That purple lightning bolt descended like a celestial axe splitting the heavens, suddenly illuminating the dim sky. Under its power, the entire mountain peak was split open from its summit, shattering into pieces like a bamboo shoot being cleaved apart.

The power of this lightning was far more intense than anything on the outside Earth. Ye Chen was embedded deep within the rubble at the mountain's base, his body flickering with residual electrical energy. Excruciating pain shot through every nerve, his muscles spasming, and his sweat instantly scorched black.

Taking a hit even while lying down.

Under his Superman Mode, Ye Chen's bone density and dermal strength were enhanced, meaning the sensation wouldn't have been this fierce. He let out a painful, low roar, gritting his teeth as his entire body convulsed.

The lightning vanished quickly. Ye Chen lay limp in the wreckage of shattered stone, faint sparks still dancing over him, triggering involuntary nerve reactions. His once fair skin was now charred black. Stripped of his Black Feather Armor and other gear, he had taken the lightning strike head-on with only his own hide.

After what felt like half a day, Ye Chen slowly managed to push himself up from the ground. Surveying the burn marks across his body, he tentatively took a step, instantly feeling as if countless saws and blades were cutting him open; even the tendons, bones, and vessels within him were being violently pulled, sending waves of tearing pain through him.

Rumble—

Just then, a peal of thunder echoed across the sky. Before the sound fully registered, the purple flash of lightning struck again, moving far faster than the speed of sound.

Ye Chen’s body went numb, his vision momentarily blackened, nearly causing him to pass out. He swayed precariously and collapsed, the intense, tearing force rendering his senses numb. However, the sharp sting of the lightning piercing his nerves still registered as unimaginable agony.

Crash!

The electrical radiance enveloping Ye Chen had not yet faded when another bolt slammed down from the heavens. As thick as a bowl, it struck directly down, hitting him like a heavy hammer blow, making the very blood in his body seem to give off a scorched aroma...

Ye Chen’s vision faded to black, his mind ringing, utterly blank. Beneath the dim, darkened sky where thick clouds swirled with electric light, yet another bolt descended.

Boom! Boom! Boom!

Bolts of lightning hammered down in rapid succession, striking Ye Chen repeatedly. Faint electrical light wreathed his body without ever fully dissipating. His skin, bones, internal organs, even his heart, convulsed under the electrical bombardment.

Yet, with each successive impact, Ye Chen gradually sensed a peculiar change in his body; his resistance to electricity was growing significantly. After enduring over ten strikes, he felt the tearing sensation ease considerably, becoming less agonizing than before.

By the time he had weathered fifty bolts, Ye Chen could endure the onslaught with relative ease. He only felt a slight tearing sensation, akin to a needle prick, followed by brief numbness, after which he would recover, free from the previous agony that made life unbearable.

Boom, boom, boom, boom, boom...

In the sky, dark clouds churned, raining down thunderous strikes. Ye Chen slowly rose from the ground, bathed in the electrical glow as if emerging from a lightning purgatory. His long black hair was singed, reduced to ash, and much of the scorched outer layer of skin peeled away, revealing newly formed skin beneath.

The weariness in Ye Chen's eyes vanished, replaced by a sharp, intense glimmer. Clenching his fists, he stood amidst the lightning, feeling every cell, every bone, every drop of blood slowly adapting under the assault, subtly transforming, becoming tougher and stronger under the fierce electrical stimulation.

His physical constitution increased incrementally under the lightning strikes: Level 1301, 1302, 1303...

Sensing his body’s metamorphosis under the lightning, Ye Chen’s eyes brightened. He hadn't expected such fortune—to receive tempering from natural lightning, an effect comparable to consuming base fluid enriched with high-level nutrients.

Electrical energy perpetually enveloped him. Just as it threatened to fade, fresh lightning descended from the sky, ensuring Ye Chen remained shrouded in light. The newly formed skin became crystalline and smooth, white as jade, incredibly resilient—immune to ordinary bullets, knives, or swords.

In the span of moments, his physique broke through 1350, an increase of a full 50 levels.

At his current level, consuming ordinary precious materials yielded no significant benefit; the higher one climbed, the harder progress became. Gaining 50 levels instantly would normally require slaughtering at least a thousand Flood Dragons to accumulate that much energy.

His physique continued its slow transformation... Level 1355, 1358, 1365...

After several minutes, the turbulent dark clouds in the sky began to settle and thin, slowly dispersing into wisps of grayish-white fog drifting loosely overhead.

The electrical aura surrounding Ye Chen gradually faded. He clenched his fists, sharp light blazing in his eyes. His physique had climbed from Level 1300 to 1402—an increase of over a hundred levels!

Ye Chen glanced at the dissipating mist, his gaze keen. This unexpected opportunity to be tempered by lightning was a genuine stroke of luck. On Earth, lightning strikes, no matter how fierce, lacked the sheer power necessary to temper his body like this. Conversely, the lightning found in Level Seven or even Level Eight ruins was far too destructive; it would kill him instantly, preventing any tempering process.

The lightning on this continent, however, was perfectly calibrated for his current strength.

"Time to get out. I wonder what the situation is like outside. Some dimensional spaces have different temporal flow rates; I don't know the rate in this one." Ye Chen swept his hand across space, opening his Rune Dimension. He retrieved his Black Feather Armor, Blazing War Boots, Blazing Fist Gauntlets, and other gear, equipping himself fully. With a swift movement, he shot toward the dark vortex that served as the entrance to this space.

Whoosh!

Exiting that enclosed space, he was immediately struck by the air, which was saturated with dense energy. Ahead, a gigantic tree made of crystalline emerald towered toward the heavens.

Ye Chen took a deep breath, feeling refreshed. He turned to look back at the dark aperture leading to that barren continent. His eyes flashed as he scanned the area but found no obvious activation medium, causing him to frown. After a moment of thought yielded no solution, he decided to worry about it later and moved toward the Energy Divine Tree.

He suspended himself near the center of the trunk, observing the texture of the colossal tree surface, which bore grooves as thick as his own body. He let out a soft sigh and swiped his hand, opening the Rune Dimension once more.

"Come out," Ye Chen commanded coolly.

Swish!

The old Green Rune Man poked his head out of the opening. Sensing no danger, he drifted out completely and hovered before Ye Chen, rubbing his hands together with a chuckle. "What can I do for you?"

Ye Chen glanced at him flatly. "Clear out the space inside the spacecraft. I need you to collect the fruit from this tree."

The old Green Rune Man's smile froze briefly. He cursed inwardly, This brute has made me a porter again. He reluctantly looked up, his eyes suddenly bulging, his jaw dropping so low it nearly hit his chest. "Th-th-this... the energy radiating from this tree is so incredibly dense!"

"Hurry up," Ye Chen frowned.

The old Green Rune Man’s heart pounded furiously. His aged face flushed bright red, his eyes nearly forming dollar signs (‘$’). With a sudden burst of motion that was unprecedented for him, he shot into the Rune Craft, reappearing less than two seconds later. He then charged toward the giant tree, letting out ecstatic, wailing cries.

Ye Chen’s gaze sharpened as he looked at what the old man was holding—he nearly fainted. The rogue was clutching an alloy vacuum cleaner, an artifact from the prehistoric Rune Civilization, whose general shape resembled modern versions.

Wooooo...

The Green Rune Man activated the Rune Civilization version of the vacuum cleaner. This device was usually used for cleaning the spacecraft, which often traversed hazardous areas, sometimes picking up stubborn, sticky residues that were hard to scrub off, meaning the vacuum had incredible suction power.

Thump-thump-thump...

Targeting the Energy Fruits hanging on the branches of the Divine Tree, they were promptly yanked free and sucked into the vacuum’s wide mouth, flowing down into a massive disposal bin behind it, three zhang in diameter.

The energy fruits rained down like artillery fire. The Green Rune Man had never experienced such exhilaration in his entire life. Having languished in that confined space for countless eons, sustained only by the last vestiges of energy in a power crystal, he had been extremely frugal, daring not to waste a single joule, fearing that once the energy was depleted, so would he.

In his ages of careful conservation, he had developed a profound craving for energy. Seeing such an abundance now was like a beggar stumbling into a vault; he trembled uncontrollably, tears streaming down his face.

"I'll take it, I'll take it all, I'll hoard it massively..." The Green Rune Man babbled incoherently in his excitement, his eyes shining like a starving wolf spotting a nude, exquisite beauty before him. "It's all mine, all mine..."

Swish, swish, swish...

Many energy fruits were sucked into the vacuum cleaner. Soon, the bin’s alarm sounded, indicating it was nearly full. The Green Rune Man regained a sliver of composure, let out a howl of excitement, and dragged the vacuum at lightning speed back into the Rune Dimension. Seconds later, he zipped back out, charging toward the Energy Divine Tree with manic zeal.

Ye Chen watched from the sidelines, slightly stunned by the spectacle...

Soon, through the old man's frenzied, almost deranged procurement spree, he emptied the vacuum’s bin seven or eight times. The empty capacity within the Rune Craft was entirely packed away. Finally, the Green Rune Man, his face etched with grievance, complained for the first time about his beloved spacecraft being too small.

As he was about to cease his work, his eyes caught the roots of the Energy Divine Tree. They lit up like lightbulbs, and drooling, he lunged forward, clutching the roots and desperately trying to yank a section loose. He was promptly kicked away by Ye Chen.

"Damaging these roots will slow down the entire tree's energy absorption process," Ye Chen stated coldly. "This tree is not like ordinary flora; you cannot grow a second one from just a root segment."

The Green Rune Man stared longingly at the severed roots with a look of profound misery. Under Ye Chen’s watchful glare, he took a step, looked back three times, and finally retreated into the Rune Dimension.

Ye Chen swept his hand, closing the dimension. He glanced back at the Energy Divine Tree. After the Green Rune Man's thorough scavenging, only about one-tenth of the fruit under the canopy had been removed; it wasn't visibly diminished.

This Divine Tree was planted at the core of the ruin. Energy transmitters were installed on the metal walls surrounding this valley. Essentially, the energy absorbed by the Energy Divine Tree was first channeled to meet the ruin's energy requirements; only the surplus was then absorbed by the tree itself, coalescing into the energy fruit.