A Cultivation Tale: The Godly Punisher

The entity controlling the hall was incredulous at the energy-attack by Alex.

In all it life, it had never heard or seen something like this, even in ancient records it came across through it master and neither had it ever heard or saw someone coming up with such great power when they just awakened a physique, this was really strange.

It looked on, trying to absorb the unusualness occurring before it, like it didn't want to miss out on anything that was happening.

Alex's body had grown taller by many feet and his skin was now jet-black.

It shone with a black metallic lustre that gave the feeling this body was forged from black metal.

His eyes were completely black too. The white layer had been replaced by jet-blackness.

Infinite, vastly numerous dots of light could be seen in the great, unfathomable expanse in those eyes.

If one looked in those eyes, one would think they were looking at stars in space through a telescope.

And this feeling was right, the innumerable motes of brilliance glowing within the unbounded vastness in his eyes were truly the innumerous numbers of stars in space.

The stars in space mysteriously reflected in his eyes.

Stars could be seen all over his seemingly metallic body, they looked like they were engraved in it.

Each of these stars emitted resplendent light which created a beautiful scene that made Alex seem like a god of brilliance.

The moment his body transformed, the sky here abruptly turned dark, then stars emerged, radiating with greatness and magnificence.

These were not real stars but an unnatural phenomenon that manifested to further enhance the glory and grandness of the physique, the "Uncanny Might Astral Divinity Physique."

But these stars that appeared can be used for something that would shock even gods themselves.

It was left to Alex to find out.

Alex at the moment was enjoying the strange, pleasurable power circulating within his body.

This power was a surging stream of astral energy. It coursed in his body like a furious flood. Although it sounded violent, it was a sweet sensation to Alex who savored it and wished for more.

Then a feeling suddenly came upon him, the feeling that he had vast physical strength to effortlessly shatter ranges of mountains with a finger strike.

"Kid, you won. But I would like to test you again" The control entity said.

Alex was surprised, then he said, "Alright senior."

But he quickly asked, "Senior, you know what this physique is called?" He asked hoping for a good elaborative response.

"No. I don't know what it is called but only that it has appeared because you forced it to when you summoned the essence that comprised the entirety of your being to attack the trial challenger. You had unknowingly pulled out the physique from where it laid dormant in your body due to your nervousness and depression. But once your body returns to normal, I guess you wouldn't be able to cause it to appear again unless you reach a realm that's commensurate with its power. Enough of that, get ready, a Saint-rank beast would be your challenger." The entity gave Alex the full opposite of what he wanted to hear, a clearly explained bad news.

"Okay" Alex shook his head, his excitement had been deadened. Saying his physique wouldn't appear again caused Alex extreme sadness.

Although, he accidentally borrowed its power since he hadn't even awakened it. Neither did he know what realm he would be able to access this physique.

Even if he did gain access to the physique's power at that particular realm, he had to comprehend the profundities of the physique to a great level before he could unleash it power.

He liked this power that coursed in his body very much. It gave him a fantastic feeling, a feeling that he was a deity of unparalleled physical strength.

This was the power of gods he had always hoped to possess.

"Physique or no physique, I would reach the level I would be called a god." Uttering in his heart with great determination, his excitement exploded again.

Then he prepared himself to give it his all in his battle against a saint-rank beast.

He had no fear when he thought of the rank of the beast he would be facing. He was very confident in this unknown physique his body had produced.

Raaagh!!

A beast roared at Alex the instant it appeared. It was really great in size, about forty feet tall and seventy feet long and weighed about twenty tons.

It was armored. It had an extremely thick skin that shone like steel. Dense bony spikes that glowed could be seen on it steel-like armor skin.

When Alex saw the beast, he trembled.

It size and fearsomeness gave Alex the chills but it was quickly subdued by a fabulous feeling that occupied the entirety of his mind.

This feeling was one that made him feel he could split the earth with a punch.

Not frightened by the beast's enormity, his eyes blazed with battle intent.

He decided in his heart that he would make sure he horrified the control-entity by eradicating the beast with a single punch.

Clenching his fist tightly, it caused a loud metallic sound to chime out.

Then he ran towards the large beast which also ran towards him.

Alex quickly covered tremendous distances in an instant, leaving after-images behind him and web-like cracks in the earth as booms rampantly sounded out beneath his feet.

His body size was extremely insignificant in comparison to the beast.

Alex knew this but he wasn't perturbed.

Once he got to to a close range, he mustered his strength and jumped into the air towards the head of the beast that was at a height of forty feet.

Giant bony spikes shot out of the beast's body towards Alex at extreme speeds.

The spikes couldn't get near him as an invisible astral force field continuously emitting from his body deflected the hundreds of enormous bony projectiles.

This force field was impenetrable.

Alex was astonished. Then he smiled with a countenance that depicted he wanted to demolish everything in his path.

The projectiles couldn't terminate his trajectory towards the beast. They were rendered useless by the impervious force field that emanated from Alex.

The instant he approached the beast's head in the air, he threw an ordinary punch out but with all the strength he could gather.

Bang!

Once the fist struck the beast's head, a terrifying thunderous sound rang out and a large sphere of vacuum, about thousands of feet in diameter, instantly surfaced, which was abruptly accompanied by an enormous release of frenzied energy that could ravage mountains.

The beast, once the fist impacted it, was shoved tens of thousands of kilometers into the distance.

It shot away like an arrow, whistling through the air at extreme speed.

Cracks rapidly appeared all over it armor-skin and they began to fall off, even it spikes had shattered apart.

Once it plummeted to the earth, with a earth-shaking boom, it exploded to pieces cratering the earth it landed in.

Large amounts of dusts was heaved into the air the instant it collided with the earth, with this dust resembling a giant mushroom cloud.

Alex landed back to the ground.

Marvel and wonder occupied every inch of his heart. "Totally insane. That's one hell of a physical strength, I was like a god of strength, so cool" Alex uttered elatedly in his heart.

This was one of the type of power he wanted, great physical strength.

He knew that immense physical strength only belonged to body cultivators, experts that cultivate bodies by infusing and integrating energy into their bodies.

So, he knew this physique was a physique related to strength.

He looked at his hands, at the stars that radiated light and superphysical might.

Not very long, the brilliant resplendent stars that looked like they were engraved on his black, seemingly metallic body vanished.

His height then returned to normal and his skin became white again.

The moment these stars on his body vanished, the stars that had emerged in the sky vanished as well.

The inky blackness of the sky rapidly thinned away as the sky regained it azure color. Sun rays pierced through it bathing the entire land.

The agonizing pain that racked his entire body before he transformed had long abated. The seemingly indestructible form his body took on had repaired every damaged parts of his body.

When he noticed the revert, he closed his eyes and tried to summon that physique but he couldn't. He tried hard to make the physique manifest again but to no avail.

After so many times of futile trials, his mind spoiled. He knew the power had gone back to dormancy and was now concealed from him until he reached a particular realm.

But he believed he would be able to call it up someday, that would be the day he truly awakened it not force it come up like what he did here because he was nervous and anxious.

"Prepare yourself, the next stage of the trial starts now." The control entity said.

Then Alex was teleported to another dimension.

In here, he saw a really long flight of steps that stretched to a very great distance, where it other end connected to the entrance of the tallest part of a tower.

This tower was large and stood very tall. Then chains of mountains could be seen on both sides of the flight of steps.

It didn't take long for Alex to know this tower was erected in a narrow mountainous valley.

"You would climb up the stairs to a room in that tower. In there lies the final stage of the trial for the inheritance. In this stage, you would face pressure that increases with every step. I must warn you, if you feel the pressure is too much for you to bear, just say 'I quit.' One must know when to stop. I said this because you seem to be pushing yourself for something that's too great for you. It seems someone has been teaching you something that you shouldn't come across for the next million years?" the voice asked.

Alex's mind shook.

"I shouldn't have been exposed to something that I should only know millions of years later? Why is that? But it seems true, all those things my uncle said were too advanced for me but he was just educating me so that I can aim for the highest and not be like the mediocre others." these thoughts moved through Alex's mind at the speed of light.

Then he thought about that man and then that woman that he seemed to be a young, male version of.

He smiled, and when he pictured them, he saw they really matched, they were like celestial couples.

"No one senior. It's just me aspiring to be a zenith godly expert so I can move through every world insurmountably and invincibly. After I learnt humans could cultivate to the level they could become gods or devils, depending on the path of morality they chose, I have chosen to be neither, but a deviant, one who would defy the rules of the world no matter the consequences, I want to strike fear in the heart of deities and demons." Alex replied with confidence.

"Hmm. Those are really great aspirations. I am very impressed. Boy, I'm glad I met you, if I had given my master's legacy to anyone else and I came across you, I would surely feel regret, everlastingly. So, kid, always dream high and don't let anything define your limit, not even yourself. This trial and the last became unnecessary when you showed that physique, it was really powerful as it made you seem like you were a god of strength and might. That alone, made you the best for this legacy, it defeated the purposes of the last two stages, since they were to test the talent and dexterity of examinees. There are some peculiarities about you that I believe in time, if there is enough stimulation, would manifest.

I would give you the entire wealth of my master, but it's still necessary to acquire the ultimate thing that was prepared by him, and it lies in that tower. When you climb, just be careful, the pressure increases many fold at every step and could cause you to explode. If you can't withstand it, you can leave and come back again another time after you have gotten stronger, I would wait for you." the entity said.

Alex shook his head, he wasn't going to back down. "Senior, let me give it a try. If I don't try, how would I know If I can't withstand it." He said with an iron determination. "Hmm. Alright. Go on." the entity replied.