Heavenly Thunder Baptism

"Eh…"

Yang Fan felt an unsettling shift, as the previously overwhelming spiritual pressure of the late Foundation Establishment stage vanished without a trace.

Amidst the silence, he faintly heard a cry of surprise—something about "Three Shadows Demon Flame." In an instant, that terrifying pressure dissipated inexplicably.

At this moment, he sat cross-legged at the bottom of the Clear River, a hundred feet below, where the magic aura spiritual spring flowed. The magical energy swirling around him gradually loosened, clearly indicating that the pure magic essence within the spring was on the verge of depletion.

"So soon it's about to run out…" he sighed softly. With a gentle leap, he emerged from the spring's small opening, standing at the river's bottom.

Suddenly, he felt a peculiar sensation.

Crackling in the sky, a small dark cloud formed, and amidst the flashes of lightning, a bolt of purple thunder, as thick as a thumb, coalesced. An overwhelming heavenly might descended.

Buzzing! The mysterious demon flame, after several integrations, emitted a resonant quivering sound. The core of that ghostly light flickered rhythmically, like a heart beating, evoking a sense of dread that made even the gods tremble.

Whoosh!

The thumb-sized purple thunder descended, striking the ethereal magic flame directly.

The flame shuddered, and the ghostly light at its center dimmed momentarily.

From the void, a mournful wail resonated.

"Not good!"

Yang Fan's expression changed. How could he allow the demon flame he had painstakingly cultivated to simply vanish?

Puff!

With a surge of magical energy, Yang Fan transformed into a shadowy figure, breaking through the water's surface and shooting into the void, injecting light into the magic flame.

In an instant, the magic flame surged with vigor, standing defiant, refusing to yield.

From his fingertips, a stream of black energy surged forth, unexpectedly matching the might of the heavenly thunder. Typically, magical techniques would be somewhat restrained when faced with the power of lightning.

Yet, the *Youming Demon Flame* was a formidable magical technique; ordinary lightning couldn't subdue it.

However, what it faced now was the power of heavenly thunder.

Yang Fan felt a chill run down his spine as he frantically injected the Nine Nether Magic Energy into the flame. This was the moment the *Youming Demon Flame* was meant to undergo its heavenly thunder baptism.

If he succeeded, this magic flame would not fear those techniques capable of restraining magic; it might even acquire an extraordinary immunity.

Failure would be catastrophic: the flame could be damaged, and Yang Fan could suffer grievously. In the worst case, the flame might dissipate, leading to the destruction of Yang Fan's soul.

Now was the crucial moment of life and death, glory and shame.

Buzzing! The might of the thunder persisted relentlessly, and streaks of lightning coiled around the magic flame, attempting to snuff it out in its infancy.

Yang Fan, filled with both rage and urgency, sensed the magic flame beginning to falter, and much of the Nine Nether Magic Energy he had just released was obliterated by the lightning serpents.

In the blink of an eye, his internal magical energy was nearly exhausted.

Previously, all his energy had been devoted to refining the *Youming Demon Flame*, leaving him nearly drained.

His expression darkened, and from his palm, a faint green energy began to flow, intertwining with the magic flame, clashing with the relentless lightning serpents.

The lightning serpents weakened significantly as the magic flame's might surged, beginning to counterattack, gradually consuming the residual might of the heavenly thunder.

Seeing this, Yang Fan rejoiced, continuing to inject the faint green energy.

At this stage, the power he had cultivated from the *Xianhong Jue* contained a substantial wood attribute, countering a large portion of the lightning's might with its celestial abilities.

Thunder rumbled increasingly weaker, and the ghostly light at the core of the *Youming Demon Flame* grew ever brighter, giving the illusion that it could overshadow the brilliance of the full moon.

Finally, with the aid of Yang Fan's miraculous *Xianhong Jue*, the *Youming Demon Flame* successfully underwent the baptism of heavenly thunder. The ominous dark cloud above dissipated into thin air, an extraordinary occurrence.

"This place is not suitable for lingering," Yang Fan thought, steeling himself. He withdrew the somewhat nascent *Youming Demon Flame*, wielding the Qingfeng Sword, and sped away into the distance, vanishing into the horizon.

One could imagine that the *Youming Demon Flame* had endured the baptism of heavenly thunder; its overwhelming presence would likely be felt by cultivators within a hundred miles.

Indeed, shortly after, various cultivators flew toward the site, only to find nothing amiss.

After all, Yang Fan was cultivating deep within the Clear River, and the thunderous baptism occurred above the water's surface. Once he departed, everything was submerged by the raging currents of the river.

"I clearly saw heavenly thunder descend in this area; its might was substantial! I thought there might be some heavenly spiritual object undergoing a baptism of thunder…" 

"Was it truly heavenly thunder?" someone questioned. "I doubt it. Perhaps it was a battle involving high-level cultivators."

"Shut up… that was no ordinary lightning," a voice interjected, piercingly loud. The speaker was an incredibly ugly young man who gazed disdainfully at the previous commentator.

"Hmph, just your word?" the man shot back, sneering.

Zzzzz… The ugly youth crossed his hands, producing powerful arcs of electricity that flashed momentarily through the air.

Lightning Technique!

The surrounding cultivators gasped in surprise.

A practitioner of lightning techniques was a rare sight to behold.

If Yang Fan had been present, he would have instantly recognized this individual as Hu Fei, the talented heir of the Yuwu Mountain Villa who had fled with spoils.

"Hmph… that was no ordinary lightning. Didn't you feel the might of the heavens?" Hu Fei scoffed, casting a contemptuous glance at the previous speaker.

"Little brother, you are correct. I was closer earlier and sensed an overwhelming power from the heavens and earth; I just wasn't entirely certain," another cultivator at the Refining Stage chimed in.

"I might have been too far away to feel it," the man who had argued with Hu Fei reddened, fleeing in embarrassment, unwilling to lose face before the others.

"Alas… if I had been there just now, I could have helped share the burden of the heavenly thunder baptism," Hu Fei said, a hint of frustration in his voice.

The onlookers found his speech oddly uncomfortable, yet they managed to understand.

Help share the burden of heavenly thunder baptism?

They regarded him with incredulous expressions before dispersing.

It was common knowledge that during a heavenly tribulation, outsiders were not to interfere; otherwise, they might receive unwanted "attention" from the thunder.

"Hmph. Idiots!" Hu Fei disdainfully watched the dispersing crowd, then followed the tributaries of the Clear River, soaring in a particular direction.

Flying several dozen miles, he suddenly spotted a familiar figure, someone who appeared to be an elder of the Yuwu Mountain Villa's second generation.

"Get away! Run!" 

Hu Fei's expression shifted dramatically, and he hastily flew towards a remote corner of the Clear Riverbank.

He had risked his life to escape with the spoils, and now he was being hunted by the Yuwu Mountain Villa, leading to a heightened sense of paranoia.

The distant figure, observing Hu Fei fleeing for no apparent reason, looked puzzled. "Has he encountered an idiot…?"

Hu Fei, not sparing any energy, directed his flying sword, which created a crimson light streak across the sky, producing sounds like thunder as he searched for a concealed corner. In an instant, he managed to shake off the figure.

Panting heavily, he arrived at the cliff covered in dense bushes along the Clear River, feeling relieved as he murmured, "Finally… I've shaken him off."

However, just then, Hu Fei sensed a terrifying, oppressive aura; within the thicket, flickering black shadows appeared, alternating between light and darkness, creating a bizarre spectacle.

This was unmistakably a demonic presence.

Could it be that a demonic cultivator was practicing here?

Hu Fei, known for his thick skin, prided himself on possessing lightning techniques and felt unafraid of ordinary demonic practitioners.

Curiosity piqued, he ventured into the thicket, stepping on the decaying underbrush, producing creaking sounds.

Before he could approach the thicket, a chilling voice echoed, "Who goes there?"

A wave of lethal intent surged forth.

"Who… who's afraid?" 

Hu Fei puffed his chest out, striding into the thicket with flickers of lightning dancing in his palm.

As he entered the dense forest, he beheld a tall figure clad in black robes. The man had sharp, sword-like brows, an icy visage, and an aura enveloped by mysterious, floating symbols emanating an ancient, dark energy.

Most notably, a crescent moon mark flickered on his forehead, and in his palm floated a sphere of dark flames, at the heart of which glowed a mysterious ghostly light, pulsing rhythmically, evoking terror and trembling in the soul.

This man was terrifying!

This was Hu Fei's first instinct, as his intuition warned him of the profound threat this figure posed; it was best not to engage.

"Who… who are you?" 

Hu Fei stuttered, his bravado faltering.

The man slowly opened his eyes

, piercing through Hu Fei's heart with a gaze colder than frost, as if studying his very soul.

"Let me ask you this. Are you here to help me refine the demon flame?"

Hu Fei froze momentarily, considering his next move.

"Am I? Who the hell are you?"

The man frowned, then summoned the black flame in his palm, causing the air to twist and shimmer ominously. 

"Refine or die. Choose!"

The hidden threat struck Hu Fei with terror; he felt as if he was standing before the ancient, dreadful lord of demons, one whose might could obliterate him in an instant.

But amid the fear, a flicker of courage surged within him. He channeled his lightning technique, preparing to retaliate. If it came to that, at least he could try to escape. 

His heart raced, but he stilled his breath, trying to maintain a semblance of calm.

"I can help… I can help you refine the demon flame." 

"That's more like it," the man said, nodding slowly, yet still emanating a chilling presence.

"Now… start."