Breakthrough

A full twenty-three Origin Spirit cultivators had come to provide cover for Yaoguang this time. This was considerably more than he had anticipated. Of course, that number included Bailu, a newcomer who had only recently broken through. After gathering them, Yaoguang passed the Heavenly Dao Alone formation directly to the twenty-three Origin Spirit cultivators and personally led them in studying it together. Initially, the twenty-three Origin Spirit cultivators had been perplexed as to why Yaoguang had made such a fuss assembling them. But the moment they saw the formation, each was overcome with excitement. As Origin Spirit cultivators, they could tell that the formation's amplifying effect on Origin Spirits was staggering. If one had to assign it a rank, it was at least a seventh-grade formation—and a fourth- or even fifth-generation seventh-grade formation at that. However, because the formation was derived from a secret art, it placed few demands on the others' formation mastery; it only required the person leading the formation to possess consummate mastery over the secret art, Heavenly Dao Formless. For Yaoguang, this was no issue at all. With the aid of his "Divine Lord" trait as he studied alongside the twenty-three Origin Spirit cultivators, it took merely a month for everyone to master the formation. Originally, Xu Kong, Murong Hui, and the others had suggested waiting until everyone understood the formation even better before making a "practical attempt." However... During this month, the Great Sun Sword Sect had begun pressing forward once more. Their three elite combat courtyards—the Shenfeng Courtyard, Shenmu Courtyard, and Shenshan Courtyard—watched like predators eyeing their prey. Moreover, the sky-patrol warship Vajra frequently intruded into waters controlled by the Nine Cauldrons Sect, clearly probing their bottom line. In addition, the sky-patrol warship Xuanwu, previously deployed within the Great Sun Sword Sect's territory, had also been redeployed to the East Sea region. Although it had not encroached into the Nine Cauldrons Sect's waters, it cruised just outside their perimeter, seemingly poised to reinforce the Vajra and the three elite combat courtyards at any moment and push into the Nine Cauldrons Sect's heartland, much like how the Wuji Astral Palace had once invaded the Jiuxiao Domain. With tensions growing increasingly acute, Yaoguang had no choice but to act ahead of schedule. In any case, these people were only here to provide cover and rehearse the Heavenly Dao Alone formation; he was not actually asking them to fight a Dharma Idol cultivator. ... This time, having completed their preparations, the group accompanied Yaoguang to the central plaza of the Third Sky-Patrol Research Institute. The Third Sky-Patrol Research Institute was already a heavily fortified area, and the Nine Cauldrons Sect had subsequently deployed numerous second-line combat courtyards to guard its perimeter. Its defenses were so formidable that they surpassed even Chicheng, the sect's headquarters. Combined with the watchful gaze of Li Hanqiu, the pillar of the Nine Cauldrons Sect, its security was beyond question. "Everyone, I will be troubling you from here on," Yaoguang said, cupping his hands to the Origin Spirit cultivators behind him. "In the Heavenly Dao Alone formation, I will serve as the vanguard and push deep into the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer. You need only coordinate with me to deploy the formation along the periphery of the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer. If anyone senses anything amiss, notify me immediately and withdraw from the lightning layer." "Rest assured, Hall Master Yaoguang, we will cooperate to the utmost." "If we can truly master this formation, it will be the equivalent of assembling a Dharma Idol cultivator at any time. Add in the spirit treasure Origin Realm... and whether facing the Myriad Beasts Sect or the Immortal Alliance, we will never have to worry about being at an information disadvantage." "Hahaha, Hall Master Yaoguang, just give the word." The Origin Spirit cultivators cheerfully assented. With a command from Yaoguang, the Origin Spirits of the Origin Spirit cultivators soared from their physical bodies in unison, shooting straight into the clouds. Origin Spirits moved with astonishing speed, reaching the Blazing Sun Heavenly Lightning layer in no time. Even the sword cultivators escorting them along the way were a step slower. When twenty-four "yin-attribute" Origin Spirits charged into the Blazing Sun Heavenly Lightning layer, the clash of yin and yang promptly triggered a massive celestial disturbance. The friction between the Origin Spirits and the surrounding atmosphere instantly spawned terrifying thunderbolts that came crashing down upon the twenty-four cultivators led by Yaoguang. Yet... It was merely Blazing Sun Heavenly Lightning. To say nothing of Yaoguang, even Bailu, who had only recently undergone tempering by Zixiao Divine Lightning, could easily withstand it. The group of twenty-four quickly soared upward amidst the thunder, arriving at the far more perilous Zixiao Divine Lightning layer. Upon reaching the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer, Xu Kong, Bailu, Canghai, Murong Tianguang, and the others halted. Everyone channeled their Origin Spirit power onto Yaoguang. Instantly, Yaoguang's Origin Spirit expanded drastically, swelling from a dozen meters to several dozen meters across. "Hall Master, be careful!" Bailu urged solemnly. Yaoguang nodded and took off straight into the heights. His Origin Spirit, now dozens of meters across and laden with colossal yin-attribute energy, acted like a lightning rod for the Zixiao Divine Lightning. As he ascended rapidly, bolt after bolt of Zixiao Divine Lightning struck toward his Origin Spirit. At times, two, three, or even four bolts struck simultaneously. Yet Yaoguang's expression did not waver in the slightest as he continued deeper, deeper, plunging endlessly into the heart of the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer. Under these circumstances, the bolts crashing down on him grew more numerous and dense. Eventually, he appeared completely submerged within a purple sea of lightning, enduring as many as seven, eight, or nine divine lightning strikes every single second. Watching this breathtaking spectacle from the periphery, Bailu, Xu Kong, Murong Tianguang, and the others wore solemn expressions. "Hall Master Yaoguang can actually withstand even this?" "Could it be due to the Heavenly Dao Alone formation? At its peak, this formation should reach the Dharma Idol level—meaning it can pass directly through the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer, transform the Origin Spirit from yin to yang, and reach the Chaos Emptiness Layer to gather the power of Chaos Divine Lightning and condense a Virtual Spirit Realm..." Murong Tianguang surmised. Yet by the end, even he sounded somewhat unsure of himself. "Even though I have undergone tempering by Zixiao Divine Lightning many times, tempering under this density of lightning... is still something I could never survive!" Canghai remarked with awe. "If Hall Master Yaoguang truly achieved this through the Heavenly Dao Alone formation, then its might... will unquestionably grant us the power to temporarily stand against a Dharma Idol cultivator!" Even as he spoke, he—and every other Origin Spirit cultivator present—sensed something at once. A powerful divine mind swept down from the Ninth Heaven, blanketing the area with overwhelming momentum. The vastness and majesty of it... "A Dharma Idol cultivator!" "These divine mind fluctuations... It's Dharma Idol Lin Deng from the Wuji Astral Palace!" "The old bastard! How dare he probe openly right in the heart of our Nine Cauldrons Sect!" Fury rippled through the emotions of the Origin Spirit cultivators. What was worse... When Lin Deng realized that the Nine Cauldrons Sect truly seemed to be drilling a formidable Origin Spirit formation, he unhesitatingly redoubled the impact of his divine mind. His oceanic divine mind condensed into a blade that slashed directly toward the perceptual links binding Yaoguang and the other twenty-three Origin Spirit cultivators. At this moment, Yaoguang was supposedly relying entirely on the formation to bathe in the Zixiao Divine Lightning; if Lin Deng severed the perceptual link with the formation... "Stop!" "Lin Deng, you are openly declaring war on the Nine Cauldrons Sect!" "Concentrate your divine minds and block it!" Reacting with great haste, the Origin Spirit cultivators mobilized their divine minds at once, sending powerful surges through the void to merge into Yaoguang. Yaoguang also seemed to sense the looming crisis and pressed down with an empty hand. Behind him, a phantasmal projection resembling a Virtual Spirit Realm manifested. Yet this Virtual Spirit Realm bore marked differences from a true one, possessing a tremendous suppressing and shattering effect on any divine mind. "It's the Origin Realm!" Xu Kong cried out in pleasant surprise. "Hall Master Yaoguang is carrying the top-tier spirit treasure Origin Realm! Combined with our formation..." *Boom!* Under the suppression of the Virtual Spirit Realm and the strike formed by channeling the divine minds of twenty-four Origin Spirit cultivators, the descending blade of divine mind was shattered in midair, sending out invisible ripples. "We blocked it!" "Wonderful!" "I knew it... The Heavenly Dao Alone formation paired with the spirit treasure Origin Realm gives us the qualifications to contend with a Dharma Idol!" At that moment, more than half of the twenty-three Origin Spirit cultivators were filled with exhilaration, their emotional waves brimming with joy. However... Yaoguang was, after all, in the middle of "transcending his tribulation." Shaken by this interference, his situation instantly turned precarious. Perceiving this from afar high above the Ninth Heaven, Lin Deng did not hesitate. His scattered divine mind re-coalesced, preparing to launch a fresh strike. Yet right then, across the battlefield in the Ninth Heaven, a figure seated inside a palace abruptly rose to his feet. "Lin Deng, what insolence! Do you hold no regard for me, Li Hanqiu?!" His gaze pierced the void, landing straight on the palace housing Lin Deng and his cohort. Tearing through the sky, he actually left his own palace and charged in the flesh toward the area where Lin Deng and the other Golden Core cultivators of the Wuji Astral Palace were located. The moment he stepped outside the palace's formations—compounded by the fact that he was gathering a divine ability, continuously drawing energy from his Golden Core to form a streak of Solar Divine Fire that threatened to pierce heaven and earth—the Golden Core within his body grew visibly unstable. At this sight, everyone from the Wuji Astral Palace turned pale. "Stay back!" "Damn it! Leaving the suppression of the formation?! What are you trying to do?! Start the final battle ahead of time?!" "Li Hanqiu, calm down, calm down! We can talk this through... There's no need for this, absolutely no need!" Amidst frantic cries, a torrent of Solar Divine Fire—resembling a planetary-destruction beam fired from a star dreadnought—pierced across three million li between them, blasting straight toward the palace where Lin Deng stood and forcing the Golden Core cultivators of the Wuji Astral Palace to step in and intercept it. Even so, the berserk energy fluctuations stirred up a vast, destructive torrent across the Ninth Heaven. So immense was its scale and power that it could have pulverized a planet ten thousand li in diameter. "Li Hanqiu, have you lost your mind?!" "Fall back! Fall back quickly!" "His condition was already deteriorating, and now he unleashes attacks one after another! He clearly wants to drag a few of us down with him before he dies! Don't lower yourselves to his level!" Waves of divine minds and divine senses echoed across the Ninth Heaven. The palace housing Lin Deng and his allies swiftly engaged its systems, relocating far away to evade Li Hanqiu. As for Yaoguang, who was "transcending tribulation" in the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer... Believing they had already uncovered the Nine Cauldrons Sect's secrets, they could no longer spare the effort to investigate further. After Li Hanqiu pursued Lin Deng's group for thirty million li, the dense lightning in the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer gradually subsided. Yaoguang's figure reappeared at the edge of the Zixiao Divine Lightning layer. Without the slightest delay upon returning, he led the Origin Spirit cultivators quickly back to the Beidou Domain.