Inside Ji Changkong’s body, the three masses of qi spun ceaselessly like whirlpools. As he channeled the Tian Lei Jin (Heavenly Thunder Force), the three masses suddenly swelled. Ji Changkong threw a punch, and the three masses within him exerted their power simultaneously.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

An old tree as thick as a man’s waist snapped cleanly in two.

Retracting his fist, Ji Changkong was perfectly composed. The rotation speed of the three qi masses inside him quickened. He felt his body was incomparably hard, possessed of inexhaustible strength. When he struck out again, one could faintly hear the sound of wind and thunder.

In one month, the Tian Lei Jin had been mastered!

The Jing Tao Jue (Surging Waves Art) and Tian Lei Jin were two secret Heavenly Scholar techniques. The Jing Tao Jue channeled force through the two arms, whereas the source of power for Tian Lei Jin came from the three Tian Lei Chang (Heavenly Thunder Fields) within the body. What would happen if he used the power from the Tian Lei Chang to execute the force mechanism of the Jing Tao Jue?

A strange thought suddenly sparked in Ji Changkong’s mind.

He understood that because the two secret techniques were fundamentally different, fusing them would be extraordinarily difficult. Generally, a Heavenly Scholar whose strength had not yet reached the Seven-Star Heaven Realm would never dare attempt to merge two such techniques.

This was because it was not only immensely difficult but also fraught with extreme danger!

A single misstep resulting in a conflict between the two techniques could lead to severe injury, or worse, instant death!

Once this notion arose, Ji Changkong hesitated, unwilling to try immediately.

However, he always felt that the Tai Xu Mi Lu (Grand Void Secret Record) he cultivated was unique. The profound meaning of the Tai Xu Mi Lu was centered on the concept of “Fusion”—fusing with heaven and earth, fusing with all things; the primordial energy (Yuan Li) could merge anything!

According to the core teaching of "Fusion" in the Tai Xu Mi Lu, nothing in the world was inherently unmixable; even the power of extreme cold and extreme flame could potentially be merged. Therefore, the fusion of two Heavenly Scholar secret techniques should not present too great a challenge, right?

Thinking this way, Ji Changkong resolved to attempt it.

Qingyan Mountain, the summit.

The three Tian Lei Chang within Ji Changkong spun rapidly. Yuan Li gathered along a marvelous trajectory. When the three Tian Lei Chang were overloaded with Yuan Li to the point where his chest and lower abdomen felt swollen, he suddenly stilled his mind, concentrated, and abruptly channeled the Yuan Li contained within the Tian Lei Chang into his arms, then released it using the force application method of the Jing Tao Jue.

Crack! Crack! Crack!

Before him, massive Qingyan stones, each the size of a millstone, shattered completely after absorbing only the first wave.

Whoosh! Crackle! Rumble!

Accompanying the sound of surging waves in the Jing Tao Jue was the roar of crashing thunder, growing louder and more deafening!

As the waves receded, distinct ripples of water manifested momentarily in the void, only to surge forward again with an even more violent oscillation.

Bang! Bang! Bang!

The fractured stones were instantly pulverized into dust by the second wave. A gust of mountain wind blew, scattering the dust away.

The residual force continued, and the third wave rushed out with even greater intensity!

Accompanied by a massive roar, this final wave swept out toward the empty void. Wherever the wave passed, a sizzling sound echoed through the air. The wave continued upward until it slowly vanished, but the air suddenly became permeated with a scorched smell, as if real lightning had just struck through it.

Slumping to the ground, Ji Changkong gasped for breath, realizing that this single attack had depleted nearly seventy to eighty percent of his internal Yuan Li—it was more exhausting than unleashing five or six cycles of the Jing Tao Jue's Triple Wave.

After resting a while, Ji Changkong stood up, looking at the Qingyan stones that had been reduced to ash before him, and grinned widely.

Using the three Tian Lei Chang as the power source and releasing the force via the Jing Tao Jue's mechanism, while it caused immense depletion of his Yuan Li, the resulting destructive power made Ji Changkong extremely satisfied.

This method of force application was several times more ferocious than when using the Jing Tao Jue alone!

It was a pity that the final wave soared straight into the sky without impacting any physical object for him to reference, which left him with a slight sense of regret.

However, based on the performance of the first and second waves, he was certain that the power of the third wave must have been terrifyingly immense!

With both the Jing Tao Jue and Tian Lei Jin mastered, Ji Changkong felt lighthearted, a faint smile gracing his lips as he returned to the Ji Family estate.

Upon arriving, he immediately noticed a strikingly beautiful, yet icily arrogant figure standing in the Ji Family's training grounds. Surrounding her were elders from the Yinshan Jiu Family, acting like attendants surrounding a star, their faces full of haughty disdain.

The Ji Family elders and younger members stood nearby, heads bowed, looking utterly dejected.

The Yinshan Jiu Family’s Jiu Lingxue!

With just one distant glance, Ji Changkong recognized who the visitor was. This was not Jiu Lingxue’s first visit to the Ji Family, nor was it the first time Ji Changkong had seen her. In the past, Ji Changkong always positioned himself in an inconspicuous corner, watching from afar as this dazzling young lady from the Jiu Family crushed one Ji Family youth after another with overwhelming, cold arrogance.

With a soft snort, Ji Changkong quietly edged toward Ji Wanyun. Several peripheral disciples of the Ji Family noticed him approaching and proactively stepped aside to give him space.

Ever since he won the championship during his training on Qingyan Mountain, these peripheral disciples, who had previously looked down on him, were the first to acknowledge his status and dared not give him any trouble again.

“I hear Ji Changxiao has broken through to the Three Talents Heaven Realm? Heh, perfect, perfect. Let’s have another bout. Lingxue is also in the Three Talents Heaven Realm now, so you lot have no reason to claim we have the advantage, right?” Jiu Wuji, the head of the Jiu Family, narrowed his eyes, a sinister smile playing on his lips, oozing arrogance.

“If I hadn’t heard Brother Changxiao broke through to the Three Talents Heaven Realm, Lingxue wouldn't have set foot in the Ji Family grounds again!” Jiu Lingxue’s face was cold and proud. She glanced at Ji Changxiao in the crowd with a cool expression, offered a slight gesture of polite inquiry, and said, “Brother Changxiao, I implore your guidance!”

“Changxiao only just entered the Three Talents Heaven Realm, yet she entered this realm long ago, and she still claims we aren't taking advantage!” Ji Wanyun hissed in frustration, turning to Ji Changkong beside her. “They came today specifically to shatter Changxiao’s confidence in one fell swoop, ensuring he remains permanently stagnant in the Three Talents Heaven Realm!”

Ji Changkong frowned slightly and nodded. He naturally understood the Jiu Family's intention.

The Jiu Family intended to use their third generation to suppress the Ji Family until they could never recover!

“What, Brother Changxiao dares not?” A scornful curve appeared on Jiu Lingxue’s beautiful lips as she deliberately provoked him.

Under everyone’s gaze, Ji Changxiao found himself unable to back down. He steeled himself and stepped out from the crowd, bowing slightly, and stated in a deep voice, “In that case, please enlighten me!”

Jiu Lingxue showed no mercy. Seeing everyone retreat a short distance to clear a combat zone for the two, she calmly made her move.

Snow lotus flowers began to coalesce in the palm of Jiu Lingxue’s hand. These lotuses carried a chill similar to that found in the Ice Cave, and each flower contained astonishing Yuan Li. They drifted one by one toward Ji Changxiao.

Manifesting matter from Yuan Li was a capability only achievable by those at the peak of the Three Talents Heaven Realm!

Each snow lotus appeared lifelike; one could clearly make out the texture of the petals. If not for the astonishing Yuan Li and cold energy contained within them, anyone would have mistaken them for real snow lotuses.

Ji Changxiao faced a formidable enemy. Seeing the snow lotuses rapidly approaching, he suddenly gestured, and the testing Qingyan stones lying beside the training ground suddenly flew up, hurtling toward the snow lotuses.

Using Yuan Li to manipulate objects—this technique could be employed immediately upon reaching the Three Talents Heaven Realm.

The difference in their capabilities was immediately obvious.

Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang! Bang!

As the snow lotuses collided with the Qingyan stones, stones the size of human heads burst successively. After the collision, the snow lotuses dissipated, but because they were continuously supported by Jiu Lingxue’s boundless Yuan Li, they reformed again. The superiority of the lotuses was immediately apparent!

Bang!

One snow lotus eerily maneuvered around the obstructing Qingyan stones and struck Ji Changxiao from behind.

“Pfft!”

Ji Changxiao staggered, spitting out a mouthful of blood.

“Changxiao! Changxiao! Changxiao!” Ji Yuxing, Ji Haohong, Madam Luo, and others instantly surrounded Ji Changxiao, frantically trying to soothe the chaotic icy energy of the snow lotus inside his body. Madam Luo’s eyes grew red as she choked back sobs.

“Jiu Wuji, a contest is a contest; that girl used too much force, didn’t she?” Ji Yusheng was furious. Despite his usual conflicts with Ji Yuxing and the others, seeing Ji Changxiao suffer such injury, he immediately erupted in anger, glaring hatefully at Jiu Wuji and roaring.

“A few injuries are inevitable during a contest. Back when your son, Ji Haotian, attacked our Jiu Family, his actions were far more severe than today’s actions...” Jiu Wuji’s expression was sinister, his tone laced with sarcasm.

“That was because your Ji Family struck first!” Ji Yusheng trembled with rage, pointing at Jiu Wuji and shouting.

“If your skill is inferior, then being injured is only right! Only by giving him a lesson will he train harder in the future...” After a pause, Jiu Wuji said coldly, then added proudly, “If anyone from your Ji Family managed to injure us, we would accept it and wouldn't say a word!”

“You, you clearly know...” Ji Yusheng’s face flushed crimson, but he could find no words to counter the Ji Family's current lack of strength.

“Grandfather, let’s go back. I thought Brother Changxiao would have improved after reaching the Three Talents Heaven Realm, but he is still so easily defeated. The Ji Family truly has no capable successors. Grandfather, don't bring me back to the Ji Family again; it’s dreadfully boring.” Jiu Lingxue did not spare Ji Yusheng a glance, turning instead toward Jiu Wuji, her face filled with arrogance and impatience.

“Yes, you needn’t come again. Once Yunfeng cultivates to the Three Talents Heaven Realm, he will be able to sweep aside the younger generation of the Ji Family. Since Ji Haotian, the Ji Family has truly produced no other powerhouse!” Jiu Wuji nodded, preparing to lead Jiu Lingxue away after saying this.

“Wait!”

Suddenly, Ji Changkong, with a grim expression, stepped out from the crowd, pointing at Jiu Lingxue with one hand. “I will fight you!”