The Last Paragon in the Apocalypse

After leaving the Soul Temple, Fruity and his uncle headed toward the Immortal Cave, where Fruity would spend days, weeks, months, and even years training. The cave was special, with a formation that gathered the most concentrated form of spiritual energy in the area. It was the perfect place for deep cultivation.

When they arrived, Fruity bid his uncle farewell and stepped inside the cave. He wasted no time and immediately began training, sitting down and using the technique his uncle had taught him. The spiritual Qi in the cave flowed naturally toward him, making it easier for him to focus and gather energy.

Days turned into weeks as Fruity stayed in the cave, cultivating without stopping. After the first week, he felt his strength gradually increase. By the end of the third week, however, he encountered a problem.

There was something inside him blocking his progress. He remembered what his uncle had said: this was the barrier to the next realm of cultivation. His uncle had told him that when the time came, all he had to do was gather enough spiritual Qi and attack the barrier.

Determined, Fruity began to gather more spiritual Qi. The energy swirled around him as he concentrated harder, feeling the pressure build. After hours of intense focus, he felt the barrier starting to weaken under the force of the spiritual energy. Two more hours passed, and he knew it was time. The barrier had weakened enough.

Fruity struck at it with all his gathered Qi, and suddenly, the barrier shattered. It felt like a new world had opened up to him. His power surged, and he could sense his strength on a whole new level. But at that exact moment, something else happened. He felt the heavens lock onto him, like a heavy weight pressing down on his entire being.

Startled, Fruity stood up and hurried outside the cave. As soon as he stepped out, he saw the Grandmaster Monk waiting for him, his eyes focused on the sky. Dark clouds were forming, swirling ominously above.

“Grandmaster, what is happening?” Fruity asked, his voice filled with concern. The pressure from the heavens was growing stronger by the second, and he could feel it tightening around him.

The Grandmaster Monk turned to Fruity, his face calm but serious. “It seems you’ve attracted a heavenly tribulation,” he said. “The heavens have noticed your breakthrough.”

Fruity’s heart raced. He had heard of heavenly tribulations before, but he hadn’t expected one to come so soon. “What should I do?” he asked, feeling the weight of the sky bearing down even more.

The Grandmaster gazed at the dark clouds, which crackled with energy. “You must face it. Every cultivator who seeks great power must pass the trial of the heavens. Stand firm and don’t let fear control you.”

“Grandmaster, what are you not telling me? I’m not the same carefree brat who used to laze around. I know you’re hiding something, so what is it?” Fruity demanded.

The Grandmaster smiled gently and replied, “It’s not that I’m hiding things. It’s just that to gain heaven’s recognition, you need to form a connection with the natural laws of the world. This usually happens when you’re about to break through to become a Saint.”

He continued, “In other words, having a tribulation while only breaking through to the Ascended stage is unusual. It shouldn’t be happening at this level.”

“So, the heavens want to kill me. How typical of them,” Fruity muttered, his resentment towards the heavens growing stronger. It seemed that the more he learned, the angrier he became.

The Grandmaster looked at Fruity with a conflicted expression. He wanted to say more but held back. Instead, he gazed up at the dark, ominous clouds forming above, his face showing a hint of defeat.

“You should go over the mountain there,” the Grandmaster said, pointing to a mountain peak a few miles away. “It’s a better location for the tribulation.”

Fruity nodded and took off toward the mountain.

Soon, he stood at the peak, looking small against the backdrop of dark clouds. He looked up defiantly and smirked.

“Stupid heavens, you want to kill me? Let’s see who’s tougher—the handsome monk or the spineless heavens that prey on kids like me,” Fruity said, his voice filled with defiance.

“Inner Peace,” he chanted, trying to calm himself despite his anger. It was clear that Fruity’s approach was anything but typical for a monk.

Suddenly, the heavens rumbled, and lightning crackled, ready to strike him. At that same moment, a strange chanting filled the air.

Fruity quickly formed a hand seal and began chanting in a language unfamiliar to most. From behind him, a large, mystical bead appeared. It had five faces, each one strange and emotionless at first glance. However, upon closer inspection, the faces seemed to convey subtle, shifting emotions.

The bead hovered behind Fruity, its presence adding a sense of ancient power and mystery. The heavens roared in response, the clouds swirling more violently. Fruity focused on the bead, readying himself for the trial ahead.

Suddenly, the heavens roared, and a thick bolt of lightning shot down from the clouds, aiming directly at Fruity. In response, he quickly formed another hand seal, and the bead behind him began to spin, presenting one of its faces forward. From that face, a golden bell emerged, growing larger and larger until it enveloped Fruity completely.

The moment the bell covered him, the lightning struck it. A powerful ringing sound filled the air, and instead of just being a noise, the sound rippled through the sky like a sharp cut. The clouds above parted, clearing a section of the sky for a brief moment.

“What is that?” The Grandmaster, standing far away, muttered in astonishment as he watched the bell.

The bead, which had been large, now shrank but remained hovering behind Fruity, who was safely inside the bell.

“This shouldn’t be possible,” a voice spoke from behind the Grandmaster. The Five Ancient Monks appeared, their eyes fixed on the bead with deep curiosity.

“Master, do you know what the bead is?” the Grandmaster Monk asked.

“That is the Pentaface Bead,” the Master replied.

“Pentaface Bead?” The Grandmaster, despite his age and wisdom, looked like a curious child eager to learn more.

“The Pentaface Bead is an ancient relic,” the Master began. “It is said to have originated from five ancient deities—or rather, from five ancient nightmares, if you will. Legend has it that during the Chaos Era, these five Nightmares fought a deity for sixty-six days.”

“No one knows exactly why the battle started, but after those sixty-six days, the five Nightmares were defeated, and the deity who killed them perished as well. After their deaths, a strange bead appeared. Some believe it was the deity transformed into the bead, others think it was his soul.”

He continued, “According to the legends, the bead contains the souls of the Nightmare of Harrow Sounds and Ring, the Nightmare of Despair, the Nightmare of Starvation, the Nightmare of Anarchy, and the Nightmare of Discord. It’s said that their souls were sucked into the bead, giving it five faces. The bead then vanished, reappearing only once every few million years.”

The Master glanced at the bead again. “Although this might just be a projection, I am nearly certain this is the Pentaface Bead. I only saw an image of it once during a ruin exploration, but I recognize it.”

The Grandmaster looked at the bead with renewed awe and concern. “This is bad” He muttered.

“How is this bad, if anything, this is good. Just look at the person taking the tribulation and tell me if he is having it easy or hard” The Grandpa Monk said.

Inside the bed, Fruity was chewing something as more and more lightning fell on the bell. “If anything, you should be happy, at least when he grows up, he can protect himself”

The tribulation went on for about a few more minutes before it ended. It was like the heavens were tired of ringing the bell. After the tribulation, Fruity came down the mountain and met with the Monks who had many questions.