William wasn't sure what about dispersing a Heavenly Tribulation was so scary, but he could tell that it wasn't anything to laugh about considering his Master's expression.
"I did, Master." he replied.
"What level was the Tribulation at?" Riyald looked at Sir Reynolds this time.
"Peak of the Golden Core. It only fired off three bolts."
Riyald nodded. He was surprised that the Realm was so high, but the fact that only three Lightning Bolts had formed reduced the imminent threat.
He looked back at William, "I suppose I should have mentioned this before you attempted to break through, considering it was your first time. That is my fault. However, I have both good and bad news.
The good news is, you probably haven't enraged the Heavens since your Cultivation is so low, and you should have gained a benefit from the World."
William thought of the Spirit Qi that coiled up his body after the Tribulation.
So that was a reward from the World, and not from the Heavenly Tribulation? What does this mean?
Riyald continued, "The bad news is, if you haven't done so already, you are almost certainly on the Heavens' radar now."
"So I'm being targeted by someone else now?" William asked. He was a bit tired of this, always being targeted by someone stronger for little to no reason. Maybe this time he had provoked someone, but what had he done the other times?
"Not quite, but close. You don't need to know much about the Heavens now, but just understand that your path to Ascension has become much more difficult now." Riyald warned.
William nodded. System, is what Master said true? Are the Heavens going to make my life difficult?
-You've already attracted their attention once. Like your Master said, you do not need to know about the Heavens now. The more you know, the more difficult your life will be. Even I cannot help you at my current rank.
-At my current strength, yes. Your Tribulations will be more difficult from now on; it's best that you prepare yourself more thoroughly next time. It won't always be so easy.
William nodded. Something about the Systems words told him that it was time for him to be more serious about this entire thing, or he would actually die.
The last few months had been nothing but fun, and even the so-called challenges became effortless at a certain point. If William was struggling, all he needed to do was earn more Potential Points and level up his Talents.
His strength had increased by leaps and bounds every time he earned a large number of Potential Points, but the increase in strength wasn't as exaggerated as it seemed.
In the same Realm, William was unstoppable. But his opponents had never been at the same level as him. Having learned that there is another World above this one that he could Ascend to in the future, William knew his strength was nothing special.
And now he had increased the difficulty of his growth even further.
William bashed himself in the head under the confused looks of Sir Reynolds and Riyald.
I'm smarter than this! I might not act like it, but I am!
When it's just me, it's easy to make reckless decisions.
But I've had Atticus for a while now, and I haven't even considered his safety. What if the Illusion Element isn't enough to hide him from my enemies? What if I get him killed?
And Uri is following me as well. If I'm provoking enemies stronger than him, who can blame him if he wants to abandon me?
William made a rapid decision to change his perspective. He had been in this World for months now, but who could say when it was too late to change?
It was at this moment that something in William's eyes changed. They became slightly dimmer, the bright-green eyes more resembling hazel. His facial hair that he usually kept well-groomed grew out just a little bit, and his eyebrows furrowed as he considered his next move.
-Host has defeated an inner flaw: +50 PP
-First flaw defeated: +100 PP
-Unlocked Title: +5 PP
-Flawless (Rare): You have defeated one of your inner flaws that continuously hindered your potential. Attention to detail increased by 20%.
William glanced at the System Messages, somehow expecting an outcome . He performed a mental swipe to hide the notifications from his view and returned his attention to Riyald, who had retrieved the wrench for a second time and was looking at William in silence.
"It seems you understand your current situation, Disciple William. Do not worry, for I will assist you as much as I can."
William nodded, "I appreciate that, Master. There is something that doesn't make sense to me, though."
"If dispersing the Heavenly Tribulation is a bad thing and hinders our growth, why was I rewarded by the World?"
Riyald's eyes widened in surprise. He didn't expect this kind of question from William, "That's difficult to explain, and I only have theories."
William waited for an answer. Even a theory would help him understand just a little about what was going on.
"There are a few others who have dispersed the Heavenly Tribulations like you did. All of whom either died of old age because they couldn't clear the subsequent Tribulations or died while attempting one. Both ends were met at the hands of the Heavens.
Each time a Tribulation is dispersed, the Spirit Qi of the World itself is channeled into the Cultivator's body. I can make any number of conclusions about this, but I have a guess that the World does not want to be ruled by the Heavens and is rewarding Cultivators that also oppose them."
William felt this explanation made sense. "In that case, should we be siding with the Heavens, or the World?"
Riyald was speechless once again, "This...I do not know."
William was disappointed, but he didn't blame his Master for not having an answer. No matter how long one lived, they didn't have time to investigate every anomaly.
He considered his own thoughts and feelings on this. If the Heavens were some sort of oppressive creature that became angry when someone destroyed their precious Tribulation, were they the villains? Or was the World itself the problem? Tʜe source of this ᴄontent ɪs novęlfire.net
There were too many questions and not enough answers. William communicated back and forth with the System, but after spending a hundred Potential Points on the Ask Function, he hadn't gained much information.
If the System can't give me affordable answers, that means it's too much for me right now. I'll decide what to do before I attempt the breakthrough to the Core Formation Realm. Regardless of which side I take, I need to prepare myself.
"Master, thank you for the help. I won't do anything reckless for the time being."
William's words relieved Riyald somewhat. His greatest concern was that his most talented Disciple yet would go off and get himself killed before he grew up. It would be such a waste of talent, and something that Riyald had seen many times before.
He grew a little sad when he thought about his previous Disciple, who had challenged the leader of the Azures Continent a few hundred years ago, only to get himself killed in the end...