Upon the marsh, carpeted with lush green grass, a delicate white mist drifted gently. As a soft breeze blew in, the mist rippled softly, eventually rising with the wind and lifting the haze above the marsh, making the scene clearer. "Ssshh!" Suddenly, a faint hissing sound broke the stillness. Not long after, a dark figure surged forth from the marsh, radiating a brilliant silver glow. With each footfall, electric sparks surged and contracted, boiling the loose silt of the marsh into a bubbling, steaming state—the hissing sound emanating from these very bursts. The black figure moved with astonishing speed, sweeping forward and carving a furrow two cun wide right through the marsh. It wasn't until long afterward that this long furrow was gradually restored to its original state as the marsh slowly flowed and shifted. Behind the figure, a dense crowd of black venomous snakes broke the surface, opening their fierce mouths to launch streams of foul-smelling water arrows, each one cutting through the air with a sharp rush, aimed directly at the figure's back. Yet these water arrows clearly paled in comparison to the black figure's swift movements, and none of them struck the figure's body. Although the black silhouette remained suspended in the air for less than ten seconds, anyone observing it would undoubtedly be stunned—briefly hovering without the aid of aura wings or any other external means typically required at least the strength of a Duke-level cultivator. To remain aloft for an extended period, one would need to reach the level of a Master cultivator or higher. After the black silhouette halted in midair for several seconds, a silver glow flashed from its feet. It twisted slightly and materialized on a large tree some fifteen meters away. Unless one noticed the faint, blurred black line still lingering in the space, anyone would surely believe that this speed had surpassed spatial limitations and achieved the astonishing feat of teleportation. "This three-thousand-thunder surge unfolds in three layers: thunder flash, thunder instant, and finally, the three-thousand-thunder peak. When a cultivator reaches the final stage of the three-thousand-thunder realm, their movement across space is silent and seamless—so smooth and swift that it's nearly indistinguishable from teleportation. At such speed, even the strongest Douzong cultivators would hesitate to overlook it. Now look at you—rushing forward like a bull in spring season plowing a field. You're not even close to the three-thousand-thunder level; you might not even have truly entered the first stage of thunder flash." The Yeold's form drifted slowly along the tree trunk, glancing at Xiao Yan's beaming face, and spoke calmly. "Look at your feet yourself..." Seeing Xiao Yan's condition, Yao Lao shook his head, sighed, and said with a touch of resignation. Upon hearing this, Xiao Yan lowered his head, then drew a faint grimace—what he saw was that his feet were now completely covered in loose, sticky mud, with fine fragments of grass clinging to them. "The essence of the Thousand-Thunder Technique is: still as a rock, yet dynamic as a thunderstorm—simple, unadorned, aiming not for grandeur but for surprise, leveraging momentum to strike the opponent," Yao Lao said calmly. "But observe the manner in which you moved earlier—though you were still a hundred meters away, the sound and presence of your actions already reached the listeners. This clearly contradicts the very spirit of the Thousand-Thunder Technique." Seeing Yao Lao's face now stern, Xiao Yan nodded slightly, smiled awkwardly, and hesitated, unable to speak. "Due to your exceptionally strong spiritual essence, your control over the energy within your body is also outstanding. Therefore, the very basic mistakes made by beginners seem rather foolish to you. Remember: suppress the uncontrolled outward surge of wind and thunder forces, channeling them to a single point. The resulting burst of power will make your speed the fastest among those below the Duke-level combatants. Once you achieve this, you have truly entered the first stage of the Three-Thousand-Thunder-Shocks realm of Thunder Flash." The old medicine master shook his head and spoke solemnly. "Of course, my explanation may sound simple, but certain aspects require you to master them yourself. I can only guide you along the most effective path..." His tone gradually softened as he spoke gently. "Hm." Xiao Yan nodded slightly, bowed respectfully to the herbal elder, then stepped back and settled himself cross-legged upon the tree trunk. Although the Three-Thousand-Thunder Technique could dramatically boost his speed, it came at a remarkably high cost in terms of Qi consumption. Xiao Yan had measured this himself—with his current status as an Eight-Star Great Combatant, if he continuously employed the Three-Thousand-Thunder Technique without pause, he could only sustain it for three to five minutes before running out of Qi and being unable to continue. Looking at Xiao Yan, eyes closed and refining his Qi, the Ye-Lao quietly exhaled a sigh of relief, a gentle smile playing at the corner of his lips. In just three days, Xiao Yan had managed to勉强 perform the "Thousand Thunder Storms" technique—though this was only a crude manifestation of the wind and thunder power—his speed had already surpassed that of his peak performance during the "Burst Steps." This level of progress was truly commendable. Yet, to prevent Xiao Yan, newly blessed with such a rare treasure, from feeling overly elated or conceited, the Ye-Lao had to pretend to be deeply displeased, urging him to remain focused and grounded in his practice. Indeed, this effort proved highly effective. After Xiao Yan restored his Qi, when he resumed practicing the "Thousand Thunder Storms," the wind and thunder energy accumulating beneath his feet had noticeably deepened and stabilized, and the destruction he caused along his path had gradually diminished. Above the spacious marsh, the dark figure tirelessly darted back and forth, a streak of silver lightning resembling a serpent constantly rushing swiftly beneath its feet. As Xiao Yan persevered through grueling training and time passed, the sharp, rushing sounds of his movements through the marsh gradually faded. Though the sounds weakened, the speed of the dark figure grew ever more astonishing—by the end, it was often only visible as a streak of black moving through the marsh, so that without the constant undulations of countless black serpents beneath, it would have been difficult to pinpoint Xiao Yan's exact location. With time, Xiao Yan's mastery of the "Three Thousand Thunder Strikes" clearly evolved from its initial freshness into true mastery. When finally perfected, it would burst forth like the celestial thunder of the ninth heavens, resonating and shaking the continent. … Nearly a month and a half had passed swiftly, yet time had left no trace in the marsh. However, from the black-robed young man walking steadily across the marshy silt, his hands resting behind his back and his steps as if on solid ground, it was clear that the month had indeed left behind something. The marsh subtly quivered, and several sleek, entirely black venomous serpents crept silently toward the spot where Xiao Yan stood. As they neared their destination, just about to open their gaping maws, a faint shimmer beneath Xiao Yan's footplate trembled slightly, and several strands of silver electricity shot forth, piercing straight into the marsh and easily transfixing the heads of the serpents. As the soles of his feet touched the ground, silver light flickered, and suddenly, Xiang Yan’s body seemed to take on a strange, ethereal quality. Those with keen eyes could observe that, at the very moment his form became translucent, a streak of black light darted swiftly through the space around him. Approximately twenty meters away, the loose mud of the swamp subtly sank, forming two small whirlpools. Upon the surface of these whirlpools, figures in black emerged like ghosts, silently materializing. As soon as Xiang Yan assumed his full form, he immediately turned around. When his gaze reached the area twenty meters behind him, he saw a very faint, translucent shadow—upon closer inspection, it turned out to be a partial afterimage. "Success?" Staring at that faint black silhouette, Xiao Yan's pale face could not help but radiate a surge of exhilaration. For nearly fifty days, he had devoted himself tirelessly to practice, consuming countless spoonfuls of black mud and being bitten by venomous serpents countless times. Yet, under the astonishing resilience displayed by the young man, he had never wavered or retreated. Now… it was finally time to reap the rewards.