could collapse mountains and fill seas. When practiced to its ultimate state, it could rival Heaven-grade techniques, making it immensely powerful.

In his previous life, Chu Han had only mastered one Heaven-grade technique after a very long time, which showed how precious they were. While Earth-grade techniques were not as rare as Heaven-grade ones, they were still worth a fortune, and this specific Earth-grade Seal of Thunder could rival those of the Heaven grade.

The Seal of Thunder was divided into three parts: the Seal of Lightning, the Seal of Thunder, and the Thunderous Storm. With a mere gesture, one could collapse mountains and fill the seas; it was incredibly domineering.

However, as he was only at the fifth level of the Dao Palace realm, he could not yet practice the latter two moves. He could only learn the Seal of Lightning for now, but even so, it was more than enough. After all, it was a high-level Earth-grade technique—few among his peers could ever hope to learn something so advanced.

Thinking of this, he smiled faintly and entered a state of meditation. The night passed without incident.

Early the next morning, he rose from his bed and headed into the deep mountains of the Taiyi Sect. This was the designated place for disciples to practice their techniques, known as Cultivation Mountain. It was said that this mountain range was not formed by nature.

Instead, it had been shaped by the true energy of an ancient powerhouse of the Taiyi Sect, appearing as vivid and lifelike as any natural range.

Chu Han had previously dismissed such talk as hearsay, but having once attained the realm of a Heavenly Venerate, he knew that such beings possessed heaven-defying abilities. Building a mountain was not particularly difficult for them, and it was entirely plausible that a major sect like the Taiyi Sect, with its long heritage, possessed several such experts.

After entering the mountain range, Chu Han sat down in front of a waterfall. Practicing the Seal of Thunder required drawing upon lightning, and since water was conductive, it would allow him to absorb the energy more thoroughly.

He closed his eyes, sensing the breath of nature. Before long, dark clouds gathered in the sky, and rumbles of thunder echoed across the world. Chu Han opened his eyes, nodding in satisfaction; it was time to draw the lightning.

He formed strange hand seals. Though his movements were stiff, he was incredibly focused. Ten minutes later, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking directly into the waterfall, where it vanished without a sound.

Then, a surge of electricity erupted from the waterfall and struck Chu Han’s body. He let out a sharp cry, veins bulging on his forehead and his eyes turning blood-red as he endured the immense agony.

The power of nature was infinite. Although he was practicing the Thunder Emperor’s Manual, his cultivation level was too low. Resisting pure, natural lightning, amplified by the waterfall, was a daunting task.

Yet, he did not give up. Even as his heart was struck and blood began to flow, he sat straight and unmoving. His hair stood on end, giving him a terrifying appearance.

At that moment, another bolt of lightning fell, surged from the waterfall, and struck him again. This time, Chu Han was sent flying, crashing heavily to the ground. His body was charred black, and he lay motionless.

Had he not still been breathing, one would have assumed he was dead. The attack had left his mind clouded, but after a moment of recovery, he gathered his senses. Feeling the lingering thunder energy within, he knew it was not enough.

He returned to his original position. His face was contorted in pain, and his body trembled violently. Although he had endured much pain in his training, the sensation of his heart being scorched by thunder energy was a first. The suffocating agony was nearly unbearable.

"Haha, keep it coming! I want to see just how much you can torture my body. I, Chu Han, will take it all!"

Chu Han laughed toward the sky, appearing as if he had lost his mind. In truth, he was merely steeling himself; otherwise, he would have retreated long ago. This was a level of pain few could withstand.

Emerald watched him, nodding in satisfaction. Chu Han was indeed no ordinary person. To practice under such excruciating pain was something most could not achieve. Emerald felt even more confident that Chu Han would eventually reach the realm of a Heavenly Venerate.

Following his provocation, the clouds in the sky rumbled with thunder and unleashed two bolts simultaneously. Once done, the clouds dissipated, leaving the lightning to strike Chu Han.

This time, his scream was cut short, and he lost consciousness.

When he awoke, he found himself in a small wooden shack. His body ached so severely that he could not move; he could not even sit up. He struggled to recall what had happened, remembering only that he had been knocked out by the final bolts of lightning. He did not know where he was.

He quickly checked his body and discovered a trace of lightning energy flowing within his heart. He was overjoyed. The lightning-drawing process had been a success. By embedding a trace of thunder energy in his heart, he could ensure that his heart would not be shattered by the powerful true energy during his future practice of the Seal of Thunder.