Chapter 2380 - 2348: The Thunder of Zhuoyan Academy

Chapter 2380: Chapter 2348: The Thunder of Zhuoyan Academy

Cultivation knows neither sun nor moon; for a cultivator, the thing that’s probably worth the least... is Time.

Because often, after a single bout of Closed-door Cultivation, no one in the outside world even knows how many years have gone by. So a cultivator’s lifestyle rhythm is usually not very fast—one could even say it’s extremely slow.

In this regard, even Zhuoyan Academy, one of the two great academies of the Naval Empire, is the same.

A Genius joins Zhuoyan Academy; if they graduate slowly, they might need a hundred, even several hundred years of long Time. 𝘧𝓇ℯℯ𝑤ℯ𝘣𝓃ℴ

And even those with outstanding Talent and extremely fast cultivation still need more than ten years of Time to graduate from the academy.

In this not-so-short period of Time, both the academy’s teachers and its students have some basic needs in life; and so, a city like Zhuoyan City was built.

Moreover, almost every few decades of Time, Zhuoyan City gets expanded again, because the people inside have only ever increased in number.

Within Zhuoyan Academy, the students also live a slow-paced life. The academy’s instructors usually give a lecture only once every month or so; most of the Time is spent in self-study.

Because of Closed-door Cultivation, whether instructors or students, once they shut themselves away, they come out not knowing how long it’s been.

Perhaps it’s precisely because of this slow rhythm that the instructors and students of Zhuoyan Academy get along very harmoniously; conflicts are rare, let alone outright brawls.

Only, in recent years, the students and instructors who haven’t gone into Closed-door Cultivation have all discovered something extremely strange.

In the academy’s back mountain, every so often, rolling thunder will erupt.

And that kind of thunder clearly isn’t caused by the weather. Because even in the fiercest thunderstorm, you wouldn’t get that sort of downright terrifying thunderclap.

Regarding this, quite a few people have gone to report it and explore it, but without exception, all of them ended up with nothing. Even when the matter was finally brought to the academy dean, the dean just showed a completely unconcerned attitude, so in the end the whole thing simply fizzled out.

It’s just that in Zhuoyan Academy, students still occasionally go into the back mountain, wanting to explore out of curiosity where exactly that thunder is coming from.

There are even quite a few well-off students in the academy who have posted high-priced bounties, wanting to obtain the secret of that thunder.

Some people guess that an Exotic Treasure is about to appear; others think it might be a cultivator undergoing a Tribulation.

But the latter is obviously too unreliable—what kind of person could be undergoing Tribulation again and again at such short intervals?

Still, one has to admit, the mysterious thunder from the back mountain has attracted quite a lot of attention from the students.

"Rumble!!"

On this day, the thunder once again roared over the back mountain of Zhuoyan Academy.

Many students reacted immediately.

"It’s here, it’s here, it’s happening again!"

"Quick! This is a rare chance, hurry over and take a look. I really want to know whether there’s actually some Exotic Treasure about to appear in our Zhuoyan Academy."

Groups of Zhuoyan Academy students who got along well rushed toward the back mountain in threes and fives, either sprinting madly or flying at full speed.

"This..."

However, they had only just reached the outside of the back mountain when they all came to a halt.

For no other reason than that the pitch-black thunderclouds in the sky were simply too terrifying.

Their Innate intuition as cultivators told them that if they got any closer, they’d definitely encounter a death Tribulation.

On this kind of matter, no one wanted to gamble their own little lives.

And so, the groups of students—and even instructors—who had come all excited could only stand there helplessly outside the vast back mountain area.

"It’s happening again."

In a certain pavilion not far from the back mountain, Qu Qiu, the dean of Zhuoyan Academy, gazed toward the back mountain through the window, his eyes full of emotion.

"As expected of a senior—just cultivating a Cultivation Technique already shakes heaven and earth, actually drawing a Tribulation... no, this is no longer a Tribulation, it should be Heavenly Punishment." Qu Qiu said with a bitter smile.

Over these years, he had noticed every single one of these Tribulations, but he was smart enough not to go over, and didn’t dare ask questions either.

Aside from the very first Tribulation, each subsequent one had grown stronger and stronger. Even at his Domain Realm Peak, he didn’t have the slightest confidence that he could withstand any of the later Tribulations.

But when he thought about who it was that was provoking these Tribulations, Qu Qiu felt at ease.

Moreover, as the Tribulations grew ever more terrifying, that white-haired senior’s status in his heart kept rising.

If even such Tribulations couldn’t do anything to that white-haired senior, you could imagine just how powerful this person was.

...Yet at this moment—

The white-haired senior whom Qu Qiu viewed as unfathomable was currently lying on the ground like a salted fish, passively "enjoying" the thunder and fire.

"MMP, MMP!"

Li Chen lay sprawled on the ground, cursing nonstop.

But right now, he really had absolutely no way out.

It wasn’t like he wanted this, but for some reason, every time a Tribulation descended, an incomparably terrifying suppressive Power would appear and forcibly pin him to the ground.

With his current scrawny little frame, facing a level of suppressive Power like this, he truly had no way to resist.

His Divine Soul might be strong, but Li Chen’s Physical Body and Cultivation at the moment were both so miserably crippled that facing this vast might of heaven and earth, he really had no options.

"I think the Heavenly Dao’s Intention probably sensed that you’re not from this Universe, so your Tribulations have to be especially harsh." the Seven Realms Tome said solemnly—only, the tone sounded to Li Chen suspiciously like it was gloating.

"Just because I’m a foreigner?" Li Chen cursed, "What, this damn Heavenly Dao Intention likes bullying outsiders now?"

"Of course it’s not just that." the Seven Realms Tome retorted. "Being an outsider is nothing; I think the main reason is that this particular outsider is way too arrogant. Do you remember how you got through your Tribulation when you entered the Mid-Heaven Realm?"

Hearing this, Li Chen couldn’t help but have his mouth twitch.

If he remembered correctly, his Mid-Heaven Realm Tribulation had been scattered directly by a single Divine Soul fluctuation from him.

So, you’re telling me the Heavenly Dao Intention has had it in for me ever since then?

Come on, big bro, great lord!

You’re the Heavenly Dao Intention—do you really have to hold a grudge over such trivial crap?

Li Chen was pinned hard to the ground and getting wildly hacked by lightning, and there was nothing he could do about it.

"Still, there are benefits too." the Seven Realms Tome said. "Haven’t you noticed? Your Tribulations are strong, but after each one, your Cultivation increases at a terrifying rate. If it keeps being these Great Tribulations that far surpass your current Realm, I think your recovery speed will get even faster."

"True enough." Li Chen said helplessly. He wanted to nod, but being pinned down by the Heavenly Dao’s Intention, he couldn’t even move his head.

"Come on then, let the storm hit even harder!"

Li Chen howled up at the sky, "As long as I get through this one more Tribulation, I’ll be back to the Domain Realm! Bring it on, if you can blast me to death, you win!"

"Rumble!!"

The thunder in the sky instantly grew even more terrifying, as if responding to Li Chen. One thick Thunder Python after another poured down from Heaven like a rainstorm, crashing straight down.