Chapter 24 Lost

Boom! Boom! Boom...

The thunderous sound of heavenly thunder striking the protective formation made all the disciples of the sect shiver. In front of the rolling thunderclouds, Xuanling Sect seemed minuscule.

Chang Tianyou, with a grim expression, gazed at the heavenly might and turned to a nearby elder, asking, "Which disciple of our sect is undergoing tribulation?"

For a Golden Core realm expert, it was akin to a weapon of mass destruction. The addition of one more Golden Core realm expert would elevate the status of Xuanling Sect.

"I'm not sure. I can't sense it at all, but I have already instructed the disciples to inquire," the elder shook his head.

Xuanling Sect had numerous mountain ranges, making it difficult to discover someone hiding unless they traced the flow of spiritual energy.

At this moment, Qin Jun was inheriting techniques and his Qi cultivation was suppressed, so he wasn't automatically absorbing spiritual energy. Coupled with the tribulation being blocked by the protective formation, no one would associate such a tribulation with Qin Jun, a mere fifth-level Foundation Establishment cultivator.

"It's either Senior Sister Zhong or Senior Brother Zhuo. Great, Xuanling Sect is about to gain another Golden Core realm expert," Chang Qianqian clapped her hands and laughed.

Beside her, Chang Hao gazed at the rolling thunderclouds in the night sky with a hint of envy. Despite his exceptional talent, he still felt inadequate compared to Senior Sister Zhong and Senior Brother Zhuo. Chang Tianyou's expectations for him to break through to the Golden Core realm before the age of fifty put immense pressure on him.

Meanwhile, on a mountainside of another peak, a black-clad man stood in front of a wooden house, gazing up at the tribulation. His face was stern, with a hint of stubble, adding to his masculine charm. He was Xuanling Sect's number one genius, Zhuo Junjie.

At thirty-four years old, he had reached the peak of the Foundation Establishment realm, but he was still one step away from the Golden Core realm threshold.

"Zhong Ling, I didn't expect to lose to you again," Zhuo Junjie smiled bitterly.

On the other side, by a small river, a white-clad woman sat on a boulder, bathed in moonlight. Her delicate face was filled with shock and disappointment.

She was Zhong Ling, the number one female disciple of Xuanling Sect.

Similar in age and strength to Zhuo Junjie, the two regarded each other as rivals. Since they joined Xuanling Sect over twenty years ago, they had left their peers far behind, except for each other.

"Zhuo Junjie, I've truly been defeated by you this time," Zhong Ling murmured bitterly to herself.

Both geniuses believed that the tribulation was caused by the other's breakthrough to the Golden Core realm, and this was the prevailing belief among the other disciples as well.

Meanwhile, Qin Jun was still immersed in the inheritance of the "Purple Rainbow Thunder Technique."

"Tsk tsk, no wonder the young master came to Xuanling Sect," the Howling Heaven Hound marveled at the tribulation.

The consumption of spiritual stones to activate the protective formation of Xuanling Sect was definitely substantial. If Chang Tianyou knew the truth, he would surely have the intention to kill Qin Jun.

What are spiritual stones?

Spiritual stones were condensed from the spiritual energy of heaven and earth and served as a universal currency among cultivators. They could be used for cultivation and to activate formations.

The power of the tribulation was extremely strong, and the amount of spiritual stones needed to withstand it was immeasurable. However, for the birth of a Golden Core realm expert, Chang Tianyou believed it was worth it.

"I wonder if Xuanling Sect will cause trouble for the young master?" Daji chuckled. Since getting to know Qin Jun, she had witnessed his rapid progress, and she was certain that he would create waves in the world in the future.

The Howling Heaven Hound snorted, "The strongest in this small sect is only at the Mortal Shedding realm, and there's only one. If they dare to act recklessly, I'll wipe out their entire sect!"

As the Demon King, the Howling Heaven Hound's temper was only gentle towards Qin Jun.

...

After some time, Qin Jun's consciousness slowly awakened.

Opening his eyes, there was a faint electric light swirling in his eyes. He took a deep breath, his face filled with satisfaction.

The "Purple Rainbow Thunder Technique" truly lived up to its status as a top-grade technique. As a thunder attribute technique, its destructive power was the strongest among its peers. The cultivation of the technique was divided into six realms, each with its own spell.

The spell belonging to the first realm was the Palm Thunder, which, as the name suggested, condensed thunder in the palm, delivering a devastating blow to the enemy.

With each breakthrough in the realm of the technique, the speed of absorbing Qi would double. Just the first realm alone was comparable to twenty times the speed of absorbing Qi in the "Qi Refinement Technique"!

"System, show me my current attributes!"

Suppressing his joy, Qin Jun spoke in his mind. As soon as he finished speaking, a semi-transparent attribute template appeared in front of him:

"Host: Qin Jun!"

"Race: Human!"

"Level: Foundation Establishment Fifth Level (4210/5000 experience points)!"

"Bloodline: None!"

"Divine Ability: Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Constellations!"

"Techniques: Purple Rainbow Thunder Technique (Top-grade) and Qi Refinement Technique (Medium-grade)!"

"Summoned Demons: Daji and Howling Heaven Hound!"

The next level was within reach, especially when he looked at the divine ability. He couldn't help but grin.

Having mastered the Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Constellations, he was already equivalent to a half-baked immortal. Flying on clouds, turning stones into gold, and changing his body size were all within his capabilities. He could even change his fate against the heavens, although it was akin to a temporary extension of life, similar to Zhuge Liang's legendary feat of prolonging life with a lamp. The success rate was low, akin to a chicken rib.

The Thirty-Six Transformations of the Heavenly Constellations had numerous divine abilities, and it would be difficult for an ordinary person to master even half of them in a lifetime. However, with the help of the mythological system, Qin Jun could comprehend them all. However, it was difficult to use them. Not only could he only use two divine abilities at most in a short period of time before becoming exhausted, but due to his low realm and insufficient spiritual power, he couldn't use many of the major divine abilities.

But for him, it was already satisfying.

Thinking about the Seventy-Two Transformations of the Earthly Demons, his heart burned even more fiercely.

The "Seventy-Two Transformations" does not mean that there are only seventy-two changes, but rather it signifies a wide range of transformations. In the novel "Journey to the West," the impression left by the Monkey King's Seventy-Two Transformations is merely the art of transformation, but most readers overlook the fact that when using the Seventy-Two Transformations, the Monkey King can make demons completely unaware, which is quite impressive!

He doesn't believe that demons and immortals are foolish; it should be that the Monkey King's Seventy-Two Transformations not only change his appearance but also alter his aura!

However, the Seventy-Two Transformations are too distant for him, and whether he will be able to obtain them in the future is still a question mark.

With this in mind, Qin Jun did not get up but continued to sit and practice the Zihong Thunder Method's breathing technique, because of the skill inheritance. He had directly learned the first level of the breathing technique, and the subsequent five levels were also firmly remembered. Breaking through was only a matter of time.

After half an hour of waiting in the courtyard outside, Daji and Xingtian Dog each returned to their rooms to rest. It was destined to be a sleepless night for many people.

After the heavenly tribulation dissipated, Chang Tianyou excitedly asked the elders to summon Zhuo Junjie and Zhong Ling to the council hall.

No matter who breaks through to the Golden Core Realm, it will be a great help to the Xuanling Sect!

Zhuo Junjie and Zhong Ling quickly arrived at the main hall. Chang Qianqian eagerly approached them and asked, "Senior Brother, Senior Sister, which one of you has broken through to the Golden Core Realm?"

Chang Hao looked despondent, while Chang Tianyou's face was filled with excitement. The other elders also looked hopefully at Zhuo Junjie and Zhong Ling.