Don't Own anything.
'thought'
"Speech"
"Tvs, Radios, and Text via book or newspaper... when those are around..."
My breath comes out in shorts pained pants as I return to consciousness.
A fire burns deep in my core, I sit up with a gasp, little sparks crackling around my body.
'wh- where- ahhhh fuck!'
It got out!
The little lightning fucker got out!
GET. BACK. IN. THE. FUCKING. BOTTLE!
The venomous lightning is once more contained instead of bouncing around my body. It seems to buzz dangerously but remains trapped, sealed away from the remainder of my body.
"Hooo." I breathe lowly only to pause, bringing a hand to my throat.
"I know I absolutely shredded my voice... but I didn't expect it to change this... much..." My voice slowly dies out as I remember some of what happened at the end of my tribulation. "Throat Acupoint... I see. That explains a few things. that must be what a majority of that pain was... it is quite difficult to alter your foundation after you have already lain it."
I let out a single huff of amusement. "I know I took his name, but it appears I have also copied his deep and melodic voice as well. Funny."
Let me just-
"Every Journey has it's final day. Don't Rush."
'Hey that is pretty fucking good.'
"Human life... is brief. Every moment precious. Do not allow your moments to be wasted." I continue to myself.
Maybe I have a career in voice acting if this cultivator mumbo jumbo doesn't work out.
"Osmanthus wine tastes the same as I remember... but where are those... who share the memory?"
A quiet laugh leaves my throat at that statement. I should use that one day.
I look over my body, letting out another low hum as I take note of my appearance.
My clothing is blackened, tattered and torn, barely hanging off my body in strips.
I suppose that's just what happens when you get eaten by a dragon made of lightning. But at least I thought ahead and brought a change of clothes with me... they should be nearby if Diablo dragged me into that cave I found like she was supposed to.
I reach up and rub my head, only to freeze as I feel two little nubs on my forehead.
'Wh- ah. My Immortal Body seems to have grown somewhat. Presumably from the stress... regardless, it appears I am growing horns. How interesting.'
I release my hold upon my immortal body, feeling the little nubs of bone disappear into nothing but little motes of light.
In a way, such a devastating tribulation was good luck... a cultivator tends to grow much faster within conflict...
Until they don't and they die.
I let out a small hacking cough, blood staining my hand yet again.
"…"
"Ah shit. That's right. The tribulation poisoned me." I note with a long annoyed groan.
'Well, let's get this ten-year meditation session over with.'
'alright... let's see here...'
"Fus."
"Fus?"
"Fus Ro Dah."
My eyes narrow slightly as I cup my chin, glaring at the ground. Diablo is freely wrapped around my neck, basking in the sun.
How the fuck did I do that back then.
"Lok."
My blood begins to rush, loudly through my ears, I can feel my body tingle as my blood itself seems to gain even more vitriol. The toxicity of my blood seeming to increase about twofold.
I watch a cloud in the distance look as if an invisible force punched a hole completely through it. It begins to slowly drift in all directions as I let out a low hum.
It's as I thought... that is the first word of the 'Clear Skies' shout from skyrim.
Numerous questions seem to pelt my mind.
The first and most glaring being 'how the FUCK am I doing this?!' Thuum has NOTHING to do with cultivation. Thus, it has no right to be here.
I could accept others being able to cultivate, as if I could do it, why couldn't others... I made a wish for knowledge, and the ROB seemed to put me in a combination of some sort of Murim bullshit and the marvel cinematic universe.
But SKYRIM DRAGON SHOUTS?!
What's the connection?
Why am I able to do a part of clear skies, but not the basic Fus Ro Dah?
Isn't Fus Ro Dah, like the most basic of basic shouts?!
Ah well.
I shake my head and let out a sigh.
I've figured out a little about shouting.
First off, the louder I say it, the more powerful it is.
A whisper punches an extremely tiny hole in a cloud, a normal speaking voice punches a much larger hole... and shouting practically detonates a single cloud.
I assume it'll also grow more powerful the more words I use, but... for now, only 'Lok' works.
Damn it!
This is so fucking annoying! How do I learn more?! Clear skies is a little useless to me in daily life.
I would KILL for even a single word of 'tiid klo ul'
"Tiid." I whisper.
Yep. Nothing.
Fuck it. Let's just go over the ones I DO remember from the game.
"Yol?"
"Laas."
"Feim."
Shit. Become Ethereal would have been useful.
"Gol"
No bending minds for me, it seems.
"Mul!"
Nope. Shit. That would have been badass. And I thought I would have ALREADY had 'Dragon Aspect'.
"Gaan?"
"Fo."
"Krii?"
"Wuld!"
"…"
A long breath leaves my lips. "Fucking swell."
That's the ones I know off the top of my head.
I scratch my eyebrow with an annoyed frown.
Sparks briefly crackle around my body, causing a brief spasm to cross my form as it seems to try and get out again.
'Tsk- fucking heavenly tribulation... you little piece of shit. If you hadn't helped me rapidly cultivate to my third meridian, I would have totally tossed you to the curb.'
That's right.
In what seems like in merely ONE short year- a year being tormented by my heavenly prisoner, that is, I have managed to make my way through most of my new meridian path.
The venomous holy lightning of the tribulation... the reason I keep it is that I feel I can make it my own... also it has seriously sped up my cultivation rate as it tries to murder me!
Anything that is venomous or poison is my right to dominate and control.
It might be hubris on my part, but I am Venom Dragon. Arrogance is in my nature.
If I keep up this pace, I should reach fourth stage by next year!
However.
No way in hell am I attempting that shit quite yet.
I nearly died, damn it!
Before I attempt that shit again I'm going to make some sort of body fortifying medicine to further improve my strength.
And that... means I need to begin seeking out that one sect around that city I made my way through a while back.
Well, it was hard to find, taking an entire year, in fact, but eventually I do come across a large gate in the mountains.
Upon the very top of it is the words 'Immortal Farmer Sect'.
'oh?! It was a farmer sect! We are about to become good friends."
"Hello?" I call out. "Is anyone there?"
I cross my arms and wait, eventually the door creaks open, an older looking man slowly stepping out.
"Greetings..." He bows his head slightly, a gesture of respect which I return. "I am Zheng Lan."
"I am Venom Dragon."
"A powerful name." The man notes. "Might I be bold to ask what a cultivator of your strength wants with my Sect?"
"I am looking for herbs actually." I admit. "My last tribulation nearly killed me- as it was a variant one I hadn't expected, so I am going to over prepare for my next one."
"Ah... yes." The man sighs wistfully. "The trials of cultivation are indeed quite dangerous if faced while unprepared."
I pause as I cup my chin, looking over the man. "You. You are at the fourth stage, correct?"
"Astute eyes, Venom Dragon... I am indeed. Though, this is my limit, I am sad to say."
I decide not to comment on that as he gestures into the open door. "Shall we go inside? It is not every day a battle king comes to our doorstep."
I walk alongside him as we climb the stone steps up the mountain face.
"However." He speaks. "I am still confused... why come here? Surely someone of your talent, your age, and your strength, surely you could just go to your sect for assistance, correct?"
"I'm actually a loose cultivator." I admit.
"A LOOSE CULTIVATOR?!" The man seems genuinely awestruck, eyes widening. "To already be at the battle king stage... at your age? How old are you, if I may ask."
"What year is it?" I question idly.
"I believe in the secular world; it is nineteen sixty-three."
"Nineteen sixty three? That would make me roughly... forty three."
"You have already made it to the battle king state at the age of forty three..." Seeming to be genuinely impressed. "You must have started cultivating below the age of ten... did you have some form of innate calling for cultivation?"
"Well, I started in America."
"…" he looks at me like I am absolutely fucking insane.
"And it took about four hundred days for me to finish the typical one hundred days required for my foundation." I admit. "And no, I started at around eighteen."
"So, a genius then." He dryly mutters. "Due to the fact that you were able to do any form of cultivation in America."
"I wouldn't call myself that." I wave off. "I have been lucky more than anything... and I've heard people call America a dead zone for Cultivation. It's not that bad. Peaceful more than anything... I found a fifty-year-old black truffle once. That was nice."
"It just doesn't have the natural capacity for sustaining anything beyond aged mundane plants." He simply explains.
"Why?" I question.
"I... do not know, actually. Hrm. That is a good question... it is a place on this planet as well... there should be a reason as to why the spiritual power is so low there." He notes, stroking his long beard with a slightly intrigued expression.
"Maybe it's being drained somewhere?" I suggest.
"Possible." He notes. "But to drain an entire continent..."
"It would require the abilities of someone who is at least of the eighth stage or so." I agree. "Or a seventh stage venerable who had a lot of free time on their hands to set up a continent-wide array."
We eventually seem to enter the sect proper, it clearly isn't that impressive of one, as the sect leader is currently only a fourth stage... one that has his void core broken, it appears.
Ah.
I should mention, a Void Core is basically a 'pseudo energy core' thing stage four cultivators get.
The process of fourth stage cultivation is a simple one.
You need to temper nine of your bones into a 'golden bone'. At which point, you will drag a lance of energy from it towards your void core and prick it.
You do this nine times, and you are ready to enter the next stage.
Yeah.
Nine bones.
Nine of fuckin' two hundred and six.
I already know what I'll be doing to forge my path for the fourth stage.
Anyways, if your energy control is bad, or someone harasses you during this 'tempering' state where you stab your void core, you might break it... permanently stagnating your cultivation at the fourth stage until you have some sort of life changing experience...
Or you take a medicine which normally has around a three percent chance of working- should anyone else make it.
Frankly, I'm not even sure if the world at large knows about that recipe I was given with my divine imparted knowledge.
We stand, overlooking a small valley with older oriental looking buildings. I can see large fields in the distance, even from here I can smell the scent of cultivation plants permiating the air. "Here we are... the immortal farmer sect. Might I ask what you have to trade?"
"I've got a forty year Yin lotus bud, twelve sprigs of ten-year old azure moon grass, and one five hundred year ginger."
"Five... hundred... year ginger?" The man echoes. "Even as a mundane plant... that is- that could be a genuine treasure... may I see it?"
I briefly sort through my backpack and offer the plant to him. I can see the look of awe that crosses his face.
I myself had a similar look when I found it a couple months ago.
It's rare to find a plant that is older than you are, as a cultivator. Especially once you reach the fourth stage and beyond.
"I will give you... Five fifth rank spirit stones for it." The man begins.
"I assume you have more medicine on hand than money as a farming sect... do you have any fire element plants? I also need some sky touched vine as well if you have it. Then possibly some fifty year Jasmine root. Oh, and I'd like to be the one to pick them, if that isn't too bold to ask."
"Of course! Allow me to lead you to the field, I believe we may just have something that might interest you."
I follow the man as he leads me to a small grove within the confines of this little terraced valley, he gestures out into it. There's a sweltering heat in the air, frankly it's a little arid and uncomfortable. "Here are our Fortifying Ember Vine. Pick what you wish."
My eyes flick around the surroundings as I cup my chin, a low hum of appreciation leaving my lips.
I slowly- and carefully- maneuver my way through the cave, eventually finding something that suits my needs.
"These were planted about twenty years ago, correct? They're kept at a suitable temperature and hydration. A bit dry, though. You'd improve its growth rate by about twenty percent if you spritzed a spray bottle of water in this room every six months or so... despite being a plant that thrives in heat and dryness... it still has a minor need for water, after all."
I reach up and pluck a small stem from the ground, gazing down at a small ivy plant. The greenish leaves having blackened near the tips, the leaves themselves having little pronounced spikes that go along the edge, far more than a standard ivy plant's like Poison Ivy.
It glows brightly as it frees itself from the earth. The blackened tips of the leaves rapidly creeping down the leaf.
"WHAT?!" I can hear the man gasp. "What did you-"
"Ah... my apologies. I forgot to mention my natural constitution. Plants I pick... tend to grow a bit more powerful. In fact, I needed a forty year Fortifying Ember Vine for my medicine... but, the spiritual energy within this now exceeds that of a forty year."
The man stands there, rooted in shock. "I... I have heard of some people having a natural farming constitution... with plants they tend to and harvest maturing faster and generally just being better than normal. But... never to such power you have just displayed... you don't have a constitution suited for farming. That is a tremendous understatement. You have something... else... some sort of... Heavenly Agriculture constitution."
"Hn. Perhaps." I admit with a small shrug.
Another result of my skyrim perks... the one that allows me to harvest twice as much ingredients from a plant.
Being able to harvest two flowers from a single stem seemed like a bit too reality breaking, so it appears the deity simply made any plant I harvest double its effectiveness.
Practically the same thing, but reality breaking in other ways.
The man bows before me. "Please... young master... join the Immortal farmer sect."
I raise my hand. "Please, stand up, Senior. Do not prostrate yourself before me."
"I cannot promise to join your sect... However, resources would be quite nice to have for my cultivation. I... I wish to eventually return to my roots in America, but I have no plans to do so for quite some time... I can stay for... forty years. Until two thousand and three. In that time, I would like to join as a temporary disciple. But allow me to stress this. Temporary. This is a mutually beneficial agreement. You gain access to my farming constitution, while I gain a backing to progress my own cultivation. However. Even after I leave, that does not mean that we will be on bad terms. I may even come for a harvest every now and then. Does that sound fair?"
He slowly rises his head, a slight bit of greed entering his eye. "Of course! Forty years should be more than enough to bring our immortal farmer sect to new heights! You have my thanks, young master."
"Please, do not call me that." I sigh while scratching the side of my head as I help the man back to his feet. "Now, there is something I'd like to ask... your Void Core... you broke it, correct?"
His joy seems to dissipate briefly, he lets out a long and tired sigh, gazing upwards. "Yes. It did. With one foolish moment of impatience... my cultivation remains stagnant forevermore."
"Do you want me to fix it?" I offer.
His head snaps up to look at me, slight heat in his gaze. "That is a presumptuous thing to say. Have you no heart?!"
"I would not offer it if I didn't have the ability to do so." I frown before a small smirk forms on my face. "I am Venom Dragon. I may look young and inexperienced, but my medical knowledge is quite adept. I have a natural pill forging constitution. One surpassing my constitution for harvesting... My question to you would be if you are willing to put your life on the line to regain your void core?"
"W-What? A constitution surpassing that of the one you have just shown?!" He whispers.
"If you don't believe me, allow me to borrow a pill furnace. Give me the materials to make a fasting pill. You are aware of the normal potency of a fasting pill, correct? I will show you how potent my pill forging actually is, and, if you wish to take the chance to regain your void core... I will craft what I like to call the Heavenly Void Condensation Pill... if you are unaware, it's a pill that should have roughly a three percent chance of working... normally, that is. I know a method to improve the standard recipe to around nine percent... That chance is improved with a truly high quality pill furnace, one that is an artifact of some sort, fueled by Tempest Holy Fire and made of Bloodstone Jade can further improve this chance by up to twenty five percent..."
A small smile appears on my face. "Then, if you take into account my Pill forming constitution."
"I can make it go from a mere three percent... all the way to sixty three percent... seventy eight if you eat the pill within twenty seconds of me removing it from the Pull Furnace. And that is discounting the edits I can make to a pill furnace to make it work better. Beyond the typical twenty five percent chance" I tap my chin and tilt my head.
"S-Seveny eight percent?! Boy. Do you have any idea what you are saying?!" He begins.
"I do." I nod once with a small smile. "If I am confident in anything, it is my skill in making medicine."
His hands quiver briefly.
"Miracle Maker..." He whispers, his eyes wide. "Please, Senior Venom Dragon, follow me."
"Senior?" I echo.
"If you are capable of even HALF of what you say, Senior is the least of what I should be calling you. I will take you to our Pill refining room."
I hold out my hands towards the large burning furnace, heat blasts my face as a gentle smoke flows from its top, materials are manipulated deep within the metal furnace. The essences of plants extracted and combined with others as I carefully manipulate the ingredients within the forge.
With a 'pop' and a large puff of smoke, a single pill shoots from the top of the forge and into my waiting hand.
I turn and offer the pill towards the bearded sect leader to examine.
He looks over it with an inquisitive expression, his eyes widening. "My god... you... you were correct. This Fasting pill, it is dozens of times more effective than anything our pill refiners could have made with the same materials... instead of staving off hunger for merely one day... this one lasts for nearly three months!"
"Three months?!" I whisper. "I thought it would have only lasted for five days- wait. I know what I did... the duration is also longer for pills I create... for around twenty seconds, that is... for a pill that has its effectiveness tied to its duration, it is expected that we would see drastic increases... this tremendous benefit should be subsiding in about three... two... one."
The radiance of the pill lessens immensely, causing the fourth stage to look over it yet again, he lets out a small sigh. "Four days. I see. You were correct yet again."
"Do you trust me now?" I question.
The old man lets out a reserved sigh, "Yes, I suppose I do... your farming constitution is nothing compared to your sheer talent in medicine. You are like a god among doctors... if anyone had the recipe for a medicine that could fix a void core... it would be you."
"Here are the materials I require to make the medicine." I begin as I hand the man a piece of paper,
He looks over the list briefly, looking a little perturbed. "Senior... I have a question... would the Seven Radiance Wonders Fruit have any sort of effect on this medicine?"
"The what?" I question.
At my confused blink, the man leads me through the sect, we cross through numerous hidden paths, eventually coming to a large tree hidden within a cave. The leaves are almost a rainbow hue, and one singular fruit sits on a carefully pruned branch.
I look over the fruit, a frown on my face. "That... huh. I was unaware that your sect was able to make a treasure like that."
I look to the sect leader. "if that is used in the original recipe it should bring the chance of success from three percent to thirty... so, one hundred percent if I myself make it. If we are going to be using this, I would like for you to gather these materials instead so I can improve one of the Pill refiners to get more out of the ingredients we use."
"I do not know what sort of correlation these ingredients have, however... you would perhaps know more than myself, Miracle Maker." The man nods, then turns and walks out of the room.
Is that going to be what people call me? A bit presumptuous, isn't it? That's like calling myself 'Supreme Sword God' or 'Divine Armageddon'.
Ah well. Having even a minor sect at my back would be quite useful for my future. Especially a farming sect.
They will allow me to truly make use of my abilities... and when things finally start to kick off...
I'll be ready.
Heyo. Here with another chapter. I hope you enjoyed!