Zhou Yuanjue didn’t particularly care if he recognized the face, but for the members of the Moon Race, the appearance of an ancestor’s shadow was impossible to ignore.

The ancestor’s shadow was a phenomenon that only appeared when one’s bloodline reached a certain concentration. It typically only manifested when a Spirit Guardian was ascending to the Celestial Level, or even higher, serving as proof that one was gradually approaching the state of their progenitors.

Anyone capable of manifesting an ancestor’s shadow was invariably a top-tier expert among the Spirit Guardians. To manifest one during the baptism and awakening ceremony was a feat that not even Hong Miao of the Xuan Clan had accomplished. It was an exceedingly rare event in the recorded history of all Spirit Guardian families.

This meant the Awakened’s bloodline talent was terrifyingly potent, possibly even capable of eventually reaching the level of their ancestors.

Of course, this didn’t mean that someone who manifested an ancestor’s shadow during their awakening immediately possessed the strength of the Celestial Level, but it did at least mean they would face no bottlenecks in reaching it.

"You two take our guests and return first. I’m going to check on the situation."

The Great Clan Elder said to the other two clan elders, then set off, his figure swiftly rushing toward the mountaintop.

Meanwhile, the other two clan elders quickly led the group back.

The phenomenon in the sky gradually faded, but the chatter among the crowd in the square did not. When Zhou Yuanjue and the others all appeared and the two clan elders announced that they had all passed the trial, the cooperation between the Spirit Guardians and the government was set in stone, and the on-site discussions grew even more intense.

About the Moon Race’s heir, about the details of the cooperation...

A while later, the Great Clan Elder descended from the mountain and formally announced the decision to spearhead the formation of a negotiation team that would travel to Shangjing to discuss the cooperation with the government.

Unfortunately, the heir of the Moon Race did not make an appearance. After awakening, they needed to remain at the Moon Pool to consolidate their power, so the crowd was not granted a look at their true face.

That night, no one left Longyue Valley. The Moon Race arranged accommodations for everyone. As for the Spirit Guardians, the various influential major clans gathered at the Moon Race’s summons for an all-night discussion. They hammered out the specific details for the negotiations and ultimately selected a ten-person delegation to return to Shangjing with Zhou Yuanjue and his group the next morning.

The Chief Commissioner, Chen Qingmu, Daoist Bailong, and other relevant high-ranking officials were already waiting in anticipation, and the cooperation talks began at the earliest opportunity.

Zhou Yuanjue did not participate in the specific negotiations. He was preparing as quickly as possible to put into practice what he had learned in the Glowing Moon Dream Realm.

Moreover, this was not a secret attempt. Through the Chief Commissioner, he contacted researchers from various secret laboratories across the country, hoping to have all the data from his experiment meticulously recorded for study.

Previously, his cultivation involved the manipulation of his own magnetic field—an esoteric process that was difficult to quantify with concrete data. This time was different. Drawing down celestial lightning to temper his own Acupoints relied on an external force, which meant tangible data could be recorded. This data might help researchers discover something new.

...

...

「Nightfall.」

The meetings and talks between the two sides concluded. Although they had agreed to cooperate in principle, many conflicts remained in the details. A war of words was unavoidable, and after a full day, everyone was inevitably a bit tired.

Hong Miao, Mu Xingyuan, and Ge Honglin—some of the most outstanding members of the younger Spirit Guardian generation—were also part of the ten-person delegation. After the meeting, the young men were discussing a tour of Shangjing Prefecture. Someone even suggested inviting Zhou Yuanjue’s group out for a deeper exchange.

However, before they could reach out, Zhou Yuanjue’s assistant, Ning Muqing, contacted them first.

The main reason, actually, was Ge Honglin. Using the Thunder Tribulation Refining Technique required layered magnetic fields to divert the Thunder Tribulation. The scattered lightning could cause immense damage to the surroundings and interfere with the equipment’s operation and data recording. Therefore, the cooperation of two Thunder Skill masters, Zhang Zhizhen and Ge Honglin, was needed to mitigate the damage from the aftershocks.

In truth, Hong Miao and the others were extremely curious about what Zhou Yuanjue’s group had comprehended in the Glowing Moon Attainment Realm. Hearing about this opportunity, they naturally wouldn’t pass it up and readily agreed.

...

...

「11:00 PM.」

「Zixiao Mountain, Confidential Research Facility.」

Atop an incredibly vast, open field.

When Hong Miao and his group arrived, the area was already bustling with people.

Researchers in lab coats and rows of testing instruments seemed to have transformed the open field into a large-scale proving ground.

At that moment, Zhou Yuanjue stood in the center of the field, covered in various wires and sensors.

"What’s all this?"

Hong Miao’s group walked over to Ji Yunzhou and the other two. After exchanging greetings, he asked with a bewildered expression.

"Brother Zhou brought them all here. He said he wants to record all the data from this attempt to see if it can inspire related research."

"Brother Ge, in a moment, I’ll need you to work with me to guide as much of the stray lightning as possible into the surrounding lightning rods. Brother Zhou might not have the spare energy to control it during the attempt."

Zhang Zhizhen said with a smile, pointing to the black metal poles erected around the open field.

"That’s a small matter, but what exactly is Brother Zhou planning to do?"

Ge Honglin asked curiously.

"According to Brother Zhou, it should be ’Crossing the Tribulation.’"

Jiang Jiushan spoke up.

"Crossing the Tribulation?"

Hong Miao said with a strange expression, not understanding what Zhou Yuanjue was up to or why he had made such a grand spectacle.

Just then, Zhou Yuanjue, who was in the center of the field, turned and nodded to the group. Then he looked at the surrounding researchers and said, "If everything is ready, let’s begin."

The leader of the experiment team was an old acquaintance of Zhou Yuanjue’s: Zhong Hongyu, the old director of the Southern Secret Inspection Bureau’s special hospital. When Zhou Yuanjue underwent his Saint Awakening, it was Zhong Hongyu who had recorded the detailed data and created custom-made compressed nutrient food for him.

Serving as Director Zhong Hongyu’s deputy was Yang Lina, a beautiful, intellectual-looking woman with short hair and glasses, dressed in a white lab coat.

At this moment, Yang Lina’s eyes were filled with anticipation. She knew she was about to witness another miraculous scene, and the data they would obtain would be a priceless treasure to her.

"All systems go! You can begin!"

Director Zhong Hongyu gave Zhou Yuanjue an "OK" sign, indicating that all preparations were complete.

"Brother Zhang, Brother Ge, please take your positions on opposite sides and channel the lightning. Try to contain your own magnetic fields and don’t let them spread," Zhou Yuanjue said, looking at Zhang Zhizhen and Ge Honglin.

The two nodded slightly and moved to their respective sides of the open field.

With everything in place, Zhou Yuanjue slowly raised his head and looked up at the cloudless night sky.

Everyone held their breath, especially the many researchers, whose palms couldn’t help but bead with sweat.