SWNOVELXO Chapter 335 Thunder Method
The fire burned relentlessly throughout the night, comparable to the tragic event that razed Luoyang, unfolding before everyone's eyes. As the last rescue team emerged from the flames with a few burned individuals, complex expressions filled everyone's faces.
Li Shimin watched the flames that continued to burn before him, then turned to look at those survivors who had been rescued, his face involuntarily revealing a trace of dismay.
"Shimin, I deserve to die a thousand deaths."
After giving his last command to the army for relief efforts, Li Shimin drew his sword and moved it towards his neck.
Clang~
Tao Yu casually shot and broke the sword in his hand and gave him a glance.
"What do you mean, you think dying will solve everything?"
Tao Yu glanced at Li Shimin.
"Living to atone for your sins is better than being a coward and seeking death as an escape."
After today's incident, the Li faction had completely lost its capability to compete for dominion over the world.
Now, only the locals could handle the mess at the end of the Sui Dynasty. Tao Yu planned to take people with him, and it was always necessary to deal with potential problems.
This was due to the previous encirclement, the incidents with the living dead, and the alliance of Fortune Thieves.
Unexpectedly, external pressures had gathered representatives from all over the world, saving a great deal of time.
As for the Song Faction, Tao Yu was not opposed—it was better to discuss and integrate everyone than to resolve issues through killing, right?
For ordinary people, it was almost impossible to traverse the dangerous path to the Development Zone. The distance of the world of "The Legend of the Condor Heroes" was already at the limit, and even that required elite soldiers.
The Great Tang was out of the question; only a select few top-notch experts could be taken along.
So it was certain that the native residents of the three Martial Worlds would have to solve their problems locally.
Currently, these three worlds weren't weak by themselves. Once the manufacturing of firearms and machinery was introduced gradually and productivity began to surge, these worlds would inevitably become significant resource-producing areas due to their population advantage.
To truly enact change, it would take more than just ten or more years; it might require several generations.
Even the once mighty British Empire, with its numerous population, struggled to manage its overseas colonies.
In the Development Zone, even if you counted the Pioneer s governed by those with little administrative capacity from the outer cities, there were only a few tens of thousands of people—truly insignificant.
The illiteracy rate in the outer cities spoke for itself; the natives managed things better, after all.
Thus, cooperation was the main approach in the old Development Zone.
Attempts were made to control or indirectly influence the nearby native areas as much as possible, while a respectful alliance of mutual defense was formed with those further away.
In the Abyss, indeed, everyone faced various issues and disasters, and defensive alliances had a solid foundation.
The company couldn't possibly expend so much energy straightening out these worlds.
The company sought power, not the obligation to govern nations.
Let the natives manage themselves and trade or use other means to obtain the desired exotic products!
After all, the natives couldn't use Yuan Force like the Pioneers could!
If this was how the old Development Zone operated, then it would be impossible to control the neighboring worlds in the new Development Zone in the short term.
To get the job done, people were needed, which was why Tao Yu preferred to have fewer shares and remove himself from the management hierarchy.
It was just too draining.
Thus, it was also necessary to put an end to the current Chaotic Era in the Great Tang.
From 8.9 million households at the end of the Sui Dynasty to just 2 million at the beginning of the Tang, one can only imagine the hell on earth this chaotic period could cause...
People can only give birth one child at a time, but they can die by the tens of thousands...
...
Now that the major powers of the world were all gathered together, and with the Li faction out of the picture, Tao Yu advised them to discuss and negotiate, while he himself ran off to Yang Gong's treasure house to get the Demonic Emperor's relics.
He even directly took along the Twin Dragons, who were originally planning to seek out Yuwen Huaji.
Currently trapped and unable to advance or retreat by the Li faction in a besieged city, the Twin Dragons were just about to seek revenge. However, Tao Yu's invitation didn't make a few days' difference.
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After a major fire, Chang'an was left devastated, with dense smoke and scorched earth everywhere. Under such conditions, searching for the location would require additional time.
Meanwhile, Tao Yu took advantage of their search to start getting accustomed to the recently acquired "Lightning Running Thunder Fist."
This technique was nearly an implementation of Palm Thunder, orthodox Maoshan lineage, but regretfully, the mere Lightning Running Thunder Fist did not have a method to summon heavenly thunder.
Perhaps it is an insight that comes with reaching a profound level and combining it with talismans.
Before his Deification, Tao Yu tried it a few times. His spirit, energy, and soul united, and using an absorption-type Skill, it was smooth to use, but the power was rather unimpressive, merely satisfactory and not stronger than his other skills.
The Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms sent forth a golden dragon with an even more direct impact, now enhanced with the thunder attribute, exceptionally effective against evil.
After Deification, however, it brought Tao Yu a pleasant surprise.
Lightning Running Thunder Fist - Modified: Combines with Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, to unleash diverse Thunder Methods.
This was undoubtedly directly linked to the Longevity Secret!
The True Yuan, further purified after the second Deification, combined with the essence of each element he'd obtained, allowed Tao Yu to easily adapt to this post-Deification technique.
While the twin dragons were exploring near a remaining stone bridge, Tao Yu's left hand flashed with bright gold lightning, while the right exhibited a darker gold electric light.
The left was domineering and piercingly bright; the right, dense and meticulous.
This was Tao Yu activating his True Yuan, directly combined with the nearby Qi of Heaven and Earth, to invoke the Thunder Method.
The Thunder of Geng Metal and the Thunder of Xin Metal!
One yang, one yin.
As Tao Yu concentrated, his hands incessantly absorbed True Yuan from within and the Qi of Heaven and Earth to form Divine Thunder, which began to morph, twisting and compressing into spherical shapes, with occasional flashes of lightning jumping around them.
They even emitted a sizzling sound of ionizing air, with a hint of ozone lingering in the atmosphere.
"Found it!"
Kou Zhong and Xu Ziling, oblivious to the experiments Tao Yu was conducting behind them, exclaimed with joy.
As they turned around, they stared blankly at Tao Yu 'performing magic tricks' again.
However, having previously witnessed Tao Yu dispatching miniature dragons, they were quite adaptable to the special effects before them.
"Brother Tao, what are you up to?"
Kou Zhong asked curiously.
"Step aside."
Tao Yu warned them before continuing to channel True Yuan with corresponding attributes into the two spheres.
Sensing something ominous, the twin dragons immediately made a dash for it.
Watching them leave, Tao Yu thrust his hands forward, hurling the two orbs of lightning.
A bright and a dark, one yin and one yang, the two lightning orbs began to revolve around each other at high speed, guided by Tao Yu's initial will, and hurtled towards the stone bridge below.
Just as they were about to hit, the two lightning balls finally completely merged into one.
Then a crackle~
A flash of light, and an explosive boom erupted beneath the bridge!
Water surged with the flashing lightning, one of the bridge's pillars was blasted apart, and cracks formed on the bridge, with lingering electricity still crawling around.
Although not as powerful as Tao Yu's minor Tri-Elemental Fusion, this was undoubtedly a long-range attack, and the consumption was much less.
Tao Yu felt he could launch a dozen or so before needing to recuperate. A minute of breathing in the Yuan Qi ensured he could fire another, making it nearly perpetual as long as he maintained a minute interval.
Moreover, the key was that this could be directed by the mind, much like Master Wang's Fireball Technique; locking on within a certain range made it hard to escape!
The only regret was the energy depletion from ionizing the air, which, for increased power, compressed the thunder into spherical shapes, akin to ball lightning, rather than an instantaneous strike from completing an electric circuit.
"I can also forcefully ionize the air and release electric arcs through electrodes for immediate impact, similarly triggering this neutralizing attack, but the power is significantly lower than the electric balls and reduces more with distance.
"However, the electrode's method, directly releasing arcs, excels in swiftness, ideal for quick attacks or interruptions, or maybe I could slap someone with it stuck on my hand—I wonder if it could be incorporated into the Eighteen Dragon Subduing Palms..."
After deliberating for a moment and observing the destruction, Tao Yu laughed heartily.
"Ha ha, I can control Thunder Methods without studying mathematics."
Excitement filled Tao Yu's eyes; this was just the initial trial!
Bearing the Yin and Yang, the Five Elements, the obliteration potency of just the Metal Series Thunder Method was impressive.
If he were to establish a cycle of the Five Elements, nurturing and countering each other, culminating in a chaotic outburst, the power might even surpass his original Tri-Elemental Fusion!
This was Thunder Method!
Yet, even Tao Yu couldn't withstand his own Tri-Elemental Fusion, so he planned to be cautious while researching the Thunder Method.
"Alright, let's go inside and see what the Demonic Emperor Relic looks like!"
Now relying solely on the inhalation speed of the Qi of Heaven and Earth for recovery, having Level 3 profound strength, even if the quality of the Demonic Emperor Relic wasn't the best, refining such an amount should at least double his True Yuan.
And, as it was perfect timing for him to study Thunder Methods, the ability to freely command the Yin and Yang, the Five Elements of Thunder, still depended on the demand for True Yuan...