Li Yundong was startled when Chen Yunyan, a complete stranger, challenged him right at the beginning, wondering to himself, "Why me?"

Ziyuan laughed softly, "Of course, it's you. Who else is making such a splash right now? Everyone wants to defeat you to claim the throne of the foremost master among the younger generation."

Li Yundong shook his head and smiled, "Fame is a curse!" He stood up, cupped his hands, and smiled gently, "Venerable Chen, I am honored by your regard. I, Li Yundong, should certainly accept your challenge. However, before accepting, could you tell me: among so many cultivators here, why single me out?"

Chen Yunyan sneered, "Venerable Li, the battle at Tianlong Mountain, you defeated my junior brother. Do you recall?"

Li Yundong thought back. He vaguely remembered defeating a cultivator from the Qingwei Sect, but that person had left immediately after attacking sneakily, without even giving a name, so Li Yundong didn't know who he had bested.

Li Yundong smiled and said, "I seem to recall such an incident. Venerable Chen, how do you wish to compete?"

Chen Yunyan, wearing a long gown over a magua, flicked the hem of his coat and strode before the crowd. He cupped his hands toward Wan Zhenyuan and announced, "Sect Master Wan, I request a clear table, please!"

Wan Zhenyuan chuckled, "What difficulty is there in that? Someone, clear a table for Venerable Chen!"

As he spoke, two Daoists from the Gezao Sect hurried over. One carried the tabletop, the other the legs, and they swiftly assembled an Eight Immortals table, offered a salute to Wan Zhenyuan, and quickly departed.

The onlookers observed that this table was made of fine redwood, about a meter and a half in diameter, with exquisitely carved patterns along the edge. Chen Yunyan brought eight teacups and a kettle from his own table and placed them down. Whispers broke out as the crowd speculated how Chen Yunyan intended to contend against Li Yundong.

Chen Yunyan cupped his hands toward Li Yundong and said, "Venerable Li, there are eight cups here. I will fill them with water shortly, and then we shall each use our divine abilities to spur thunder from the water. Let us see whose profound technique is superior. What do you think?"

Upon hearing this, the crowd buzzed with excitement. "This contest of skills is interesting! We just wonder what effects their thunder-spurring will produce!"

Some experienced cultivators nodded slightly. "Indeed, thunder magic is considered the most supreme and most difficult of all arts. Controlling thunder within such a confined space of a small cabin is extremely challenging. A slight misstep could harm others. I wonder if their cultivation is sufficient, otherwise, this will be self-inflicted doom!"

Ding Nan couldn't help but whisper to Zheng Yuan, "Master, if they are competing with thunder magic, why are there four water cups here?"

Zheng Yuan stroked his grizzled beard, narrowed his eyes at Chen Yunyan, and explained, "There are several ways to summon thunder in this world. First, by channeling it with qi, just as Li Yundong and Zhang Tianhe did on Tianlong Mountain. Another method relies on talismans, such as the methods primarily used by sects like Jinshan (Maoshan), which focus on talisman-drawn thunder. Then there is the method of using water to draw thunder, as thunder originates from water. Therefore, by mastering water-element spells, one can catalyze thunder techniques; this is also a way to summon lightning."

Zheng Yuan looked Chen Yunyan up and down, nodding inwardly with praise. "This Chen Yunyan is quite young, but he is certainly not simple-minded. Among all cultivation sects, the Qingwei Sect is the most proficient in drawing thunder via water. He must have heard of Li Yundong's earlier ability to draw thunder with qi, and thus seeks to use his own strength to target Li Yundong's perceived weakness! Heh, what cunning!"

Ding Nan finally grasped the situation and looked at Li Yundong with private worry.

Li Yundong, seemingly unfazed by Chen Yunyan's machinations, simply smiled and said, "Why go forward? I can perform my art right here as well."

His words were delivered so lightly that the surrounding crowd erupted in commotion, especially the cultivators of the Qingwei Sect, who glared fiercely at Li Yundong.

Chen Yunyan's expression turned grim. "Venerable Li, are you truly so arrogant?"

Zhou Qin frowned and whispered to Su Chan, "Su Chan, why are they so angry?"

Su Chan cast a worried glance at Li Yundong and murmured back, "Although the method is called water-induced thunder, ultimately it relies on one's own true essence to catalyze the water before them, eventually causing the water to surge into thunder. Therefore, standing closer naturally gives one an advantage. If Yundong stands so far away, the transmission of his true essence will be impeded—it’s like a general fighting on their home ground while Yundong must undertake a long march just to reach the battlefield. He is at a significant disadvantage from the start."

Ziyuan also cautioned him quietly, "Li Yundong, don't be overconfident. Although the Qingwei Sect has waned now, becoming a minor faction, it was a formidable lineage during the Yuan-Ming era. Dao Fa Hui Yuan was written by Zhao Yizhen of the Qingwei School; they cannot be underestimated! Especially since the Qingwei Sect specializes in thunder techniques—only the Lingxiao Sect and the Zhengyi Sect can rival them in thunder arts! If Chen Yunyan challenges you to a thunder duel, you must not underestimate him!"

Ziyuan's words came out rushed and quick, warning Li Yundong three times not to take it lightly. Although Li Yundong didn't believe Chen Yunyan could be his match, he still offered Ziyuan a grateful smile before stepping toward the table.

Seeing Li Yundong approach, Chen Yunyan’s expression softened slightly. He snorted, picked up a teapot, and with the etiquette of the tea ceremony, filled all eight cups on the table.

Setting the kettle down, Chen Yunyan cupped his hands. "Venerable Li, I have set the rules. How about you choose your four teacups first?"

Li Yundong smiled and replied, "I will take the four you leave behind!"

Chen Yunyan frowned slightly at Li Yundong’s apparent arrogance, sneered, and swiftly touched the rims of several cups in rotation. He then pushed four cups toward himself and announced loudly, "I have chosen. Venerable Li, please proceed!"

Li Yundong glanced at Chen Yunyan, smiled faintly, waved his sleeve, and the four cups moved as if nudged by an invisible hand, neatly arranging themselves before him.

Li Yundong’s effortless grace immediately drew loud cheers from many cultivators.

Among them, the applause from female cultivators like Wei Qing, who held a strong favorable impression of Li Yundong, was the loudest. Yue Sheng, standing beside her, couldn't help but knit his brow and ask, "Senior Sister, is it necessary to shout so loudly? What's so amazing about that move?"

Wei Qing giggled, "That move itself isn't amazing, but I just think Venerable Li made it look very cool. If you're not convinced, why don't you try it?"

Yue Sheng rolled his eyes, snorted high into the air, and remained silent.

Wei Qing was used to her junior brother's temper. She tugged his arm and whispered, "Hey, who do you think will win between them?"

Yue Sheng replied without hesitation, "Nonsense, Li Yundong, of course! What is the Qingwei Sect? They were nearly wiped out during the Qing Dynasty! And who is this Chen Yunyan? I've never even heard of him—just some nobody! Not worth mentioning!"

Wei Qing sounded rather disappointed. "Ah? No suspense at all? I thought since this Chen Yunyan dared to challenge him directly, he must have some ability!"

Yue Sheng snorted coldly, about to speak, when he suddenly saw Chen Yunyan cup his hands to his surroundings and announce loudly, "Fellow Daoists, watch closely. I shall use these four cups of water as the medium to summon thunder and show you what a miniature heavenly tribulation looks like!"

Yue Sheng froze, and before he could react, Chen Yunyan suddenly let out a great shout, like the roar of a dragon or tiger!

The shout was so powerful it made the four water cups before him jump!

Chen Yunyan made a gesture with one hand above the four cups, using his true essence to forcefully draw the water out of them.

The onlookers watched as if four water columns had suddenly materialized from thin air, the liquid tea seeming to solidify into solid pillars at that instant.

Chen Yunyan brought his other hand up at the moment the water pillars ascended and cleanly severed them, holding the four water columns suspended in his hands. With a loud roar, he instantly compressed his entire true essence toward his palms.

These four water columns were squeezed into a fist-sized sphere of water. As his true essence compressed it, the sphere shrank continuously, and faint, trembling ripples could be seen in the center of the sphere due to the pressure.

The crowd watched as Chen Yunyan manipulated his true essence, slowly squeezing the fist-sized water sphere down to the size of a mere thumb. Around this small sphere, wisps of water vapor continuously diffused, rising and slowly drifting above and in front of Chen Yunyan, forming a majestic miniature cloudscape, like a misty, ethereal heaven.

Though the spectators didn't know how Chen Yunyan would proceed next, they understood that compressing a fist-sized water sphere down to the size of a thumb required an extremely vast and condensed Inner Elixir!

Yue Sheng’s expression became solemn as he watched; Wei Qing's eyes widened, and she whispered, "Junior Brother, you misjudged! This is a true master!"

Immediately afterward, Chen Yunyan shook both hands, and suddenly the thumb-sized water bead leaped up on its own, drilling into the cloud mist floating in the air.

The moment the water bead entered the cloud layer, the mist gradually deepened in color, becoming heavy like an oppressive thunderhead, dark and overwhelming. A low, rumbling sound of thunder gradually emanated from the cloud layer, and even the sky outside the yacht turned dark, as if shifting instantly from clear weather to an overcast day.

Chen Yunyan formed a hand seal and rapidly chanted: "Life springs heaven and earth, guiding water and fire, enlightening the divine spirit, the root of ten thousand ways!" Upon uttering the final word, he roared suddenly: "THUNDER!!!"

"CRACK!!!"

Everyone felt as if a sharp blade had suddenly pierced their eardrums. It was as if a bomb had exploded in the cabin; the sudden thunderclap made everyone’s blood surge, and their eardrums throbbed painfully!

"RUMBLE!!!"

Then, a deafening peal of thunder echoed from outside the yacht. Everyone started, thinking: Thunder in winter?! This Chen Yunyan, by drawing thunder with water, actually summoned winter thunder!!

Ziyuan gazed at Chen Yunyan with a mixture of reverence and awe, murmuring inwardly, This is the long-lost Secret Method of Divine Might of the Qingwei Sect! It is one thing for him to conjure thunder himself, but he actually managed to summon the sound of heavenly thunder! His mastery of thunder arts is terrifying!

Amidst the awestruck gazes of the crowd, Chen Yunyan announced loudly, "Everyone, please observe! The Heavenly Thunder is here!"

As soon as his voice faded, a miniature bolt of lightning crackled down from the swirling clouds before him, striking one of the teacups and making it tremble violently.

Another bolt struck the teacups immediately after. What sent chills down everyone's spine was that for every strike of thunder from the cloud layer before Chen Yunyan, a corresponding rumble echoed outside the yacht, as if responding in kind.

In the blink of an eye, eighty-one bolts of lightning—nine sets of nine—descended continuously from the cloud layer, their speed almost too fast to follow!

The onlookers felt as if an invisible hand were clamped over their mouths and noses, stealing their breath. They couldn't help but wonder: If this thunder were directed at them, what would happen?

Finally, as the last bolt of heavenly thunder struck, the crowd watched the dark clouds gradually dissipate, and the sky outside the yacht slowly returned to clear blue. The four teacups before Chen Yunyan remained perfectly upright where they stood.

Chen Yunyan cupped his hands toward everyone inside the cabin and declared, "Please observe!" With that, he gently fanned his hand toward the four teacups. A faint, gentle breeze passed, and the four cups instantly disintegrated into fine powder, turning into four small piles of dust! He then tapped his hand against the redwood Eight Immortals table before him, which responded with a solid thud. The redwood table remained hard and intact!

The crowd gasped in shock. They understood that the eighty-one bolts of heavenly thunder had pulverized the teacups into powder! Yet, while so much lightning struck, every single bolt was concentrated precisely on the four small teacups, and not one touched the redwood table. Thus, the cups turned to dust, while the table remained unharmed!

It was astounding enough that Chen Yunyan could invoke water-based thunder. But he could simultaneously trigger and coordinate with the heavenly thunder outside to amplify its might, yet prevent it from striking, while also precisely controlling his self-created lightning to hit only the four tiny teacups!

Heavenly thunder is the hardest element to control, yet this man controlled it like a precision missile! What exquisitely terrifying skill in lightning manipulation this was!!

Most of the people in the cabin were knowledgeable patrons. For a moment, they were struck dumb, staring at Chen Yunyan, one thought dominating their minds: When did the Qingwei Sect produce such a formidable master?

Having concluded his display of divine power, Chen Yunyan proudly cupped his hands toward Li Yundong and said, "Venerable Li, it is your turn!"