Chapter 36: The Limit?

Chapter 36: The Limit?

“{Do you want my help, Junior Sister?}” Gu Ran’s qi transmission came to her.

“{Fine!}” Xiao Hong pouted. She recognised this thing was far beyond her league in just those few exchanges. She could probably take it down, but she would also be heavily injured in the process. So it was better to let Gu Ran take it down. In the past few days of travelling with him, she had come to realise this fellow was far stronger than he let on. Even the strongest among the Rank 3 mid-stage Beasts could not match him.

What did that mean? It meant his battle power had exceeded the 8th Disaster and was closing in on Nirvana. Perhaps, there was still quite a distance away from that level, but that was far beyond anything a mere Earth Disaster should be able to exert.

Through her overpowered senses and a bit of his residual Qi, she had managed to ascertain that he was at the Yang Disaster. ‘As expected, it’s the “Protagonist hides his strength” trope!’ Xiao Hong had nodded to herself after the third time Gu Ran had effortlessly dealt with a Demon Beast she had a hard time against. ‘My speculation that he is the old-fogie-cultivating-again type has more credibility now.’

She ceased her reminiscence and paid attention to Gu Ran, who had appeared between her and the Golden Thunder Lion - it was always a great learning opportunity to watch his fights!

Moreover, she had an idea that she wanted to test - her system worked by learning from manuals, or more precisely, it could learn when she gave it information. So just yesterday, a thought had struck her, ‘What if I could create those manuals myself? Or at least compile a large amount of information? For example, if I compile information on dealing with Demon Beasts or even a particular Demon Beast, can I have the system learn it for me and turn it into battle experience?’

If she could do such a thing, it would make things a lot easier!

She quickly got rid of her distracting thoughts and concentrated on Gu Ran who was facing the Golden Thunder Lion with a casual smile, looking very cool and dashing.

Gu Ran quickly made a few hand seals pointed forward at the Golden Thunder Lion and a Dark Flame Serpent appeared.

Incredibly, the Dark Flame Serpent looked no different from a normal black-coloured serpent. If it were not for the extreme heat it was radiating, Xiao Hong would have thought it was a completely normal black snake!

‘What mastery!’ Xiao Hong could not help but marvel.

Gu Ran casually waved his hand.

The Dark Flame Serpent jolted into motion and seared through the air at a speed even the Golden Thunder Lion could not match! As it blazed through the air, it split into hundreds of smaller Dark Flame Serpents that sped up even more, turning into beams of black!

‘Fuck, can you not casually show off like that?!’ She cursed. Her chest felt constricted. Who wouldn’t feel stifled when they saw someone casually doing something they couldn’t achieve with great difficulty?

‘How hard are you trying to rend my heart?!

‘How have I offended you?

‘Goddammit, I even made pills for you and this is how you repay me?!! By rending my heart?!

‘I curse you! Be single forever!’ She cursed him and breathed deeply to soothe her increasingly stifled heart.

Gu Ran, on the other hand, was thinking of something completely different: ‘It is difficult to forcefully show the Myriad Transformations level when I am actually at the Instinctive Control level.’ He shook his head inwardly. ‘Sigh, so much hard work to gain her favour...

‘But it’s worth it - with Junior Sister’s Stellar Primordial Body and her comprehension, she should be able to easily gain enlightenment from this move!

‘With this, she would be able to reach Perfection for the Dark Flame Serpent! If she’s lucky, she might even gain enlightenment and directly reach the Myriad Transformations level for this Spell!

‘Junior Sister Xiao will definitely be very grateful!’ he sighed to himself, thinking that he did indeed cherish the younger generation. Mh-hm, he was a good person!

The Golden Thunder Lion roared in defiance seeing hundreds of black beams that shot towards it. Seeing it had no way of dodging like it had previously, it retreated. However, unexpectedly some of the beams of black sped up even more, shot past it and attacked it from behind!

Roar!

The Golden Thunder Lion roared again, the powerful bolts of lightning surrounding it intensified and blasted out omnidirectionally, attacking the beams that had surrounded it!

Gu Ran simply shook his head and pointed his finger at the Golden Thunder Lion.

A beam of blood-red light shot out and pierced the head of the Golden Thunder Lion that was distracted from defending against the beams of black flames. It was instantly killed!

‘Isn’t this too easy?!’ Xiao Hong’s mouth twitched, ‘Just two moves and you’re on the ground, dead?

‘Where is the ferocity you showed me? Where are the enraged roars?! Where is that bullshit speed?!’ Xiao Hong raged inwardly.

‘Be honest, you’re actually here to help him show off, aren’t you?! So that he could show off his strength in front of the Jade Beauty and impress her, right?! I see right through you!

“The rumours you hear about people finding Natural Treasures and getting a massive boost in Cultivation Talent is merely them awakening their Special Physiques, Bloodlines, or something similar. None of them gain anything that was not theirs in the first place.”

“Talent is something that is bestowed by the Way of Heaven and can only be increased by following the conventional Path of Ascension allowed by it: and that is attaining Nirvana.

“Relying on something external things to increase your Talent will only result in disappointment.”

Looking at Xiao Hong’s increasingly desperate expression, he continued, “But...

“Theoretically,” he emphasised the word strongly, “if you can correct every possible deformation as it occurs or before it does, you can cultivate beyond the Upper Limit.

“But such a level of control over one’s Essence and Body,” Gu Ran shook his head helplessly, “I can’t think of a way to do it.

“Perhaps only the fabled True Immortals can do it.”

Gu Ran paused again, before continuing with an uncertain tone, “There is a theory that the Heavenly Way’s Blessing can buff one’s cultivation speed beyond the Upper Limit without repercussions.

“Talent is bestowed by the Heavens after all so this rumour has credibility.

“But, for that, one needs to gain the acknowledgement of the Heavenly Way.” he shook his head, “You might have a better chance of finding an Immortal to help you.

“Other than this, there is no other way that I know of.”

Xiao Hong looked dazed. Her gaze seemed lost as if she did not know what to do - which was really the case.

A bitter smile came over her face.

An Immortal? Were they cabbages anyone could find? Even if through sheer Heaven-destroying, Earth-shattering luck she found one, how was she going to convince them to help her?

Her Cultivation Methods? System? They were more likely to directly rip it out of her Soul.

Wealth? Pfft!

Her body? Even if she was ready to sell her body, they might not take a second look at her.

As for the Heavenly Way? Yeah, right. Let's not even talk about that. Cultivators far stronger and more talented than her can only obediently take the Heavenly Daddy’s spanking in the form of Tribulations. As for her? She was probably not in its purview.

She stood up and expressionlessly walked away, her tone devoid of emotion, “Forgive me, Senior Brother, I wish to be alone.”

Gu Ran simply nodded.

Xiao Hong walked and walked and walked. Until the light from the fire was only a small dot in the Moonless night.

She plopped down on the ground and stared up at the stars. The stars were different. Different from the Main World. Different from her Earth.

‘Why was I even brought here?’ She wondered. ‘Did the Universe think I was too comfortable?

‘Or was it someone that brought me here? Did they want to enjoy my despair or something?’

“Some weirdo you must be, huh?” she drily spoke to the sky.

She did not expect a reply. And she did not get any.

Xiao Hong continued staring at the moonless sky, her thoughts wandering.

Her gaze grew firmer. “I don’t necessarily require any Immortal or any Heavenly Way. I will find a way for myself. I’m finally enjoying my life and I won’t give it up. I’d rather die than go back to being that mediocre person.”

She took a deep breath and relaxed her tensed muscles.

‘“Theoretically, if you can correct every possible deformation before it occurs, you can cultivate beyond the Upper Limit.”

‘I need to get better at Array Formations as fast as possible.’ She took out a jade slip from her storage bag.