Chapter 17: Five Thunders
"Hey! Brother Bai, do you think we are cursed?" Xiao Yan sighed.
Looking at the lonely black-clothed boy in front of him, Xiao Bai said lightly:
"What? Are you discouraged?"
Xiao Yan smiled bitterly, "A little bit, my father was troubled by several elders in the family because of me today, I..."
Although he didn't finish, Xiao Bai understood why this guy didn't sleep and ran here at night.
For more than two years, the clan leader Xiao Zhan had been looking for someone to help Xiao Yan. Whenever he heard something might be useful, he bought it for him to try. It cost a lot, and sometimes even required embezzling family funds.
If these things were effective for Xiao Yan, no one would say anything. His rise would bring more returns to the family, and everyone would benefit.
But over the past two years, Xiao Yan was like a bottomless pit. No matter how much they spent, his cultivation remained unchanged.
This made many people in the clan dissatisfied. After all, there were so many people in the Xiao family, and the annual revenue was limited. If more was spent on Xiao Yan, others would get less.
Because of this, clan leader Xiao Zhan lost much of his reputation, and several elders under him grew increasingly dissatisfied.
Looking at the former Iron Head Kid's current state, Xiao Bai casually comforted him.
"The wind and snow have been pressing on me for two or three years, and I laugh at the wind and snow as light as cotton!"
As for more, sorry, there was nothing more to say.
Xiao Bai calculated the time. It was less than five months until the Xiao family's annual Dou Qi test, which was also the start of the original story.
This guy was now in the darkness before dawn. He would soon see the light, so there was no need for long-winded chicken soup speeches.
"The wind and snow have been pressing on me for two or three years, and I laugh at the wind and snow as light as cotton. Haha, Brother Bai, you are still so free and easy!" Xiao Yan sighed.
After his realm fell, he had always envied Xiao Bai's state of mind—calm and composed.
He wanted to learn that carefree attitude, seeing all things as unimportant, but he couldn't.
In Xiao Yan's eyes, although Xiao Bai hadn't broken through to Dou Zhe for five years, he was never anxious. He was neither arrogant nor impatient. Whether it was ridicule or praise from the outside world, nothing seemed to affect him.
Xiao Bai could always feel two eyes watching him. He knew it was the old man in the ring, but he didn't care. At least this time, the other party wasn't using soul power to spy as blatantly as before.
"Brother Bai, are you okay? Why are you sweating all the time?" After sitting for a while, Xiao Yan noticed beads of sweat on Xiao Bai's forehead.
"It's okay, just a side effect. It'll pass soon." Xiao Bai said calmly.
"I want to go back. Do you want to stay here or..."
"I'll take you back!" Xiao Yan saw that Xiao Bai seemed off and spoke with concern.
"No, I'm not at the point where I can't walk yet." Xiao Bai was gritting his teeth to hold on. He didn't want anyone to see him in an embarrassed state.
After speaking, Xiao Bai slowly stood up and left the pavilion.
Xiao Yan looked at his leaving figure, a bit of admiration in his eyes.
He noticed that Xiao Bai's movements tonight were especially slow, his hands trembling from time to time as if enduring pain.
But his voice was still steady, his gaze calm, his back straight and upright—like a pine tree that wouldn't bow to wind or snow.
When Xiao Bai returned to his yard, the sky was gradually brightening.
After washing and changing clothes, Xiao Bai sat quietly at the table, a cup of tea giving off a faint fragrance.
He was waiting for someone. When he returned, he had sensed Ling Ying. He thought the little girl would come soon, and after that, he'd continue practicing.
As for sleeping—forget it for the next few months. His body was in too much pain to sleep. Fortunately, his mental strength was strong enough. A few months didn't matter.
Today's thunder seeds made him realize that every one of Fu Zhao's thunder seeds had at least the power of a Dou Wang, possibly even the initial Dou Huang level. If not for the five streams of light Fu Zhao gave him when he reached the ninth level of Dou qi to protect his internal organs, there was no way his body could withstand it.
Compared with the current Binghuo Yang Lei, the Wood Thunder he previously refined had been too smooth.
The Wood Thunder might be naturally gentle, or it might have been Fu Zhao's "newbie protection" that allowed him to refine it easily.
"First it was the wood element, then the fire element. Next should be earth, metal, and water. Earth is heavy, metal is fierce, water is gentle... Aside from fire, I should especially watch out for the metal element thunder!"
"I wonder if the five elements can be fused once all are given. If fused... what will it be called? Five Thunders Righteousness?"
"Isn't that the signature skill of the Tianshi Mansion in Longhu Mountain?"
Xiao Bai stared at the teacup in his hand, lost in thought.
Dong, Dong, Dong—
A knock at the door brought Xiao Bai back. He raised his eyebrows—this girl came so quickly.
"Come in, the door's not locked," Xiao Bai said softly.
Although his voice was soft, the person outside heard it clearly.
"Is this... soul power?" Xiao Xun'er was slightly surprised. She hadn't expected Xiao Bai's soul power to be so strong.
This was a minor use of Xiao Bai's soul power. It was a technique he simulated based on a novel from his previous life: transmitting sound through air.
Using the principle of a phonograph, sound vibrations were directly transmitted to the ears of a target. As long as the soul was within range, one could communicate even without seeing the person.
Xiao Xun'er entered and saw Xiao Bai sitting at the table. Her eyes turned red immediately.
"Brother Xiao Bai, what's wrong with you?" She hurried forward, her voice trembling with tears.
Her jade hands trembled as they stroked his gray hair. Looking at his pale face and loose clothing, Xiao Xun'er felt heartbroken.
"It's okay. Brother Xiao Bai just encountered some problems while practicing. Xun'er, don't worry. He'll recover in a few months at most!"
Xiao Bai looked at the teary-eyed girl, took her little hand, let her sit beside him, and gently comforted her.
"Don't worry? How can I not worry? There was an accident last time, and now again! What a trash cultivation method!"
Xiao Xun'er felt the bones in Xiao Bai's hand, picked up his hand in distress, and said angrily:
"Don't practice this anymore. Xun'er will help you find a better one, okay?"
"You weren't satisfied with the last Thunder Spirit Technique. Xun'er will find you a more advanced one. Just stop practicing this, alright?"
Xiao Xun'er's red eyes were full of hope. At this moment, she no longer cared about anything else—whether it was upper-realm inheritance or powerful people, they could all go to hell!
She just wanted her Brother Xiao Bai to be safe.
Xiao Bai looked down at the girl who said "okay" twice in a row and gently pulled her into his arms.
"Don't worry, Xun'er. I know what's going on. There won't be any danger. Don't make things harder for Brother Xiao Bai, and don't be sad, okay?"
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