Stellar Transformation-Chapter 75 - 5: Power of Thunder and Lightning

"Haha, heaven aids me as well, heaven aids me indeed...this is truly wonderful. Truly wonderful!!!" Emperor Xiang Guang, clutching the secret letter in his hand, was beyond excitement, while the hook-nosed man beside him also complimented, "It seems heaven intends to destroy the Qin Family, as after all, Your Majesty is the true Son of Heaven."

Xiang Guang was filled with an imposing aura at this moment.

"Qin De, oh Qin De, you have been clever all your life, but you have to falter repeatedly under my hands, and even the centuries-old foundation of your Qin Family will be ruined," he mused. Normally, Xiang Guang would not dare to initiate war recklessly, especially since the Qin Family Army was formidable and had been training on the border of the Primordial Wilderness for years, a match not easily equaled by the armies of the other three major families.

"Your Majesty, this time King Zhenbei and that Qin De secretly met, and Qin De is planning to deploy three hundred thousand troops to attack us from King Zhenbei’s territory. Three hundred thousand troops—do you think when King Zhenbei turns his coat, he might instead be defeated by Qin De’s army? The military strength of Qin De is still very strong," the hook-nosed man said in a hushed tone.

The secret letter was indeed sent by Shangguan Hong, detailing his recent meeting with Qin De and the content of their discussions.

After a brief thought, Xiang Guang laughed, "Don’t worry, my Xiang Family has a very deep relationship with the Shangguan Family, and once Qin De’s army is within King Zhenbei’s territory, they won’t be able to do as they please anymore. By then, I’ll dispatch the great army of my Xiang Family to strike both from the inside and outside with the Shangguan Family. Hmph, once the three hundred thousand troops are wiped out, the Qin Family will lose half of its forces. By the way, how goes your task of drawing in the Black Water Mountain Bandits?"

The hook-nosed man hurriedly reported, "Your Majesty, the Black Water Mountain Bandits have agreed to our terms after swearing a blood oath together with my subordinate. Rest assured, once a blood oath is sworn, those people of the jianghu take it very seriously."

Xiang Guang immediately smiled with satisfaction, "Very good, with the Black Water Mountain Bandits within the Qin Family’s territory, their two hundred thousand troops won’t be able to move without risking chaos in their base. Even if he recruits another two hundred thousand, the usable soldiers won’t exceed six hundred thousand. Hmph, eliminate another three hundred thousand within the territory overseen by the Shangguan Family, and what use will the Fierce Tiger Army be then? At that time, what can the Qin Family muster to contend against me?"

"Your Majesty is wise," the hook-nosed man bowed respectfully.

Xiang Guang nodded in satisfaction, "Very good, the way you handled the Black Water Mountain Bandits has been commendable, and I reward those who serve me well. I have heard you admire Yan Xizhi’s paintings, and I give you this scroll of ’Mother and Child,’" he said, handing over the scroll from the desk directly to the hook-nosed man.

"Thank you for Your Majesty’s grace," the hook-nosed man immediately took the painting.

"Alright, go now," Xiang Guang waved his sleeve grandly, feeling exceptionally pleased at that moment. Watching the hook-nosed man leave, Xiang Guang added, "By the way, this ’Mother and Child’ painting, try to look at it often and comprehend the essence of Master Yan Xizhi’s work."

"Yes!" the hook-nosed man said, then left the Imperial Study Room.

On the way home, the hook-nosed man sneered internally: "’Mother and Child’? Emperor Xiang Guang’s heart is indeed rather cruel." The hook-nosed man valued his wife and child most, and he naturally understood the implication of being given this painting.

...

Zhao Yunxing, with a cold expression, was staring at the military map on the wall.

"General," a young man bowing behind Zhao Yunxing spoke.

"What is it?" Zhao Yunxing said indifferently.

The young man replied, "General, the Prince has ordered us to enter the Northern Domain Two Prefectures together with another army, but I think there might be some concerns."

"What’s amiss?" Zhao Yunxing had a hint of a smile on his lips, yet he still did not turn around.

The young man immediately straightened up and said, "After the Prince and the Shangguan Family negotiated, he allowed us to enter the Shangguan Family’s territory to attack the Xiang Family. However, can we truly trust the Shangguan Family? If the Shangguan Family pretends to side with us but actually supports the Xiang Family, then things could go disastrously wrong. After all, the Northern Domain Two Prefectures are under the Shangguan Family’s control."

"Do you really think the Prince hasn’t considered that?" Zhao Yunxing countered.

The young man immediately replied, "The Prince naturally thought of this, but the Mu Family of the Southern Domain Three Counties is utterly loyal to the Xiang Family. The union of these two houses would command more than half the military force of the Chu Dynasty. The Prince has no choice but to rely on King Zhenbei. I think, although the Prince has considered this, he is forced by circumstances to cooperate with the Shangguan Family. But if during the great battle the Shangguan Family turns against us, we will be in dire straits."

"Yanyun, the Prince stands from a different viewpoint; he overlooks the entire situation, everything is within the Prince’s grasp. If the Prince decides to act, such a trivial matter will surely not confound him. In a little over two months, you will understand everything," Zhao Yunxing replied with a smile, turning around.

A relaxed smile suddenly appeared on the young man’s face: "Since the Prince holds the pearls of wisdom, I am relieved."

"Alright, Yanyun, you may go now," Zhao Yunxing said with a smile.

"Yes!" The young man turned and left. When he reached the doorway, he halted, looked back at Zhao Yunxing, and whispered, "Father, it is now the middle of the night. Please rest early. With the great battle imminent, your health is imperative."

Saying this, the young man then left.

Zhao Yunxing could not help but smile upon hearing this.

Although Zhao Yunxing’s son, Zhao Yanyun, also served in the military, by Zhao Yunxing’s order, their relationship in the military was strictly hierarchical; thus, normally Zhao Yanyun would address Zhao Yunxing as General.

With the great battle looming, the Qin Family and Xiang Family quietly sparred with each other, their spies fully active.

They either heavily bribed some key figures secretly or framed the other side’s generals, or even assassinated key personnel. Such strategies as counterespionage and the use of seductive spies were used expertly. With the Qin Family’s troops moving along the Primordial Wilderness Border, a suffocating atmosphere enveloped the entire Chu Dynasty.

The Qin Family had wooed the Black Water Mountain Bandits with heavy gifts, and astonishingly, the bandits had accepted the bounty. Yet, the Xiang Family seemed not at all annoyed by this. Moreover, the foremost assassin group, "Heavenly Net," also announced that it would temporarily not accept any missions concerning the Chu Dynasty.

Overall, the suppressive atmosphere of a storm about to break was almost palpable to everyone. Perhaps only Qin Yu, who was meditating quietly in the Primordial Wilderness, was oblivious to such an atmosphere.

Near Thunder Mountain Residence, above Bishui Lake,

Qin Yu sat cross-legged, hovering above the water without sinking, surrounded by flows of purple energy, which were the Purple True Qi inside his body. After months of cultivation, Qin Yu’s Purple Innate True Qi had become like mercury, almost liquefied.

The powerful force surged within him, and he could feel it in every muscle and even within the minutest cells. The Purple True Qi circulated everywhere, continually refining his muscles and bones.

Suddenly, the wind rose, and the lake surface began to ripple. The water heaved slightly, and although Qin Yu sat cross-legged on the surface, he floated like duckweed along with the undulating water.

"Huff"

A wild wind arose, and with a loud boom, the waters of the lake formed huge waves, each reaching up to dozens of meters high, as if a giant had lifted the entire surface. Qin Yu, no matter how powerful, could no longer move freely as before. He promptly tapped his foot on the surface of the lake and shot straight toward the shore, all the while helplessly staring at Little Black, the instigator.

"Little Black, I know your wings can whip up fierce winds, but stop playing with me, will you?" Qin Yu pleaded with Little Black as he flapped his wings.

Little Black closed his wings, and the lake immediately calmed down. Having formed his Golden Core and cultivated several inheritance memories, Little Black’s demeanor had grown even more haughty and sharp. Qin Yu now was far from being Little Black’s match.

"Big Brother, I was just training your alertness. I was doing it for your own good. Are you going to blame me for that?" Little Black’s voice echoed in Qin Yu’s mind.

Qin Yu joked, "Alright, now you’re stronger than me because you’ve passed the Heavenly Tribulation. I won’t quarrel with you. Tomorrow night, I will also undergo the tribulation. Once I’ve passed it and cultivated ’Star Transformation,’ I’ll show you how formidable I am."

"’Star Transformation’? Big Brother, I’ve got quite a few amazing cultivation techniques myself, and they’re not inferior to your ’Star Transformation’," Little Black boasted proudly while fluttering his feathered wings. After forming his Golden Core, Little Black had cultivated additional secret techniques over the past couple of months, which considerably advanced his strength and filled him with confidence.

Qin Yu laughed, "We’ll see who is more powerful when the time comes!"

During this period, Qin Yu had diligently read many books on cultivation. Of course, he had completely delved into ’Star Transformation,’ memorizing not only some mantras and cultivation techniques but also recollections of Lei Wei’s experiences during his cultivation and tribulations.

With the impending Four-nine Heavenly Tribulation, Qin Yu’s confidence was also growing stronger.

The next day, Qin Yu quietly sat cross-legged on the grassy shore of Bishui Lake, calmly waiting for the Heavenly Tribulation. That day, Little Black uncommonly did not disturb Qin Yu but instead focused on his cultivation. Last time, Qin Yu had protected Little Black during his tribulation; this time, it was Little Black’s turn to protect Qin Yu.

The sun set, bathing the entire Primordial Wilderness in a red glow.

A wild wind arose from nowhere, causing the giant trees in the surrounding forests to sway wildly, with leaves scattering everywhere. "Crack," the sound of snapping branches followed one after another, and the sky quickly darkened. The drastic change in weather made Qin Yu and Little Black stop their cultivation.

"Haha, the Heavenly Tribulation is finally coming. Little Black, keep a sharp eye out. If any demon beasts come, kill them all," Qin Yu roared.

Little Black, flapping his wings, communicated through spiritual sense, "Don’t worry, Big Brother, within a few hundred miles, this is my territory. No demon beasts dare to interfere. If any dare to come here, I’ll annihilate their entire species." Indeed, Little Black had claimed this area of a few hundred miles as his territory over these last days.

The sky grew a dark red, creating a somewhat oppressive feeling.

A massive vortex appeared in the center of the sky, and electric snakes emerged in the dark red firmament, soon being absorbed by the vortex. In just a short while, the vortex stopped spinning and transformed into a vast purple tribulation cloud.

The dark red sky and the purple tribulation cloud, intermittently lit by electric snakes, all indicated the imminent arrival of the Heavenly Tribulation.

Qin Yu stood quietly, utterly still. Little Black, on the other hand, was hyper-aware, scattering his spiritual sense around, absolutely determined to prevent any demon beasts from getting close and causing trouble.

As an expert in Innate External Power whose cultivation had reached an apex, how formidable would the Heavenly Tribulation be? It’s known that the power of tribulation varies from person to person; Qin Yu’s strength was much more potent than that of a typical Innate Great Perfection expert. What level then would the Four-nine Heavenly Tribulation escalate to?

"The first thunder strike is the weakest and the most simple," Qin Yu said, looking up at the tribulation cloud with a trace of a smile on his face.

He vividly remembered the descriptions and some tribulation crossing methods mentioned in ’Star Transformation’ by Lei Wei. Faced with the first thunder strike, Qin Yu decided to employ one of the more extravagant methods listed.

The tribulation cloud roiled, and deep, rumbling sounds of thunder echoed continuously, the oppressive force directly bearing down from above.

"Boom!"

A purple thunderbolt struck down from the high sky directly towards Qin Yu, who looked up at the fierce strike without flinching, his eyes even gleaming with a hint of madness. The purple thunderbolt struck him squarely.

Qin Yu’s body was completely enveloped and penetrated by the purple thunderbolt.

"Haha, exhilarating, truly exhilarating!"

Qin Yu offered no defense, using his body to withstand the blow. If his body, honed to this stage of Innate External Power cultivation, couldn’t withstand even the first thunder strike, then all his training would have been in vain. ’Star Transformation’ mentioned that using the thunder’s power to temper the body is immensely beneficial for strength enhancement. Of course, the thunderbolts shouldn’t be too powerful, as Qin Yu’s body wouldn’t be able to withstand them.

His entire body crackled; the thunder traveled through his muscle cells, and much of the thunder energy was devoured completely. His already robust muscles underwent further changes, becoming even more vigorous.

"Exhilarating, truly exhilarating! Little Black, what do you think of my method of resisting the first thunder strike?" Qin Yu still had the leisure to joke with Little Black nearby.

Little Black, however, didn’t respond, his spiritual sense fully engaged in monitoring the surroundings.

Qin Yu’s way of withstanding the first thunder strike not only did not drain his internal energy, but it also increased his muscular strength even further and enhanced his power. Unlike others who would deplete their strength with each tribulation strike, Qin Yu’s strength only increased, thereby widening the gap.

"Big Brother, be careful. The second thunder strike is much stronger than the first. You can’t use the same method as just now," Little Black cautioned.

At that moment, the tribulation cloud in the sky continued to churn, evidently brewing the second thunder strike. While the first could be absorbed in such a manner, the second was more powerful, and Qin Yu did not dare to be as arrogant as before, allowing the thunder to strike him recklessly.

"Don’t worry, I know when to stop," Qin Yu said, feeling the concern from Little Black.

The thunder rumbled on, and the oppressive force from above increased once again. The second thunder strike was about to descend. Qin Yu immediately entered a focused state, ready to withstand this second thunder strike. As a thunderous boom resonated, a purple flood dragon suddenly burst out of the tribulation cloud, charging straight towards Qin Yu below.

"Come on."

Excitement flashed in Qin Yu’s eyes as his inner energy surged, his body suddenly glowing purple like a jade. Purple True Qi instantly covered his entire body, forming a protective body qi barrier, and occasionally, streaks of lightning circled around him.