Volume 2: Shenzhou Academy & The Battle of Venice
Chapter 192
Subduing the Spirit Seed: Frenzied Shadow Lightning
The cheers of fifty thousand spectators inside the Shenzhou Arena and the fiery dusk illuminating the skies of Magic City gradually receded behind them.
Following the spiral black stone staircase leading deep into the earth’s crust, the ambient atmosphere shifted drastically. The temperature plummeted abruptly, carrying the gloomy chill of millennia-old magma mixed with the pungent, metallic reek of raw magical minerals. Along both stone walls, thousands of dark blue rune characters continuously circulated like liquid mercury, sealing off every shred of leaked magical fluctuation.
This was the sole pathway leading to the National Magic Treasury—the most heavily guarded and top-secret resource vault of the Shenzhou Empire.
Leading the way was Dean Xiao Yan, draped in a deep crimson robe. Upon his chest, a golden flame badge emitted a warm, steady glow, dispelling the hazy mist. With every approach to a thousand-ton iron gate, Xiao Yan brought his withered palm forward, channeling pure, refined magic power into the ancient wards. The deafening rumble of colossal gears grinding together echoed through the vault, slowly parting layer after layer of impenetrable defenses.
Walking beside him, Lin Feng maintained an even, steady respiration. Beneath his battle robes, the Primordial Dragon Pendant pressed against his chest was radiating gentle waves of heat. It vibrated rhythmically with every heartbeat, constantly instilling his spiritual sea with restless, eager anticipation.
“Can you sense it?” Xiao Yan suddenly halted, turning his head to look at Lin Feng. The elderly man’s corners of the mouth curved upward into an insightful smile.
“Reporting to Dean, it feels as though right ahead... something is roaring,” Lin Feng tightened his grip slightly, staring straight into the deepest bend of the subterranean corridor where a spine-chilling, razor-sharp aura emanated.
“Correct. That is where one of the most violent elemental anomalies ever sealed by the empire for half a century is imprisoned.”
Xiao Yan withdrew his smile, his expression turning gravely solemn. He pointed toward a gray meteorite-stone arched doorway ahead, which was densely entwined with magical chains flickering with erratic electrical discharges:
“This region is called the Ancient Lightning Abyss. Sealed inside is a peerless supreme-grade Lightning Element Spirit Seed named ‘Frenzied Shadow Lightning’. You possess dual lightning and fire affinities, and having just ascended to the throne of the Shenzhou New King, according to the special regulations of the faculty and the military command, you hold supreme authority to select it as your academy reward. However, before you step past this door, I need you to fully understand the price of failure.”
Xiao Yan slowed his pace, his voice sinking like rolling stones at the bottom of a deep abyss:
“Frenzied Shadow Lightning is not a spirit seed born from ordinary storms. Sixty years ago, a mysterious extraterrestrial meteorite blazed across the heavens and slammed violently into the peak of Extrema Mountain along the northern frontier. Within a ten-thousand-foot-deep crater, the first bolt of purple-black lightning tore the night sky apart, carrying a chaotic, destructive energy that wiped out all living things within a radius of a hundred miles. The military and three Forbidden Curse Mages back then exhausted their vital mental strength to erect a grand meteorite sealing formation, spending half a month of arduous effort just to escort this lightning core back to the Magic Treasury.”
Lin Feng held his breath, listening intently, his chest rising and falling in sync with the senior’s tale.
“This Spirit Seed possesses two heaven-defying extreme attributes,” Xiao Yan continued, a flicker of cautious reverence in his eyes: “First is ‘Frenzied Lightning’—amplifying destructive combat power by an astonishing 3.2 times compared to standard lightning electricity, accompanied by an extremely brutal corrosive and meridian-tearing property. But even more terrifying is the second attribute: ‘Shadow Reflection’. The caster’s movement and spellcasting speed are boosted threefold, and every time high-speed magic energy is exerted, it generates phantom lightning decoys that distort the enemy’s perception. Those phantom clones can even detonate autonomously, dealing wide-area explosive damage.”
Lin Feng raised an eyebrow slightly. A 3.2x power boost! Triple movement speed coupled with phantom lightning decoy effects! This figure completely surpassed the fire-type Spirit Seed “Crimson Flame Flowing Fire,” which had provided a 2.5-multiplier boost back then. In terms of sheer explosive output and high-speed mobility, Frenzied Shadow Lightning sat on an overwhelmingly superior tier.
“Sounds immensely tempting, doesn’t it?” Xiao Yan sighed: “Yet anything overly perfectionist comes hand-in-hand with mortal peril. Over the past fifty years, three exceptional prodigies were granted permission to enter and attempt subduing Frenzied Shadow Lightning. The first was a Military Command Colonel at the peak Intermediate level; within ten mere minutes of fusion, his Nebula was torn to shreds by the purple-black lightning, turning him into a crippled cripple. The second was the direct lineage senior disciple of the Lightning Palace; the moment his hand touched the seal, half his body was scorched to cinders, requiring a Forbidden Curse Mage’s life-saving magic just to preserve his lingering soul. The third... didn’t even have time to cry out for help before his soul was shattered right on the spot.”
Xiao Yan placed a heavy, weathered hand upon Lin Feng’s shoulder:
“Lin Feng, your journey out into the International Magic Arena is still long. Do not risk your life wagering on this feral anomaly. In the adjacent chamber, I have prepared another Lightning Element Spirit Seed named ‘Purple Firmament Divine Lightning’. Its power increases by 2.8 times, its temperament is far more docile, and the success rate of fusion is nearly absolute. Think carefully—which one do you choose?”
The air outside the stone door suddenly froze solid. Anyone hearing of such past tragedies from predecessors would invariably choose the safe option, because once a Nebula fractures, the path of magic is permanently sealed shut.
Yet, Lin Feng did not hesitate in the slightest. He raised his head, staring straight into Dean Xiao Yan’s eyes, the corners of his lips curving into a calm, resolute smile:
“Dean, if I had chosen the smooth, flat road, I never would have climbed from a nobody in Dung City all the way to the pinnacle of the Battle Rankings today. The upcoming international arena is a gathering ground for the most extraordinary monsters across the globe. If I bring only mediocre tools, how can I use Shenzhou’s thunder to sweep away foreign prodigies? I choose Frenzied Shadow Lightning!”
Seeing the unwavering blaze within the youth’s eyes, Xiao Yan paused for a brief moment, then burst into a hearty, proud laugh: “Good! What spirit! Old me will personally guard outside the grand formation for you. Remember, if you feel your Nebula is about to shatter, signal immediately, and I will use fire flames to forcibly sever the connection. Even if the spirit seed is ruined, your life must be preserved!”
Xiao Yan pressed his palm—ablaze with golden flames—against the central totem of the stone door. The thousand-ton gate slowly lifted, and a thick shockwave reeking of scorched ozone immediately billowed outward. Without a shred of hesitation, Lin Feng strode straight into the heart of the array.
Inside the Ancient Lightning Abyss lay a colossal, bottomless funnel-shaped cavern. Lining the sheer rock walls were hundreds of dark gray meteorites suspended in mid-air by ancient magnetic fields, interconnected by thick Black Iron chains engraved with pale blue inscriptions. Right at the center of the abyss, a flat meteorite resembling an ancient sacrificial altar floated in solitary isolation.
Reigning atop the altar was a suspended rhombic crystal radiating a deep purple-black hue akin to eternal night, contracting and expanding rhythmically like a living heart. Surrounding it, tens of thousands of violent purple-black lightning bolts twisted frantically, tearing the air apart with deafening, cracking explosions. Every single discharged bolt left long, glittering trails of afterimages stretching yards across the void, forming an illusory, ever-shifting electrical web that cracked the altar’s stone surface into a labyrinth of deep fissures.
That was none of other than Frenzied Shadow Lightning!
The exact moment Lin Feng stepped onto the iron chain bridge leading out to the altar, the Primordial Dragon Pendant on his chest instantly grew burning hot like a glowing ember, releasing an invisible dragon aura that enveloped his meridians. Inhaling the dense electrical charge, Lin Feng stepped across the ice-cold iron links, marching resolutely toward the altar.
As soon as his boots touched the meteorite’s surface, the presence of active magic energy instantly awakened the dormant purple-black crystal.
“BOOM ————!!!!!!”
A deafening, eardrum-splitting explosion erupted! The Frenzied Shadow Lightning Spirit Seed trembled violently, surging forth with countless streams of purple-black lightning that transformed into a pack of lightning serpents baring fangs and brandishing claws as they lunged straight at Lin Feng. Their speed was so blinding that in the blink of an eye, the space around the altar was choked with tangled lightning afterimages sealing off every escape route.
“Right on time!”
Lin Feng gave a soft shout, planting his feet firmly into the stone surface while executing hand seals at lightning speed: “Lightning Element Nebula — Open!”
Within his spiritual sea, the Lightning Element Nebula blazed brilliantly as 343 Third-Tier Intermediate Stars spun frantically, releasing magic energy that formed a pure purple lightning barrier wrapping tightly around his entire body.
“BOOM! BOOM! BOOM!”
The initial wave of impact crashed down! The pack of purple-black lightning serpents slammed into the magic barrier, causing the stone beneath Lin Feng’s feet to shatter into fine powder while his knees buckled under the immense pressure.
Having held out for merely a few seconds, his magical barrier began to fracture. The “Shadow Reflection” attribute manifested its bizarre lethality: instead of attacking head-on, the purple-black bolts continuously split into a barrage of illusory afterimages, slipping through the gaps in the barrier to strike directly at his flesh!
“Rip! Rip!”
Slices of purple-black lightning pierced through his garments, carving bloody gashes into his skin. The agonizing sensation of thousands of red-hot needles piercing straight through his meridians exploded furiously. The fresh blood that welled up was instantly vaporized into acrid steam by the scorching thermal energy. More dangerously, the highly corrosive nature of the purple-black lightning burrowed frantically through his acupoints, aggressively rampaging into his spiritual sea in an attempt to devour his Lightning Nebula!
Outside the ward, Xiao Yan gripped his fists tightly, golden flames soaring three feet high as he anxiously shouted: “Kid... stop at once! It’s trying to destroy your Nebula!”
Yet amidst the thunderous storm tearing his flesh apart, Lin Feng clenched his teeth until they bled, refusing to take even a half-step back. He could clearly sense the feral primordial consciousness of the spirit seed. If he retreated now, his Nebula would shatter. To subdue a ferocious beast, one could only use an even more overbearing might to crush it into submission!
“An ownerless lightning seed... and you dare display your arrogance before me?!”
Lin Feng let out a ground-shaking roar, blasting open every single aperture across his body and actively welcoming the surging purple-black lightning inward!
“HUM ————!!!!”
Sensing its master’s overwhelming will, the Primordial Dragon Pendant upon his chest burst forth with dazzling dark-gold radiance. A deep, archaic dragon roar abruptly resounded from the depths of his chest:
“ROAAAAAR ————!!!!”
Dragon roar shaking the heavens! The roar of the ancestor of all dragons echoed throughout the Ancient Lightning Abyss, causing hundreds of floating meteorites to shudder violently while the millennia-old sealing inscriptions on the rock walls dimmed and lost color. Behind Lin Feng’s back, space warped and condensed into the ten-thousand-foot illusory avatar of a Primordial Black Dragon, its deep, majestic eyes looking down upon the mortal realm.
The Dragon Might Domain fully unfolded!
Under the gaze of the Primordial Black Dragon, an boundless, oppressive might descended squarely upon the altar. The roaring pack of purple-black lightning serpents abruptly froze mid-air, trembling violently before their supreme apex predator as their ferocious nature was firmly suppressed by the dragon aura, shrinking by three full parts!
“That lightning core... is it trembling?!” Outside the stone door, Dean Xiao Yan widened his eyes in sheer shock. He had never witnessed an Intermediate mage possess such a horrifying soul pressure capable of forcing a supreme-grade Spirit Seed to tremble in fear!
Not missing this golden opportunity, Lin Feng marched straight to the center of the altar, his bare hands snapping shut to grab hold of the rhombic crystal of Frenzied Shadow Lightning!
“HISSSSSSSS!”
The flesh of his palms instantly scorched and sizzled, yet his fingers locked like cold steel pliers, refusing to loosen by even a fraction of an inch. He frantically guided the torrential purple-black lightning energy to flow backward into his meridians. Under the suppression of the Black Dragon avatar, despite the purple-black lightning’s violent struggling, it could not rupture his blood vessels; inch by inch, the lightning was crushed, purified, and poured straight into his spiritual sea.
Within his spiritual sea, all 343 stars of the Lightning Element Nebula simultaneously absorbed the fresh torrent of energy. Their original bright purple hue gradually transformed, taking on a deep, bewitching purple-black tinge. Countless purple-black lightning sparks continuously discharged along the stellar orbits, trailing tangled webs of lightning afterimages overflowing with destructive intent.
Lin Feng closed his eyes tightly, immersing himself wholly into the fusion. Under the tempering of Frenzied Shadow Lightning, every fiber of his muscle and bone grew dense and forged with astonishing explosive strength. The unruly thunder gradually grew docile, blending seamlessly as one with the blood flowing through his veins.
As time ticked away, the purple-black thunder swirling around Lin Feng transitioned from a furious roar to a gentle, clinging hum before sinking deep beneath his skin. Outside, Xiao Yan let out a long breath of relief.
Suddenly!
“BOOM ————!!!!”
A thunderous explosion resounded from the very depths of Lin Feng’s dantian, shaking all four directions! The entire Ancient Lightning Abyss blazed brilliantly in a profound, deep purple-black hue. The crystal atop the altar vanished completely, replaced by a colossal pillar of lightning shooting straight up to pierce through the hazy mist.
Lin Feng slowly opened his eyes. Within his deep black pupils, two burning streaks of purple-black lightning flashed three feet outward before dissipating. The wounds across his body had healed completely.
He flickered his finger casually, and a serpentine purple-black spark warped the surrounding space slightly, emitting crisp crackling noises.
Lightning destructive power boosted by 3.2 times!
Right now, a single “Bolt - Yaksha” imbued with the Frenzied Shadow Lightning attribute was more than enough to shatter Ye Lingtian’s spatial barrier in the blink of an eye without needing to close in for hand-to-hand combat!
Lin Feng lifted his foot, testing out Shadow Teleportation combined with his new lightning element.
“SWISH!”
His body vanished on the spot! There was no sound of wind-breaking, only a towering pillar of purple-black lightning afterimage left behind on the altar. Meanwhile, Lin Feng’s true physical form had already materialized thirty yards away, standing firmly upon the iron chain bridge!
Movement speed boosted threefold!
The purple-black afterimage standing upon the altar remained fully intact for a full three seconds like a genuine clone before detonating into a ring of light that swept away the surrounding stone dust.
“Utterly perfection...” Lin Feng looked down at his palms, his chest rising and falling with elation. Successfully subduing the top-tier Lightning Element Spirit Seed “Frenzied Shadow Lightning” had transformed him into a true god of speed upon the battlefield!
“Ha ha ha! Marvelous! Truly a miracle!” Dean Xiao Yan’s hearty laughter echoed out. He strode forward quickly, his eyes filled with admiration as he looked at Lin Feng: “None of the three prodigies of the past could accomplish this, yet an Intermediate freshman like you completely subdued it in just three hours! On this upcoming International Arena trip, the proud geniuses of the Western Holy See or Northern Europe will undoubtedly tremble beneath your feet!”
Lin Feng smiled and cupped his fists: “All thanks to the Dean’s trust and personal protection for this disciple.”
“Very well, hurry and follow me outside; the faculty is anxiously waiting for news...”
Xiao Yan was mid-sentence when he suddenly stopped dead in his tracks.
Because at the exact moment the two turned to step out of the stone door, the Primordial Dragon Pendant upon Lin Feng’s chest—which should have cooled down after subduing the lightning seed—suddenly vibrated with an unprecedented, grotesque rhythm.
“HUM...”
This time, it emitted neither warmth nor dark-gold radiance. A bone-chilling, piercing cold shot straight from the pendant into Lin Feng’s heart, causing his entire body to shudder involuntarily. That fluctuation did not point toward the exit; instead, it violently dragged his spiritual consciousness downward... toward the boundless, bottomless abyss of the Ancient Lightning Abyss!
That place was an eternal darkness that magical light had never touched. At the very bottom of the taboo chasm ten thousand feet deep, where the most ancient Black Iron chains hung straight down into the pitch-black obscurity...
“CLANG...”
An extremely faint yet overwhelmingly heavy metallic impact, as though a mountain had just shifted slightly, slowly echoed upward from the floor of the abyss.
An archaic aura reeking of primordial bloodshed diffused outward, as if some terrifying ancient entity imprisoned at the bottom of the Magic Treasury had just slowly opened a single eye within the darkness...
Lin Feng’s footsteps halted mid-air. He slowly turned his head, staring fixedly down into the pitch-black abyss beneath his feet, where even his soul began to tremble.