I Am Overlord c1-962
Page 46
At the Medicine Hall, Xiang Shaoyun acted like the place was his home and started picking what he needed. The overseer merely pretended he didn't see anything. Xiang Shaoyun had a unique status in the Martial Hall Palace where he was free to take any resource he needed. So long as he exercised moderation, he would be allowed to take all he wanted.
But this time, Xiang Shaoyun had picked the greatest treasure of the Medicine Hall, shocking even the overseer.
"Kid, you can't take that!" the overseer rushed over and said.
Chapter 96: Is Little White an Imperial Species?
"Why can’t I take it if it’s here?" Xiang Shaoyun questioned.
He was looking at pitch-black stick resembling charcoal more than wood. It did not look special at all. Yet this very pitch black stick was the most valuable treasure of the Medicine Hall, lightning strike wood.
The so-called lightning strike wood originated from a unique breed of tree that could easily attract strikes of lightning. These trees had a certain degree of innate immunity toward lightning, and had the ability to regrow again and again after being struck by lightning. Legends said that after being struck by lightning 81 times and undergoing 81 rebirths, the tree would finally transform into a divine lightning wood that would henceforth be completely immune to lightning.
More importantly, using this wood, one would be able to cultivate the power of lightning, one of the most destructive powers in existence. Coupled with the rarity of lightning strike wood, it made it a very valuable material.
Each lightning strike wood was equivalent to a high-grade spirit plant. How many times had lightning struck this particular lightning strike wood for it to be in such a bad shape? Even though it looked completely dead, in truth, it still had life in it. After soaking it in some spirit spring water, it would regrow again.
"This is the treasure of the Medicine Hall. It can only be looked at but can never be taken. We still need to borrow its strength to capture the power of lightning during rainy days," said the overseer anxiously.
This was the treasure of the hall, and he had to keep it to gather lightning energy to assist the elders cultivating lightning energy in their breakthroughs. Although Xiang Shaoyun had a special status in the Martial Hall Palace, the overseer still couldn't allow him to take this treasure away.
Xiang Shaoyun could see that this overseer was very nervous. It wouldn't be easy to take the lightning strike wood away. Thus, he moved on to other materials instead. When he was done, he left the Medicine Hall.
Not long after, Elder Zhen Peng arrived at the Medicine Hall. He directly retrieved the lightning strike wood, yet the overseer did not dare to even make a sound.
Early the next day, Xiang Shaoyun, Elder Zhen Peng, and Zi Changhe headed out toward the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. For this trip, Xiang Shaoyun's main goal was the place where lightning gathered. The place was located at the depths of the Hundred Beast Mountain Range where mountains intersected. It was one of the more dangerous areas within the Hundred Beast Mountain Range.
The demonic beasts there were at least at the Great Demon level, and even Demon Kings could be found there. Not many humans dared to step foot there. Only those at the King Realm would dare to enter.
Xiang Shaoyun's group was in no rush. After getting Little White to enlarge his body, Xiang Shaoyun rode on Little White and started leisurely traveling through the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. He needed some time to reflect on his next step in the path of cultivation.
Xiang Shaoyun needed to do many things, and his list of tasks was something completely unimaginable for many people. Just growing in strength alone was not sufficient for him to retake all that was once his. He also needed a large number of followers.
Elder Zhen Peng and Zi Changhe were decently strong, but they were far from enough from what he required. These two would only be of actual help if he decided to properly nurture them. Apart from that, he also needed some devoted soldiers loyal only to him. He wouldn't be able to go far relying only on himself.
If everyone is as talented as this young master, it wouldn't be a bad idea to spend some time training a group of followers. Unfortunately, that is not the case, Xiang Shaoyun lamented inwardly. He then told Little White to go faster as they started rushing toward the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. When they arrived at the edge of the Hundred Beast Mountain Range, they entered directly without even bothering to stop.
"Shaoyun, we need to start being careful from now on," Zi Changhe reminded him.
Xiang Shaoyun nodded, "Yeah, I know."
Although he had Elder Zhen Peng with him, accidents might still place him in danger.
Not long after, a demonic beast attacked them. Little White grabbed the initiative and attacked before anyone else. Prior to this, Little White had swallowed a demonic core and a tiger tooth. He had been growing non-stop without attracting any attention.
Even Xiang Shaoyun was not aware of how strong Little White was right now, but he reckoned Little White was at least at the Intermediate Demon level. Sure enough, the Intermediate Demon facing Little White was quickly killed.
"Young master, your demonic beast is very powerful. He has almost reached the Great Demon level," Elder Zhen Peng cried out in alarm when he sensed Little White's strength.
"Yeah, and I doubt he is a regular striped tiger," Zi Changhe said on his elder wolf. He had learned that from the elder wolf, who had once told him that the little cub was not to be underestimated.
"Hehe, I hope so. But what I hope most is for him to quickly learn how to speak. Communication will then be much easier," said Xiang Shaoyun, who was in a great mood.
"Generally, demonic beasts can only speak when they reach the late stage of the Great Demon realm. I believe it won't be long," Elder Zhen Peng said.
"Hear that, Little White? Reach the Great Demon realm as soon as possible. You will then be able to start conversing with your boss," Xiang Shaoyun said as he petted Little White.
Suddenly, Little White turned around and said in a tender voice, "B-boss, actually, I can already speak the human tongue."
All three of them froze.
"Haha, Little White, when did you learn to speak? Why haven't you told me?" Xiang Shaoyun asked gleefully as he hugged Little White. Xiang Shaoyun was after all still a youth. Although the way he did things was comparable to a sly old fox, he was still a young man at heart. Thus, it was natural for him to be overjoyed when his pet finally learned to speak.
"Not long ago, I gained the ability to talk after digesting the tiger tooth. But I can't speak well, so I have been keeping silent," Little White replied, somewhat embarrassed.
"Don't worry about it. Just practice more, and you will be able to speak fluently. Come on, let's continue on. We can continue chatting on the way," Xiang Shaoyun said.
Elder Zhen Peng and Zi Changhe exchanged glances, disbelief still in their eyes. Not even king species beasts would be able to talk before reaching the Great Demon realm. Was Little White an imperial species instead?
In the blink of an eye, several days passed, and they safely arrived at the dividing line of the outer and inner layer of the Hundred Beast Mountain Range. Here, all of them grew anxious.
Numerous demonic beasts could be found in the area, and their numbers were terrifyingly high. The only thing they could do when encountering a horde of beasts was to flee. Fortunately, Zi Changhe was very familiar with the place, and they were able to take detours around the territories of many Great Demons. That was why they had been able to reach this place so easily.
In actuality, Elder Zhen Peng wanted to directly fly with them to the place where lightning congregated, but Xiang Shaoyun rejected the proposal. This was the world of demonic beasts. If they decided to fly, it would be equivalent to challenging all the demonic beasts present. And if the demonic beasts felt provoked, a mere King Realm cultivator wouldn't be able to survive their wrath.
None of them were clearer about this than Xiang Shaoyun. Half a day later, they were
finally approaching the place where lightning congregated. A large number of lightning condors were gliding in the air, some were even diving straight down toward them.
Chapter 97: The Birth of a New King
Lightning condor was a species of lightning-loving beast, and was one of the rulers of the sky. Capable of attacking with lightning, their attacks were extremely destructive. The lightning condors immediately detected Xiang Shaoyun’s group upon their arrival. A group of lightning condors dove at them, including a Great Demon condor.
"All humans who dare encroach on our territory shall die," shouted the Great Demon condor.
"This is not looking good. We need to retreat for now. Otherwise, the number of lightning condors will only grow," Zi Changhe said.
"No. Old Peng, kill them as quickly as possible," Xiang Shaoyun said with a ruthless glint in his eyes. Hearing that, Elder Zhen Peng stopped trying to keep a low profile. He flew up into the sky and sent several flaming palms toward the condors.
Bang! Bang!
A mere Great Demon was naturally incapable of resisting the strength of a King Realm cultivator. Elder Zhen Peng had already reached the second stage of the Skysoar Realm, and he was not far from the third stage. His attacks landed, causing the condors to all combust and die midair.
"Use the corpse decomposing liquid on them. We can't allow the smell of blood to leak," Xiang Shaoyun said.
At that command, a bottle appeared in Elder Zhen Peng's hand. He immediately poured the liquid in the bottle on the dead condors.
"Alright, let's retreat in the woods for now. We will decide what to do when a thunderstorm arrives," Xiang Shaoyun said.
They were currently gathered in a rather empty area. Here, the lightning condors could easily discover them. In any case, there was no thunderstorm right now. Going further would be pointless.
Zi Changhe clenched his teeth and said, "That is a Great Demon lightning condor! If we bring it back, we can exchange it for a large number of spirit crystals!"
"So long as you have the strength, you can kill as many Great Demons as you want. At that time, you will no longer care about these profits," Xiang Shaoyun said.
"That's true, I guess. I have been too shortsighted," Zi Changhe said and laughed dryly.
The three retreated into the woods, ate some dried meats, and settled down to wait for the thunderstorm. This was a place where lightning congregated. The moment it started raining, lightning would gather.
Generally speaking, cultivators wouldn't be able to directly absorb the entirety of the lightning bolt. Not even King Realm cultivators could do it. At most, they could only absorb a small portion of the lightning energy to increase their own strength.
For normal people, just absorbing a small amount of lightning energy was a great harvest. Lightning bolts originated directly from the heavens, with each bolt containing an unimaginable amount of energy. It was not something a normal person could absorb.
However, Xiang Shaoyun had a lightning bone within him. The lightning bone was a bone that had been passed down in the Xiang Clan since ancient times, and it gave him an ability a normal person wouldn't even dream of having.
Xiang Shaoyun was in a rush to grow, and thus, he could not afford to ignore the power of his lightning bone, regardless of his hate toward the bone. He was unsure of whether the lightning bone would be able to resist the power of lightning. For now, he would be satisfied with absorbing the energy from the remnant of some exhausted lightning bolt. With his current strength, a single bolt of lighting would probably suffice to turn his entire body into ash.
The wait was a long one. Weather was unpredictable, after all. Therefore, patience was necessary. As they had nothing to do, all three of them meditated in the lotus position. As for Little White and the elder wolf, they also rested silently instead of roaming around.
In the blink of an eye, three days passed. The sky finally started darkening. It would seem a thunderstorm would come in a day or two. Up in the sky not far from them, numerous lightning condors grew excited. They clamored repeatedly as they celebrated in excitement. This was a sign that the condors were already anticipating the arrival of lightning.
"Something is weird. More and more lightning condors are gathering. What's going on?" Zi Changhe whispered.
"How is this weird? They have always loved thunderstorms since that is how they grow stronger," Elder Zhen Peng said.
"Yes, but the previous time I was here, a thunderstorm had also occurred, but there were not so many lightning condors at all," Zi Changhe said.
Xiang Shaoyun scowled. "I'm afraid a new King is going to appear among them." He paused and pointed in a certain direction before continuing, "See that? They are all flying in tempo, as if they are forming an impenetrable defensive network. Anyone who approaches will be attacked."
Hearing that, Elder Zhen Peng and Zi Changhe immediately noticed that he was right. Inwardly, they felt ashamed for not noticing it themselves. Xiang Shaoyun was younger than them and weaker too. But his observational skill was something neither of them could compare to.
"What should we do then? If a lightning condor king appears, it will be impossible for us to approach," Zi Changhe asked gloomily.
"Yeah, if a lightning condor king appears, I won't be able to keep you two safe anymore," Elder Zhen Peng said.
Generally, demonic beasts would have stronger combat prowess than humans of the same cultivation level. And in this case, a Demon King of the lightning condor, which specialized in destructiveness and speed, would be an even thornier opponent.
"This might be a rare chance for us as well," Xiang Shaoyun said, eyes narrowed into a slit.
"Young master, y-you aren't thinking of taking advantage of this Demon King, right?" Elder Zhen Peng guessed. Zi Changhe was overwhelmed with shock. That idea was too crazy.
"We'll see," Xiang Shaoyun suppressed the urge he had to make a move on the Demon King. Half a day later, dark clouds covered the sky. The face of a devil seemed to have formed in the sky, giving off an extremely oppressive feeling.
"Young master, should we take out the lightning strike wood? With the wood, we can attract lightning bolts of our own as well," Elder Zhen Peng suggested.
"No, we wait," Xiang Shaoyun said calmly.
Suddenly, a bolt of lightning tore through the sky and dove down like a dragon gliding across the sky.
Rumble! Rumble!
More and more lighting bolts appeared, and in the blink of an eye, numerous explosions erupted midair, tearing even space apart. The lightning condors clamored as they all scattered and surrounded the area.
Suddenly, a black figure appeared out of nowhere and flew up into the sky. When unfurled, its wings had a length of about three or four meters, making it look extremely majestic gliding through the air. That was a lightning condor at the peak of the Great Demon realm, and it was flying straight toward the spot where the lightning bolts gathered.
Rumble! Rumble!
A lightning bolt that seemed boundlessly powerful snaked through the air and struck the lightning condor. The lightning condor shrieked as it struggled strenuously to resist the lightning. Its demonic aura surged as it fought on with all its strength. Only by surviving this calamity would it become a Demon King, achieving the great dao.
"Young master, what should we do?" Elder Zhen Peng was growing anxious.
They needed to either make a move on the condors now or take out their lightning strike wood to gather their own lightning bolts. Staring at the numerous lightning condors in the air, Xiang Shaoyun hesitated. He had an urge to rush out there. The more concentrated the lightning bolts were, the better it would be for him.
But it seemed too risky. Right as he was about to make a decision, he saw a figure rushing toward the lightning condor in the midst of breakthrough.
"A King Realm cultivator is attacking!" Elder Zhen Peng cried out in alarm.
Chapter 98: Growing Without Restraint
The King Realm was also known as the
Skysoar Realm. As the name implied, cultivators at this realm could soar through the sky to overlook the world below. At present, an unknown King Realm cultivator was flying toward the lightning condor who was in the midst of a breakthrough. The cultivator moved as fast as lightning, and in the blink of an eye, he pierced through the defensive network formed by the lightning condors.
The inner layer of the defensive network was guarded by Great Demon condors. They were not Kings, but since they were currently up in the air, the condors still held superiority over humans. When they noticed the enemy attack, they shrieked and started attacking the enemy.
These lightning condors were all spitting lightning bolts, and when they attacked together, they filled the sky with a thick lightning energy. Their attacks coupled with the natural lightning bolts coming from the sky above created an environment even King Realm cultivators would find it hard to survive.
But the attacking King Realm cultivator was obviously no pushover. His purple spear danced in the air, striking one condor after another as he continued on toward the lightning condor in the midst of breakthrough.
Unfortunately, too many lightning condors were fearlessly blocking his way without heed for their own lives. His advance slowed down while the breakthrough was getting nearer and nearer to completion.
"Elder Zhen Peng, give me the lightning strike wood and fly me over! Senior brother, do as you see fit," Xiang Shaoyun said decisively.
Elder Zhen Peng did not hesitate and immediately handed Xiang Shaoyun the lightning strike wood before lifting him and flying straight toward the place where lightning congregated. Mustering his full strength, Elder Zhen Peng flew at top speed. In the span of a few breaths, he started approaching the location. As the lightning condors were busy fighting the King Realm cultivator, he easily bypassed the defensive network.