Chapter 413: The Correct Way to Open Two Barrels

Is that... Wang Feng?!

Gule's consciousness hadn't completely faded yet. A surge of soul power was promptly transferred over, helping him recover a sliver of vitality. This...?!

It was Wang Feng—just Wang Feng. But how could his soul power still be so potent at this point? This completely shattered Gule's understanding. How was this possible?

The puppet by Wang Feng's side was gone, apparently shattered by the lightning. Yet, a faint purple glow emanated from his body, and beneath his feet was a purple runic array. The surrounding thunder and lightning in the air didn’t strike him but seemed to actively veered away from the purple glow!

This was...

Gule was startled, suddenly recalling an ancient spell recorded in Sakuman’s ancient texts—the Heavenly Thunder Five Elements Severance Array!

Legend had it that this was an ancient technique left behind by the Thunder God, the ancestor of Hegvis. The one who could defy thunder magic must be the most adept at it. The Thunder God Hegvis had left behind this spell specifically for counter-cultivation of thunder arts, said to resist all thunder magic of the same level as the caster!

But this technique had been lost long, long ago, and it required ghost-level proficiency to perform.

Yet... the purple glow around Wang Feng and the lightning actively avoiding him were exactly as described in the legends! This... this...

Wherever the purple light reached, the thunder retreated!

There were still about thirty steps left on the fifth rotation of the Thunder Path—the hardest thirty steps. Yet Wang Feng walked up effortlessly as if walking on level ground, even supporting someone with ease.

Before them was a clearing much larger than any previous landing, with a stone stele standing at the top of the steps. Three bold purple characters were inscribed on it—Thundercliff.

But this wasn’t the summit. Directly ahead of the clearing stood another peak, devoid of stone steps or ironwood, just a stark, towering crag. A narrow, winding path, seemingly trodden by footsteps, extended upward, disappearing into the even more terrifying black clouds above—like a hellscape of thunder.

Of course, Gule had no mind to observe this now. He was still reeling from the shock of Wang Feng’s "Heavenly Thunder Five Elements Severance Array." "You... that was..."

"This thing? I saw this runic array while mopping floors in the Rose Library. Didn’t think it’d actually work. See, I told you—you’d be better off at Rose with me. You’ve hit a bottleneck here," Old Wang said casually.

Gule opened his mouth but didn’t know how to respond. He hadn’t taken it seriously before—who’d have thought Wang Feng genuinely wanted to be his mentor? But as a thunder mage, his eyes burned with desire.

"Want to learn? I’ll teach you," Old Wang laughed.

Gule’s thoughts were seen through, and his face reddened. "With such a broken thunder-warding spell, why didn’t you use it earlier? Then you wouldn’t have lost those two precious puppets..."

"I’m a lazy guy—if I can sit, I won’t stand; if I can use puppets, I won’t lift a finger," Old Wang chuckled. "That’s just my style. Isn’t that what everyone thinks?"

Gule was stunned but understood he was just messing around. Wang Feng simply didn’t like flaunting his abilities. Everyone had underestimated him—this was the genius who invented the Fusion Rune. His runic skills left even mentors in awe. The irony was that everyone assumed he’d gotten this far through flattery.

Then Wang Feng turned his gaze toward the higher summit, his eyes gleaming. "Take a breather here. I’ll go up and take a look. I’ll come back to take you down later."

As he spoke, he actually started ascending again.

Gule was dumbfounded. It took him two or three seconds to snap out of it. "Wait!"

He looked at Wang Feng with a complicated expression. "Wang Feng, you helped me up here—you’ve already won. What’s ahead is off-limits. Even ghost-level thunder mages can’t go there safely. Your array is strong, but your soul power isn’t enough to sustain it..."

Wang Feng waved dismissively without looking back. With the array shielding him, he vanished into the terrifying thunderstorm, as if devoured by the storm.

Within the storm, a white Er Tong appeared beside Wang Feng.

Er Tong bounded over, tail wagging. It had been stuck on Rose’s Spirit Beast Mountain for two or three months without Wang Feng. No one fed it meat, and it had been rough. Though the girl with glasses from the potions department occasionally visited with some food... she brought braised pork! Er Tong felt like it was downright insulting—it was a purebred Snow Wolf King, a ruler of icy peaks, used to fresh meat and blood! Here, it was treated like a pet and fed braised pork?

Thankfully, its master Wang Feng had finally remembered it and summoned it over. It was ready to butter him up and maybe trick him into giving it some real meat!

But the moment it appeared, its excitement flipped to sheer panic. Despite the lightning-repelling array, Er Tong was no super Spirit Beast—it stood no chance against that crushing force.

BOOM!

A terrifying thunderclap boomed directly overhead, causing Er Tong's eyes rolled back as it fainted on the spot.

Thunder, lightning, and the natural faint that emptied its vessel formed the necessary conditions for what was to come.

The stiff-limbed snow wolf collapsed rigidly, and its fur underwent a miraculous transformation—turning charred yellow and noticeably uglier. But then, its already rolled-back, lifeless eyes suddenly snapped open, giving a withering side-eye to Wang Feng.

Old Wang promptly smacked its head. "Who are you trying to scare? Let’s go! Today's your lucky day - we're eating good!"

Yi Tong had been ready to snap back, but it immediately sensed the surging thunder energy above. Its eyes lit up. Wang Feng’s current soul force couldn't normally sustain Yi Tong's summoning, but as his bonded Spirit Beast and with the boost from two Heavenly Soul Pearls, he could barely manage it for a short while—though Yi Tong’s strength would be severely limited. Pure thunder energy, however, was like premium-grade fuel, especially for Yi Tong, who wasn’t picky.

That's the Insect God species for you!

The Path to Heaven ranked far higher than the Thunder Path in terms of significance within Mount Makru, yet it wasn’t as famous. The latter was known because the Sakuman Holy Sanctuary used it as a trial for recruiting Thunder Wizards, earning widespread renown. This place, however, was a domain only the top-tier ghost-level Thunder Mages of Sakuman were qualified to tread, so few outside knew of it. But Old Wang happened to know quite a bit about it.

Not from playing *Glory of the Nine*, but because of Thunder Dragon, the former headmaster of Rose Academy. Thunder Dragon, renowned for his mastery of thunder magic, had once walked this Path to Heaven—after burning through a fortune and calling in every favor to gain permission from both the Hegvis clan and the Sakuman Holy Sanctuary.

Like the five-tiered Thunder Path below, this place also had three tiers. The first tier was the threshold for ghost-level practitioners. Only the most formidable ghost-peak experts could step into the second tier, but even they rarely reached its end. Thunder Dragon had turned back near the summit of the second tier back then, obtaining a Thunder Pearl—and he was already among the top ghost-peak Thunder Wizards of his time. As for the third tier, it was said only dragon-level badasses could walk that walk. Those who reached the summit might even gain divinity, like Hegvis himself!

This was no longer just a trial—it was a place of true, immense opportunity. Divinity was out of the question, but Old Wang dared to dream of a Thunder Pearl.

Now, as man and dog stepped inside, they were immediately greeted by a seriously intense buzz.

Right from the start, the thunder pressure was at mid-ghost level. Even the theoretically pressure-proof Insect God species trembled. This was like so-called "insulators"—effective within the same tier, but utterly useless when the gap was too wide. Absolute power steamrolls all defenses.

Old Wang began to feel his steps grow heavy, like he was hauling lead weights. The surroundings were terrifyingly dark—even straining his eyes, he could barely make out the narrow path beneath his feet. Meanwhile, the thunder energy in the air was off-the-charts intense.

The streaking currents from the Thunder Path below had transformed here into horizontal bolts of lightning, as thick as Old Wang’s arm, shooting straight like javelins from all directions, intent on turning him into a lightning rod.

Thunder roared and lightning flashed, forming a divine electric chair! If Old Wang had come alone, he’d have been fried to a crisp instantly. Fortunately, he had Yi Tong.

Jumping up to block the strikes was impossible—the lightning was far too fast for any physical reaction. But like a Puppet, Yi Tong was linked to Old Wang by a soul chain. The thunder force striking Wang Feng was instantly conducted to Yi Tong, whose charred yellow fur flickered, swallowing the massive current whole. A single strand of its fur would shift from scorched yellow to bright yellow, then orange, before flashing with a hint of gold—then vanishing, the fur returning to its original state.

Just absorbing the trickle Wang Feng channeled wasn’t enough for Yi Tong. It eagerly devoured the surrounding thunderbolts, occasionally glancing back at Wang Feng with disdain—this dude was dragging ass! If not for fear of snapping the soul chain, Yi Tong would’ve already charged into the second-tier thunder zone.

Old Wang wasn't just sitting pretty either. Thunder energy nourished Yi Tong, but it was also beneficial for him. The greatest advantage of the Heavenly Soul Pearls wasn’t just replenishing energy—it was their ability to balance everything.

The first pearl had harmonized Old Wang’s soul and body, fusing them seamlessly. Now, with Yi Tong diverting 90% of the thunder force, the remaining 10% was effortlessly converted by the two pearls into pure soul energy, replenishing and nurturing Wang Feng’s spirit. One spell after another was cast on himself, accelerating the absorption of thunder energy. What was torture for ghost-level experts became a gluttonous feast for Wang Feng and Yi Tong, who even competed for more.

Old Wang was in bliss. He needed to activate certain powers. Back in Rose, when Thunder Dragon had spoken of this place, he’d already set his sights on it. Even if Sakuman hadn’t provoked him, he’d have found a way here! Of course, this was even better—rep and rewards, all locked down.

As for Gule? Two birds, one stone. When you’re out in the world, how can you not have underlings? Well, alright—recruiting followers was secondary. The main goal was finding a legitimate excuse to enter the Path to Heaven! Otherwise, why would a non-Thunder Wizard insist on climbing further after winning? If Sakuman realized he’d come to steal their Thunder Pearls, a pack of ancient freaks would come gunning for him, red-eyed and ready to fight!

On the platform, Gule was completely mind-blown. Though the narrow path was shrouded in dark clouds, the terrifying bolts of lightning converging from all directions created a blinding focal point.

Each bolt seemed thicker than his thigh, densely packed together, yet after striking down, the clouds merely flickered—then nothing.

The Heavenly Thunder Five Elements Absolute Formation? Alchemy Golems? Or some other method?

Gule couldn’t guess. Such means were too bizarre, too mysterious. As a Thunder Wizard, he knew all too well what this level of thunder meant for someone at Tiger Peak.

It meant death. Annihilation. Transcendence beyond limits. And yet...

He took a deep breath, suddenly feeling oddly relaxed. A self-deprecating smile crept onto his face.

Compare? Compare what? What was even the point?

This was a realm only mid-ghost or even ghost-peak Thunder Wizards could tread. It didn’t matter what methods Wang Feng used or how long he could last. The moment he stepped onto the Path to Heaven, he had already cemented himself as the undisputed top genius of their generation.

The irony was—this unimaginably terrifying existence was still seen by everyone as a slacker, a leech, a fraud who relied on ice bees and Skyburst Grenades to cheat his way through. Ha! Anyone who thought that way was the king of all fools—himself included!

Old Wang and Yitiao were happily walking through the thunderbolts. As they absorbed more and more of the lightning, Yitiao's aura started transforming, and the soul connection between it and Wang Feng suddenly became even more subtle. This wasn't only because of Yitiao's energy enhancement—it was also because of Old Wang and the Heavenly Soul Pearl...

After all, Wang Feng was also continuously refining the thunderbolts, growing stronger. Previously, it had always been the Heavenly Soul Pearl nourishing Wang Feng, but now, Old Wang was actively channeling the excess thunder energy into the Heavenly Soul Pearl. This was the first time since obtaining the Heavenly Soul Pearl that Wang Feng had actively infused energy into it.

The two Heavenly Soul Pearls within his soul were now glowing more brilliantly than ever. The pearls' decorative "eyes" on them seemed to come alive, as if awakening, allowing Wang Feng to sense more... These things weren't just for providing soul power and nourishing the soul—they had other functions, such as—summoning!

Heavenly Soul Pearl, Heavenly Soul Pearl—what even was a soul pearl? Just like a Spirit Beastmaster's soul card, this thing was another kind of "soul card"!

At this moment, Wang Feng could clearly sense that the Heavenly Soul Pearl with one eye matched up perfectly with Yitiao. Old Wang finally understood why he had accidentally summoned Yitiao when activating Er Tong—it wasn't a coincidence or dumb luck, but because of the existence of the one-eyed Heavenly Soul Pearl!

Earlier, when he felt the soul connection with Yitiao strengthen, it was because the one-eyed Heavenly Soul Pearl had been further awakened.

Yitiao hadn't been summoned by sheer luck, nor was it some distant relative of Er Tong through some bizarre genetic inheritance—it had been summoned by the Heavenly Soul Pearl. This was inevitable!

Er Tong had merely provided a suitable "vessel" at the necessary moment, allowing Yitiao to "manifest" through it. Of course, being a vessel wasn't simple—Er Tong and Yitiao seemed highly compatible, with nearly perfect physical proportions. There had been no awkwardness of soul and body failing to merge, though Er Tong's body wasn't strong enough, forcing Yitiao to be extra careful when exerting power.

Looks like he'd need to train Er Tong harder later. Even as a vessel, it had to be the strongest vessel possible! For example, right now, while Yitiao was absorbing thunderbolts—though mainly to nourish its soul—using Er Tong's body to endure the process was itself an intense tempering of the flesh.

As if sensing Old Wang's "peeping," Yitiao, who was happily feasting on thunderbolts, didn't forget to turn its head and glare at Old Wang with disdain, as if looking at an idiot. This kind of perverse habit of sneaking into someone's mind to spy—only this old pervert would do such a thing! Spirit Beasts had dignity and privacy too, you know!

Scowled at fiercely by Yitiao, Old Wang rubbed his nose, putting on an innocent expression.

What Yitiao hated most was Old Wang pretending to be innocent after doing something wrong: "Woof woof!"

"Bark at your sister, I didn't peek at your wet dream last night!" Old Wang shot back. This guy had been like this back in *Royal Nine Heavens*—damn it, a horny mutt that dreamed about getting laid still had the nerve to talk about privacy? I couldn't care less about the little female dogs it fantasized about all day!

"Woof woof woof!" Yitiao was furious—still denying it had peeked!

"Alright, alright, I only saw the beginning, then immediately changed the channel... Don't be so petty, it wasn't on purpose."

"Woof woof woof woof woof!"

"Fine, fine, stop sulking. Let's go, let's go! Up we go to grab that thunder pearl..." Old Wang began his distraction tactic, suddenly exclaiming in exaggerated surprise, "Whoa! Check it out—a UFO!"