Chapter 149: Venerable Jiuyou

Meng Xiner listened with rapt attention, committing every single word to memory. She then quickly expressed her gratitude to Chuhan. The poison afflicting the Meng family ancestor had already penetrated deep into the bone marrow, necessitating a slow and gradual detoxification process. Such a procedure could not be rushed. While the poison was not particularly difficult to remove in absolute terms—at least from his perspective—the capabilities of contemporary alchemists would likely fall short in treating it.

"Very well, that settles it. I must be leaving now as I have other matters to attend to. If any issues arise, you know where to find me."

Chuhan rose, intending to depart, but Meng Kang stepped forward to block his path, looking at him with a trace of perplexity.

"Sir, there is no need to rush. Our Meng family has yet to fulfill our duties as hosts. Furthermore, if you have any tasks you require assistance with, you need only command us, and the Meng family guarantees to handle them flawlessly. Please stay at the Meng family estate for a few days."

Meng Kang's words elicited a faint smile from Chuhan, who naturally understood the underlying intent.

To Meng Kang, Chuhan was merely someone who had refined a set of pills, and there was no way to verify whether these remedies would actually work. Once Chuhan left the Meng family, should any complications arise, they would have nowhere to look for him. Moreover, if the pills proved to be fraudulent, Chuhan could simply vanish without a trace, leaving them with no recourse.

Therefore, Meng Kang needed to keep him here so that they would have someone accountable should anything go wrong. Chuhan fully understood this reasoning; after all, this was a matter of life and death, and since he had not yet demonstrated results firsthand, complete trust was hardly to be expected.

Realizing her uncle's underlying motive, Meng Xiner cast him a reproachful look. Chuhan had exerted himself tirelessly for the sake of the Meng family, yet they still harbored suspicions. Alchemists were notoriously eccentric by nature, and to offend Chuhan was to invite the wrath of a malevolent spirit upon the clan.

"I understand Mr. Meng's perspective, and I can appreciate your caution. However, I have recently acquired the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual, and practicing this technique requires the auxiliary aid of lightning. This matter is rather urgent for me, which is why I am in such a hurry to leave."

Before Meng Xiner could speak up on his behalf, Chuhan preemptively voiced his reason. After all, it was hardly a sensitive matter, especially since the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual had been purchased directly from the Meng family.

"That is easily resolved! Since the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual originates from our Meng family, we are quite familiar with its requirements. Indeed, it demands the augmentation of lightning. Fortunately, the Meng family possesses the ideal environment for this. Within our estate lies a forbidden ground—an ocean of lightning, a mountain range perpetually shrouded in thunderstorms that we call Thunder Mountain. It is the premier location for cultivating the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual."

Seeing that Chuhan was not offended, Meng Kang visibly relaxed and patted his chest with an air of absolute assurance. The Meng family indeed possessed such a place, perfectly suited for practicing the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual. However, because the lightning there was exceptionally violent, it had been designated as the clan's forbidden ground. In the past, Meng family members who attempted to cultivate the technique there had met with violent deaths, which was ultimately why the clan had put the manual up for auction.

Upon hearing this, Chuhan was pleasantly surprised. Had he been forced to search for a location abundant in lightning energy on his own, there was no telling how long it would take. To think the Meng family possessed such a forbidden ground right on their doorstep—truly, he had found what he sought without even having to search.

"Splendid. I hope Mr. Meng will permit me to use that forbidden ground. I would be endlessly grateful."

Chuhan smiled, nodding and cupping his hands in salute. Meng Kang readily agreed and immediately issued the necessary instructions.

"Xiner, escort the gentleman to Thunder Mountain. Remember, you must ensure his safety. If any unforeseen danger befalls him there, you are to rescue him at all costs. As for the ancestor, leave him in my care; you need not worry about that."

Meng Xiner nodded and led Chuhan toward Thunder Mountain. Because the location was perilous, the ancestors of the Meng family had sealed it away using a powerful formation, permitting only one person to enter at a time. The entrance was situated at the very heart of the Meng estate, entirely encircled by the clan's sprawling residential compounds.

Should the Meng family ever face an existential threat, this array could be forcibly activated to unveil Thunder Mountain, unleashing its devastation upon the enemy. This served as the ultimate defensive trump card of the clan.

Arriving before the barrier, Chuhan stepped forward to examine it. Indeed, the formation was remarkably sophisticated and exceptionally resilient—a clear testament that it had been crafted by a master of at least the half-step Heavenly Sovereign realm. It seemed the Meng family had indeed produced formidable experts in their bygone eras.

"Sir, please exercise the utmost caution. Thunder Mountain is extremely dangerous. If any trouble arises, call out for me immediately; I shall stand guard outside to protect you."

With these parting instructions, Meng Xiner activated the formation. Without a word, Chuhan stepped inside, instantly feeling a violent spinning sensation overtake his senses.

When clarity finally returned, he found himself standing within Thunder Mountain. The entire realm was cloaked in perpetual darkness, choked by heavy storm clouds where countless thick bolts of lightning churned menacingly. The deafening roars of thunder shook the heavens and the earth.

A surge of elation filled Chuhan. Such an environment was tailor-made for cultivating the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual. Without hesitation, he ascended the mountain, produced the blue scroll, and channeled a trace of his true qi into it, reducing the parchment to fine dust.

Just as he prepared to begin his cultivation, a beam of azure light shot directly into his mind. Startled, Chuhan hastily directed his consciousness inward to inspect the intrusion.

Suspended within his sea of consciousness was a human silhouette, glowing with a deep sapphire radiance. The sheer, potent pressure radiating from the figure made even Chuhan's heart skip a beat, signaling that this entity was far from ordinary.

"Hmm? The Thunder Emperor Technique? To think that after all these years, the Thunder Emperor Technique has resurfaced. It appears another great upheaval is destined to befall this world."

The figure glanced at Chuhan, uttering these words with a soft note of surprise and a profound sense of melancholy, implying that the foretold upheaval was momentous indeed.

"Senior, who might you be? And what is this great upheaval you speak of?"

Chuhan asked in a deeply respectful tone. Anyone capable of retaining a conscious imprint after their fall to survive through such means must have possessed a cultivation realm of at least the half-step Heavenly Sovereign level.

"I am the Sovereign of Nine Nethers. As for the great upheaval, once you cultivate the Thunder Emperor Technique to a certain extent, you will naturally understand. However, I perceive that your grasp of the technique is incomplete. Strive to find the complete version in the future, and all will be revealed to you."

"Since you have obtained the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual, it is proof of our affinity. I shall impart the cultivation method of the manual to you now. It is my honor to provide a technique that can aid the successor of the Thunder Emperor. Remember, you must locate the latter half of the Thunder Emperor Technique as soon as possible."

The Sovereign of Nine Nethers spoke in a gentle murmur, vanishing before Chuhan could pose further questions. Immediately afterward, a torrent of memories foreign to his own flooded his mind, leaving him utterly speechless.

The fellow had vanished mid-sentence, thoroughly leaving him hanging. Still, finding the second half of the Thunder Emperor Technique was already an objective he intended to pursue. Nevertheless, he noted the warning regarding the great upheaval; since such a figure deemed it significant, it could not be trivial, and he would need to proceed with heightened vigilance henceforth.

Composing the memories that had flooded his mind, Chuhan felt a rush of overwhelming joy. The knowledge encompassed not only the cultivation methods of the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual but also the Sovereign of Nine Nethers' personal insights into the technique, along with refined tricks for cultivation. Armed with these teachings, his progression through the technique would bypass countless potential pitfalls.

Closing his eyes, Chuhan guided his true qi along the pathways dictated by the Nine Nether Divine Thunder Manual, completing one major circulation and three minor circulations through his meridians. Instantly, the thunder rumbling in the heavens grew exponentially louder, and a bolt of lightning as thick as a human arm crashed down from the sky.