Deacon Miao and the others felt a surge of confidence. They initially thought their ancestor would let Fang Chen off, but that didn’t seem to be the case anymore. It seemed that Fang Chen had to explain himself if he wanted to leave this place alive.

Fang Chen handed the White Dew Pill to Elder Xu and the others, instructing them to divide and consume the pills. Then, he casually asked, "It seems you’re well aware of the underhanded dealings within your sect. Aren’t you afraid that the Qin Family will learn of this and punish your sect?"

"The matters of the Parting Fiery Dao Sect are our own concern. The Qin family cannot interfere, let alone you," the young man replied with a smile, shaking his head. "Now, it’s time for you to explain yourself."

"Very well, I’ll give you an explanation, and then you’ll give me one in return." Fang Chen nodded slightly, his eyes flashing with a faint and eerie blue light.

Suddenly, a bolt of lightning descended from the sky, striking the young man.

Caught off guard, the young man was blasted from the air, crashing with a loud thud into the center of the place. His skin turned entirely black, with white smoke rising and sizzling sounds emanating from his body.

The cultivators around stared in shock, unable to process what had just happened. The thought that crossed their minds was that his Nascent Soul Realm ancestor had received a bolt of tribulation lightning.

But… tribulation lightning was associated with the Three Calamities and the Nine Tribulations. The Three Calamities and the Nine Tribulations only occurred in the Golden Core Realm, Fusion Realm, and the Dao Union Realm.

How could a Nascent Soul need to undergo a tribulation?

"Ancestor!"

Sect Leader Zhang, leading the group of Golden Core Realm elders, rushed to the young man's side to check his injuries, their expressions a mix of panic and bewilderment.

"Could this be the legendary Innate Five Lightning Art!?"

Elder Xu's spirit lifted, and he looked at Fang Chen with deep reverence. It turned out that Martial Uncle Fang's mastery of lightning techniques had reached such a profound level that even a Nascent Soul Realm cultivator couldn't escape it!

Under the continuous calls from Sect Leader Zhang and the others, the young man slowly regained consciousness. His gaze was initially confused, but then it sharpened as he looked solemnly towards the sky. "Was that a tribulation lightning just now!? Did any of you see clearly where it came from?"

His voice was hoarse, with wisps of white smoke still rising as he spoke, clearly indicating that the lightning had severely injured him.

Sect Leader Zhang and the other Golden Core Realm elders exchanged glances, their expressions a bit embarrassed.

"Ancestor... we couldn’t see it clearly…."

How could they possibly have seen such a powerful lightning strike in time? By the time they realized what had happened, their ancestor was already in this state.

"This person's cultivation is at the mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm. while Azure Lightning can injure him, it cannot kill him," Fang Chen mused.

He had roughly tested the limits of the Azure Lightning. He had only used seventy percent of its power earlier. If he had used his full force, he could likely kill a mid-stage Nascent Soul Realm cultivator and injured those at the late or even peak Nascent Soul Realm.

This was the terrifying power of the Radiant Divine Eyes. Without its enhancement, Fang Chen's current cultivation would have only allowed him to use the Azure Lightning against late or peak stage Golden Core Realm cultivators.

The Radiant Divine Eyes elevated its power to another level entirely.

"The Eight Desolation Supreme Sword Scripture is still my strongest offensive technique. I fear I won’t find a stronger technique to replace it for a long time.”

Even the Heavenly Abhorrence couldn't compare.

Fang Chen sighed inwardly, recognizing that much of his current strength came from his fourth-rank Sword Body and Little Sword. The fourth-rank Sword Body itself was equivalent to the Nascent Soul Realm—a pure body-refining cultivator who ascended to the Nascent Soul Realm might not even possess a physical strength superior to that of a fourth-rank Sword Body. ŕ

The Skin Peeling Technique and Azure Lightning relied more on Fang Chen's cultivation rather than his Sword Body.

"If it ever came down to a desperate situation, the nine consciousnesses within the mottled bloodstain could serve as a trump card. But if I use this card, it’s hard to guess what would happen," Fang Chen reflected.

"I passed my first calamity long ago. How could I encounter a tribulation?"

"Ancestor, could it have been a lightning technique?" one of the Golden Core Realm cultivators speculated hesitantly.

"Lightning technique! Impossible… Even a powerful sect that originates from Dao Sects like the Qin Family doesn't have lightning techniques."

The others looked at the Golden Core cultivator who had suggested the idea with odd expressions. A lightning technique was very rare and precious. There was no need to talk about its lethality. They had rarely seen it, let alone possessed such a technique themselves.

The elemental forces of the world—metal, wood, water, fire, and earth—remained dominant. Those who could master lightning techniques were often elite cultivators from celestial palaces or heavenly courts.

Compared to such entities, the Parting Fiery Dao Sect was insignificant, no different from banding wandering cultivators.

As they discussed this, the youth slowly dispelled the remaining thunder energy from his body and used his spiritual energy to nourish his flesh. The charred skin began to peel away layer by layer, and within about ten breaths, his skin had returned to its original state. However, his hair, eyebrows, and other body hair had been completely singed off and wouldn't grow back anytime soon.

The youth slowly stood up, closed his eyes, and assessed his condition. Though his injuries wouldn’t heal completely in a short time, the most superficial wounds had been barely addressed. After a few breaths, he opened his eyes and looked at Fang Chen, speaking in a calm tone.

"The whims of heaven are unpredictable, and it seems I’ve made a fool of myself. How about you now tell me about the so-called 'explanation' you mentioned earlier? How do you plan to provide it?"

"Explanation? I believe I’ve already provided you with one," Fang Chen replied.

A shadow of gloom flickered in the youth’s eyes, though he maintained a faint smile. "Are you referring to that bolt of lightning? A mere act of nature. Surely, you’re not claiming that the lightning was your doing?"

Before Fang Chen could respond, the youth’s smile became even more mockful. "If you truly possessed such power, how would the Grand Thousand Dao Sect be subjected to the orders of my Parting Fiery Dao Sect? The Qin Family would have likely honored you as a distinguished guest."

Pausing briefly, he cast a lingering gaze at the injured Elder Huo, his tone growing darker. "I ask again for an explanation—The Parting Fiery Dao Sect’s Golden Core Realm cultivators will not suffer such humiliation in vain."

The onlookers couldn’t help but smirk, finding it laughable that Fang Chen might take credit for the bolt of heavenly lightning.

𝗳𝐫𝚎𝗲𝚠𝚎𝗯𝕟𝐨𝘃𝚎𝗹.𝗰𝗼𝗺

"Very well, I'll send another explanation down your way," Fang Chen replied with a slight nod, his tone calm and steady.

Boom!

A bolt of cyan lightning struck down, sending the youth crashing back to the ground, face first. He lay there motionless, his body charred black, emitting smoke and sizzling sounds. The scent of roasted flesh faintly wafted through the air.

Sect Leader Zhang and the other Golden Core Realm elders were appalled. Their breathing became rapid, and cold sweat poured down their faces. Deacon Miao’s teeth chattered uncontrollably as if he had seen a ghost, his gaze fixed on Fang Chen.

“Lightning…Lightning technique… This supposed Nascent Soul Realm ancestor of the Grand Thousand Dao Sect actually controls lightning techniques!” muttered the burly cultivator, wiping the sweat from his brow, his eyes filled with nothing but terror.

It took several breaths before the youth slowly regained consciousness. He immediately used his spiritual energy to heal his external injuries.

“A-Ancestor… Are you alright?” Sect Leader Zhang and the others approached him cautiously, their voices trembling with concern.

“I’m not dead yet,” The youth muttered, exhaling a puff of white smoke before slowly turning to look at Fang Chen. His charred face twisted into a strained smile. “May I ask for your name?”

Only at this moment did he finally inquire about Fang Chen’s identity.

Fang Chen answered him.

“Ah, so it’s Daoist Fang,” Wu Cuocai said, cupping his hands respectfully. “I am Wu Cuocai. The misunderstanding between you and the Parting Fiery Dao Sect will be resolved to your satisfaction. I will fully cooperate with you to clear up any issues.”

His eyes, however, revealed a mix of fear, wariness, suspicion, and shock.