As Xiao Shou stepped out of the cave, he raised his head to look at the sky.

What greeted him was not bright sunlight, but a sky full of dark clouds with lightning constantly striking toward the mountaintop.

What was going on?

It looked exactly like a tribulation.

A lightning tribulation.

It’s Fu Young?

Fu Young’s cultivation speed had always been faster than his.

Now Xiao Shou understood why.

Four years ago, Fu Young had gone to Azure Origin City and bought a spirit root testing plate that could measure purity.

It showed that Xiao Shou had three spiritual roots of water, wood, and earth, with purities of 32, 41, and 50 respectively.

But Fu Young had five element spiritual roots, metal, wood, water, fire, and earth, all with a purity of 99.9.

With such a huge difference, it was only natural that Fu Young cultivated faster.

Two years ago, Xiao Shou had already been unable to sense his realm at all.

Could it be that Fu Young had already reached the ninth rotation and was undergoing tribulation today?

No wonder he had not been seen all day.

Xiao Shou had thought he had gone out again.

Thinking this, Xiao Shou immediately flew toward the place where the lightning was striking.

Unexpectedly, as soon as he reached the mountaintop, he heard Fu Young call out, "Master, come over here."

"Young’er, what is going on?"

Xiao Shou looked around and saw that beneath the lightning tribulation and surrounded by bolts of thunder was actually a female cultivator who appeared to be in her thirties.

Meanwhile, Fu Young was crouching nearby, watching while teasing a chubby three or four year old child.

Fu Young grinned and said, "Master, didn’t I tell you before? I took in a pitiful mother and son. The one undergoing tribulation over there is the child’s mother, An Yu. This child is called An Ho. Look at him... Doesn’t he look cute?"

"I’m talking seriously. Stop joking around." Xiao Shou snapped and knocking Fu Young lightly on the head. "Hurry up and explain what is going on. Didn’t you say she had no cultivation?"

Fu Young who is 14 years old now, held his head and winced in pain.

Seeing Xiao Shou staring at him, he sighed helplessly and said, "She had none when she first arrived. She cultivated it over these past three and a half years. She is cultivating the Four Symbols Mixed Origin Art. Today she is advancing to Foundation Establishment, so she is undergoing tribulation. Master, if you plan to cultivate the technique I deduced, you should carefully watch her tribulation process. That technique also requires being struck by lightning once every major realm."

"The Four Symbols Mixed Origin Art is an uncertain Tier 9 technique. How could she cultivate it? What if something goes wrong?" Xiao Shou asked worriedly.

Fu Young shook his head helplessly while poking An Ho’s chubby cheek. "She chose it by herself. I had no choice. Among all the four spiritual root techniques, only the Four Symbols Mixed Origin Art suits her best, and it is a Tier 9 sun-grade technique. Even after I told her about its risks, she insisted on it. I cannot stop someone who wants to become strong."

"I see." Xiao Shou sighed.

He understood the desire to grow stronger.

If there were a Tier 9 technique suitable for him, even if it had flaws, he would still cultivate it.

Otherwise, he would not have suppressed his cultivation and waited for Fu Young to finish deducing the Three Body Problem Profound Art.

"Still, reaching Foundation Establishment in just three and a half years means her aptitude must be quite good."

Fu Young felt conflicted after hearing this.

He did not want his master to know there was a shortcut.

If Xiao Shou also started using lightning talismans on himself every day to temper his body, Fu Young would be heartbroken.

But he also knew how much Xiao Shou longed to grow stronger.

If there was a method, how could he ignore it?

If only he were strong enough to protect Xiao Shou completely, he would not feel so conflicted.

At that moment, another bolt of lightning struck from the sky.

The chubby child who had been quietly pursing his lips suddenly spoke. "That was already the ninth lightning strike. Martial Uncle, can I talk now? How is my mother? Does it hurt a lot?"

"It doesn’t hurt. It just feels numb and comfortable. Wait a bit longer, your mother will be fine soon." Fu Young patted An Ho’s head as he spoke, casually fooling a child.

Xiao Shou could not help but laugh.

Being struck by lightning just make you feel numb and comfortable?

What a lie.

He glanced at Fu Young and emphasized in a heavier tone, "Martial Uncle?"

Xiao Shou frowned slightly and flew over before asking.

"About that... Master, I did not do it on purpose. When An Yu was choosing a technique, she saw so many from the same lineage and asked what sect we belonged to. She asked whether what she was learning was an inner sect technique or an outer sect technique. I just... in that moment... told her it was an outer sect technique. So she and her son became our outer sect disciples."

Fu Young kept a straight face as he spoke. He picking up the little An Ho while secretly transmitting his voice to Xiao Shou with his spiritual sense.

After receiving the message, Xiao Shou’s expression became extremely strange. He wanted to laugh but held it in. "Young’er, you... haha..."

If his master ever found out how full of lies he was, he would be doomed.

Thinking of this, the cold sweat immediately formed on Fu Young’s forehead.

At that moment, from not far outside Snowy Cave Mountain, the howls of numerous demonic beasts suddenly rang out.

Fu Young’s expression changed.

He recalled that when he broke through to Foundation Establishment two years ago, if not for the formation plate his master had given him, he might not have made it back.