The True Art of Commanding Thunder

After several years away, the Imperial Academy remained unchanged. Mo Fei and his companions wandered leisurely through its halls.

“I wonder how Hughes and Mona are doing now? What are they up to? Come to think of it, I’m still technically a member of your mercenary team!” Vivienne mused, lost in nostalgia.

“If you want to know, why not ask the Headmaster? Besides, since we’ve returned, we ought to pay him a visit,” Mo Fei replied.

“Hmph, I suspect someone can hardly wait! Remember how Mona kissed you in front of everyone back then?” Vivienne glanced at Mo Fei, her words tinged with a hint of jealousy.

Mo Fei, reminded of past events, showed no embarrassment. Instead, he gazed affectionately at Vivienne and Irene. “That’s all in the past. With you and Irene by my side, I have nothing more to wish for.”

Their exchange left Irene bewildered, but Mo Fei’s heartfelt confession swept her completely off her feet.

Seeing Irene so easily charmed, Vivienne warned, “Irene, don’t let yourself be fooled by this scoundrel’s sweet talk. When he returned from his travels, he gave gifts to the senior girls, tricking them into falling for him. I was duped by him as well.” To prove Mo Fei’s reputation as a heartbreaker, Vivienne even reversed the fact that she had pursued him.

Mo Fei watched Vivienne’s performance with a wry smile, not daring to expose her lies. Who knew what tricks she might come up with if he did?

“Ah! So you’re that kind of person, brother? Then I’ll have to be more careful,” Irene giggled.

Their banter carried them to Mars’ office. The door was still firmly shut—but Mo Fei, mindful of his new status, no longer barged in as Mona once had. He needed to maintain his image now.

He knocked gently at the door. “Who is it? Come in!” came Mars’ lazy voice from within.

They entered. “Oh, isn’t this our grand city lord? What brings you to visit this old bag of bones?” Mars said, bowing slightly to Vivienne.

“Headmaster, please don’t flatter me. Titles mean nothing here; before you, I’m still the same clueless kid I was,” Mo Fei replied. Mars was one of the few people Mo Fei deeply respected; here, he dared not act arrogantly.

“I’ve heard all about your accomplishments these past two years. Excellent work. I always saw greatness in you; you haven’t let me down,” Mars said with a smile.

“Headmaster, we’ve been gone for years and don’t know how Mona and Hughes are faring. What are they doing now?” Mo Fei couldn’t help but ask what weighed most on his heart. He had always understood Mona’s feelings, but fate had brought him together with Vivienne, leaving him with a lingering sense of guilt toward Mona.

Mars, seeing Mo Fei’s concern for his granddaughter, thought to himself that the boy still had some conscience after all. “Hughes graduated not long after you left and has joined the most elite mage corps in the Dragon Rock Empire. As for Mona, she stayed at the academy for a while after graduating, then left me a letter saying she was going to travel the continent. She sends me messages from time to time to let me know she’s safe, otherwise I’d never let her journey alone. But it’s been a while since her last letter, so I don’t know where she is now,” Mars explained.

“Headmaster, actually, I came to see you because I need your help with something else,” Mo Fei said, reassured about Mona’s situation and finally bringing up his purpose.

“I knew you wouldn’t come just to visit this old man—you want something from me! Well, I’m in a good mood today, so tell me what you need,” Mars replied.

“It’s about the pet egg I acquired at the auction—a Violet Lightning Dragon egg. I’ve been busy with the affairs of Death City and haven’t had a chance to hatch it. I was hoping you might know how to help,” Mo Fei said, placing the egg on Mars’ desk.

The Violet Lightning Dragon, a tier-eight magical beast, boasted remarkable vitality. Even after three years in Mo Fei’s storage pouch, the egg still pulsed with powerful energy.

“I told you before, to hatch a Violet Lightning Dragon, it must absorb vast amounts of lightning magic elements. Lightning mages are rare, and the academy doesn’t have one, so I can’t help,” Mars replied helplessly.

“A lightning mage can hatch it?” Mo Fei asked.

“Of course. The Violet Lightning Dragon is immune to lightning magic and can absorb spells cast by lightning mages to break out of its shell,” Mars answered, eyeing Mo Fei as if he were a fool.

“If lightning mages can do it, I wonder if I can as well? I might not use lightning magic, but I can sense lightning elements. More importantly, my power has recovered to the late Foundation stage, and I can cast lightning techniques. I wonder if a cultivator’s lightning spell would be stronger than a mage’s and whether it would help hatch the dragon?” Mo Fei pondered secretly.

“Headmaster, perhaps I have a way to hatch the egg. Could you provide a spacious area?” Mo Fei asked.

“Oh! There’s a courtyard out back. But how do you plan to hatch it?” Mars asked, pointing out the window.

“I can’t guarantee it will work, but it’s worth a try.”

…

In the courtyard below, Mo Fei placed the Violet Lightning Dragon egg on the ground. He formed a series of hand seals and recited, “Spirits of heaven and earth, command the ghosts and gods to direct thunder, Jade Void Lightning Command, descend—” He pointed at the egg.

Mars, hearing Mo Fei’s strange incantation, was baffled. Was this really a magic spell? Vivienne and Irene exchanged confused glances as well, witnessing Mo Fei use such magic for the first time.

Just as the three were puzzled, the sky abruptly changed. Clouds gathered swiftly above the courtyard.

Boom!

A bolt of violet lightning crashed down onto the dragon egg. Startled, Vivienne and the others quickly stepped aside. Nine consecutive strikes descended from the cloud, which then dispersed with a roar.

Mo Fei paid no heed to Mars and the others’ astonishment; his attention was fixed on the dragon egg. He wasn’t sure if it could withstand the heavenly thunder. Fortunately, the egg proved resilient, suffering no harm under the barrage. Instead, arcs of violet electricity danced across its shell.

A cracking sound echoed—the shell broke open, and a tiny violet head poked out, nibbling at the shell. Soon, the egg was entirely devoured. A magical beast hatchling, entirely violet with wings, resembling a lizard from Mo Fei’s world, appeared before them.

“Mo Fei, when did you learn lightning magic?” Mars was more concerned with Mo Fei’s abilities than the dragon itself. Lightning mages were rare—one in a thousand mages might possess that affinity. Yet here Mo Fei stood, seemingly attuned to six elements. Mars felt as if reality was slipping away; just what kind of prodigy was Mo Fei?

The little dragon, familiar with Mo Fei’s aura from its years in his pouch, tottered over, flapping its tiny wings, trying to fly onto him. Mo Fei crouched and lifted it onto his shoulder, finally turning his attention to Mars.

“This isn’t lightning magic as you know it; I call it Lightning Summoning. I fuse five elemental magic to draw forth lightning elements,” Mo Fei explained, using terms Mars could understand. He had no intention of hiding anything from Mars, and with his current strength, few could threaten him—only legendary Sword Saints or Mage Lords might warrant his caution.

Mars accepted Mo Fei’s explanation with some relief.

The group now focused on the little dragon.

“Brother, it’s so cute! Look, it has a lightning mark on its forehead!” Irene exclaimed.

In the cultivation world, heavenly thunder symbolized divine power—a reprisal against those who defied the natural order. When cultivators reached certain realms, they faced heavenly tribulation, with thunder as one of its trials.

Though the thunder summoned by Mo Fei’s spell wasn’t true heavenly thunder, it still contained some will of the heavens.

Even Mo Fei didn’t realize that his innovative use of heavenly thunder instead of lightning magic elements had created a peerless magical pet—a secret he would only discover in time.