The Northern Song Dynasty returned south, seeking the truth of the Dao.

Wang Zhen happily put the copper paper and the magic seal together and put them away. Then, holding up the bamboo slip, he said to Ao Shuang, "Brother, would you like to come and take a look?"

"You take a look first. I'll go wander around somewhere else. I can look at it again when I get back." Ao Shuang carried him on her back, waved her hand, and then walked up the steps into the Taoist temple.

Seeing this, Wang Huanzhen didn't try to stop her. He hadn't intended to keep the bamboo slips to himself anyway; it didn't matter whether he read them sooner or later. Since Ao Shuang wanted to wander around elsewhere, he let her go.

After finding a step to sit down, he reached out and reopened the bamboo slips. He had previously read the section on the Secrets of the Zhou Tian, ​​which mainly discussed various Taoist magic techniques.

The lower half of the bamboo slip is named the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. The name itself is extraordinary. Since his journey south, Wang Zhenhuan has only witnessed two people using thunder magic: Daoist Luo Puzi and Daoist Xuanyangzi.

Although both of them used thunder magic, the methods they displayed were different. Strictly speaking, what Master Luo Puzi used was not thunder magic, because he invited the Thunder God to release the thunder.

The true thunder magic was summoned by Daoist Xuan Yangzi when he went to see Yin Xinghai. Wang Zhenhuan was on the mountaintop at the time and witnessed everything.

That was real lightning magic, with dark clouds obscuring the sun and thunder roaring with immense force. Although he wasn't there in person, Wang Zhen could still imagine how shocking the scene must have been.

Therefore, in his heart, his longing for lightning magic was even greater than that for spells. In his mind, lightning magic was like rice, while spells were like a bowl.

Although lightning magic is included among spells, one can be ignorant of spells, but one must understand lightning magic. With a devout and focused heart, Wang Zhenhuan began to study the contents of the bamboo slips.

To learn thunder magic, one must first understand what thunder magic is. Why is it called the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, and not One Thunder, Two Thunder, or others? The bamboo slips clearly record this:

Taoism believes that thunder and lightning derive from the vital energy of heaven and earth. The east is number three, the south two, the north one, and the west four. This is the origin of all numbers, with the center being number five. Therefore, it is called the Five Thunder Orthodox Method.

The "five" here does not refer to five bolts of heavenly lightning, but rather to the name of this lightning technique, which is called the Five Thunders. What are the Five Thunders? One, two, three, four, and five respectively represent east, west, south, north, and center.

In the Five Elements, these refer to metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, with earth being the most special among them. Before being categorized into the Five Elements, earth was considered an inner aspect of the Yin and Yang.

In other words, the balance of Yin and Yang is the foundation of all things in the world. Therefore, the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, simply put, is the absolute power of control residing in the center.

In Taoism, the center is a very important location, the origin and beginning of everything. The representative deity of the center in Taoism is the Jade Emperor, also known as the Jade Emperor in popular folklore.

This demonstrates the power of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. The bamboo slips record that the core principle of this thunder method is the application of the Dao. The so-called application of the Dao means taking the attainment of inner alchemy through the Dao and truth as its foundation.

It manifests outwardly, creating various mysterious changes. Ultimately, it achieves the effect of moving heaven and earth, driving away ghosts and gods, and shifting all things. When this Five Thunder Orthodox Method is cultivated to its peak, one is practically no different from an immortal.

The bamboo slips record this state as: "Nowhere is impossible!" Simply put, it means acting according to one's will, doing whatever one wants. What a state of being this!

Wang Zhen was truly thrilled, eager to begin practicing immediately. The book recorded that this Five Thunder Orthodox Method originated in the pre-Qin era, the predecessor of Taoists and alchemists.

This is a kind of magic they developed by summarizing their ability to communicate with the heavens and the earth. It is derived from the theory of the interaction between heaven and man, which holds that the human body is a microcosm.

We move in harmony with the external world, and heaven and earth are formed from the two energies of Yin and Yang. Therefore, we can use our own Qi within the human body to resonate with the Qi of heaven and earth, thereby grasping the Qi of Thunder.

To summon the power of thunder and make it work for me. Ultimately, to summon the gods to unleash their power as thunder! This is the principle of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method. And the most important thing to learn thunder magic is the prerequisite step.

The bamboo slips recorded this step as "refining thunder qi." After reading it for a while, Wang Zhenhuan's initial excitement and enthusiasm subsided considerably. This was the so-called "refining thunder qi."

As the name suggests, it refers to the practice of Taoists inhaling thunderous energy when they first begin cultivating thunder magic. This energy is then mixed with the energy of their five internal organs to form the foundation for summoning thunder, which is also known as primordial heavenly thunder.

Once the primordial heavenly lightning within the body transforms into a lightning seed, it signifies a minor success in cultivation. After that, one can use talismans, rituals, and hand seals to command the lightning seed within the body to summon heavenly lightning.

Although this lightning technique is extremely powerful, it is also incredibly difficult to master. The most crucial step, drawing lightning into the body, is something that ordinary Taoists cannot accomplish.

Following the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, a minor thunder technique recorded on the bamboo slips caught Wang Huanzhen's attention. This minor technique was called Palm Thunder, and it could be considered a way of using the Five Thunder Orthodox Method.

As the name suggests, "Palm Thunder" refers to thunder emitted from the palm of a Taoist priest, as recorded on bamboo slips. It is accompanied by a thunderous sound when emitted, and can be used to dispel negative influences or kill ghosts.

Its activation method is roughly similar to the Five Thunder Orthodox Method, also requiring the application of hand seals. However, it draws upon the thunder seed within one's own body, so it does not summon heavenly thunder.

Its power is naturally much weaker, but it excels in its speed and low energy consumption. In general, when facing enemies or encountering evil spirits, it can often produce unexpected effects.

Wang Huanzhen had now finished reading everything recorded on the bamboo slip. He put the slip down and let out a long sigh. His heart was filled with emotion, especially after witnessing the power of the Five Thunder Orthodox Method.

All things in the universe exist in a balance of Yin and Yang. To reap its benefits, one must inevitably suffer its drawbacks. The Five Thunder Orthodox Method is indeed powerful, but its cultivation is extremely difficult. Just the step of drawing thunder into the body is harder than ascending to heaven.

Not all thunder energy can be used to cultivate thunder magic. The bamboo slips clearly state that one must draw in the energy from the thunder of divine punishment from the Nine Heavens to succeed. What, then, is the thunder of divine punishment from the Nine Heavens?

Simply put, it is the heavenly lightning summoned by a Taoist priest undergoing tribulation or by a being of a different kind transforming into human form. This kind of heavenly lightning is different from ordinary thunderstorms; it can cleanse the body of impurities.

Only in this way, after being introduced into the body, and combined with the Qi of the five internal organs, can the Thunder Seed be nurtured in the Dantian. However, although it was difficult, Wang Zhen was not disappointed.

He was actually quite excited at this moment. After all, it was already an incredible stroke of luck for others to even obtain one or two of these pre-Qin magical techniques. Not to mention the infinitely powerful Five Thunder Orthodox Technique.

Wang Huanzhen rolled up the bamboo slips and put them in his bundle. He stood up and called out to the temple, "Brother? Brother? Where are you?"

He called out seven or eight times, but the Taoist temple remained silent, and no one responded...