Cultivation Nerd (xianxia)

A week had passed since I began practicing the Rushing Bull Step in my cell. During that time, little had changed aside from my continued training regimen.

The prison environment had grown increasingly dull. The initial sense of novelty had faded, leaving a longing for the simple pleasures I once took for granted—like sharing tea with the old man or venturing into the forest to inhale the clean air before demolishing a few trees.

To alleviate the monotony, I conducted some tests and compared my current stats to those from the previous assessment. As I recorded my findings, one number caught my attention, prompting a frown of confusion. "This can't be right."

Name: Liu Feng

Age: 16

Talent: C (fifty-three spirit root branches)

Cultivation: Body Tempering (eight-star)

Strength – 7.7 → 7.9

Agility – 7.5 → 7.9

Endurance – 7.9 → 8.2

Qi – 0

Techniques:

-Piercing Fang Fist (Mortal Grade)

-Rushing Bull Step (Mortal Grade)

-Turtle Shell Body (Mortal Grade)

It made no sense. All of Liu Feng's past experiences breaking through minor realms contradicted this outcome.

Liu Feng had previously relied on pills that forcefully strengthened his body to achieve breakthroughs—a method considered normal in cultivation circles. It had felt as though his body was being torn apart, utilizing pills to stimulate muscle growth, cleanse bone marrow, and eliminate impurities.

So how, then, had I seemingly broken through a bottleneck? Was my method flawed? Had I miscalculated the numbers somewhere along the line?

"Oh? Already at eight-star Body Tempering? Congratulations," the old woman remarked. Startling me quite a bit. I hadn't even noticed her arrival.

Truth be told, I had grown somewhat weary of her presence and conversation. Despite being the sole individual I could interact with, her company left much to be desired.

Nevertheless, as a Core Elder in the sect, she possessed a wealth of knowledge about cultivation. While I harbored numerous questions—chief among them how she had discerned my breakthrough—many seemed trivial thoughts of a curious mind. Unlike me, who relied on physical indicators like strength and punch to gauge my progress, she seemingly could assess one's cultivation level with a glance.

"Well, this breakthrough is as surprising to me as it is to you. I didn't even feel it passing," I admitted, furrowing my brow to convey a sense of concern. In matters of cultivation, being an outlier could lead to unforeseen consequences. I had no desire to be such an anomaly when I knew so little. "What do you think caused it?"

"Likely a combination of factors, such as real life and death experiences, as well as you training every waking minute," she replied calmly, indicating she had already discerned the underlying reasons. "Also, you don't seem to have used pills."

As expected of a Core Elder, her insight into cultivation was extensive. This development didn't seem like a bad thing.

"While elixirs and pills often worsen bottlenecks, especially the cheaper stuff, they can also quicken progress and save considerable time. If someone were to train for an hour a day with pills, it would yield results equivalent to training around the clock without them," she advised, her gaze sharpening as it always did when she was about to say something important. "Finding a balance between pill usage and training is crucial. Additionally, allow your body time to recuperate from the impurities left by pills and elixirs. Pushing yourself to extremes, working sixteen-hour days, and piling on pills could prove dangerous, potentially resulting in permanent damage. I knew someone in my youth whose dantian ruptured due to greed and overconsumption of pills while fatigued. However, concerns like dantian ruptures are typically reserved for higher realms."

I contemplated her words, committing them to memory. Overall, it seemed that while pills could offer shortcuts and expedite progress, they carried their own set of risks and pitfalls.

For me, rushing through cultivation in my youth held little appeal. I wanted to savor the journey, experiencing cultivation without the need for shortcuts. After all, I had my entire youth ahead of me and intended to make the most of it.

This wasn't the kind of experience one could enjoy twice. The joy of cultivating, even the mundane aspects, held a special allure for me. Skipping through it would be akin to missing the climax of a thrilling movie!

No, I had no intention of tainting my body with those pills. Who even tested them? What human trials were conducted, and what about long-term effects? I doubted anyone cared much; users were likely more concerned with immediate Qi gains than future consequences.

Perhaps when I grew older and found myself unable to progress, or if I fell too far behind my peers, I might consider pills and elixirs. But for now, I was content. Besides, I wasn't exactly flush with spirit stones, so the choice wasn't entirely mine to make.

For the time being, reveling in day-long training sessions brought me more satisfaction. There was little entertainment better than feeling the power course through my body as if I were living in a dream.

...

Following the interview, I anticipated another day dedicated to training. However, a few hours after the old woman's mandatory visit, during which she shared anecdotes about her granddaughter's sweetness and other trivialities, an inner disciple arrived with an impeccable blue robe and a gray one in hand.

"This is for you. As of today, you're free. After a thorough investigation, the elders have concluded that you're innocent and have no connection to the events outside."

"I still don't know exactly what happened," I remarked. "Can I at least learn why I ended up here?"

The inner disciple nodded and closed the door behind him, likely activating any silence array embedded in the cell. Despite hearing doors opening nearby, I never caught a whisper from neighboring cells. Silence arrays seemed the only logical explanation—unless I was the sole prisoner, and they were going to needless extraordinary lengths to deceive me.

"Nobody is entirely sure what happened. Apparently, some treasure surfaced, leading to the deaths of a few outer elders and the injury of an inner elder," he explained. "I'm sorry, but even we inner disciples aren't privy to all the details."

At least he was respectful, and I couldn't help but appreciate the kindness I had encountered from most inner disciples thus far. It made sense; the young masters likely wouldn't be tasked with such mundane duties.

As we exited the cell, the absence of the inner elder who usually manned the desk caught my attention. The distant light from the cave entrance beckoned, and I spotted a boat waiting at the edge—a floating vessel akin to the one that had brought me here.

Stepping onto the seemingly ordinary wooden boat felt peculiar; one would expect it to sway, yet it remained as rigid as a rock.

Heh, magical boats were rather awesome.

Finding a comfortable spot proved futile; this was just like any other small wooden boat in that department.

"Do you know where I could get one of these?" I inquired.

Seated across from me, the inner disciple met my gaze. "Yes, but it's rather impractical for anything beyond transportation, given its slow speed. Also, I'm unsure if outer disciples can possess items that enable them to fly over the sect's walls."

"Fly over the walls? Isn't there a barrier array meant to prevent entry and exit?" I questioned.

"Probably. I haven't tested it," he shrugged. "Where should I drop you off?"

"Just somewhere in the nearby forest. I'll find my way back," I replied.

Navigating back wouldn't pose a challenge, with the library tower serving as a landmark. However, for now, I enjoyed the thought of resting beneath the shade of a tree after a rigorous training session. It was the simple pleasures in life one learned to appreciate, and prison had been sorely lacking in such comforts.

The inner disciple regarded me with a quizzical expression. But given the recent events, he was rather nonchalant and listened to my request without insistence. No doubt, he, too, wished to return promptly to his cultivation training—I knew that feeling well.

As soon as my feet touched the grass, I felt as light as a leaf carried by the wind. The crisp outside air enveloped me as I plopped down and rolled in the grass, eventually settling with the little turtle resting on my chest.

After a brief pause, the next moves were clear. I changed into my sect uniform the disciple had given me and went to the dining hall, where I fetched two cups of tea and walked toward the towering library in the distance.

…

The library greeted me with its familiar atmosphere, bustling with disciples engaged in various activities. The librarian acknowledged me with a nod and a faint smile, but otherwise, his reaction was subdued.

Scanning the room, I searched for the old goat to no avail. Just as I was about to ask the librarian, something nudged me to the side, and there stood the old guy.

"What took you so long to notice me, brat? Were you deliberately ignoring me to be rude?" he grumbled, his tone laced with aggression.

But that was the old man for you—always blunt. With a polite smile, I handed him his cup of tea. "Here. Take care of your tea addiction, old man."

He huffed, accepting the tea begrudgingly. "Well, it's good to see you back, kid."

"I'm glad to be back," I replied, a genuine smile gracing my lips.

Everything seemed to have returned to normal... or had it?

An uncomfortable sensation gnawed at my stomach. The tales of stolen treasures from the auction, the mysterious explosion, the Spring of Power—they lingered in my thoughts, breeding a sense of unease. Perhaps it was just paranoia, but something felt off.

I had entertained thoughts of protagonists and clichéd novels, but the likelihood of such a scenario seemed slim. The notion of someone favored by the heavens, advancing at an unprecedented pace, felt more like fiction than reality. Though my situation made such things much easier to believe.

Personally, I harbored little concern for others' cultivation speeds. I had long realized that comparing oneself to others was a futile endeavor. Each person moved at their own pace, and comparisons only led to disappointment.

Even if there were heaven's favorites out there, as long as they stayed far away from me, I'd continue training in my Mortal Grade Martial Arts as always. Complaining or getting angry about such things was futile; it would only distract me from my training. The world was unfair, and I had accepted that before coming here. Some people were born rich and wouldn't have to work a day in their life, while others would have to break their backs to be able to live.

"What's got you looking so serious?" the old janitor asked.

"As a hardened criminal, I have much to contemplate nowadays," I joked.

"Heh," he shook his head. "Hardened criminal? Do you think I don't know about those cells? They're better than most mortal houses, and you don't have to worry about things like the cold or excessive outside noise due to the engraved arrays."

Actually, the cells were pretty chilly if someone were a mortal, but I decided not to mention that. "You're just jealous that I'm a hardened criminal now, and you're not."

"Keep talking nonsense, and I'll throw this tea in your face," he threatened, his eyes narrowing. It seemed like he might actually do it, but then his demeanor softened, and he sighed. "Just make sure to take care of yourself, kiddo. The world out there is a crazy place."

Despite our banter, my thoughts kept drifting back to the peculiar incidents involving the Spring of Power and others. For now, though, I lacked proof of any such occurrences. I resolved to keep an eye out, as everyone who had read a xianxia novel knew that while a heaven's favorite might benefit from misfortune, they were often surrounded by disaster.

"I'll have you know that I fought eight guys in prison. All one realm higher than me, and I beat them all to show dominance," I boasted.

"Try coming up with a more believable lie," the old man retorted. "We both know you're not the type to do that. You're more of a background guy."

Damn, he knew me well.

"And as I already told you, I know how comfortable those prisons are," he added with a knowing grin.