Calm Wanderer
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(AKJ) Chapter 92 - Roman's Lightning Tribulation
🕑 Added 2024-12-05 09:53:40 +0000 UTCMolvograd, Molkovia, Earth.
Demian's P.O.V.
Demian’s question brought everyone’s attention back to their previous conversation, prompting the older man to continue with his explanation. “Exactly. Your situation is very precarious. On the one hand, it’s a massive opportunity for your cultivation path. On the other hand, anyone noticing your abnormally fast progress and the fact that you can unlock your Energy Channels is likely to covet your secret, try to eliminate you, or even both. Those in positions of power seldom reach those heights by being benevolent, after all.” Despite understanding the logic behind the statement, the young man could not help but ask. “I get it but... Shouldn’t Cultivators be above those so-called mundane matters? I mean, I understand about human greed but our lifespan is so much longer than normal humans and we’ve also got so much raw power at our fingertips... Are you telling us that they’re as bad as normal humans?”
His question elicited a few chuckles from the older couple with Ling shaking her head before correcting. “They’re not ‘as bad’ as normal humans, kid. They’re worse. Think about it: you’ve lived for a few hundred or even a few thousand years, being extremely powerful with high status, uncountable riches, and a multitude of lovers. Unfortunately, your lifespan is about to run out, and, out of the blue, you learn that a young Cultivator, much weaker than you may have a way to help you reach a higher Level or even Rank which would not only increase your raw power but would also boost your lifespan. What would you do?” His last expectations of a relatively peaceful cultivation environment crumbled with her words, prompting him to let out a wistful sigh. “I would go to that young Cultivator and ask about his method. I probably wouldn’t kill him for it, but I guess not everyone would be as ‘kind’ as me.” Nodding her head with an appreciative expression on her face, Ling commented. “Most cultivators wouldn’t care about your life and death. Mercy is something very rare in the Cultivation World, so don’t rely on it to get out of dangerous situations.”
As those words left her mouth, another Lightning Strike, this one more powerful than the last two, fell on Roman’s body, temporarily plunging the group into a contemplative silence yet again. With the lightning Energy dissipating and Roman’s aura strengthening once more, Adeliya finally broke the quiet atmosphere with the question floating inside the young man’s mind. “Since we’ll get discovered anyway, what should we do?” This time it was Sergei who answered with a reassuring smile. “I’ve already thought about a way to hide your progress for a while. Naturally, it’s impossible to hide it forever, but as long as your combat power reaches a certain threshold, you’d be relatively safe. In other words, cultivating quickly is a risk, but it’s also a great way to protect yourself. Granted that your progress outpaces your enemies’ interests.”
Nodding his head, Demian thought. ‘So, we just need to be low-key and cultivate quickly. I also need to quickly Bond with Liya or she’ll never be able to catch up. Not only would she be in danger, but she might also be used against us... Well, nothing really changed from what I planned to do...’ Turning his gaze toward his teacher and his playful wife, he declared. “Thank you Teacher and Aunty Ling for helping us. We don’t really know much about the Cultivation World, so your help is really appreciated.” He finished with a slight bow, something he thought would be appropriate considering that Sergei was from the nobility and being married to him, Feng Ling was automatically considered a ‘Von Anrepov’ as well, making her a de facto noble. Unlike previously, Sergei accepted his bow and replied in a serious tone. “Think of it as fate. Today I help the four of you, but tomorrow, it may be me or my wife who need help. In any case, whether it be character or talent, I’m very satisfied with all of you.”
As if it was waiting for the man to finish, a deep golden-colored Lightning Strike fell on the man standing alone in the middle of the field, attracting everyone’s attention once again. The fourth Strike proved to be ferocious to the point that an average Peak Chi Gathering Rank would have been obliterated on the spot. Fortunately, not only had Roman finished tempering his body to the Peak of Tier 1 but he also had a few pieces of Tier 2 Gear, bringing his overall strength to the Peak of the First Level Foundation Building. Coupled with his power growth after bearing the first three Lightning Strikes with his body, Roman successfully blocked it although not as easily as the previous ones. With his Soul Sense directed toward his biological father, Demian instantly noticed a much greater drop in the man’s Energy compared to the previous strike, reaffirming the perilous nature of Tribulations. ‘If the fourth strike is so powerful, what about the following five?’ He wondered silently. After all, he would also have to pass his own Tribulation very soon, and knowing more about that ‘World’s test’ was essential. ‘The power is only around the First Level of Foundation Building for now but Roman is only as strong as that. Since the Tribulation adapts to one’s combat power, how powerful will mine be? And if I remember correctly, Teacher said that the Tribulation around here is weaker than at the place they’re supposed to bring us...’ A slight frown appeared on his face at the thought.
Sergei’s following words, however, interrupted his train of thought. “Since I’ve already warned the four of you, we should return to the reason why I told you to come here.” Everyone stayed silent, waiting for him to continue. While his gaze moved to everyone’s faces, an approving smile appeared on his face before the older man resumed. “Since we have such a perfect example, I decided to teach you more about Lightning Tribulation. In this case, the Tribulation, similarly to the Chi Gathering Rank, is divided into Nine Minor Lightning Strikes and Three Major Phases. The first three Lightning Strikes are normally slightly weaker but still relatively close to your maximum power output. The second phase of three Lightning Strikes would need your maximum strength to barely defend against them. As for the last three... Let’s just say that as long as you don’t die, it can already be considered a victory.” Pausing for a second, he added. “Also, only use what I say as a reference and not an absolute rule. The Cultivation World is extremely varied and full of mystery that tends to surprise even the most knowledgeable Cultivator. In this case, there may be massive differences between each individual. An example would be Cultivators who kill Mortals indiscriminately. Those would usually have their Tribulation’s difficulty increase to the point that it becomes impossible to pass it successfully.”
With a thoughtful look on her face, Seraphine asked. “So, the difficulty is based on a sort of Karma system?” Nodding her head, Feng Ling responded but with a strangely hesitant look on her face. “Yes, but it’s more complicated than what you can imagine. Besides the ‘no killing mortal en-masse’, no one is really sure about what they should or should not do if they want to increase or decrease their Tribulation’s difficulty. There are rumors, but they are just that. Rumors.” A few seconds later, the fifth Lightning Strike fell, its deepening color a testament to its growing lethality. The sixth strike followed a minute later but was resolved with a few full-powered Water and Metal Spells. However, Roman did not activate his Tier 2 Items and was thus incapable of completely offsetting the attack. Fortunately, most of its power had dissipated, the rest being barely enough to create some superficial wounds on his Tempered Body that were already healing quickly.
“The true challenge begins now.” Sergei remarked as everyone’s eyes were attracted to the brewing dark clouds emitting some ominous thundering sounds. ‘The last phase, uh?’ Demian thought feeling curious and slightly worried for his biological father. After a minute went by, there was still no lightning strike, increasing the increasingly tense atmosphere in the group. Two minutes elapsed, prompting him to ask. “Is it supposed to take...” His words were instantly cut off when a Black-Gold Lightning Strike dropped so quickly on Roman that it would have been impossible for him to block if he had not preemptively activated his shield and placed it in the Bolt’s path. Furrowing his brow, Demian could not help but notice that not only did the man only have half of his Energy reserve remaining, but the man also received some deep wounds on his arms and chest. It was nothing life-threatening for his current body, but since the following attacks would grow more deadly, it was truly concerning. And that was despite having three pieces of Tier 2 gear.
Turning toward his teacher, Demian asked, perplexed. “Since Roman has refined his body to the Peak of Tier 1, shouldn’t it be easier for him to go through the Tribulation? How come he’s struggling so much?” Chuckling slightly, the man threw a brief glance toward his student and responded with a single sentence. “This IS very easy.” The expression on his face probably gave away the young man’s confusion as Ling explained more thoroughly. “It looks like he’s struggling, but compared to the majority of Cultivators, he can be considered as doing very well. Keep in mind that although the Chi Gathering Tribulation is the weakest Tribulation among every other Rank, it’s not supposed to be nice and comfortable. A great number of Peak Chi Gathering Cultivators actually die during their Tribulation. After all, it’s a test for Cultivators, which means that you‘ll be forced to your extreme limits in every aspect. Of course, if you do have strong gear like he does, it‘ll be much easier to pass. Injuries will still happen though. But he’s got my Healing Pills, so there’s no need to worry about him.”
As if her words were prophetic, a white jade bottle suddenly appeared in one of Roman’s hands before he opened it and swallowed one of the Pills contained inside. He then put the lid back on and the bottle disappeared from their senses, most likely back inside the man’s Void Storage Item. Unlike what Demian expected, however, the man took two other bottles one after the other and consumed one Pill from each of them. Cocking his brow, the young man was about to ask when Ling explained. “The first Pill he swallowed was a Minor Orb Replenishing Pill. As the name suggests, it’s used to replenish Elemental Energy no matter one’s Elemental Affinity. Its downside is both its lower and slower effectiveness compared to a specialized Pill like the Minor Water Orb Replenishing Pill. Of course, Roman hasn’t broken through to the Foundation Building Rank yet and converted his Spiritual Energy into Elemental Energy, so that Pill is enough for him.”
Most likely because of their imminent departure to the unknown place suitable for cultivation, both his teacher and his ‘Aunt’ Ling seemed to have decided to start their ‘teaching duties’. Despite being eager to deepen his knowledge about cultivation, he could not help but feel strange seeing how casual they acted even with a man in front of them going through what was essentially an unavoidable life-and-death situation. ‘Will I be as cold as them after spending a few decades or even longer cultivating? I did notice myself changing more and more. I remember a few months ago when I killed those few men, I almost broke down afterward. But now... I don’t even feel anything after killing those people a week ago... Am I becoming an unfeeling monster?’ That possibility worried him greatly. After all, what was the point of becoming an all-powerful immortal being if he was to lose all his positive emotions? Mercy and kindness seemed to be seen as weaknesses by Cultivators, but he thought differently. In his opinion, kindness was what defined human beings. A Cultivator without even a shred of kindness and mercy could only be considered a monster. At most, he would be a strong monster, but nothing more.
With his thoughts thrown into a negative spiral for a brief moment, Demian felt the surrounding environment progressively disappear until nothing remained but his worries. It did not last long, though, as a hand swiftly grabbed his own before squeezing gently. Feeling not only the physical warmth but also the wave of deep affection transmitted through the Bond, he could not help but have a warm smile gracing his lips while those concerns seemed to disintegrate like snow under the sun. Taking a deep breath, he turned his head toward the culprit, someone who understood him more than he understood himself, a strong but kind, beautiful, and, (very) naughty woman. When his gaze fell on the two mysterious grey barriers that appeared in place of what should have been her eyes, his warm smile turned peaceful and loving while a thought appeared briefly in his mind. ‘I never thought I could fall deeper for you, but I’m happy to have been mistaken, Love.’
Despite no words exchanged, the two could perfectly sense each other’s deepest sentiments toward each other. Their loving moment was quickly interrupted by Ling resuming her ‘lesson’. “The second pill is a Minor Spirit Foundation Replenishing Pill and is also used for replenishing, but this time it’s for Soul Power. The last is a Minor Tri-Paths Healing Pill, which is basically a Low Tier 2 Body Healing Pill. Right, the other two are also Low Tier 2 Pills. Keep in mind that the naming convention is Minor, Major, and Great for Low, Mid, and High respectively in each Cultivation Rank. It’s not a strictly enforced rule, though, so there are many exceptions, mostly due to some people wanting to be ‘different’.” She snorted and muttered. “A bunch of useless fame-seeking morons...”
Her comment elicited a few chuckles from the four Mikhailovs before their mirth was suddenly cut off by a massive thunderous sound as a colossal Black-Gold Lightning Bolt dropped on the still-recovering Cultivator. Despite the Pills used, Roman had only recovered about 80% of his Spiritual Energy while his injuries had only partially healed, which increased the difficulty of fending off the Tribulation’s sudden attack. Especially since the Energy contained in that Bolt was much greater than the previous one. Nonetheless, the man was still successful in surviving the Lighting Strike, although with new injuries piling on the old ones. Similarly to his previous actions, the man swiftly swallowed the same three Healing Pills in a bid to recover as much as possible to face the last Bolt. This time, none of them spoke a word, instead waiting for the final Lightning Strike to fall. ‘He should be able to make it... Right?’ Demian wondered while feeling a bit concerned, although not to the same degree as previously.
After all, a Cultivator’s body is not the same as a normal human’s body. What may seem to be a fatal injury for an untrained person, might only be a deeper flesh wound for a Cultivator which would only require some rest to recover. Even crippling wounds for Cultivators could be healed with the right Pill. Naturally, the better the Pill the harder it was to craft and the more expensive its price was, something that was plainly obvious for Demian. ‘Whether those Pills, that Gear, or their strength, Teacher’s identity is definitely not of a normal cultivator... I’m growing more and more curious about those two.’ He pondered while observing the increasing fluctuations coming from those dark clouds. A few minutes later, the Tribulation Clouds seemed to have finished its preparations as the last Lightning Bolt fell on Roman with strength enough to easily obliterate any random First Level Foundation Building Cultivator with just the slightest touch. Even someone at the Second Level may not survive a direct hit. Reflexively using the Tier 2 Shield to block the strike, around a third of the Energy disappeared from the Bolt. However, the rest still fell on the man’s body, or more specifically on his upper armor, which destroyed another third, leaving only the last one-third of deadly Lightning Energy for his flesh, organs, and bones to endure.
With a quick calculation, Demian found that the last third was the equivalent of a full-powered attack from a half-step Foundation Building, something that could potentially mortally injure an unprotected Cultivator at the First level of the Foundation Building. At least one who did not specifically temper his/her body. Fortunately, the man had cultivated his own to the Peak of Tier 1 and, coupled with the Healing Pills he had taken previously which were still actively healing him, he survived the strike alive. However, every centimeter of his visible skin was scorched to the point of seeing the bones among his burnt flesh. With every strand of hair gone from his head, he now looked more dead than alive to Demian. Although the young man’s Soul Sense still caught the diminished Vitality emitting from his corpse-like figure. He could even sense its growing recovery.
“After the hardships, come the rewards.” Sergei commented before the four ‘novice’ cultivators stared wide-eyed at the spectacular scene unfolding in front of them.
