"Please elaborate," Axton said.
"Simple. They are still restrained by the Heavens. Their kind hasn't reached True Enlightenment to trigger such an event," Theo explained.
"Hmm, is that so? But how did it manage to reach a ten-tail state? From what I know, their limit was nine tails," Axton asked, looking at the young man with curiosity. Theo, still in his twenties, had already reached the 3rd-Step Qi Condensation stage and possessed vast knowledge regarding Monsters and Beasts.
Moreover, his restaurant had gained such prestige that even noble families feared to offend him.
"About that, I needed to examine their tails, but unfortunately, they've already turned to ash or become part of the lava," Theo said, disappointment evident in his eyes.
Axton nodded, deep in thought.
If the monster didn't trigger the Lightning Tribulation, then what did? The Great Serpent Headmaster didn't doubt the authenticity of Theo's words.
"You must be wondering what triggered the Lightning Tribulation," Theo pointed out, though it was easy to tell.
"Yes," Axton admitted. "Though there's one possibility left—a very small one, both figuratively and literally."
"I understand," Theo smiled slightly. "But it's highly unlikely he's still alive."
"He's the only one I haven't investigated," Axton said. "It wouldn't hurt to find out."
"Then good luck," Theo nodded. "If the monster wasn't the reason, he might be, or he might not."
"It would be very bad if such an event occurred for no known reason. I'd rather someone be the trigger than have a Lightning Tribulation come down without cause," Axton chuckled. "I should get going."
"Alright," Theo stood up. "Shall I walk you out?"
"No need," Axton waved his hand, his body turning translucent before melting into a puddle of water on the floor.
Looking down at his mat, Theo's expression darkened. "He doesn't know how to use the door, and he even wet my mat. Rude."
On the street where Filly's Restaurant stood, next to the building was the Beggar's spot.
Sitting cross-legged beneath his makeshift roof, Apollo had his eyes closed, brows furrowed, and teeth gritted.
After a while, he opened his eyes and let out a heavy sigh.
"This is no good," the Beggar muttered. He had been cultivating the Revised Simple Breathing Technique since returning from Slumstreet, but his cultivation hadn't progressed at all.
He was following the pattern he had created—the Qi followed his command, entering through his mouth, nose, and pores. It circulated within him, moving below his navel, then suddenly disappearing as if entering a black hole.
Frustrated, the Beggar decided to come up with ways to improve the Revised Simple Breathing Technique.
Closing his eyes and taking a deep breath, the world returned to complete darkness, leaving only him and the surrounding Qi fireflies. This time, however, he didn't use the Qi from his environment. Instead, he focused on the Revised Simple Breathing Technique itself. Improvement—that was his goal.
A few minutes later, the Beggar opened his eyes, bewilderment clear on his face. It was perfect. The Revised Simple Breathing Technique was flawless. Any attempt to change even a small part of the pattern would throw the entire technique into disarray, turning it into a harmful practice if he tried to use it.
If there's nothing wrong with the technique… Apollo looked down at his stomach, specifically below his navel. Every time he completed one circulation, the Qi would enter below his navel and disappear. Hmm… if that's the case…
Apollo closed his eyes, entered the dark world, and focused on cultivating his Breathing Technique again. This time, he cultivated slowly, carefully following the movement of the Qi. When it reached below his navel, his dantian, his vision suddenly changed. He found himself 'staring' directly at the area a few fingers below his navel.
Inside, he saw the Qi entering a small ball of light. It resembled the Qi but was smaller and brighter. This tiny ball was absorbing the Qi nonstop.
Oh? Apollo opened his eyes, his gaze glinting with amazement. That must be why I don't feel any improvement, he realized. He noticed that the ball was slowly growing larger as it absorbed more Qi.
Now understanding the source of his frustration, a smile returned to his face. He no longer had to worry and could focus solely on cultivating. With this realization, he started cultivating more seriously. However, a passing thought soon crossed his mind—one he would regret.
Now that the first part of his mission was complete, when was the System going to issue another mission?
It was just a fleeting thought, but two or three hours later, something happened that made him stop his cultivation with frustration and regret.
A light blue translucent interface materialized before him, displaying the following words:
Mission: Revenge for your family.
Part 2: Find out the Plan of the Mayor.
Time Limit: Two Months.
Reward: 200 Alm Points, Random Reward Box.
Punishment: Lightning Tribulation.
"Ah, what the f*ck, System? It was just a passing thought! Why take it seriously?!" Apollo couldn't help but angrily question the System.
"The System issues new missions when the time is right, and the System deemed this to be the right moment," the System responded.
"Seriously? I haven't even reached the Half-Step Qi Condensation yet!" Apollo complained, but the System remained silent. "F*ck you!"
The interface vanished into particles of light, completely ignoring the outburst of its host.
Seeing this, Apollo took a couple of deep breaths to calm himself. He brought up the mission interface and reread the new mission. With a clear mind, he realized there was no reason to be angry.
The System had always been pretentious, never caring about his well-being. He didn't have a choice but to follow its orders.
"But System, is this really how we're set up? You give me missions without any option to decline?" Apollo asked, not expecting much of a response. To his surprise, the annoying entity offered an explanation.
"The System issues missions on behalf of the original body, the body the host has taken over. The Original Body sought revenge, and it is up to the Host to fulfill the Original Body's lingering desires," the System explained.
"What the hell?" Apollo was startled by the revelation.