While Lu Fan was cultivating in seclusion on his island, far from the eyes of the world, his legacy quietly began to ripple outward.
In a small, remote village, a boy named An Zhi stumbled upon one of the cultivation pillars. Unlike others his age, An Zhi was no ordinary child—he was born with a Thunder-Attracting Physique. Every time thunderclouds gathered, lightning would inexplicably be drawn to his presence. Terrified of this strange curse, he had spent most of his life hiding in caves during storms, afraid of the sky's wrath.
But everything changed the day he encountered one of Lu Fan's thunder-imbued pillars.
Normally, only Innate martial artists could draw true cultivation methods from the pillars. Mortals, lacking the ability to control Qi, would at best receive basic martial techniques. But when An Zhi touched the thunder pillar, something extraordinary happened—his unique physique resonated with the energy stored within. The pillar recognized him, and in a flash of brilliance, transferred to him the entirety of Lu Fan's Thunder Body Tempering Art.
This wasn't an ordinary technique. It was a method Lu Fan had crafted after forming his Thunder Bloodline, rooted in deep insights and infused with intricate thunder patterns. The technique was inscribed with Lu Fan's theories, practical experience, and even speculative applications. It used the power of lightning to temper the body, layering the skin with patterns of thunder like inscriptions on a divine weapon.
Without fear, An Zhi stood beneath the pillar during storms, allowing the natural thunder to strike him. Each bolt helped etch the patterns into his skin, empowering him rather than harming him. Within days, he had completed the first stage of skin tempering—a feat unheard of for a mortal.
All he needed was sustenance—raw food, herbs, anything he could find—to keep his body from collapsing. Had he access to proper pills, he could have stepped into the Innate realm within days. Still, through perseverance and raw tenacity, he spent a few months surviving on wild resources and steadily advanced.
And finally, as he reached the threshold of the Innate realm and began to form his spiritual root, all the thunder patterns across his body converged. The markings shimmered, merged, and flowed inward—forming the Thunder Bloodline.
An Zhi had now truly stepped onto the path of body-tempering cultivation, not as a mere martial artist, but as someone who possessed a unique Thunder Bloodline—a gift akin to the inherited bloodlines of ancient beasts. This bloodline didn't merely coexist with his spiritual root; it replaced it entirely, forming the core of his cultivation foundation.
This change came with a profound shift.
The thunder patterns he had painstakingly carved onto his skin—symbols of his progress and strength—were now fully absorbed into his bloodline. His body retained the strength those patterns had granted, but the unique powers they once carried were gone. His skin had become a blank slate once more, ready to be inscribed anew.
In the past, his mortal body could only bear one thunder pattern per region, carefully placed across skin, muscle, bone, and marrow. But now, with the bloodline strengthening his physique from within, he could start over—with greater potential.
An Zhi began again from the surface, carefully inscribing thunder patterns onto his skin. This time, however, he found he could engrave multiple patterns per section, his body far more resilient and accommodating than before.
Months passed. He tempered his skin layer by layer until it reached its limit. Then he began again with the muscles, the bones, and finally his very marrow. Just like before—but stronger, faster, and deeper.
Years slipped by in silent determination. When the cycle completed once again, his body bore 48 thunder patterns, each one pulsing with latent energy. And as before, his Thunder Bloodline absorbed all the patterns, devouring them and growing stronger. His flesh surged with hidden strength, and his tolerance for thunder inscriptions increased further.
Each cycle forged a stronger body.
Each cycle deepened his connection to thunder.
Each cycle elevated his bloodline to new heights.
An Zhi was no longer simply cultivating—he was evolving, over and over again, under the relentless rhythm of thunder and pain.
While traveling through a narrow mountain pass, An Zhi suddenly felt a chill run down his spine. Before he could react, three shadowy figures emerged from the fog—Calamity Cultivators, rogue cultivators infamous for ambushing lone travelers and harvesting their bodies for cultivation materials.
Without a word, they attacked.
An Zhi dodged the first strike, but a blade laced with poison slashed across his shoulder. Blood sprayed into the air. Pain surged—but more than that, his bloodline stirred.
Thunder crackled within his veins.
His vision sharpened. Every carved thunder pattern across his body shimmered with electric light. He wasn't thinking—his body moved on instinct, every strike, block, and movement guided by the thunder energy embedded deep within his bloodline.
Boom!
His fist struck one attacker's chest, sending him flying with a thunderclap. A second came at him with dual blades, but An Zhi's body shimmered with lightning and vanished—reappearing behind the man with supernatural speed. A palm coated in thunder essence struck the man's spine, dropping him instantly.
The last rogue tried to flee, but An Zhi raised his hand, channeling pure thunder energy. With a roar, he unleashed a wave of lightning that erased the fleeing figure in a single flash.
Silence returned to the mountain pass, broken only by the sound of An Zhi's ragged breathing.
His wounds slowly began to close—the healing effect of his bloodline kicking in. The special state gradually faded, leaving him exhausted but victorious.
Among the scorched remains, he found three storage bags. Inside: spirit stones, cultivation techniques, rare herbs, and weapons—spoils left behind by countless victims.
But more importantly, this battle had awakened a deeper potential within his Thunder Bloodline. It had shown him the instinctive connection between his body and the thunder patterns—something that only awakened under life-and-death pressure.
And An Zhi knew… he had only just scratched the surface.