Qin Shi Lei heard the sound of Thunder Beasts running outside the mountain top. He estimated that it would take less than a minute for the group of Thunder Beasts to reach the summit.
Lu Tian Gang and the others walked to the other side of the mountain top. If the situation turned dire, they would have to descend from there.
However, considering their respective speeds, they would likely be caught by the Thunder Beasts before they could escape down the mountain.
Everyone could only hope that the silver bead, emitting lightning from its center, would open the light portal they entered through, allowing them to return to Blue Star.
Qin Shi Lei reached out to touch the bead, and a larger bolt of lightning struck his right hand.
A thought crossed his mind, and the lightning-attribute Yuan Qi in his Dantian surged towards his right hand.
As soon as the lightning touched his Yuan Qi, it melted away like snow in water, merging with the Yuan Qi and flowing into his Dantian through his meridians.
The total Yuan Qi in Qin Shi Lei's Dantian instantly increased by a trace.
His hand finally made contact with the bead, and bolts of lightning appeared all over Qin Shi Lei's body, radiating light.
"How is it? Did you find a way to open the passage back?"
"The Thunder Beasts are almost here. Should we retreat first?"
"Qin Shi Lei, are you alright?"
Lu Tian Gang and the others asked anxiously.
Qin Shi Lei, however, seemed oblivious. Instead, he closed his eyes.
He seemed to be contemplating something, or perhaps he was blinded by the lightning.
"We should escape quickly."
Lu Tian Gang stomped his foot and rushed towards the other side of the mountain top.
An Qian and Zhang Xiao Li moved in front of Qin Shi Lei, their eyes focused on their surroundings, ready to defend.
At this moment, the first Thunder Beast appeared on the summit.
Just then, Qin Shi Lei opened his eyes and looked up, smiling. "You guys retreat behind me. Let me deal with these Thunder Beasts first."
Upon hearing this, An Qian and Zhang Xiao Li joyfully retreated behind Qin Shi Lei.
More and more Thunder Beasts appeared on the summit, charging ferociously towards the three of them.
Devouring Thunder!
Suddenly, ten thousand bolts of lightning descended from the sky!
Then, An Qian and the others witnessed an astonishing sight.
The lightning that descended was even more violent and dense than the natural lightning they had seen on the mountain top. It appeared out of thin air and struck the Thunder Beasts before them.
In an instant, the Thunder Beasts were struck down.
The beasts had initially thought this lightning was similar to the kind they usually bathed in, treating it with disdain.
However, with a single strike, the Thunder Beasts were instantly knocked to the ground.
Then, a scent of roasted meat wafted in the wind.
Could the Thunder Beasts, who bathed in lightning, really be killed by it?
Watching the Thunder Beasts run up from the mountain and then instantly fall to the ground, completely defenseless, An Qian asked in astonishment, "Qin Shi Lei, is this really the divine lightning you summoned?"
Qin Shi Lei nodded and then shook his head. "It's a secret technique I know, but it's not something I can use with my current strength."
Devouring Thunder (Orange): Unleashes a powerful lightning storm with lightning-attribute Yuan Qi, covering an area of one hundred meters.
This was the attribute Qin Shi Lei had fixed to the "Thunder Movement Nine Heavens" secret manual.
With his Black Iron realm Yuan Qi, he was incapable of using this ultimate technique.
However, when he touched the silver bead, inspiration struck him, and he felt he could use the bead to unleash Devouring Thunder.
So, Qin Shi Lei decided to try it, and the effect was astonishingly good.
Perhaps hearing the commotion behind him, Lu Tian Gang and the others turned to look.
What they saw was a sight they would never forget.
Qin Shi Lei, like a god of thunder, raised his hand and summoned ten thousand bolts of lightning. The powerful Thunder Beasts were easily struck down as if they were made of paper.
The destructive power and the range of the lightning sent shivers down their spines with just a glance.
This kind of thunderous downpour was like a forbidden spell from a novel, capable of destroying the world upon its release.
Ever since they encountered Qin Shi Lei, they had continuously raised their opinion of him.
They knew he was strong, but they never expected him to be this strong.
So strong that they couldn't even entertain the thought of opposing him.
In less than a minute, not a single standing Thunder Beast remained in sight.
The ground was covered in bronze treasure chests and smoking Thunder Beast corpses.
"I wonder if these Thunder Beasts are roasted to a crisp. Can they still be eaten?" Qin Shi Lei said, sniffing the air with some uncertainty.
An Qian walked forward and casually split open a Thunder Beast. After inspecting it, she said, "Although some parts are charred, they are generally half-cooked. They should still be edible."
Qin Shi Lei breathed a sigh of relief. "Fortunately, fortunately. Not much food was wasted."
Xia Yun Yan and the others inwardly complained. With such a powerful technique, were they really worried about food?
Qin Shi Lei collected the Thunder Beast King's treasure chest and said, "I'll shamelessly take the Thunder Beast King's treasure chest. I'll give each of you two bronze treasure chests to make up for it."
Lu Tian Gang waved his hand. "The fact that we could kill the Thunder Beast King was all thanks to you. How could we accept your treasure chests?"
Xia Yun Yan and Xie Xing Jian also refused.
In truth, they were also covetous of the silver treasure chest they saw for the first time. However, was it that easy to obtain? They might have the life to open it, but not the life to survive.
"After all, you also contributed. Please take these treasure chests." Qin Shi Lei insisted on giving them two bronze treasure chests each.
With over a hundred bronze treasure chests here, giving away a few brought him no pain.
Lu Tian Gang put away the bronze treasure chest and asked, "Qin Shi Lei, did you find a way to leave from that bead?"
Qin Shi Lei nodded. "The method of departure is indeed on the bead. I will open the passage for you to leave now."
As he channeled a surge of Yuan Qi into the bead, a portal of light appeared before them.
"Then we'll leave first. We'll meet again." Lu Tian Gang and the others said, stepping into the portal and returning to the cave they had entered.
An Qian asked, "Are we leaving now too?"
Qin Shi Lei smiled and said, "No rush. Let us improve our strength a bit before we go back."
"This is the Thunder Spirit Orb, a heavenly treasure nurtured by heaven and earth. In this place rich in lightning elemental energy, it can control lightning more easily."
"I can use the Thunder Spirit Orb to summon lightning of appropriate intensity to cleanse you all. Your strength will then be significantly improved."
An Qian asked hesitantly, "Is it really okay? Won't we be cooked?"
Qin Shi Lei said with confidence, "Not at all. How could I possibly harm you?"
To dispel the two women's fears, Qin Shi Lei first summoned lightning with the Thunder Spirit Orb and struck himself.
Lightning as thick as a finger entered Qin Shi Lei's body from his head but did not harm him in the slightest.
Instead, his muscles and bones became denser and more solid under the stimulation of the lightning. It was like a cultivation advancement, and his physical fitness was rapidly increasing.
After half an hour, Qin Shi Lei felt a slight numbness all over his body. He indicated that the stimulation had been sufficient for now and that he would need some time to rest before undergoing further lightning cleansing.
Qin Shi Lei did not stop there. He slightly reduced the power of the lightning.
At the same time, he circulated the Yuan Qi in his Dantian, actively refining the lightning that entered his body.