Troublemaker’s Guide to Immortality

If this is your first time reading a story I've uploaded or listed on my account, just a heads-up—I'm only the translator (⁀ᗢ⁀)

You can find the original title and author on my Patreon: [patreon.com/rikhi]

I put the info there to make it easier for you to copy and paste, since it's a bit tricky to do that on Webnovel. 

Please note: this cultivation system and other information will be updated over time. As the story progresses, I may expand on certain terms or clarify how the stages work. So feel free to revisit this chapter for future updates or additions.

Also, as with many of the novels I've worked on, this version is not a word-for-word replica of the original. Some things might be interpreted differently, rephrased for clarity, or expanded for better immersion. That's just part of the translation process—it's about conveying meaning, not just literal words.

I will put link on the comment section for more general information about this genre.

Thank you for reading, and I hope you enjoy this novel.

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Manual and Technique were divided into:

Yellow —>Mystic —>Earth—>Heaven

Grade or Tier:

Grade 1—>Grade 2—>Grade 3—>Grade 4—>Grade 5—> Grade 6 —> Grade 7 —> Grade 8 —> Grade 9

Rank:

Standard→ Elite→ Perfect.

Proficiency:

Entry→ Proficient→ Master.

In this world of cultivation, realms were divided into:

Qi Refining—> Foundation Establishment —>Golden Core —>Nascent Soul —>Divine Transformation —>Unity —>Tribulation —>the pinnacle: Mahayana.

Qi Refining and Foundation Establishment in this novel are roughly same as general knowledge. But the Golden Core is different.

Before the process can begin, four conditions must be met.

First, a proper cultivation technique. Without a stable foundation and a method suited for core formation, any attempt would be doomed from the start.

Second, the cultivator's soul realm must reach the necessary threshold. The spiritual sea must be vast and resilient, capable of withstanding the intense compression and restructuring of qi. If the soul is weak, the process will collapse under its own weight.

Third, there must be a sufficient reserve of spiritual energy. Elemental affinity plays a role here, but with enough preparation—pills, elixirs, or external resources—even mismatched elemental environments can be compensated for.

And fourth, a spark of fate. This could be an insight, a revelation, or simply a moment where everything aligns. Without this flicker of destiny, the door to the next realm remains closed.

Once these requirements are fulfilled, the cultivator settles into deep meditation. The world fades. Distractions vanish. All that remains is the rhythmic pulse of spiritual energy circulating within.

In the dantian, the previously liquid qi begins to shift. Slowly, carefully, it is compressed into fine grains—each one shimmering with concentrated power. These grains are not merely denser—they carry weight, substance, and latent force.

It is an excruciatingly delicate process. Every adjustment must be exact. Every breath, controlled. Should focus slip, the core might fracture, or worse, detonate within.

Here, soul strength becomes a shield and a scalpel, guiding each movement with unwavering clarity.

As the grains gather, they begin to spin, drawn into a vortex of their own making. Momentum builds. Faster. Tighter. Until all motion collapses inward, forming a singular, brilliant sphere—the Golden Core.

At this point, one could stop. By all standards, this marks a successful breakthrough. But for those with ambition, it is merely the beginning. The core can be refined further. Compressed. Sharpened. Honed down to the size of a true pill. With this comes the chance for something more: pill patterns.

These patterns are not ornamental. They are indicators of potential, of destiny. Some cultivators manifest one or two. The exceptional, more. Nine is the known limit, the mark of a legendary core.

And so, the cultivator continues. Refine. Compress. Sharpen.

The core tightens until no further compression is possible. This is the upper limit—the peak of the Golden Core stage. What follows is the final act: the engraving of pill patterns.

Each pattern carved into the core is like inscribing fate itself. A declaration of future strength. A glimpse of what might come.

It is said that a Golden Core bearing pill patterns stands as a foundation strong enough to carry one all the way to the Unity stage.

And with this, the Golden Core is complete.

No heavenly tribulation descends. No divine thunder crashes through the skies. Advancement at this stage is quiet, internal, personal.

Yet it is no less profound.

For those who succeed, the rewards are immense. A high-grade Golden Core technique may awaken one or two divine abilities—mystic arts etched into the soul, gifts from the Dao itself.