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Lin Yongming slowly rose to his feet upon hearing the voice. The one who had spoken was none other than the God of Thunder.
Over the past fifteen years, the God of Thunder's appearance had remained unchanged, not a single trace of difference.
In contrast, Lin Yongming had aged considerably since awakening five years ago. Without the care of Blue Silver Grass, his once-neat hair had grown long, reaching down to his lower back. His deep blue locks had now turned a mix of grayish-blue and silver.
"God of Thunder, five years ago, you said that if I passed the seventh trial, I could leave Thunder City. Is that still true?" Lin Yongming asked calmly.
"Indeed. After passing the seventh trial, your affinity with the power of thunder—or rather, the thunder element—has reached 85%. The violent Profound Thunder can no longer harm you, allowing you to traverse this lightning-covered region unscathed."
"However, that is only under ideal conditions. As I've mentioned before, returning to the mainland requires not only passing the seventh trial but also reaching the Title Douluo level in soul power. Otherwise, crossing the endless sea would be impossible."
"Right now, you're only a 76th-ranked Soul Sage. If you're lucky enough to find an island to rest along the way, you might make it. But if not, once your soul power is exhausted and you can no longer sustain flight, you will perish in the ocean," the God of Thunder explained.
"I understand. If I still had the Sea God's Heart, this wouldn't be an issue. But after my body disintegrated and my spatial soul tool was lost, the Sea God's Heart disappeared as well," Lin Yongming sighed.
"Don't worry. Once you complete the eighth trial, I'll give you a surprise. At that point, even if you haven't reached the Title Douluo level, you'll still be able to return to the mainland quickly," the God of Thunder revealed, catching Lin Yongming off guard.
"God of Thunder, why didn't you tell me earlier?" Lin Yongming was stunned.
"Would it have made a difference? The trials and rewards were set long ago. Besides, I doubt you needed this 'surprise' as motivation. And let's not forget—you hadn't even passed the seventh trial yet," the God of Thunder replied with a faint smile.
"Then I'll clear it right now—immediately!" Lin Yongming declared.
"Good. Then let the seventh trial—Subduing the Spear Spirit—begin!"
The seventh trial of the Thor's Nine Trials was called Subduing the Spear Spirit. The objective was to defeat the spirit of the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder Spear, thereby truly making it Lin Yongming's own.
Once the spear spirit acknowledged him, the power of all nine Profound Thunder Techniques would increase by 100%.
Though the trial was framed as "defeating" the spear spirit, the true test was Lin Yongming's mastery of the Profound Thunder Spear Techniques.
Even if he failed this attempt, he could retry the trial later. However, the God of Thunder had imposed a strict rule: No other skills could be used during the trial—only the Profound Thunder Techniques were allowed.
This meant Lin Yongming could not rely on his Wave Perception abilities.
"Come on!" Standing in the center of Thunder City's plaza, Lin Yongming stared at the phantom before him—a shadowy figure wielding a spear identical to his own.
"Fourth Soul Skill—Profound Thunder Technique, Fourth Form: Thunder God's Armor!"
Lightning surged around Lin Yongming's body, condensing into a suit of energy armor. Seven soul rings—four black and three red—circled him.
"Third Soul Skill—Profound Thunder Clone Steps!"
As he charged toward the spear spirit, Lin Yongming split into three—one true body and two clones. This was the only movement technique among the nine Profound Thunder Techniques.
The two clones possessed 80% of his original strength.
From three different directions, Lin Yongming launched his assault.
Of course, the spear spirit could also use every technique Lin Yongming knew.
The moment Lin Yongming executed a move, the spear spirit mirrored it.
This battle was purely a test of skill mastery.
In less than three seconds, the first clash erupted.
BOOM!
Thunder exploded around them, the sheer force rivaling the wild lightning outside the protective barrier.
Lin Yongming was forced back several steps, his arms numb from the impact. Fortunately, his Thunder God's Armor had absorbed most of the damage.
From the entrance of the grand hall, the God of Thunder observed the battle.
"Not bad. His mastery of the first five Profound Thunder Techniques is already flawless. If he can wield the seventh technique—Thunder Dragon Emerges from the Sea—with the same level of skill, passing this trial won't be difficult," the God of Thunder mused.
Lin Yongming quickly realized the nature of this battle.
"This isn't a test of raw power—it's a test of technique."
"Ever since my Wave Perception was restored, my Mind's Eye has allowed me to refine my spear techniques at an accelerated rate."
"I will clear the seventh trial!"
With that resolve, Lin Yongming unleashed the Profound Thunder Techniques one after another.
"You want to test my spear skills? Then I'll give you a full demonstration!"
"First Technique—Thunderflash Slash!"
"Second Technique—Thunder Instant Kill!"
"Fifth Technique—Heavenly Thunder Trample!"
"Sixth Technique—Thunder Banquet!"
Each time Lin Yongming executed a move, the spear spirit countered with the same technique. The battle remained deadlocked.
"Now, the final technique. Let's see how he handles Thunder Dragon Emerges from the Sea," the God of Thunder thought with anticipation.
"As expected of the Nine Heavens Profound Thunder Spear's spirit—it knows every move perfectly."
"But this trial ends now."
"Seventh Technique—Thunder Dragon Emerges from the Sea!"
A deafening dragon's roar echoed as the spear gathered an immense amount of thunder energy.
A 20-meter-long dark blue thunder dragon materialized, coiling around Lin Yongming.
"Go!" Lin Yongming sent the dragon hurtling toward the spear spirit.
Predictably, the spirit retaliated with the same technique.
Two colossal thunder dragons collided midair.
"Hmph! Profound Thunder Clone Steps!"
Lin Yongming split into three again, evading the attack.
The spear spirit mirrored his movement, also creating clones to dodge.
But Lin Yongming wasn't done.
"Trying to escape? Not a chance!"
"Dragon's Tail Sweep!"
With a flick of his wrist, Lin Yongming commanded his thunder dragon to swing its tail, smashing the spear spirit's clone to pieces.
"Oh? He modified the technique? Impressive—though he didn't hit the main body," the God of Thunder noted.
But Lin Yongming wasn't finished.
"Dragon's Reverse Strike!"
The thunder dragon, instead of dissipating, whirled around and lunged at the spear spirit from behind.
BOOM!
The dragon's maw shattered the spear spirit's phantom form.
"To think he still had enough control to make the dragon turn back… His mastery of this technique has reached perfection," the God of Thunder praised.
Lin Yongming approached the fading spear spirit and raised his Nine Heavens Profound Thunder Spear, absorbing its power.
The God of Thunder walked over.
"Well done. Congratulations on clearing the seventh trial. I didn't expect you to pass on your first attempt."
(Damn, I'm late...)
Note: So far this story is published up to chapter 290 on my patreon, go check it out and remember that if we reach the goal of 55 power stones I will publish the next chapter.