I Just Wanted To Live but I Somehow Became Better Than the Protagonist

The news of Ye Yong being a guest at the Great Zhou Dynasty had long spread outside; Hua Ningyan had heard Lin Wei mention it.

“A little something happened, but that’s not important. What matters is your cultivation. Who fed you treasures from heaven and earth?” The fastest and most common way to enhance cultivation was through resources, yet such rapid advancement could lead to an unstable foundation. In the early stages, it might not matter much, but as one’s cultivation grew, the importance of a solid foundation became evident. Unstable cultivators often faced various bottlenecks, making breakthroughs increasingly difficult, their potential diminished.

“Nothing at all.” Hua Ningyan shook her head, feeling just as baffled about her cultivation. She recounted the situation as it had unfolded.

“So you’re saying you did nothing, and suddenly some strange energy caused you to break through one after another?”

“Mm-hmm…”

Opportunities don’t just fall from the sky. Ye Yong glanced at Xia Shiqi, who was digging at his pant leg, wanting to be picked up like Hua Ningyan, and fell into thought.

If Hua Ningyan was the protagonist, it wouldn’t be surprising for her cultivation to soar due to a celestial heart technique. But the wolf pets hadn’t learned any techniques, and their bloodlines were still quite ordinary. The concentrated timing of their breakthroughs suggested they had all been stimulated by the same energy.

Since they hadn’t done anything special, could it be that he had inadvertently done something? He recalled the high-level soul imprint; if the master received an opportunity, the spirit pets could bask in its glow.

Ye Yong carefully reflected on his actions during his time at the Great Zhou Dynasty, but it seemed there was nothing particularly noteworthy.

“Do you remember the exact time?”

“It seems it was two days ago, at the hour of the rat.”

As his cultivation deepened, Ye Yong’s memory sharpened, allowing him to vividly recall the details from two days prior. During that time, he had been wandering the forbidden zone of the treasure vault with Zhou Yunqi, even transporting the infamous turtle, “Though the Turtle Lives,” which had drawn Gui Lingao’s attention.

Could it be that “Though the Turtle Lives” had gained the recognition of the Heavenly Dao and was now at work?

But that made no sense; he was still at the crystallization stage. If it were to have miraculous effects, shouldn’t he be the first to break through?

As a young man with a thirst for exploration, Ye Yong decided to give it a try. He opened his mouth and slowly intoned, “Heaven bestows great responsibilities upon this person?”

There was no immediate response, so Ye Yong continued to recite, each word echoing in the room.

Whether it was a trick of the mind or not, Ye Yong felt the air around him vibrating, as if it resonated with his recitation.

“And to die in comfort…” Until he uttered the final line, just as before, a sudden thunderclap erupted from nowhere. This time, the rumble was deeper, as if it could pierce the soul and evoke a profound resonance.

Hua Ningyan, as a spirit beast, couldn’t fully grasp the meaning, but she felt an overwhelming power. She noticed a wondrous holy light beginning to emanate from Ye Yong: “Master! You’re glowing!”

The room was dim, and with it being night, even the faintest glow was unmistakable.

Ye Yong looked down at his body; indeed, he was shining, but he felt nothing—no clarity of mind, no transformation of soul.

Soon, Hua Ningyan began to glow as well. In mere seconds, her cultivation leaped from the third to the seventh layer of crystallization, jumping four small realms in an instant.

??

Ye Yong was utterly perplexed. He glanced at the silly Xia Shiqi, who had stopped tugging at his pant leg; she had surged from the seventh to the ninth layer. Xia Shijia, who had been crouched by the door, was now standing tall at the tenth layer.

Had they consumed some sort of experience pack? Why couldn’t he partake?

“Do you feel any discomfort?” Ye Yong quickly inquired.

The light on Hua Ningyan had begun to fade. She answered uncertainly, “My internal spiritual energy is abundant, yet there’s a hollow feeling. Perhaps this is what you meant by an unstable foundation, Master?”

Though Ye Yong had never experienced it, it was normal to feel such a way after jumping so many realms at once: “Quickly circulate your heart method to adapt to the change in cultivation.”

“Okay.” Hua Ningyan, placed back on the bed, immediately closed her eyes to consolidate her cultivation.

77 Literary Cultivation

Ye Yong was filled with curiosity; he had merely recited a poem from Earth, yet such miraculous effects had manifested. He had done so before without any similar occurrences… Could it be that only ancient maxims, those entwined with life, death, and the heavens, could invoke such power?

After much contemplation, this was the only possibility Ye Yong could conceive. After all, the Way of Heaven was rather arrogant; speaking ill of it could summon thunder to strike.

He gazed at the little white fox, once at the sixth layer of foundation, now having surpassed him in such a short time to reach the seventh layer of crystallization. All Ye Yong could do was envy, his mouth watering. With his divine body, if he could experience such a boon, why would he worry about reaching the twentieth layer of cultivation?

—

Outside, the commotion was lively compared to the tranquility within the house. The reason was simple: the sudden thunder was nothing short of extraordinary, especially as the sound resonated closely, like an ancient echo stirring the soul, unlike anything ordinary.

“That day in the palace, there was also a thunderclap…” Ye Wen, feeding the spirit turtle, gazed deeply at the sky, then shifted his gaze downward, towards Ye Yong’s residence. “This is no coincidence. What on earth is Yong’er up to?”

At four in the morning, the elders of the Ye family, not in seclusion, gathered at Ye Yong’s villa, as if drawn by an unseen force.

Having lived in the Ye family for hundreds, even thousands of years, they could sense even the slightest change in their surroundings.

Not to mention, Ye Yong’s villa was now suffused with a scholarly aura, faintly surrounded by a rhythm of the Dao, making it hard to overlook.

Such phenomena typically occurred only when a literary cultivator spoke an unparalleled verse, garnering the recognition of the Way of Heaven.

Ye Yong had shifted his focus to sound and imagery; the elders had accepted and grown accustomed to this. Yet now, with the entire literary path emerging, they found themselves somewhat perplexed. After all, the literary path, like sound and imagery, was a niche discipline, even more challenging to comprehend and master. While there were many scholars and literati in the world, few could become true literary cultivators.

If Ye Yong shone brightly in one aspect, the elders would be pleased. But if he excelled in multiple areas, they would grow concerned. For no matter how high one’s talent, time was limited; spreading oneself too thin would hinder future development, and trying to balance everything would only slow down cultivation.

The elders exchanged glances, and ultimately, it was Ye Yong’s young mother, Lin Wei, who entered the room to discern the situation.

Ye Yong had returned quietly; had it not been for Ye Wen, Lin Wei and the others would have been unaware of their arrival home.

Stepping into the room, Lin Wei followed the sound to Ye Yong’s chamber, where she found him staring intently at his spirit pet, a serious expression on his face, completely oblivious to her approach.