Hello, dear readers! Here's chapter 146(too lazy to write the part number anymore)! Hope you'll enjoy it! This is the second to last chapter for Book 2, so tension is high.
Aside from that, I'm sorry I wasn't able to post this chapter last week for some IRL reasons. Still, the wait should be worth it as we're getting into the faster cultivation progress of the story.
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Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth
Omniscient P.O.V.
Following the saying 'as long as it works, there's no need to change it', Demian reused the same defensive pattern with an added component.
First, using Water Bullet Spells to drown the colossal lightning lance under Water Elemental Energy.
Expectedly, those bullets were only able to shave less than 30% of the attack's energy reserve before Demian's body started moving from his previous waiting stance.
With a thought and a slashing motion, his Elemental Blood Energy was transformed into a gigantic Water Slash, hitting the lightning bolt squarely, shaving another 30% of its energy, leaving 'only' 40% of its destructive energy for his layered Water Shields and armor to deal with.
As the Lightning Energy destroyed every shield covering his body and went through his armor, barely a few percent of the destructive Energy was left, only enough to severely burn his skin, but not enough to melt it completely like previously.
A mere instant, and his body had already returned to pristine condition.
Unfortunately, though he received less damage, the benefits were also much fewer.
No choice since his Perk had much less energy to work with this time, barely a few per cent compared to the previous 20%.
Although the second petal-bolt was stronger than the first, it was not enough to bridge that large gap.
Letting out a sigh, a serious expression appeared on his face as he thought.
'The first few bolts should be manageable, but if it keeps going like this, the last few rounds might be difficult to overcome if my body doesn't grow strong enough. It really feels like I'm being targeted. Can't I just enjoy cheating in peace? Why do I have to be close to dying every time...?'
Shaking his head to shove those gloomy thoughts out of his mind, he then prepared himself for the third round of lightning bolts.
Now left with seven petals, the Lotus' fluctuations grew stronger, with one of its petals growing more vibrant, which, if the last two times were any indication, indicated its imminent transformation.
Indeed, a few moments later, the petal turned into another frighteningly powerful lightning bolt before falling at even greater speed toward Demian's body.
Once again, following the same strategy, Demian weakened the destructive energy it contained as much as he could before his Body, Soul and Mana underwent a new round of refinement.
Because the third lightning petal was much stronger than the previous one, around 10% of its power was left even after being weakened to the best of the young man's ability.
Thus, his entire being was further elevated through mind-tearing pain.
Not only were his flesh, bones and mana a lot more condensed, but the scant mystical golden traces in his Soul Power grew slightly more numerous.
What those traces were exactly, Demian had no precise information aside from the fact that they were the reason why he was deemed an Immortal-Grade talent and that by using his 'normal' Soul Power along with those traces, his Soul Skills became massively stronger.
Of course, though there was no 100% proven information, it did not stop people from speculating.
In Demian's case, from the information the Supreme Elder gave him through Aunt Eldoria, it was likely that those golden traces indicated that his body had started transitioning to an Immortal state.
The information also mentioned how each aspect (Soul, Physique and Mana) had different 'Immortal' attributes, mentioning that the reason behind the sparse existence of Intermediate Immortal-Grade talent, and nonexistence of High Immortal-Grade talent, was that anything Immortal-related was considered an anomaly by the world.
Thus, the more of the latter one gained, the harder it became to accumulate even more.
That was, unless one reached a sufficient level, but Demian's cultivation was far from qualified.
Of course, that was true in a Mortal World like Demian's, but the Immortal Realm may be different, though there was no way for him to investigate.
At least, until he broke through to become Immortal himself.
Back to the situation at hand.
With his eyes closed, the young man's senses were busy analysing the strength growth he was experiencing.
'This...'
As the changes were starting to weaken, a peculiar sensation appeared, as if he had suddenly crossed a certain mystical threshold.
His cultivation seemed like...
Feeling unsure, he rechecked a second time, and indeed, his cultivation had crossed over the rank barrier before settling at the Entry First Level of the Foundation Building Rank.
Along with his Mana Cultivation, his Physique was also elevated to the Intermediate Grade, gaining many benefits, from the expected strength, flexibility, etc., to those more mystical ones like stronger Water Energy affinity.
He could even sense his bone marrow become slightly agitated, as if it was brewing some sort of transformation.
However, how long it would take or what sort of transformation it would be was unknown to the young man.
Since there was nothing he could do about it for now, he chose to ignore it for now, and check the changes experienced by his Soul Power, noting immediately how much more condensed it had become, matching the direction his Mana cultivation was taking.
Indeed, for Tier 1 and 2, both Mana and Soul Cultivation followed a similar path, and it was only when one reached Tier 3 that those two systems started to diverge in form.
It was for that reason that the names 'Foundation Building'(Tier 2 Mana) and 'Spirit Foundation'(Tier 2 Soul) were so similar.
'The number of those golden traces seemed to have grown. And what's up with the strange feeling I'm getting from my Main Acupoint Systems...?'
Demian was experiencing so many changes at the same time that it became difficult to separate what was 'normal' and what was not.
It was especially the case since, although his rank breakthrough was successful, his tribulation was far from over, as six petals were still left floating in the sky, making it impossible for him to dive too deep in those changes.
As if that damn lotus had sensed his enormous growth in strength, the energy fluctuations it was emitting also experienced a sudden, huge increase, to the point that his previous self would have most likely ended up obliterated if hit by it.
"No loophole, uh?"
He mumbled with a wry smile, though his confidence had not been impacted much.
'Well, there should only be 6 bolts left, so my chances are still high. Though I have to admit, my Perk is really a lifesaver. Literally, in this case.'
Narrowing his eyes as the golden Lotus reflected in his pupils, his fists tightening on his Scimitars' handles, he contemplated.
"Alright, since I'm confident in surviving, let's see how many benefits I can get from that damn Tribulation!'
Whether it was a cultivation boost or a foundational improvement, he wanted both, and as much as possible.
Greedy?
After having his body melted like a living candle time and time again, experiencing a pain that would break any Mortal mind, he felt he deserved it.
It was not greed, but fairness.
Honestly, Demian doubted that others faced such 'intense' tribulation, no matter their level of talent.
Thus, they would logically be less injured and experience less pain.
Either that, or they died on the spot.
After all, his Perk's effects were clearly beyond what a Mortal World could offer.
In all fairness, if he had to go through more pain, he also wanted the corresponding benefits, and his Perk would make sure he would get them.
His grin, filled with both amusement and anticipation, was immediately switched with a serious expression as he noticed the fourth petal detaching itself, then shifting its form into a lightning bolt's form before finally falling toward him in what had become an almost annoyingly familiar pattern.
'Time and place, Dem.'
That was the only thought that traversed his mind as he mobilised his cultivation, wielding Water Energy with astonishing ease, beyond what he was previously capable of.
Water bullets rained down, Water Blade Energy Slashed through the oppressive sky, defying Heaven's killing intent.
Starting as a Mortal without cultivation, one had to face Heaven's ferocious trials again and again, taking one step after another toward Immortality.
Despair, powerlessness, fear...
Many fell along the way, betrayed by others, struck down by the Heavens, or even dying from 'bad luck'.
Cultivation was like sailing a ship amidst an unpredictable sea, as no matter how well-prepared or even how strong you were, you could be capsized and die the next moment.
Thus, no matter how confident one was, keeping a certain amount of caution was essential.
Otherwise, it was just a matter of time before your recklessness pulled you into some lethal pitfalls, harvesting your life in passing.
Naturally, too much caution was as bad as not enough, with the results of that sort of behavior similar, if not in aspect, at least in substance.
As his wounds were completely healed from the fourth lightning petal onslaught, its energy propelled his cultivation from the Entry First level to the Peak Low First level.
Then, the fifth petal fell, organ deep injuries created, before his Mana cultivation grew even more, this time reaching the Peak Intermediate First Level.
When the sixth petal was digested, his realm brushed against the Perfection First Level, a cultivation stage equal to Bryn's own when she had completely digested the benefits from her own Tribulation.