Hello, dear readers! here's chapter 91! Hope you'll enjoy it!
I'm almost done with the Book 1 correction with only 8 chapters to go, so hopefully I'll be done by next week and I'll be able to format the whole thing into an ebook that those of you who want it will be available to get. Other than that, I'm halfway to finishing chapter 102 and I posted a small unedited teaser of the chapter on patre0n.
That's it for this week, folks! See ya next week!
Announcements:
-Don't hesitate to Follow, Review, Favorite, Power stone, share etc. (Depends on the platform you're currently reading on) if you like my different novels. It helps a lot with growing the number of readers.
-I've set up a Stripe page, so if you feel like making a one time donation of any amount, don't hesitate to swing by. Thank you in advance! https://buy.stripe.com/4gwdTHfLo2fR2Xu6oo
-If you prefer having something 'tangible' for your donation, you can visit my patre0n page.
My patre0n: patre0n.com/CalmWanderer
To all my Patrons: Thank you very much for your support!
*************************
Molvograd, Molkovia, Earth.
Demian's P.O.V.
After the Sergei couple and the four Mikhailovs finished their hearty lunch, they all left for the Training Field to meet with Roman and his cohort. A few minutes later, they were in the company of Anna, Andrei, and a few other of Yanov's subordinates, all of them having looks of both excitement and nervousness at the monumental event that was about to happen to the Fallen Fire Estate: their Boss was about to reach the Foundation Building Rank! If the Chi Gathering Rank would make one superhuman, then the Foundation Building Rank would make one akin to humanoid artillery capable of destroying massive buildings with a full-powered Area Of Effect Spell. And that was for the weakest one in that Rank, which made it easy to understand the significance of the event for the Estate Cultivators.
Naturally, Demian and the girls did not share their enthusiasm, only experiencing curiosity for something they were certain to go through in a relatively short while. 'Perspective is everything, I guess.' He contemplated while noting everyone else's reaction through his Soul Sense. 'For those people, reaching the Foundation Building Rank is most likely an unreachable dream... But for us four, it's simply one step out of many on our Cultivation Journey. A step that would only take a slight effort and a bit of time...' Absentmindedly, he wondered. 'I guess life isn't as fair as I thought previously... Or is it that the Universe, God, or whatever is in charge has a plan that mere mortals like us can't understand? After all, if it wasn't for my Perks, I doubt Sera and Liya would've reached their current power, let alone me with my previous crippled body, so things CAN change...'
His philosophical pondering was suddenly interrupted by Sergei's polite greeting. "Good afternoon, Mister Yanov." After the other man returned the greeting while bowing his head slightly, Demian's new teacher remarked while handing him a few pieces of gear that seemingly appeared out of nowhere before floating in front between the two men. "Take those. You may have need of them during your Tribulation." The fluctuations coming from the two pieces of gear, which were an upper armor and a round shield, reminded the young man of the three Danilovs. With a quick thought, he understood that those should be Low Tier 2 Protective Gear. With a quick sweep of his Soul Sense, Demian instantly discovered how much better those two were in terms of craftsmanship compared to his old scimitars and any other pieces of gear he acquired from the Fallen Estate's Vault. 'Speaking of which, I never thought that growing stronger so quickly could've such an annoying disadvantage... I can't even get a piece of gear that suits me before it becomes too weak to bear my strength without breaking.' He thought wryly before refocusing his attention on the current situation.
Roman's expression displayed his surprise, after which it switched to gratitude as he bowed deeply and declared. "Your gift is too important for me to refuse. So, you have my deepest gratitude, Lord Anrepov. It may not be much to you, but I promise that should you need me or my subordinates' intervention, you need only say the word and we'll respond to your call." He then straightened back his body, making it clear to Demian from the man's formal way of speaking and respectful attitude how important that promise was to the man. 'Only Cultivation is important for him, uh...?' The realization brought a small pang of sadness to his confused heart. However, none of his inner feelings were visible on his face. Instead, only calm indifference exuded from the young man. Something he picked up from observing his oldest cousin as the latter acted usually coldly to anyone outside of their inner circle. Although that circle seemed to have grown slightly since the recent arrival of Sergei and Ling a week prior.
'Funny how similar those two sisters are.' He randomly thought while picturing the two's cold attitudes toward unfamiliar people before his mind was attracted to his teacher's next words. "You should be grateful to my student instead. If it wasn't for him, I wouldn't have provided you with any of those items." With the crowd's attention on him, Demian's mind froze briefly, until he spotted the complicated emotions in Roman's eyes as he looked in his direction. Nodding his head, the older man said in a softer tone than previously. "Thank you, Demian... I..." The young man could tell that his biological father had much more to say, but the former knew that it was neither the time nor place and thus only shook his head before replying. "Just go through your Tribulation and we'll talk after." After a few seconds of staring into the young man's eyes, Roman let out a wistful sigh, nodded, and then swiftly walked to the center of the Training Field, a few hundred meters away from where the rest were standing. He then put on the Tier 2 armor and grabbed the Tier 2 Shield in his left hand and a Tier 2 Sword in his right. The latter was also given by Sergei a few days prior and was supposed to be the only Item he would use to defend himself against the Lightning Tribulation.
"Keep your Soul Sense on him, or you might end up missing something." The four Mikhailovs, minus Adeliya whose Soul Sense was too weak, nodded while following the older man's instruction. Immediately, Demian noted Roman's Soul Power flowing into those Tier 2 Items adorning his body. It lasted a few minutes before the flow of Soul Power suddenly halted, the only proof of the man's action being the slightly altered fluctuations coming from the Items. "He's done refining them." Ling commented before throwing a small white bottle toward the lone man. "Take it. It'll help you recover your Soul Power." Catching the bottle, the now pale-faced man nodded to the black-haired woman before taking out the pill from the bottle and immediately swallowing it. In the next few minutes, Roman's face regained its normal color, prompting the man to sigh in relief.
"Does it really take that much Soul Power to refine Tier 2 Items?" Demian asked curiously. Turning his head in his direction, Sergei said with an amused smile on his face. "For someone at the Peak of the Chi Gathering Rank, of course, it does." Feeling a bit confused, he was about to object when his teacher explained. "I know what you want to say. You and the two sisters are exceptions. The quantity of Soul Power you all possess is much higher than the majority of Cultivators of your Level, despite not following the standard Soul Cultivation System or any for that matter. Especially you, my student. Your Soul Power is absurdly abundant." Pausing for a second, he added. "Once we reach Centr..." His words suddenly broke off before he continued. "...I mean, once we reach our destination, I'll provide all of you with a Soul Cultivation Technique. You can stop looking at me like that, Wife. I was just a bit distracted."
Following his teacher's gaze, Demian noticed Aunt Ling narrowing her eyes at her husband, prompting the young man to think with amusement. 'She really wants to keep our destination as a surprise... I'm getting more and more curious about that place...' His train of thought was broken off by Sergei who opted to continue his explanation. "Since we're on the topic of Soul Cultivation, I might as well give you some general information about the three Cultivation Systems." Pausing for a second to gather his thoughts, the man wearing a three-piece suit then resumed. "Unlike what you learned here, there are three distinct Cultivation Systems and not two. The first and most common is the one you all practice: The Energy Cultivation System. The second is also one you're aware of: The Body Cultivation System. Last but not least is the Soul Cultivation System. All of them are as important as the other with each covering one out of the three major aspects of a Cultivator."
"Mister Sergei?" Seraphine asked hesitantly. After letting out a few light chuckles, the mustache-wearing man corrected. "Since my student calls my wife, Aunt, then do call me Uncle. That applies to you too, Brynhild." The latter nodded with a discreet smile but stayed silent. Her younger sister, however, did no such thing. "Uncle then. I'm curious about something you mentioned. You said that those Systems are distinct from each other. If that's the case, shouldn't all of us who don't practice Soul Cultivation not have any Soul Sense? Soul Sense should be made of Soul Power, right?" This time it was Ling's turn to look at her female student playfully before replying. "I'll answer your question, my adorable student. Think about it this way: A strong Soul Power needs a strong Body to house it and Strong Energy to power it. Powerful Energy needs a Strong Soul to drive it and a Strong Body to house it as well. As for the Body, it needs Energy for sustenance and a Strong Soul to pilot it. In other words, the three Aspects of Energy, Body, and Soul are essential to a Cultivator and each receives a passive boost through the Cultivation of the other two Systems."
Scratching his cheek in thought, Demian then asked. "Then what's the point of actively cultivating other systems besides the Energy System if the other two grow even if we only cultivate our Energy?" To which Sergei answered. "Efficiency and Power. Take the Soul Power System for example. If you do cultivate it, not only your Soul Power will become more powerful, but you'll also be able to use it much more efficiently." Pausing for a second, the older man then added. "There is also the matter of synergy between all the Systems. If one Cultivates two Systems, then he or she would be stronger than if they were to only cultivate one. Same thing with three compared to two." After which his wife also specified. "Don't think that the effect is simply three times better. It's much higher than that." The four acquiesced, with Demian, playfully saying. "You're the experts." His quip brought a few chuckles out of the couple's lips before the two's expressions turned suddenly serious.
"All of you, ready yourself. The Lightning Tribulation is coming." Sergei declared while a Supreme Aura started gathering over Roman's position with massive dark clouds as its physical manifestation. At the same time as his Soul Sense was directed at the ordeal that the World prepared for his biological father, Soul Power fluctuations erupted from his teacher instantly followed by a Formation being deployed around them. "I've prepared a Mid Tier 2 Protection Array to protect all of you and the Building behind from the shock waves. Just in case." Looking at his teacher in amazement, Demian could not help but wonder how powerful his teacher and his wife were. 'Why is Aunt Ling so tight-lipped with every piece of information... I'm dying of curiosity over here!'
His focus was briefly distracted by the incredible power coming from the Array, something that even his current power might not be capable of breaching before Sergei's next words prompted him to return his attention to the Tribulation. "The Tribulation for the Peak of Chi Gathering Rank consists of Nine Elemental Lightnings. Every Lightning strike will be made of Elemental Energy with attributes matching those of the one undergoing the Tribulation. In Roman's case, the Lightnings will be Water and Metal Attributed." With their gazes riveted on Yanov's tense figure, the three stayed silent as a pale blue and gold lightning 'spear' fell on the man at a speed so quick that anyone weaker than the Peak of the Chi Gathering Rank would have been hit before even registering the attack.
Reflexively, Roman activated the Shield in his hand while placing it in the Lightning attack's path. Instantly, the latter broke against the powerful Item and completely disappeared from their view. Shaking his head slightly, Sergei commented. "All of you must remember his actions well. This is the perfect example of what not to do when undergoing your own Lightning Tribulation." His words aroused everyone's curiosity, with only Seraphine having a look of 'I thought so' plastered on her face. "Wait a second." Demian's teacher said, falling silent for a brief moment, which prompted Ling to ask with a playful smile. "Didn't you warn him before?" Nodding his head, her well-mannered husband replied. "I did. But he did not listen apparently..." Shaking his head, he added. "He truly needs to temper his Heart more or he'll only end up perishing from his own carelessness."
Giggling at the exasperated words, Ling remarked. "There's nothing better to drill a lesson into someone's head than experience. Look at his face! I doubt he'll repeat the same mistake." Through his Soul Sense, Demian indeed noticed the embarrassed look on the man's face, which stoked his curiosity further. "Teacher, what did you mean about Roman having made a mistake?" Shifting his gaze from Demian's biological father to the four Mikhailovs, the man with a mustache replied. "Little Sera here seems to have understood the crux of the problem already. Why don't you enlighten the others?" Feeling everyone's attention on her, the young woman felt a bit shy inside but kept her poker face on the outside, making it impossible for anyone but Demian to know what she was thinking. "If I'm not wrong, his mistake was wasting too much of his Spiritual Energy on a relatively weak Lightning attack."
Both Sergei and Ling nodded with approving looks on their faces as the latter commented. "Having a Void Attributed Bloodline is really something else." Her words startled Demian and the other three who thought that Seraphine's 'Void' Affinity was still a secret since all the Spells she used were Shadow Based. As for the 'Void' Spells she knew were ingrained in her Bloodline, they were still inaccessible due to her low Cultivation Base. Due to that problem, many memories were vague, among which was what was exactly the Void. Naturally, they all searched for any mention of it in the Estate's Library, but nothing was found. Admittedly, there was not much high-level information inside, so Demian was not overly surprised. That being said, after discussing with each other, the four Mikhailovs decided to keep her Affinity a secret along with Demian's Perks in case it attracted other's greed. Demian's philosophy of growing in a relatively low-key manner was shared by the other three. After all, none of them knew much about the Cultivation World besides some basic information.
The problem now was that despite his instinct telling him that the couple in front of them was somewhat trustworthy, he still felt worried since he was sure that he would be incapable of protecting the other three or even himself should the couple have any nefarious intentions. As he was about to say something, Sergei patted his shoulder gently and declared. "If I were to covet my own student's or his wives' fortunes, I'd be the lowest of scum. So, there's no need to worry about me or your Aunt Ling trying to steal anything from you." His anxiety vanished instantly when he felt the kindness radiating from his voice and gesture. However, his heart did skip a beat when Ling added. "In any case, we'd have already tried something if we were interested in what you guys hid. Keep in mind that we've been monitoring you guys since you met my Darling. That means that we already know plenty, whether it be your Dual Cultivation's abnormal efficiency or how easy it is for you to unlock your Main Energy Channels. We also noticed other things but those can be chalked up to being a genius or luck if others ask." Pausing for a second, her playful face then turned solemn as she warned them. "Remember this, kids. My husband and I mean well, but that doesn't mean others do. Never tell your secrets to anyone else. To be honest, you're all lucky that we're the ones who accepted you under our wings, otherwise..."
Frowning slightly at the implication, Demian asked with hesitation. "Is it really that bad?" Shaking his head, Sergei took over the conversation. "It's not 'that bad' as you said. It's much worse." Pausing for a second, he specified. "By the way, I covered the six of us under my Law Domain, so you can speak freely. The others won't be able to hear us." Alarm Bells rang in the young man's head at those words. He was so engrossed in the conversation that he had forgotten about those Estate Cultivators standing a few meters away from them. 'I really need to improve my spatial awareness.' He decided while noting in one corner of his mind how strong Cultivators like his Teacher could listen to him without him being even aware of anything happening.
With a look as solemn as his wife, Sergei was about to add something when he was suddenly interrupted by another Lightning Strike rushing toward Roman's body. This time, the latter used his Low Tier 2 Sword to slash the Elemental attack without using any Spiritual Energy. That was apparently enough as the Wild Elemental Energy dispersed without leaving any injury on the man. Instead, the fluctuations coming from his body grew moderately, bringing him much closer to the Foundation Building Rank. His Spiritual Energy, however, did not seem to have been replenished. 'No wonder Teacher said that Tribulations are both tests and opportunities. As long as one survives them, of course.' He thought, temporarily forgetting the previous conversation in front of the awe-inducing sight of the World's fury in action.
After a few seconds, Demian shook himself from his daze, directing his gaze toward his Teacher's face, and asked. "Teacher, you said that our situation was much worse than we previously thought?"