Kang Lin waited in the stands of the arena, eagerly anticipating Master’s presentation to begin. When he announced that there would be rewards, she was sure that, considering the source, it would be something over the top and nearly impossible.

She was not disappointed.

A Trials Pagoda was a thing of legend. No sect on the continent had one, but a few larger, more powerful sects in other places had found or established such wonders. Enough stories had made their way to the continent that she was familiar with the concept.

To see one for herself was truly amazing.

Obviously, as a mere disciple and not a Rising Tide Sect member, she would not get to experience a trial, but it was enough for her to simply be present at its unveiling. She exchanged a glance with Pan Jiang, who sat next to her. He looked just as excited as she felt.

Kang Lin was glad the young scion was also there as a witness as it meant that nothing Master said tonight would be a secret. She was mentally composing her message to Grandfather even as the announcement continued.

When Master started talking about specifics of the first trial, her ears really perked up. Prizes for trials were typically things like a spiritual weapon or a rare, valuable herb or a good technique or cultivation method. Instead, the very first reward had the potential to break bottlenecks.

What?

When the other sects found out about that possibility, they’d surely be lining up for a chance to use it, considering how many old monsters were out there languishing at their current level unable to move forward. The news might cause a riot.

The second trial was no less heaven shattering. No wonder Master was able to use so many different types of qi. He had access to a trial pagoda that gave out new aspects as prizes like they were pieces of candy.

Kang Lin had never heard of such a thing. She’d never even imagined it was possible.

Then, he told them about the final trial. To improve one’s spiritual roots was a major advancement. The only way she knew of involved vastly expensive pills that required a minimum of a Golden Core level alchemist and several almost impossible to find ingredients to make. And those pills could only be consumed prior to the start of cultivating.

A method of increasing an existing cultivator’s spiritual roots was unheard of. Literally. Every alchemist had searched in vain for such a thing and not found it. The fact that a new, small sect had it was going to cause major waves.

She hoped that Master was as strong as he seemed. He would need to be to keep the sect safe.

The fact that he’d defeated a rank ten beast that commanded a tide and apparently suffered no ill effects from the battle boded well in that regard. She was sure that Grandfather would spread that story around to at least give other sects pause.

“There are a couple of very big caveats that go with the third trial, however,” Master said. “One, that resource that I talked about earlier that only I can provide? The third trial consumes a not insignificant amount. Two, failing the trial risks death, and I don’t currently know what percentage of applicants pass or fail or what percentage might die. I’m going to be very reluctant to let anyone try this trial. Understood?”

“Yes, Master!” All the core sect members yelled in response, leaving the rest of the audience looking at each other.

Kang Lin felt a bit of relief. The limitations on the use of the pagoda for the most heaven shattering of the effects was a good thing. The big three sects would already be eying the small new sect that had sprouted in their midst with suspicion, fear, and avarice. That the new sect couldn’t easily advance all their members to the peak of S rank talent would soothe some of the hotheadedness.

The news would definitely present challenges and opportunities for the Poison Claw Sect. Having established friendly relations already was a benefit in that they were in the best position to profit from Master’s many impossibilities. If the other two decided to destroy the Rising Tide Sect, however, it could put her sect in a difficult situation.

Kang Lin was very glad that people much higher in realm than her would be making such life and death decisions. At the same time, she hoped they’d stand strong with her Master and her new friends.

“On the plus side, I do have another surprise for you. All current sect members—” He looked directly at Kang Lin and smiled. “—and disciples will soon receive the option of increasing their spiritual roots by one minor step at no cost. Additionally, anyone joining the sect or becoming my disciple in the future will receive this same boon.”

Kang Lin was absolutely floored by that revelation. In fact, if anyone besides Master had said it, she literally would not have believed it. Such a thing should not be possible. She wasn’t sure that it was possible.

It couldn’t be, right? That bonus was too heaven shattering to be real.

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“Be aware, however,” he said, “that the process is quite painful.”

Yang Xiu, Yang Ru, Xun Wu, and Peng Hanying all nodded vigorously.

“You do not have to accept this boon,” Master said. “It is not in any way a requirement for being in this sect. In fact, I will not tolerate anyone in this sect looking down on another sect member for their choice in this matter. The pain is nothing to scoff at. I hate that some of you will have to suffer through it.”

Kang Lin did not understand him at all. How could anyone, even a mortal, pass up the opportunity to improve their spiritual roots simply because it hurt? That choice would be insane.

She would have spoken up, but she was so utterly flabbergasted by the entire concept of such a choice being real that the possibility of someone refusing it was a bridge too far.

“Okay,” Master said, “why don’t we spread out so that all the Rising Tide Sect members and my non-affiliated disciple have some room?”

The arena had space for over a thousand people to sit, and only about half the seats were in use. The non-cultivating villagers all moved en masse to the opposite side, leaving plenty of room for the rest of them to spread out.

It was quite a surreal experience for Kang Lin. Yet again, Master was proclaiming to be about to do something that was literally impossible, and everyone around her trusted that he was telling the absolute truth. The problem was that she believed him, too. She’d already seen too many ridiculous claims become reality for her to have any doubt.

No. She couldn’t just sit there and say nothing. A mass changing of spiritual roots was too much. It was a direct challenge to the heavens. She would not remain silent.

Kang Lin stood. “Master, you can’t do this.”

He looked puzzled as if what he was about to do was completely normal and any claim otherwise was just silly. “Why not?”

“Because it’s impossible. I mean, a lot of the stuff you do is impossible, but this is really, really impossible. It’s… I mean… You just can’t!”

Master smiled. “I know. You’re right. It is impossible.”

Kang Lin let out a breath. Good. It had just been a joke. She didn’t understand the humor, but he’d just been teasing her. Or them. Or something.

“Just because something is impossible, doesn’t mean I cannot and will not do it anyway, though,” Master said. “This is a cultivation world. We are meant to challenge the heavens. Anything can and will happen.”

What? But…

On top of the wagon down on the sand, Master did that thing where his eyes moved rapidly around, and suddenly, the late evening sky grew even darker. Lightning flashed.

“Oops,” Master said, still smiling. “I think I’ve made the heavens angry.”

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If there was any lesson that Benton had learned from his years serving corporate bigwigs, it was, “Never let them see you sweat.”

Internally, he was sweating up a storm. Just before he confirmed his choice to select the enhanced spiritual roots reward for his sect members, the sky flashed lightning. And it wasn’t just any lightning. It was tribulation lightning.

He could feel the power contained in those clouds in his very bones.

Still, he kept a smile on his face for his sect members and made light of the situation. No reason to make them worried. He’d either survive the experience or he wouldn’t.

Not that he was planning on leaving something like that to chance. Tribulation lightning was nothing to play around with. Many cultivators had their paths ended due to it. And he, fortunately, was a cheating cheater who cheats.

“System,” he said internally, “I’d like to form a Concept of an Anti-Tribulation element. This element’s sole purpose is to neutralize tribulation lightning. Please confirm purchase of the Concept to Mastery.”

Concept creation confirmed.

Host has learned a Concept for Anti-Tribulation – Mastery.

Host has 790 Sect Points available.

There. Now when the lightning hit, his shield would be super effective against it. He just hoped that would be enough.

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Kang Lin tensed.

One heard stories about cultivators undergoing a tribulation, of course, but it wasn’t something any sane person ever wanted to witness, much less experience. Few if any who suffered heaven’s lightning survived to tell the tale. Though Master appeared confident that he’d make it through just fine, she was positive that she was about to witness his end.

When she’d come to the village, it had been at the direction of her grandfather. She was to gather information for him as to what was happening with the mysterious and powerful Chao Su and, if it didn’t appear too unsafe, gain experience by participating in the beast tide. Her instructions were to flee at the first sign of danger.

Since then, she’d made friends. More than friends, actually. Yang Xiu was more like a sister. Yang Ru was a potential fiancé. And Kang Lin had found a Master, and she was discovering that he meant a lot more to her than she’d thought.

She didn’t want him to die, but there was nothing she could do about it. None could come between the heavens and its target.

At the same time, it was impossible for him to survive. Only literal legends were able to come through such an experience alive. She estimated his chances to be one in a million at best.

The first bolt formed, splitting the sky with a violet burst. It lanced toward Master, and he didn’t even attempt to evade, standing strong and tall against it, against the heavens.

The lightning exploded when it hit him, but no damage was done to the surroundings. Master glowed with purple light.

When the blast and the accompanying thunder faded, Master still stood, looking as fresh and uninjured as he had been before the blast.

Impossible. Kang Lin literally didn’t believe her eyes.

Then another bolt formed and hit him. And another. And so on until a total of five lightning strikes exploded against him.

None so much a fazed him. Not a hair on his body was singed as far as she could tell.

Master truly was unfathomable.

“Well, now that little bit of excitement is over,” he said, sounding completely unperturbed, “why don’t we get on with the reward?”

His eyes made the funny motion again, and she felt something. It wasn’t intrusive. Instead, it was just like she had a certainty that, if she chose to meditate at that time, she would improve her spiritual roots.

She’d never experienced enlightenment, but the way she felt mirrored the accounts of it that she’d read.

Considering that Master had just underwent tribulation for her to have the chance to improve her roots and it was a once in a lifetime opportunity, she surrendered to the moment and sank into a lotus position.

From her experiences so far, the Rising Tide Sect treated impossibilities as just another thing that happened. She might as well go along for the ride.

Master was rubbing off on her; she couldn’t wait to explain everything that happened to Grandfather. Just imagining his reaction made her smile.