Story 8 - Tribulation Trepidations (21/24 ?)

Story 8 - Tribulation Trepidations (21/24 ?)

Malevolence and bloodlust wafted off the spiraling cloud structure. Static in the air caused my arm hair to raise. My scalp numbed.

In this life, the heavens wanted me dead.

I pulled out five protective talismans and slapped them all over my body.

Step one of Lin’s plan to defeat her fears — throw money at it.

I had a limited number of these, but I’d estimated that there would be between ten and eighteen lightning strikes and purchased double the amount I required. Of course, I had left around a quarter to Clear Eyes but that was fine. Frankly, if everything I’d already prepared wasn’t enough to get me through this, then this tribulation’s power would have grown to the point I’d need Salamander’s pagoda. Which I didn’t have.

The light from the clouds pulled in towards its center. The world darkened. That was the sign.

My muscles were stiff, my hands shook, and my ass tightened like I was trying to hold in the side effects from a Cleansing Dan. But, as someone with centuries of practice moving through fear, I didn’t freeze. Or shit myself.



I pointed my blade towards the eye of the tribulation. “Thousand Cuts!”

A thousand little blades of sword Qi traveled in one concentrated beam, meeting the sudden lightning strike that bore down on me.



Most of it dispersed or branched, leaving only a tendril that hit my chest. It packed one hell of a punch! I skidded backwards from the impact while all five talismans burned away.

Some of the bolt had broken off, hitting random areas around the grassy field. Where they struck, gashes formed. Small fires started. The scent of smoke and charred grass spread through the area.

I was still alive!

I laughed.

Now that I’d tested my strength against it, I estimated that its power was just under the equivalent of a tribulation to reach the Golden Core realm. At this point, I doubted I could survive a strike without my prepared defenses.

The reason I needed so many defensive techniques and items wasn’t because I planned to sit and look pretty. No. The best way to face my tribulation was to attack it. Defensive measures were backups for when my attacks weren’t enough.

Which would be — all the time.

I’ve found that, as long as I prepared properly, surviving a tribulation was mostly a matter of logistics and tactics, rather than strength. If I didn’t prepare and just repeated the same strategy, the cloud would either grow more powerful, or start changing things up just to fuck with me.

Heavenly lightning wasn’t like electricity. Nor was it something natural. It had rudimentary intelligence and a will f its own.

During my very first tribulation, I created a lightning rod similar to the one I had used in the sect trials. The tribulation completely ignored it. Then, it lasted eleven strikes rather than ten. It was like I’d offended it.

For this tribulation, I would fight it. But it wouldn’t be easy. Not with the fuzzy spiritual energy that Qi Condensation was limited to. I had skills and knowledge, but in the end, raw power mattered.

I replaced my used up talismans and glared up at the storm.

“Bring it asshole!”

The cloud thundered, swirled, then darkened once more. It glowed further down the spiral.

It would come from the left.

I sent another Thousand Cuts where I could feel the lightning. Of course, I didn’t stop there. As a test, I created a shield out of my spiritual energy to prevent the last bit of lightning from hitting me. Unfortunately, it punched through my shield and struck toward me.

Fuck.

My talismans stopped the last part from actually damaging me. I ended up skidding out of where I’d placed my faraday cage formation and into one of the defensive formation circles. The poor field had collected more scorch marks. Rain fell as if the tribulation was trying to put out the small fires it had created. It also made the grass slippery. That fucking son of a squall.

Considering that my shield barely did anything, I’d need to add two extra talismans to this next strike. As I suspected. It would be better to rely on consumables for defense and reserve my own energy for attacks.

Cold sweat collected on my forehead. Or maybe that was rain. Whatever.

I tightened my grip on my sword. Two down, eight or sixteen to go.

I could do this! I could beat my fear and this tribulation.

And of course. Of fucking course, that was when the shadows appeared at the edge of the valley, surrounding me on all sides. They stood just outside the range of the tribulation clouds.

No. I shouldn’t assume this was trouble from the start. This could just be bored disciples checking out who was going through this strange not-exactly-Golden-Core tribulation.

As I added a fresh layer of talismans, I stretched my divine sense outward, and touched a familiar cloaked presence. Little Black?

She pointed at me and a hundred spiritual arrows flew at me from all sides.

HA! Hahahaha! I understood.

She’d betrayed me. But she was still alive. That meant this black market creep had to be a demonic convert.

As a member of the Demonic Sect, they would have even worse and higher-level soul enchantments than the one I’d cast on her. Likely one that absorbed other attempts at meddling. It also explained why I felt that bit of resistance.



Just my fucking luck.

If I knew the sect was going to do a damn spring cleaning, I would have dragged everyone I could over here to protect me during my tribulation.

So, all of my higher realmed acquaintances were busy fighting traitors.

That left those at Foundation Establishment. The first person on that list I contacted was Unyielding Firestorm. “Great Martial Aunt Lin! This isn’t the best time!”

“I know, but I’m in the middle of my tribulation and being attacked by a bunch of demonic archers.”

“... I’m on the other side of the sect... I’m on my way, but I don’t know if I can reach you in time. Stay alive.”

“Always.”

The next person I talked to was Clear Eyes. “Senior! This isn’t a good time. There are trusted inner sect disciples detonating their dantians, destroying important buildings, and killing promising disciples.”

Fuck. The demonic infiltrators were trying to cripple the newest generation. “Be careful! You’re likely one of their targets! Salamander too.”

“I will!” He paused. “Ah, Senior. Are you okay?”

My head ached. This was either the strain of keeping up the split mind technique or a natural consequence of my situation. “Of course not! I’m in the middle of a tribulation while being attacked by goddamn demonic cultivators. I need backup.”

“That massive tribulation is yours?! It’s enormous! It looks like a Golden Core tribulation but double in size. I thought you were only in Qi Condensation?!”

I mentally sighed. “Just get somewhere safe.”

“Great Aunt!” He sounded touched. “I’ll come as soon as I can.”

“Staying alive is more important. I’m not out of options yet.” I still had the space. Of course, if I used it, too often I could either make the tribulation think I’d failed — which would become my reality — or enrage it further.

Maybe I’d create a new Dao. The way of tribulation infuriation.

***

I survived another volley of arrows without a scratch.

The merchant’s cloak vibrated with her rage. “Are you a cockroach? How do you keep surviving?”

“Tell me how you brought your archers into the sect, and I’ll tell you, Little Black.”

“Don’t call me that! That name is a disgusting reminder that you tried to make me your underling. I’d never work for a weak child like you!”

Again, the tribulation zipped down. Clenching my teeth, I secretly pulled out a few more talismans and, in a fucking power move, I let it hit me without flinching, even though it still hurt. Of course, my heart rate increased and my ears rang, but my talismans stopped it before it could actually damage me.

All Little Black would see was a little girl getting struck by lightning like it was nothing and smoke coming off the top of her head.



Of course, doing things this way just pissed off the Tribulation, but whatever. I’d proved my fucking point.

Little Black took a step back. Then, from her exaggerated movements, it looked like she was yelling at her archers to keep attacking me, only harder.

The speed of the arrows released increased. My formation, which had helped to decrease the lightning’s attack power, had weakened rapidly. Nearly all the spirit stones at its core were consumed.

I subtly pulled out another series of talismans and plastered them all over my body, increasing the amount by five. Shit. I was going through more of my stock than I suspected. At this rate, if my tribulation lasted more than ten bolts, I would run out of these.

Of course, I still had my armor.

It wasn’t that I didn’t want to damage my new armor, but it should be my last line of protection before my body took a hit. I’d likely need it to save my ass toward the end of this tribulation if my formations didn’t last.

The small pile of mid-tier spirit stones I’d used to power this small defensive formation turned to dust.

Arrows flew towards me.

I laughed and used my Impossible Leap combined with my flying shoes to almost instantly fly upwards several feet. That drained more energy than I liked, but it took me out of the way of their arrows.

I allowed gravity to pull me down into one of my other defensive formations.

I pointed my fist at Little Black, then extended my middle finger. Once again, I fired off another Thousand Cuts.



Bolt number five was twice as thick and three times as fast. Surviving the tribulation’s strike with only talismans had obviously made it unhappy. With this new speed, dodging was impossible. Fortunately, I had a space.

I flashed into my room and caught a glimpse of Little Spring reading the note I’d left. Since I basically blinked in and out, I didn’t have time to talk, but he also didn’t see me.

Fortunately, it explained my reasoning for not telling him the truth. That would help ease any guilt he may feel. Once this was over, I’d sit him down to have a proper goddamn conversation. Like rational people.

But first, I’d have to avoid becoming a fried arrow cushion.