Chapter 3: The Minor Thunder Realm (Part 2)

Guo Shier turned and went outside, setting up a large pot to start braising meat, then took out a big basket of flatbreads. After working for a while, he carried in a large basin of braised meat and the basket of flatbreads, thinking, “If you can still eat all this braised meat, I’ll truly be convinced.”
Yan Ruodai elegantly tasted a piece of braised meat and smiled, “It’s really good. I haven’t eaten such food in ages. Alright, you guys go ahead and eat. I’ll go upstairs to rest for a while.” With that, she floated away.
Guo Shier sat down, finally feeling relieved. This woman could eat too much. Thankfully, she stopped there. If she had eaten all the braised meat, he wouldn’t have known what else to cook. Zhou Xiaoling whispered, “Wow, she’s amazing!”
Eagle Demon said nothing, only shaking his head continuously. Luo Zhan said, “Alright, let’s all eat. We’re all hungry!”
Like a storm sweeping through everything, the four of them, including Zhou Xiaoling, ate quickly. Professionals had strong teeth and good appetites, accustomed to swallowing food fast because there were many dangers in the wild, so they had developed such habits.
Inspired by Yan Ruodai, the four quickly finished a whole pot of braised meat before drinking soup and eating flatbreads, their speed noticeably slowing down. Guo Shier asked, “Uncle Eagle Demon, should we stay here or find a way to leave?”
Eagle Demon asked, “Can you activate a cross-dimensional talisman now?”
Guo Shier shook his head. “I still need some time.”
After packing up their things, the four sat in the living room waiting. They couldn’t leave, nor did they dare to. They didn’t know what Yan Ruodai intended, and they also didn’t dare go upstairs to find her—what if they disturbed her and she slapped them to death? There would be no place to complain.
Three days later, Yan Ruodai came downstairs. She said, “I need to stay in the Minor Thunder Realm for another few dozen days. Well, how about we make a deal?”
Guo Shier was surprised. “Make a deal with us?” He couldn’t think of anything they could trade with—a professional expert with three solid altars was someone they could only look up to.
Yan Ruodai nodded. “It’s a very simple deal!”
Guo Shier had no choice but to agree. He said, “Senior, please go ahead.”
Yan Ruodai said, “During this time, I’ll allow you to stay in the talisman house. I’ll ensure your safety and can also give you some guidance. Hmm, I’ll also provide you with some materials you don’t have…” The terms were so good that Guo Shier could hardly believe it.
Guo Shier asked, “What do you want in return?”
Yan Ruodai said, “It’s simple. You’ll be responsible for providing food during this time!”

Guo Shier was stunned. He hesitated for a moment before asking, “Is it… that simple?”
Yan Ruodai smiled lightly and said, “Do you think it’s complicated? Little guy, don’t overthink it. Can we make the deal?”
Guo Shier replied without hesitation, “Of course, no problem!” Only a fool would refuse such a deal. It was clear that the talisman food from last time had impressed her. Having the chance to rest here for a while and watch how Yan Ruodai refined the solid-form altar was also a rare opportunity.
Yan Ruodai said, “Alright, I’m going to the Thunder Platform. You stay at the entrance… don’t leave this talisman house. You can see the Thunder Platform from the entrance. It’s dangerous to go outside; there’s a layer of protection here.”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “Okay!”
Yan Ruodai left the talisman house and headed toward the Thunder Platform. From the entrance, the platform could be seen clearly—a large metal structure, its origin unknown. After leaving the talisman house, she casually cast a spell, and immediately a defensive barrier rose around it.
Guo Shier and the other three stood at the entrance. Ying Mo glanced at the sky. Although it was overcast, there were few thunderstorms and no rain.
Yan Ruodai stepped onto the Thunder Platform.
Guo Shier and the others sat down, feeling as if they were just watching from their doorstep.
“Look! The spikes are glowing!”
Zhou Xiaoling excitedly pointed at the metal spikes that were over ten meters tall. Guo Shier looked up and saw countless runes flashing, emitting a blinding light in an instant. Beams of light pierced through the clouds, stirring them up. With a crackling sound, arcs of lightning appeared in the clouds.
In just a few dozen seconds, a thunderclap rang out, a bolt of lightning flashed across the sky, and thunder rolled across the land.
Guo Shier was stunned and said, “Damn… this isn’t natural lightning!”
A bolt of lightning struck one of the metal spikes from the sky. Guo Shier and the others clearly saw the electric current flow directly to the Thunder Platform. Instantly, the platform glowed with a dazzling green light, forcing everyone to squint.
Suddenly, the lightning became violent. Countless bolts struck down like wild silver snakes, hitting the metal spikes wildly as chaotic electric currents surged everywhere. Guo Shier exclaimed in horror, “I… I…” No one could hear his voice, and even Ying Mo and the others were terrified.
If it weren’t for the protective barrier of the talisman house, Guo Shier was convinced that even his soul would be torn apart—there would be no chance of survival at all. It was terrifying.

Fortunately, the protection of the talisman house blocked the sound waves; otherwise, they would have suffered even more. The vibrating thunder made people’s souls extremely uneasy.
Yan Ruodai was already seated on her altar. A massive electric current surged from the thunder platform and struck the bottom of the altar, instantly lifting it into the air and forming a strange chain connected to its base. Suddenly, she raised the strange object in her hand, which resembled an elongated staff.
The lightning in the sky seemed to be drawn to it, striking it repeatedly.
Electric currents raced across the entire altar, producing loud crackling sounds that even the roaring thunder couldn’t mask. They reached Guo Shier’s ears clearly. He opened his mouth but then closed it again. No words could adequately express what he was feeling—he now deeply understood just how powerful those who possessed altars and talismans were.
Soon, the altar sank back down onto the thunder platform. Yan Ruodai kept casting spells.
Guo Shier was searching through his inherited memories. Although he had risen to the rank of Grand Sage, he still couldn’t find any relevant memories. He guessed that perhaps only by reaching the rank of Advanced Grand Sage would he be able to access such knowledge—his current strength wasn’t enough to grasp anything related to lightning.
After searching for a while, Guo Shier sighed. Not even the qualification to view inherited memories—the gap was simply too large.
Eagle Demon leaned close to Guo Shier’s ear and shouted, “Shier, why are you sighing?” The noise had to be loud enough—the thunder kept rumbling incessantly in their ears.
Guo Shier also shouted back, “I can’t find any inherited memories related to lightning…”
Eagle Demon immediately understood what Guo Shier was thinking. He shook his head and said, “Take your time. One day, you too will be able to temper your altar with lightning.”
Zhou Xiaoling asked, “What are you talking about? I can’t hear you!” Seeing the two whispering to each other, she asked out of curiosity, but neither of them could hear her as they continued to stare at the thunder platform.
Zhou Xiaoling grabbed Guo Shier and yelled into his ear, “What are you talking about?”
Guo Shier’s head swayed from the shock. He dug at his ears and after a while, he said with a wry smile, “Hey, Dingding! You… ugh, my ears! I can’t hear anything!”
Having a Sage-level professional shout in one’s ear was unbearable even for Guo Shier, who was a Grand Sage.
Zhou Xiaoling’s face turned red as she realized her voice had been too loud. She retracted slightly and raised her hand in apology, but seeing Guo Shier’s embarrassed appearance, she couldn’t help but laugh.
Guo Shier simply conjured two virtual talismans to block his ears, and instantly, the world became quiet.

It took Yan Ruodai five days to complete one round of tempering. During that time, Guo Shier and the others hid in the living room—practicing when it was time to practice and eating when it was time to eat. They had almost lost interest in watching, as they couldn’t understand what was happening; they hadn’t reached that level yet, and watching wouldn’t be of much use.

On the fifth day, the thunder and lightning gradually ceased. Everyone immediately felt refreshed, as if their souls had been purified, and they became full of energy.

Guo Shier said, “Strange, why do I feel my soul has grown so much?”

Eagle Demon nodded and said, “I feel the same!”

Yan Ruodai came in and said, “It’s normal. Being able to receive the baptism of lightning from such close range will surely strengthen your souls. It’s a pity your strength is too weak. If only you could reach the level of the Void Form Altar, the benefits would be immense.”

Guo Shier quickly set the table, took out braised meat and flatbreads, and swiftly boiled a pot of hot soup. Since there was no need to light a fire, he simply stuck a fire talisman at the bottom of the pot, which was much simpler than cooking talisman food.

Yan Ruodai said, “Not bad, clever kid.”

Guo Shier was speechless. He was already twenty years old, but in Yan Ruodai’s eyes, he was still a child—Eagle Demon and the others were no exception. Moreover, Yan Ruodai herself appeared as a young and beautiful woman, so hearing her speak felt infuriating.

After five days of non-stop work, Yan Ruodai was not only hungry but also extremely tired. She quickly finished eating, turned, and headed upstairs, saying, “Go about your activities as you wish, but don’t go too far. There are mutated talisman beasts around—powerful lightning-type ones that will be hard for you to deal with.”

Guo Shier replied, “Yes, senior.”

Yan Ruodai tossed a message talisman to Guo Shier and said, “If anything happens, send a message talisman.”

Guo Shier answered, “Yes.”

Yan Ruodai was almost at the top of the stairs. She smiled and said, “Good boy!” before stepping up to the second floor.

Guo Shier immediately looked frustrated. That remark was truly depressing. Eagle Demon, Luo Zhan, and Zhou Xiaoling couldn’t stop laughing, delighted to see Guo Shier in such a predicament.

Guo Shier looked outside and said, “It’s raining!”

Raindrops pattered against the ground, rising in tiny wisps of white smoke when they hit the metal spikes. The metal spikes had been turned red-hot by the lightning, extremely hot. At first, the raindrops vaporized before even reaching them. As the rain intensified, mist rose, forming thick fog that enveloped the entire thunder platform.

Guo Shier exclaimed in awe, “Amazing! It’s hidden our presence!”

The Eagle Demon said, “Impressive. I don’t know who built this lightning platform. We should note down these coordinates; maybe we’ll be able to use this place in the future.”
Guo Shier nodded and said, “I’ve already written it down.”
Zhou Xiaoling asked, “Shier, can’t we still use the Cross-Domain Talisman?”
Guo Shier replied, “Not yet. We need to wait a while longer. I don’t know how long.”
Luo Zhan said, “Shh! Listen! What’s that sound?”