On Qingyan Mountain, Ji Changkong swung his arms, striking the air. Faint, visible ripples disturbed the atmosphere, becoming more pronounced with each swing, much like waves crashing against a shore, even emitting corresponding sounds.

With a sweep of his left arm, his palm shot forward toward a boulder of Qingyan stone, the size of a man. The turbulent, surging ripples spread out like shimmering water, surging directly toward the colossal rock face of Qingyan Mountain.

Bang!

The man-sized Qingyan stone recoiled three meters backward upon impact of the wave.

The residual force of the Jing Tao Jue did not dissipate; the wave surged back, gathering even larger torrents, which then slammed against the rock again.

Bang!

The stone, struck again, suddenly shifted another six or seven meters to the rear.

The wave coiled back once more, bringing with it even greater turbulence, and struck the stone, now ten meters away.

Bang!

That man-sized piece of Qingyan Mountain was suddenly hurled into the air, tumbling down toward the base of Qingyan Mountain.

Jing Tao Jue, the Triple Wave of the Startling Tide—each successive wave more ferocious than the last!

...

Ji Changkong withdrew his hands, his face alight with pleasant surprise. He truly hadn't anticipated how potent the Jing Tao Jue was. A single strike manifested into three successive attacks, like ocean waves, each one building in intensity, making it impossible to defend against.

He gently shook his right arm again. Marvelous wave-like fluctuations appeared in the void, accompanied by the resonant sound of surging tides.

The visual manifestation of the wave patterns in the air, coupled with the distinct sound of crashing waves, signaled that the Jing Tao Jue had been mastered!

With continued cultivation, as his realm advanced, he would manifest one additional wave for every breakthrough: in the Four Symbols Heaven Realm, he could unleash the Four Waves of the Startling Tide; in the Five Elements Heaven Realm, a single strike could generate five successive, escalating waves!

...

"Changkong, your auntie made you some food. Eat something first before practicing again." Ji Wanyun approached, holding a bamboo basket, and set the cooked meal down on a flat slab of Qingyan stone.

"Thank you, Auntie." Ji Changkong made no pretense of politeness; he was genuinely ravenous. He wolfed down the entire meal before frowning and asking Ji Wanyun, "Auntie, what about that matter?"

"Alas, I don't know. Those surnamed Luo and Zhao took those Yuan Stones from Jia Rongfeng. They used them up long ago, so returning the items is out of the question now. Your Second Grand-Uncle and Third Grand-Uncle are currently negotiating with the Jia family, hoping to resolve the matter smoothly without provoking the Jia family's full wrath." Ji Wanyun looked troubled, clutching her brow.

"Auntie, I brought back quite a few rare flowers and exotic herbs from the Cloud Dream Great Marsh. Their value is certainly not less than ordinary Yuan Stones. They are all with you. If things really come to a head, just use those herbs to settle things with the Jia family," Ji Changkong said after a moment's thought. "Besides, don't we still have the Black Jade Yuan Crystal? Could the Yuan Stones given to those two greedy women by the Jia family possibly compare to the Black Jade Yuan Crystal?"

"Do not mention the Black Jade Yuan Crystal to anyone!" Hearing Ji Changkong speak of it, Ji Wanyun’s expression shifted sharply. She hurriedly cautioned, "Neither your Second Grand-Uncle nor I have ever mentioned the Black Jade Yuan Crystal to anyone. That is a treasure of immense value. If people knew we possessed such an item, it could bring about terrible trouble!"

"I understand." Ji Changkong’s mind raced, and he immediately grasped the implications.

"Enough of these bothersome matters. Changkong, how is your cultivation of the Jing Tao Jue going? After over a month, you should have at least gained entry, right?" Ji Wanyun asked with a smile.

"Heh heh, I’ve mastered it," Ji Changkong replied with a slight smile (Read the full text novel on the mobile phone at .1κ.wen.xue.net), then immediately swung his left arm, producing faint wave patterns and the subtle sound of surging tides.

"Heavens! How could you be so fast!" Ji Wanyun exclaimed in shock. "For an Earthly Scholar Secret Art, mastering it takes at least half a year, and more complex, potent ones take even longer. The Jing Tao Jue is clearly no ordinary Earthly Scholar Secret Art—how could you master it in just over a month?"

The visible wave distortions in the void, coupled with the "whoosh" of the tide sounds, were irrefutable proof that the Jing Tao Jue was achieved. Ji Wanyun had no choice but to believe it!

"I don't know myself. For some reason, the parts you described as difficult seemed surprisingly easy for me," he shrugged with a smile, explaining, "Take, for example, the part you and Grandfather mentioned—making the waves recoil and gather more vital energy to form a larger wave. You said it takes at least ten days to half a month just to grasp the trick, and two months to become proficient... but I mastered it in three days!"

After a moment of hesitation, Ji Changkong tentatively asked, "Auntie, did you and Grandfather exaggerate the difficulty because you were afraid I would rush my cultivation?"

Ji Wanyun was utterly stunned. After a long pause, she shook her head with a wry, helpless smile. "Changkong, let me put it this way: if your Grandfather and I were to cultivate the Jing Tao Jue right now, we couldn't master it in just over a month! Ai, you fellow, I truly don't know if you are a genius or a freak—either you couldn't gather Yuan Power for seventeen years, or once you could, you had to be astonishingly frightening. I really don't know what to say about you."

"Auntie, I'm done eating. You should attend to your own matters," Ji Changkong grinned, urging Ji Wanyun to leave quickly.

Once Ji Wanyun was gone, Ji Changkong immediately took out the Tian Lei Jin (Heavenly Thunder Force) and began reading its contents earnestly.

When Mo Yunyi gave him both the Jing Tao Jue and the Tian Lei Jin, she had explicitly warned him against cultivating two Earthly Scholar Secret Arts simultaneously. Ji Changkong had followed her advice, but now that the Jing Tao Jue was fully understood, he could naturally begin the Tian Lei Jin.

Yuan Power is the fundamental source of strength between heaven and earth; Secret Arts are the magical applications of that Yuan Power. Some techniques can transform Yuan Power into various special forces, such as fire, ice, or darkness. The Tian Lei Jin is one such technique; it allows one's body to convert Yuan Power into ferocious lightning.

Since lightning has historically been controlled by the Azure Dragon, one of the Four Sacred Beasts, the full potential of the Tian Lei Jin can only be unleashed upon reaching the Four Symbols Heaven Realm and establishing communication with the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon.

Of course, even without converting Yuan Power into lightning, the Tian Lei Jin can still unleash a burst of explosive power, capable of forming fierce attacks.

After studying diligently for a good while, Ji Changkong began practicing according to the methods laid out in the Tian Lei Jin. The first step in cultivating this art required forming three spheres of energy within the body, known as Thunder Fields, located at the chest, above the navel, and below the navel, respectively.

These three Thunder Fields formed as energy clusters, designed to gather the Yuan Power within the body. Once communication with the Sacred Beast Azure Dragon was established, these fields would then convert Yuan Power into pure lightning.

The three methods of channeling power—Tian Lei Hou (Heavenly Thunder Roar), Tian Lei Bao (Heavenly Thunder Burst), and Tian Lei Bian (Heavenly Thunder Transformation)—all required the use of these three Thunder Fields. Therefore, forming these three fields internally was paramount to cultivating the Tian Lei Jin.

Sitting cross-legged near a secluded, narrow cave entrance halfway up Qingyan Mountain, Ji Changkong began manipulating the Yuan Power within his body according to the methods described in the Tian Lei Jin.

Slowly, three fist-sized energy spheres materialized in his chest, above his navel, and below his navel. These three spheres continuously swelled and contracted, causing Ji Changkong’s chest and abdominal areas to visibly distend and flatten rhythmically.

Where his intention led, Yuan Power immediately responded. As Ji Changkong's thoughts shifted, the Yuan Power inside him transformed into various shapes.

With the rhythmic expansion of his body, the three energy spheres within Ji Changkong gradually grew larger...