Chapter 460: Chapter 178: Thunder God and Lightning Mother
"Boom—"
The sky thundered, lightning flashed wildly in all directions, and an imposing figure manifested in the air.
Towering at fifty zhang, although not as massive as Wuzhiqi’s hundred-zhang frame, the awe-inspiring celestial might it exuded was by no means inferior to Wuzhiqi’s. Clad in a black robe over black armor, the topknot had vanished without a trace and hair flew about like flames.
Around its neck, it bore four heads, all showing great fury, surveying the land in all directions, with eight arms wielding six items: a battle axe, bow and arrows, a sword, a bell, a polearm, and a chain, its entire body enshrouded with the evil energy of thunder and fire, stirring up calamity clouds.
Although Elder Tianpeng, who hosted the Dao Fruit of Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy, was portrayed as a comical character in "Journey to the West," the original form was the illustrious War God, the reincarnation of the Po Jun Star, the chief among the North Pole Four Saints. Even Emperor Zhenwu, before his rise to fame, was one of the North Pole Four Saints, ranked below the Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy.
In this moment, as Elder Tianpeng revealed his Divine Body, resplendent thunder and fire swept through, evaporating vast amounts of rainwater, forming surging mist that billowed towards the Two Saints Temple. Just as a surge of Qi Mechanisms rose within the temple, it was brutally dispersed by the rolling mist.
"Yaoguang Breaking Army!"
A loud shout came from the Two Saints Temple. A bolt of thunder light tore through the sky, drawing Heavenly Thunder, which flashed brilliantly, colliding with the evil energy of thunder and fire, dispersing a huge expanse of fiery clouds.
The thunder light coalesced into an immense Thunder God Dharma Manifestation, resembling a Powerful Warrior, bare-chested and belly exposed, with wings sprouting from his back, left hand wielding a wedge and right a hammer, in a striking pose. A towering figure was embodied within the Manifestation, confronting the Divine Body of Tianpeng.
This person was none other than one of the Four Gods of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning from the Taiping Sect, who had been backstabbed by Heluo God and captured alive by the Dinghu Sect, the "Thunder God" Lei Kun.
Lei Kun’s body too emitted flashes of thunder, countering the brilliant thunder and fire, his brows furrowed in anger, exuding an intimidating presence of thunder. Yet his words carried a hint of concession, "The statue of Emperor Yan has been destroyed, which reflects the negligence of our Taiping Sect. However, it was definitely not our deed. Our sect will investigate thoroughly and provide an explanation."
Hosting the Dao Fruit of Duke of Thunder, Lei Kun naturally had a fiery temperament that matched the Dao Fruit. However, the timing was not right, and even if he wanted to erupt with anger, he had to hold back for now.
Indeed, the Taiping Sect intended to dismantle the faith in Emperor Yan, exalting Zhonghuang Taiyi, also known as Yellow Heaven, alone. But this was not an overnight endeavor, and the timing was not right; a hasty action would backfire. Therefore, they could only temporarily seal the Divine Farmer Hall and make a display of intent, as preparation for the future and as a means to test the waters.
Unfortunately, their pretense was too convincing, and now everyone suspected this was yet another probe by the Taiping Sect—even diving into the Yellow River would not clear their name.
"All this idle talk."
Elder Tianpeng snorted dismissively at Lei Kun’s explanation, and the Bronze Battle Axe in his hand showed a burst of Purple Thunder, with electricity jumping, and he slashed with the force of the Supreme Yang.
"I did not come here to idle chatter with you today."
Crack!
Electric light shattered the green thunders ahead, and the Battle Axe surged forward, unstoppable.
"Damn it!"
Lei Kun couldn’t help cursing, letting go of the anger he had been suppressing. The Thunder God Dharma Manifestation struck with the hammer against the wedge, cleaving through the air.
"Boom!"
Wind and thunder exploded, with green electricity flashing. Lei Kun’s green thunder was completely inadequate in stopping the Battle Axe, but anticipating this, the Thunder God Dharma Manifestation spread its wings, narrowly dodging the Battle Axe, and took the opportunity to bring down the Thunder Hammer with a crushing blow.
"Duang—"
The thunder dissipated upon clashing, but the rays of thunder on the Battle Axe shone even brighter, shaking the Thunder Hammer.
"This is infuriating!" Lei Kun bellowed angrily, shouting loudly, "Lightning Mother, come quickly to aid me."
He and Elder Tianpeng both cultivated the Thunder Attribute techniques and carried Dao Fruits related to thunder. However, Lei Kun was not a true Thunder God, unlike Marshal of the Heavenly Canopy, who possessed Divine Skills that could constrain Thunder Techniques.
In the use of Thunder Techniques, there is no Heavenly Thunder that Tianpeng cannot command; in the practice of Thunder Techniques, there is no presence that Tianpeng cannot reveal.
This Divine Skill could counter Thunder Techniques, causing Lei Kun’s use of thunder to be restricted, hence being at a disadvantage in the clash of thunderbolts, struggling against his opponent.
In his last encounter at the Dinghu Sect, facing Elder Tianpeng, he suffered a loss due to this very reason.
However, luckily, Lei Kun was not the only fourth-rank present in the Two Saints Temple at this moment.
A streak of electric light burst forth, intersecting with the thunder, entwining like dragon and snake, making a twisted assault on the Battle Axe. The impact caused the Battle Axe to dip downward, emitting trails of green smoke.
A figure, graceful yet fierce, emerged from within the temple. Dressed in a red dress with white pants, her hands glowing, golden electric bolts shot through the air.
Upon seeing this, Lei Kun immediately invigorated the Dharma Manifestation, releasing Heavenly Thunder, commanding both thunder and lightning, filling the sky with the brilliance of flashing lightning.
"When Thunder and Lightning intersect, they are silent as mating dragons and tigers, but when active, they roar like thunder," commented Elder Tianpeng, clearly impressed. Then all eight arms moved in unison, vibrating the Emperor’s Bell to capture the thunder, while the Big Axe and the spear-sword released torrents of Purple Thunder, causing the air to collapse and the aura to become overwhelmingly powerful, instantly creating a massive vortex.
"Heavenly Canopy, Heavenly Canopy, Nine Elements Evil Child."
Boom!
The thunderous vortex met with the green thunder and golden electricity, and the world was a spectacle of brilliance—an immense thunderstorm of violent, roarless thunderbolts was born, with countless bolts of lightning crisscrossing.
The heavy rain that had lasted for a day and a night was abruptly halted by the thunder and lightning, countless drops of water were vaporized, forming thick clouds, yet the raindrops refused to fall.
"Good tactics."
Atop a tall building in the Jun City, the King of Shu leaned on the railing and gazed into the distance. Seeing this scene, he couldn’t help but admire, "Yaoguang Breaking Army is rough on the outside but meticulous on the inside. They seem impulsive in their actions, but they’re actually detailed to the microscopic level. The heavy rain is interrupted, and Wuzhiqi has lost the right timing and is now unlikely to make a move. This will also save them from subsequent criticism."
With one against two, not at a disadvantage, the strength of that person must not be underestimated," a female voice followed. A dignified woman emerged from inside the building and said to the King of Shu, "It looks like the Taiping Sect is bound to suffer a loss."
The woman wore a flowery dress and a phoenix hairpin on her head, her manner extraordinary. While conversing with the King of Shu, she subtly conveyed a sense of equality, indicating that she held no less status.
However, the King of Shu shook his head and replied, "It won’t be so easy. The Four Gods of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning are all in Liangzhou Province. Since the Mother of Lightning has already arrived, the other two shouldn’t be far behind. The Yaoguang Elder can handle one against two, but can he really handle one against four? Not to mention, the Primordial Lord, Master of Rain, was once capable of contending with the Tianxuan Elder of the Dinghu Sect."
One against two was already quite difficult; one against four, even if Elder Kaiyang himself joined the fray, would likely still be hard-pressed.
Moreover, the Four Gods of Wind, Rain, Thunder, and Lightning are proficient in a Combined Attack Technique. Once it is executed, they can even contend with someone of the third grade.
The current situation saw Elder Tianpeng having the upper hand, but if the remaining two arrived, the situation was bound to be reversed.
While he was talking, the King of Shu’s eyebrows twitched as he looked toward the north.
A wind came from the north, vast and overwhelming, stretching across a thousand miles, and a mass of dark clouds approached. Just this approaching climate was enough to attest to the strength of the individual, clearly indicative of a fourth-rank without doubt.
"Marquis of Wind has arrived." The King of Shu’s expression confirmed his thoughts.
However, no sooner had he spoken than the wild wind came to an abrupt halt, and the vast spread of the wind visibly shrank.
In the gradually clearing sky, the figure of a Taoist riding a tiger came into view for the King of Shu.
"Fellow Daoist, please stay."
Even from such a far distance, the King of Shu could imagine such a phrase.
"That ill-omened guy came too?"
For the first time, the King of Shu lost his composure.
Seeing the Taoist riding a tiger, there was no need to observe his face to confirm his identity.
Among the Mystic Sect, riding a tiger was the unique symbol of a particular individual; anyone else who dared to ride a tiger would not only have to be fearless of bad luck but would also need considerable strength to avoid being killed.
Over time, as soon as you saw a Taoist riding a tiger, you could almost be sure that Lord Sangmen had arrived.
At this juncture, with such an ill-omened individual appearing, the King of Shu was uncertain whether to be happy or worried.
"It seems your highness has misjudged," the woman said with a light laugh, "this matter is no longer just a conflict between the Jiang family and the Taiping Sect, it also involves other factions’ stances. Yuxu Temple’s actions have made it clear that they stand in opposition to the Taiping Sect."
In this situation, unless Sect Leader Zhang Zhixuan of the Taiping Sect personally intervened, even if the Primordial Lord, Master of Rain, arrived, there would likely be someone to oppose him.
At least the Dragon Slayer Daoist of Yuxu Temple is most likely to take action.
"There might be some possibility," the King of Shu nodded, "But after all, this is the Jiang family seeking to hold the Taiping Sect accountable; it would truly be a matter between the Jiang family and the Taiping Sect, and only the Jiang family can justifiably engage, preventing Sect Leader Zhang from intervening. Otherwise..."
Otherwise, Zhang Zhixuan might step in.
A third grade was indeed not to be trifled with, but that didn’t mean they were made of clay.
Should it truly come to a crucial moment, Zhang Zhixuan would naturally take action, and the rest of the third grade would express no objections.
Surely, they couldn’t be expected not to retaliate if attacked?
They wanted to prevent others from advancing, not to shackle themselves. Apart from matters related to advancement, at other times, the third-grade individuals still stood at the pinnacle of Divine Country.
"We’ll have to see how capable the Young Master of Jiang is," the woman said with a light laugh, her words laced with implication.
"Jiang Li?"
The King of Shu couldn’t help but mutter the name softly, "My beloved consort holds the Jiang family’s child in high regard."
"It’s not my regard, but the Great Palace Master who holds him in high regard. Right now, Jiang Li’s master is the greatest obstacle to the Great Palace Master’s advancement," the Princess Shu said, dropping her smile and peering into the distance beyond the city, as if she could already see Jiang Li’s figure, "And with Jiang Li possessing the Divine Farmer’s Cauldron, aren’t you interested, my prince?"
The words "Divine Farmer’s Cauldron" seemed to have a peculiar magic, causing the King of Shu to suddenly lose his composure, his gaze deepening.