Lu Fan traveled for days before finally reaching Cloudrest City, a cultivation city established by free cultivators who had no allegiance to any major sect. The city was bustling with activity—cultivators bartering for pills, weapons, and materials, while others searched for rare opportunities to advance their cultivation.
He spent a few days exploring, especially in the cultivation market, carefully browsing through various martial arts manuals, cultivation techniques, and arrays. However, none of them caught his attention. Most were either too basic or redundant, offering nothing he didn't already know.
Realizing there was nothing of value in the techniques, he shifted his focus to resources. His body-tempering realm had stagnated for years, and he needed better nourishment to advance. He entered a large butcher shop, searching for Level 2 beast meat—a staple for body refiners.
As he examined the different types of meat, his gaze landed on something unexpected—Level 3 beast meat. It was far rarer and packed with even more potent energy. Without hesitation, he bought a large portion, intending to use it to strengthen his body.
While inspecting the shop further, he noticed a Level 3 beast claw and other important materials. As a weapon refiner, he instantly realized something—the claws, bones, and certain parts of the beast's body were vastly different from its flesh. These parts carried a unique essence, making them ideal for crafting weapons or artifacts.
This discovery sparked new ideas in his mind.
Lu Fan carefully examined the beast parts displayed in the shop. Unlike ordinary materials, these bones, claws, and hides carried natural inscriptions, remnants of the beast's own abilities. These were their innate weapons, honed through years of survival in the wild.
Intrigued, he decided to purchase Level 3 Thunder Beast parts. He specifically selected a beast bone with thunder armor patterns, believing it could be refined into a powerful defensive artifact.
As he continued browsing, he noticed beast parts with various elemental abilities—
Flame Blade Bones – Contained fire essence, naturally sharp and capable of emitting heat.
Feather Arrows – Plucked from aerial beasts, these had wind-attribute patterns that enhanced speed and penetration.
Earth Shock Hooves – Carried vibrations of the earth, capable of unleashing shockwaves upon impact.
Seeing their potential, Lu Fan bought several pieces, planning to study their natural engravings and integrate them into his weapon refining techniques.
Lu Fan carefully studied the beast patterns, analyzing how they naturally formed on bones and hides. He realized that these patterns were not just decorations—they were a representation of the beast's innate abilities, enhancing their physical traits.
With this understanding, an idea struck him—why not try to engrave similar patterns onto his own body?
He recalled his previous attempt at inscribing a mini-sun totem, which had failed. However, Thunder Patterns were different—they resonated with his body's natural affinity for lightning and body tempering.
He began the experiment. Carefully, he guided Thunder through his meridians and muscles, allowing it to etch itself into his flesh. Sparks crackled across his skin, and soon, a faint Thunder Pattern emerged on his arm.
Encouraged by the success, he continued engraving more patterns on different parts of his body. As he progressed, he noticed a peculiar phenomenon—
The stronger his body, the more patterns he could form.
This realization excited him. If he could refine his body through these natural engravings, he might step beyond ordinary body tempering and create an entirely new method.
Determined, he persisted, engraving more Thunder Patterns onto his skin, pushing the limits of his body's endurance and potential.
Unlike most body tempering experts, who utilized their own cultivation skills to form patterns, Lu Fan's Thunder was something entirely unique. His Thunder was not mere Thunder Qi—it was true Thunder itself, directly absorbed into his body.
This was a profound distinction. It was similar to how water was different from water Qi. When spiritual Qi was influenced by an element, it transformed into that element's Qi—but Lu Fan's Thunder was raw and pure, untamed by any intermediary process.
As he experimented, Lu Fan realized that his Thunder wasn't just an elemental force—it was a living, breathing energy that existed outside the confines of typical Qi. When he absorbed it, it felt like he was channeling the very essence of a storm—more primal and intense than any Qi-based cultivation.
The Thunder Patterns on his body, powered by this unique form of energy, moved and pulsed in ways that ordinary elemental Qi would never do. Every strike of Thunder seemed to resonate within him, transforming not just his muscle structure but even his spiritual awareness, pushing him into a new realm of power.
Before, Lu Fan had believed that his body was merely using Thunder Qi, like any other elemental energy. However, after years of experience and refinement, he came to the stark realization that what he was truly wielding was True Thunder—not just a variation of elemental Qi. This distinction was profound, and it explained a lot of the difficulties he had faced.
The issue wasn't simply a matter of skill; it was a fundamental incompatibility between his body and his powers. He could feel the Thunder coursing through him, move it within his body, but whenever he tried to invoke Thunder-based techniques, he failed miserably. Control was the key problem.
It was akin to taking a bath with water, where the water was all around you, ready to be used—but trying to shape that water into something else, like a pillar of water, was simply beyond reach. No matter how hard he tried, he couldn't control the Thunder the way he controlled other elements.
The Thunder inside him, while potent and filled with destructive potential, was not something his body was yet equipped to master fully. It existed like a wild storm, powerful but undirected, and it made his every attempt to harness it for his martial skills feel like fighting against a raging tempest.
The Thunder Patterns he had etched into his body, however, offered him something he had desperately sought: control. The intricate markings formed by these patterns weren't just symbolic; they held the key to unlocking mastery over the True Thunder within him. Where before his body had been an untamed vessel for raw Thunder, the patterns acted as conduits, providing structure and guidance.
With each additional pattern, Lu Fan could feel the Thunder in his body aligning, becoming more ordered and precise. The once chaotic energy now flowed in patterns, responding to his will rather than being a mindless force. This newfound control wasn't perfect, but it was progress—a significant shift from the uncontrollable power that had once overwhelmed him.
For the first time, he felt as though he might be able to direct the Thunder, shaping it into something useful, something manageable. With this breakthrough, the potential for his Thunder-based techniques, and his martial prowess as a whole, had just expanded exponentially.