As Lu Fan pondered over his cultivation journey, a new question arose in his mind. If his body was controlled by True Thunder and his dantian was controlled by the mini-sun, then why didn't the two forces clash for dominance?
In the past, he had believed that fire Qi acted as the bridge between the two—connecting his body and his dantian. But now, after all the revelations about his cultivation, he knew that fire Qi was not the true link. He had long ago realized that his body didn't actually use fire Qi at all; all of it was collected within his dantian, leaving him with a crucial question: What is the actual bridge between the two powers?
The notion of two such powerful forces coexisting in his body without conflict was baffling. It seemed that something, some unseen force or principle, was harmonizing them—guiding the True Thunder and the mini-sun to work together in a delicate balance. But what was it? Lu Fan knew that if he could uncover this hidden link, it would likely unlock an entirely new level of understanding and power in his cultivation.
Lu Fan continued engraving Thunder Patterns onto his body, following the same path as when he first started body tempering. Just like back then, he began with skin tempering, carefully inscribing the patterns across his entire body.
As he completed the final inscription, something unexpected happened—all the patterns came to life. Before, they had resembled a net of flickering thunder, forming a kind of Thunder Armor. But now, the patterns began to transform and condense, fusing into something far stronger. The once-fluid web of lightning solidified into a Thunder Diamond Armor, an unshakable defensive layer infused with the raw power of True Thunder.
Excited by this breakthrough, Lu Fan attempted to inscribe patterns onto his muscles, hoping to push his Thunder Patterns even further. However, this time, nothing happened. No matter how much he tried, his body simply rejected the inscriptions on his muscles. It was as if the Thunder Diamond Armor had created a natural barrier, preventing any further modifications.
Lu Fan frowned. Why did the skin tempering succeed, but the muscle tempering fail?
Lu Fan shifted his approach. Since Thunder Armor Patterns only worked on his skin, he decided to try a different set of patterns for his muscles—something he called Thunder Might. This time, it worked. Encouraged by this success, he continued inscribing the patterns across his muscles.
Upon completion, Thunder Might transformed into Thunder Fury, granting his muscles explosive power.
For his bones, he engraved Thunder Iron Patterns, which later evolved into Thunder Adamantine Patterns, reinforcing his skeletal structure to be as unyielding as divine metal.
Next, he focused on his internal organs, inscribing Thunder Cure Art, which mysteriously transformed into Thunder Rebirth Art, enhancing his body's self-recovery and resilience.
However, just as he was marveling at these transformations, something unexpected happened.
All the Thunder Patterns—from skin, muscle, bones, and organs—began to stir, merging together into a single, intricate and complex pattern. This final pattern dissolved into his blood, seeping into his bone marrow and forming a new Bloodline.
In an instant, all the thunder skills he had just obtained disappeared. It wasn't that he had lost them—they had become part of his very being. His blood had begun to transform, slowly adapting to this new Thunder Bloodline.
With time, as his bone marrow continuously produced new blood, his entire body would be reborn under this new lineage. And when the transformation was complete, he would regain all his thunder skills, now refined and strengthened by the newly evolved Thunder Bloodline
With this newly awakened Thunder Bloodline, Lu Fan now had the foundation to break through to Level 3 Body-Tempering Realm. However, he chose not to do so in the Cloudrest City. Such an important advancement required a stable and secure environment—his island was the perfect place.
On his way back, he decided to visit Lin Rou. In just two years, she had already reached the Bone Tempering Realm, a remarkable achievement.
As he observed the new chapter of the Whirlpool Art, a realization struck him—he finally understood the bridge between his True Thunder and Mini-Sun.
It was Blood Qi.
Everything suddenly made sense.
Back when he attempted to step into the Innate Martial Expert Realm, he had been blocked due to his lack of a proper Blood Qi method. It was only after he cultivated the Blood Cauldron Art that he had succeeded.
Now, he saw the deeper truth—Blood Cauldron Art wasn't just a technique; it had become the very foundation of his Thunder Body-Tempering technique.
This meant that Blood Qi was the key to balancing the opposing forces of Thunder and Sunfire inside him.
Lu Fan decided to stay in the village while Lin Rou continued her practice. During this time, he revisited his Blood Cauldron Art.
Previously, his Cauldron Art had fused into his Thunder Tempering Technique, serving as a supporting art rather than a primary cultivation method. However, he realized that if he wanted to advance further, he needed to strengthen the Blood Cauldron Art itself.
Much like how his Thunder abilities had improved through deeper understanding, he sought an efficient way to enhance his Blood Cauldron Art.
Thus, he decided to refine a Blood Furnace, inspired by the blood refinement techniques used by evil cultivators. Unlike them, who refined human blood into blood essence, Lu Fan chose a different path—using animal blood instead. While it was less effective, it avoided unnecessary slaughter.
To expedite the process, he once again used Amazzone to order products like bonemeal and blood meal. These materials, commonly used in agriculture, were rich in blood essence and could be refined into a usable form.
Over the next few days, he refined a large quantity of blood essence. Once he had enough, he began absorbing it, fueling his Blood Cauldron Art and strengthening his Blood Qi.
During this period, his body had fully transformed, with his blood completely replaced by the new Thunder Bloodline. As a result, his body was once again covered in the same Thunder Patterns he had previously engraved. However, while his outer body displayed familiar patterns, the true complexity lay within his bloodline, where the composite pattern had fused into his very being.
At this point, if he wanted to, he could break through to the Level 3 Body-Tempering Realm at any time. Yet, he chose not to. Instead, he continued refining Blood Essence, focusing entirely on strengthening his Blood Qi.
As time passed, the Blood Qi inside Lu Fan's body surged uncontrollably. His entire body became engulfed in a dense, crimson aura, making him appear like a giant red egg pulsing with life. The surrounding air felt heavy, as if his mere presence distorted the natural balance.
Even in this state, Lu Fan did not stop. He continued to refine more Blood Essence, tirelessly pushing his Blood Cauldron Art to higher levels. Subtly, his techniques began to evolve, changing little by little.