For the Taking

"Such a precious treasure—it's actually Thunder Source Fluid."

Greed, like a wildfire, instantly consumed his reason.

"I'm going for it! No fortune without risk! With this Thunder Source Fluid, this fatty will never have to worry about lacking lightning materials for my Thunder Talismans in the future!"

He no longer used any probing talismans or formations, but directly made the boldest move!

He took a deep breath and fully activated the unremarkable looking pagoda talisman in his sea of consciousness, which he obtained from his master, Gu Changge.

This talisman pagoda was his true trump card!

"Hmm!"

The talisman pagoda quivered softly, and the ancient runes on its surface, which seemed purely decorative, suddenly lit up with a fierce glow!

A force that transcended ordinary laws, specifically targeting all talismans and the primal energies of existence, silently emanated and enveloped the pool of Thunder Source Fluid, suppressing and absorbing it!

The raging Thunder Source Fluid, upon sensing the aura of the talisman pagoda, hesitated for a moment, as if encountering an absolute suppression of rank!

Now is the time!

"Collect!"

Fatty Wang roared in his heart, unleashing the power of the talisman pagoda to its fullest!

The pool of Thunder Source Fluid trembled violently, its connection to the thunderstorm core forcibly severed by the talisman pagoda's power, and transformed into a brilliant stream of silver light, brutally torn from its location and instantly swallowed into the bottom of the pagoda!

Success!

However, at that very moment the Thunder Source Fluid was taken away—

"Boom!"

The lightning force here, like a beast breaking free from its cage, erupted wildly and indiscriminately, sweeping across in all directions!

The entire Wind Thunder Valley completely transformed into a thunderous hell!

"Oh my god!"

Fatty Wang was scared out of his wits. Without even checking the loot in the talisman pagoda, he didn't think twice and crushed the Grand Teleportation Talisman he had prepared in advance!

Whoosh!

With a flash of light, he narrowly escaped just before the destructive energy engulfed the area.

As for the cultivators on the outskirts and middle areas of Wind Thunder Valley who had been quietly cultivating using the lightning, they now fell into great misfortune!

"What's going on?!"

"The thunderstorm's out of control! Run!"

"Damn it! Which bastard did this?!"

They were terrified by this sudden, heaven-shaking wrath. Abandoning their cultivation entirely, they scurried out of their hiding spots in disarray, each using their own techniques to desperately flee the valley!

For a moment, the valley was filled with flashes of spiritual light and a cacophony of shouts and curses.

"Damn it! I was in the middle of refining at a critical point! Why did it suddenly go berserk?!"

"Which wretched son of a bitch is causing trouble in there?! Don't let me find out who it is!"

"My magic artifact! It almost got smashed by lightning! What a cursed, rotten luck!"

Everyone fled with their heads down, hurling insults, their hearts filled with endless rage and frustration.

A perfectly good cultivation session had inexplicably turned into a desperate flight for life!

Among them, a few highly skilled and experienced old cultivators, while using their escape techniques, looked back uncertainly at the valley center, now completely submerged in devastating thunderlight, their faces pale.

"This is no natural eruption! It feels like the core object was forcibly taken, triggering a backlash at the foundation!"

"Who exactly could have such means and cause such a disaster?!"

"I think I caught a glimpse of a chubby figure skulking near the core area!"

"Right! I saw it too! A fatty! Damn it, it must be him!"

"Don't let me catch him!"

At the same time, the figure that had been tempering his body in the thunder waterfall suddenly opened his eyes!

Now, the lightning around him was no longer energy to aid his cultivation, but had turned into an utterly uncontrollable, destructive, raging force!

"Hm?! Thunderstorm erupting—who dares to be so bold?!"

His eyes burst with lightning. He rose abruptly!

His blood roared, and he forcefully pushed back several raging thunder dragons that struck at him. But facing this heaven-and-earth sweeping thunderstorm, even he found it troublesome!

His gaze was like lightning, instantly scanning the direction where the Thunder Source Fluid had been. There was nothing left now, only a faint but unusual spatial fluctuation, and a familiar, vaguely sneaky talisman aura?

"Is it that fatty from earlier?!"

A thought flashed through his mind like lightning!

Besides that strange fatty, who relied on external treasures to sneak into the core area, who else could have done such a thing?

"Hmph!"

He snorted coldly and did not linger any longer.

His form turned into a bolt of lightning, faster and more composed than the fleeing cultivators, and he shot out of the Wind Thunder Valley, now a dead zone. He stood in the high sky outside the valley.

He looked back at the raging thunder prison below, his face dark.

This cultivation session was forcibly interrupted, and he had nearly been injured. Damn that fatty.

"Little fatty, no matter where you come from, you'd better pray I never run into you again."

Meanwhile, Fatty Wang had long since escaped.

In a desolate mountain hollow thousands of miles away, the air twisted, and Fatty Wang's round figure stumbled and fell out, landing heavily on his rear.

"Ow ow ow..."

He grimaced and rubbed his butt, his body emitting wisps of green smoke. His tattered Daoist robe was riddled with holes from the residual thunder and lightning, and his face was streaked with black and white, looking utterly miserable.

"Pah! Pah!"

He spat out the grass in his mouth and patted his chest, still shaken.

"That scared me half to death! I almost turned into a roasted suckling pig! Good thing this fatty's got quick feet!"

He quickly examined himself and found that apart from heavy spiritual energy consumption and looking a bit ragged, he wasn't seriously injured.

The talisman pagoda was still safely in his sea of consciousness, and the pool of Thunder Source Fluid lay quietly at its base, radiating an enticing silver light.

"Hehe, although the process was thrilling, this haul was totally worth it!"

Thinking about his gains, Fatty Wang became cocky again, a silly grin spreading across his soot-covered face.

He stood up, brushed the dust off his clothes, got his bearings, and headed toward the direction of the Demon Heaven Sect’s Old Site, where his senior and middle brothers should be.

At that moment, Wang Zhan slowly opened his eyes, a flash of cyan divine light passing through his pupils. His aura was even more profound, perfectly balanced within.

After successive battles and meditation, his cultivation had stabilized, and his control over his power had reached a new level.

"Time to return to the Wang Clan."

He rose smoothly, his gaze fixed on the direction of his clan.

Some resources could only be acquired by going back. Some insights needed to settle in the clan’s secret realm.

He transformed into a streak of cyan light, soaring through the air.

After flying for only a short while, Wang Zhan's gaze casually swept over the barren plains below, and his brow suddenly twitched slightly.

"Hm?"

In a small mountain hollow below, a chubby figure in a tattered Daoist robe was skulking along, treading cautiously, furtively looking around while walking.

That shape, that slightly sleazy demeanor.

Wang Zhan's eyes narrowed, and he immediately remembered: this seemed to be the fatty who had been following behind War Asura and Sword White.

What was he doing here? And why was he in such a wretched state?

"War Asura... could he be nearby?"

Wang Zhan's thoughts raced.

At this moment, having been reborn and brimming with confidence, he was itching to have a rematch with War Asura to wash away his previous humiliation.

As he thought this, Wang Zhan descended, landing not far ahead of Fatty Wang, blocking his path.

Fatty Wang, who had been hurrying along with his head down, mentally calculating how he would boast to his senior fellow apprentices about his heroic feat of snatching food from the tiger's mouth, suddenly felt his vision blur. An oppressive, heart-stopping force abruptly descended upon him!

He shuddered in fright, jerking his head up, and found himself staring straight into Wang Zhan's sharp eyes.