Now, he finally realized that this pain was different from the agony he endured during the tribulation. During the tribulation, it was only his flesh that suffered. But now, the pain permeated from the inside out, from his chest to his back, from the tips of his hair to the ends of his toes—every part of him was in excruciating pain, almost as if it were life-threatening. He regretted not listening to his young friend Xuan Chou earlier.

But it was too late now. He had already been exposed, and the persona and dignified image he had maintained for centuries crumbled into ruins in an instant.

"Towel!" Qin Tianba roared.

However, there was no response. Everyone's attention was captivated by the heavenly thunder in Nie Yuan's hand. Seeing it in person, they finally understood just how formidable this thunder was.

Fortunately, Qin Shou, who was quick-witted, snapped out of his shock and found a towel from somewhere, hurriedly stuffing it into Qin Tianba's mouth.

"Mmm! Mmm!" Qin Tianba's screams were muffled, replaced by continuous groans.

In just a short moment, Qin Tianba's body was drenched in sweat. Veins bulged on his forehead and neck, and his muscles were taut, a clear indication of the intensity of his suffering.

No one else could feel it, but Nie Yuan knew that this level of pain was beyond what any ordinary person could endure. Except for him, of course, because this was his specialty.

After a quarter of an hour, Qin Tianba's sweat continued to pour, soaking the floor beneath him. His face and neck were flushed red.

The Qin family members who witnessed this were all shocked. They couldn't imagine such pain, especially since even a half-step Heaven-Shattering Realm expert like Qin Tianba was suffering so much. They themselves would never be able to endure it.

"Nie Yuan, do you know why heavenly thunder can heal such injuries?" Meng Xian suddenly asked.

"How would I know? Is it because the injury was caused by the thunder tribulation?" Nie Yuan replied, a question mark on his face. Was there some underlying principle to this?

"Not entirely," Meng Xian explained calmly. "Although thunder carries destructive power, with each strike bringing immense destruction, it is also true that within destruction lies the seed of life. As destruction occurs, life is also born."

"Then why don't I sense any life?" Nie Yuan asked, distracted as he tried to sense the heavenly thunder. He felt nothing, and his momentary distraction caused him to lose control of his strength, making Qin Tianba sweat even more.

"Ugh!" Qin Tianba let out another muffled groan, reminding Nie Yuan to focus.

"Sorry, senior," Nie Yuan apologized sheepishly.

"Your cultivation is not yet sufficient. You still have a long way to go," Meng Xian said leisurely.

"Little... little friend, is it... almost done?" Qin Tianba asked through gritted teeth, his words muffled by the towel in his mouth.

"Almost, almost," Nie Yuan replied. "If you can't hold on, we can take a break."

"No, I can still endure," Qin Tianba said firmly. A man could never admit weakness, especially at a time like this. Even if he was truly at his limit, he would grit his teeth and persevere.

Under the tempering of the heavenly thunder, the cracks in Qin Tianba's Dao foundation began to heal. The thunder attached to his foundation was continuously absorbed by Nie Yuan's heavenly thunder, strengthening it.

As for Nie Yuan, his face was pale, and his energy was in disarray. Clearly, healing Qin Tianba's injuries had taken a toll on him as well.

After another quarter of an hour, Nie Yuan finally withdrew the heavenly thunder. He closed his eyes, exhaled deeply, and wiped the sweat from his forehead.

"Senior, I have fulfilled my duty," Nie Yuan said weakly.

Qin Shou, who had been standing nearby, quickly took out a pill and handed it to Nie Yuan.

Nie Yuan glanced up, reattached the purple gourd to his waist, took the pill, and swallowed it in one gulp. His depleted spiritual energy was instantly restored. Clearly, this was no ordinary pill.

"Big brother, how are you?"

"Father, how are you? Say something!"

"Grandfather?"

Qin Tianba, now healed, ignored the calls of his family members. He sat cross-legged on the ground, eyes closed, and began to meditate.

Nie Yuan took this opportunity to summon the heavenly thunder again, holding it in his palm and observing it closely. After absorbing the thunder from Qin Tianba's Dao foundation, the heavenly thunder had grown even stronger. It danced in Nie Yuan's palm, and for a moment, it seemed as if it had gained a hint of sentience.

In comparison, the True Fire was still lacking, only slightly stronger than when he had first obtained it.

"Hah!" Qin Tianba exhaled deeply, his aura stabilizing. The deep, ancient look in his eyes was no longer clouded, and the aura of death that had surrounded him had completely vanished, replaced by an overwhelming pressure.

"Father..." Qin Changshou looked at his father, and for a brief moment, it seemed as if Qin Tianba's aura was on the verge of breaking through to the Heaven-Shattering Realm. But the moment passed quickly.

"It's not an illusion. Big brother has experienced the thunder tribulation, so he's different from ordinary half-step Heaven-Shattering Realm experts," Qin Batian explained, his voice trembling slightly. He couldn't help but feel excited—his brother had finally regained his peak strength.

Qin Tianba stood up and bowed deeply to Meng Xian.

After receiving a nod from Meng Xian, Qin Tianba turned to Nie Yuan and bowed solemnly to him as well.

"Senior, there's no need for this!" Nie Yuan quickly tried to stop Qin Tianba, grabbing his arms and trying to lift him up, but Qin Tianba's body was too heavy, and Nie Yuan couldn't budge him.

"Young friend, you have given me a second chance at life. I owe you this bow," Qin Tianba said solemnly.

"Senior Qin, it was just a small effort. There's no need for such formalities," Nie Yuan said softly, still trying to straighten Qin Tianba, but his thin arms were no match for the older man's strength.

"To heal my injuries, the Qin family has spent countless resources, yet there was no progress. Today, you arrived, and in less than half an hour, you cured an ailment that has plagued me for decades," Qin Tianba said, suddenly standing up straight, startling Nie Yuan. Then, in a tone that brooked no refusal, he said, "Come, follow me to the Qin family treasure vault. Take whatever you like—it's my gift to you."

With that, he grabbed Nie Yuan's arm and began dragging him toward the Qin family treasure vault.

Nie Yuan was delighted but tried to maintain some semblance of modesty, pretending to resist. However, Qin Tianba's strength was too great, and before he could even put up a proper act, he was already being pulled along.

Suddenly, Qin Tianba paused, turned back to Meng Xian, and said sincerely, "Senior Shi Meng, please also come to the Qin family treasure vault. If there is anything you fancy, take it. I insist—if you refuse, I will feel guilty."

"Very well, since you've put it that way, I cannot refuse. I'll accompany you," Meng Xian said, rising from her seat and following behind Qin Tianba.

Seeing that Meng Xian had agreed, Qin Tianba felt relieved and continued to pull Nie Yuan toward the treasure vault.

Qin Batian, Qin Changshou, Duanmu Qingyun, and another Qin family member followed behind.

At this moment, a faint smile appeared on Meng Xian's lips, though it disappeared almost instantly.

This was exactly the outcome she had hoped for.

She had thought that after healing Qin Tianba, she would need to employ some clever tactics to achieve her desired result. She hadn't expected Qin Tianba to be so generous—the outcome was even better than she had imagined.

As expected of the residence of the wealthiest family in the Great Zhou Divine Dynasty, the Qin family estate was enormous. It took them nearly a quarter of an hour just to reach the entrance of the treasure vault.