To cultivate the Thunder Essence Spirit Gathering Art, yang-attributed lightning spells are indispensable. Condensing nine Thunder Light Charms requires a significant amount of heavenly lightning, which can only be collected personally.
Originally, the most difficult part of cultivating this secret art was condensing yin-attributed Thunder Light Charms, but the black stone mirror in his possession conveniently solved this problem. This was one of the reasons he decided to cultivate this secret art.
Zhang Ling planned to collect enough heavenly lightning in one go. Only by condensing both yin-attributed and yang-attributed Thunder Light Charms, and mixing them together, could he create a true Thunder Light Charm, which he could then use to further refine the spiritual power within his body.
He already had a target: a medium-sized island called Wind Thunder Island.
Wind Thunder Island is located hundreds of thousands of miles away from Myriad Manifestation City, in the central area controlled by the human race. Wind Thunder Island is shrouded in clouds and mist all year round, with rainy weather for most of the year. There is Wind Thunder City on the island, jointly managed by two medium-sized sects, the Azure Thunder Sect and the Whirlwind Gate.
It is said that the Azure Thunder Sect is a branch of the Thunder Cloud Gate, one of the Ten Great Sects. However, they seem to have little connection anymore, as the Azure Thunder Sect has become an independent sect. Both of these sects are quite powerful, with at least two Nascent Soul stage experts sitting in each.
There are more than fifty or sixty such medium-sized forces in the Flowing Cloud Sea, within the human territory.
Most of these medium-sized forces manage their own areas, with only a small portion affiliated with the Ten Great Sects.
Some small and medium-sized forces have also formed alliances, such as the Seven Star Island Alliance and the Six Mountain Sea Sects, but these alliances are mostly formed to counter the Ten Great Sects, preventing them from being annexed, and are generally very loosely organized.
Wind Thunder Island does not depend on other forces, but is an independently formed medium-sized island, managed only by the two medium-sized sects on it.
This pattern of human forces in the Flowing Cloud Sea has been in place for a long time. Basically, unless there is a major conflict between the Ten Great Sects, this pattern will continue for a long time.
The Ten Great Sects are not monolithic. Over the millennia, they have attacked each other many times, and many forces have been replaced.
The reason for choosing Wind Thunder Island is that the Wind Thunder Mountain Range on the island is open to the public, and any cultivator can enter and exit, including rogue cultivators.
There are many stone mountains in the Wind Thunder Mountain Range that are perpetually surrounded by dark clouds, making it much easier to collect heavenly lightning there.
Besides this island, there are naturally other places that meet the requirements.
For example, Thunder Light Island, a large island independently controlled by the Thunder Cloud Gate, has a similar environment inside, and it is said that there is also a Thunder Cleansing Pool. However, it is not open to the public, and only core disciples of the Thunder Cloud Gate can enter.
Considering all the factors, other places are either strictly managed or quite far away. Wind Thunder Island is not close to Myriad Manifestation City either, but it is the best choice.
Thus, Zhang Ling confirmed his direction and flew all the way. Fifteen days later, he arrived at Wind Thunder City on Wind Thunder Island.
Wind Thunder City is very simple and unsophisticated, built entirely from huge cyan-black stones. From a distance, it looks like a giant beast lying on the ground.
The sky was also covered with dark clouds, making it difficult to see a trace of sunlight, giving Zhang Ling the first impression that this Wind Thunder City was somewhat gloomy.
Rumbling thunder occasionally came from the sky, and several streaks of cyan-white lightning flashed through the clouds, striking a huge golden pillar with a crack. The pillar was entwined with lightning, and the lightning gradually weakened and disappeared, as if absorbed by the golden pillar.
Zhang Ling had just paid a few spirit stones and entered the city when he saw this scene. He couldn't help but narrow his eyes and take a few more glances.
The golden pillars pierced straight into the sky, with more than a dozen erected in this Wind Thunder City. They looked like some kind of formation pillars, seemingly having a good lightning-attracting effect. Very much like lightning rods.
The cultivators and the few mortals on the street were used to this scene and didn't pay much attention.
He chuckled and turned to walk down a street.
There didn't seem to be many cultivators in the city, but their cultivation was not weak. A quick scan revealed that most of them were actually Foundation Establishment stage cultivators.
At this time, Zhang Ling also suppressed his cultivation to the late stage of Foundation Establishment, which could also avoid some trouble.
After all, entering a medium-sized immortal city with a Golden Core stage cultivation would attract the attention of the local forces, so it's better to be low-key.
Afterward, he found an ordinary shop and rented a room. After entering the room, Zhang Ling did nothing and directly sat cross-legged on the bed to meditate and restore his spirit.
Zhang Ling was also a little tired after flying for more than ten days. It wouldn't be too late to rest well and then collect heavenly lightning for a few days.
In the following days, he also roughly strolled around the city. Besides collecting some lightning-attributed spiritual herbs and flowers, he didn't gain much.
Wind Thunder City is much smaller than Myriad Manifestation City, covering a small area, even smaller than ordinary medium-sized immortal cities.
However, the division of islands is not based on the size of the area, but on the spiritual veins and other resources on them.
There is a Wind Thunder Mountain Range here, which can produce some wind and thunder attributed spiritual objects. This is why this place can attract some rogue cultivators. However, there are no high-level spiritual objects.
The most famous thing here is this Wind Thunder Mountain Range, which stretches for tens of thousands of miles, occupying most of the island, attracting cultivators like him who come to collect heavenly lightning.
Therefore, Wind Thunder City still has several good markets.
In the Wind Thunder Mountain Range, there is also a special place called Thunderclap Mountain, controlled by the Azure Thunder Sect and the Whirlwind Gate. The two sects are located in the Wind Thunder Mountain Range, each controlling the surrounding thousands of miles.
Besides these three places, most of the area in the Wind Thunder Mountain Range is open to the public.
After understanding the situation of the island, Zhang Ling did not stay in Wind Thunder City for long. A day later, he left Wind Thunder City and headed towards the Wind Thunder Mountain Range.
Two hundred miles north of the city is the Wind Thunder Mountain Range. From a distance, the mountain range is covered with thick clouds all year round, just like Wind Thunder City.
Seventy percent of the island is like this, only the Gale Valley in the far west is a gourd-shaped wind gap, where the Whirlwind Gate is located. The Azure Thunder Sect's mountain gate is directly in the central area of the mountain range.
Zhang Ling didn't pay too much attention to this. He only needed to collect heavenly lightning. After collecting the heavenly lightning, he would leave this place and would not have any entanglements with the forces here.
He flew all the way into the Wind Thunder Mountain Range, looking for a suitable place to collect heavenly lightning.
There are many peaks in the Thunder Cloud Mountain Range, most of which are stone mountains. There are also some demon beasts, all of which are wind and thunder attributed demon beasts, but their strength is not high.
