With the emergence of the azure flame, the gentle, flowing qi instantly transformed from a docile lamb into a fierce, hungry wolf, then began to spiral once more, converging upon the faint, ethereal silver energy that was coiled at the center. "Shhh!" Facing the surge of the azure qi, the silver energy responded with a defiant burst of intense radiance, as if a spiky hedgehog had raised all its quills in defense, striving to intimidate and repel the advancing foe. Yet now, with the infusion of the azure flame, the pressure inherent within the silver energy no longer exerted any restraint over the former—it instead intensified, and as the silver light surged, the azure flames within the qi erupted with a sound of challenge, hissing forth in a powerful counterflow. Upon first contact, ripples of energy spread rapidly outward; fortunately, the surrounding qi provided a protective barrier, preventing any significant internal damage. The azure flame and silver light intertwined. Within half a moment, the silver light began to show signs of decline, its radiance continuously retreating... Within less than a minute, the silver energy was utterly defeated in the clash against the azure flame, under Xiao Yan's control, the azure flame surged forward and ultimately narrowed the encircling circle down to a slender ring only as wide as two hands. Within this ring, the essence of wind and thunder power emerged clearly. At this point, the wind and thunder essence had been completely scorched by the azure flame, eliminating the protective silver glow. Thus, its true form was now clearly visible to Xiao Yan's focused awareness. This was an exceedingly fine streak of silver lightning—more precisely, a silver lightning that resembled a small snake in shape... The streak was only half an inch long and extremely slender, roughly the thickness of Xiao Yan's middle finger when viewed at a glance. Without the protective outer energy, the silver lightning carefully coiled itself around his body, curving into a delicate electric serpent. When its mouth opened, a faint sound of wind and thunder seemed to emanate. "This must be the power of wind and thunder," Xiao Yan murmured, slightly astonished. "Indeed, it differs from ordinary energy. Though it lacks consciousness, it acts with an innate instinct, as though guided by some subtle, unseen force." With his mind focused on this electric serpent, seemingly surrounded by a host of hungry wolves, he felt a sense of wonder. "Indeed," the elder Yao's laughter echoed in Xiao Yan's mind. "After all, this is a force born of the natural world. Human-developed energy, such as combat aura, rarely matches such elemental forces unless one has attained a profound level of cultivation." "I didn't expect the strange fire to be so fierce—even the dominant wind and thunder forces hesitate before it. With the suppression from the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire, you should find it manageable to absorb it. So, seize the moment." Nodding slightly, Xiao Yan gradually stabilized his mind. The jade-green flame, which had been encircling the silver lightning energy, suddenly trembled, then surged forward, swallowing the latter whole in a single breath... Though the outside was drenched in torrential rain, within three feet of Xiao Yan, the air remained dry as summer. Every raindrop reaching that proximity was instantly vaporized by the surrounding intense heat, forming a mist that rose only to be shattered by the next successive raindrops. His face was taut, his hands slightly trembling as he formed the cultivation seals, occasionally sending bursts of electric light from between his fingers—only for them to fade away. Time swiftly passed during the cultivation process. The dark, heavy clouds above gradually lightened, and after a night of relentless downpour, the rain began to show signs of fatigue, falling in steady, intermittent streams rather than in the vigorous, continuous bursts as before. The sky was dark and heavy, with clouds drifting slowly. Suddenly, a beam of light pierced through the clouds, shining across the boundless, endless forest. As the first beam appeared, a chain reaction unfolded—beam after beam cascaded down rapidly, striking the clouds with increasing force until they were torn apart, finally splitting completely. Instantly, vast patches of bright, warm sunlight poured down, enveloping the forest that had endured a night of harsh weather. The warm sunlight fell upon the young man in black robes seated atop the mountain peak. As if sensing the change in the weather outside, the young man’s closed eyes trembled slightly, and the silver lightning that had been swirling around his fingertips gently entered his body before fading away. As the silver lightning faded, the young man in the black robe had his eyelashes tremble more and more intensely, until finally, as though free from restraint, he suddenly opened his eyes—then, a tangible silver lightning burst forth from his gaze, somewhat domineering and sharp, stretching out to a length of an inch. This silver lightning lasted only for an instant before abruptly dissipating, and as it vanished, his dark eyes settled back into calm. The hand seals dissolved, and Xiao Yan gently lifted his head, gazing upward at the bright, sunlit sky. A surge of breath stirred within his chest, and as he expelled a final gust of turbid air through his throat, a subtle luster appeared on his face—under the sunlight, it shone like polished jade, striking a particularly appealing presence. His body trembled slightly, yet no other movement was evident. As if a spring had been released, the seated Xuanyin rose straight up, then twisted slightly, the crisp crackling of his bones broadening the curve of his smile just a little. Gently extending his hands, Xuanyin lightly rubbed his fingers, and instantly, a thin, faint streak of silver electric light emerged from between them, accompanied by a soft hissing sound. "Has the fusion been successful?" gazing at the delicate electric glow between his fingers, Xuanyin's expression brightened with delight. The integration of the wind and thunder power had not proven as difficult or perilous as he had anticipated. Had the outstanding disciples of the Wind and Thunder Pavilion simply stalled at this very step? "Do you think every single person possesses a unique flame to stabilize the wind and thunder power?" Suddenly, the elder pharmacist's irritable voice resonated within Xiao Yan's mind. The wind and thunder power was remarkably dominant—how could ordinary qi normally suppress it? Unless Xiao Yan possessed the Qinglian Earth-Heart Fire, it would have been nothing short of delusional for him to effortlessly absorb and integrate this wind and thunder energy. Hearing the elder's scolding, Xiao Yan sheepishly smiled, dispersed the energy at his fingertip, and nodded slightly, saying, "Master, now that I've assimilated the wind and thunder power, shouldn't I have already begun practicing the 'Three Thousand Thunder Rumbles'?" "Of course." Hearing this, Xiao Yan's face brightened with renewed joy. He bent down and picked up the silver scroll resting on the stone, only to pause in surprise—now the scroll was completely blank. Not only had the images within vanished, but even the characters "Three Thousand Thunder Rumbles" etched on the surface had bent and disappeared entirely. "Is the scroll really still here?" Seeing the now-empty scroll, Xiao Yan's expression changed slightly, and he hurried to ask. "The scroll has long since entered your mind—how could it still remain here?" "Keep your mind calm and recall the images from last night—they are the key to practicing the 'Three Thousand Thunder Roars.' Now that you've acquired the power of wind and thunder, mastering them will be a natural progression, almost effortless, provided you practice diligently and possess sufficient talent. This is certain to lead you to the peak of mastery," the old Ye sighed helplessly. With the calmness of his mind, Xiao Yan slowly closed his eyes again, but this time, instead of darkness, he found himself entering a silver realm. Before him, vivid, lifelike human figures in unusual postures swiftly materialized, flashing one after another. Though the images appeared at an incredibly rapid pace, each one was firmly imprinted in Xiao Yan's mind—no more that hazy, fleeting sense of forgetfulness as before. His gaze remained fixed upon the eight silver characters before him, and after a while, Xiao Yan seemed to grasp something. With a mere thought, the wind and thunder power that had been refined within him began seeping out from his body, forming streaks of electric light that wrapped around his surface. These electric streaks then began flowing downward on their own, gathering within a short time into a cluster of silver radiance that enveloped his feet. The posture held for a moment, then Xiao Yan gently settled his foot. As it touched the ground, he suddenly felt a dizzying sensation, and the silver space shattered instantly. When he looked around again, he was startled to find himself now floating in mid-air, outside the mountain peak—his mere step had seemingly carried him straight from the summit into the sky. He slightly lowered his head, gazing down at the deep, endless chasm beneath the mountain peak. His face paled, and he trembled slightly, turning to check behind him. There, where he had expected to see the purple cloud wings extending from his back, they were absent. At the same time, the silver glow emanating from his feet seemed to falter, trembling briefly before suddenly fading away. His body, now like a bird with its wings severed, fell straight downward toward the abyss. "Ah! Help! Save me!" A sudden, desperate cry rang out in the clear, fresh morning air of the deep mountain forest.