"It’s begun." In Nine Heavens City, the side branch's sect master Zhao Siliang watched the lightning tribulation through a special method, his expression grave.

"There’s no need for Sect Master Zhao to worry," said You Qianshan, the domain lord of the Nine Heavens Domain, who was watching alongside him. "Hall Master Bai Lu and several primordial psyche elders have all said that Yaoguang’s foundation in psyche refinement is extremely deep. Heavenly lightning tempering should not pose a problem for him."

The attack on Sun-Moon Peak had been the greatest loss suffered by the Infinite Star Palace within its territory since the end of the war with the Lunar Fiend Empire. The Infinite Star Palace had already mourned the fallen through the Void Psychic World and publicly declared, with righteous indignation, that the attackers would be severely punished.

At present, all the Sky Patrol Warships that had encircled the Nine Cauldrons Sect had been withdrawn. With the threat of the Sky Patrol Warships gone, the pressure on You Qianshan had eased considerably, and his mood had improved along with it. So much so that he even felt like joking. "Compared to worrying about whether Chief Yaoguang can complete his first lightning tempering, we should probably be thinking about how to keep him in our Nine Heavens Domain. After all, quite a few people over in Crimson City want him to go there. Hall Master Xu and Grandmaster Dong Liushui have both said more than once that they plan to invite him personally."

Hearing this, Zhao Siliang felt a headache coming on. Compared to the conditions Crimson City could offer, the Nine Heavens Domain really did not have much appeal.

Suddenly, You Qianshan seemed to sense something. He waved his hand in the air. A scene projected from within the Void Psychic World appeared. Bai Lu, Xu Kong, Zhang Jianlin, and the others were all there.

"Domain Lord."

"Sect Master."

Upon seeing the two of them, the top-tier primordial psyche cultivators inside greeted them at once.

"No need to be so formal," You Qianshan said with a smile. "Are you placing bets?"

"Yes. We’re betting on how many rounds of heavenly lightning Yaoguang will endure this time."

Xu Kong said, "Personally, I think it’ll be around fifteen to twenty rounds, within the range of the Three-Nine Lightning Tribulation."

"With Yaoguang’s foundation, he can definitely pass the One-Nine Lightning Tribulation," Bai Lu said. "But I warned him to put safety first, and based on our observations, his personality is cautious as well. He likely won’t go beyond the One-Nine Lightning Tribulation."

When she said this, Zhao Siliang nodded slightly. "Yaoguang does act steadily."

"That may be true," Xu Kong replied, "but what if Chief Yaoguang feels that enduring another ten rounds of lightning tempering would still be fine while he’s crossing the tribulation? So I’m still betting on fifteen to twenty rounds."

"Then I’ll bet on ten to fifteen," Zhang Jianlin said, giving his own judgment. "Chief Yaoguang has always been good at creating miracles."

He then turned to Zhao Siliang and You Qianshan. "Sect Master and Domain Lord, would you like to join in?"

"I have quite a bit of confidence in Yaoguang," You Qianshan said with a smile. "I’ll stand with Xu Kong. Fifteen to twenty."

"I’ll choose Bai Lu. Within nine rounds," Zhao Siliang said.

The few of them quickly settled on their respective ranges. Their so-called betting was nothing more than idle amusement. At most, when this matter was mentioned in the future, the winner could boast a little about how sharp their judgment had been. There were no tangible stakes involved.

And while they were placing their bets, Yaoguang’s primordial psyche was already being struck by heavenly lightning, being tempered by the collision of yin and yang. Thanks to the tempering, he could clearly feel his primordial psyche growing more solid.

It was like a physical body becoming tougher and stronger at that moment, able to unleash greater power. Manifested at the level of the primordial psyche, it meant being able to contain and stimulate stronger psychic thought.

"It's not that difficult," Yaoguang murmured as his primordial psyche continued to rise, heading deeper into the nine heavens.

The higher he went, the greater the commotion caused by the heavenly lightning he drew down. By the later stage, not only Bai Lu, Zhang Jianlin, and the others who had long known about this felt it, but even the great cultivators in Longxiang City sensed something amiss.

"Someone is crossing a tribulation?"

"Which primordial psyche great cultivator is trying to break through?"

"Such dense thunder... This primordial psyche cultivator's foundation must be profound!"

All kinds of discussions arose among the great cultivators, and at the same time, they contacted their friends to inquire about what was happening. Zong Lian, the sect master of the Hundred-Refinement Sect, was no exception.

Through his exchanges with friends, he quickly learned the truth, and immediately, his face filled with astonishment.

"Yaoguang? Isn’t he a star lord?"

"I only found out recently myself. Chief Yaoguang cultivates both psyche and body, and his strength in the psyche refinement path far surpasses his body refinement. Otherwise, how could he have held together the Purple Firmament Institute?" a Foundation Building spell cultivator replied. "I’ve long heard that Chief Yaoguang’s foundation in psyche refinement is exceptionally profound. Charging straight into the heavens to temper his psyche with heavenly lightning is only natural. The question is how many rounds of lightning he can endure in one go."

"Dual cultivation of psyche and body..." Listening to his friend, Zong Lian could not help feeling a sense of melancholy.

When Yaoguang had first arrived at the Hundred-Refinement Sect, he had sincerely hoped to keep him there to sustain the sect’s legacy. But now... Listening to the rolling thunder above the nine heavens, he finally let out a relieved smile.

"So be it. So be it. A talent like this was never something a small pond like the Hundred-Refinement Sect could contain. If I had forcibly kept him back then, I would have ruined his future instead." With that thought, he set aside the lingering regret in his heart and looked up at the sky as an observer, witnessing the rise of a true genius.

***

Thunder roared unceasingly across the heavens. Bolts of Blazing Solar Lightning struck Yaoguang’s primordial psyche one after another. Each strike was like a hammer blow. Sparks flew, yet with every impact, his primordial psyche grew more solid and stable.

Moreover, as he pressed deeper into the heavens, the lightning that fell grew increasingly dense. In theory, enduring eighty-one rounds of Blazing Solar Lightning tempering marked the peak of this stage. But reaching the peak and being able to reach the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer were two different matters altogether.

That was because, deep within the Blazing Solar Lightning layer, the primordial psyche would draw down more and more heavenly lightning. Not only would lightning dragons writhe around it constantly, at times it would even be struck by two or three bolts at once, or five or six, even eight or nine simultaneously.

The intensity of such assaults was naturally incomparable to that faced by cultivators who endured a single bolt of lightning and immediately ended their tribulation. The so-called Three-Nine Lightning Tribulation and Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation, the "three" and "nine" themselves also implied the ability to withstand three bolts of heavenly lightning or nine bolts at the same time.

Just like right now... Deep within the lightning layer, the lightning striking Yaoguang was growing increasingly intense. Three bolts, four bolts... It even seemed like it was heading toward five or six bolts at once!

From afar, Zhao He, the Foundation Building sword cultivator guarding the area, could only watch in silence. But Xu Kong, Bai Lu, Zhang Jianlin, and the other primordial psyche cultivators all rose in alarm.

"This..."

"On his very first try of crossing the tribulation, he’s already pushed straight into the depths of the thunderclouds? Isn’t that far too bold?!"

"Didn't you guys say that Chief Yaoguang always acted cautiously? How did he end up plunging so deeply into the heavenly lightning layer at once?"

Concern showed clearly on the faces of these primordial psyche cultivators. Even Zhao Siliang and You Qianshan had lost their smiles.

Although Yaoguang’s official status was still chief of the Purple Firmament Institute, the moment he submitted the design blueprint for the Purple Firmament Type 13 flying sword, his importance had already surpassed that of side branch sect masters and domain lords like themselves. If anything were to happen to him, it would be an enormous loss for the entire sect.

***

Within the lightning layer. As time passed, more and more heavenly lightning crashed down. At a glance, Yaoguang’s primordial psyche seemed almost completely submerged in lightning.

Zhao Siliang and the others had even begun considering whether to issue an order to Zhao He to lead people into the lightning layer to rescue him. Just as anxiety peaked, the lightning layer before their eyes gradually began to fade. The violently churning thunderclouds, like a massive vortex, started to disperse.

"Is it over?"

"Wait, something’s wrong with the way this ended... Every primordial psyche cultivator ends a tribulation in only one way, by withdrawing from the lightning layer. Once inside the lightning layer, no matter who it is, the clash of yin and yang will continuously generate lightning. But now the thunderclouds are dissipating, not trailing downward along him until they can no longer extend..."

Bai Lu, Xu Kong, Zhang Jianlin, and the others exchanged glances. A sense of dread rose in their hearts. Has Yaoguang’s primordial psyche... been destroyed?!

Yet almost the instant this terrifying thought formed, an even more resplendent purple radiance suddenly bloomed higher above the clouds. This purple light did not erupt with any earth-shaking sound. Instead, it flashed past like an aurora, appearing only for a moment. But at the instant it emerged, every cultivator who understood its significance jerked their head up in shock.

"Purple Firmament Divine Lightning?!"

"That’s impossible!" Bai Lu and Zhang Jianlin cried out almost simultaneously.

Have the thunderclouds of the Blazing Solar Lightning layer dispersed because Yaoguang has charged into the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer? On his very first tribulation, he has crossed the One-Nine Lightning Tribulation, the Three-Nine Lightning Tribulation, and the Nine-Nine Lightning Tribulation in succession, and is charging straight into the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer?! H-How is that possible?! Everyone was in disbelief.

Setting aside Heavenly Palace cultivators, across the entire Nine Cauldrons Sect, one could not find even a single great cultivator who had truly crossed the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning tribulation.

Even Bai Lu, who had once overseen all matters related to psyche cultivation in the Nine Heavens Domain as a deputy hall master, had only dared to enter the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer, never daring to draw down Purple Firmament Divine Lightning to temper herself.

As for Xu Kong, he had undergone Purple Firmament Divine Lightning tempering, but like Fang Jie and the others, he had been transferred from elsewhere because of the recent tensions across the East Sea's islands.

From this alone, one could see the weight carried by primordial psyche cultivators who had crossed the Purple Firmament Lightning Tribulation. Yet now, Yaoguang, crossing his first tribulation, had entered directly into the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer?! It was both unprecedented and inconceivable!

Zhao Siliang and You Qianshan reacted instantly. Zhao Siliang barked in a low voice, "Seal the information! Not a single detail of today’s tribulation is to leak out!"

You Qianshan immediately followed up. "You guys, go down into the Blazing Solar Lightning layer and stage a rescue attempt. Xu Kong, you head into the Purple Firmament Divine Lightning layer and announce that you’ve completed your sixth Purple Firmament Divine Lightning tempering!"

Xu Kong, Bai Lu, Zhang Jianlin, and the others immediately grasped the gravity of the situation. Yaoguang’s aptitude in psyche refinement was far too astonishing. With this level of talent... Bai Lu even felt that the wish she had dared to entertain a few days ago might truly become reality. Yaoguang might genuinely break through the shackles and take that crucial step.

Therefore, until he truly reached that stage and until the Nine Cauldrons Sect possessed the strength to protect him, Yaoguang had to remain low-key. Otherwise, he would inevitably become a prime target for assassination.

"Understood!" they answered in unison, each of them sending their primordial psyche out of their bodies and rushing straight into the nine heavens.

Only after they departed did Zhao Siliang and You Qianshan finally let out a long sigh. They stared at the distant horizon, where purple light continued to flicker... The worry in their hearts gradually faded, replaced by a joy they could no longer suppress.

"Our Nine Heavens Domain... Is it finally going to produce a world-level genius of the Psyche Dao?"

"From the moment Yaoguang displayed that primordial-psyche-like anomaly at the Purple Firmament Institute, effortlessly guiding all artifact refiners in their work, I suspected his talent of the Psyche Dao might rival his abilities in artifact refinement. It seems like... we still underestimated him." As they spoke, realization struck them almost simultaneously.

"Quick, report this good news to the sect master!" You Qianshan said seriously. "Even if we end up having to ask the ancestor to destroy another Sky Patrol Warship to protect Yaoguang, it will be worth it! Absolutely worth it!"