From the Metropolis to the Strongest in the Cosmos

RUMBLE!

Li Yang sat silently, cross-legged, within the massive Thunder Pool.

He was enveloped by countless bolts of lightning, which writhed and slithered across his body. At the same time, Li Yang could faintly sense a terrifying fluctuation of Evil Qi emanating from himself.

Li Yang had kept his eyes closed, but at a certain moment, they snapped open.

’Is my body about to give out?’

Li Yang felt the crushing pressure of the surrounding lightning. His body was reaching its limit. Wave after wave of sharp, stinging pain washed over him, and wounds even began to appear on his skin. The lightning tried to seep into his body through these cuts.

Li Yang knew with certainty that if he pushed himself any further, the lightning would crush his body to pieces.

’Since I’ve reached my limit, there’s no need to keep going.’ Li Yang had no intention of pushing on.

He could probably last another minute or two in the Thunder Pool, but there was no need.

His body was already at its absolute limit. He might be able to hold on for three more minutes, but he might also collapse in the next three. It was impossible to know for sure.

And for Li Yang, those few minutes weren’t worth the risk.

He still had plenty of Evil Qi Crystal Stones for his cultivation, so it was better to play it safe.

WHOOSH!

With a single movement, Li Yang flew straight out of the Thunder Pool. The terrifying pressure of the lightning vanished instantly, and the wounds on his body healed in a flash.

Standing at the edge of the massive Thunder Pool and gazing at the churning lightning below, Li Yang was clearly in a great mood.

He clenched his fist.

BOOM!

Instantly, he felt a dense surge of Evil Qi. The power fluctuating from his physical body exploded, reaching a level equivalent to the Late World Realm!

’Haha, with my physical body alone, I could probably crush a Mid-World Realm Cultivator with ease now, right?’ Li Yang thought joyfully.

Those who specialized in Body Refining were nearly invincible among their peers, as those who focused solely on cultivating laws did not possess particularly strong bodies.

It was like a peerless swordsman whose blade was so deadly it could kill with a single scratch, striking fear into countless hearts. His power was immense.

But if that same swordsman were to be careless for a moment, someone far weaker could seize the opportunity and kill him.

Offensive power didn’t mean the swordsman was strong in every other aspect.

However, those who excelled at Body Refining had no such weakness.

Their entire body was a weapon for both offense and defense, leaving them with almost no vulnerabilities.

’But it’s not just my physical body that has improved...’

A thought crossed Li Yang’s mind.

BZZZT...

A strange domain materialized out of thin air, centered on Li Yang.

The domain had a diameter of about ten thousand meters.

As the domain spread, Li Yang felt his power rise once more!

’The Thunder Pool’s Evil Qi Body Refining not only enhances my physical body, but it also allows me to form an Evil Qi Domain!’

This Evil Qi Domain could aid in comprehending the profound mysteries of laws. On top of that, activating it directly boosted his overall strength!

’Setting aside my physical body, this Evil Qi Domain alone should increase my overall strength by about a tenth.’ Li Yang sensed, his heart filled with joy.

A tenth might not sound like much, but given how terrifying his current strength was...

Relying on his physical body alone, Li Yang’s strength was merely approaching the Late World Realm.

But when he channeled his various laws and used attacks like the Destruction Spear Skill, he could already overwhelm a Cultivator at the Peak of World Realm!

An additional one-tenth increase on top of that power... one could only imagine how significant the boost was!

’I wonder what the gap between me and an ordinary Deity is now!’ Li Yang mused.

Li Yang could now kill those at the Peak of World Realm, but he was still a long way from matching Deities.

The gap between the Peak of World Realm and the level of Deities was absolutely immense!

Even among the Thunder Spirit Race, who were known for fighting above their level, only a genius at the Peak of World Realm could hope to battle a Deity.

And Li Yang was still only at the Star Lord Realm.

To rival an ordinary Deity while at the Star Lord Realm was a feat even more difficult than clearing the twelfth step of the Path of Deities while at the Longevity Realm!

However, Li Yang was steadily closing that gap.

SPLASH! SPLASH!

Just as he was reveling in his newfound power, the massive Thunder Pool before him began to fluctuate violently. The turbulence was several times more intense than before.

It was as if a calm sea had suddenly erupted into a tsunami.

’What’s this...’

Li Yang stared at the immense change happening in the Thunder Pool, watching the churning, raging lightning. A thought struck him. ’Is the treasure nurtured within the Thunder Pool about to emerge?’

Elder Yuan Ye had told him a great deal about this place.

According to what he had learned, the Thunder Pool itself would nurture treasures. Anyone who could endure it for more than four years would be able to obtain one.

Since he had lasted for six years, he was naturally entitled to a reward.

WHOOSH!

Just as he was thinking this, a streak of light shot out from the Thunder Pool. The light was long and thin, and it came to a stop directly in front of him.

’Is this... a living creature?’

Li Yang stared at the light, utterly astonished.

HSSS. A small, snake-like creature had appeared before him. Its body flickered with electricity, and it looked exceptionally strange. It hovered in front of Li Yang, cocking its head in a surprisingly human-like manner as it sized him up.

...

Elsewhere, Emperor Xu Lun, who had been sitting in meditation, rose to his feet.

’Has the human, Li Yang, reached his limit?’

He had been keeping a close watch on Li Yang.

’I wonder what kind of treasure will emerge from the Thunder Pool?’

His primary reason for watching Li Yang was to see the treasure from the Thunder Pool.

There was a chance the treasure from the deepest parts of the Thunder Pool was something they desperately needed. If they didn’t see it and Li Yang immediately stowed it away, they couldn’t very well demand he open his Spatial Ring for their inspection, could they?

Emperor Xu Lun continued to watch, but when he saw the small lightning snake, his expression changed drastically.

’The Spirit of Lightning?’

Even as a mighty Emperor, he felt a sense of panic upon seeing the tiny snake.

Without a moment’s hesitation, Emperor Xu Lun contacted the other Emperors.

The other Emperors were busy with their own cultivation and had not been watching Li Yang.

”Xu Lun, what is it?”

”Did the human Li Yang come out of the Thunder Pool?”

”What treasure did he get?”

”A small lightning snake... Is that... the Spirit of Lightning?”

”Heavens! How did the Spirit of Lightning escape from the Thunder Pool?”

”Quick! We absolutely cannot let Li Yang take the Spirit of Lightning! The Thunder Pool will be ruined otherwise!”

One by one, the Emperors of the Thunder Spirit Race fell into a panic, as if Li Yang taking the Spirit of Lightning would cause a catastrophic change to the Thunder Pool.

...

’What is this thing?’ Unaware of the panic spreading among the Emperors of the Thunder Spirit Race, Li Yang studied the small lightning snake before him.

HSSS.

The little lightning snake hissed again, slowly drawing closer to Li Yang. There seemed to be a hint of affection in its eyes.

BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!

Just then, waves of terrifying pressure suddenly descended. One after another, figures materialized in front of Li Yang. It was Wuxu Emperor, Emperor Xu Lun, and the others.