----- 𝘧𝓇𝑒𝑒𝑤ℯ𝑏𝓃𝘰𝑣ℯ𝘭.𝘤ℴ𝘮

Heavenly Tribulations, a trope within many Cultivation Stories.

When a Cultivator must ascend from a mortal to an immortal, usually, this trope appears.

The Heavens themselves must give them a trial, or sometimes they want to stop them from ascending.

Either way, this is their trial; they must endure the punishment of heaven, Heavenly Thunder, for several attacks at once.

More often than not, in these stories, it is always said that most cultivators die before they can fully ascend.

And usually, there’s another trope: to ascend, you must let the Heavenly Thunder destroy your body and then reconstruct it.

To absorb the energy of Heaven as it attempts to stop you from becoming a god, it is quite amazing and even a bit poetic.

There are many types of Tribulations, the most basic is thunder, but they can even come in the form of Heavenly Beasts made of clouds or thunder.

And more often than not, the protagonist has to face a unique Tribulation that is more powerful than the rest, mostly due to their own growth and talents.

After all, the stronger you are, the harsher is the Heavenly Tribulation, but also the greater the rewards.

And right now, I faced perhaps one of those too.

A giant dragon made of gold and black thunder; it engulfed me whole.

You weren’t supposed to fight them or destroy them, but to let them absorb you and transform your body.

It is painful, agonizing, and it can kill you, but this formation here was my saving grace; what would have killed me definitely didn’t.

And because of the formation, despite my body being constantly burned, it regenerated just as quickly and was also made incredibly tougher than normal.

BOOOM!

I gritted my teeth as I felt the dragon’s jaws bite through my body with their thunderous and etheric mass; my skin burned, my flesh was torn apart, and my bones cracked.

Yet I was also recovering it all quickly; my mother’s formation was simply incredible!

“You can do it, Anna!” she cried. “You can do it! I trust you… Ascend! Ascend, my daughter!”

“Don’t you dare disappoint your father!” roared the Heavenly Demon. “You’ve taught me a lot about life, more than I would ever hope to learn from a damn brat, so don’t disappoint me now, Anna! Endure!”

“Big sis! You can do it! You can do it!" Song cried.

Yes, of course.

As long as you’re there for me.

As long as you’re cheering for me…

Even when my body is being torn to shreds.

Even when my soul is being electrocuted and vaporized.

And even when my spirit is being burned…

I must endure!

I will ascend, grow strong, and save your world!

This beautiful world, that despite everything it has gone through, has taught me so much.

This journey that has completely changed me forever…

And the home of my beautiful family and my wonderful new friends…

I haven’t forgotten Earth, though; I love it even more!

And to save it, I must first save this world.

I must first…

Ascend!

If someone were to hear my thoughts, they would probably think I’m an idiot.

To love complete strangers so much after only a few months of meeting them.

To love a world I wasn’t even born in, already ruined.

Most people would believe I’m a fucking imbecile.

That I shouldn’t care about others, nor about other worlds.

That I should remain selfish for my own good.

But…

I simply can’t.

I love these things so much, I can’t stop.

I can’t bring myself to become selfish like that… no.

Everything I’ve done so far, and everything I will do in the future.

It’s not for the sake of just growing stronger because it feels nice…

No, it’s because I love these people so much…

I don’t want them to die against the endless, chaotic, and indescribable events that are to come!

This is… really, this is really my resolve.

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I don’t grow stronger for myself; it is because they’re the means for an end.

Unlike my brother in the later half of the novel.

And unlike many other selfish wish-fulfillment protagonists I’ve read so many times before, trying to analyze these novels success in their self-insert fantasies.

I can’t do that.

I do this for everyone, not for myself.

Well, maybe a tiny bit for myself, but…

As long as I keep these people I love within my mind.

I always feel like I can do anything.

RUMBLE!

It felt like my body, soul, and spirit were shattered, vaporized, and then remade anew.

The Heavenly Thunder completely restructured me and then gave birth to me anew.

It felt like I was passing through a cold river.

It was very cold, but it felt nice.

The calmness that came after all of that suffering.

It was really, really nice.

I saw visions.

Of the world at its peak, in the past.

Of the greenery of the plains.

Of the frozen mountains.

Of the hot deserts.

Of the beautiful forests and jungles.

Of the hundreds of cities full of animal people walking everywhere.

Such a beautiful world.

This is perhaps the most unique and the most beautiful Murim world I’ve ever seen.

So full of diverse tribes, of so many people.

A constant battle between good and evil.

Between what’s right and what’s not right.

Between those that desire to keep order in a world riddled by chaos and those that want to attain freedom by embracing chaos.

This beautiful world…

I will save it.

And I will restore it to its former glory.

I promise it to you, Heavenly Will.

As your last remaining power is imbued into my body.

“Thank you…”

I heard her voice so gentle, like that of a mother.

Yes, the Heavenly Will of Bestia, who was long dead.

Her last remaining will, her last remaining power.

She put it all into this Heavenly Tribulation.

“The last Immortal of Bestia…”

I heard her voice again as I looked into the skies of Mom’s inner realm.

I saw visions once more.

Of the world’s conception.

Of her own creation.

Of how the will of heaven was born in the world’s conception when the two primordial beasts battled.

The clouds swirling in the sky, the earth shaking, life being born.

And how the heavens themselves attained a consciousness of their own.

How they saw the very first beings, the Dokkaebi, born from the primordial pools of Nether Ki.

How they fought against one another, using their powerful sorcery and soul techniques.

And how they built ancient empires and kingdoms.

Only to fall once more, their weakest descendants diverging into countless different people.

The animal people of Bestia.

They, who inherited the “worst traits” of the ancient Dokkaebi.

They were weak.

They were driven by their emotions.

Sometimes, they were reckless.

They would even go as far as putting others in front of themselves.

And they also developed love; they loved one another.

The Dokkaebi, more akin to demons, had such traits but always suppressed them.

But their weaker descendants, no, they did not suppress them.

They embraced their weakness.

And from such weaknesses, the strongest of this world were born.

The white crane, she embraced the weakness of all people.

Their hope, born from their weakness, born from their wishes and dreams.

The black crow, he embraced his weakness, his hatred, his fear, his frustrations, and his sorrow.

These things that they would have neglected, he turned them into his ultimate strength.

And so they were born; from their weakest, they surpassed even the Ancient Dokkaebi Emperors.

The pinnacle of their world—perhaps even of many more.

The Heavenly Demon and the Heavenly Empress.

Their hope, I could feel it within me.

And so I saw the world through her eyes; I saw what she saw.

The Heavenly Will, you had been a good mother.

Until the very last moment, as the machines invaded, you put all your power into saving this world.

Even if it meant sacrificing yourself.

You manipulated fate so they wouldn’t lose no matter what.

And you even went as far as weakening Song when he ate the seed, helping the Venerables seal him.

Thank you for being there and for watching over these people.

“Please… save this world… that I love so much…”

“I will.”

I felt someone hugging me in that moment, the warm embrace of a mother that loved everyone.

“Baptized by my lightning… You’re now my child. Take care.”

“Thank you for everything.”

Then I opened my eyes, realizing that my surroundings had been completely destroyed; there was a huge crater around me.

And I was… crying?

I looked at myself in the reflection of a huge underground lake that had surged from the crater.

My appearance had changed…

I looked much more mature now; I definitely didn’t look like someone in her 17s…

More like in my early twenties now, wow.

My body was covered in glowing gold and black-colored “runes” in the shape of Feng Shui symbols.

And my hair, its brown color wasn’t gone, but it had become so clear, it was almost blonde, with strands of red.

My eyes… they became blue like lightning.

And the changes of my own Spiritual Body were even more insane.

It had expanded, evolved completely.

Everything within it had been restructured even more.

When I glanced inside, there was now a world.

A boundless spiritual sea and several islands where my egos lived.

There were jungles and even skies.

There weren’t living beings; it wasn’t a physical plane but a spiritual plane, perhaps even a mind plane.

My Spiritual Body had become taller and slender, with gold, white, black, and purple colors.

Alongside that, an azure nebula wrapped it like a dress, and there was a crown made of rainbow jewels above its head.

My Martial Core changed, taking a circular shape, resembling Yin and Yang, just like the pill, with a gold and red circle in the middle.

“Hahh…”

And above all, as I looked at my hands, I felt something.

Several hands at the same time surged; my egos were in full sync with my own Physique!

“Anna…”

“Ahh!”

“Ooh?”

“Hmm…”

I heard their voices, their various, different personalities, as I saw silhouettes, reflections of my own hand merging together with my own physical hand.

Rapidly, it felt like my hand was strengthened; any part of my body now, as I wished, could do this, fusing with all my egos at once to gain an explosive boost of strength and durability.

The system? It was silent.

It seemed to still be processing what happened to me.

Back then, when the Heavenly Demon changed my Spiritual Body, there weren’t any messages regarding that either.

I wonder if I’ll get any now…

But then…

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have successfully consumed the [Divine Heavenly Yin and Yang Primordial Pill (??? Rank)] and fully absorbed its heavenly powers.]

[Because of this, you have promptly reached all the conditions to ascend into an immortal ahead of time!]

[You have undergone a Heavenly Tribulation and survived! Your Physique, Martial Core, Spiritual Body, and Soul have been restructured and remade through the Heavenly Lightning.]

[Your Soul has become stronger and larger! You have unlocked the [SOUL] stat. By growing this Stat, your Soul will also continue to develop.]

[Your Spiritual Body has evolved! You have unlocked the ability to evolve and cultivate your Spiritual Body, the embodiment of your Supernatural Abilities.]

[Your [Spiritual Body]: [Rainbow-Crowned Yin-Yang Princess of the Azure Nebula (Tier 1: Rank 1)] has been formed!]

[Your [Physique]: [Ten Colored Stars Physique (Tier 4: Rank 7)] has evolved into the [Immortal Physique]: [Myriad Rainbow Star Firmament Physique (Tier 5: Rank 1)]!]

[Your [Martial Core]: [Eclipsing Umbral Star Core (Tier 3: Rank 6)] has evolved into the [Immortal Martial Core]: [Colliding Chaotic Yin and Heavenly Yang Star Core (Tier 5: Rank 1)]!]

[All your Stats have increased tremendously!]

[The Essence of [???] trembles, manifesting!]

[You have learned the Personal Immortal Spiritual Martial Arts: [Myriad Self Arts: Tier 1]!]

[Because of the Origins of this Spiritual Martial Arts, it has now become your Core Martial Arts at the same time as your current one, without any problems.]

Eh? Really?!

Holy shit!

“Anna! Annaaa! You did it!”

“I can’t believe it! Y-You really did it!”

“Big sis! That’s amazing! But you’re naked… Wow, you really don’t have any feathers or fur!”

My family came to congratulate me, but what Song said…

He was right; all my clothes were destroyed!

Uwaah! I’m so embarrassed now!

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