From the Metropolis to the Strongest in the Cosmos

The members of the Thunder Spirit Race were indignant.

They were a straightforward people, and they had been adamant they would never curry favor with the human, Li Yang. Yet, this was the outcome.

Nearby, Xing Wu of the Star Moon Race roared with laughter. ”Haha, Yan Mu, what do you have to say for yourselves now? So much for not currying favor with the human, Li Yang. Now you’re even letting him enter the Thunder Pool all by himself first...”

”Shut up.”

”Didn’t your Star Moon Race also let the human, Li Yang, enter your ancestral grounds alone?”

Hearing Xing Wu’s words, several young members of the Thunder Spirit Race retorted angrily.

Their faces darkened. Their current expressions were as grim as their previous attitude toward Xing Wu had been arrogant.

”Heh.” Xing Wu of the Star Moon Race said no more, but he was inwardly delighted.

’Hmph. A bunch of blockheads. You all kept running your mouths about me before. Let’s see you talk now.’

’It’s all about perspective. When his own race was fawning over the human, Li Yang, he had certainly lost some face in front of others.’

’But now that the Thunder Spirit Race was treating Li Yang the same way, well... no one was in a position to laugh at anyone else.’

...

Li Yang paid no mind to the attitude of the Thunder Spirit Race. He followed Yuan Ye and soon arrived at their destination.

Along the way, Elder Yuan Ye explained the details of the Thunder Pool to Li Yang.

”Li Yang, to be precise, the Thunder Pool is a supreme treasure. Its diameter is ten million meters, and it’s filled with crackling bolts of lightning. This lightning contains a dense Evil Qi. When you enter the Thunder Pool, you absorb the Evil Qi carried within the lightning to temper your physical body.”

Elder Yuan Ye continued to explain, ”Every prodigy who enters absorbs a different amount of Evil Qi—some more, some less. It’s a test of many factors. For instance, one’s soul influences their Talent for comprehending the profundities of laws. Those with powerful souls generally comprehend them much faster.”

Cultivation prodigies generally have powerful souls.

”Furthermore, according to our Thunder Spirit Race’s research, every living being’s physical body also has its own Talent, just like the soul. Some physical bodies are well-suited for the path of physical cultivation, while others are not.”

Li Yang nodded. A successfully cultivated physical body was incredibly formidable even without the use of laws. It was the epitome of ’one force to break all techniques,’ shattering any opponent with a single punch!

Everyone knew that a successfully cultivated physical body possessed immense power!

And yet, most people in the Cosmos still followed the path of comprehending laws and their profundities, not spending too much time on physical cultivation.

Just as people with powerful souls were rare, so too were prodigies of the laws.

The same was true for physical cultivation; those who excelled at it were also exceedingly rare.

”Also, while absorbing Evil Qi in the Thunder Pool, you should know that although it can temper your physical body and even form an Evil Qi domain, it puts extreme pressure on you. Once your body reaches a certain threshold, it becomes difficult to absorb any more. So, once you can no longer absorb it, Li Yang, please don’t force yourself.”

”Pushing past your body’s limits would be counterproductive.”

Elder Yuan Ye continued to speak, and Li Yang committed these words of experience to memory.

He thought for a moment, then asked curiously, ”Elder Yuan Ye, what’s the longest anyone has ever lasted inside the Thunder Pool?”

Hearing this, Elder Yuan Ye smiled. ”People of all realms enter the Thunder Pool, so the times can’t really be compared. However, among prodigies at the Star Lord Realm, same as you, Li Yang, the one who lasted the longest was one of our own from the Thunder Spirit Race. He endured for five years.”

A clear hint of pride shone in his eyes.

The Thunder Spirit Race was, without a doubt, a people with exceptionally powerful physical Talent, making them the most suited to enter the Thunder Pool.

’Five years?’ Li Yang thought to himself.

’That’s a really long time.’

”We’re here.”

A palace appeared before them. Elder Yuan Ye led Li Yang and Hei Xu inside.

Once inside, they continued onward, walking for another ten minutes before reaching a new area.

This was deep within the palace, where a massive gate stood before them.

An old man was cultivating silently in front of the gate.

”Li Yang, this is our clan’s Supreme Elder,” Elder Yuan Ye explained.

’A Supreme Elder?’ Li Yang was inwardly surprised.

’The guardian of the Thunder Pool is actually an Emperor of the Thunder Spirit Race! This just shows how highly the Thunder Spirit Race regards their Thunder Pool.’

”Supreme Elder, the human, Li Yang, has arrived. As decided previously by the Supreme Elders, he is permitted to enter the Thunder Pool and remain until his body reaches its limit.”

Elder Yuan Ye spoke to the old man with the utmost respect.

The old man opened his eyes, glanced at Li Yang, and nodded. ”I am aware. Human, you may enter. But remember, leave the Thunder Pool if you feel your body can no longer bear it.”

”Thank you for the warning,” Li Yang said respectfully.

The palace gate opened, and the three of them—Li Yang, Hei Xu, and Elder Yuan Ye—walked inside.

The moment he stepped inside, Li Yang felt an incomparably violent wave of Evil Qi wash over him, threatening to penetrate his skin and surge into his body.

RUMBLE!

The roar of thunder boomed, filling his ears. Separated by a single gate, this place was a completely different world from the outside.

Before Li Yang lay a vast region of lightning. Countless bolts churned like ocean waves, stretching out as far as the eye could see.

Although the power radiating from these lightning bolts wasn’t overwhelming, it was still on par with the World Realm!

Anyone below the World Realm who entered would likely be completely consumed by the endless bolts of lightning.

’So this is the Thunder Spirit Race’s Thunder Pool?’ Li Yang stared, a look of shock in his eyes.

’Hearing about the Thunder Pool before hadn’t prepared him for this. Only by seeing it in person could he truly sense how extraordinary it was.’

Of course, more than shock, what Li Yang felt now was anticipation.

Setting aside the improvement to his physical body, the benefits of forming an Evil Qi domain alone were immense!

Unleashing an Evil Qi domain was like activating a Secret Technique; his overall strength would skyrocket!

Furthermore, an Evil Qi domain would also be a great help in comprehending the profundities of laws!

”Li Yang, you may go in. The Thunder Pool’s energy is at its peak right now, which is when it’s most effective,” Elder Yuan Ye said with a smile.

”Alright.” Li Yang nodded. He turned to Hei Xu and said, ”Mr. Hei Xu, I’ll have to trouble you to wait for me.”

”Haha, Li Yang, just focus on tempering your physical body,” Hei Xu said, his face wreathed in smiles.

’Right now, he was marveling at Li Yang’s heaven-defying luck. He’d gone to the Star Moon Race and obtained a Sacred Artifact fragment, causing them to curry favor with him.’

’Now, here at the Thunder Spirit Race, Li Yang possessed a Token they desperately wanted, which in turn earned him many benefits from them too.’

’What was this, if not a testament to Li Yang’s incredible luck?’

’Of course, the stronger his luck, the higher his chances of becoming a top-tier expert in the future.’

At this point, Hei Xu was filled with immense anticipation for Li Yang’s future.

’Once Li Yang was fully grown and powerful, wouldn’t I have a great backer in him?’

(A word of thanks to the reader who tipped 1,500, and the reader who tipped 100. Thank you!)