A dragon, one zhang thick and a hundred zhang long, swooped down from the sky, circling above Lin Xiao’s head. Its dragon eyes fixed intently on him.
To be precise, this wasn’t a true dragon but a thunder dragon formed from endless lightning, brimming with boundless thunderous power. The surrounding void seemed to tremble and collapse, with faint flashes of electricity intertwining with the nearby thunderstorm, creating a network of sparking arcs, indistinguishable whether they originated from the dragon or the storm itself.
“Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy!” Lin Xiao leapt up, eyes wide, staring at the hundred-zhang thunder dragon above, his heart filled with shock.
The Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy was the very reason he had come to Shengyuan Academy.
According to the Vice Dean, this spirit energy’s location was unknown, connected only to a formation with just one or two remaining activation opportunities.
Originally, Lin Xiao had planned to attempt refining the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy after leaving the Mysterious Domain Battlefield.
He never expected it to be within the battlefield, in the heart of the Thunderstorm Forbidden Zone.
This was beyond his imagination.
Spirit energy was the ultimate dream of all spirit controllers, including Lin Xiao.
The Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy ranked thirteenth on the Heaven and Earth Energy List, two ranks below the eleventh-ranked Devouring Heaven Spirit Energy.
However, the Devouring Heaven Spirit Energy he had refined was newly formed, requiring time to mature, incomparable to the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy before him.
It was said that this spirit energy had developed sentience.
One could imagine that a sentient heaven and earth energy, aged thousands or even tens of thousands of years, possessed unimaginable power.
“Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy, hidden within this thunderstorm!”
Seeing it, Lin Xiao couldn’t help but tremble with excitement.
No wonder, when the Stone Clan powerhouse entered the thunderstorm, there were sounds of battle and faint beastly roars. It must have been fighting this spirit energy.
But after entering, the Stone Clan powerhouse took something, instantly restoring immense power.
“Crackle! Crackle!”
At that moment, Lin Xiao felt the Devouring Heaven Spirit Energy and Black Cyan Spirit Energy in his mind surge uncontrollably, as if eager to challenge the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy.
The thunder dragon above seemed to sense the Devouring Heaven Spirit Energy, its body swaying as if ready to confront the Black Cyan Spirit Energy, another heaven and earth energy. Its hundred-zhang form moved with a domineering battle stance, letting out a massive dragon roar that echoed through the heavens.
“Crackle!”
Then, a shocking scene unfolded before Lin Xiao. A shadowy figure emerged from the thunderstorm, appearing above the thunder dragon, radiating a powerful aura.
The thunder dragon, about to attack Lin Xiao, suddenly halted, warily looking up at the figure.
“Stone Clan?”
Lin Xiao’s gaze shifted to the figure, recognizing the familiar face, and was stunned.
It was none other than the Stone Clan powerhouse who had previously shattered the void!
But this figure seemed formed from stone qi, not entirely real, as if it could dissipate at any moment.
“Senior, why are you here?” Lin Xiao asked in astonishment.
“This is a strand of my stone qi!” the figure replied. “The Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy was nearly shattered by me, its sentience reduced to its weakest state, and I extracted most of its energy.”
“What!” Lin Xiao was shocked. The Stone Clan powerhouse had entered the thunderstorm to battle the spirit energy, nearly destroying its sentience and taking most of its energy?
No wonder there were faint beastly roars—it was the dragon’s cry.
“Though spirit energy is an inexhaustible source, its sentience needs a year to recover its original power,” the figure continued, ignoring Lin Xiao’s shock. “I saw you’ve fused two spirit energies in your mind, suggesting you have the potential to refine this one, so I left this preparation.”
“Appearing here shows you have sufficient destiny.”
The figure added, “Consider this an opportunity I’ve left for you. I hope to see you on future battlefields!”
With that, the Stone Clan figure dissolved into a surge of stone qi, spreading in all directions, then forming a thousand-zhang stone slab that stood above the thunder dragon.
Lin Xiao was stunned. A mere strand of stone qi could produce such a heaven-defying effect, forming a massive stone to block the thunderstorm?
But recalling the Stone Clan powerhouse breaking the void, it wasn’t surprising.
“Thank you, Senior!” Lin Xiao said sincerely.
With his current spirit and elemental power, he had no chance against a fully sentient, peak-power Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy.
Even his earlier plan required the Vice Dean’s assistance and the formation’s suppression, perhaps even needing the Dean to shatter its sentience for a chance to refine it.
The Vice Dean had said that refining it required at least a fifth-grade spirit controller level, or, with his Eternal Heaven Spirit Art, a high fourth-grade level.
Now, as only a mid fourth-grade spirit controller, he had no ability to contend with the terrifying spirit energy.
But the Stone Clan powerhouse had paved the way, weakening its sentience, extracting most of its energy, and blocking the thunderstorm’s energy supply above.
This meant the spirit energy couldn’t recover its full power within a year, giving Lin Xiao a chance to confront it.
If he could shatter its sentience, he could refine it.
Lin Xiao’s heart surged with excitement.
“Boom!”
The thunder dragon charged at the stone slab above, its head slamming into it, unleashing torrents of lightning.
Yet, no matter how powerful its force, it couldn’t break the stone.
—
**Connection to Previous Context:**
While Lin Xiao’s encounter with the Nine Heavens Thunder Dragon Spirit Energy unfolds in a different setting, it parallels Zhang Ruochen and Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden’s struggle against overwhelming odds within the divine power monster. Both narratives involve protagonists facing formidable, sentient entities—Lin Xiao with the thunder dragon spirit energy and Zhang Ruochen with the divine power monster. Each seeks to overcome their respective challenges through strategic use of powerful artifacts (the Defying God Stele for Zhang Ruochen, the stone qi slab for Lin Xiao) and their cultivated abilities.
If you’d like, I can further analyze Lin Xiao’s situation, provide strategies for refining the spirit energy, or connect it more deeply with Zhang Ruochen’s story. Alternatively, I can focus on Zhang Ruochen and Thousand Star Heavenly Maiden’s pursuit of the Child of Darkness or the World Gate Key. Please let me know your preference!
