The voices grew quieter with each number.

Awe replaced excitement.

Fear replaced anticipation while surging rivers of Eight Emotions Energy poured into Han Yu.

When the count reached twenty…

The entire sect was shaken.

"Twenty…?!"

"That's impossible…"

"That's beyond the records…"

Twenty bolts.

A number spoken only in legends.

The last person within the sect to reach such a level had been a Patriarch from generations past.

And now…

It was happening again.

But the storm…

Still did not end.

The bolts grew thicker.

Brighter.

More violent.

Han Yu's layers increased further, the black ice forming in denser configurations, each new layer more refined than the last.

The impact zone had become unrecognizable.

Half the arena was gone.

The ground shattered into a massive depression, the edges cracked and unstable as energy continued to ripple outward with each strike.

Time stretched.

Each second felt longer than the last.

And still…

The count rose.

"Twenty-three…"

"Twenty-four…"

"Twenty-five…"

The elders stood.

All of them.

No longer seated.

No longer composed.

Even the Second Kidney Peak Head was left stunned never having expected his disciple to put up such a show.

"You did say you were going to surprise me, but this... This is no longer surprise." He muttered.

They watched with full attention, their expressions ranging from shock to disbelief to something deeper.

Recognition.

Understanding.

This…

Was no longer just a breakthrough.

This was history being written.

And when the count reached thirty… The atmosphere changed entirely.

"Thirty…"

The word echoed.

Unprecedented.

Unheard of.

Even beyond the greatest records of their sect.

The entire Blood Continent would feel the impact of this event.

And it did not stop there.

More figures arrived.

Silently.

Yet their presence alone caused the surrounding elders to bow instinctively.

The first…

Wore black and red brocade robes, intricate purple patterns woven into the fabric. His aura was concealed, but the weight of his existence was undeniable.

Then…

Another.

Beside him.

Unseen by most.

Unfelt by nearly all.

Yet infinitely more terrifying.

His robes bore golden designs.

Subtle.

But absolute.

If anyone could perceive his cultivation…

They would not survive the shock.

Immortal Ascension Realm.

The pinnacle of the sect.

The Patriarch himself.

Hong Tianyue!

He stood silently, his gaze fixed upon the storm.

And he counted.

"Thirty-one…"

Another bolt fell.

"Thirty-two…"

The heavens roared louder than before.

The clouds twisted violently, their energy reaching a peak that felt almost unbearable.

Then…

The final bolt formed.

It was different.

Not white.

Not blue.

Purple.

Deep.

Profound.

Nearly two meters wide.

The air itself seemed to distort around it.

Silence fell.

Absolute.

Then... It descended.

"Thirty-three."

KABOOM!

The explosion was blinding.

A pillar of light engulfed the arena, the force of the impact sending shockwaves outward that even the sect's defensive barriers struggled to contain.

The ground trembled violently.

Several disciples collapsed instantly, overwhelmed by the pressure, blood leaking from their eyes, ears, and noses.

Others staggered, barely maintaining consciousness.

Even the elders felt it.

The sheer magnitude of the final strike.

Unprecedented.

Unimaginable.

When the light faded…

Nothing remained visible within the crater.

Only smoke.

Only silence.

And a question that echoed in every mind.

Did he survive?

No one moved.

Not a single disciple, elder, or observer dared to shift their gaze away from the crater that had formed where the arena once stood. The impact of the thirty-third bolt had erased everything within its reach, leaving behind a vast, smoldering depression that stretched nearly thirty meters deep.

Smoke filled the space.

Thick.

Heavy.

Obscuring everything within.

The silence that followed was suffocating.

Even the usual murmurs of a gathered crowd were gone. No one spoke. No one questioned. All that remained was anticipation… and a faint, lingering fear.

Then...

WHOOSH

A gust of wind swept through the arena.

The smoke parted.

Slowly.

Reluctantly.

And what it revealed…

Sent a ripple through the entire sect.

At the very bottom of the crater, thirty meters down...

A surface of black could be seen.

Smooth.

Unbroken.

The Abyssal Frost dome.

Still standing.

A collective breath was drawn.

"He's… still alive…"

"That defense…"

"It endured that…?"

Even the elders could not hide their astonishment.

Above, the clouds still churned.

The tribulation had not ended. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Low rumbling echoed faintly through the sky, like a distant beast stirring in its sleep. Lightning flickered within the depths of the storm, but no new bolt descended.

Not yet.

Time passed.

One minute.

Three.

Five.

Ten.

Still, no one moved.

The Patriarch himself stood in silence, his gaze unwavering as he observed the sky and the crater below. His presence alone anchored the scene, his calm masking the intensity of his focus.

There was no certainty.

Heavenly Tribulations had no fixed rhythm.

Some ended quickly.

Others stretched.

Minutes could pass.

Hours.

And the space between strikes…

Could grow longer.

Thus, even after ten minutes…

No one dared to assume it was over.

But what none of them knew…

Was that the tribulation had not paused to gather strength.

It had paused…

To observe.

To assess.

Because within that crater…

Something unprecedented was occurring.

Inside the shattered dome, beneath layers of fractured black ice, Han Yu lay on one knee. His breathing was heavy, his body pushed to its limits.

His Qi reserves were nearly depleted.

Barely ten percent remained.

Even with the constant consumption of pills and blood stones, the relentless assault of the tribulation had drained him beyond expectation.

But that was not the true issue.

The real problem…

Was his soul.

The pressure had built.

For too long.

The Eight Emotions energy had accumulated endlessly over the past year, drawn from every conflict, every scheme, every ripple of chaos he had caused within the sect.

And now…

With the entire sect watching…

With emotions surging from hundreds of thousands…

With awe, fear, shock, and reverence flooding the air…

It reached its peak.

Han Yu could no longer contain it.

The restraints…

Broke.

Within his Soul Space, the Eight Emotions Lotus let out a clear, ringing cry.

"Yi Ya!"