Staying Alive Cautiously in the Celestial Realm and Becoming the Strongest

In the aspect of tunnel digging, Wang Chen's skills had reached the realm of mastery.

He had also accumulated a wealth of experience.

But he had never encountered stones that could withstand his Mudstone Technique at Great Perfection!

However, in the underground of Wind-Thunder Valley, a large number of such rocks severely hindered Wang Chen's progress into the depths of the valley.

These stones had a bluish-gray hue with extremely delicate patterns on their surfaces. Touching them with his hand, he felt an oddly crisp and numbing sensation, and his fingertips even sparkled with faint traces of electricity.
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Without a doubt, the stones must contain Thunder Power within.

It was this Thunder Power that was resisting or interfering with the Mudstone Technique, making it impossible for Wang Chen to advance.

Wang Chen thought for a moment and decided not to change his direction to bypass the obstacle ahead.

He took out a Crane-beak Hoe from his Storage Bag.

Mining too was one of the many skills in Immortal Cultivation, and the Crane-beak Hoe was a tool specifically used for mining ore.

Of course, the Crane-beak Hoe that Wang Chen took out was not ordinary.

This hoe was actually a spoil of war for Wang Chen, the original owner long forgotten, but its quality was quite remarkable, with the head of the hoe engraved with dense runes, looking very sophisticated.

Wang Chen was not a professional miner, and had hardly used this Crane-beak Hoe before.

This time, he wanted to test its power.

Crack!

The black-gold Crane-beak Hoe suddenly struck the bluish-gray rock.

The fierce collision between metal and stone produced sparks and bursts of electric light, a sight that was shocking to witness.

Wang Chen felt a strange force transmitting through the handle of the hoe, instantly surging into his body.

Directly reaching his internal organs and every limb!

Wang Chen's body hair instantly stood on end, uncontrollably shivering.

"Refreshing!"

It was a sensation that was hard to describe with words, the crisp numbness stimulating down to the marrow, making his scalp tingle and body swell.

He almost couldn't hold onto the Crane-beak Hoe!

Clatter!

A stone the size of a fist fell down, striking right on Wang Chen's foot.

And the rock in front of him, containing Thunder Power, suddenly became enveloped in lightning and crawling electric snakes, filling the entire tunnel with a strange power.

With Wang Chen's strike, he not only broke the surface of the rock but also released the power contained within it!

He, being the one directly in its path, was almost "exploded" by it.

But Wang Chen wasn't the slightest bit panicked and immediately sat down cross-legged, running the Five Suns Qian Thunder Dharma Technique.

He absorbed the Thunder Power filling the space around him.

Originally, on Falling Thunder Peak in the Mortal realm of Great Qian, Wang Chen had cultivated in this manner.

Although Falling Thunder Peak was incomparable to Wind-Thunder Valley, the location where Wang Chen was now wasn't at the center of Wind-Thunder Valley. The power released from this "Thunderstone" was just right for him.

It turned out to be a blessing in disguise!

Wang Chen decisively seized his opportunity, concentrated, and cleared all distractions from his mind, quickly entering the best state for cultivation where he and the world became one, continuously absorbing the power of the surrounding space into his body.

The experience points of Five Suns Qian Thunder steadily increased.

It was unclear how much time had passed when Wang Chen opened his eyes again.

He saw that the rocks that were originally hard in front of him had crumbled into a powder, causing a localized collapse.

Wang Chen was greatly invigorated.

This session of cultivation had added a whole 5 points of experience to his Five Suns Qian Thunder Thunder Magic.

And the effect of the cultivation was excellent!

Under such circumstances, Wang Chen didn't hesitate to revise his original plan.

He didn't continue to dig forward, but instead used the "drained" Thunderstone as a center to explore the surrounding area for similar kinds of rock.

Wang Chen quickly found the second, third, fourth...

Thunderstones!

With the experience gained earlier, Wang Chen once again swung the crane-beak hoe, cracking open the shells of the Thunderstones.

He harnessed the Thunder Power within the stones to cultivate.

These "Thunderstones" that Wang Chen had named were actually large rocks that had tumbled down from the cliffs surrounding Wind-Thunder Valley.

Then, they had endured countless years of wind and thunder baptisms in the valley, gradually sinking into the underground.

In fact, even if Wang Chen didn't break them open, the Thunder Power within the stones would slowly dissipate over time.

Now, they served a purpose similar to Spirit Stones, becoming the best resource for Wang Chen to practice the Five Suns Qian Thunder.

It was equivalent to the effect of Vajra Ghee on the Heavenly Dragon Vajra Method!

The key was that it was completely free.

The cultivators of Five Peaks Mountain, who ruled over Wind-Thunder Valley, would never have dreamed that the culprit behind the death of their Golden Core seed was hiding right under their territory, stealthily cultivating.

While Wang Chen was holed up beneath Wind-Thunder Valley, foregoing sleep and food to cultivate arduously, his home in Dongwu Stockade had attracted a group of fiendish and ferocious uninvited guests.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

A rough-looking cultivator, wielding hands as large as palm-leaf fans, repeatedly knocked on the door with great force.

"Wan Xiu, hurry up and open the gate!"

Yet there was no sign of movement inside the house, and no one came to open the gate.

With increased urgency, the rough cultivator knocked even harder, "Wan Xiu!"

If it weren't for his orders, he would have broken in and taken the person by force, temperament be damned.

Even the door would have been shattered!

Creak~

Opposite Wang Chen's house, the yard gate opened, and Chen Qi tentatively peaked out his head, "Fellow Daoist Wan Xiu went to visit his relatives two days ago, and he won't be back until after the New Year."

He really didn't want to stand out, but it was out of gratitude for Wang Chen's help that he braced himself to explain to the others.

Otherwise, Wang Chen's house might very well have been dismantled by these people from the Guard Hall!

"What? He went to visit relatives?"

The rough cultivator turned around with wide eyes the size of copper bells, "You aren't lying to me, are you?"

Chen Qi replied with a wry smile, "For little Chen Qi to have such courage, he wouldn't dare!"

"Hmph!"

The rough cultivator sullenly waved his hand and said, "Let's go, on to the next house!"

As he was leaving, he spat on the ground and muttered under his breath, "You're lucky."

Watching the group depart, Chen Qi finally wiped the cold sweat from his forehead with a relieved hand.

But he felt anything but relaxed; instead, he had an ominous premonition of an impending storm.

Indeed, Chen Qi's feelings were justified.

As December came, the incessant heavy snow had ceased, but people's hearts had grown colder.

The City Lord's Mansion of Dongwu Stockade issued a conscription order, summoning a large number of cultivators with at least five levels of Qi Cultivation, or those with a unique skill, to serve in the mansion.

Tasked with executing this summons was the newly expanded Dongwu Defense Hall; they mobilized their elite troops to forcibly conscript cultivators into service. Any resistance or refusal was met with violent suppression!

Moreover, with a constant stream of outside cultivators flooding into Dongwu Stockade, the situation in this loose cultivator stockade became increasingly chaotic.

Many loose cultivators were forcibly conscripted and, despite their inability to resist the Defense Hall, were compelled to submit.

However, the rage building within these cultivators, along with the instigation of some manipulators, put Dongwu Stockade at risk of becoming a powder keg in a short time.

A single spark could set off an explosion!

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Here's the first chapter.