Battle Through the Heaven: Purple Heaven

"Harnessing the righteousness of heaven and earth, commanding the interplay of the six qi, to roam boundlessly."

Soaring freely through the sky, a line from Zhuangzi's Free and Easy Wandering flashed through Xiao Bai's mind. Gazing at the vast earth below and the boundless heavens above, he felt unshackled, his heart light and unburdened.

His energy wings glowed a vivid purple-red, a result of his experimental infusion with Little Bing. As Yao Lao had noted, this boosted his speed to rival a Dou Huang's, though it doubled his Dou Qi consumption. Without Little Bing, his Dou Qi could sustain flight for about 200 li; with it, that distance halved.

Need to work on endurance, Xiao Bai mused.

Suddenly, the sky darkened, fierce winds whipping his robe. Glancing up, he saw the weather shift abruptly—clear moments ago, now brewing rain. Preparing to descend, a thunderous boom exploded overhead, startling him.

He shook his head, chuckling bitterly. A lightning cultivator scared by thunder? Pathetic. Old habits from his past life lingered. Some lightning master I am, jumping at a storm.

As more thunder rumbled, he decided to land—challenging nature's might wasn't wise yet. But then, his two lightning seeds stirred, radiating a longing, urging him to stay.

What the—Little Yi, Little Bing, trying to get your dad killed? Xiao Bai groaned. These brats ditch their father for a snack—unfilial kids!

Ignoring their plea, he moved to descend, but the seeds darted out, hovering behind his head. Instantly, the sky's thunder seemed to sense kin, converging toward him.

Dark clouds loomed, thick with flashing lightning, muffled booms resounding above. Provoked by the heavenly thunder, the seeds unleashed their own aura, enveloping Xiao Bai in a ten-meter radius of cyan and crimson lightning.

Frozen in place, Xiao Bai sensed that any movement would trigger a true heavenly strike. The oppressive weight of nature's power dwarfed his late-stage Mortal Realm soul, making it feel less than an ant's.

Damn it, you rebellious kids got me killed! he cursed.

Defiance surged. Glaring at the poised, unstruck lightning, he resolved to face it. Let's see what this tribulation-less world's thunder wants. Ant, huh? If he couldn't leave, he'd stand his ground. If I survive, I'll conquer my past life's fear of thunder and be reborn stronger.

Below, Yao Lao gaped, nearly yanking out his beard. In the dim sky, clouds churned, lightning dancing wildly, thunder shaking the air. Xiao Bai, wreathed in cyan and crimson lightning, stood like a thunder god commanding heaven's wrath, poised to judge the earth's mortals.

What's with this kid? Yao Lao frowned, puzzled by Xiao Bai's stillness and occasional glances upward. Even Dou Zuns shunned such natural might. Unlike the predictable strikes of seventh- or eighth-tier pill tribulations, this was a chaotic clash of yin-yang energies, spanning hundreds or thousands of li. Its unpredictability could spare a mortal or fell a Dou Zun, which was why few lightning cultivators used heavenly thunder to hasten their progress.

Xiao Bai waited, growing frustrated as the silver lightning danced above without striking. This sword-over-my-head nonsense is torture. He'd braced for a full defense, ready to counter a thunderbolt. Sensing the dense lightning energy around him, he decided to cultivate. Can't waste this chance. He'd never encountered such potent lightning energy—constant exposure could propel him to Dou Zun in no time.

As his technique activated, the seeds grew lively, their cyan and crimson glow intensifying. They reached into the clouds, drawing slivers of silver lightning into themselves.

Scared me to death! Stealing thunder? Why didn't you say so? Xiao Bai exhaled, relieved. I thought you wanted me to tank heavenly thunder. The seeds were just siphoning it.

Settling in, he cultivated, sensing a breakthrough nearing. Eight-star Dou Shi to nine-star soon. Above, the cave, Yao Lao's worry eased as Xiao Bai, unscathed, began meditating midair. This kid's too bold, risking his life for speed. With his talent, he's got a bright future—why this madness?

After a quarter-hour, Xiao Bai felt the breakthrough's tipping point. He'd suppressed his Dou Qi multiple times, but it wouldn't hold. With the seeds still reveling, he chose to break through here.

Releasing the restraint, his dantian's liquid Dou Qi vortex spun, a suction force erupting outward. The dense lightning energy surged toward him, overwhelming in its purity, refining into his dantian almost instantly. This feels amazing!

As he absorbed the cloud's energy, the gathering fluctuations stirred the storm. Amid swirling winds, a child's-arm-thick thunderbolt struck at the meditating Xiao Bai.

At the breakthrough's crux, he couldn't move. He hastily erected soul force barriers in the lightning's path. Just as they formed, his cyan and crimson lightning converged toward the strike. The silver bolt split, absorbed by Little Yi and Little Bing.

Like a spark, it triggered more. A bolt twice as thick crashed down. Noticing the seeds struggling to consume it, Xiao Bai's eyes twitched. Gotta speed this up. He pushed his breakthrough harder, urgency mounting.