their tribulations. They could wait on that last influx of Experience,
which would push them over the limit, until they were ready. Protection elixirs
were usually taken moments before they leveled up, along with any other
layer of protection they felt was needed.
Sebastian had none of that.
His breakthrough had taken a long time, so long that any
protection he might have prepared in advanced would have expired by the
time his tribulation would begin. He was confident regardless. This was
many years in the making, a bit over two decades to be exact, and he knew he would have to endure it through
his own power, without any external aid. Even so, he had expected to at
least have some time to prepare mentally.
The [System] gave him a single minute.
He thought back to when Dolan accidentally reached Major
Accomplishment. They had had about an hour until his tribulation began.
From his understanding, that was the average. Tribulations, however, were personal. The [System] gave everyone whatever time it deemed appropriate, based on its own judgment.
Apparently, Sebastian was judged rather severely for his
Heavenly Tribulation. More so than most were for their Major
Accomplishment Tribulations.
The [System] also referred to each tribulation as what
they were, either Major Accomplishment Tribulation or Grand
Accomplishment Tribulation. He had spoken to many people about this, and
they all confirmed it. It was why they were called the same across the
different countries and cultures where various other rankings and
customs had completely different names.
This Heavenly Tribulation was his, and his alone.
Unique, probably across all of history.
Since the manual for the [Earthen Cultivation Art] had no
mentions of tribulations, it was likely something introduced after the
fall of cultivation. Perhaps dating back to the time of the [System]’s
creation, a quirk of the [System] itself.
That meant that, most likely, nobody had ever experienced this particular tribulation before.
Sebastian welcomed the challenge.
Without much time to worry about it, he stood up and
stretched his new body. Since he spent so much time in the temple, there
were several sets of robes at the ready, so he calmly put one on and
ambled outside, his hands behind his back.
He looked out from the mountain peak. The vast red
landscape of the Red Sea spread out before him. From up there, he could
just barely see Mujin in the distance. Although time had flown by as he
cultivated in isolation all this time, he had come to think of this
place as his true home.
His life on earth still lingered in the back of his mind.
The house in Celder held a place in his heart which could never be replaced.
But this, Mujin and the Mansan mountain range, was where
he had built his foundation, and where he would continue to grow strong
enough to fulfill his fate.
A deep breath filled his new lungs fully for the first
time. The exhilaration of his breakthrough, and the hint of panic that
had bubbled up from the sudden countdown, dissolved.
This moment had been a long time coming. Sebastian had
been stuck in [Core Formation] for literal decades. A feeling of
stagnation had been brewing for years. Though that feeling had settled
down some ever since he arrived at the Red Sea and could focus on
cultivation to a different degree, the lack of progress in his Status
had been felt.
A breakthrough was well overdue, and he was ready to endure whatever the [System] would throw at him.
As the timer ticked down, he turned to a neighboring
mountain peak and walked. It was pre-selected as the place where he
would tackle the tribulation, if indeed it came as he had suspected. His
[Fleeting Cloud Step] activated like it was second nature, and he
casually stepped on thin air and walked across to the other peak.
At those heights, the winds were naturally
hurricane-force. Even so, his robes remained perfectly still. His dark
hair—which had grown quite long as he cultivated for months on end and
was reformed to the same length—waved softly behind him as he walked,
utterly unfazed by the extreme winds.
Above him, dark clouds formed. They had come in quickly
for Dolan’s Major Accomplishment Tribulation but this was beyond
compare. The skies turned from clear blue to a thick sheet of black
clouds that spread out as far as his eyes could see. Even Mujin, a day’s
worth of ordinary travel away, was blanketed in darkness in mere
moments.
With every step, the roiling lightning contained within the clouds above raged with increasing intensity.
Though he strolled leisurely, in truth he moved
incredibly fast. Within seconds, he stood on top of another mountain
peak as the storm clouds seemed to hone in on his location.
Sebastian looked up as the timer reached zero.
A bright, red-orange bolt of lightning struck down on him.
KRRAACK!
BOOOM!
The first strike was stronger than even the most powerful
one during the height of the only Major Accomplishment Tribulation he
had witnessed.
Its power surged through him, crackling across his skin,
digging into his organs, causing far more pain than he had been
expecting, and he had been expecting a lot of it. Then it crashed
through him into the mountain peak beneath him, spreading out in fractal
shapes from his feet. Lines drawn from rock melted by the heat covered
the ground. The force of the lightning reached deep into rocky terrain
before it exhausted its energy. Just as Sebastian grunted in pain, the
entire mountain seemed to groan and creak under the weight of the
[System]’s might.
Then the second bolt hit.
Somehow, it was even stronger. Immense electrical energy
coursed through Sebastian. His body drowned in the purest lightning
essence.
Fortunately, he had just undergone a complete body
reformation. He had been destroyed and built anew. Brittle coal turned to
diamond. Soft clay to the smoothest, strongest porcelain.
Though some of the lightning’s energy reached his organs,
causing extreme pain, most of it was endured by his skin. It was now so
resilient and strong that even tribulation lightning capable of killing
anyone at level 50 couldn’t truly harm him.
The third was stronger. The fourth, even more so. Still, Sebastian held on.
Bolts of lightning fell like raindrops in a monsoon, completely enveloping him, but his new body took it all in stride.
Argh! Goddamn, this is intense! Ugh.
But it’s nothing I can’t handle. Dolan’s tribulation took about a
minute. I could probably handle this for another hour— Damn! No, don’t
jinx yourself. System, if you can hear this, please don’t go for another
hour!
The [System] had never answered him before, and this was
no different. It did seem to heed his plea, however. Only in the worst
way possible.
All of a sudden, the natural hurricane winds of the
mountain peak moved with purpose. In no time, they formed a tornado with
Sebastian as the eye of the storm.
Violent gales surged around him. Then, tiny blades of
heavenly wind formed and lashed out from the tornado. Each one cut deep
into Sebastian’s skin—skin which had been made strong enough to
withstand the most fierce attacks he could imagine, but this wind sliced
into him like he was made of paper.
Endless essence rushed forth from within his Soul Seed to
heal the cuts in real time, but for every laceration that healed, two
more formed.
“Argh!” That finally prompted a vocal response. Thus far,
Sebastian had endured it all in silence, with only a slight grunt at
the initial strike. But he couldn’t hold it back any longer.
The storm didn’t stop there. It had formed with purpose,
and the tornado continued to serve that purpose. As the lightning kept
striking down with the fury of the heavens, the winds of the tornado
molded into long, thin needles.
They shot into him from every side, penetrating his skin with ease and sinking deep into his flesh.
Each needle of heavenly wind somehow maintained their solid states even as
they were embedded into him. Like small independent tornadoes of their
own, they spun fiercely, like drills gouging at his insides.
A growling grunt escaped his clenched jaw.
Then, the next bolt of lightning struck.
The needles of heavenly wind acted like lightning rods.
All that immense lightning energy which his sturdy skin had managed to
mostly keep out, suddenly rushed directly into the deepest parts of his
body. The lightning rampaged his flesh, blood, and organs. Baptizing his
reforged form in the most brutal fashion, suffusing him with more destructive power
than he thought possible.
For the first time, Sebastian screamed.
That only seemed to entice the [System] to push harder.
As he tried to pry the needles out with his hands,
another bolt descended. He was forced down to his knees with no choice
but to give up on fighting back. The only option was to endure, which
was harder and harder to do with every passing moment.
If not for the fact that he had endured his violent body
reformation just minutes ago, he probably wouldn’t have been able to
handle the pain.
The tribulation wore down the mountain peak itself. Stone
melted and broke away beneath him. Only a small spot, the very spot
which held him, stood firm. It had been hardened into solid obsidian
from the savagery of the lightning and pressure of heavenly wind.
Just as Sebastian reached his brink, unable to even form
coherent thoughts. Something happened. Emotions. Images. Words. Quiet
whispers which bubbled up from the darkest regions of his mind.
Give up…
You can’t succeed.
Why endure this?
You don’t have the drive, the ambition to do this!
Give up…
Coward!
Your parents died young, and you will to.
You’re all alone, nobody will miss you.
Give up…
You couldn’t even hold down a job, what gives you the audacity to attempt this?
Loser!
Give up…
It hit harder than he would have liked. The despair. The helplessness.
Enduring physical pain was one thing, but this came from
his very soul. He might have succumbed to it, if not for one thing. It
wasn’t his voice. The thoughts imitated
him, pretended to be him, but they weren’t his own. He didn’t know how
he knew, couldn’t put it into any coherent explanation, but he knew.
These thoughts were another aspect of his Heavenly Tribulation.
He had been told before that tribulations was more of a
mental trial than anything, in spite of its physical nature, but he had
never heard of anything quite like this. The [System] had reached deep
down for his darkest thoughts, and it brought them to the surface.
Sebastian refused to listen. It had the opposite effect
of what it might have been intended to. It motivated him, fueled him to
push through. He recognized them as lies, and he fought back through
sheer spite.
As the Heavenly Tribulation reached its zenith, Sebastian
pushed off the ground, stood up tall amidst the continuous descent of
lightning, and he unleashed a defiant scream.
At this point, the mountain peak was lit so brightly that
it served as substitute for the sun hidden behind the black blanket of
clouds. Even the people of Mujin in the distance had to cover their
eyes. The sound of thunder, carrying a furious voice rebelling against the heavens themselves, amplified by the
hurricane around the mountain range, spread far and wide into the Red
Sea.
A new legend was born that day, the ascension of a deity.
Then the lightning stopped. Wind slowed to a mere, strong breeze. And all the voices went quiet.
When the storm clouds dissipated and the blue skies
returned, Sebastian stood proud on a tall pillar of obsidian. It was all
that remained as the mountain peak around him had failed to withstand
the might of the heavens.
A second set of robes were gone, destroyed. Sebastian’s
skin had mostly endured, with the exception of a thousand pinpricks
which began to rapidly heal when the tribulation ended.
Moments later, the only signs on Sebastian’s body of the
mighty tribulation he had just endured were the blackened remains of
soot, dirt, and melted fabric. Even his long hair had recovered.
Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.
Now, without the effects of his [Fleeting Cloud Step], his
hair was at the whim of the winds and fluttered behind him wildly,
though it retained the pride of a [Nascent Soul] stage cultivator.
With an exhale, Sebastian’s body was cleansed. Essence pushed any and all dirt, blood, soot, and ash from his skin.
[System] alerts interrupted him as he reveled in his new power.
Major cultivation stage increased
Physical cultivation stage increased
Analyzing
Analysis complete
New cultivation method created: Unnamed cultivation method
Please provide a name for the cultivation method
New body cultivation stage created: Unnamed cultivation stage
Please provide a name for the body cultivation stage
He had expected as much, that the [System] would finally
see fit to deem his cultivation method as separate from the original
[Earthen Cultivation Art]. Although he had been following the path it
laid out all this time, Sebastian had given it his own twist almost
every step of the way, at least in terms of intent. With his
breakthrough to [Nascent Soul], he had gone a step further and altered
the actual method of ascension while also establishing a deeper intent.
The corner of his mouth raised up in a content smile. He already had names in mind.
Cultivation method created: Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Body cultivation stage created: Heavenly Demon Supreme Body
Sebastian walked across the skies, over
to his temple on the other mountain peak. As he went, he sensed the
essence rush through his meridian system like the surge of a flood,
almost with a mind of its own. Using his [Fleeting Cloud Step] Technique
was as easy as breathing. His essence followed his intent like water
flowing down a mountain stream under the powerful and inevitable
guidance of gravity, and his Technique—which previously had always
needed manual control—now felt much like System Skills did. It was just
there, a natural part of himself.
Out of curiosity, he summoned a Demonic Essence Sword.
The process was smooth, practically instinctive. The sword followed his
thoughts with an ease he could barely believe.
Feeling satisfied with the massive leap in his power,
Sebastian got dressed, but instead of rushing off, he sat down on his
mat—cleaned with a burst of essence.
I need to understand the stage I just reached.
Entering a cultivating trance was just a matter of
closing his eyes and focusing nowadays. His spiritual senses washed over
his Spirit Body, analyzing the changes. At the same time, he also
inspected his Physical Body.
The difference between [Core Formation] and [Nascent Soul] is truly immense.
I knew that cultivation was more of a
exponential curve than leveling but this is the biggest leap yet. Last
breakthrough, I gained maybe 4 or 5 levels by ascending to the next
stage, this feels like 10—maybe even 15.
To confirm, he opened his Status for the first time in years.
Status
Name: Sebastian Moore
Cultivation method
- Heavenly Demon Divine Art
Cultivation stage
- Nascent Soul
- → Minor stage: Low
Physical cultivation stage
- Heavenly Demon Supreme Body
Titles
- Heavenly Demon
- Blessed
- True Cultivator
- Swordsman
Talent
- Akashic Connection
Techniques
- ★Fleeting Cloud Step
- ★Cloud Shadow Slash
- ★Shattering Strike
- ★Stone Skin
- ★Crescent Cloud Slash
- ★Demonic Essence Sword
- ★Intergalactic Sword Art
- → Stage: Instinct
- ? Proficiency: High
Wait, the System Status is gone. Reaching [Nascent Soul] must have fully removed me from the entire concept of leveling.
I suppose the [System] was never too
accurate at converting my cultivation to levels anyway. I was always
stronger than my estimated level indicated, like how I could hold my
grounds against someone at level 60 while I was estimated to still be at
49. And I don’t actually care about inspections anymore, so I suppose
it’s fine. Better, even.
My [Spirit Union] Technique and the
[Mind’s Eye] Skill are both gone as well, which makes sense because I
don’t need them anymore. With my Soul Seed now connecting my body and
spirit, I can extend my senses freely—and with a far greater range than
before.
It also changed my [Sole Cultivator] Title to [True Cultivator]. He smiled softly as he understood why. I’m not actually the only cultivator in this world anymore. Nice that it finally caught up.
Title: True Cultivator
A unique title bestowed upon the first cultivator of
this era. Walking along the long forgotten path of cultivation, the true
cultivator has truly unlimited potential and has earned the recognition
of the System.
The description hasn’t changed much. It still sets me apart from the others though, with their Title, [Demonic Cultivator].
Sebastian stood up. Power beyond anything he’d ever felt
sparked with every motion. He took a deep breath to properly let it sink
in how far he’d gotten, then he clasped his hands behind his back and
sauntered out into the heavens.
Each step covered vast distances. Soon, he approached the ever-growing city of Mujin.
What had started as a simple town of just over a hundred
thousand inhabitants was now a sprawling city. Rumors and stories of a
powerful benevolent protector, the Heavenly Demon, had spread like
wildfire across the Red Sea over the years. People had flocked there in
search of safety and prosperity.
To the people of the Red Sea, seeing anyone over level 15
was rare. Generally speaking, the only people they ever came across who
reached higher levels were criminals, monsters in human shape. Even
they, however, weren’t usually very high leveled. Most people thought of
those criminals as superhuman, and their leaders as somewhat stronger
superhumans, but legends of those who had reached truly high levels were
typically seen as just that, legends.
So when Sebastian, and his group, saved them from a gang
of these superhuman criminals, many came to worship Sebastian as a
benevolent, living deity. Others, in particular those who knew a little
bit more of the world, simply admired him as a generous, high-leveled
practitioner.
Seeing him walk across the thin air above Mujin, however, made true believers out of just about everyone.
Skills that allowed for flight existed, but they were
rare even in powerful sects and across the academies and magic towers of
the Calindor Federation. Generally speaking, only those over level 70
began to exhibit Skills that could be called flight. Rarely were those
Skills anywhere near what Sebastian was doing.
As he walked across the sky over Mujin, people dropped to
their knees in reverence. Sebastian had slowed down when he reached the
city. News and rumors spread across Mujin as he casually made his way
across the heavens.
Soon he reached the palace, which had seen significant
improvements and expansions over the years. Additional courtyards were
added and connected. A grand outer court, of tiled stone, had been
constructed before the stairs which led to the Supreme Hall of the Divine Cult.
Thousands had gathered there as soon as the clouds of the
tribulation emerged, especially with the inevitable news that Sebastian
had surpassed his tribulation. The entire cult awaited his arrival.
Safi, Gawen, Eduard, Víctor, Chul, and Haru all stood in
front of their own divisions of hundreds of soldiers, workers, and
mages. None of the subordinates were particularly high leveled yet,
generally between 15 and 30. The exceptions were some of the demonic
cultivators who had graduated from the Cave of Latent Demons. Among them
were some who were approaching an equivalent of level 40.
Marion and Kwan stood on the platform at the top of the
staircase, overlooking the outer court. The old man had an excited and
uncontrollable tremor running through him, which he desperately tried to
suppress. Marion just looked content, and proud.
Sebastian glanced down at the forces of the Heavenly
Demon Divine Cult and looked out past the palace walls to the ocean of
people on the streets, all staring up at him like they were watching a
god descend.
Rather than land, he stopped high in the sky above the
Supreme Hall of the Divine Cult and stood still on thin air. To add
to the effect, Sebastian allowed the wind to just barely pass through
his Technique to graze across his face and sway his robes.
Haru, known to many as the First Demon, called out with fervor, and the rest of the crowd followed along until all of Mujin chanted.
“LONG LIVE THE HEAVENLY DEMON! ALL DEMONS MUST SUBMIT!”
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