Cultivating with Bragging System

Everywhere he went was a scene of joy and harmony, filled with endless laughter and cheerful voices. The prodigies from the more distant Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands flashed looks of disdain, but deep within their pupils lay a hidden anticipation and fear.

Why hasn't he come over yet? When will it be my turn? I'm so young, so handsome, and so talented. There's no reason for them to praise everyone but me. Wouldn't that make me look bad?

For a moment, Wang Xiu seemed to become the star of the entire venue, capturing everyone's attention.

Just then, the once-clear sky, which had not a cloud in sight, suddenly became overcast with dark clouds. Thunder crackled from the void as thick columns of purple lightning poured down from the heavens like solid streams of light, striking within Vermilion Bird City. The prodigies from the various Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands were taken aback, quickly scattering to avoid being hit by the astonishingly powerful thunder.

The lightning grew denser and denser, coalescing in the void to form a massive ancient tree, several zhang tall, composed entirely of silver lightning. The silver tree took root the moment it touched the ground, its entire form covered in crackling lightning. An aura of destruction spread with the growth of its branches and leaves, striking fear into the hearts of all who witnessed it. Innumerable strands of spiritual energy converged toward it from the air like a tide, emitting a dazzling divine light. Amidst the endless radiance, a figure slowly appeared.

Upon witnessing this, the pupils of the countless prodigies present constricted, and they gasped in shock. Xiang Tiange and Li Zuoyue's expressions turned grave, their bodies tensing.

"Thunder transforms all things, Innate Prime Qi... This is the orthodox, supreme Thunder Technique from the Longhu Immortal Sect!"

"Could it be... has *he* arrived?"

"Judging by this display, there's no mistake!"

"Hiss..."

Thunder, by nature, is extremely yang, representing the power of destruction and punishment. Even in the hands of a cultivator, this power is like a ticking time bomb, demanding the utmost caution for fear that a single misstep could lead to a loss of control, ending in utter annihilation.

Yet, before their very eyes, someone had managed to transform terrifyingly powerful thunder into a vibrant ancient tree. This was not merely a cosmetic illusion but a fundamental change in its essence, signifying absolute mastery over the power of thunder.

In present-day Nanzhou, among the various Cave Heavens and Blessed Lands proficient in Thunder Techniques, only two possessed such a heritage. One was the Thunder Sect of the Sanqing Immortal Sect. The other was the Innate Primordial Divine Thunder of the Longhu Immortal Sect.

The Longhu Immortal Sect was currently ranked among the top three most powerful Cave Heavens in the Immortal Alliance. Over eight hundred years ago, however, it did not hold such a high status. The Longhu Immortal Sect built its foundation on the exclusive mastery of Thunder Techniques, claiming to be the world's orthodox lineage. Yet, for all their claims, their Thunder Techniques could never quite surpass those of the Sanqing Thunder Sect.

One must understand that the Thunder Sect was just one of the three hundred and sixty branches of the Sanqing Immortal Sect back then. Although it was one of the most powerful branches, that fact alone was enough to keep the Longhu Immortal Sect from ever holding its head high. Despite their sect's strong foundation and formidable number of experts, it was as if a lifetime specialist were still inferior to a part-timer. The blow and disparity from this were enough to shatter one's state of mind.

As long as the Sanqing Immortal Sect stood, the Longhu Immortal Sect could never raise its head. They were perpetually stuck in fourth place—a neglected fourth place at that, with a reputation even worse than the sect ranked fifth.

In those days, the Longhu Immortal Sect had challenged the Sanqing Thunder Sect more than once, hoping to definitively establish their claim as the true orthodox lineage of Thunder Techniques. Unfortunately, they never succeeded. It wasn't until the outbreak of that great calamity that the Sanqing Immortal Sect's foundation was decimated, causing it to fall from the ranks of top Immortal Sects to the bottom of the Cave Heaven hierarchy. Only then did the Longhu Immortal Sect finally have its chance to shine. They surged into the top three, letting the entire world know the might of the Dragon Tiger Thunder Method.

Of course, a reputation gained in such a manner was not built on solid ground. Many old-timers in the cultivation world still said that if not for Sanqing's decline, Longhu would never have been able to surpass them in a million years. The Longhu Immortal Sect was aware of this. So, over the past eight hundred years, they had, on more than one occasion, sent their prodigies to the Sanqing Thunder Sect to contest their mastery, hoping to settle the matter once and for all. However, Ji Yan was too busy with his grand project of making babies to bother with such things. He refused them all.

Today, the Longhu Immortal Sect's reputation in the Nanzhou cultivation world was at its zenith, while the Thunder Sect, along with the Sanqing Immortal Sect, had fallen into dust. When the younger generation of cultivators spoke of Thunder Techniques, they knew only of the Longhu Immortal Sect. The old grudges and secrets of the past were known to very few.

Xiang Tiange and Li Zuoyue stared at the dazzling silver ancient tree with solemn expressions, having already guessed the identity of the newcomer.

CRACKLE!

The lightning flashed, and a figure in a white robe, holding a folding fan, slowly stepped out.

The Longhu Saint Heir! Zhang Yuge!

"It's really him!"

"The Longhu Saint Heir, the second-ranked peerless prodigy on the Golden Core Ranking!"

"Rumor has it he's the most talented master of Thunder Techniques born to the Longhu Immortal Sect in a millennium! At his birth, thunder roared for three thousand miles, and a thunder dragon was seen entering his chambers. He was personally brought back to the Longhu Immortal Sect by the former Heavenly Master, who designated him the Saint Heir!"

"His aura is so powerful!"

"It's hard to imagine he's still in the Golden Core Stage..."

"The prodigies ranked high on the Golden Core Ranking all follow unusual paths. For ordinary people, the goal is to break through as soon as possible. But for them, reaching a perfected realm is merely the true beginning!"

The moment Zhang Yuge appeared, all eyes were drawn to him. Even the prodigies who had been chatting happily with Wang Xiu a moment ago were now staring intently at Zhang Yuge, their faces flush with excitement. It wasn't every day one could see a Chosen One of his caliber!

Zhang Yuge relished this feeling of being the center of attention. Although he had been a favored child of the heavens since birth, the old Heavenly Master's strict demands meant he was almost never allowed out, except for critical missions—let alone to show off. The reason, it was said, was the fear that his impetuous nature and focus on fame might lead to an accident while controlling lightning.

Zhang Yuge had always sneered at this notion. Lightning? To him, it was his most familiar toy. He could mold it, knead it, and shape it however he pleased... especially after cultivating the Innate Primordial Divine Thunder. He felt like the illegitimate son of the Heavenly Tribulation itself; playing with lightning was almost too easy. The senior and junior sisters on the mountain would always howl in amazement at the way he manipulated lightning with his hands.

However, even with his talent for Thunder Techniques being so formidable, the old Heavenly Master would still often remind him that there was always someone better, another sky beyond this one. Speaking of those closer to home, the Sanqing Immortal Sect's Thunder Sect, right here in Nanzhou, had once been their equal in the mastery of Thunder Techniques. To convince Zhang Yuge of this, the old Heavenly Master had even dug up countless old tales and anecdotes, recounting them one by one to let him know how, in the countless clashes with the Sanqing Thunder Sect, Longhu had suffered far more defeats than victories. Whenever this topic came up, the old Heavenly Master would often be moved to tears.

Because of this, upon leaving the Longhu Immortal Sect, Zhang Yuge had sworn a solemn oath to the old Heavenly Master. This time, he would take back all the pride the Longhu Immortal Sect had lost over the years from the Sanqing Immortal Sect, with interest.

And as luck would have it, he had just arrived to see a disciple of the Sanqing Immortal Sect holding court in the crowd, acting as if he were the main character of the whole scene. How could Zhang Yuge tolerate that?

With a deafening crack of thunder, he made his entrance in the most flamboyant, awe-inspiring way he could imagine.

Indeed. He nailed it.

However, he had expected his grand entrance to wipe the smile off that Sanqing disciple's face. To his surprise, the disciple only froze for a moment before his eyes lit up with what looked like... excitement and joy.

This left Zhang Yuge utterly baffled.

Wang Xiu was ecstatic. A prodigy? Prodigies are great! The more talented they are, the louder their boasts tend to be! I must befriend him! I absolutely must!

Just then, the unexpected happened.