Chapter 47: Chapter 47: Unlocked
After flying for a few more seconds, Seraphina took out a Transportation Jade Slip and activated it without delay.
Swoosh!
The duo instantly arrived back inside Seraphina’s quiet cave, Vahn still clinging awkwardly but comfortably to her arms. The scene was tender and romantic, sheltered from the world’s chaos.
But before the moment could settle, they suddenly felt a few sharp stares from the cave’s inner depths.
"Did you two have enough fun?" Patriarch Dimidium’s ridiculing voice rang inside the cave.
"Y-Yes..." Vahn answered instinctively, his mind still slightly dazed from the flight and Seraphina’s embrace, making him sound utterly naive.
"Great!" Dimidium smirked coldly. "Now, it’s time for your punishment."
Vahn blinked, his flush receding as confusion set in. "Punishment? What punishment, Patriarch?"
"Oh, you will know in a bit."
---
Early the next morning, Vahn found himself inside a sprawling, damp Wash House. Countless low-ranking disciples were hunched over massive tubs, scrubbing clothes. Some were sent here as punishment, while others performed the grueling labor to earn a meager sum of Spirit Stones.
Vahn, too, had been sent here to wash clothes.
"That old bastard!" Vahn fumed inwardly, his hands submerged in soapy water. "He tricked me in front of Seraphina, saying I was just going to be sent for outdoor training as punishment. But here I am, working like a slave. Truly infuriating! I didn’t even have the time to consume the Lightning Seed because of this!"
He sneered. "But if they think they can slow down my growth like this, they are terribly wrong. Just you wait, you old fools, I will get you for this..."
Vahn muttered all this in a barely audible voice as he unwillingly scrubbed the fabrics.
Paah!
His spine suddenly tingled. An Elder was standing nearby, torturing disciples with vicious whip cracks, treating everyone like animal slaves. The Elder’s eyes, cruel and bored, passed over the laboring disciples, searching for the slightest sign of defiance or laziness.
Vahn hurriedly increased the speed of his scrubbing, his hands a blur over the rough fabric. He did not want to get whipped like the others; the humiliation alone would be hard to bear.
"Junior Brother Vahn! Look here!"
All of a sudden, someone called out to him from beside him. He turned to his right, seeing the familiar face of Chubby Liam, equally soaked and doing the same laborious task.
"Huh! What are you doing here, Senior Brother?" Vahn asked, genuinely confused. "This shouldn’t be a place for a senior disciple like you."
Liam sighed, rubbing a sore muscle in his shoulder. "It’s a long story, but I’ll tell you the short version. I had a fight with an Inner Court disciple. That’s why I was sent here as punishment."
Vahn frowned. "But I thought the Sanctuary encourages fights for mutual growth. So why were you punished? Did you resort to any underhanded means, Senior Brother?"
Liam shook his head dejectedly. "No, that’s not it, Junior Brother. I actually had a crush on an Inner Court Senior Sister. But somehow that guy, who also had a crush on her, found out about me and challenged me to a duel. The condition were set like this:
The person who loses has to wash the other party’s clothes for a month. That’s how I ended up here. Please don’t tell the other junior disciples... otherwise I’ll be too ashamed to face them."
Vahn glanced at him sympathetically.
"So that’s how it is. Well, I can only pray for your success in your romantic endeavor, Senior Brother. Forgive this junior brother of yours."
"Cheeky brat," Liam muttered, shaking his head helplessly, though a small smile formed on his tired face.
"Let’s talk about you, Vahn. Did you get the Lightning Seed you were looking for?"
At his question, Vahn smiled mysteriously.
"Maybe..."
He didn’t reveal too much, knowing that once the news spread, there would be severe consequences.
Liam was now sure his junior brother was hiding something, but he knew he couldn’t push him too much. As such, he remained clueless and acted the same as before.
The laundrymen worked without rest for hours. It was also kind of training for the disciples, though most of the time they were exploited too much. But no one could complain. They were already lucky enough to join the Holy Land. No one would foolishly go against their orders.
After that tiring session, Vahn crawled back to his hut at noon. His stomach growled with hunger, but he wasn’t in any condition to fetch food or cook right now. Instead, he drank some water and lay on the mat to rest.
Once he recovered somewhat, Vahn stood up and sat crossed-legged. He took the Space Ring from his waist and then retrieved the Lightning Seed from it.
Crack!
He broke the glass container and swallowed the electrifying seed without delay. He had wasted time long enough; it was time he became stronger.
As soon as the seed went inside his stomach, his whole body crackled with electricity, and pain shot through his head like his entire brain was frying. His body fell onto the ground, spasming like a zombie. Blood flowed from his nose, eyes, and ears, but he held on.
He might have received great cheats and items from the Divine Bonding System, but he was resolved to work hard, to learn how to endure pain and grow. This was just another step.
Success wasn’t guaranteed, but until the last moment, he wouldn’t give up.
The torment went on for almost an hour, until a notification flashed in his eyes.
[ Lightning Affinity Unlocked ]
There was nothing more comforting than this glowing text from the System. He had succeeded. He could now wield the terrifying might of Lightning.
Though pained, his lips formed a smile.
Next, he retrieved dozens of Spirit Stones from the Space Ring.
He would now focus on increasing his Cultivation Base. Without a higher cultivation base, he couldn’t effectively wield powerful Arts. Specifically, without sufficient internal Qi, he wouldn’t be able to unleash the full power of the Divine Grade Lightning Art.
But this was not a problem for Vahn. With his Void Physique and the Void Refining Manual, achieving that power was only a matter of time.