Chapter Ninety-Three: The Realm of Eternal Thunder

In the far northern reaches of the ancient realm’s monstrous clan stronghold—a region nestled within an endless mountain range—dense, damp mist shrouds the land year-round. No beast from the surrounding mountains has ever dared to venture this far; the reasons remain a mystery known only to the four monstrous lords.

Beneath this thick fog lies a sprawling swamp, perpetually deprived of sunlight, casting an eerie and gloomy atmosphere. The swamp teems with countless monstrous creatures, yet these beasts seem alien to the monstrous clans themselves. They are known as Thunder Lizards, born with the innate power to strike with lightning. Even formidable great demons dare not enter this domain lightly.

This swamp has existed for countless ages. Even the native monstrous clans make no clear mention of it in their most ancient scriptures, only noting that it is perpetually veiled in mist and subjected to frequent lightning penalties from the heavens.

At this moment, within the swamp, the air thrums with intense thunderous energy. Wisps of white steam rise from the water’s surface. A colossal Thunder Lizard, its massive body resembling a small mountain, crackles with electric sparks, emitting a continuous staccato of lightning. Yet, it bears the appearance of one recently ravaged.

This Thunder Lizard measures over ten meters in length and about three meters in height. Its slender body is clad in dark golden scales, and its short, sturdy limbs end in five sharp claws, gleaming with a cold, haunting light. A massive tail, forged like diamond, lies across the water’s surface. Its head is triangular, elongated front to back, dominating its entire visage. Rows of sharp teeth fill its bloodthirsty maw; a pair of fist-sized nostrils flare on either side of its upper jaw, exhaling white steam. Where its eyes should blaze with electric brilliance, a dullness now lingers. Two faintly golden horns, each branching into three prongs, thrust skyward, lending it a fearsome and terrifying aspect.

Suspended above the Thunder Lizard’s body, cross-legged in midair, is a man clad in white robes. Above his head hovers an ancient, unadorned greatsword, entwined with crackling lightning. The sword’s blade slowly pierces into the man’s head.

This white-robed figure is none other than Du Qingfeng, nursing his wounds. His complexion is ghostly pale, his breath faint and weak.

Du Qingfeng had journeyed northward through the Endless Grasslands, concealed and flying for ten days until he reached this place. Attracted by the natural barrier here, he resolved to rest and recover his injuries.

But before he could delve deep into the swamp, a Thunder Lizard blocked his path. Du Qingfeng, severely wounded, intended to turn back—he was no longer capable of fighting. Yet the Thunder Lizard had other plans. It roared and summoned a bolt of lightning that struck Du Qingfeng.

Already grievously injured, Du Qingfeng had no time to evade and was hit by the lightning. Yet, surprisingly, he suffered no harm. He froze momentarily in disbelief, but as a second bolt came hurtling toward him, he sensed the ancient Taiyi Sword within his dantian stir to life. It emitted a low hum and shot forth from his energy center.

The Thunder Lizard was startled. Its two successive lightning strikes had failed to harm this human. Enraged, the swamp’s apex predator unleashed hundreds of lightning bolts, engulfing Du Qingfeng in a torrent of electricity.

What happened next left both man and beast dumbfounded. The Taiyi Sword spiraled gracefully, emitting deep purple lightning that entwined and drew in the hundreds of red lightning bolts from the air, twisting and compressing them. Like a great whale drawing water, the sword sucked all the lightning into its blade.

“Damn…” The Thunder Lizard’s eyes widened in disbelief, momentarily forgetting to continue its assault.

Inside Du Qingfeng’s mind, a storm of astonishment brewed. The Taiyi Sword had been his companion for ten years, yet it had never absorbed lightning on its own initiative. Though he knew the sword concealed the power of heavenly punishment, its use required lengthy preparation; it did not simply absorb lightning to replenish its strength.

Having absorbed vast quantities of red lightning, the Taiyi Sword now hovered silently above Du Qingfeng’s head, as if the earlier display of power had no bearing on it.

After a brief daze, the Thunder Lizard leapt forward, gaping its jaws wide. A torrent of red lightning, thick as a water barrel and fierce with the force of a million thunderclaps, shot toward Du Qingfeng.

Seeing the terrifying pillar of lightning, Du Qingfeng’s pale face shifted repeatedly. Severely wounded as he was, he lacked the strength to confront this electric beast. Although the Taiyi Sword had just absorbed a massive attack, Du Qingfeng no longer harbored any hope.

He attempted to marshal his inner energy to escape via sword teleportation, but no matter how he reached out mentally to the Taiyi Sword, there was no response. It was as if their connection had suddenly been severed. The anxious Du Qingfeng was momentarily stunned.

A hum resonated from the Taiyi Sword, followed by an earth-shattering sword cry. A streak of deep purple lightning, no thicker than a thumb, sliced through the void, cleaving the incoming red lightning pillar.

No sword light shone forth; instead, the purple lightning split the red lightning column in two. Yet this was not the end. The separated red lightning streams twisted and reformed into a single lightning orb. The Taiyi Sword flashed beside it.

Fine purple arcs wrapped the orb, transforming it swiftly into a deep purple lightning sphere that crackled and exploded with energy.

The Taiyi Sword delicately lifted the orb’s tip, absorbing it steadily. The void was cut again, but the Thunder Lizard had already retreated to the swamp’s surface. It raised its massive head, ready to strike once more. But before it could act, a purple lightning pillar, as thick as a water barrel, crashed down upon it.

Boom!

The Thunder Lizard’s enormous body was instantly engulfed in lightning, its agonized roars echoing through the swamp.

Du Qingfeng no longer felt surprise—only exhilaration. In that moment of the Taiyi Sword’s strike, a majestic voice resounded in his mind: “Thunder God’s Slash…”

“It’s true! The Ancestor’s words were true! This Taiyi Sword was once the Thunder God’s blade!” After unleashing its strike, the ancient sword returned to hover above Du Qingfeng’s head, motionless.

When Du Qingfeng tried again to communicate with the sword, their bond was restored. But despite this mental link, he still could not command the sword. Resigned, he gave up for the moment. With his safety assured and the Taiyi Sword defending him, the Thunder Lizard was no threat. He seated himself cross-legged in midair, calmly channeling his inner energy to repair his damaged organs.

Below, the Thunder Lizard raged and thrashed. Its thunder energy coursed furiously through its resilient meridians, desperately attempting to absorb and transform the purple lightning. But no matter how it struggled, the purple lightning’s power far surpassed its own thunder energy.

Eventually, the purple lightning dissipated of its own accord. The Thunder Lizard finally ceased its thrashing, lying on the water’s surface, its massive nostrils panting out white steam.

Du Qingfeng entered a deep meditative state, relinquishing all external matters to the Taiyi Sword.

After a long while, the Thunder Lizard recovered. Its eyes, fixed upon the floating Du Qingfeng, flashed with cruel intent. Yet, upon spotting the Taiyi Sword hovering above, its heart trembled with fear.

“Hmph… A broken sword dares to dominate me. If word of this spreads, I’ll be the laughingstock!” The Thunder Lizard seethed with hatred for Du Qingfeng and the Taiyi Sword. Seeing Du Qingfeng meditating without regard for it, it bellowed upward toward the void, “Though your lightning power surpasses mine, we shall see! I’ll make you taste the agony of ten thousand thunder calamities. If I don’t blast you to dust, I’ll walk backward forever!” It swore a deadly oath.

A thunderous roar split the sky as the mist above was torn open by a blast of energy. From its gaping jaws, a red demon core shot forth, hovering midair. With a thought, the core vanished in a flash, soaring high into the heavens.

Having done this, the Thunder Lizard lay quietly in the swamp, controlling the demon core with its mind, communicating with some mysterious entity.

After a long while, thunder rolled across the mist-shrouded sky. One by one, red lightning bolts descended from the heavens.

Deep within the void, thunderclaps exploded like celestial judgments. Massive thunderous pressure blanketed the entire swamp. As lightning flashed and thunder roared, the mist began to dissipate, revealing the true sky above.

Bolts of lightning streaked across the void, each thunderclap spawning multiple red lightning strikes. The swamp was suffused with an overwhelming sense of thunderous power.

Lightning struck the water’s surface, churning the mud into deep pits, which closed moments later, bubbling with white steam.

Amidst the thunder and lightning, the swamp trembled as if alive. Du Qingfeng, roused from his cultivation by the sudden upheaval, opened his eyes sharply. Before him, countless lightning bolts rained down, splashing the water in brilliant bursts. “What’s happening?” he wondered.

In mere moments, hundreds of lightning bolts struck from the sky around him. Du Qingfeng’s gaze swept the scene, his eyes filled with awe at the dense thunderclaps and the overwhelming celestial might bearing down upon him. “Such terrifying energy! Has the heavenly wrath descended upon us?”

“Let me show you my true power!” the Thunder Lizard cursed in its mind, fixating on Du Qingfeng and the Taiyi Sword. “I have ruled this Thunder Swamp for millennia. Even the four monstrous lords cannot stand against me. You think that broken sword can suppress me? Dream on! Witness my Domain of Ten Thousand Calamity Thunders—that will reduce you and your sword to nothing but dust!”

The Thunder Lizard, its mind linked to the demon core and the mysterious force, controlled the dense lightning to encircle Du Qingfeng.

Frowning deeply, Du Qingfeng stared at the gathering storm of lightning, his face grim as he fixed his gaze on the crouching Thunder Lizard below. He silently mused, “It means to kill me. I suppose it cannot overcome the Taiyi Sword directly, so it’s resorting to this massive formation. Damn it! Could it be a descendant of the Thunder God?”

Chapter 93 of Martial Peak: The Domain of Ten Thousand Calamity Thunders has been updated!