Chapter 169 - 147: Controlling the Thundercloud, 1st External Gene, Purple Gold Thundercloud Wing

Chapter 169: Chapter 147: Controlling the Thundercloud, 1st External Gene, Purple Gold Thundercloud Wing

"Excellent!"

Ji Zhixing’s eyes lit up as he watched the giant crimson-gold flaming bird summoned by Xiao Mingyue plunge into the thundercloud and charge toward the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast ahead.

But in the very next moment, he sensed a sudden riot within the thundercloud. The long serpents of lightning swirling inside transformed into enraged pythons, lunging at the flaming bird that had invaded their domain. It was as if the thundercloud refused to allow any foreign entity to enter, save for him and the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast.

"Stop!"

Ji Zhixing’s expression shifted. He hastily tapped into the faint, almost imperceptible connection he shared with the thundercloud, desperately trying to command the giant lightning serpents to halt. He had no idea if it would work, but right now, it was a desperate last resort.

BUZZ!

As the thought flashed through his mind, the thundercloud trembled with a resonant hum. Miraculously, the lightning serpents striking at the flaming bird actually stopped. They hovered in midair, their electric arcs flashing, but they advanced no further. Then, they slowly retracted and returned to their silent state, swimming ceaselessly through the thundercloud just as before.

"It actually worked!"

Joy washed over Ji Zhixing’s face, accompanied by an irrepressible surge of excitement in his heart. Although his connection with the thundercloud was still weak, it undeniably existed—and it was truly capable of influencing the cloud.

ROAR!

At that moment, sensing Xiao Mingyue’s flaming bird swooping in, the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast flapped its wings, preparing to flee.

CLANG!

Suddenly, a forceful, ringing cry erupted from the giant flaming bird’s beak. The sound was sharp and bright, like the clash of metal and iron. It echoed through the thundercloud, making Ji Zhixing’s eardrums ache. At the same time, the cry seemed to carry a unique, oppressive aura that struck directly at the soul, instantly paralyzing the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast.

The beast’s body trembled slightly, and the frantic beating of its lightning wings abruptly slowed, as if it had been immobilized by an unseen force.

In the next instant, the flaming bird pounced, transforming into a raging inferno that completely engulfed the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast. Crimson-gold flames and purple-gold lightning intertwined with a fierce SIZZLE. The two powers clashed madly, erupting into blinding light.

"Now’s my chance! Sea Burial!"

Ji Zhixing’s eyes gleamed. Gripping the Nine-Tiered Tide Rod, he beat his wind wings and brought the staff crashing down. For this strike, he unleashed the strongest offensive technique of the Nine-Tiered Tide Rod.

Transforming into his hyper-gigantified state, he hoisted the five-meter-long staff high into the air. Channeling every ounce of his strength into an unstoppable momentum, he smashed it down mercilessly. The long rod tore through the air with a piercing whistle, descending upon the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast with the devastating force of an overturned ocean and monstrous, towering waves.

HOWL!

The Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast let out a miserable shriek that echoed mournfully through the thundercloud. Its body convulsed violently beneath the searing flames and the crushing blow of the giant rod. Its Scale Armor shattered, sending sparks of lightning flying in all directions.

Then, Ji Zhixing’s strike completely obliterated its head. Purple-gold blood splattered everywhere. The beast twitched a few times before falling completely still.

"Phew!"

Seeing the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast finally dead, Ji Zhixing’s expression relaxed, and he let out a long breath. This Gene Beast had been far too difficult to deal with. It was incredibly fast and its attacks were ferocious. If Xiao Mingyue hadn’t intervened, he truly wouldn’t have been able to take it down alone.

"Huh?"

But right after the beast’s death, Ji Zhixing let out a soft sound of surprise, sensing that something was amiss. With the beast’s demise, he felt his connection to the thundercloud suddenly deepen significantly.

It was a bizarre sensation, as if the thundercloud had previously belonged to both him and the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast simultaneously. It was as though they had each held a portion of the thundercloud’s authority. Now that he had killed the beast, he had usurped its share of that authority.

"This Gene Beast..."

Ji Zhixing looked at the corpse of the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast he had just bludgeoned to death. He noticed that even after dying, it didn’t plummet out of the thundercloud. Instead, it remained suspended within, buoyed by the surrounding lightning as if it were an intrinsic part of the cloud itself.

"What’s going on?" Ji Zhixing looked bewildered, completely unsure of what to make of the situation.

"Zhixing, hurry up and refine that Gene Beast!" Xiao Mingyue suddenly shouted from outside the thundercloud.

"That Gene Beast is likely a special entity birthed directly by this thundercloud. If you refine it, there’s a high chance you’ll obtain a special treasure.

"Furthermore, that treasure will probably help you gain control over this entire thundercloud!"

"It works like that?"

Ji Zhixing’s eyes lit up at her words. He immediately flapped his wind wings, arriving before the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast, and quickly stored it inside his Genetic Melting Furnace. Then, he activated the Genetic Melting Furnace to rapidly accelerate the refining process.

While refining the Purple Gold Thunder Wing Beast, he beat his wind wings once more to explore the thundercloud, which spanned several dozen meters in diameter.

The space within the thundercloud was much larger than he had imagined. Dark clouds churned amidst flashes of lightning and rolls of thunder, forming what felt like an independent, specialized realm of lightning. The purple-gold lightning darted through the clouds like massive, thick lightning serpents, emitting deafening roars.

At the center of the thundercloud, he spotted a bizarre vortex. The vortex wasn’t large—only about the size of a washbasin. It spun slowly, serving as the source from which all the surrounding lightning surged. Its center was a realm of profound darkness; he couldn’t see what lay inside, but he could sense a terrifyingly potent force radiating from it.