The formation nearly breaks apart as the ground literally roils with the number of horrific creatures rising from underground. All of who are in Qi condensation realm.

With my steadily increasing level of power, diving it deep into the unseen nethers of the world have become near trivial to do. And creatures like these are always available for taking over.

Mindless, simple creatures of all kinds.

Some of whom, if they survive, will join my taming group. But I don’t feel too bad about using them in this way, as most of them just work off instinct and don’t have any level of true sentience. Perfect for morally using as cannon fodder, until they gain sentience.

It’s a shame I can’t use this in public spaces or where others could find out about it, as this would raise other’s apprehension against me by several levels.

With that in mind, the first minute into the second stage is pure chaos, as Sofia works to calm the group while firing the lasers in almost every direction. Jin Chin, on her side, is targeting the true culprit.

Me.

She has hopped on a sword and is striking the shield around me with devastating blows.

But I keep her busy in other ways, before she can break through my floating shield bubble.

With another wave of my hand, my second wave of beasts shoot out of the ground. Foundation Establishment hordes.

Her eyes widen, and she swishes her sword in their general direction. Countless underbeasts die, but more come to fill in the space.

In the moment of surprise this creates, I open the bubble.

The eyes on my disembodied head shoot open and I scream out a roar. Tides of the toxins and talismans shoot out from their hovering position around my head, covering the arena in darkness and poisonous fog.

Fiery explosions resound around, killing underbeasts, but also weakening the shield formation in the middle of their panic.

As Jin Chin realizes this, she rushes back toward me, but by that time, I close the bubble again. With even more fervor, she keeps striking at the bubble, desperate to stop me as more toxins and talismans emerge from my space bracelet.

I literally have the reserves to do this all day. Maybe even all week.

I don’t plan on making it easier on them. As even this is easier and more predictable than what could happen in a real high-level battle.

So, I continue to repeat this over and over again.

But there is something that changes the situation.

The willpower of the group.

All the preparations and comradery interactions I’ve been working to cultivate between them seem to have helped to make them band together. I can sense just a bit of that in those shouted conversations.

“Dammit Jin, I’m a medic! I’ve only just learned this technique, so how the hell can I keep it going for 10 more minutes?!”

“Do you think we have a choice?! Do you want those things to get in here? If not, then hold on, you motherfucker!”

It makes me so proud.

And since they are holding the line on the shield, it has given Sofia enough time to take the one window that I’ve left open.

The time that I release the toxins and talismans to strike out at the shield and Jin Chin.

Like a light piercing through the clouds, a single concentrated ray, rather than the shotgun blast, glows through the creatures, through the poison clouds, and even through various explosions… to strike me square in the chest. Right where my heart would be.

And also the rest of my chest.

It’s just a big hole.

More importantly, it damaged my cultivation base from its intensity.

It weakens the shield I've surrounded myself with, revealing that the attack grazed the outskirts of Nascent Soul. Something that would be considered almost impossible when done by under 1000 cultivators of these realms.

My actions fall still and my body falls to the ground again. Another firework erupts from Sister Nuan’s position.

They did it.

The second stage is passed.

However, there was a price to pay. Their shield and attack formation goes down. Everyone is exhausted. Too much so to maintain the formation.

And they are unprepared for the next wave.

My hand twitches towards a talisman that triggers a series of monoliths that rise out of the ground, scattered around the arena.

Which also activates the sound of a haunting choir that causes despair in everyone here.

Having learned from the previous stage, Jin Chin charges toward me to strike me down early. However, the monoliths have a special, terrifying usage.

A creation from the darkest parts of my mind. The information gained from the demonic cultivator that tried to take over my body.

Light shoots out from each of the monoliths, enveloping my body in a nauseatingly magenta film.

Mind-wracking pain consumes me. Most importantly, though, it defends me from the strike that she was about to land. Creating a barrier around my body that is firmly within Nascent Soul.

And that’s when I feel it.

Tearing.

Ripping.

Gnawing.

I only have a small bit of time to tell them of what is coming. Before I won’t be able to speak at all.

I’m not looking forward to this.

My head floats over to my body, before reattaching at the neck. I yell out words, using qi to amplify it over the still crumbling ground.

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“These stages are learning tools! To know what you might face one day and to be prepared. From the skilled, but standard stage, where you must fight to predict their actions. To the summoner or alchemist, who seeks to overwhelm you with creatures and environments.

“… and now. For the horrifyinaghhhhhhhhhhhhhhhh!”

At that moment, my ribcage bursts open, with a bunch of fleshy tentacles flaying out of it. Blood pours from my every orifice as I force myself to continue speaking.

“IIIII’ve taken pains… to show you what it’s like to fight a demonic cultivator. Tooooo prepare you. Look upon this façade I’ve created and make sure… buuuurn it into your memory. Fight and do not let feeeear overtake you…

“…and knowww! That this is but a fraction of the horrors that they can unleas…”

I can’t even finish my words, as the magenta light that was shining around the body intensifies and the fleshy tentacles still. The soul realm has been pried opened.

My eyes go dark as I realize the flesh has transformed into a terrifying visage. Melted, squirming, and my miiiiiiind-

My healing activates.

I regain control in an instant.

My body remains in this form, but I can now act freely.

I’m still in immense, all-encompassing pain. My pain is immense, but not as bad as when my body disintegrated. Enough that I can still move and operate.

Before anyone can react, I pop out thousands of bottles into my chest, which rapidly expands and then contracts as they disappear back into my space bracelet.

There we go. That will help later with the wandering ghost pills. Now to show them a recreation of the Swamp.

My twisted and multiple eyes all swim around until they lock onto every person here. Simultaneously.

I sense the terror on many of their faces, right before I reach out my fleshy appendages to grab my open ribcage.

And pull it even farther open.

In the middle of it, a huge, but normal looking tree peeks out. But in an instant, it perverts into a giant blackened eye surrounded by fleshy wood. Peering. Hungering.

Staring.

Thankfully, I have tamed the swamp tree in my soul realm, and this is a reversible process. And since they are under a tight contract, I control its every move. There’s no chance of an accident.

It pulls itself out of my body, little by little, through the surrounding barrier.

Jin Chin immediately strikes at it with her sword, causing it to phase right through. I can almost taste the horror emanating from her when one of its plantlike tentacles grasps her sword.

It can touch her, but she can’t touch it with physical attacks.

Now is the time that she screams at everyone.

“Attack the monoliths with everything you have!”

Good.

She realized the true goal of this phase. Not to fight me, but to take out the monoliths, which are sustaining this transformation.

However, I’m not just going to stand here and let them do that. And neither will this swamp tree.

As if emboldened, the swamp tree pulling itself out of me, thrusts its entire, mind-bendingly colossal form out of my body. Even inside this gigantic dome, it stretches over the entire edge of it, peering down at everyone here.

If this was an open area, I’m pretty sure it would cover the sky instead. The terrifying qualities of certain soul beings.

Long tendrils reach down from above toward the ground from its high position.

What will happen after it touches down? Things will spawn.

But something caught me off guard, which I really should have expected.

Amidst everyone else's charge at the monoliths with swords, talismans, and other offensive items, including Jin Chin's retreat to do the same, two individuals remain standing before me.

Ling and Mao.

The eldritch twins.

With a glance at each other, they hold hands and open their mouths slowly. Widely.

Which is when I remember that demonic soul creatures are not the only type of horror out there.

Despite the choir, organ, and guitar sounds, everything hushes for me. All that exists is their eyes.

And the cracks forming in reality around them. Which is when the spaces between the cracks show something that hits hard for me.

A massive plain, filled with wheat, grass, and tractors.

Tractors.

Why does this not seem to be something I’m imagining? Is this place similar to my world?

But that’s when I see it… two floating balloons.

No, not balloons, but many-tentacled, shapeless beings.

Both of which then look over at me. Though I can’t see any eyes, I know they are watching us.

The tree freezes in place. This only stops it for a moment before it continues pressing tendrils further downward, but at a far slower pace than before.

It looks like I’ll need to act on this.

In response, I look away, healing myself of the influence I feel. And take a drastic action.

I reach over to one of my former limbs. And rip it out.

A squelch sounds out, revealing a new giant pulsating mound of flesh, that I plan to use as a club.

That’s when I move toward the group, using my quick steps.

I first arrive at my favorite people’s location.

Ai, Lin, Mei Lin, and Shi.

Each of whom is working together to break down a monolith.

Mei Lin is the first to notice me, as she freezes mid swing, before turning back toward me with a trembling motion.

“N-n-n-no, please.”

UGH.

I feel an internal impact, as if someone physically struck me with a deep blow.

Sorry, Mei Lin. This is necessary.

I wave the club, giving her a gentle tap, which causes her to be thrown a significant distance. Knocked out.

I can see the frowns and looks of horrified disgust on their faces at this and my appearance. It hurts a little.

Ah.

Crap.

The privacy tent thing may not happen now.

Well, this needed to be done to prepare the group for the future. Unfortunately, we WILL have to fight demonic forces. This is but a taste of what is coming.

I swing a few more times and they also go flying. I needed to strike Ai, Shi, and Lin harder, because they are resilient from the constant training and healing.

But not enough to handle a core formation.

So, when I finished them and turn to everyone else… Everyone’s faces pale.

If I did this to the people I care about most, what will I do to them?

Anyway, I started swinging.

People’s bodies fly like dandelions in the breeze. Of course, being healed so that they won’t die.

As would make sense, Jin Chin rushes to stop me, but I keep using quick steps to avoid her, while still attacking the group.

But she does a competent enough job that I can't easily take them out.

All the while, Sofia and the rest attack and destroy the pillars, one-by-one. Gradually adjusting to my movements, with Jin Chin blocking my attempts to reach the heart of the group.

This is also where I experience the frustration of a raid boss.

Being led around, only able to attack in certain ways. Every time I get close, she uses some new technique to knock me back from the area. All the while, the weaker members of the group are firing off techniques at the tendrils trying to touch down. Beating them back, even if only to slow them down a little.

Even if they can’t damage me, they have their own ways to hold me back.

A reminder for myself, for if I ever need to fight for real.

It’s in this way, this deeply unsatisfying way, that the last monolith is destroyed.

The moment that happens, the magenta light surrounding me abruptly cuts off, and my body quickly reforms into its natural state. My chest pulls the swamp tree in, causing me to fall to the ground. Face first.

I then heal myself to close the soul realm and cultivation wounds this entire ordeal has caused.

…

…

Everyone is cautious. Glancing towards the sky at Sister Nuan, desperate to see if they succeeded.

To scare them, I jump up with my hand pointed to the group, but am instantly attacked by Jin Chin.

“Waitwaitwait, I was just joking, stop swinging! Sister N… Senior Song, fire the firework, please!”

Sister Nuan fires it while shaking her head at my stupid actions.

Of course, I had asked her to delay it beforehand.

Everyone in the group is giving me disgruntled looks, if not glares. I heal them all to make up for it.

Even though it may seem like an asshole move, that had a purpose. To prove to them it is over, and that I'm still the same person before.

To portray that everything before was just training. A façade.

Even if those with more experience here can infer that not all of it was.

And just as vital to lighten the mood. I mean, they literally were fighting demonic/eldritch beings.

After this moment of pause and healing, the mood lightens. I get a little serious and speak out toward the group, before breaking into a huge smile.

“Congratulations, everyone. You just beat the equivalent of a Core Formation demonic cultivator. This is the result of all of your hard work. You’ve done well.”

Another moment of silence ensues, followed by enthusiastic cheers as everyone realizes that it is finally over. However, I see some people notice the privacy screen is still up.

I continue to speak, to clear things up.

“As promised, each of you will receive the pills I promised before the end of the day. For now, get some sleep and we’ll talk later tonight. You all deserve it!”

That’s when Sister Nuan dissipates the shield, causing the swords composing it to break away from each other and crumble into dust. Of course, I heal her as well, as she was the one sustaining it.

The group nearly tumbles over one another in their rush to leave the war-torn arena, yet there are still many individuals who remain.

People I will need to explain quite a few things to before they are satisfied.

This… will not be a fun time.