Chapter 259: Chapter 248: The Next Morning

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Whatever happened to me after that was a much gentler process. But I believe instead of my skin becoming tougher this time, it was my muscles, or well, what was beneath the skin, might even include muscles and cartilages.

As the morning of the next day arrived, I found myself once more back in the palace. As I thought, the Heavenly Demon made sure to bring me back once I completed the trial.

And man, was it hard! I thought I would go insane there.

The amount of effort I had to put into swimming for over three days without end, fighting monsters, and even trying to overcome all types of illusions was terrifying.

I feared that at any moment I would lose and get kicked out of the Heavenly Demon’s Inner Realm just like that.

Yet despite all the odds, I managed to preserve through the end.

“Just how many times are you going to go through some hellish situation only to wake up the next day in this room? Anna, I’m getting bored, and it’s getting repetitive!” Sepa started complaining the moment I woke up.

“What? Yeah, it might be repetitive, but this is the only way to become stronger. Don’t worry, this was the last one anyway; after this, I believe he’ll place me in other areas doing some more generic training to get used to my abilities and slowly polish them,” I told her.

[“I sure hope so! I need myself some action already! Also all the cracks that I got from your fight against that damned crow recovered by now, so I am ready to slice anything you want!”]

“That’s exactly what a talking sword would say, for sure…” I yawned. “Have patience; you were a demonic sword belonging to a Death Apostle for thousands of years; why can’t you wait a few days for me?”

[“Hmph! Well, not like I can do anything else…”]

“You’ve gotten stronger,” Sepa analyzed my body’s structure again. “Your muscles and your cartilages have become both more flexible and also tougher, interesting. That training you underwent was all a whole cultivation process and also a ritual. The sea you swam through and then the pearl you ate—everything was so well planned. That Heavenly Demon is really good at creating good training methods.”

“Training? More like literal torture…” I sighed. “But yeah, the payoff is always amazing, though, so I’m happy about it…”

I looked at the notifications that were already alerting me of what I had earned through that harsh trial in more detail.

[You have comprehended, dominated, and temporarily transformed the [Fourth Seal: Desire] into the [Reverse Seal: Selflessness]!]

[The power of Selflessness flows through your Ki; by using its powers, your Health and Ki recovery speed will increase proportionally to the amount of Stamina you use.]

[Your Comprehension over the [Fourth Seal: Desire (Tier 2)] has raised its Tier to Tier 3!]

[You have comprehended, dominated, and temporarily transformed the [Fifth Seal: Frustration] into the [Reverse Seal: Satisfaction]!]

[The power of Satisfaction flows through your Ki, by using its powers, a wave of cold, relaxing winds encompasses your body, making your mind both calmer and more confident, and you enter into a Meditative State that makes you immune to Mental Status Effects.]

[Your Comprehension over the [Fifth Seal: Frustration (Tier 2)] has raised its Tier to Tier 3!]

Selflessness and Satisfaction, both of these Reverse Seals have amazing effects for long-lasting torture- I mean, trials. And challenges, and perhaps even fights.

I am not downplaying their former effects either; they’re also very strong and useful as well; it just comes down to utility and when one or the other comes in handy.

To have both options is really good. However, it also feels strange: does the Heavenly Demon have these Reverse Seals like I do? These feel like nothing he would ever have.

He said I should conquer my own emotions to channel them as power, but did that also mean I would discover the Reverse Seals?

A lot of questions and no answers; I’ll ask the crow-faced man once we have breakfast as always.

[Through the power of the [Reverse Seal: Selflessness] and [Reverse Seal: Satisfaction], you have tempered your body and absorbed the Essence of the [Sea of Broken Dreams] after swallowing the [Pearl of Dreams], undergoing further {Body Tempering}!]

[Your overall physique has improved, and all the Muscles and Cartilages of your body have been strengthened, becoming much more flexible and also tougher, gaining the ability to rapidly regenerate from any wound they receive.]

[All your VIT, DEX, and AGI have increased by +700]

[You gained +2.000 Ki!]

[Your [Physique]: [Nine Colored Nova Physique (Tier 3: Rank 9)] has absorbed the Divine Treasure: [Pearl of Fulfillment] and has used it to further reinforce your body.]

[Your [Physique]: [Nine Colored Nova Physique (Tier 3: Rank 9)] has Ranked Up to Tier 3: Rank 10!]

[You gained +500 Ki!]

[You gained +250 Physical Stats.]

[Your [Physique]: [Nine Colored Nova Physique (Tier 3: Rank 10)] has gained the Additional Ability: [Pearly Muscles and Cartilages]!]

[Your [Martial Core]: [Umbral Black Star Core (Tier 2: Rank 2)] has Ranked Up to Tier 2: Rank 4!]

[You gained +500 Ki!]

[You gained +400 Cosmic Energy.]

[Your [Martial Core] is in the process of developing an Additional Ability, but further progress is Required.]

“Further progress? Ah, I guess it can’t be helped; well, I got a new Ability anyways, let’s see…”

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[Physique]: [Nine Colored Nova Physique (Tier 3: Rank 10)]

Additional Abilities:

[Black Heaven’s Steel Skin]: Your body has been tempered by the [Fiery Path of One Hundred Thousand Hell Steps], whose wounds have allowed you to easily absorb and replace them with the [Black Heaven’s Steel] through the melting process of the [Volcano of Burning Desires]. Your Physical Toughness has increased by +500%. Reduces Physical Damage taken by -50%. You can resist all Elements and survive without Breathing Oxygen or Eating for a much longer time than before.

[Pearly Muscles and Cartilages]: Your muscles and cartilages have been tempered by absorbing the Essence of the [Pearl of Dreams] and the [Sea of Broken Dreams], gaining a pearly, crystal-like appearance. Despite its deceivingly “frail” appearance, your muscles and cartilages have become much more flexible, tougher, and capable of regenerating faster than ever before. Increases Muscle and Cartilage Flexibility, Movement Speed, Regeneration Speed, and Toughness by +400%. Reduces Muscle and Cartilage Strain, Pain, and Exhaustion by -50%. Your body can now resist pressures that would have otherwise crushed it.

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Interesting, not bad at all; I’ll take it.

So I can resist pressures that would have otherwise crushed me? Now that’s vague.

Maybe I can survive in the depths of the sea without being crushed by the pressure, I suppose?

Or perhaps… if I go to another world with a different gravity, perhaps it works there too.

Thanks to the System information analyzing my gains, I was able to easily learn what improved from me, helping me save time on analyzing everything myself meticulously, which could take several hours.

Ding!

[Congratulations! You have Completed the {Optional Challenge Quest}: {Complete the Trial of Desire and Frustration!}

[Rank: SS+]

[Well done! You’ve completed the last of all the Trials available to you; this was a Trial that challenged your self-restraint and your patience above all else.]

[By overcoming your emotional outbursts and concentrating on the goal in front of you, not only were you able to swim without stopping for over three days, but you were able to gain new Reverse Seals.]

[Don’t underestimate the power of Selflessness and Satisfaction, but don’t overuse them either. After all, much like the original Seals, you might end up losing yourself in them.]

[Completion Rewards]: [10.000 Plot Points] [Black Heaven Ki Pearl Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x1 [White Heaven Ki Pearl Fragment (S+++ Rank)] x1 [Ki Restoration Potion (S Rank)] x1 [Ki Enhancing Pill (S Rank)] x1 [Skill Level Elixir (S Rank)] x1]

“Nice, I think I’m done then.”n/o/vel/b//in dot c//om

After seeing the reward items stored inside my Inventory, I set to start yet another new day in this hellish place. Having completed all Trials, I hoped the Heavenly Demon would give me a little break.

In my way through the dark palace, I found Ying Shen, who was preparing breakfast and about to bring it to the dining table.

“Ah, young master Anna, good morning!”

“Ying Shen! How have you been? I’ve been away for a little while now.”

“I’ve been fine; I went to train myself somewhere else as well, so I just returned.”

“Really? Wait, where?”

“It is some cave, where shadows representing your fears appear… I thought I would die, honestly, but I somehow overcame them,” Ying Shen sighed in relief. “I think it is thanks to your words of encouragement and the strength you’ve gifted me. I wanted to thank you for… believing in me when nobody else did.”

“Ying…” I felt slightly touched with his words; it helped he had the cute face of an adorable and fluffy fox. “Well, it’s fine; I just speak facts; you’re strong and have amazing potential. Never let any traditions chain you down from attaining the freedom you deserve. There’s no need to force yourself to die by trying to assassinate the Heavenly Demon, and there’s no point in trying to please your family if they don’t see you beyond just that.”

“I see… Thanks again; such words have enlightened me more than you could imagine,” he said. “Your tales about the outside world, about the boundless outside, the people, the nature, everything, even the danger, had made me understand that there’s a whole world out there for me. So…”

“Hm?” I wondered.

“Could it be possible for you to accept me as your servant?” Ying Shen asked out of nowhere.

“Ser… vant? Wait, what?!”

I panicked a bit. What was he talking about? I take no servants!

“It’s nothing like slavery or anything you might think; I chose to follow you because your ideals, your strength, and your charisma have inspired me to do so. You’ve become someone I admire, young master Anna,” he said. “I want to help you and serve you, if that’s possible. I want to become someone who protects your back and can also cook you food and perhaps wash your clothes. I wouldn’t mind any of such menial tasks.”

That sounds really useful actually, but… Isn’t he the servant of the Heavenly Demon? I can’t take him in just like this.

"Sorry, Ying Shen, but I can’t,” I said. “I don’t have money to pay you for this, and there’ll be a time I will have to return to my world without you.”

“I… I understand,” Ying Shen nodded. “Then, perhaps… Perhaps as a friend is possible? Even for these few days, you will remain in this world. I would like to see how far you can reach, young master Anna.”

He reminds me a bit of Fang Shuan; he simply admires me and is inspired by the way I live my life, my convictions and ideals; he shares them with me now.

“Alright,” I nodded. “Fine… But even then, we’ll need to ask him for his permission, okay?”

“Okay…” he nodded. “Sorry for troubling you like this…”

“It’s fine; I agree with what you said earlier. I also want to help you get stronger and know the world outside, even if most of it has been destroyed by now.” I sighed. “Now, let’s go meet my master. Is he awake?”

“Yes, he’s awake and just returned to the palace. He’s fine, so don’t worry about him,” Ying Shen said.

“Okay~”

We moved to the eating area, where Ying Shen placed several dishes for us to enjoy for breakfast.

“Good morning master,” I greeted him.

“You’ve woken up, I see,” he nodded as he drank tea in silence, his sharp crimson eyes glancing back at me. “You’ve passed all the Trials I prepared for you without failing; congratulations, my disciple.”

“They were very hard and unfair, and I sometimes felt like wanting to kill you, but yes, I surpassed them and came back even stronger,” I nodded, sitting down. “Thank you for helping me so far, master.”

“Hahah! There’s nothing to thank me for; you’ve done your job as a disciple,” he seemed pleased. “Now, there’s roughly four days left here before you return, right?”

“Yes, will we have continued with any challenge or trial?” I wondered.

“No, there are no more trials or challenges, but I will assign you small missions, three a day; you must complete them within the day. There are no penalties if you don’t complete them, but whenever you do, you will be rewarded with this, a special Pill that enhances the growth of my Martial Arts,” he showed me a tiny black and red pill. “Do your best and don’t disappoint me; you’re perhaps… my last hope.”

“Last hope?”

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