Foundation Establishment

The whole mountain village was jubilant. After all the Young Master had chosen a bride, it was an auspicious moment. Preparations were in full force, and traffic was thick in and out of Meredith's home. However, nobody had seen the young master himself since he made the declaration of marriage. The elders had communicated that he was in a critical part of cultivation and had entered seclusion. He would be out in time for the wedding regardless, so it was nothing to worry about. Nobody would be so shameless as to try and decipher a God's thinking methods. By Nyasanga standards Meredith wasn't all that attractive a proposition for a bride. They were a clan of warriors after all, and a strong sturdy body was more preferred. Meredith was simply too delicate! With a frail body and fair skin, she was a far cry from the more sturdy and voluptuous vixens in her age group. But then again, the Young Master was rather frail as well, so maybe they suited each other after all. Of course, they could only think it and gossip in secret, nobody would voice it out loud. A week flew by and a grand ceremony was prepared. No expense was spared with elaborate decorations of rare and sweet-smelling wild blossoms hanging from every doorstep and flower petals were tossed like raindrops. Goats were dying by the dozens and the feasts were nonstop well before the ceremony itself. On this day a dark cloud yet again gathered above the mountaintop and it was much darker and ominous that he previous time. Loud booming thunder rumbled and thick lightning bolts crisscrossed in the clouds like serpents. "Hahaha finally!" aloud laughter boomed across the mountaintop as Mithamo casually made his way out of the cave and did a light stretch. As if angered and mocked, the dark clouds gathered even faster once he was out in the open. "Alright get on with it." Mithamo made a welcome gesture at the clouds. Immediately afterwards thick lightning bolts fell one after the other on Mithamo's location. Three, six, nine, twelve. The bolts would fall in threes, and after every set, the next round of bolts would be even thicker than the last. If the clan members didn't already have full confidence in the Young Master's abilities, they would have truly feared for his very life. After the eighteenth bolt which was as thick as a tree trunk, the sky cleared rapidly and the sun rays broke through, revealing a deep crater outside of the Young Master's cave. Inside the deep hole was a young boy who was charred black, but laughing uproariously none the less. "Prepare a bath, that was fun." he said. Chief Saito broke into a cold sweat. the power of that lightning was too astonishing and yet, although his son was charred, and clothes were burnt to ash, there was no damage at all to his physique. Especially that last bolt, he had no doubt in his mind such a bolt would directly vaporize him. Having cultivated the godly techniques to an advanced level he was very confident in his durability, but only an irresistible feeling of death came from that last thunderbolt. And yet, this little rascal took it in stride! The whole clan and not just the chief were dumbfounded. What was that about, are you trying to die?!

Chief Saito suddenly recalled the instructions and jumped into the pit. He covered the boy in his kingly cloak and then led him back into his cave. Ask he watched the boy dive into the pool of spirit water in his cave he could not help but ask, "Are you really okay?". "A minor numbness, it'll fade. It is still a heavenly tribulation after all." came the relaxed reply. Chief Saito was shocked. "Isn't a tribulation supposed to be six strikes?" Chief Saito had access to the full version of the cultivation technique, and at the very end of the scripture, it discussed how to overcome the very first heavenly tribulation. It was a very solemn piece of text, emphasizing the dangers of opposing the heavens, the merits of thorough preparation, and the very real risk of death as a charred corpse. "For a quality technique there are indeed six strikes. However, I am cultivating three quality techniques at a go, my case is different." The Nyasanga clan were all cultivating high quality techniques usable up to godhood. The heavens would not be kind and would send a full tribulation of six strikes. More ordinary cultivation techniques would be lucky to induce four strikes, and the vast majority of techniques considered top notch in many sects, induced three strikes. The number of strikes in a tribulation was even considered a sign of potential. Facing four strikes and surviving, one would be directly promoted to an inner disciple in many cultivation sects. Chief Saito gave an understanding nod, he had learnt something new. Only then did he exclaim, "Young Master, does this mean you have broken through?!" Mithamo only smiled in response. At this rate Chief Saito was thinking he would be in a perpetual state of shock staying around this boy. The elders had suppressed their cultivation under instruction from the young master, and it became clear that it was to use the sphere in the central square first before setting their cultivation path in stone. Luckily none of the elders had cultivated in secret, otherwise it would have been too late for regrets when they saw that their cultivation was set in stone by an unsuitable cultivation method! Only then did they realize that this was a devious trap by the young master to test their loyalty. After all, not everyone would always do as they are told, especially with a temptation like powerful cultivation dangled in front of them. But none of the elders dared slight a God, they would need ten thousand more guts to try. Gods were far too petty and vindictive in the legends. Mithamo did not know this though and was enjoying the feeling of a higher cultivation tier. After surviving the tribulation, which was very easy thanks to the Chaos Body that had immunity to elements, he had established his Zifu lake and entered [Foundation Establishment]!