Chapter 149: Inheriting the Water Mansion, the Storm Arrives!

Inside the underwater mansion.

"Yin and Yang, dragon and tiger, lead and mercury, heaven, earth, water, fire, and thunder... So that's how it is."

Bai Xuan was comprehending the thunder technique.

The terrifying power of this thunder technique was completely incomparable to anything in the Xuanzhi Temple. All the true talismans in Bai Xuan's possession combined could not measure up to this single thunder technique.

The convergence of Yin and Yang gives birth to thunder!

The name of this secret technique was simply the *Yin-Yang Thunder Technique*, which alone spoke volumes of its overbearing nature.

Bai Xuan spent some time here to comprehend and master it, and quietly, flashes of thunder began to emerge.

"It is somewhat difficult to trigger it purely by oneself."

Bai Xuan opened his eyes.

"However, having an avatar will make it better."

With a booming sound, his avatar stepped forward, its vital energy and blood condensing into a drop of true dragon blood—utmost Yang and utmost firmness, simple to the extreme, bordering on purity.

Bai Xuan struck out with a palm, manifesting the Dao essence of water. It was immensely terrifying, his vital energy and blood shifting to the utmost softness to form a second drop of true dragon blood, which surged into his body and fused with the avatar.

The next moment, a faint radiance appeared within the five viscera and six bowels of the avatar. Under the collision of the two drops of true dragon blood, a cauldron forged the essence, unexpectedly condensing an inner elixir. Within that formless inner elixir, Yin and Yang collided, on the verge of erupting!

The avatar took a step forward, executing a cloud-soaring thought, and arrived several thousand meters away.

"Explode!"

With a thunderous roar, the avatar directly burst apart. A dazzling bolt of thunder appeared, dozens of meters long and brilliant to the extreme, causing even Bai Xuan to feel a pang of palpitations!

Boom, boom, boom!

The earth was fracturing, and in an instant, hundreds of cracks piercing through the arena appeared. Everything was breaking apart, turning into smoke and dust, completely pulverized into non-existence!

With this single blow, even a powerhouse like the Scale Lord would have everything shattered and be instantly slain, leaving no room for counterattack!

"Once unleashed, the terrifying power of this Yin-Yang Thunder Technique can easily surpass the upper limit of a blood-forged demonic body."

Bai Xuan knew this well within his heart.

"Whether it's the Demonic Shark King or the Scale Lord, facing this thunder would die from a single blow; it's impossible for them to survive a second strike. Even the serpent-footed Dao soldiers would instantly shatter into pieces. If I were to take this blow myself, I would suffer severe injuries."

His blood-forged demonic body, combined with his externally tempered physical form, possessed a defense so terrifying it reached the extreme, yet there was still a gap when facing this thunderous light.

"It's time to put it to the test."

Having initially mastered the thunder technique, Bai Xuan took a step forward and arrived at the eighth trial.

Not far away, a faint, illusory dragon could be seen. It looked rather petite, only about the thickness of a forearm, clinging to the rocks.

As soon as Bai Xuan's figure appeared, the dragon abruptly opened its eyes. In a single breath, boundless heavenly might emerged, Yin and Yang intertwining to instantly unleash a bolt of thunder that cleaved straight toward him at an unimaginably fast speed!

Boom!

A massive explosion occurred, shattering everything. The earth trembled, and smoke and dust filled the sky before the thunderous light finally dimmed.

"Phew... Not bad."

Bai Xuan stood there, his body dripping with blood, iron-like bones faintly visible where the thunder light had breached his blood-forged demonic body, blood flowing and dripping onto the ground.

Yet, he took a deep breath, an expression of enjoyment appearing on his face.

"Ever since I mastered external tempering, I've rarely experienced this kind of situation—having my physical body pierced by thunder... However, this is precisely what external tempering combat should be about."

This thunder light possessed startling power, but it was not enough to kill Bai Xuan; it could only leave minor injuries!

Rumble!

Bai Xuan drew a deep breath, and the boundless momentum of heaven and earth rolled backward, restoring his vital energy and blood. Even those injuries healed rapidly amidst a rumbling sound, his vitality boundless as jade marrow surged, restoring him in an instant.

"Hmm?"

Bai Xuan's expression shifted slightly.

"This feeling... After being injured, my externally tempered physique has improved by another fraction? Of course. Traditional external tempering requires friction with iron sand and impacts from giant logs, destroying the body bit by bit before forging it back together to achieve progress."

"My externally tempered physique is unprecedented through the ages, and there are very few methods left that can harm me. Now, having this dragon thunder is simply perfect for tempering myself."

Anticipation filled Bai Xuan's gaze.

Boom!

Bai Xuan engaged in fierce combat with the dragon. Bolts of thunder cleaved outward, truly surpassing heavenly might and possessing the power of harmonized Yin and Yang.

Bathed in blood, he fought continuously. With every strike of the thunder, his iron bones burned and his internal organs shattered, yet his golden bowels remained immortal and healed once more, his jade marrow providing endless vitality to continuously mend his wounds!

"Longevity Dao Tree!"

In a single thought, the Longevity Dao Tree manifested in Bai Xuan's mind, pushing his jade marrow to the grand completion realm. Four months had passed since then, and he now possessed a full twelve points of external-tempering Dao intent. In another single thought, he elevated his golden bowels to perfection!

Boom!

At this moment, within Bai Xuan's five viscera and six bowels, divine figures seemed to emerge, boundless divine radiance churning with the transformations of the five elements and Yin and Yang. Operating the Mountain and River Inner Elixir Technique, with a loud boom, a great elixir condensed, within which all Yin and Yang transformations were completely under his control!

"Indeed, with perfected golden bowels and infinite potential, the intertwining of heart fire and kidney water immediately causes my control over Yin and Yang transformations to surge explosively."

A thought stirred in Bai Xuan's heart, and formless, boundless flames erupted from his heart, combining with the long river of kidney water.

"Yin-Yang Thunder Technique, open!"

Suddenly, a bolt of thunder manifested, striking outward with dazzling brilliance. It even left a pitch-black, profound afterimage in the air that seemed to sear the eyes, and with a booming crash, it blasted the dragon to pieces!

Boom!

The aftermath even shattered the entire arena. The space before Bai Xuan shifted, and he returned to the main hall.

"The Yin-Yang Thunder Technique is finally mastered!"

Bai Xuan felt immense gratification in his heart.

He entered once again. This time, the dragon grew even stronger, spitting out thunder light that battered him until he was bathed in blood.

However, after his jade marrow and golden bowels were elevated, Bai Xuan could recover instantly every time he was injured, allowing his externally tempered physique to improve at a slow yet steady pace.

After every battle, Bai Xuan would comprehend the thunder technique anew before entering to fight again.

By the end of the battles, the dragon underwent a transformation, its power finally rising to the divine-phase tier. When the thunder light struck, Bai Xuan's human form was almost obliterated, leaving behind only unyielding iron bones. His internal organs transformed almost into divine light, immortal and indestructible, while his jade marrow provided boundless vitality. In a single thought, blood surged, weaving back into a physical body to revive once more!

"This is true external tempering... invincible might!"

Bai Xuan let out a long whistle. Having fought fiercely for ten full days, his physical body had recovered to perfection, his bronze skin completely undamaged. Amidst the leaping of boundless thunder and fire, his fleshly body had transformed to a brand-new level!

With a single punch thrown by him, the fascia throughout his body vibrated—this was the might of bronze skin, its power erupted to the extreme. With a deafening crash, the petite illusion of the dragon collided with it and was shattered into oblivion!

The Longevity Dao Tree quietly manifested.

"Bathed in blood from near-fatal wounds, the physical body forged through a hundred trials... Halfway through the external-tempering Dao path, nurturing the mysterious flower!"

"Tempered by thunder and fire, worthy of being called a golden body... Advancing along the Dao path, the blooming period of the mysterious flower is advanced by thirty years, and the required Dao intent is reduced by a third!"

On the Longevity Dao Tree, fire-like characters appeared, radiating brilliance!

"The external tempering mysterious flower is set to bloom in seemingly ninety years... However, it's a wait I can afford."

Bai Xuan felt utterly carefree and content.

He had engaged in bitter battles here for an unknown duration. For anyone else, recovering from severe injuries each time would take months, and making progress would be even harder. But for him, all of this happened in the span of an instant.

These ten days of bitter combat surpassed decades of arduous cultivation for ordinary people!

Eventually, a stone tablet emerged to grant a reward, which turned out to be the opening of a massive stone pool filled with rippling jade liquid concealing boundless radiance.

Immersing himself within it, Bai Xuan could feel the stone pool stimulating the deep potential within his physical body. His five viscera and six bowels transformed once more into streams of divine light that illuminated everything, reshaping his flesh.

Finally, he stepped out of the stone pool. The entire pool of jade liquid had been completely absorbed by him. With a slight tremor of his physical body, a booming shockwave cracked the earth as ripples of power manifested!

"My strength now should be no different from a true divine phase."

"The final trial."

Bai Xuan washed up and changed his clothes, his heart calm.

Taking a step forward, he arrived at the ninth trial.

A massive, towering shadow was looking down, its gaze filled with immense anticipation.

"You've finally come."

The shadow said in a rumbling voice.

There was a hint of joy within its tone.

...

"You have passed the tests of the first eight trials... Only in this way could you enter the ninth trial."

"Your comprehension and combat power, while not top-tier at this level, barely meet the requirements."

The shadow's voice vibrated with a rumbling echo.

"Barely meet them?"

Bai Xuan raised an eyebrow slightly.

He understood in his heart that this must be the inheritance spirit.

"Correct. The current location of the underwater mansion should be one of the Myriad Seas."

"Your talent might be invincible within this sea region, but the Myriad Seas are boundless, and there are far too many who possess great talent!"

The shadow's voice was very calm.

"I remember in the past, when the Ten Prefectures and Myriad Seas were connected, there would be a Myriad Seas Hegemony every once in a while to select the top-tier geniuses."

"The Myriad Seas are endless; how many geniuses are among them? Billions of them."

"Your talent barely touches the threshold of the second tier, the 'Yuanxuan' level, within the Myriad Seas."

"You possess the undying primordial flow, boundless vital energy and blood, and astonishing physical potential. You are an uncarved piece of jade, not yet fully developed and still growing. Your comprehension of the Dao of water is quite stunning, ranking among the very top in the Myriad Seas."

"However, true geniuses are capable of suppressing or even crushing pure-blood divine demons at the same realm, fighting above their level and slaying divine phases with a flick of a finger."

"You should also understand the vast gap between these levels."

The shadow looked at Bai Xuan.

"I understand."

There was no discouragement in Bai Xuan's heart; there was only anticipation and fighting spirit.

The East Sea was too small; it was time to step onto a more distant path and compete with true powerhouses.

"Your current talent has also barely reached... the threshold for the Chi Mansion's inheritance."

The shadow looked at Bai Xuan.

"The ninth-level inheritance is a dual test of combat power and comprehension."

"I will execute a remnant stance of the Chi Spear against you with a single strike. In all the ten thousand years of this inheritance... no one has ever been able to receive it!"

"If your physical body remains undying and your divine soul does not perish, and you successfully comprehend this spear strike, then you will pass the final trial and become the master of the underwater mansion."

"According to my estimation, you have a thirty percent chance of enduring this spear strike without dying."

The shadow looked at Bai Xuan.

"Endure a spear strike, and then comprehend it..."

Bai Xuan's gaze narrowed.

"I accept!"

At this point, refusing was useless. The final trial of inheritance was at hand, and Bai Xuan had a premonition that if anyone in the East Sea could endure a single blow and not die, it would undoubtedly be himself.

Aside from him, who else could withstand this strike?

"Good!"

The Chi shadow's voice was filled with joy as it stood up.

In that instant, the entire heaven and earth grew dim.

It was as if only a single point remained—profoundly dark, containing boundless light and heat within it.

Boom!

...

Outside.

Duan Haiyuan stood upon the flagship, reaching out to receive the wooden talisman respectfully presented by his subordinate.

"These are the last one hundred... It is also time."

Without the slightest hesitation, he pressed that wooden talisman against his own. The next moment, with a thunderous roar, the numbers on the back of his talisman transformed into "One Thousand" and "One"!

Rumble!

At this moment, the sky finally darkened, and across the entire East Sea, boundless storms were gathering, on the verge of sweeping through the entire East Sea!

"The storm has finally descended."

In Xuanzhi Temple, the old man cautiously retrieved a seemingly unremarkable talisman from behind the enshrined ancestral tablets.

At the edge of the East Sea, as the storm gathered, the tempests that isolated the sea regions were also weakening.

"March! March!"

Fleet after fleet of terrifying warships set sail, breaking through the tempests. Powerful experts struck out one after another, their vital energy and blood propping up everything to shield the fleets.

"Roar!"

Within the sea, terrifying giant beasts roared, their spines resembling mountains as they swept past with terrifying momentum!

At this moment.

Throughout the entire East Sea, people everywhere looked up toward the storm. Ordinary people trembled in fear, hiding in their homes on the islands and not daring to step outside.

Yet the strong felt fighting spirit burning in their eyes. Line after line of warships arrayed themselves, every single warship reinforced by numerous talismans to enable navigation through the storm.

The true great war was about to arrive. This would be an unprecedented fierce battle, and all powerhouses across the East Sea would fight to decide the victor!

...

Ten thousand meters below, within the underwater mansion.

"No, that dragon is too terrifying. There is no hope of defeating it; a single flash of thunder is enough to completely annihilate me."

The expression of the First Island Master of the Isles of Immortals was one of extreme agony.

He could sense that his talent and combat power had reached their absolute peak, incapable of advancing any further, and now he was unable to leave this underwater mansion.

"Am I just going to die here? No, I want to cultivate. I must master the thunder technique and achieve a breakthrough!"

The First Island Master was nearly driven mad, furiously cultivating the thunder technique.

This was his last chance, his final straw. As for how to pass the ninth trial, that was no longer a problem he could solve.

...

At this moment.

Within the ninth trial.

"You must survive."

Hope flickered in the Chi shadow's heart.

With a single spear strike, everything was pierced through. Bai Xuan's chest was blasted open, boundless thunder light churning. The power condensed in this strike was far too terrifying; even with his blood-forged demonic body layered over his current physique, he trembled, nearly shattering apart!

However, boundless vital energy and blood reversed, and Bai Xuan's body condensed anew. His five viscera and six bowels burst forth with divine radiance, an undying golden essence manifesting. Even though he had almost been shattered to dust, a moment later he stabilized once more, unyielding and undestroyed, failing to be blasted to death.

"Indeed, he blocked it. This physical body is truly formidable, but... what comes next is the most difficult part."

The Chi shadow looked down at Bai Xuan.

Although his physical body had survived the spear strike, Bai Xuan's eyes remained tightly closed. At this moment, he was unconscious and in the most dangerous predicament, his divine consciousness having been pierced through!

"The Chi Spear's remnant stance is a technique that destroys both the physical body and the divine consciousness, obliterating them completely without leaving a trace."

"If he can survive, he passes the inheritance. If he cannot... then this inheritance trial will end in failure once more!"

With infinite expectations, the Chi shadow watched Bai Xuan.

"You must succeed!"

Yet.

The next moment, Bai Xuan's eyes twitched slightly. Suddenly, his consciousness began to wane, his divine intent aura weakening!

"Not good!"

The Chi shadow's expression changed drastically.

It saw that the aura of Bai Xuan's divine intent was diminishing—this was a manifestation of the divine soul being annihilated. Once this occurred, it would completely cease to exist within a very short time, signifying the destruction of both body and soul!

"The Chi Spear remnant stance... Even if this strike utilizes only an infinitesimal fraction of its power, it remains one of the top-ranked divine abilities in the Great Era."

"One of the nine supreme divine abilities of the True Dragon... A complete Chi Spear is an ability that can pierce through the end of time, transcend spatial-temporal changes, and annihilate everything. Even in its incomplete form, it is incomparable to ordinary grand divine abilities."

"How much longer will it take for someone to inherit this peerless art?"

At this moment, even the Chi shadow, sitting there, felt a faint sense of despair and exhaustion.

It had selected candidates for countless years, watching successive inheritors appear, among whom were peerless geniuses!

Yet in the end, even if they defeated the thunder dragon, they could not withstand the Chi Spear, perishing one after another.

Such repeated failures made even the Chi shadow feel weary.

Where there is hope, there is despair!

Every time, it hoped a genius would inherit the art, but in the end, they always died beneath the Chi Spear without truly comprehending it.

This filled the Chi shadow's heart with nothing but pain.

However, at this very moment.

"Hmm?"

The Chi shadow suddenly froze.

Within its perception, Bai Xuan's divine intent aura, after dropping to a certain level, unexpectedly stopped annihilating.

"There's still hope?"

Surprise welled up in its heart.

At that exact instant, Bai Xuan's divine intent spear-will grew stronger layer by layer, and in a flash, it burst forth from between his eyebrows!

Rumble!

"Though the body dies, the spear-will remains undying!"

Bai Xuan suddenly opened his eyes.

With a single thought, a cloud swept forth, lifting him up. Stepping through the empty air, he landed on the ground, his divine intent unyielding like a spear, returning to its peak state!

With a booming crash, the spear-will vibrated, soaring into the firmament!

"The spear-will of perfected shark-fighting is precisely 'Though the body dies, the will remains undying'!"

Bai Xuan stood upright, exhaling a deep breath.

He had survived this trial and did not die!

In his past life, there was a widely circulated story of an old fisherman who caught a giant fish, dragged it behind his boat, and fought off packs of sharks. When he reached the shore, the fish had been reduced to a skeleton, leaving him with nothing.

Yet that very will to struggle against the sharks—that was the will remaining undying even when the body perishes.

At the crucial moment, when the Chi Spear pierced his divine consciousness, Bai Xuan had nearly died.

However, the spear-will of perfected shark-fighting continuously fused with Bai Xuan's martial will, causing his will to remain undying instead, ultimately allowing him to cross the final threshold.

Boom!

With a thought from Bai Xuan, nearly a hundred formless spears manifested. This was the transformation of the cloud-soaring thought, and its power was surging explosively!

Through this life-and-death ordeal, his divine consciousness had completely fused with the perfected shark-fighting spear-will, completing a breakthrough and reaching a terrifying degree!

At this moment.

"The Chi Spear remnant stance..."

Bai Xuan pondered inwardly.

His divine consciousness was shifting, transforming in an instant into a whirlpool. Within that whirlpool, everything collapsed, turning into a profound, pitch-black singularity.

His divine consciousness had been pierced by the Chi Spear, but in that very instant, he comprehended this divine ability. This was a method of inheritance, one that could only be completed by the most talented and peerless in combat power!

Right now.

Before Bai Xuan's eyes, space shifted, and he returned to the underwater mansion's main hall.

Above the nine pillars, a terrifying black shadow manifested, exuding a desolate aura capable of crushing ten thousand meters of water with a single breath of presence.

"Master."

The shadow descended to the ground, dropping to one knee.

The voice of this immensely terrifying inheritance spirit spoke respectfully.

"The endless waiting has finally come to an end... From this moment on, the Master is the Lord of the Underwater Mansion!"

(End of this chapter)