Chapter 22: Composure

"Demonic tribulation..."

Li Qi whispered, fully aware of what was happening. Signs had appeared earlier while he was in the bathroom, so the current shift was merely a logical progression. It was only natural; having mastered the Tiger Form, his biological state was undergoing a radical transformation, and the sudden intensification of the demonic tribulation followed the laws of nature.

The greater one’s supernatural powers, the greater the tribulation. Powerful life forms naturally attract a greater influx of arcane information. Of course, with greater tribulation comes greater opportunity; successfully transcending it serves as a tremendous tempering of the mental world, the spirit, and the intellect. Among the three essences—essence, energy, and spirit—these are the most difficult to cultivate.

"Demonic tribulations are ever-changing and formless; everyone encounters something different. After all, by definition, the essence of a demonic tribulation is the integration of external information with the state of one’s own life, manifesting into various scenarios. No two people in this world are identical, and thus, no two tribulations are the same."

"However, human nature shares commonalities, and the world is a shared reality. While different, there are certain patterns to be found..."

"Focus—only focus!"

"A powerful, unshakeable focus can pierce the void and shatter the demonic tribulation!"

Without hesitation, Li Qi gripped his blade and entered a state of stillness, seeking to ignite his focus, to use that state of composure to break through the illusion and return to reality.

Just then, the gray haze in the air grew denser. The darkest corner of the quiet room turned pitch black, and within it, it seemed as if living things were emerging from the dark world, advancing toward the reality he occupied. In the sealed room, a wind even began to blow—an obvious impossibility—and within that wind, there was the scent of decay and darkness.

This demonic tribulation was both formless and tangible. If one failed to see through it, it became real, inflicting damage upon the spirit. But if one pierced through the illusion, it would vanish like a dream or a bubble, stripped of all power.

As the darkness closed in, Li Qi radiated light. Though it was only a faint glimmer, it held a touch of pure, solar energy. This was the effect of the Tiger Form; a tiger is inherently a creature of pure Yang. Even when the earth is blanketed in snow, a tiger can sleep soundly, its body heat melting the snow beneath it and drying the ground.

Yet, despite this, the darkness pressed closer until, at one moment, the entire world shattered with a roar into countless fragments.

The sudden shift broke Li Qi’s meditative state. Looking at the bright, dry room before him, he knew he had returned to reality.

"I haven't truly broken the tribulation; I have only temporarily suppressed it. When I reach the breakthrough point, that will be when the tribulation is at its most violent. I don't know what kind of changes will manifest then..."

"This..."

"This is truly fascinating!"

Li Qi muttered to himself. He felt no fear, only a surging fighting spirit and a burning intent to kill. Though he lacked the body of a real tiger, he possessed a tiger’s temperament within. His usual gentleness and scholarly demeanor were merely personality traits formed by the education he had received across two lifetimes. The other part of him—the primal, savage instinct of life and the various dark emotions in his heart—had never vanished; Li Qi had simply used his ego to suppress them in the deepest recesses of his soul.

Since he began his cultivation, he had channeled all of this into his blade. This was one of the reasons Li Qi refused to switch martial arts; if he were to adopt a purely orthodox path of "inaction" and purity, it would not suit his current heart.

What is most rare is to follow one's true will.

Of course, Li Qi knew that if he allowed this murderous nature to grow unchecked, he would surely go astray. But while he knew it, he did not care. Whether he went astray or not was a matter for the future; for now, he simply wanted to be satisfied. He understood the principles, but he had no desire to follow them.

Afterward, Li Qi ate, bathed, and slept, his routine no different from any other day, completely unaffected by the demonic tribulation.

"Still, the old man is truly formidable. This Eighteen Tiger-Slaying Blades technique is likely the pinnacle of advanced martial arts. The only reason it hasn't reached the 'Ultimate' level is that the old man himself is only at the 'Entering the Dao' stage and cannot fully grasp the deepest mysteries of the human body. Aside from a slight deficiency in developing the body's full potential, it is near perfection in every other aspect..."

This was his last thought before sleep, followed by a night of deep, sound slumber.

It is said that one sees mountains as mountains, then not as mountains, and then as mountains again. Those of low cultivation cannot perceive Li Changqing’s true brilliance, seeing him only as an old man at the 'Entering the Dao' stage. Only those with sufficient cultivation and experience, or those who have personally practiced his martial arts, can feel the profound power within. Without practicing the blade, he seems ordinary; once you practice it, it is like a mayfly catching a glimpse of the vast blue sky.

Within the Tiger Form alone, so much of the absolute truth is revealed.

...

The next morning, Li Qi opened his eyes, once again with no trace of confusion. He had entered deep sleep once more.

Then, he saw a series of system logs.

*Log: You have completed a session of deep sleep. Due to the influence of deep sleep, your attribute growth cycle has shortened and its effect has increased. Due to the influence of 'Reversing the Innate,' your attribute growth effect has increased. Due to the influence of the Tiger Form, your attribute growth effect has increased: Essence +0.03, Qi +0.04, Spirit +0.02, Heart +0.03, Will +0.02, Wisdom +0.01.*

The results of a single night were more than Li Qi had expected, especially the growth in Heart and Will, given that they had already increased during his blade practice the previous day.

Upon reflection, Li Qi realized the reason: the demonic tribulation. Although he had only suppressed it, the struggle had undoubtedly tempered his heart and mind. In colliding with the tribulation, he had unconsciously absorbed information from it, gaining nourishment for his growth.

Li Qi couldn't help but sigh; geniuses are indeed different from ordinary people. Not only is their cultivation faster, but they can also draw nourishment from their own tribulations.

But then he thought, what is a "genius" but someone who has activated a talent cheat? And his own cheat was even greater than theirs. With that thought, he felt there was no issue at all.

Counting yesterday's growth and the previous deep sleep, his six-dimensional attributes had changed significantly in just a few days compared to the day of the ancestor worship ceremony. All of this was thanks to the awakening of his Fate Chart.

Thinking this, Li Qi checked his current six-dimensional attributes:

Essence: 1.41
Qi: 1.20
Spirit: 1.55
Heart: 1.80
Will: 1.27
Wisdom: 1.16

Compared to a few days ago, this was a massive increase. After all, the growth of life cannot simply skip the process like adding points in a game.

In just a few days, his Essence had increased by 0.06, Qi by 0.08, Spirit by 0.04, Heart by 0.04, Will by 0.06, and Wisdom by 0.01.

These figures seem small, but using the average of 1.0 as a standard, they were somewhat terrifying. Excluding Wisdom, Li Qi had increased all his qualities by an average of 6% in just a few days—a comprehensive, all-around growth. If he could maintain this speed, he would be 60% stronger in a month and 720% stronger in a year. Of course, if that were true, he would be a bio-engineered freak, only resembling a human in appearance.

From these changes, one could also see that the growth of Wisdom was indeed the most difficult.

As for his vitality, it had reached 1.42, exceeding the 1.4 standard for the 'Entry' level. His current coefficient was still at 1.23; the effects of supplementing his innate potential were not yet fully realized.

This day also happened to be the Spring Festival, a day that was joyous by nature.