NOVEL WEB Chapter 7: Prepared
'Man, this Blazing Sun Scripture is pretty weird.’
The completed scripture instantly clicked in Han De’s mind. But with knowledge, came some worry as well!
‘No wonder people burnt themselves to death. Slight mistakes in cultivation causes minute but cumulative blockage in meridians, causing Qi deviation after some time. The damage is long-term and not easy to spot or reverse…'
Could Ning Bi cultivate this?
With 100% roots, if she couldn’t, no one could!
Besides, Ning Bi had a huge advantage compared to the disciples that died. She was going to cultivate the complete version!
'I can easily write this down and give it to Ning Bi. But… I won’t be able to answer any questions, since I can't cultivate it. S-Should be fine though, right?'
After giving it some thought, Han De was unconvinced. He needed more!
'How many Profound Points does it take to get this to intermediate-level comprehension?'
[Blazing Sun Scripture requires 12 Profound Points to advance to intermediate level]
He nodded after hearing the cost. 12 was nothing compared to 196! 'Alright, advance it to intermediate level.'
[Blazing Sun Scripture (Mortal)]
[Power: Very Weak]
[Comprehension: Intermediate (0/48)]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]
Han De could feel his understanding of the scripture transform to a whole new level, along with his appreciation!
'Truly an MC level scripture. Only perverted level people could cultivate this. I'm glad I don't have fire roots.'
The best way of transferring his knowledge was to record it on a scroll. Therefore, Han De immediately entered one of his study rooms and grabbed a brush. He had no memories of a pencil or Xianxia equivalent of a pen, so had to make do with the brush!
A good minute of writing later, he realized his mistake! The scroll was filled with the Latin alphabet, using the English language, no less!
'Looks like I can read seamlessly, but writing requires muscle memory and habit. Even with a brush, I'm way more used to writing in English…’
This wasn’t something he had given any thought to before. The unexpected feeling of being suddenly aware caught him off guard.
‘I… think I’m thinking in this continent’s language when talking to other people… Or when reading scriptures. A side effect of getting another person’s memory, perhaps?’
Soon he shook his head and grabbed another scroll. This time, he deliberately mulled over every character. A script that looked similar to Chinese started filling the scroll in no time.
'Thankfully previous Han De's mother was strict in teaching him calligraphy. It is slow, but I can recall his muscle memory in writing each character.'
Back on Earth, Han De had tried to learn Chinese but gave up after a few days. It was quite convenient to have the previous Han De’s memories!
While waiting for the ink to dry, his thoughts switched toward his own cultivation. Making the ink dry faster was possible of course, by using basic Qi level techniques. But Han De didn’t want to risk blowing up the scroll after painstakingly filling it! The memory of his 0 to Mach 2 in 0.01 seconds flight was still fresh in his mind.
'I got five Light Element cultivation techniques. Derived Method token only produces an incomplete method. I have 82 Profound Points and 4 Cultivation Method Fragments. It's nowhere near enough!'
Comprehending the Blazing Sun Scripture was worth the cost. Han De didn’t regret spending those points. But with so many unknowns, he quickly decided not to use the System to comprehend those methods. Saving points through manual learning made sense!
Han De grabbed the now dry scroll and headed for Ning Bi’s quarters. But found her in a nearby courtyard instead. It looked like she was trying to sense Qi strands in the lotus position. And she was close! As far as Han De could tell, she just needed a tiny bit more time!
'Her progress is impressive when you think about it. Her initial exposure to the world of cultivation was through an exiled mortal civil servant, which was her father. That guiding uncle was most likely a 1st stage Qi Condensation disciple, and will probably stay that way throughout his entire life.’
[Congratulations]
[Host's disciple Ning Bi successfully reached Qi Condensation Level 1]
[Issuing 5 Profound Points as a reward.]
‘Just those two was enough huh…’
Han De broke into a genuine smile and patiently waited for Ning Bi to exit her meditation. She had just learned how to manipulate Qi strands, some bit of experimentation due to curiosity was inevitable.
Ning Bi opened her eyes a few minutes later, and the first thing she saw was Han De, who had equipped the Patient Teacher B look.
As her master, Han De didn’t waste any time teaching her the basics of cultivation. How to circulate Qi, meridians, dantian, Qi deviation, pills, elixirs, formations, cultivation stages, alchemy, and more. What he taught was simply the common sense that every cultivator knew, but it still took some time. Afterward, he patiently answered every question, just to make sure Ning Bi understood everything.
'Comprehension 8 is not a joke. She’s like a sponge! Thankfully, original Han De had good teachers, all I had to do was to retell their explanations from memory.'
Han De continued after putting a scroll in Ning Bi’s hands.
"This is the Blazing Sun Scripture. It was an incomplete technique stored in the archives, but I rewrote it. Because this technique is highly compatible with you, it will be your main cultivation method for the Qi Condensation realm. This scroll contains both the scripture itself and some insights I thought you might find useful."
Han De explained the scripture in detail. He guided her while she cultivated her first few cycles, and pointed out her mistakes. Once he was sure that the girl understood the important points, he added a few encouraging words, then left.
While the knowledge that came from the System assist comprehension was extensive, it still had its limits, as Han De realized while teaching Ning Bi!
It was better to leave when one was ahead!
* * *
The day after solving the short-term issue of his disciple, Han De started working on his own cultivation.
Originally, he was a lazy and average office worker on Earth. One would think that a transmigrated person would work hard and cultivate nonstop to achieve immortality. But that wasn’t the case in reality, at least, not in Han De’s case!
He wasn’t giving his all to cultivate, rather, he was giving his all to find a shortcut!
'This “Light Through a Single Thought” cultivation method is just too nonsensical. Half of what it says is just empty words. One sentence seems like it is describing light, but the next sentence is literally gibberish! Through Heaven and Earth's transformation Yang becomes Yin? OK?! How is that even relevant??!'
Han De put down the jade slate to collect his thoughts.
'I thought I could save some Profound Points, but this thing is incomprehensible. You know what, whatever! It's just 3 points, I'll just learn it through that.'
After admitting defeat, and gritting his teeth for the first time in his life, Han De finally used the System to learn the cultivation method.
[Light Through a Single Thought]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Beginner (0/6)]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]
Han De picked up the jade slip once again with an involuntary sigh.
'This S#$% still feels mostly nonsensical! Fine! Upgrade comprehension of this to Master level!!'
[Light Through a Single Thought Cultivation Method requires 32 Profound Points to master it]
'Sure, sure, just spend it already!'
The change came instantly once again. Without warning, without any signs, the knowledge appeared inside his head. As if it was always there.
This time though, this extensive knowledge of the scripture managed to both surprise and annoy Han De at the same time.
'I didn't expect cultivators to understand properties of light, but I guess geniuses are geniuses regardless of the world they live in…
So that nonsensical sentence, -Through Heaven and Earth's transformation Yang becomes Yin- actually meant to describe photons' behavior as a particle and a wave? Hello?!? How the hell could anyone infer such a thing through a sentence like that?!'
[Light Through a Single Thought]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (0/13)]
Though he wanted to learn these methods manually to save on Profound Points, in hindsight, his goal seemed naïve, if not impossible.
‘Is it because I’m from a different world? Their way of describing phenomena is just too cryptic.
… It’s as if these guys sharing their knowledge, but they are doing it begrudgingly!’
Wasn’t sharing knowledge the basis for advancing civilizations? From Han De’s perspective, the authors of these techniques weren’t doing any favors to anyone!
‘… Could this be the reason why the technological level is so low here? There are formations, and flying boats, sure. But there are also people that live tens of thousands of years! Even the mortals should’ve developed warp drives if the world had advanced at the same rate as Earth!’
After shifting his point of view towards Xianxia however, Han De somewhat understood the problem.
‘If Newton was a sect leader, neither his laws of motion nor his theory of gravity would’ve been published. Those “Natural Laws” would’ve been locked away in the sect vaults, where only the highest elders would have the right to see them. Maybe they would allow promising disciples a few minutes of time if they felt somewhat generous.
Or, if Newton was a loose cultivator, his laws would be hidden in his legacy, and left to rot until someone “worthy” enough stumbled on it…
If Einstein was from the Starfall Mountain sect, E=MC^2 would be treated as a profound and forbidden scripture. No one would even know of its existence. Well, maybe I would… Probably…’
If there was a silver lining to his transmigration, having a rich and influential family was it!
Han De shook his head and went back to solving his cultivation problem.
[Profound Points: 52]
'No way that’s enough for 5 methods. Increasing Starfall Scripture’s comprehension makes more sense at this point.'
[Starfall Scripture requires 52 Profound Points to master]
Han De felt some regret towards mastering another scripture rather than his original one, but what was done was done.
'I should get more points when Ning Bi advances to the 2nd stage of the Qi Condensation realm. Realistically, I need more disciples. But where could I even begin to look for another MC?'
Han De looked at the cultivation idiot's memories. Being a genius, the idiot’s speed was unprecedented. The Starfall Scripture was highly compatible with him as well. After sensing his first strand of Qi, it took him only a month to reach the 2nd stage of the Qi Condensation realm. A true genius.
'… A month isn't bad. Ning Bi being an MC, she probably could do it in 2 weeks. The Blazing Sun is also highly compatible with her, so let's say… a week or two?'
[Congratulations]
[Host's disciple Ning Bi successfully reached Qi Condensation Level 2]
[Issuing 15 Profound Points as a reward.]
“…”
‘F#$&, that wasn't even 24 hours.' Han De took a deep breath.
He was reminded of the fact that his first disciple’s fate, was being a Purifier of Planes. Planes! Plural, not singular!
Without even knowing it, Han De started randomly walking within the house. He didn’t have a direction or purpose. The subconscious desire to run away from this high-stress, high-risk environment, had manifested itself as randomly pacing around. But being in a different and foreign world, the places he could “walk away” was limited.
Soon he found himself in one of the armories within his abode. Coincidentally, it was the one that stored the weapons he had ordered for Ning Bi.
He didn’t realize he had ordered so many, but the amount made sense, since he had no idea which type of weapon Ning Bi may have a talent for.
In fact, if Ning Bi were to choose a weapon other than the sword, Han De would only be ecstatic. Truthfully, he had no experience with the sword. The memories of the cultivation idiot did exist, but they were like instructional videos. Not at all suitable for answering sword relation questions from an enthusiastic disciple!
Among the large number of weapons inside, Han De spotted a pair of double-edged, curved warglaives. There were main pairs, but the ones that caught his attention were excessively ornate!
“…”
'These don't look like Xianxia weapons at all…! They are way too weird for this world. I know I had asked for a few sets of each weapon type, but did you have to include these things as well? Does my disciple look like a buff, blind, Night Elf dude to you?'
While grumbling inside, Han De, of course, immediately equipped the flashiest looking pair of warglaives. He could cringe at the name of Heaven Defying Tyrannical Sword art, but he couldn't resist the temptation of swinging around uselessly big pair of blades! This was a man's romance!
Time lost its meaning as Han De swung around the huge blades while giggling uncontrollably. He tried a variety of cool offensive and defensive stances. This was an entirely new world for him. He couldn't help but to give a contemplative boss pose, then spoke in a relaxed, but mildly disappointed tone.
"You are not prepared…"
"..."
Han De was truly inside his own world. There was no chance to relax while being under the threat of soul dissipation, or getting refined into a spiritual pill by the sect master, or forming an irreversible grudge with the future Purifier of Planes…
He was under constant pressure ever since he transmigrated!
Seeing a real set of gorgeous demon-hunter warglaives, acted as a pressure valve. He was so focused on his little relaxation activity, he hadn’t even noticed Ning Bi’s arrival!
"I-I am sorry, Master! Please forgive me!"
“…”
How long was she standing at the armory door?! Han De’s body immediately became stiff. Simply holding on to the warglaives required tremendous willpower! The more he thought of the situation, the more embarrassed he became.
This scene, was definitely going to be a part of his dark history in the future!
Not only that, but his profound expert impression was completely shattered to bits!
He immediately used his spiritual sense to observe Ning Bi, without turning his back. He didn’t need to use a mirror, or spiritual sense to tell how deep the shade of red was on his face.
Han De the Transmigrator didn’t dare face his disciple at this moment!
"I wanted to report to you that I reached Qi Condensation level 2 a few hours ago…" Ning Bi's voice became smaller as she spoke. She was still bowing, perhaps not daring to look up.
At that moment, Han De decided to use his ultimate technique.
He was going to act as if nothing ever happened!
"I know, you have done well.” He said while trying to keep his voice straight. ”However, you should not be complacent. Your cultivation speed can be considered fast, but you have started quite late. You are catching up, not trailing a new path.
Once you reach the 5th stage of the Qi Condensation realm, you may start training with weapons and choose a suitable type to focus on. You are not to practice with them until the 5th stage, understood?"
Ning Bi gave a sharp nod in response.
"Mm, you may leave. Continue to work hard in the future."
"Yes, Master."
Han De watched Ning Bi with his spiritual sense. The little girl gave a sparkling look at the warglaives before her respectful retreat. The current Han De couldn’t figure out what the little girl was thinking and wished he could dig a hole and enter it!
Meanwhile, Ning Bi couldn’t contain her excitement! 'So cool. Master is so cool! He was even cooler than before! I must reach the 5th stage quickly!' Thought the little girl. She had to wield those amazing weapons as soon as possible!
Finally alone, Han De breathed a sigh of relief.
His requirement for the 5th stage of the Qi Condensation realm was a panic move. There was no such requirement for anyone else! According to the cultivation idiot’s memories, that is.
Normally, most, if not all disciples would train with weapons, even before reaching the Qi Condensation realm! Apart from a few sects that focus primarily on spiritual mantras, most sects and families would teach martial arts from a young age! Because they were helpful in sensing and controlling Qi.
Ning Bi, enamored by her father's cultivator stories, and her master's amazing display at the ceremony, and the profound warglaive art she saw a moment ago, didn't question his teachings. She just wanted to reach the 5th stage with all her being!
Han De did not, and could not notice this fire burning within her.
‘… Let’s master the Starfall Scripture instead. Yeah. Nothing happened. Let’s just cultivate! Woo…’
He “enthusiastically” moved to the closest courtyard with a spiritual spring. It was time to cultivate.
* * *
1 cycle.
2 cycles.
3 cycles.
4 cycles.
5 cycles.
6 cycles.
7 cycles.
8 cycles.
9 cycles.
10 cycles.
[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid Stage ((+15) 3782/500000)]
[Starfall Scripture (Mortal)]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]
[Stage: Core Formation (Mid-Stage)]
To test the effects of increased comprehension, Han De deliberately chose a nice and even number of cycles for testing.
‘Mastering the Starfall Scripture reduced the cycle time to 6 minutes and increased the XP per cycle. Not bad, considering the scripture is still the same!
Let’s see… Right now, If I could cultivate 10 hours a day like this, I could reach the advanced stage in… a little more than 9 years. If I take pills on the side, it might be 7-ish years?’
Han De thought of his previous cultivation experience and tried to compare them.
‘… Looks like the main benefit of the master level comprehension was spiritual energy recharge speed, not cultivation speed. It should take me about a week to reach peak condition again if I exhaust my reserves. Before it would’ve been… a month?'
The Starfall Scripture wasn’t his only cultivation method anymore. Han De decided to test the other one he learned as well.
1 cycle.
2 cycles.
3 cycles.
4 cycles.
5 cycles.
6 cycles.
7 cycles.
8 cycles.
9 cycles.
10 cycles.
[Cultivation: Core Formation - Mid Stage ((+3) 3785/500000)]
[Light Through a Single Thought]
[Power: Extremely Weak]
[Comprehension: Master]
[Stage: Qi Condensation (7/13)]
‘…Yeah… Guessed it as much…’
A true comparison required him to grind the new cultivation method to the Core Formation stage, but the result was obvious even with a cursory look. The Starfall Scripture was faster!
Han De quietly went back to his bedroom. Nearly 3 hours of cultivation was enough to completely exhaust him!
Thankfully, today was a peaceful day that was totally ordinary. There wasn't anything worth remembering at all. He was sure he would never remember this totally uneventful day in the future.