Cultivation Nerd (xianxia)

Xin Ma, the outer elder responsible for the library, had a head of black hair with silver strands, something many said made it hard to determine his age. He also sported large circular glasses, which was a peculiar low-tier artifact that helped him read faster.

The library allowed free access to all the library books as long as they remained within the building's walls or they could borrow one for some time. But the disciples sometimes tried to sneak some extra books out. They were unsuccessful as there were inscriptions on the walls that stopped someone from taking books out of the place. Though none of the disciples knew that tidbit of information.

Despite the occasional annoyance of his job, Xin Ma cherished days like these when events drew away most disciples, sparing him from dealing with the troublesome youths.

Sighing, he watched the countless rows of shelves, reaching as high as the ceiling, housing a vast repository of low-level techniques and knowledge on basic cultivation practices. However, despite his enthusiasm for reading about techniques, he had long since learned that these shelves were useless for those beyond the Body Tempering Realm.

Though still considered young among his peers, Xin Ma harbored greater ambitions in life and aspired to rise beyond his current status as an Outer Elder. He yearned for a path of cultivation rather than spending his days among dusty tomes.

Suddenly, the rhythmic sound of a cane striking the wooden floor broke the library's silence. Xin Ma immediately recognized the source without even turning his gaze.

As an old man came into view, he looked like he had one foot in the grave. With a peculiar goat-like beard jutting from his chin, small beady eyes, and a hunched back, the old man leaned on his broom as a makeshift cane for support.

Known as 'Goat Geezer' among the sect members, few knew his actual name. Xin Ma remembered that this old man had been part of the sect since his own days as a disciple.

The old geezer's name was Shan Sha, a cultivator who never advanced past the Qi Gathering stage. His unwavering loyalty to the sect was the sole reason for him still being around.

"Another one of those bloody tournaments has come around?" the geezer snorted as he settled into one of the many chairs lining a long table where disciples would usually read. "I swear, it's all just useless peacocking. They're doing it solely to please the Grand Elder. Aside from the man himself, no one believes another like him will rise from the outer sect to become a Grand Elder."

Even after easing into the chair, the geezer continued to breathe heavily. A simple walk had already become quite a challenge for him.

"You're still kicking it, Shan Sha?" Xin Ma joked.

The old man responded with a wheezing laugh. "Don't worry, I'll outlive all of you."

Normally, Xin Ma wouldn't allow the old man to make such remarks in front of others, as it would cause him to lose face. But since it was just the two of them, he didn't mind the jests. These conversations with the geezer were what made his days bearable.

As the old man gathered his breath, he continued, "By the way, when will the Acceptance Ceremony take place? I wouldn't wish to be you at that time, even if I were to regain my youth."

Xin Ma winced, and the old man cackled at his reaction. When new disciples arrived, they were often curious, rummaging through books and causing trouble. Of course, they grew bored of reading and moved on after a month or two, but it was still a hassle to deal with every year.

"Please don't remind me of that whole thing. It is one of the damn reasons I don't want to stay as an Outer Elder. We are all just glorified servants with fancy titles. The Inner Elders would never suffer something like this," Xin Ma ranted. "I barely have time for cultivation in the evenings."

"I wish I had the same problems as you youngsters." The old street sweeper shrugged.

*******

After enjoying the free breakfast at the dining hall, I immediately made my way toward the library.

The entire Blazing Sun Sect was built atop a mountain, with the whole sect fit inside that mountain. But it was a big ass mountain, so everything took climbing an ungodly amount of stairs to get anywhere.

Fortunately, there were some blessings to this whole thing. Like how most disciples skipped breakfast to attend the tournament fights. So at least I didn't have to wait in line.

I walked up the countless stairs, clutching a notebook and brush in my hand. The only sounds accompanying my footsteps were the chirping of birds. At least the scenery was pleasant, with trees all around and lush greenery as far as the eye could see.

Upon reaching my destination, I breathed out a sigh of relief. Even this body was beginning to feel the fatigue of climbing so many stairs.

The library was like a large Chinese-themed tower. At the entrance, there was a statue of a scholarly-looking man, with a book in one hand and a sword in another.

There was no one around here, and I took a moment to appreciate the scenery. This place was built high enough that I could catch a glimpse of the arena where my compatriots were beating each other to death. Though from this distance, it was hard to tell who was fighting.

Walking closer to the statue, I searched for memos that might reveal the scholar's identity. Unfortunately, cultivators were shit at cataloging things, so there was no information about the statue.

With a disappointed sigh, I walked through the entrance, which was spacious enough to fit people three times my height. As soon as I stepped into the building, the sounds of chirping birds and the gentle rustling of leaves vanished.

Was this some kind of noise-canceling array?

Furthermore, the scent of the trees dissipated, leaving behind only the unmistakable aroma of ink and paper.

The library was filled with an astonishing number of books. So much so that it made me doubt what I knew about the technological level of this world.

This world lagged thousands of years behind modern times, remaining stagnant for generations. So how did they even get this much paper?

There were shelves many times my height, all brimming with books. There was even a staircase that led to a second floor.

Thankfully, there were no people around. So I could study supernatural powers that made no sense, without anyone bothering me.

The only other people in the room were the librarian, a middle-aged man with Harry Potter-esque glasses and strands of white in his dark hair. There was also an old man sitting at a long desk.

Liu Feng's original memories weren't particularly informative about the old man's identity. He could have been someone beneath Liu Feng's notice or perhaps an Elder from the inner sect he had never met.

It was better to be cautious and assume the old man was a super powerful cultivator with unassuming looks. Approaching the librarian, I clasped my fist and bowed respectfully to them before addressing the librarian, "Excuse me, honorable elder. Can I study here today? I don't see any other disciples around."

The librarian nodded and replied, "Yes, the library is always open to those willing to learn."

I expressed my gratitude with a nod and proceeded to explore the library, despite the somewhat disorganized state of the shelves.

When disciples took a book to read, they returned it where they could and rarely where they found it. The original Liu Feng was the same, as he had been excited many times to train the technique he had read about to care for 'small' things like putting the books in their proper places.

But there were certain parts of the library no one cared about, and they were somewhat organized. These areas were dedicated to topics unrelated to cultivation techniques, and only scholars frequented them. Fortunately, scholars tended to respect the library and return books to their original spots. This was the impression I gathered from Liu Feng's memories.

I began my studies with a basic book tucked away in a quiet corner of the library. It covered the fundamentals of Body Tempering, a subject typically taught within families or among fellow disciples by word of mouth. Consequently, not many bothered to read such books. I selected a few similar texts and carried them to a nearby desk, where I settled down to read, starting from the very beginning.

Body Tempering, one-star. When someone entered this stage, their strength was still the same as an average person. Except that all the impurities are excreted from the pores, and the body becomes prepared for cultivation.

I hit a hurdle on the very first page. What did it mean for the body to be 'prepared' for cultivation? How did achieving one-star Body Tempering result in the expulsion of impurities? Furthermore, who decided what was beneficial or detrimental to the body? If everyone expelled these impurities, how could one claim they were harmful for cultivation when no one had tried cultivating with impurities?

I would need to study dozens or hundreds of people breaking through to one-star Body Tempering to understand even something as simple as this.

If expelling these impurities was indeed beneficial, was there an optimal method to achieve it? A supposed 'close to perfect practice'?

Ultimately, I sighed and shook my head in frustration. I lacked the necessary resources to delve into this subject at the moment.

The rest of the book remained consistent, with content cultivators often took for granted. It lacked in-depth explanations for everything.

Moving on to other books, they discussed the talent ratings in this world and various related topics. Talent rating in this world was somewhat complex; in some regions, one could be considered average, while in others, one would be seen as talented.

Take the original Liu Feng as an example; in his clan, he was considered relatively talented. However, here, he was merely average.

The book delved into great detail about what different regions considered talented. However, I disregarded this information, as the perception of 'talented' could vary if someone was in a different location or period of time.

Instead, I grabbed my notebook and began jotting down my own ranking system for clarity, which would help both myself and future readers. I decided to categorize it from A to D Ranks.

Having a minimum of twenty branches in one's Spiritual Root was essential to embark on the path of cultivation. Technically, those with fewer branches could attempt training, but their progress would be severely limited.

A range of 20 to 39 branches in their Spiritual Root would be noted as D Rank aptitude. I added the latter part myself.

Individuals with this level of talent usually remained at the Body Tempering stage and rarely advanced to the Qi Gathering Realm. Although there were exceptions, they usually reached only one or two stars in that realm.

C Rank aptitude encompassed 40 to 59 branches in their Spiritual Root, the same rank as mine. In larger sects, this was considered average talent.

On average, those with this level of talent could become Qi Gathering Realm cultivators and might reach the upper echelons of that realm. However, there was a slim chance of breaking through and becoming Foundation Establishment Realm experts.

B Rank aptitude included 60 to 79 branches, marking the stage where talent became critical. These individuals possessed the potential to reach the Core Formation Realm and serve as the backbone of any sect. Some might even have the opportunity to become Sect Leaders in smaller sects.

A Rank aptitude comprised 80 to 99 branches, representing the stage where the next generation of major Sect Leaders was born. With a stroke of luck, one could even reach the Nascent Soul Realm.

This was generally what Liu Feng already knew, but I organized it more clearly. What followed, however, was new information that Liu Feng had no previous knowledge of: talents that surfaced only once every few hundred or thousand years.

S Rank aptitude was denoted by exactly 100 branches in one's spiritual root. These individuals possessed Perfect Cultivation Physiques, extremely rare and emerging only once every century or so.

There wasn't much additional information about this rank, but there were a few sentences describing talent levels beyond 100 branches. I decided to write down this information, even though there was little information available about it.

S+ Rank aptitude, with over 101 branches. They're known as Extreme Physiques, 'extreme' because despite how fast they cultivate, they die young.

I had some other questions about what determined the number of Spiritual Root branches or how they worked exactly, but those were the kinds of questions I wouldn't have answers to anytime soon.

Are there any books on alchemy around here? There must be some pills that help with impurity extraction. After all, there are healing pills, so something like that would make sense if it existed. Maybe the alchemists will have a clearer explanation of what it means to expel impurities from the body.

Now that I thought about it, I couldn't help but be curious about one thing.

Who tests these pills? If they do test them, do they take into account any long-term effects?

I went and put the books back where I found them, as I had already written down the useful information.

I looked around for any books that seemed related to alchemy. Some basic medical books here gave instructions for an outdated method of first aid, but nothing else appeared to be related to alchemy.

"Maybe I just don't know the location of such books in this huge, disorganized library."

With that in mind and an anxious heart, I approached the librarian. The old man was already gone, so the librarian was the only senior left, and I could only hope that this guy wasn't going to start a blood feud by asking a question.

It sounded kind of dumb when I thought about it. But this was a world where young masters exterminated clans just so they wouldn't lose face or for some other dumb reason.

"Excuse me, honorable elder, do you know where I can find some books on the basics of alchemy?" I asked, trying to stroke his ego as much as possible without coming off as insincere.

"Books about things like Artifact Creation, Inscriptions, or Alchemy aren't something you'll find in a library for free," the man explained, pushing up his glasses slightly. "To get access to that kind of information for free, you either need to be an Inner Disciple training under an Inner Elder or be a Core Disciple. Though for someone like you, your best chance is to look around the markets. But because of the tournament, no one is there to open any stalls."

Well, that sucks. But there isn't anything I could do about it for now, so it was better to turn in a different direction.

Also, Liu Feng had no savings. The guy didn't even think about what would happen if he failed the exam and had to stay another year as an Outer Disciple.

...

Hours passed, and I finished my daily reading session. I put the books back in their respective places and prepared to leave.

I had learned a little more about the basics, mostly reaffirming what the original Liu Feng already knew. For instance, in the Body Tempering Realm, talent didn't carry as much weight yet, since we didn't utilize our Spiritual Roots or Qi.

While talent played a minor role in one's progress within the Body Tempering Realm, hard work and access to resources were more crucial. At least when it came to the speed of advancement.

As I exited the library, the midday sun kissed my face, and the sounds of birds and rustling leaves once again filled my ears.

Now it was time to go and do some physical training! After all, I didn't want to get my brains plastered by some goon or end up like one of those bullied protagonists because my progress was too slow.

However, as I strolled along the stone pathway, approaching the descent down the stairs, I noticed an old man with a smile on his face, busy sweeping leaves at the side.

He was the same elderly man I had encountered in the library, likely a janitor.

At least, that's what an ordinary person from this world would think. But having read dozens, perhaps even over a hundred xianxia novels, I had developed a keen eye for clichés.

An old man janitor? I could spot the trope from a mile away! There was a decent chance that this old man was a hidden powerhouse. Perhaps he was a revered elder or even a clan ancestor.

Should I try to approach him? Going by cliché standards, he shouldn't be a villain, and having someone to watch my back in case I inadvertently offended some young master could prove invaluable.

However, what if I was wrong? He might just be an ordinary old man. My entire assumption was based on a cliché that might not even be true.

Regardless, even if he wasn't some hidden boss, there was a lot of wisdom to gain from an elder like him.

With that thought in mind, I changed course and approached the old man.

Please be a super monster in hiding. Though I hated cliches in my last life, I wouldn't mind it now if it ended up improving my situation!

It was the kind of situation where I wouldn't watch a show about a multi-millionaire with no problems in his life, but I would love to be one.