Chapter 118 - 55: An Ning

Chapter 118: Chapter 55: An Ning

[Tribulation Points: 1253]

"How can there be so many?!" Fang Rui was shocked.

Although it seemed like a lot had happened recently, in reality, it had only been a mere seven or eight days since he last broke through to the Sixth Grade.

’I checked yesterday, and I only had a little over two hundred Tribulation Points. Today... There’s no way a minor character like Sun Sheng is responsible for this! It’s not like this is a novel and he’s some kind of protagonist.’

’Then there’s only one other possibility... the fall of the city!’

A thought struck Fang Rui, and he sat up abruptly in bed.

He suddenly realized that his previous understanding of ’Tribulation’ might have been flawed.

’If I’m not mistaken, this sudden surge of over a thousand Tribulation Points is because Changshan City fell, and I was involved!’

’My previous line of thinking was too narrow. Tribulation isn’t just about being caught in a disaster and experiencing it myself... I can also guide external calamities, or even actively start them... The sole criterion is simply whether or not I’m involved!’

’Of course, the number of Tribulation Points I gain is affected by various factors, like the scale of the tribulation and the depth of my involvement.’

As Fang Rui mulled it over, he gradually began to understand the true meaning of the word ’Tribulation’.

’Tribulation... it implies both calamity and fate. Such a profound and mysterious power. I’m still far from being able to glimpse its true essence.’

’But I think I’ve started to grasp the external Rules.’

Fang Rui’s mind began to race. ’To get more Tribulation Points, I can’t just focus on myself. I have to look outward.’

’What if I orchestrated the overthrow of a dynasty and took part in the tribulation of a nation? Or what if I enlightened the masses, toppled the world’s most famous doctrines, and stirred up a tribulation of the human heart...’

’Or, aiming even higher: the tribulation of an entire world, a cataclysm of heaven and earth. I could save the world, or... I could push it toward annihilation!’

He couldn’t begin to imagine how many Tribulation Points that would yield.

’Calm down! Calm down! I have Immortality; there’s no need to rush!’

’Besides, even if I decide to stir up trouble in the future, I need to have a clear plan. I have to figure out the true nature of this world first, not just go in blindly...’

’Changshan City is just one corner. Using it to judge the Great Yu, let alone the entire world, would be like looking at a leopard through a pipe—my vision would be completely obscured.’

Fang Rui had a nagging feeling that the waters of this world... ran very deep.

’However, with the combination of Tribulation Points and my Immortality talent...’

Even though his talent was currently grayed out and sealed, Fang Rui could already foresee that as long as he didn’t die, with the passage of time, he would become the world’s greatest ’Tribulation’!

’I could hide within the river of time, shepherding all living beings, reaping entire worlds... I could become the ultimate mastermind pulling the strings behind the changing of eras, perhaps even the Master of All Worlds! With a single thought, worlds would rise and fall, and the wheels of fate would turn...’

Fang Rui gazed out the window at the boundless, starry sky, as if meeting the eyes of his future self across infinite time. After a long moment, he pulled his gaze back and sighed softly. "Ah, forget it. What does my future self have to do with me now?!"

’For now, I should focus on breaking through to the Fifth Grade!’

That was right. In the Cultivation Technique column, a ’+’ had appeared next to the Nourishing Body Skill.

To be honest, Fang Rui had been worried about the Nourishing Body Skill’s upper limit.

But to his surprise, and even alarm, as long as he had enough Tribulation Points, the Nourishing Body Skill could just keep improving, as if it had no limit at all.

He only gradually figured it out later.

’To create a Cultivation Technique like the Nourishing Body Skill with no hidden dangers, the founder must have been at least in the Upper Three Grades. However, when they created it, the focus was on nourishing the body, not on Martial Arts, which made advancing in it extremely difficult.’

’But in truth, when compiling this Cultivation Technique, the founder integrated a complete system, incorporating their own philosophies into it to varying degrees.’

During his breakthrough to Sixth Grade Enlightenment, Fang Rui discovered that aside from the physical changes, his own understanding of the Nourishing Body Skill had reached a new level.

Vague concepts that had only been hinted at before were now expanded upon, allowing him to reach a state of true ’Refined and Masterful’ understanding.

He couldn’t even tell if the Tribulation Points had temporarily boosted his comprehension, helping him figure things out himself, or if the panel had performed its own Inference and poured the knowledge directly into his mind like a sudden epiphany.

’For anyone else, the Nourishing Body Skill is a dead end. Their own comprehension simply isn’t enough to sustain their progress.’

’After all, with other High-Level Cults or Top-Level Techniques, you can break through to the Middle Grade just by reaching the Entering the Hall and Room or Minor Achievement stage. But the Nourishing Body Skill requires the Refined and Masterful stage, and the requirements only get higher from there... How is anyone supposed to manage that?!’

But Fang Rui was different!

’I’m using a cheat. I can force my way down this path, constantly improving until I surpass even the founder’s level—achieving what only a once-in-a-generation genius could!’

It was like giving people a high school math textbook for self-study. Most would only manage to grasp elementary or middle school-level concepts, while a select few might reach the high school level. A true genius, however, could see one principle and understand three, delve deeper, break through existing boundaries, and reach a university or even graduate-school level of understanding.

—And don’t think it’s impossible. Just think of those titans who build on existing knowledge to create something from nothing. The gap between a titan and an ordinary person is wider than the one between a human and a dog!

’The only real drawback of the Nourishing Body Skill for me is that it consumes more Tribulation Points.’

Fang Rui had considered switching cultivation techniques, but high-level ones were hard to find. Besides, there was no guarantee of compatibility, and a new technique might conflict with his Nourishing Body Skill.

Furthermore, even if he switched, he’d have to start all over from the beginning. He would have to re-tread the path through the Ninth, Eighth, and Seventh Grades, which wasn’t necessarily more efficient than just continuing with the Nourishing Body Skill.

’Of course, the most important thing is that the Nourishing Body Skill is moderate and balanced. In other words: it’s safe!’

The Nourishing Body Skill was designed to nourish the body, so it was naturally very stable. As long as one had the comprehension and followed the steps methodically, it was difficult for anything to go wrong.