Chapter 114 - Tribulation Plateau, Protector General and a huangfu-wearing heroic beauty

Bright Star City, Bright Star Island, Flowing Stars Archipelago, Earth

Demian's P.O.V.

Having said his piece, Sergei controlled the boat to fly toward the Heaven Tree’s crown, which, due to its colossal size, felt deceptively close but was actually a few tens of kilometers away. At least, the part housing the so-called Tribulation Plateau located at the very top of the trunk, which was also slightly visible through the dense foliage. However, their speed was much faster than previously, probably because the sightseeing ‘segment’ of the journey was over. That, and Brynhild was clearly fed up with waiting and wanted to be done with her Tribulation, something that everyone understood. Wasn’t it the same thing everyone went through when waiting to take an important exam or test? Although this ‘test’ was a life and death one, unlike those in his previous life, though some applicants may have disagreed with that particular statement. Thoughts could be really deceptive at times, after all. While his Mind was preoccupied by the coming ordeal, the Leaping Yang Fish was quickly closing in on their destination. A brief moment later, however, the boat’s movement completely halted before an unknown man teleported onto the deck without provoking any disturbance in the vessel’s protective formation, as if the man were a mere illusion. With a quick sweep of his Soul Sense, Demian could tell that the Array was still functioning perfectly, disproving the ‘illusion theory’ completely. Thus, the most likely explanation was that the man in question was so powerful that having a Peak Tier 3 Defensive Formation was the same as not having anything protecting them. ‘Well, fuck I guess?’ He thought wryly while his Mind went into overdrive, imagining the worst while the rest of his attention was on observing the thirty-year-old-looking man. Sporting shoulder-length black hair along with a well-trimmed beard that did nothing to hide the confident smile gracing his supernaturally handsome face, one of the tell-tale signs of a high level of Cultivation. Besides his ‘attractiveness’, the most glaring detail about him was his outfit. The latter comprised a dark blue mantle reaching to his ankle, possessing two metallic shoulder pads, two metallic wrist guards, and a metallic belt keeping the mantle in place. Below was a dark blue vest with metallic buttons going from his neck to the belt, a pair of dark blue pants, dark blue gloves, and dark blue boots. The metallic parts were a mix of dark blue and golden colors, while the rest of his clothes had golden linings, increasing the man’s dignified aura. Interestingly, he could see two distinct symbols sewn respectively on the left and right chest parts of his mantle. The one on the left represented a tower embedded in a wave, and the one on the right pectoral muscle pictured five golden five-pointed stars surrounding a golden sun in a five-pointed pattern.

Although Demian did not know what they meant, the wave included in them brought a recent memory to his Mind. ‘The Six Districts have variations of waves in their symbol... Could that guy be an ‘official’ of the Federation then?’ He pondered for a brief moment, his question being almost immediately answered when the unknown man started enthusiastically exchanging in ‘Common’ with Sergei and Ling, ‘Common’ being the official language of the Federation, while other languages like Chinese and Russian were merely considered dialects. “The youngest royal couple of the Federation in person! How long has it been since I’ve seen the two of you? A few decades? Time is truly fleeting when cultivating...” That last sentence was said in a wistful tone, hinting at some complicated emotions. His expression, however, turned back to his previous confident self when he heard Sergei and Ling respond one after another. “It’s been almost two decades, I believe, Protector General.” “I, Feng Ling, have seen the Protector General. The last time was during our Core Formation Tribulation. It was right here at the Upper Tribulation Plateau, and you were the one in charge at the time.” Nodding his head, a glint of reminiscence briefly appeared in the man’s gaze before he replied. “Who would have guessed that in less than 20 years, the two of you would move from the beginning to the Peak of Core Formation while also breaking through to the King Rank in your respective professions. And here I am, still stuck at the Peak of the Void Seed Rank, with no clue how to advance further. Life always finds a way of surprising you, doesn’t it?”

Shaking his head slightly, he then added. “But you’re not here to listen to an old man’s ranting, are you?” His gaze then moved toward the Mikhailovs, observing Adeliya only for a brief moment while leaving a comment in a neutral tone. “Decent Foundation.” However, his gaze stayed much longer on the other three. With Brynhild, he said appreciatively. “Perfect Energy, Soul, and Physique Foundation. A variant of a Giant Bloodline with Peak Purity and the Special Physique to match... Your potential is tremendous. With time and enough resources, overtaking me won’t be difficult for you.” His comment brought a smile to the woman, who thanked him calmly before the ‘Protector General’ observed Seraphine and remarked in an interested tone. “Superior Foundation. Variant of Dark Elf Bloodline with an Above Average Purity. A shame you‘ve only unlocked five Energy Channels... You might want to find a way to purify your Bloodline. That would help you unlock more Channels, raising your potential much further.” Interestingly, Adeliya had the same number of Energy Channels unlocked as her daughter, but she only earned a ‘decent foundation’ from the powerful man. ‘That truly shows that Energy Channels are only a part of one’s capabilities. Special Bloodlines might be even more important, though...’ He thought briefly. Unlike Liya, who only had a normal human Bloodline, Seraphine only had to increase her Shadow Void Elven Bloodline’s Purity to the Elite or even the Perfect-Grade to receive incredible benefits, such as Bloodline Techniques, Innate Foundation improvements, etc. In a way, possessing an awakened Bloodline is truly akin to cheating in Cultivation, similar to those nepo-babies in his previous life, although the degree was wildly different. After all, the former ‘only’ gained money and influence, while the latter granted you a higher lifespan and magical powers. The two were clearly incomparable. As for his own situation, that was even more exaggerated. ‘I’m still the biggest cheater overall!’ He thought, half-amused, half-proudly, before he noticed the man’s gaze falling on him. A brief moment later, his brow rose slightly while he was confused. “Strange... You clearly have a Perfect Foundation, a Special Physique, but you only have six Energy Channels unlocked and no Bloodline... Your Soul Power’s fluctuations are also extremely peculiar...”

Listening to the man’s explanation, an answer instantly came to Demian’s Mind. ‘That’s definitely my Perks, coupled with the Soul Chaos Ring compensating for my Innate deficiencies. Without those, there’s no way I would’ve reached that kind of Foundation. No wonder that guy finds it weird. It’s like making a cheeseburger without cheese, but when you taste it, you can taste actual cheese. There’s definitely some secrets involved...’ Knowing how ‘sensitive’ his secret was, the young man was starting to get worried as the older man kept staring at him in thought. Despite feeling no malice, having an unknown man so powerful that he could not even sense him being interested in his circumstances was nerve-wracking, especially with excuses he could use to hide behind. Fortunately, Sergei suddenly intervened with a reasonable explanation. “In fact, Demian here has experienced the ‘Special Physique’ experiment on the Origin Islands. Luckily for him, the drawbacks from the experiment weren’t too pronounced, so seeing his talent, I decided to take him as a personal student.” Right after the man wearing his usual three-piece suit finished talking, Ling added. “It took some precious resources to fix his Essence deficit, but since we didn’t need to buy the Pills, and I also found myself a personal student along the way, we just went with it.” Listening to their explanation, the Protector General’s face turned into a frown before he spat. “Those wolf bastards are still experimenting over there?! Damn it! If it wasn’t because my Cultivation Base is too low, I wouldn’t mind obliterating those Fiends!” Letting out a sigh, his facial expression suddenly loosened, and his gaze fell on Brynhild as he asked. “Is this little girl your new student?” The term ‘little girl’ brought an amused smile to the Asian woman, who shook her head and gestured toward Sera before saying. “This is Seraphine Mikhailov, my favorite student. She’s not only talented, but also has a personality that matches mine. Brynhild is her sister, and Adeliya is their mother. As for Demian, he is Adeliya’s adopted son and the two girls’ adopted brother.”

With an interested look on his face, the general replied. “With the two of you behind them, those four won’t lack resources. That’s great! Seeing how talented the young generation is always warms my Heart.” Pausing for a second, he then looked at the four Mikhailovs and said solemnly. “I hope the four of you can grow well and become the future pillars of the Federation. Heaven knows we need all the strong Cultivators we can find.” The four nodded firmly, while answering with words like ‘I’ll do my best, Sir’, or ‘Yes, Sir’. Demian, however, noticed the other man’s choice of words, words that seemed to hint at something more profound. ‘It may be a misunderstanding, but it seems like the Federation’s situation isn’t as peaceful as it looks on the surface... I wonder if those ‘Wolf Bastards’, as he put it, are involved or not? Whatever the case, since they’re the ones behind the ‘Special Physiques’ experiments, whatever that means, I‘ll need to check on who they are. Speaking of which, are those Supes just people with flawed Special Physiques? It kinda makes sense when I think about it...’ His thoughts were suddenly interrupted when the General exclaimed. “Alright! Chatting aside, since you came to the Tribulation Plateau, it should be for one of you two, correct?” His gaze moved from Demian and Brynhild, who had both reached the limits of the Chi Gathering Rank, at least for raw power. Simply put, the only way forward for them was upward, or in other words, breaking through to the Foundation Building Rank. However, because he had only focused on perfecting his Foundation for the last few weeks, Demian’s fighting methods were still at their previous level and thus too weak to completely utilize his new strength. Brynhild was different, though. Having purified her Bloodline further, the Spells, Techniques, etc., she had access to had not only increased in number, but also in quality. Thus, with her perfect Foundation and after mastering her new overpowered Spells, Techniques, and Skills, the woman whose wildness never failed to captivate Demian’s imagination was finally ready to face her Tribulation.

With a light nod, the redhead replied calmly in Common, a language the four had quickly mastered a few days after arriving at the Serene Mansion. “It’s me, Sir.” With his smile growing, the older man exclaimed. “I see no fear in your eyes. Good! Bravery is essential when facing one’s Tribulation, especially with a Foundation like yours.” Pausing his words for a second, he then asked. “Do you have enough Healing Pills, girl? I have a few sitting in my Void Ring. Here, take them.” Before she could refuse, a few jade bottles appeared magically in her hand, without Demian being able to sense any energy fluctuation. “I...” With a conflicted look on her face, Bryn started to talk but was interrupted by the chuckling Feng Ling, who reassured her. “You don’t need to refuse the Protector General’s gift, Bryn’er. It’s something he often does when he meets talented young cultivators.” Sergei also added. “We’ve also received a few bottles of Healing Pills from him when we went through our own tribulation a few decades ago. So, you can accept the gift with peace of mind.” Despite the conflicted look on her face, Bryn simply nodded and muttered to the General. “Thank you, Sir.” Waving away her thanks, the older man exclaimed. “Don’t mind it! As long as you go through your Tribulation safely, that would be the best way to thank me. Speaking of which, do you need some time to prepare before starting?” Shaking her head, she responded calmly. “No need, Sir. I’m as ready as I can be.” Nodding slightly, the older man replied. “Very well, then. I’ll send you to the Plateau’s center.” As the last word left his lips, Brynhild suddenly disappeared from the boat’s deck, leaving the other three Mikhailovs frozen for a brief moment, with Adeliya subconsciously muttering in Russian. “What the...?” Their confusion was short-lasting, though, as Sergei commented to the other five. “Since Bryn is about to start her Tribulation, let’s fly to the spectating area.” Pausing for a second, he then moved his gaze toward General Anrepov and asked. “Will you join us, Protector General?” With a light nod and sporting a smile, the general replied. “Naturally! It’s not every day that someone with a Perfect Foundation goes through their Tribulation. I wonder how it will compare to your own from the time when you were at the Peak of the Chi Gathering Rank.” With a slight shake of his head and a mysterious smile, Sergei responded. “Who knows?”

As soon as those words left his lips, the boat moved upwards, crossing through the tree’s canopy in a brief instant until it arrived on the northern side of the tree’s crown, right outside the platform. “Is this the spectator’s area?” Demian mumbled curiously as, beside leaves and branches below them, there was nothing. Where were the stands? Where were the benches and chairs? Rather than calling this place a spectator area, it would be more accurate to call it a vacant place. Hearing his words, the three veteran Cultivators chuckled for a moment before Sergei asked calmly. “Are you all wondering why there’s nowhere to sit?” After noting the confusion on the three ‘newbies’, the man with his iconic thin mustache explained. “It’s quite simple. This place is normally used by those at the Peak of the Foundation Building Rank and at the Peak of the Core Formation Rank to undergo their Tribulation. Because reaching that level allows for flight, whether through one’s own prowess or with the help of a Flying Artifact, seats are clearly redundant. Even those like Bryn with a lower Cultivation Level would have Cultivators with higher Cultivation Bases to accompany them. Whatever the case, an empty space is all that’s needed for the spectators.” After listening to that explanation, Demian realized he had been mistaken. ‘Funny how it’s already been a few months since I became a Cultivator, but I’m still thinking like a Mortal... Then again, stuff like flying shouldn’t have been something I needed to care about for a long time if it wasn’t for my Perks boosting my Cultivation to a ridiculous degree...’ He pondered as his gaze fell on the colossal wooden platform covering the greater part of the tree crown in a circular manner, its center located right above the tree trunk. And right there, standing in the middle of the platform a few kilometers away, was a redhead woman with bright red hair wearing a tight-fitted icy blue huangfu matching the color of her eyes with a red-eyed golden phoenix surrounded with white clouds emblazoned in the front of the vest. A pair of matching long pants and shoes, along with a golden, icy blue ribbon holding her silky crimson-colored hair in a ponytail, leaving only two locks of hair framing her sharp golden features, gave her an image of heroic beauty. Unlike her previous ‘bikini armor’ outfit, which mostly oozed sexy wildness, this one added an air of dignity and strength, while not hiding her imposing female assets. After all, whether it be her bust, buttocks, or thighs, Demian did not believe it was humanly possible to hide them completely. They were too ‘grandiose’ for that.

‘Is it me or is she getting more and more attractive...?’ He contemplated with awe toward the muscular woman standing proudly in the center of the massive platform, her gaze directed at the Heavens, and her spine as straight as a spear. A brief moment later, a long halberd appeared in her hands, its Killing Aura perceivable from where they stood, adding another layer of fierceness to her commanding beauty. As his attention was attracted to Bryn’s display, he suddenly heard Seraphine’s question. “I was wondering... What’s up with coming here to go through our Tribulation? I mean, wouldn’t it be simpler to leave the City? Am I missing something here?” Before the Anrepov couple could answer anything, Protector General Anrepov answered. “Good question, girl. Do you know about this tree’s significance for the City?” Tilting her head, Sera looked at the older man and replied. “Teacher and Uncle Sergei told us it’s linked to the protective Formation, but that’s pretty much all that we know.” Giving a fake cough when he noticed the older man’s cocked brow, Sergei explained, a little embarrassed. “They’ve only arrived a few weeks ago, so I haven’t had time to tell them much...” Shaking his head slightly while sporting an amused smile, the General remarked. “No need to be all flustered. Besides those like you who study Formation Arrays, knowing too much information about this place doesn’t have much significance. Though there is still something vital that the three of you younglings must know.” Pausing his words, his gaze then fell on the colossal platform before adding. “This Tribulation Platform is a special hollow space created in the formation. Normally, the barrier covering the City area ends a few kilometers above our heads, but the layer above that platform is similar to a lid that can be opened to let through any Tribulation. As for the reason why I call it ‘hollow’ and not ‘hole’, it’s simply because of the flexible barrier surrounding the platform, which allows for Cultivators like us to spectate anyone going through their Tribulation without being struck by any attack remnants. If it wasn’t for that particular setup, not only would the Formation have to bear the brunt of the tribulation Strikes, but its strength would also grow too powerful due to sensing the Formation covering the Cultivator in question.”

His explanation plunged the three into a thoughtful silence, which was broken a few moments later by Adeliya’s question. “If that’s the case, going outside the City would be the same, wouldn’t it?” Casting a brief glance toward the redhead wearing a red cheongsam, the man in uniform responded calmly. “Of course not. When I sent her there, I also gave her a token. That token can wield a small part of the Formation, which grants access to some protective measure coming from the Array. Of course, her current Cultivation Base doesn’t allow for too much protection, but as long as she has prepared herself enough, it should be enough to succeed.” Hearing his explanation, Liya let out a sigh of relief. After all, she may have grown fond of teasing her daughter lately, but that did not mean she would want anything bad befalling her, a feeling that both Demian and Seraphine shared as well. With the man’s explanation, the young man’s anxiety was mostly alleviated, eliciting a thought. ‘With her new Techniques, Spells, and Skills, along with the Formation, she will definitely be fine! Definitely... Fuck! Why am I so worried all of a sudden?!’

As his Mind went into overthinking mode, he suddenly heard Ling exclaim. “It’s starting!”