Don't Own anything.
'thought'
"Speech"
"Tvs, Radios, and Text via book or newspaper... when those are around..."
Blood drips from my forehead as I spin around, the futuristic spear in my hand slicing through the air with a gentle whistle.
A shower of sparks is created as the blade skips off faux Thanos' infinity gauntlet, a large beam of energy is shot from the mouth of one of the seven heads flailing wildly around me, the mad titan blocking it with just his hand.
I hurl my weapon forwards, the bladed edge cutting into his cheek as he tilts his head to the side, purple blood begins to drip down his face as the jaws of one of the dragons swirling around me snaps around the haft of the spear and hurls it back.
A large punch is narrowly deflected with both of my hands, I bend my elbow and slam it into his ribs, a location that I am now able to reach easier as he had bent down slightly to punch at me.
My attack barely even moves the purple giant, let alone knock the wind out of him.
My energy condenses as I leap up, my knuckles smashing into the nose of the mad titan.
I flip around in the air, my hand grasping around the handle of the spear as I stab downwards.
The tip of the spear meets his armored knuckle.
Earth is kicked up by the large serpent head hurling a large clump of dirt at Thanos' face. It does its job of blocking his vision briefly, but I know fully well that it'll do no damage.
The spear in my hand twirls as I narrowly deflect a gauntleted punch.
The spear rests on my shoulders, my fingertips resting on the very end of the handle.
With a small flick of my wrist, the spear shoots along my shoulder blades, propelled by ki as it shoots towards the mad titan's head-
His other hand wraps around the haft of the spear, stopping it just before it can pierce through his skull.
"All that for a drop of blood." He grounds out, a small trickle of purple dripping down his face.
"Then how about you bleed a little MORE!" I snarl as my palm slams into the spear, channeling all of my ki into this one last strike.
His hand barely jerks back, the blade of the spear thunking against his skull...
But it doesn't pierce.
It splits the skin deeply. But it's not the brain destruction I was hoping for with that attack.
My breaths come out in short pants, my shoulders shaking slightly as the gigantic eight foot tall man glares down at me.
His hand lashes out, grasping around my neck.
"Dread it. Run from it. Destiny arrives all the same." With a flick of his wrist, he changes his grip on the spear, now wielding it in one hand. "And now... it's here-"
My eyebrow twitches, lightning coursing through my body.
"FUCK!" I curse loudly. "FUCKING- OW- YOU- SHITTY LIGHTNING!"
I let out a feral sounding growl as I fall to my knees, shoulders shaking, the lightning of the heavenly tribulation crackling across my body.
Thus fucking sucks-
My eyes widen slightly as I take in Thanos' appearance.
His golden gauntlet cracking and smoking, flesh scarred.
Suddenly, it clicks.
"Heh. Heheheh." I begin quietly laughing, eventually growing into a maddened cackle. "HAHAHAHAHAH!"
A grin splits my face as I continue in a sing-songy voice. "Oh. I know how to beat youuu~"
"You aren't Thanos..." I state as I rise to my feet, glaring hatefully. "You are merely a figment of my imagination. A Heart Demon. One that appeared because I wasn't confident in my skills in a fight."
"But. You are inaccurate. You're likely weaker than Thanos, as you are a third promotes to fourth tribulation and you are crafted from my memories of the movie... that's why you like those shitty quotes so much." I monologue. Feeling safe to do so as this thing is weak. It is frail. Trying desperately to recover its strength after what had just happened... sort of like I am. "You and your army definitely helped me out, I'll give you that. However. Continuing to fight an inaccurate Thanos... will only create habits. Habits that will get me killed when he actually arrives."
"So. I'm afraid that I will be forced to cut this short." I continue as I raise my hand.
I clench my fist as pain floods my body. I draw upon the thing I had kept trapped in my body ever since my original second to third heavenly tribulation.
"It makes sense that a heart demon would be weak to a heavenly tribulation... even if it was brought about by that very thing. You are just dark thoughts, purple man. And it is time for you to get lost." I grit out.
My throat feels dry as I speak my next words, understanding filling my body.
"Stin. Hah. Revak."
A blast of white light explodes from my body, lightning crackles along the ground in a wave, a deep and wispy voice echoing out. "Youuu... should have gone... for the... hea-"
My eyes snap open, a cold sweat on my body. I quickly look around my surroundings.
Seeing the inside of a cave, my shoulders sag, a long breath leaving my lips.
I do a brief scan of my body, but instantly I can see it.
My void core.
It-
Lightning crackles around it, but... it doesn't seem damaged. Nor am I hurt in any way.
"..."
I frown as I slowly raise my hand, sparks seem to jump in between my index finger and thumb.
Holy lightning.
Venomous holy lightning.
Or rather, Tribulation lightning.
It... is no longer hurting me?
I have harnessed it. I-I am generating more of it?!
It's like my overall chi is a swimming pool, but I also have a small glass of water sat towards the side holding this energy.
That should be impossible.
Though, I suppose dragon shouts are also impossible, and my martial arts are based entirely around absorbing poisons into my body to improve my strength.
Tribulation lightning on its own acts sort of like a poison to a cultivator. But if it were to actually be venomous? The only reason I survived was due to my innate resistance to poisons and my ability to bounce back, becoming stronger after each and every wound from it.
Will I get another title?
Venom Dragon, Miricle Maker, Living Tribulation?
How many more of these will I gain?
I hope I get something menacing like 'Walking Calamity' or 'Divine Dragon'. That'd be cool.
I reach up to my forehead, letting out a low hum as my fingers brush along the little nubby horns extending from my forehead.
They are growing longer by the day...
They seem to dissipate as I deactivate my immortal body, tilting my head to the left and right, earning a satisfying crack.
"So... I used more words." I mutter under my breath. "Free... Mind... Sacred."
I should experiment when I look back.
"Diablo." I call out as I glance around slowly.
The red and black head of my partner pokes out from a nearby hole in the wall. "Ah. There you are. How long did I meditate? Has it been more than ten days?"
The snake shakes its head.
"How many days has it been?"
"Sss-Sss."
"Two?" I question with a raised eyebrow, causing the snake to nod up at me.
"Huh. So my little mind battle was happening a little bit quicker than it seemed inside." I murmur to myself as I reach down, offering a hand to the serpent.
She slithers up my arm and takes her place around my shoulders.
I brush my hands across my chest, then pat off my pants, ridding me of some dust.
I fix my hair which had gotten slightly messy, then turn and walk towards the exit. "Let's go back to the Immortal Farmer Sect."
Wind ruffles my hair as I shoot through the sky, a little cone of wind is formed around me as I adjust my aura ever so slightly.
'ah. This is better.'
I pick up the speed slightly, now unbothered by the tempest crashing into my face.
My body is stronger, my energy denser.
Damn. Promoting to a new cultivation stage is a hell of a drug. I feel like I could take anything in a fist fight as I am now.
A fresh fourth state cultivator has energy about one thousand times as dense as the energy used by second stage cultivators. This... is the stage most people stagnate at.
Mind you, it's still quite the impressive bit of power. A fourth stage can live for around six hundred years. So I'll be around forquite some time. Plus, even as I am now, there's not much an army of normal people could do to me. My natural PASSIVE aura is strengthened enough to blunt fifty calibers into mere punches- practically negating them if I actually try to defend myself- not to mention my skin 'Dragon Scales' acupoint.
I was able to survive getting shot in the head as a second stage cultivator- even if it hurt like a motherfucker- now? No 'mortal' arms can harm me...
Except for, like... maybe a nuclear bomb. I don't really want to test myself on one of those.
I pick up speed yet again as I stand atop a large tree branch, using it as a pseudo-flying sword. My energy tightly wrapped around both it and my own body, keeping the turbulent air at bay.
Flying is...
Honestly breathtaking.
I'm moving at speeds that me of the past only dreamed of. The world around me passing in a blur.
The ability to fly is something that every person dreams about at least at some point in their lives.
Technically speaking, this isn't flying, it's riding something I'm controlling with telekinesis, but whatever. This is good enough. I'll get true flight later.
I can see the mountains the immortal farmer sect resides in just in the distance.
As I rocket towards the ground, I leap suddenly, the stick sinking into the ground like a fired crossbow bolt, I flip backwards, landing with a crouch after what feels like a weightless few seconds.
I begin to slowly walk up the curving and winding stairs situated between the mountains.
After around thirty minutes of walking, I come to three men stood at the gate.
There are a few cracks here and there... the ward formation surrounding the sect has been activated.
Ooooh. Troublemakers?
The corners of my mouth turn downwards as I look between them.
Fuck.
They are mildly impressive troublemakers.
The weaker two seem to be within the fourth stage... roughly comparable to myself as I am right now, but the strongest is probably within the fifth stage.
That is relatively bad for a few reasons. First and foremost, energy.
A fourth stage's energy is a lot denser than most, like I said, it's about one thousand times that of a second stage... however. A fifth stage's energy transforms into something else.
Second stage you unlock 'True Qi', third stage it becomes 'Liquid True Qi' something much denser and more powerful than the wispy and light energy of the second stage. Then, fourth stage gains access to 'True Essence', which is, once more, far more powerful.
But each and every one of those things...
They are all 'Qi'.
Fifth stages have 'Spiritual Power' instead. It's like comparing a wooden training sword to an expertly sharpened one made of steel.
Fighting against a fifth stage as I am now... is impossible.
Or is it?
A fifth stage's body is likely to be far more durable than my own due to forming the nine golden bones. They might be the most durable in nine key spots, but they do sort of 'radiate' to the rest of a fifth stage's body.
But. I have an altered path. I have an Immortal Body... and I have fucking shouts.
I should be able to punch above my weight class.
"Who are you?" One of the men snarls.
"No one of importance." I reply easily as I walk towards the door.
"BRING OUT THE MIRACLE MAKER!" I duck back, avoiding a punch from one of the men, my index and middle finger slamming into his ribs, a gasp of pain leaving his lips as my other hand comes up and chops him in the throat.
Horns grow across my brow as I flip back, my knee slamming into the top of the head of the second fourth stage cultivator, knocking him prone, the stairs underfoot cracking and crumbling slightly.
I allow my arms to fall to my side as I turn to gaze at the remaining man, a frown on my lips.
"I leave for two days... and we get attacked... I have no Idea what sort of delusion you are under, but you think just because you throw your weight around a bit that I will come to see you? That you can demand anything of me? All you have done... is poked a sleeping dragon, my friend."
The two men I had struck writhe on the ground in pain, their struck pressure points seeming to cause them some difficulties in moving.
"You... are the Miracle Maker?" The man carefully mutters. "I... heard that you were a third stage."
"Rumors can be deceiving." I smile, eyes narrowing slightly. "Take your goons and leave or I will kill you. This is my last kindness to you."
The man's eyes slowly stray from the two men on the ground back to me. "You... must have only recently broken through... you are skilled, I give you that. But even with an immortal body, you will not be able to compete with me... I will give you one single offer. Join my sect or die."
"..."
I let out a long sigh, rubbing my temple.
"Really?" I question.
"What?" The man questions. "I am being quite generous. Join my departed demon sect. Our resources far surpass those of this mere farmer sect."
"Alright. I'm going to lay things out for you. This is a farmer sect." I begin, gesturing to the doors with a thumb. "Your sect is... what, demons? Assassins?"
"Mercenaries."
"Okay. So. What sounds more beneficial to me, a guy who makes incredible medicine from mystical plants? A sect that farms the items, allowing me to pick from the best of their crop at my own whims... or a mercenary sect that does... stuff... the point I'm trying to make is that regardless of how powerful you are, a farmer sect is literally the greatest sect I can base myself in."
"My sect is given incredibly potent ingredients on a regular basis from our jobs."
"Yes. That sounds good and all, but you are missing one thing. I work better with materials that I pick myself... now. You could kill me, sure. You're a fifth stage and all. But let me tell you one. Little. Thing. If word gets out that you killed the Miracle maker... the one person who is capable of making medicine that can regenerate a void core... do you know how many sects will descend upon you? How many sixth stage, seventh stage, or maybe even eighth stage sect leaders who have students or family members that accidentally have broken their void cores who will hunt you down like a dog for daring to slay the sole solution?"
"That is-"
I look over the man briefly. "Besides... that's only if you win. Do you think I was even slightly scratching the surface of my power when I took our your two minions here? Two fourth stages in an instant? You may be a fifth stage spirit sovereign... but from sight alone I can tell that you yourself have barely even taken your first steps into the fifth stage proper. You haven't formed your gold core yet... do you perhaps have some regrets in your heart?"
The man stiffens slightly, eyes narrowing.
His eyes flick back down to his two allies.
"Fine." The man relents. "I will leave this day..."
His hands shake briefly.
"Oh. You will leave?" I question. "I apologize for poisoning you, then."
"You-"
"I wanted to ensure that I would win should we come to blows... you must understand. I am a doctor... not a martial artist. I would need each and every advantage I could get... you haven't been poisoned bad enough yet to perish, I will note. It is quite difficult to poison fifth stage cultivators, after all."
"I-" he bows his head slightly. "I thank you for your Mercy."
He reaches down to pick up his followers-
*Guahk-*
Blood spews from his mouth.
"Oh?" I hum. "Sorry. I was thinking a couple of minutes ago. A few minutes ago you would have been able to leave safely. My bad. It just slipped my mind."
He falls to his knees, looking up in confusion, blood dripping from his nose and the corners of his mouth.
His two companions are already dead.
A ghostly dragon head lunges forwards, sinking its fangs into his shoulder and slamming him against the rock wall
His skin is discolored, energy flaring to life around him.
A second head clamps down on his other shoulder, but both are suddenly dissipated by his tremendous energy.
He rushes forwards fingertips extended as he unleashes a large portion of his energy point blank-
"WULD."
I blur forwards, kicking off the ground several times in an instant, combining my shave technique with the swiftness of the whirlwind sprint shout.
But this is far too fast for me currently, my eyes widen briefly as I reflexively activate Iron Body, then I proceed to ram head first into the fifth stage cultivator, sending him flying into one of the walls of the mountain that this little staircase is carved into.
I cringe slightly, pain flooding my body.
It was like running into a wall of iron... even with my scales and the Iron Body technique. But. It did the trick, and he is stunned briefly.
I lift a fist and plunge it downwards, my index and middle finger extended and crackling with tribulation power.
Venomous lightning is injected into his lower chest, crackling around his imperfect golden core and causing tremendous internal damage.
Another spray of blood leaves his mouth, his eyes growing misty.
I take a deep breath, poison flowing into my mouth, removing the largest majority of the poison that now pollutes this part of the path.
I swiftly bring out a candle stick and place it down, lightning the wick.
Barely into fourth stage and I've already punched up and killed a fifth stage...
Probably shouldn't be too happy about that. He was severely weakened by that poison Medicine Master gave me all those years ago.
Back then he said it would give a fifth stage trouble... but then I doubled its potency and proceeded to let it sit and marinate in my heart for the past decade or so.
It makes sense that it would have such an effect on a man who had just recently broken through into the fifth stage.
This candle should burn away the remainder of the toxin that I missed.
I look over the cultivator... slumped over, body imbedded in the cliff face. "I need more experience at moving that swiftly... perhaps some sort of mental speed enhancement technique exists? I need to just... think faster."
I turn and walk over to the door, knocking on it briefly.
"OI! I'm back!"
The gate shudders slightly... then creaks open, revealing my student with an enchanted cloth tied around her lower face.
"Master! You're back!" She cheers, the mask likely to protect from the poison had I not already taken care of most of it.
"Yes, hello Purple Mist." I greet as I walk past.
"You've already broken through?!" She whispers.
"I had a heart demon tribulation. But I was able to work through it swiftly."
"Congratulations!" She beams.
"Thank you." I nod slowly. "The heart demon helped my cultivation more than I'd like to admit... everything feels so much clearer now."
"I'm... I'm glad you're safe." The woman whispers.
"And I am glad you are safe as well." I smile. "Thank you for staying inside the array... if those three had hurt you there is no telling what I would have done."
She stiffens slightly, she wrings her hands together slightly. "Y-Yes..."
from what I can see, her face is... quite red.
Ah... she's embarrassed by me. That's cute.
"So, Purple Mist, I do have a bit of a question about the finer details on cultivation, and as a fourth stage from a sect I thought you might know."
"Oh? What is it, master?" She questions.
"Has there ever been a case where someone made more than just nine bones golden?"
"Pardon?"
"There are two hundred and six bones in the human body. Yet to promote to fifth stage, a fourth stage cultivator only makes nine of them golden."
"Oh... well, most people don't see the point in wasting time like that." The woman admits as she removes her mask.
"Why not?"
"When a cultivator promotes to the fifth stage all of their bones become similar in strength to a fourth stage cultivator's nine golden bones... sure, there might be a slight difference between them, perhaps one to five percent or so? But you also need to consider that the void core draws power from these bones directly. It is dangerous to experiment like this because if your void core is broken it is almost impossible to fix... at least... ah... until you made the void rebirth pill."
"Here's a small secret about myself, Purple Mist... I have tried to make every single step of my cultivation special in some way."
"Oh?" She questions.
"I have nine Acupoints." I admit.
"N-Nine?!"
"And my dantian path has forty steps." I continue.
Her mouth opens and closes slightly.
"As for my Meridians... I have twelve." I finish.
"You... you are forging your own cultivation path." She whispers, eyes growing wide in awe.
"Yes... I am... my entire being is forged through one idea... slow and steady... make every part count... make every part as special as it can be."
I look down at my fist, then open and close it. "Out of everything? I would say that my first stage is my most valuable one. Nine acupoints, while taking longer to fill than five, has gifted me with the chance to learn more innate traits. After that, I found my own dantian pan that truly spoke with me. To be honest, my third stage is the one where I did the least, but even then, it increased by overall power by twelve instead of ten... my changes are bearing fruits. Small fruits, yes, but with each and every small increase in power. With each brick in my foundation. I can feel myself growing stronger and that... it's exhilarating."
Purple Mist frowns sightly.
"You seem... discontent." I observe.
"I- it's nothing."
"Purple mist." I frown, eyes narrowing slightly. "Something is bothering you. Tell me."
"I-I just feel that without following in your footsteps and pursuing the standard cultivation path... I won't live up to your expectations." She admits quietly.
I place my hand on her shoulder. "Walking a well-trodden path does not make you weak, Purple Mist."
A muted sigh leaves her lips as she gazes down at the ground. "You managed to defeat two fourth stage cultivators and a fifth stage so shortly after breaking through to the fourth stage yourself... I- I don't know if could have even fought one of them... let alone all three."
"If it bothers you so much... I do know of a pill that allows your cultivation to be malleable... you can more or less regress... casting aside the energy you have already accrued and start anew. If you really wish, I can begin teaching you my altered path."
"R-Really?!" The woman gasps.
"Yes." I nod once. "Only the best for my student."
Heyo. We're back! It has been a while since Arthur- i mean Zhongli graced us with his presence.