Chapter 1084 Expansion: The Rise of a Small Man
Unbeknownst to many, the ancient war that once resounded throughout the world has slowly passed for two years.
Two years have passed in the blink of an eye, but the aftershocks of that great war still leave a deep impression on the hearts of everyone in the world.
Over the past two years, the Thunder Emperor, the Flame Emperor, and the Martial Ancestor have gradually disappeared without a trace. Some even speculated that they might have been severely injured in the great battle where the three immortals fought against the sacred treasures, leading to a great deal of speculation.
Regardless, the names of the three heroes of the lower plane are becoming increasingly renowned. What is even more awe-inspiring is that the three major forces of Thunder Prison, Endless Fire Domain, and Martial Realm have also embarked on an astonishing expansion in the past two years.
Millions of miles away from the Thunder Continent, there is a star field shrouded in billions of lightning bolts.
This region is called the Myriad Thunder Star Sea!
On the edge of the starry sea, on a newly conquered star undergoing massive construction, a young man named Shi Lei, shirtless, was tempering his physical body beside a rushing river of thunder.
His body was covered with a mix of old and new scars, and beneath his bronze skin, faint arcs of electricity flickered.
He gritted his teeth, enduring the impact of the Thunder River's waters, which contained subtle lightning power. Every breath was searingly painful, but his eyes remained as firm as the hardest black iron, without wavering in the slightest.
Shi Lei is not a native of the Great Thousand World, but a descendant of the Lei Clan, one of the eight ancient clans that were once prominent in the lower plane of Dou Qi Continent.
Of course, he was not a direct descendant of the Lei Clan, but like Mo Yu before him, he was a member of an outsider to the Lei Clan. Therefore, he did not enjoy much of the preferential treatment that Mo Yu received when he rose to power. In addition, his bloodline power became increasingly diluted over time, and by the time of Shi Lei's generation, he had long lost his former glory.
His branch of the clan was forced to migrate because they offended a rising power in the Central Plains. However, they encountered a storm in the spatial passage, and the clan members were scattered. Only he was lucky enough to end up in the Great Thousand World.
When he first arrived in the world, he had no relatives or friends and nothing to his name.
Compared to the spiritual power of the vast world, the Dou Qi system of the Dou Qi Continent appears crude and inefficient.
Relying on the faint connection to lightning through his thin Thunder Clan bloodline, he worked as a low-level miner in dangerous lightning-attribute mines, barely managing to maintain his cultivation while enduring scorn and bullying.
He knew all too well that his meager talent for lightning was but a drop in the ocean in this vast world.
The Revival Family?
That was just a dream that was too far away to even dare to speak of.
The turning point came on a stormy night.
At the time, Shi Lei was on a chaotic star called 'Gray Rock Star', mining 'Purple Lightning Stone' for a small faction.
Suddenly, the entire starry sky was dyed an endless purple!
That wasn't a natural thunderstorm, but rather a display of overwhelming military might!
Countless massive warships, as large as mountains, tore through the void and descended upon the outer reaches of Grayrock Star.
The warship was entirely purple, imprinted with mysterious lightning patterns, and its banners fluttered in the wind. On it was a huge 'thunder' character, as if written with the blood of a thunder dragon from the heavens, exuding a majestic aura that made one's soul tremble.
Just by glimpsing the flag from afar, the long-dormant Lei Clan bloodline within Shi Lei involuntarily heated up slightly, generating an indescribable resonance and throbbing!
"By order of Thunder Prison, take over this domain! Those who obey may enter the outer palace to cultivate supreme thunder magic; those who resist will be judged by thunder and their bodies and souls will be annihilated!"
A sound like thunder resounded throughout the stars. The overwhelming pressure caused the few powerful Earth Sovereigns who had previously ruled over Gray Rock Star to turn pale and dare not resist in the slightest. They all bowed their heads in submission.
“Thunder Prison… Thunder Prison…” Shi Lei murmured to himself, his heart pounding wildly.
He had heard of this power; it was created by Lei Di Mo Yu, who saved the Dou Qi Continent!
It is one of the most renowned overlords in the world today!
He had also heard that Lei Di Mo Yu was also a member of the Lei clan from a different clan, with an origin almost exactly the same as his own!
For him, a wanderer without a home, this thunderous battle flag was not only a symbol of power, but also a way of seeing the mark of his people in a foreign land, a call from the depths of his blood.
Without the slightest hesitation, Shi Lei used all his savings to bribe a minor leader and obtain the qualification to participate in the selection for the outer court of Lei Prison.
The selection process in the outer court of Thunder Prison is brutal and efficient.
The first challenge is the 'Thunder Road'.
A path of lightning, simulated by an array, is filled with violent lightning power. One must withstand it with one's physical body and walk a hundred steps to pass the test.
Many competitors from the Great Thousand World, whose cultivation was even higher than Shi Lei's, fell screaming as they were struck by the thunder.
Shi Lei gritted his teeth, using the spiritual power converted from his meager battle qi to protect his heart meridian. Relying entirely on his indomitable spirit and his longing for the Thunder Battle Banner, he moved forward step by step.
His skin was charred by electricity, and blood seeped out, but his mind was filled with the heroic image of the Thunder Clan's ancestors riding the thunder as recorded in the clan's ancient books, and with the hopes of his clansmen during their exile.
He can't fall here!
As he staggered past the hundredth step and collapsed, his body charred black, a Thunder Prison deacon in charge of supervision nodded slightly: "His willpower is still acceptable, although his spiritual power is weak, his bloodline... seems somewhat familiar. Approved."
Upon entering the outer palace, Shi Lei truly witnessed what a top-tier power was.
Everything here is far superior to what the Dou Qi Continent can offer.
These newly recruited 'Thunder Soldiers' no longer cultivate the bloodline-dependent techniques of the Dou Qi Continent, but instead use the "Basic Thunder Technique" which directly targets the origin of thunder.
This technique, though seemingly simple, systematically explains how to draw lightning into the body, refine spiritual power, and condense a lightning seal. It subtly resonates with the thin lightning bloodline within Shi Lei's body, making his cultivation twice as effective with half the effort.
Furthermore, the outer palace has cultivation secret realms such as 'Thunder-Attracting Valley' and 'Thunder-Transforming Pool'. Although it requires merit points to exchange for entry time, at least there is hope.
More importantly, there was an energy crystal he had never seen before—'Thunder Source Crystal'—containing pure thunder power, which was a great tonic for him.
Within the Thunder Prison, a strict hierarchy prevails, from Thunder Soldiers, Thunder Guards, Thunder Generals, and Thunder Venerables to higher ranks like Thunder Kings and Elders, each with corresponding authority and resources.
Promotion depends entirely on merit points, which are earned by completing sect missions.
Shi Lei's first mission was to follow a Thunder Guard squad to wipe out the remnants of the original forces on Gray Rock Star, who were entrenched in the 'Black Wind Mountains'.
The battle was exceptionally fierce, and among the remaining forces were many ruthless individuals.
This was the first time Shi Lei had experienced such a bloody battle. One of his teammates was struck by a sinister black light right before his eyes and turned into pus and blood.
After the fear subsides, an even more intense will to survive and fighting spirit emerges!
He roared, unleashing the basic lightning technique, his fists covered in a thin layer of purple electric arcs as he fiercely confronted an enemy wielding a poisoned dagger.
The power of thunder seemed to have a restraining effect on that sinister energy. He threw a punch, and although his arm went numb from the shock, he also shocked his opponent so much that his whole body convulsed, revealing an opening. A seasoned thunder guard next to him seized the opportunity to kill him.
In this battle, Shi Lei displayed great bravery, personally killing two enemies and making a small contribution.
Without hesitation, he exchanged the merits he earned for an hour's time in the 'Thunder Transformation Pool' and three low-grade 'Thunder Source Crystals'.
Within the Thunder Pool, the pure thunder energy enveloped him like warm water, nourishing his parched meridians. His thin Thunder Clan bloodline, as if parched land receiving sweet rain, greedily absorbed the energy.
An hour later, he emerged from the pool, his aura surging, the bottleneck that had plagued him for years shattered, and he officially stepped into the first realm of the Three Heavens, the 'Heaven Fusion Realm'!
Feeling the surging spiritual energy within his body, imbued with traces of lightning, Shi Lei knew that his life and his destiny had been completely changed from this moment on!
Shi Lei's rise is just a tiny microcosm of the ever-moving war machine that is Lei Yu.
Under the leadership of 'Thunder King' Lei Dong, who is also Xiao Yan's brother-in-law and is now a core member of Thunder Prison, along with a group of elders, Thunder Prison's thunderous battle flag is pointing towards one continent after another rich in thunder-attribute resources.
Shi Lei's squad was incorporated into the army that was conquering the 'Blazing Sun Sect'.
The Blazing Sun Sect controls a large 'Melting Thunderstone' mine. The sect leader is a powerful expert of the upper-level Earthly Sovereign, and the sect is stubbornly resisting with the 'Nine Suns Burning Heaven Formation' inherited from its sect.
The fighting was extremely brutal.
The Blazing Sun Sect's fire magic was fierce and domineering, and the giant fire spirits it condensed burned the starry sky, causing significant losses to the vanguard of Thunder Prison.
Shi Lei charged left and right in the battle, pushing the basic thunder technique to its limit, constantly unleashing thunder seals from his palms, and working with his teammates to painstakingly destroy the array nodes.
At the critical moment, a dazzling purple lightning bolt descended from the sky, transforming into a young man dressed in a purple-gold lightning-patterned battle robe.
His face was cold and handsome, and he even had a hint of Mo Yu's shadow. The thunderous pressure that naturally emanated from his body made the flames on the entire battlefield pause for a moment.
"It's Young Master Mo Lin! He's emerged from seclusion!" a Thunder Prison disciple shouted excitedly.
Mo Lin, a rising star among the younger generation of Thunder Prison, possesses the rare 'Nine Tribulations Thunder Body'. He is the personal disciple of Thunder King Zhen Lei, and also the son of Mo Yu, the Lord of Thunder Prison, and the legitimate son of his mistress Lei Fei'er!
Mo Lin was of noble birth and high status. He didn't even glance at the massive formation. He simply pointed his fingers like a sword at the core of the Blazing Sun Sect's protective formation.
"break!"
A thin, hair-like beam of nine-colored lightning, yet condensed to its fullest extent, shot out and silently disappeared into the array's protective barrier.
The next moment, the 'Nine Suns Burning Heaven Formation', which was powerful enough to withstand the attack of a Great Perfection Earthly Sovereign, exploded like a balloon punctured by a needle!
The elders of the Lieyang Sect who were in charge of the formation suffered a backlash, vomiting blood and flying backward.
"Kill those under Thunder Prison!" Mo Lin's voice was icy cold, devoid of any emotion, much like his father's.
With their commander-in-chief severely injured and their greatest asset destroyed, the morale of the Blazing Sun Sect collapsed instantly.
Like countless comrades, Shi Lei was filled with fervor and roared as he charged toward the routed enemy, turning the battlefield into a one-sided pursuit and mopping-up operation.
However, just when everyone thought the situation was settled, a sudden change occurred!
The seemingly critically injured and dying Old Ancestor Lieyang, supported by two of his personal disciples, suddenly flashed a glint of madness and resentment in his turbid eyes.
He actually burned the last of his life essence, transforming his entire body into an almost transparent, space-distorting 'Annihilation Yang Flame', like a venomous snake in its final moments, silently tearing through the void and piercing straight into the back of Mo Lin, who had just stopped and whose aura had slightly subsided!
This strike contained the lifelong cultivation and all the resentment of a high-level Earthly Sovereign. It was extremely fast, vicious, and the timing was perfect, just as Mo Lin's old power was exhausted and his new power had not yet been generated!
"Watch your back!"
A loud shout, like a thunderclap, exploded across the chaotic battlefield!
It was Shi Lei who issued the warning!
He was chasing a fleeing steward of the Lieyang Sect at the time, and happened to be at an angle where he could clearly see the Lieyang Patriarch's subtle movements.
The extinguishing yang flames that distorted space sent a shiver down his spine. Almost instinctively, he mustered all his spiritual power and issued the loudest and most urgent warning of his life!
Who is Mo Lin? Although he is young, as the eldest son of Mo Yu and Lei Feier, who possesses the Nine Tribulations Thunder Body, his spiritual senses are far more acute than those of ordinary people.
The moment Shi Lei's warning reached his ears, his body reacted without him even needing to think!
"Buzz!"
The nine-colored lightning that had been calming down around him suddenly burst into a blaze, especially behind him, where it instantly condensed into a lightning shield covered with mysterious runes—the Nine Tribulations Lightning Armor automatically protected its master!
"laugh!"
The Annihilation Sunfire slammed into the Thunder Shield, producing a sickening corrosive sound.
The shield trembled violently, its light flickering. Although it wasn't completely pierced, a trace of that insidious, annihilating power still seeped in, causing Mo Lin's body to shudder slightly and his face to turn pale for a moment.
In that split second, Mo Lin had completely turned around, his eyes flashing with a cold light, his killing intent palpable.
He flicked his finger, and a nine-colored lightning bolt, finer yet more concentrated than before, struck first and precisely into the core of the soon-to-dissipate Annihilation Yang Flame.
"what!"
A final, short, and shrill scream echoed from the void, followed by the complete annihilation of the Yang Flame, which, along with its remnant soul, vanished into the world.
Mo Lin slowly turned around, his cold gaze piercing through the chaotic battlefield and landing precisely on Shi Lei, who was slightly panting and pale from the forced warning.
Their eyes met in the air.
Shi Lei felt uneasy, knowing full well the vast difference in status between himself and the son of the Thunder Emperor.
Mo Lin's gaze lingered for a moment on Shi Lei's standard armor, which represented ordinary Thunder Guards, before sweeping over the lingering fear and concern on his face, as well as the somewhat familiar bloodline within him.
Finally, his perpetually icy and aloof face twitched slightly, as if it were a barely perceptible nod.
There was no thank you, no words.
But that fleeting eye contact and that subtle movement already conveyed a certain message.
Immediately, Mo Lin stopped looking at him, as if nothing had happened, and continued to crush the remaining resistance of the Lieyang Sect.
But Shi Lei knew things were different now.
He not only made outstanding contributions at a crucial moment, but also left a very brief but absolutely clear impression on the young master of this esteemed position.
In the post-war reward ceremony, Shi Lei, having accumulated enough merits for destroying array nodes, rescuing his comrades, and providing early warnings at critical moments, was finally promoted to 'Thunder Guard' and qualified to cultivate the higher-level technique 'Purple Cloud Thunder Scripture', and also received a precious 'Thunder Source Pill'.
When he received his reward, the steward in charge of distributing the resources seemed to be more amiable than before, and even gave him an extra ten low-grade lightning crystals, whispering, "Cultivate well, and Young Master Mo Lin will remember your contribution."
"Hmm." Shi Lei nodded, tightly gripping the Thunder Source Crystal in his hand, his face showing anticipation for the future.
Today, the territory of Thunder Prison is no longer the original Thunder Continent, but encompasses dozens of resource-rich continents, controls nearly 30% of the thunder attribute resource points in the Great Thousand World, has a large number of powerful figures under its command, a complete system, and a prestigious reputation.
This is not merely an expansion of power, but also a civilization and order, which, accompanied by the roar of thunder, has taken deep root and flourished in this vast world.
