The Modern Martial Immortal Chapter 146: The Lightning Tribulation

Once the first batch was completed, Yaoguang made a point of gathering all the artifact refiners of the Purple Firmant Institute. In front of the entire assembly, he produced thousands of spirit stones to be distributed as rewards.

Following its recent expansion, the number of artifact refiners at the Purple Firmant Institute had grown from 82 to 204. Furthermore, thanks to the addition of Yun Lai’s team, the number of high-level artifact refiners had reached 46.

Every single refiner received one spirit stone as a bonus. The high-level refiners were rewarded based on their individual contributions; the minimum they received was five spirit stones, while so walked away with more than a dozen. This bonus alone was equivalent to a large portion of their annual inco.

The number of apprentices had climbed to nearly four thousand, but they were still learning and mastering their refinent techniques. Paying them a couple tens of thousands in the standard currency per year was enough to keep them satisfied. Spirit stones were far too much of a reward for them at this stage, and distributing those to them would've been a waste. Instead, witnessing the earnings of the official artifact refiners would serve as a catalyst, fueling their determination to work hard and get promoted.

Having suddenly received such a bountiful reward of spirit stones, every refiner in the Purple Firmant Institute was beaming with joy.

Once word of this spread, it sparked imnse envy throughout the artifact refinent circles of the Nine Heavens Domain. Upon learning that the Purple Firmant Institute had four more batches of orders waiting in line, many people began desperately pulling strings and using connections to see if they could secure a position at the institute.

In an instant, the Purple Firmant Institute transford from an artifact refinent institute on the verge of being downgraded into a highly coveted prize in the eyes of all refiners. Any refiner from the institute who ventured outside would imdiately beco the object of widespread admiration.

***

"Chief Yaoguang, you really are bold, being willing to take out so many spirit stones for distribution all at once." Yun Lai walked into the workshop carrying a set of files.

"Everyone worked overti and stayed up late to finish the orders as quickly as possible. I could not let their enthusiasm go unrewarded," Yaoguang replied.

"When there are orders, working overti to complete them is quite normal for artifact refiners. It’s not as if they aren't relaxing when there are no orders," Yun Lai said, before adding, "Besides, if it weren't for you using your primordial psyche to coordinate them and schedule everything, they wouldn't have been nearly as efficient. You are the one who worked the hardest."

"That is why I’ve accepted the largest share of the profits, haven't I?" Yaoguang said with a smile.

"The flying swords were designed by you, and their production was overseen around the clock by your psychic thought. You earned it," Yun Lai said sincerely.

Yaoguang did not bother with false modesty. But thanks to the Psyche King trait, his coordination and scheduling were not nearly as exhausting as Yun Lai imagined. Of course, he had no intention of revealing that.

The refiners would only rember that whenever they encountered a problem or a hitch in the process, the chief’s psychic thought would descend imdiately to guide them toward the solution and show them the most efficient path.

They would think that it took an imnse ntal and physical toll on their Chief Yaoguang to constantly shroud the entire Purple Firmant Institute in psychic thought to ensure the smooth production of flying swords. Therefore, no one breathed a word of complaint when Yaoguang took sixty percent of the profit from this order.

"By the way, did you need sothing?" Yaoguang asked.

"The sword cultivators for the first batch of one hundred flying swords have finished refining and training with the Purple Firmant Type 12. Starting today, they will officially begin patrolling the Posuo Island area. This is the data from their final training session; I brought it for you to look over." As Yun Lai spoke, he handed Yaoguang a jade talisman.

Yaoguang took the talisman and placed it directly onto the workbench. As the light of the array patterns on the bench flickered, the information within the talisman was extracted, projecting shadows into the air. It was a series of images showing figures soaring through the sky on their swords. Various data sets were displayed alongside the images.

"Posuo Island is only a small island about fifty kiloters in circumference. It isn't considered large among the East Sea's islands, but when you include the surrounding economic zone, its value is quite high. Moreover, there are no other islands within five hundred kiloters of Posuo Island..." Yaoguang read.

Yaoguang paused for a mont when he read the speed demonstrated by one of the sword cultivators. "A patrol speed of Mach 1.4 should be sufficient. They can complete a full circuit in just over an hour, and the energy consumption is less than a single spirit stone. Even with a four-man squad patrolling three tis a day, the consumption is only around ten spirit stones."

Yun Lai nodded. A four-man squad of sword cultivators was a standard patrol unit, according to convention. After all, every sword cultivator had different specialties; a lone patroller could easily be countered if he ran into the wrong opponent.

"Has a great cultivator of the Primordial Psyche Realm gone there yet?" Yaoguang asked. "The Purple Firmant's anti-interference capabilities are sowhat weak. Without a great cultivator of the Primordial Psyche Realm present, they would be easily targeted."

"Of course." Yun Lai nodded. "Psyche cultivators are different from body cultivators, sword cultivators, or spell cultivators. All sects in the Great Cangwu World agree that psyche cultivators serve as support. And since they are only supporting others, their direct involvent isn't considered the start of an all-out war."

He smiled slightly. "Hall Master Bai Lu personally went to oversee things. She practices the Boundless Visualization Art, which excels at psychic thought confrontation and wide-area detection. Her primordial psyche has already entered the Purple Firmant Divine Lightning layer, giving her a detection range of eight hundred kiloters. The entire area around Posuo Island falls within her perception."

"Purple Firmant Divine Lightning." Yaoguang imdiately understood the weight of that statent.

Cultivation of the primordial psyche path differed from that of star lords and Foundation Building cultivators. This phase of cultivation was straightforward and brutal.

As long as cultivators felt their primordial psyche was strong enough, they could ascend directly into the nine heavens and temper it with Blazing Solar Lightning, Purple Firmant Divine Lightning, or Chaotic Divine Lightning. With each tempering, the strength of a primordial psyche cultivator’s psychic thought would increase dramatically.

In Yaoguang’s understanding, the Great Cangwu World itself resembled a particular kind of wormhole. Space and ti were twisted and compressed, giving rise to the illusion of a flat world and the belief that the heavens were round while the earth was square.

The distortion of space-ti generated temporal tides. When these tides collided, they produced Chaotic Divine Lightning. When Chaotic Divine Lightning interacted with external matter and energy, it further evolved into Purple Firmant Divine Lightning.

As primordial psyche cultivators repeatedly endured tempering by Purple Firmant Divine Lightning, those with exceptional talent could grasp a hint about the profundities of chaotic space-ti, condense a Dharma Body, and step into the Dharma Form Realm. This realm rivaled that of star gods and Golden Core cultivators.

In theory, surviving a single Purple Firmant Lightning Tribulation was enough to give one a chance to form a Dharma Form. In reality, the odds were vanishingly small. Using lightning tribulations to refine one's psyche was already perilous beyond asure. To comprehend the mysteries of chaotic space-ti amid such danger was akin to reaching the heavens.

In recent years, there had been many great cultivators who lived for extended periods within the Purple Firmant Divine Lightning layer, yet had not been able to grasp anything at all about the profundities of chaotic space-ti.

At this point, they would have no choice but to seek out the Chaotic Divine Lightning and gamble on that sliver of opportunity.

As for the Blazing Solar Lightning, it was lightning that existed within the Nine Heavens Astral Wind layer. Primordial psyche cultivators had to pass through the Nine Heavens Astral Wind layer before they could reach the Purple Firmant Divine Lightning layer.

Hall Master Bai Lu, who was already able to enter the Purple Firmant Divine Lightning layer, was, in theory, very close to the peak of the Primordial Psyche Realm. As long as she could endure the tempering of Purple Firmant Divine Lightning, it would be equivalent to launching an assault on the Dharma Form Realm.

"With Hall Master Bai Lu there, it really can be considered foolproof," Yaoguang said, nodding.

He then added, "This data is extrely useful. I will analyze it, read the feedback from the sword cultivators, and see whether the Purple Firmant Type 12 can be further optimized. If possible, I want to refine a Purple Firmant Type 13 as soon as I can."

Yun Lai nodded. He opened his mouth, wanting to say sothing, but after weighing it carefully, he chose not to speak. After all, as an artifact refiner, Yaoguang had already done everything he possibly could.

Suddenly, soone knocked on the door. After receiving permission to enter from Yaoguang, Xiang Guangming walked in with a smile and respectfully presented a sheet of gold foil. "Chief, the funds for the second batch of six hundred Purple Firmant Type 12 flying swords have already been transferred."

"So fast?" Yaoguang was slightly surprised. "I thought they would use them for a while before placing a second order."

"The Purple Firmant Type 12 flying swords perford exceptionally well during training. They must have already won them over, which is why they asked us to begin refining the next batch as soon as possible," Yun Lai said with a smile.

Yaoguang nodded. "Everyone just received their bonuses and is still excited. Let them rest for a day. We will start work again tomorrow and keep at it for another two months."

"Yes, Chief," Xiang Guangming replied.

***

In the resting lounge, Yaoguang glanced at the newly credited 240,000 spirit stones, his mood noticeably lighter. "The purchase price offered by the Nine Cauldrons Sect leaves with relatively little profit, only about 14%. I took 60% of that, roughly 8.4%. However, when I submitted the proposal, I included the value of my secret art in the flying sword’s final cost. In the end, the previous order was entirely my own profit, reaching the 15% I originally estimated."

The first batch amounted to 240,000 spirit stones, so at 15% profit...

"36,000 spirit stones are credited," Yaoguang said.

As expected, when a sect was not corrupt, doing business with sects was the most profitable path. Once the second order was completed, it would be another 36,000 spirit stones.

He focused his psychic mind on his ntal world, his gaze lingering over the Martial Dao and Psyche Dao branches. This ti, his attention settled firmly on the Psyche Dao.

"At the primordial psyche tier, the Psyche Dao places increasing importance on realm mastery. As long as a cultivator’s control, comprehension, and application of primordial psyche power reach a sufficiently high level, they can attempt to temper it through lightning. After undergoing rounds of twenty-seven strikes, fifty-four strikes, and eighty-one strikes, the primordial psyche’s strength will undergo three consecutive leaps, granting qualification to enter the Purple Firmant Divine Lightning layer and accept its tempering..." Yaoguang felt that if he truly followed the Psyche Dao, his cultivation speed would beco astonishing.

But the Psyche Dao was a support path. Facing body cultivators, sword cultivators, or spell cultivators of the sa realm head-on, survival odds would be slim. Moreover, as tis had changed, the importance of psyche cultivators had beco widely recognized. Once combat erupted, enemies almost always targeted psyche cultivators first.

Not only was their direct combat power lacking, but they were also the easiest to focus and take down. More importantly, in the current world, only the Infinite Star Palace, the Immortal Alliance, and the Thousand-Beast Sect possessed Dharma Form psyche cultivators. If the Nine Cauldrons Sect suddenly produced one as well, it might not be a good thing.

A breakthrough in psyche refinent requires entering the Nine Heavens Astral Wind layer. That cannot be concealed. Once I form a Dharma Form, the Nine Cauldrons Sect won't be able to protect . Yaoguang thought.

After a mont, his gaze shifted back to the Martial Dao branch. Yet after lingering briefly, it ultimately moved to the Refiner branch.

Compared to the Martial Dao branch, what he needed most right now was the Refiner branch to obtain more spirit stones. At the sa ti, it could also be used to further arm the Nine Cauldrons Sect.

With that decision made, the newly advanced Refiner branch began to grow rapidly once again.