Shi Lang was sitting inside the cavern and had lost the sense of time as he dwelled deeper in the comprehension. He was unaware of the changes that took place outside. His consciousness slowly changed as he etched the understanding of the cultivation sutra onto his soul.
The fragile soul has undergone a significant change as the young man was pouring in the spirit energy from the core crystal. Two levels have enhanced Shi Lang's realm of soul cultivation. If he was to draw those talismans, he made for Darcx. It will be a breeze.
As he was comprehending the cultivation sutra, Unity watched the rest of the team gather together. They all had changed a lot. Amelia, Hayley, and Jenkins had a detached vibe about themselves. But, at the same time, the youngsters had transformed as well.
Jenkins asked, "Any word from him?"
Unity shook her head and said, "Deep cultivation. We cannot predict when he will be stepping out of that mine, and he has also erected an isolation formation."
Hayley nodded and said, "Was there any communication with Darcx?"
Unity nodded and looked at Allandale. The man said, "Reporting, we received an encrypted message yesterday, and it has been confirmed that there is a dark hand. The family leader has told everyone to cultivate the demon sutra, but he has also mentioned discreetly controlling themselves. Resource management has been increased by preventing people from becoming mindless savages."
Hayley and the rest nodded, and Unity said, "Since Shi Lang was unavailable, I just told Darcx to investigate the person's identity cautiously."
Amelia nodded and said, "You made the correct decision, senior. The next thing to consider is the teleportation array that we need Darcx to create. Any progress on that?"
Unity shook her head, "I have asked Darcx to see to it as well. But, unfortunately, time passes quickly, and all this resource management will only make the cultivators mad. Demonic nature does not tolerate constraints and is almost impossible to control in the early stages."
The people nodded, and Jenkins asked, "Allandale, what about the suits?"
The young man replied, "They are ready, Sir."
Haley said, "Let us wait for..."
Her words had not finished when they all saw Unity stand up suddenly. Amelia asked, "What is it, senior?"
Unity sighed, saying, "Instead of what, you should ask who. Let's see what storm he is kicking up this time."
Unity waved her hand, and everyone followed her into a wormhole. This was the fastest method to get here. However, they found the place completely covered with dark clouds when they reached the location. The sword spirit said, "We need to back off and step outside the range of these clouds."
The youngsters were surprised, but Unity did not give them any time to delay, and everyone rushed out from under the dark clouds. Amelia sighed and said, "This feels like a heavenly tribulation."
Unity nodded and said, "As far as I can sense, Shi Lang's cultivation realm is still the same. Therefore, I do not understand why this tribulation has been summoned."
The sword spirit was an ancient being; if even she could not recognize the true reason behind this, nobody could. The clouds kept rumbling. After a few minutes, Hayley said, "Lang."
Everyone trained their eyes on a figure walking out of the mine opening. His tactical gear was in pieces. However, he was walking straight like a spear. As if sensing the gazes of the people focused on him, the young man raised his head and, after locating them, waved at them.
The newbies were watching the scene with shock and awe. They had heard about the power of tribulation and how people were scared of facing them. But, then, this guy would wave at them like a walk in the park.
Shi Lang said, "You guys stay outside and do not attract anything to yourself."
The people nodded, and the thunder tribulation struck. Shi Lang did not hide or even put up a defense, he waited for the bolt of lightning to hit him, and then something changed the entire perception of the people.
The lightning strike hit Shi Lang, but the bolt vanished instead of a destructive impact as if a drop of water had fallen on a sponge. Unity could not help but break out in a curse, "I'll be damned."
Jenkins asked, "What did he just do?'
The rest also had this similar question, and the answer was evident to the sword spirit. She said, "He just absorbed the heavenly lighting and distributed it inside his body with great precision."
The people were shocked to hear this. However, they knew such things were possible with Shi Lang. Allandale took out a small tablet and began to record how Shi Lang devoured the lightning and said, "He is using this lightning to break through his cultivation. He stores the lightning energy directly inside his cells, evolving them by quickly absorbing the heavenly spirit energy."
Unity took a deep breath and said, "He intends to use this tribulation to be the means of his breakthrough. If he succeeds, he can break into the Mahayana realm in one fell swoop."
Jenkins sighed and said, "This guy, does he intend to leave anything to us?"
Hayley sighed and said, "How many times do I have to tell you to stop comparing with him? This is a monster of Terrans."
Before Amelia could say anything, the five youngsters said, "More like the Ace."
Amelia chuckled, and the two rolled their eyes. Then, Jenkins said, "Kids, I am telling you, he is a monster. You have no idea. Wait till he puts you through personal training."
As they were talking about, the second bolt of lightning struck Shi Lang, followed by the third and the fourth until Shi Lang faced nine bolts and absorbed them all. Instantly his cultivation base climbed higher.
If he could regenerate his flesh in the early phase of nirvana, he could now heal his bones and organs. As the realm of spiritual cultivation kept climbing, he gained the ability to recover his soul one time in case of severe injuries were inflicted.
Shi Lang did not stop here, his understanding of the cultivation sutra was at its peak, and he knew the essence of his martial path so that he would break into the Mahayana realm. The thunderclouds began rumbling again, and Unity said, "To step into the realm of Mahayana, you will need to have a thorough understanding of what your spiritual path is going to be. One cultivation sutra can hold different meanings to different people. You have to find your meaning and believe in it."
The three people nodded while the youngsters took mental notes of the situation and the teachings. They knew this was high-quality first-hand knowledge. Only a fool would miss out on such a chance.
Allandale said, "The color of the lightning is changing. It seems to have become hotter than before."
Unity said, "Kid, this is not a science show. So put away those devices and channel spirit energy in your eyes."
Allandale followed the instruction, and he was shocked. The clouds looked like they were made of glitter, and all this glitter was akin to liquid condensing into lightning streaks. Then, followed by a loud bang, the liquid shot out to take Shi Lang's life.
The impact of this bolt was strong enough to make Shi Lang lose his footing and flung him ten meters away. The people were shocked, but Shi Lang smiled as he charged forward to meet the second bolt. The impact this time made him hit the ground and leave a shallow pit behind.
Amelia closed her eyes and shook her head. Hayley held her hand and said, "It will all be fine."
Amelia sighed and said, "I am not worried about him. I do not know why he turns into a maniac at times like these. Look at him as if high schoolers are out on a day trip."
Jenkins chuckled and said, "In high school, he was pretty much a gloomy guy, so I think he is making up for the missing thrill. Or do you think I might have probably broken him?"
Unity said, "He is about to succeed."
Shi Lang faced eight lightning bolts, and his body was in terrible shape. He had bloody gashes over his body, and his flesh was burnt. However, he was still standing.
His face was covered with dust and dirt, and his shoulders limped on the sides, but his eyes were crystal clear. Marly and Eline held hands and prayed for his safety when this man looked at the sky and said, "Come at me."
The ninth bolt seemed to be waiting for the invitation and struck Shi Lang with a boom. The impact gave birth to a dust cloud and left a crater. The youngsters were about to rush in when they heard a shallow coughing sound. They scanned the place with their spirit sense and found Shi Lang coughing blood as he lied in the center of the crater. His physical condition was worse as if he would turn to ashes, when the clouds parted and a ray of light fell on his body, healing it from inside out.