The terrifying sea of thunder that seemed to cover the entire sky actually ceased to spread the moment Wang Xiu finished speaking.

Like birds returning to the forest, it rapidly receded into the terrifying void rift and vanished without a trace. It was as if it had truly heard Wang Xiu's words and, just like that, retreated to show him some respect.

This scene left everyone present utterly dumbfounded.

"What the fuck?"

"It really retreated! The thunder tide actually receded!"

"All the thunder has dissipated, not a single trace is left!"

"How is that possible?"

Every prodigy wore an expression as if they had just seen a ghost. They stared blankly at the disciple from the Sanqing Divination Sect, who remained as calm as ever, a gentle smile on his face. A sense of utter and inexplicable shock filled their eyes.

Does thunder have consciousness? A Heavenly Tribulation might, since it represents the will of the Heavenly Dao! But that thunder just now, drawn here by Ji Zidian and Zhang Yuge, was powerful yet undoubtedly devoid of any shred of awareness. In other words, it was an inanimate force!

This was crystal clear to all the prodigies present. How could it possibly retreat just to show someone respect? Even a fool wouldn't believe such a reason.

…

"Senior Brother Wang Xiu, you have so much clout, even the thunder tide listens to you..." Ji Zidian mumbled, looking up dazedly at Wang Xiu's face, which was mere inches from her own. Her heart suddenly began to race, and her mind went blank. She lowered her head shyly.

Just a moment ago, she thought she was a goner. If that terrifying thunderstorm had fallen, even with her Innate Thunder Saint Body, she wouldn't have stood a chance. She had even seen her life flash before her eyes.

But unexpectedly, at the most critical moment, Senior Brother Wang Xiu had stepped forward, shielding her from the storm. At that moment, Ji Zidian felt as if she were floating. She wanted to cry, feeling both distressed and happy. Distressed, because she blamed herself for insisting on competing with that blasted Saint Heir from the Longhu Immortal Sect, causing such a huge mess and dragging Senior Brother Wang Xiu into it. And yet, happy.

Senior Brother, you're too good to me!

What she hadn't expected in the slightest was that Senior Brother Wang Xiu would actually dispel such a terrifying tide of thunder just like that. He was so handsome, so powerful, so reassuring. At this moment, in Ji Zidian's heart, all of Wang Xiu's glowing qualities magnified infinitely, again and again, until they filled her completely.

Her mind went blank as she stared dazedly into his eyes, recalling the plots from the romance stories she secretly read as a child.

After the hero saves the beauty, the bashful part comes next. Normally, at a time like this, the male lead is supposed to embrace and kiss the female lead! If Senior Brother wants to kiss me... should I agree? Or should I accept? EEK— How embarrassing!

Just then, Wang Xiu stared at Ji Zidian and slowly opened his mouth.

Ji Zidian's heart hammered against her ribs.

It's coming. It's coming. Bring it on!

She closed her eyes and lifted her small face, full of anticipation.

The next moment, a slap landed squarely on her forehead, smacking her upturned face back down.

"Ouch! Senior Brother, you hurt me~" Ji Zidian winced, pouting with tears in her eyes.

Wang Xiu said irritably, "So I hurt you, what of it? You actually feel pain? What were you being so stubborn for? Insisting on competing with someone... That man is the dignified Saint Heir of the Longhu Immortal Sect, second on the Golden Core Ranking. For a master like him to be pushed to this point by you is already a great loss of face!

"Couldn't you see it was time to stop? Did you really have to determine a winner?

"Does he not get to have any face? What would have been so bad about letting him win? Would you have been at a disadvantage?

"And now look what happened! You nearly got yourself killed! Tell me, don't you deserve to be taught a lesson?"

He simply had to get it all off his chest. Today, he was only able to keep the situation in check because he was here, thanks to his perfect mastery of the Taiyi Yu Lei Zhenjie and the superior control over thunder elements it granted. Otherwise, this foolish girl would have been blown to ashes long ago, without a single hair remaining.

Enduring Wang Xiu's rapid-fire tirade, Ji Zidian hung her head in silence, but a sense of sweetness and enjoyment slowly bloomed in her heart.

Is Senior Brother… concerned about me? This is bliss!

…

Not far away, listening to the exchange between Wang Xiu and Ji Zidian, Zhang Yuge felt fucking pissed.

Wang Xiu's words echoed endlessly in his mind, leaving him completely stunned.

"A dignified Longhu Saint Heir... second on the Golden Core Ranking... for him to be pushed to this point by you is already shameful..."

"Couldn't you just let him win?"

"Just let him..."

The more he heard, the more humiliated Zhang Yuge felt. If he could, he would dig a hole and bury himself in it right now. It was too humiliating! An utter disgrace!

To be honest, Zhang Yuge was completely baffled. He felt as if his entire worldview had been shattered. Since childhood, he had been supremely confident in his talent for Thunder Technique. Even the old Heavenly Master, to keep his pride in check, had told him tales of the Sanqing Immortal Sect's Thunder Sect from bygone eras as a reality check.

But at the same time, the old Heavenly Master had to admit that the Dragon Tiger Thunder Method and the arts of the Sanqing Thunder Sect had no true superior or inferior. Their respective achievements in Thunder Technique were nearly on par. The concrete difference in strength depended entirely on whether one side or the other had produced any exceptionally brilliant individuals in a given era.

In other words, their techniques were equals, both top-notch in the current world. However, the Thunder Technique was, after all, the signature art of the Longhu Immortal Sect. For the Sanqing Immortal Sect, the Thunder Sect was merely one of its more powerful branches among the Three Hundred and Sixty Vessels. This disparity made the Longhu Immortal Sect seem far less profound and transcendent in comparison.

Zhang Yuge's talent, even when measured against the fiercest years of their rivalry, could be described as outstanding and brilliant, to say nothing of the fact that the Sanqing Immortal Sect had long since fallen into decline. Therefore, it was absolutely justified for him to be the leading figure in the Thunder Technique Domain for his generation.

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