The Grand Duelist

Chapter 162: Besieged by Three Guilds[3]

Only the final step remains!

The Heavenly Tribulation!

From the novels that Joseph frequently read within the past few years, Heavenly Tribulation was quite similar to Lightning Tribulation. The only difference was that the lightning sent by the Heavenly Tribulation was far more powerful than the lightning sent by the Lightning Tribulation.

But there was one thing that Joseph thoroughly understood about Heavenly Tribulation.

Whenever it descended it caused panic among everyone, mortals, and cultivators alike.

Despite the fact that Heavenly Tribulation wouldn't really target anyone apart from the sinful cultivator who dared to summon it. 

The sight of dark clouds churning and spewing out bolts after bolts of tremendously powerful lightning would definitely rattle the minds of everyone who witnessed it.

Even if it wasn't their first time.

But Joseph was ready.

He would never underestimate the might of the Heavenly Tribulation, but having comprehended several concepts along with the Grand Concept of Life and Death. He was now ready to face the punishment of the Heavenly Tribulation.

The only problem that he had right now prior to the summoning was that where he should summon the Heavenly Tribulation.

Joseph thought of summoning the Heavenly Tribulation above the seas, but he reckoned that once those lightning bolts descended onto the ocean.

They would definitely create a cataclysmic disaster in the form of tsunamis that would kill several thousand, if not hundreds of thousands with their towering waves.

But what if Joseph summoned the Heavenly Tribulation on land?

Joseph pondered for a long time, but he went against the idea of summoning it on land. After all, if the Heavenly Tribulation could do such damage even though it was summoned above the seas.

How could it possibly not damage the land beneath Joseph if he summoned it on land?

Joseph let out a sigh.

He flew towards the skies and swept his eyes around him.

Despite being so high up in the skies, Joseph who was somewhat afraid of height was instead inexplicably peaceful at this moment.

"[Elizabeth, are you sure that the mortals and cultivators beneath me won't be harmed by the Heavenly Tribulation as long as I block it?]" Joseph asked in a stern voice.

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's reply soon came: "[Yes, that's right. As long as master blocks the lightning bolts sent by the Heavenly Tribulation and doesn't let it descend onto the ground. No one will be harmed.]"

Joseph nodded, "[But just how does Heavenly Tribulation send its punishment? Does it send all the lightning bolts at once or does it slowly send its lightning down to me one at a time?]"

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth replied: "[Yes, master. The Heavenly Tribulation sends its lightning one at a time. But I don't think that you'll be able to get some room to breathe once the Heavenly Tribulation starts its punishment.]"

"What do you mean?"

Joseph was astonished by what he had heard that he couldn't help but audibly reply.

At this moment, he forgot that he could reply telepathically to Pixie Fairy Elizabeth.

"[I don't know master, I just feel like... I have this intuition that the Heavenly Tribulation is stronger than what you think.]"

"[Oh? How can you say so? Have you seen a Heavenly Tribulation before?]"

"[No! You're my first time, master... I haven't seen a Heavenly Tribulation, yet.]"

Joseph lifted a bitter smile when he heard Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's strange use of words. But after shaking his head, he suddenly remembered a certain conundrum that he had these past few days as he asked.

"[Hey, Elizabeth... Can you answer me honestly?]"

Joseph asked with sincerity plastered across his face.

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth froze.

She seemed to have an idea as to what Joseph wanted to ask from her for her reply only came after five seconds: "[What is it, master? I'll answer as honestly as I can to the best of my abilities.]"

Joseph let out a sigh.

He opened his mouth and chose to say his question out loud instead of telepathically.

"What will happen once I'm done with the King's Trial?"

The air froze and everything came to a standstill.

No one spoke, even Joseph who asked the question didn't ask any further.

But it was Pixie Fairy Elizabeth who broke the silence as she replied: "[Once the King's Trial is done... Master can finally return to the world of Victory along with all the spoils that you gained from this world, master.]"

Joseph raised an eyebrow. There was nothing wrong with Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's answer, but Joseph could feel that she was dodging the issue as he continued: "That was not the answer that I was looking for. I want to know... What will happen to you once I'm done with the King's Trial..."

"Will I be able to bring you with me back to the world of Victory?"

Joseph couldn't stop himself anymore as he asked.

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth audibly gasped. 

Everything froze once again as Joseph patiently waited for Pixie Fairy Elizabeth to calm down.

But Joseph didn't expect that he would receive his answer so quickly as Pixie Fairy Elizabeth replied...

"[No, master... I am an Artificial Intelligence created for your ease and convenience here in the King's Trial. Once you're gone, I'll also be erased from the system so, in other words, there is no way for me to follow you back to Victory, master.]"

"Haaah..."

"I see..."

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's answer elicited a sigh from Joseph.

He then descended from the skies and landed on the soft grass. His spiritual energy converged into a point and disappeared. In turn, Joseph's body transformed from an immortal cultivator to a mortal. However, his physical age as a mortal wasn't the old man Joseph, but clearly younger.

Just a single look at him was enough for you to conclude that Joseph was a man in his early twenties.

But Joseph's transformation astonished Pixie Fairy Elizabeth: "[M-M-Master? Why did you turn yourself into a mortal? I thought you were going to summon the Heavenly Tribulation?]"

Joseph lightly chuckled: "Yes, I was about to summon the Heavenly Tribulation, but I have decided to postpone it for now..."

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"What? Are you trying to say that I can't postpone it?"

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth reeled from shock as she tried to calm herself down. However, despite her efforts. Her words still came out in a stutter as she replied: "[But master... Your loved ones are waiting for you outside, are you really going to make them wait again?]"

Joseph boisterously laughed: "Hahaha... That's right, they are indeed waiting for me outside. But a few days or even a month here may not even a day outside. The reason why I decided to postpone the Heavenly Tribulation is that I want to pay you back this debt of gratitude, Elizabeth."

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth revealed a look of confusion: "[Debt of gratitude? What do you mean by that, master?]"

Joseph shook his head and said, "Can you come out here for a second? It's really getting tiring to try and talk to you telepathically. I just can't get used to it."

"[Well... If you say so, master...]"

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth obliged and her gorgeous figure appeared in front of Joseph after a flash of brilliant light.

"What do you mean by debt of gratitude, master? I don't remember anything about you owing me something..." 

Joseph patted her shoulder and laughed: "Elizabeth..."

"Ever since you accompanied me twenty plus years ago in this place, I could already feel your fascination with the outside world. I bet that before I arrived, you had never gone outside and explored the world, right?"

A smile escaped on Joseph's lips as he asked.

But Pixie Fairy Elizabeth unexpectedly shook her head: "No, master... But I don't know... When I acquired an awareness of myself and my surroundings..."

"I found myself floating in a dark space without any form nor figure. In that dark space, there was nothing, so nothing was everything and everything was nothing."

A strange expression appeared on Elizabeth's face.

Joseph awkwardly scratched his head. It was clear that he didn't reach the effect that he was hoping to reach. But since he was already at this point, why should he hesitate any longer? He suppressed the sadness that he felt due to what he had heard as he chuckled and replied.

"My point still stands, Elizabeth. I owe you a lot. Just the fact alone that you accompanied me throughout my mundane and boring life of cultivation within the past two decades is enough for me to think of you as something like a close friend, or maybe even a family..."

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth trembled, "A family..."

Joseph revealed an astonished look towards her reaction as he said: "Eah? Why do you look so shocked? Does that mean that I'm the only one who thought we're family?" A wronged expression appeared on his face and Pixie Fairy Elizabeth was quick to comfort him as she said.

"No! That's not what I meant, master!"

"But..."

"Aren't we going too far? We aren't even lovers, yet but you are already thinking of me as your wife..." A crimson blush appeared on Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's cheeks.

Joseph almost coughed a mouthful of blood as he said: "Pffft! Hah?! What wife? No! You're misunderstanding something here, madame Elizabeth. What I mean by us being like family is that we're friends, but we're even closer than friends since we spent the last two decades together..." 

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth froze: "Oh... So that's what you meant... Sorry, I misunderstood." She slightly bowed her head in an apologetic manner towards Joseph.

"Hahaha... Don't mind it, it's just a small misunderstanding. You don't have to apologize." Joseph ruffled Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's hair with his right hand.

But unbeknownst to Joseph, as soon as his hand landed on her hair, the crimson blush on Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's cheeks spread until it covered her entire neck.

She realized this fact so she was trying her best to not raise her head.

She didn't want Joseph to notice that she was blushing all over the place.

But Joseph could only shake his head and sigh. 

Joseph wasn't as clueless as Pixie Fairy Elizabeth expected. Having studied a lot regarding the realm of body language, he knew that Pixie Fairy Elizabeth had certain feelings towards him. Yes, that kind of feeling that a woman could feel towards a man.

But Joseph who already had Alice knew that the two of them could only be friends.

Joseph let out a sigh once again.

After sighing, his expression turned into a vibrant one as he offered.

"How about it?"

He extended his hand towards Pixie Fairy Elizabeth.

"Do you want to travel the entire world with me?"

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth froze when she saw Joseph's stretched hand.

It was clear from her listless expression that she was still in shock due to what she had heard.

However, her heartbroken expression transformed into joy and excitement in the very next moment when she heard Joseph's offer.

Without any hesitation, she replied: "Yes!"

"I'll travel the entire world with you, master!"

"Hahaha..." Joseph boisterously laughed, "You know what, Elizabeth? That's all you had to say..." He then wrapped Pixie Fairy Elizabeth around his arm as his spiritual energy surged. 

In an instant, he transformed into a supreme immortal cultivator as he took off to the skies and flew towards a distant archipelago.

A few days later, a relatively crude and small boat could be seen floating on the vast ocean, just east of the continent.

Despite the huge ocean swells and the waves that smashed onto the boat. It remained steadfast and unmoving. It was as if nothing in this world could possibly sink it.

Sitting on the boat was Joseph and Elizabeth.

Elizabeth wore a bikini that Joseph specifically ordered from the best tailor in the world for the sake of this island-hopping event.

As for Joseph, he wore a simple short that he also ordered from the same tailor. After all, they were in the ocean and it would be quite weird for him to wear a robe while in here.

"Uwaaah! Master look! What is that? Is that a fish? No! I don't think that it's a fish, master! It's too big!" Pixie Fairy Elizabeth pointed at the distance.

Joseph curiously turned his head to look at the direction where she was pointing.

"Ah, that's a whale." Joseph blurted out.

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth almost immediately turned her head towards Joseph as she said: "A whale? That's its name, master?"

"Uwaaa... How fascinating... I wonder how big it is." Pixie Fairy Elizabeth paused and pondered.

She then turned to look at the whale once more and squinted her eyes, intent on seeing through the waters of the ocean.

"Hahaha..." Joseph chuckled when he saw her antics: "You will never be able to see how big that whale is if you stay above the ocean..."

"If you really want to see how big it is, how about you come with me and take a look? Let's dive down and see for ourselves..." A light smile appeared on Joseph's face. 

It was clear that he was also excited to see how big the whale was. Judging from the almost fifty-meters ocean swell that it produced just by simply moving. Joseph understood that this whale may possibly be even bigger than the whales on the outside world.

"Uwaaa! Really, master? You're letting me come with you?"

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth turned to look at him in excitement.

Joseph nodded, "When did I ever lie to you? Of course, I'm letting you go with me. Come here..."

Joseph gestured and Pixie Fairy Elizabeth hurriedly moved closer to Joseph albeit with a crimson blush on her cheeks.

When Joseph wrapped her again around his arms, the blush on Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's face spread towards her neck.

But Joseph was oblivious to this fact since he was really excited about diving down the vast ocean and seeing the monstrous whale with his own eyes.

Wrapping himself and Pixie Fairy Elizabeth with his spiritual energy.

Joseph took a leap from the boat and dived down.

As soon as he opened his eyes, he found himself floating in a whole new world.

The world underneath the ocean was filled with vibrant corals and colorful fishes that curiously swam around while looking at Joseph and Pixie Fairy Elizabeth.

"Woah..." Joseph whispered in amazement.

"Uwaaa! Master! It's so big!" Pixie Fairy Elizabeth pointed at the distant whale.

"Yo, what? Is that really a whale?" Joseph reeled in shock when he saw the whale at the distance.

The whale was even bigger than Joseph had expected.

He reckoned that it should be at least as big as an island.

It was that huge.

Recovering from his shock.

Joseph turned his attention towards the other living beings beneath the ocean.

Wrapping Pixie Fairy Elizabeth even tighter around his arms...

The two of them floated towards the nearby fishes and observed them close-up.

The curious Pixie Fairy Elizabeth even tried on poking at a coral only for her to be startled when the coral suddenly moved.

It turned out that the colorful coral was actually a giant octopus masquerading as a coral!

A bitter smile emerged on Joseph's face as he hurriedly dragged Pixie Fairy Elizabeth away from the tentacles of the octopus. After all, he had watched enough of those kinds of animated videos that he knew what would happen if Pixie Fairy Elizabeth was caught by those tentacles.

The duo traveled the world beneath the ocean until sunset.

When it was already night, Joseph and Pixie Fairy Elizabeth came out of the ocean and returned to the boat.

The smile on Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's face never faded.

The past few days that she spent with Joseph didn't only open her eyes regarding how big the world was, it also gave her immense enjoyment.

"How is it? Did you have fun?"

"As for me, hahaha..."

"That's the most fun that I had since years ago..."

Joseph was still laughing. 

It was because when they were about to return to the boat. The giant octopus that Pixie Fairy Elizabeth tried on poking earlier almost caught her, eliciting a fearful scream from the latter as Joseph carried her away while hysterically laughing.

"Hmmph! Master, you're such a bully! You clearly knew that the giant octopus was waiting for us in that location, yet you still went there." Pixie Fairy Elizabeth crossed her arms and glared at the laughing Joseph.

Joseph merely chuckled in return as he sat down and sighed.

"Wheeew... That was fun... But it made me quite tired..."

Joseph laid down on the boat as he stared at the starry skies.

Silence surrounded the boat, but then it was shattered by Pixie Fairy Elizabeth.

"Hey, master..."

"Can I lay down beside you?" 

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth made sure that her voice was as the quietest, but in this environment where only the sound of the waves crashing against the boat could be heard. Her voice rang extremely loud she might've as well as shouted what she wanted to say.

Realizing her faux pas, a furious blush appeared on her cheeks.

But Joseph seemed like he didn't mind.

He lifted a teasing smile and said: "It's fine... If that is what you want, then come here. Lay down with me."

He gestured for her to come closer.

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth visibly trembled.

She descended into internal conflict with herself, but her desires won against her logical thinking as she slowly inched closer, and closer towards Joseph until she was right beside him.

Eventually, she laid her body beside Joseph and raised her knee up to her chest, she was anxious just by lying beside him.

"Elizabeth..." Towards her actions, Joseph could only shake his head: "Did you have fun?"

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth replied: "Yes, master... I had fun..."

"It's the most fun that I had since I gained 'awareness' "

"I see..." Joseph let out a sigh and smiled.

His eyes turned to look at the starry skies.

It was unknown what he was thinking but it was clear that he was in deep contemplation.

Having been with Joseph for about two decades, Pixie Fairy Elizabeth was quite clear about what he was thinking.

A bitter smile appeared on her face as she said: "Master..."

"Do you miss the people waiting for you outside?"

Joseph was astonished by her question. A bitter smile appeared on his lips as he said: "Yes, I do miss them. Even though there's time dilation. I still spent two decades in this world. That's quite a long time so it's impossible for me to not miss them at all."

"I see..." Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's smile turned into a gentle one.

She raised her upper body and stared at Joseph before seriously saying.

"Master... I think that it's about time for you to return."

Joseph froze.

He raised his upper body and also stared at her before sighing: "If I left this world and completed the King's Trial. What would happen to you, won't you disappear? You'll disappear, right? As you have said to me a few days ago..."

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth nodded her head, but the gentle smile on her face never faded: "Yes, master... I will disappear. My disappearance is a fact that can never be changed. That is why... There's no difference even if you completed this trial today or in the next fifty-years or even sixty..."

"The only difference is that it will take you even longer to reunite with your loved ones."

"I don't want that to happen, master..."

"Even someone as selfish as me does not want you to continuously suffer like this for my sake, master..."

"That is why..."

"I beg you, master..."

"Please..."

"Please complete this trial and let me go."

"Let everything that happened here become something similar to a dream than reality."

At the end of her sentence, her gentle smile disappeared.

It was replaced by a determined look that didn't allow for any objections.

"I see..." Joseph sighed. 

It seems like she has already decided...

Sigh...

It's time for me to make my own decision.

It's time to be decisive...

He stood up and there was a smile on his face as he took a deep breath and manifested the several concepts that he had comprehended.

The Concept of Discord and Disorder manifested in the form of a pitch-black crow that stood on top of Joseph's head.

The Concept of Life and Death manifested in the form of two angels, one clad in a dazzling white robe while the other clad in a robe that consumed everything around it including light.

As for the Concept of Law, Order, and Justice...

Justice manifested in the form of a golden scale.

Order manifested in the form of a parchment covered in the same golden light, while Law...

Materialized in the form of a small one-handed hammer.

As soon as they materialized into their closest physical form based on Joseph's comprehension...

The skies dimmed as dark clouds instantly formed above Joseph.

An incomparably oppressive and stifling feeling seemed to come down from the skies and pressed on everything beneath it. This feeling was also getting heavier and heavier as time passed by, making everyone feel that their souls were being shaken constantly in suffocation.

The world gave off a terrible feeling.

It was as if the skies itself was on the verge of caving in, and swallowing all life.

Joseph turned to look at Pixie Fairy Elizabeth one last time before he flew towards the skies.

"Thank you for everything that you have done to me, and..."

"Thank you for being with me on this journey." 

Joseph left these words in his wake as he transformed into a ray of light that pierced the skies.

When Joseph's figure disappeared from her line of sight.

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth couldn't hold herself back anymore.

Tears dripped down her cheeks as an incomparably dazzling light covered her body.

"I should be the one to thank you, master..."

"Thank you for everything..."

"Thank you for making me feel that I am alive."

"That I exist..."

"That I am here..."

Pixie Fairy Elizabeth raised her head one last time as she squeezed these words out of her throat.

"Thank you for everything, master."

"And..."

"I loved you..."

The brilliant light that surrounded her body shattered into innumerable crystals that wafted into the air before descending onto the ocean. The dazzling light that miraculously appeared in the midst of this vast and dark ocean had finally disappeared.

The light was fleeting, yet its light made a mark on the souls of every living being that witnessed its disappearance.

[Your Personal Pixie Assistant: Pixie Fairy Elizabeth has retired.]

A single system notification informed Joseph of Pixie Fairy Elizabeth's disappearance.