An enormous wave of Saint Qi shot from inside the Gates of Heaven towards me as if to fill me up.
However, since I couldn't use it, it calmly spun around my body and didn't seem to be able to get through. After all, I can't use natural Qi or natural Saint Qi.
The Qi dispersed around me and seemed to be disappearing.
Suddenly, the whole atmosphere began to change, the dark redness of the skies began dispersing, and the gate was about to disappear, my tribulation was over.
I stood up as I looked at the skies, and spoke addressing no one in particular.
"Cruel heavens," the words I spoke seemed rather blasphemous, but they held meaning.
The Saint Qi pouring from Heaven's Gate towards me didn't even help nourish or heal me because I couldn't even use it. Like the last time, the best I could do was just harness it for my Lord of Lords pagoda, but since it has no people inside it anymore, it was pointless to do so.
"You send down trials and tribulations to the people who climb and cultivate, yet you promise them rewards once they achieve victory against your trial, but what about me? Cruel heavens," I said.
I then decided that I wasn't going to even take the 'reward' the heavenly tribulation was giving me, I'm not someone who's begging for crumbs. I'll get stronger my own way, find resources my own way, and get what I deserve my own way.
Suddenly, as if angered the skies shuddered and shook once again, the disappearing gate was once again reconstructed and it seemed that it was about to open once again.
"FOOL!" I heard the voice of the old man who seemed to have appeared a long time ago.
"Why the hell did you provoke the heavens!" the old man shouted "Run!" he called.
The gates seemed to be opening more and more, and the secrets within them were revealed to the world.
But I knew for a fact, that no one who is not undergoing this specific tribulation could hope to gaze on what's beyond the gate.
"I'm not provoking, I'm stating facts. The heavens decide who to reward and punish, but why would I only get punishment and no rewards, in all my tribulations, what did this heaven ever give me?"
The old man didn't speak, because he knew of the Poison God, and probably knew of this unorthodox cultivation method that doesn't rely on the world's natural Qi.
"None of your ancestors even dared speak the words you're saying, you're provoking something you can't fight against," he said.
"My ancestors…" he was probably talking about the Poison God Acolytes, "They're all cowards. Oh, heavens, do you truly have any pride?" I spoke.
And this caused the entire world to rumble.
I'm betting on something very risky right now, and if I'm wrong, I'll probably perish here. But I know something for a fact.
Heaven is proud, the proudest of all.
"The Ruthless yet Merciful heavens, gifts not a person who overcame its challenge. What a mockery," I spoke. "Is heaven so destitute to not find an appropriate reward for a person who triumphed over its trial? How sad," I muttered and turned my back to the gate, I was not going to take any of the Saint Qi it was offering.
My back looked like a wall as I walked away from the Heavenly Blessing that seemed to be dissipating wastefully.
Just as I decided to fly away and head toward the old man, the gate opened up even further, this time it was enough to reveal more of its inside.
Clouds manifested into a massive arm that could cover the skies.
I turned to look at the arm and was about to speak even more spite, for how the Heavens couldn't even reward me so it looked like I was going to perish here.
Yet against my expectations, the arm made of tribulation lightning clenched into a fist then it came down all the way to the ground.
The arm opened up letting fall a small fruit. Then it slowly began disappearing as if it had never existed before.
The gate followed after, and the insides of the gate began to blur.
Soon, everything went back to normal leaving nothing but the small fruit.
The old man immediately appeared right next to the fruit and picked it up, causing me to frown.
"What a great treasure," he said as he looked at me.
"Almost a waste if it was handed to you, I say," he said smiling.
The old man was becoming annoying, "That isn't yours," I said.
"Why? I found it," he said smirking.
This guy…
He then teleported right next to me, "Shouldn't you at least gift it to this old man, for teaching you that movement technique?" he said.
I was slightly in a predicament. I looked at the fruit, I didn't know what it was, but it was obviously something of great value if even someone from above the ascendant stage was eying it.
I sighed and spoke, "I don't want to be owed anything, take it," I said and turned around.
"Huh? Are you mad?" the old man said completely unexpecting my words.
"I told you, he is different," spoke a feminine voice.
Looking forward, it was Liang Yu, she looked a bit weary. It seems that she had just finished her trial.
"…here," the old man said as he handed me the fruit. "You really are a strange man," he said.
I took the fruit and said, "aren't you a stranger? Why give it back?" I asked.
"Because it is not mine to take, it was rewarded to you by the heavens, if I were to take it, my life would end here and now," he said. "Also," the old man said, "Do you know the true value of that fruit?" he said.
I shook my head, not even the Poison God's book had anything to say about such a strange-looking fruit.
It looked like a small peach of gold and silver mixed in it.
"It's a Heavenly Rebirth Fruit, it can defy the law, and give life to one who had lost it, once and only once. But, nothing is for free, the price of rebirth is pretty steep, some might not even be able to pay it off," the old man said.
"Really? Bringing, someone back to life?" I questioned.
"Yes, but as I said… you, right now, can't afford the price, but you must eat it still, you don't need to waste it." the old man said.
And I could feel it, there was a thin layer of Saint Qi protecting this fruit and it was disappearing very fast. I could guess what would happen the moment the Saint Qi around it were to completely disappear.
I sat down and took a bite from the fruit.
It actually tasted like a peach, nothing too special, nothing too… heavenly, just a normal peach, but it was sweet and good nevertheless.
It had no seed however, I thought of planting it in my Lord of Lords pagoda, but it seems that it's not possible.
Once I finished, it, I flexed my arms and tried to sense if something new happened within me, but nothing of the sort happened.
"What a strange man, you really dared and talk smack to the Heavens," the old man shook his head.
"Well, I wasn't going to be thankful for crumbs. If one does work, one needs to be rewarded, not even the heavens can or should skimp on someone's hard work, don't you agree?" I said.
"That is a point worthy of discussion, so how about we have a few drinks first, and let's talk about this," the old man said.
I had no reason to refuse the old man's invitation, especially since I know he is a member of the Heavenly Academy, and crossing him could be detrimental to my life in the Academy.
The bird, Xiao Xiao which belonged to Liang Yu came flying down, allowing us on its back.
The three of us headed up to Liang Yu's palace.
