บท 55: Core Formation Tribulation
Zhou Tiandi delved deep into the soul of the "protagonist," Fan Ye, repeatedly soul-searching it until it finally collapsed, aiming to comprehend the nature of this "protagonist's" existence and extract any knowledge that could help increase his own strength.
This practice would undoubtedly be deemed as desecration of the dead in his former world. Even by the standards of this new world, it was considered a morally and ethically reprehensible act not to be performed openly. Yet, Tiandi couldn't have cared less about the morals and ethics of the hypocritical world.
He had already accepted the Great Dao sage as his second teacher, a practice considered dishonorable, even among the unorthodox faction. In this world, the guiding principle was "teacher for a day, a father for life," forming the foundation of the master-disciple relationships.
However, neither Huang Ziyi nor the Great Dao sage opposed his decision, as they understood that, to Zhou Tiandi, strength trumped all else. In any world, strength was paramount, and even in his past life, more power or wealth could have granted him access to a potion that might have cured his condition.
Satisfied with his exploration of the protagonist's soul, Zhou Tiandi rose from the lotus position and continued his journey, following the Great Dao sage's instructions.
...
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...
Two men, bathed in the gentle light of the rising sun, shared a moment of quiet reflection. Finally, the one sitting by the cliff broke the silence.
"Xiao Guang, do you remember how you used to look down upon me?"
Hearing these words, a nostalgic smile spread across the face of the other man who stood behind him. He began to reminisce about their past.
"Yes... At that time, since many of the younger generations didn't know about your talents after awakening and only knew that you didn't create a heavenly phenomenon at birth, people like me thought we were better than you..."
The man sitting continued to speak without altering his expression or shifting his gaze from the horizon.
"Yes, that's right. Everyone did, including Xifeng. But once I demonstrated my strength, they refused to question their preconceptions and tried to justify their earlier actions."
A pained expression crossed Xin Guang's face, and he lowered his head,
"It must've been hard..."
But the young man simply shook his head and replied with a mixture of emotions.
"Not at all..." He paused, then continued.
"No... Saying that would be a lie. I did feel frustrated. However, my family, you, Lei Qiang, Mo Suyin, and the others were always by my side, so I never felt alone."
A heavy sigh escaped his lips as he went on.
"But you know, that fiancee of mine left me, and now we've even lost Mo Suyin... Suyin, one of the few people I held dear, has left me. Slowly, I lose everything I hold dear, even though I try my best... things just don't seem to go that well, you know..."
His voice quivered with emotion, and he struggled to find the right words.
"The rest of us will never leave my lord's side!" Xin Guang declared with unwavering loyalty.
The young man managed a chuckle, though tinged with melancholy.
"Haha... I guess that's right. Nevertheless, to think she was foolish enough to fall for the idiotic lies of that Xiao Dong... Sigh, I truly don't have an eye for people, or rather, women~"
Xin Guang responded matter-of-factly.
"That you don't."
"Urgh! You are supposed to disagree with me at that, you know!"
"I simply spoke the truth."
"..."
"..."
"Sigh, whatever..."
"Perhaps I was at fault for trying to see something in her that didn't exist. However..."
He paused, turning to face Xin Guang.
"Xin Guang, make preparations to leave for the Yin family's territory. We shall hear out their excuses ourselves. To think they would have the gall to make excuses after all this. They truly do not put the Sect's honor in their eyes... Also, bring Ru with you. Let us show those Yin family bastards what the Xin family truly hides!!"
"I shall immediately do so, my lord!!" Xin Guang responded with unwavering determination.
As the young man reflected on the years he had spent with his loyal friends, he couldn't help but feel a renewed sense of purpose.
'Throughout the years, Xin Guang and Lei Qiang stayed by my side, even though I went through a lot... Betrayals, loss, pain, sorrows. But it was alright, since the memories Zhou Tiandi had already shown me all that... But enough is enough.'
An unusual determination shone ominously through his odd-coloured eyes as he resolved himself.
'The Yins shall...' An invisible aura spread out in the surroundings refusing to limit itself, '...pay!'
...
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...
Tiandi let out a long sigh as he lay in the pristine white snow, his breath forming mist in the cold air.
"What an odd dream..."
As he gazed up at the overcast skies, he began to reflect on his rather remarkable journey over the past fifty years.
During this half-century of his Dao pilgrimage, he had to return to the sect twice. Once, to deal with certain troublesome individuals, and the second time to visit his teacher.
However, the bulk of his pilgrimage had been an overwhelming success.
Approximately 29 years ago, he had the incredible fortune of receiving the inheritance of the 'Great Dao Wise Sage,' a revered figure known as the pioneer of will and scholarly cultivation.
While people had been cultivating their will even before the time of the Great Dao Wise Sage, it had been limited to martial intents, pill intents, and other specific domains.
Elder Zhou's remarkable discovery of the inheritance was a direct result of his "strained" relationship with the heavens.
No, it was more than just a matter of falling out of favor; he was genuinely hated by the heavens themselves.
Other than his path of will cultivation, Tiandi had always focused on developing his spirit, soul, and had a deep understanding of karmic ties.
The path of will cultivation was distinct from the more conventional forms of cultivation. There were no predefined realms for will cultivation until the immortal realm, meaning that practitioners couldn't solely rely on will cultivation until they reached this stage. They had to practice one of the other orthodox cultivation methods in conjunction with will cultivation.
The exception to this rule was comprehending a Dao law, a feat that very few, apart from the Great Dao Sage, had managed to achieve.
"Sigh... Not that anyone other than the Great Dao Sage has been able to do that..."
Nevertheless, after receiving the Great Dao Sage's inheritance, Elder Zhou had chosen to follow the instructions of his second teacher and experience the mortal realm.
As a result, he now found himself penniless and opted to sleep in the snow, braving the harsh cold(not that he was affected by it).
"That guy was definitely an odd one..."
Describing the Great Dao Sage as "odd" was an understatement. The Great Dao Sage had managed the impossible feat of having offspring as a Dao realm expert. This process entailed tearing apart a portion of his own existence, his very Dao, and bestowing it upon their child, a risky and near-lethal act for the Dao realm "eternal" beings.
"Let's just go back to sleep..." Elder Zhou mumbled to himself, closing his eyes to continue his restless slumber in the snow.
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...
"Oy! Wake up!"
"What ya doing sleeping in the fucking snow?!"
Jia█ndi, awakened from his sleep in the snow, was met with an urgent, harsh voice, and he opened his eyes, still groggy and annoyed
However, he couldn't s█e the █oman's fa█cial features... Her face seemed to be covered with scribbl█s
"---!"
Tiandi's heart began to beat harder, he felt out of breath as beads of sweat began to form on his forehead
"████ ██!"
"Ji..."
"Jianyu..."
"Jianyu! Wake up!!"
***
"Urghh...!"
Suddenly, Jianyu snapped back to his senses, surrounded by a cacophony of screeches and screams from voices he once knew.
The accusations and curses of his parents, grandmother, first friend, sect leader, teacher, subordinates, disciples, and many others filled his head.
They blamed him for surviving, for leaving them behind, for ignoring their warnings, for being the cause of their deaths, and for failing to fulfill their promises.
But, this was not much of a problem or rather this was what kept him calm...
What truly worried him were the golden flames swirling around him, signaling the onset of his Core formation tribulation.
[AN- Thanks for reading! This chapter might be a bit confusing for some, but it's basically Jianyu waking up and the end of Zhou Tiandi's story for now. Anyways, edgy teenager big J jianyu shall now make his appearance!]
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