Chapter 48: The Art of Five Thunders

She walked up to the door of Room Gui on the third floor.

Jiang Min was still recalling the words of the duty steward.

Within the Eastern Spirit Sect, there was no shortage of diligent individuals, those blessed with great fortune, and those wielding power and influence—yet not a single one among them had ascended to become a Golden Core cultivator with the Five Spiritual Roots?

Cultivating with five spiritual roots.

It was said to be even harder than reaching the heavens.

“If I didn’t have the Peach Branch, I’d likely be lost amidst the masses, never able to rise above my station!” Jiang Min thought to herself. Yet, her gaze suddenly shifted, a newfound resolve lighting her eyes.

“But who says luck isn’t a kind of talent?”

“Even if I possessed not a shred of luck, as long as there is the slightest hope of seeking immortality, by any means necessary, I would try them all.”

At this, the corners of Jiang Min’s lips lifted slightly, and she smiled with relief. Why trouble herself over lacking innate talent? She was born to a poor farming family. Back then, hadn’t she relied on her diligence, nimble hands, and honeyed words to earn the favor of the town’s seamstress, who had been willing to break her own rules and take her on as an apprentice?

When she served as a menial worker and the Peach Branch suddenly acted up and turned against her, unable to use it for cultivation, hadn’t she fought with all her might, exchanging wound for wound, defeating Feng Yu and securing the opportunity to train in the Spirit Gathering Valley?

It’s like building a mountain—if one stops before the last basket of earth, it will remain unfinished. But if one persists, even a flat plain may rise into a hill.

She had endured much hardship, yet never gave up. That was enough.

“No more of these thoughts—focusing on cultivation is what truly matters now.”

Jiang Min immediately cast aside the matter, channeling her spiritual power into the jade slip. Instantly, the slip emitted a glow that poured over the restriction at Room Gui’s entrance, unlocking it.

Inside the study room.

A young and strikingly beautiful woman with snow-white hair sat cross-legged in meditation. The oppressive aura about her was suffocating, but as she sensed someone entering, she drew in her presence, opened her eyes, and arched a brow.

“What method do you wish to learn?” she asked.

“Respected Master, this disciple wishes to study the Wind and Thunder Body.”

Jiang Min presented the jade slip with both hands, answering respectfully.

The Golden Core master raised her hand, and the jade slip flew into her grasp. Her divine sense swept through it, seeing not only the Wind and Thunder Body but also a Five Thunders Technique recorded within. This revealed that the disciple before her possessed the Five Spiritual Roots.

She looked up with some surprise, her deep, autumn-water eyes, tinged with violet, regarding Jiang Min with newfound interest.

How rare—the Five Elements Roots.

So young, yet already at the sixth level of Qi Refinement? And she wished to pursue the path of body cultivation as well?

This little girl was truly intriguing...

“Very well.”

Though surprised at Jiang Min’s spiritual roots and progress, the Golden Core master was succinct. She extended a finger, and a point of radiance flew across the air, sinking into Jiang Min’s brow. In an instant, all knowledge of the Wind and Thunder Body flooded her consciousness.

Jiang Min had experienced this method of instruction before, so she quickly closed her eyes to absorb the information.

However, upon seeing the spiritual herbs required for the first level of the Wind and Thunder Body, Jiang Min, though prepared, couldn’t help but feel a touch of resignation.

She was short on spirit stones again.

Not to mention the familiar Five-Element Jades—Wind Jade and Thunder Jade—there were several other rare and costly medicinal ingredients. At present, she truly couldn’t gather enough spirit stones and resources to collect these herbs.

It was like longing for a lover in a dream—thinking of them day and night, but upon finally winning their affection, realizing she simply couldn’t afford to keep them.

“No, this Wind and Thunder Body will have to wait. For now, all my spirit stones must go towards cultivating the Thunder-Fire Furnace Treasure Refining Method. That’s what matters most.”

Jiang Min decisively set aside her yearning for the Wind and Thunder Body and returned to reality.

One must act within their means.

For now, she only wanted to stay in the sect, raise her cultivation as quickly as possible, and practice the sword.

Still, while the cost of cultivating the Wind and Thunder Body was high, it wasn’t impossible. Once her level improved, she could always venture out again. With the perceptive little grass by her side, she needn’t worry about finding rare treasures—why spend spirit stones buying them?

Jiang Min slowly opened her eyes.

Seeing this, the Golden Core master approached her and asked, “Have you reviewed everything?”

“Yes, Master. I have read through all the content on the Wind and Thunder Body.”

The Golden Core master nodded, placing her finger gently on Jiang Min’s brow as she instructed sternly, “Now, feel the flow of wind and thunder within yourself, and grasp the true essence contained therein.”

Whether these disciples could gather the body-forging herbs was their own affair. As the elder responsible for imparting knowledge in the Scripture Pavilion, her duty was to teach the methods properly.

In the Scripture Pavilion, teaching a method was not simply passing on the content—those on duty also had to answer disciples’ questions and guide them personally, helping them avoid detours. Should disciples have further questions in the future, they could refer to the special jade slips and return to the Scripture Pavilion for guidance.

At these words, Jiang Min obediently closed her eyes.

A domineering, razor-sharp current of wind and thunder burst from the Golden Core master’s fingertip, centering on Jiang Min’s brow and sweeping through her entire body in an instant.

She couldn’t help but gasp, a surge of anxiety rising within her. With this master’s cultivation, ending Jiang Min’s life would be all too easy.

“What are you so tense for? Relax, little sister—I won’t harm you,” the Golden Core master teased nonchalantly. Jiang Min’s eyelid twitched; how could she not be tense, with her life in another’s hands? And ‘little sister’—this master was certainly… approachable.

Nonetheless, Jiang Min did as she was told, relaxing and focusing wholly on comprehending the essence of wind and thunder.

After a long while,

The Golden Core master withdrew her hand and instructed,

“My duty here is done.”

“The road ahead—you must walk it on your own.”

…

After learning the Wind and Thunder Body, Jiang Min returned to the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion and asked the steward on duty, “Uncle, I have finished learning the Wind and Thunder Body. May I ask about the Five Thunders Technique…”

“Wait a moment. I’ll send word to Senior Brother Xiao and ask him to come.”

The steward took out a messaging jade talisman and sent a message. Jiang Min waited patiently until a man entered at the door.

He was a tall, middle-aged cultivator with a faint stubble, his face cold and worn by the years, dark eyes carrying a deep chill. The moment he entered, his gaze fixed on Jiang Min. Meeting his eyes, she felt a piercing, bone-deep chill that made her hair stand on end.

She understood at once: this was the sword intent of a sword cultivator.

To possess sword intent meant one’s mastery of the sword had at least reached minor achievement.

Such was the power of a sword cultivator! Even Foundation Establishment talismans and spells were insignificant in their eyes, easily destroyed with a wave of the hand.

This was why Jiang Min was determined to walk the path of the sword. If she had the ability to learn, she would master whatever method was strongest.

The Foundation Establishment steward bowed to him and explained, “Senior Brother Xiao, this is the disciple who wishes to study the Five Thunders Technique. Sorry to trouble you.”

Xiao Runan withdrew his gaze and responded, “Hmm. Which study room?”

“Room Ren on the second floor. Here’s the token for the restriction.” The steward offered the token with both hands. Xiao Runan took it and led the way upstairs, Jiang Min following quickly behind.

In the spacious study room,

Xiao Runan took a jade slip from the shelf and handed it to Jiang Min. “Memorize this first. I’ll teach you afterward.”

He was only at the Foundation Establishment stage and couldn’t transform the teachings into pure light and transmit them directly into Jiang Min as a Golden Core master could. She would have to study the jade slip herself.

“Yes, Uncle Xiao.”

Jiang Min took the jade slip, pressed it to her brow, and closed her eyes to read its contents with her divine sense.

The Five Thunders Technique began—

“The True Thunder of Divine Firmament arises from chaos; once heaven and earth took form, thunder was born.”

“Heaven and earth possess it, stirring the four directions; humanity obtained it, advancing and refining it to wondrous transformation…”

Thunder arts.

Among the most formidable of all Daoist methods.

But those with few spiritual roots could only gaze upon such arts with longing, unable to learn them.

Because, aside from those with the Thunder Root,

Only those with all five elements could generate great thunder.

In this story’s setting, the interplay of the five elements gives rise to wind and thunder, without matching the wood element directly.