My eyes burned from staring at incomprehensible squiggles on yellowing pages for the last two days. As predicted, I wanted to tear my hair out. The only thing stopping me was that despite the obstacle that ridiculously philosophical language presented in what should be a straightforward manual, I had made progress towards my goal.

  Even with Second Elder Li’s warning that combining cultivation methods was the realm of madmen and demons, I knew I was on the right path. Many of these methods had similarities and where they differed, it was mostly the type of spiritual energy or body that a particular path wanted to produce.

  Decoding what some ancient bastard meant by Eight flames light the path, guide heaven and earth to bring balance was difficult, but actually once I had a grasp of their flowery language my job was pretty easy. Essentially all cultivation methods could be boiled down to three simple concepts for the Body Tempering Realm.

  The three concepts were as follows:

  Blood Essence Tempering—to cycle one’s blood essence in accordance with a particular method, destroying and rebuilding one’s flesh and bones in order to prepare them to absorb spiritual energy!

  Spiritual Mantra Recital—repeating the words of a designated mantra during the tempering process to facilitate the reforging of one’s body and focus the mind.

  Martial Form Exercises—moving one’s body in accordance with their designated technique in order to train the muscles and facilitate the blood flow.

  However, what I had discovered through my research and observation was that not all three concepts were essential to cultivation! In fact, one could advance simply through blood essence tempering, throwing martial forms and spiritual mantras to one side.

  That didn’t mean it should be done, however. I suspected that utilising all three in conjunction, provided the methods used were aligned, would provide one with the greatest possible foundation for advancing to the Qi Gathering Realm.

  I wondered if Teng Sheng would be willing to go even further in order to help me understand this realm. If he was, then I might be able to devise an ultimate cultivation method.

  Climbing to the peak of the Body Tempering Realm would be a great achievement for the boy—his long held dream. Would he be willing to shatter his cultivation and start from the bottom again just to help me research? I wasn’t sure.

  If he was, then his future gains might be incredible once I was able to figure out how to best combine the three concepts. However, for a boy who had desired to cultivate all his life and only recently gained the ability, I wondered if he would have the courage to sacrifice short term gains to reap great rewards in the future.

  Whatever choice he made, I would not force him. However, I truly hoped he would be willing to assist me in this endeavour.

  Not only for his own sake, but for the sake of all future disciples of the Grasping Life Sect. If we could devise an ultimate cultivation method to surpass those of other clans and sects, rising to the top of the Celestial Jade Empire would be inevitable!

  Of course, I would also need to create a set of healing arts to go along with this. Without those, the primary purpose of the sect would ring hollow.

  However, I was barely able to replicate my simple healing pills without the use of my physique. How could I create something as incredible as a novel cultivation method that anyone could use? It was almost impossible.

  I was not discouraged. Since the day I had arrived in this world I had been doing just that. Achieving the impossible. So, I vowed that I would never give up until the day I died or succeeded.

  ****

  “Sect Leader, you really mean it?” Teng Sheng asked with disbelief on his face.

  “Of course, I would never lie to you about serious matters,” I replied, staring at the boy as we sat opposite each other in his pagoda.

  “I spent my entire childhood dreaming about being a cultivator. I always thought I was cursed by the heavens, but it was the schemes of the Gao Clan which held me back,” he sighed wistfully. “You, Lord Zhao, were the one who saved me from that despair and defeated the bastards who tried to uproot my father’s position and condemn me to being trash for the rest of my life.”

  “I can only cultivate because of you, my saviour. Even if I had to shatter my cultivation a thousand times and start from being a mortal again, I would do it. Even if I had to fight a million enemies of our sect alone, I would do it if you were the one giving the order,” he declared, smashing a fist against his puffed out chest.

  I smiled warmly, a feeling of pride in my heart as I looked at the young boy in front of me. When I first met him, he was a timid and shy young fellow. Now, there was a difference of night and day.

  I ruffled his hair, which caused him to throw an aggrieved look at me. Nonetheless, he didn’t stop me.

  “Good disciple,” I chuckled. “That is the kind of determination the future pillars of our sect needs to have. Apart from Elder Wang and myself, you are the member of the sect with the highest cultivation. You need to set an example for everyone else. That is even more important now that we are recruiting new disciples. I am glad you were willing to fulfill this selfish request of mine,” I told him, causing his chest to puff out even more.

  I felt as if his head might burst with how confident he was, but he deserved to feel that way. However, it was easy to talk and difficult to act. It would require a strong will and a powerful body to overcome the trials ahead, but together we would change the entire continent!

  “Alright, let’s not delay. For now there is no need to destroy your cultivation. You can keep going until you reach peak Body Tempering, but you must follow my methods exactly, do you understand?”

  “I understand, Sect Leader. My life is yours,” he replied, his face set in determination.

  “Then come, let us begin,” I said, standing to leave the building. Physical training was best done outdoors, surrounded by nature.

  We walked until we were in the forest, with no one around except for the birds and squirrels in the trees. I was still a little suspicious of Second Elder Li, so I didn’t want him to know what I was doing with Teng Sheng.

  “To begin with, you will race for Peak Body Tempering using only blood essence tempering,” I informed him, causing his eyes to widen in shock. “I forbid you to recite a spiritual mantra or engage in martial exercises. Do not find me again until you are knocking at the gates of the Qi Gathering Realm.”

  He stood still for a moment, digesting what I’d just told him. At first I thought he might protest, but he was a truly diligent kid. All he said in reply was, “I understand, Sect Leader,” before sitting down to cultivate.

  This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.

  Satisfied that my experiment would at least have a willing participant, I left the boy to his cultivation. I wasn’t sure how long it would take him to reach Peak Body Tempering, but I hoped it wouldn’t be too long.

  I was an anomaly, so of course I didn’t believe Teng Sheng would match the speed at which I raced to that realm, even going as far as to break through beyond the usual limits, but I hoped he would be more talented than an average cultivator. Only time would tell.

  My next task would be to talk with little Cui. I had a proposition for her, but I wasn’t sure how willing she would be to follow my desires. Humming a tune, I began the journey to her house.

  ****

  “Xiao Cui, what are you cooking up now? Another devious concoction?” I asked with a gentle laugh as I walked in on my disciple crouched over a flaming cauldron filled with green liquid.

  Her brow was coated in sweat and she seemed on the brink of passing out from exhaustion. She picked up a herb from her side and tossed it into the cauldron.

  The next moment, there was a sudden bang from inside the pot and she was thrown backwards to the ground. I rushed over, but she managed to pick herself back up.

  I had to stifle a laugh when I saw her face. It was covered in black soot. Thick black smoke was also wafting out from the cauldron.

  She sighed, seeming to have not noticed me yet. “Another failure…” she muttered dejectedly.

  I tapped her on the shoulder. “Ahem.”

  “Oh!” she exclaimed, falling onto her backside once more. “Master, what are you doing here? Have you come to help me begin cultivating?” she asked, wiping off her face with a nearby cloth.

  She tossed it into a large stack of dirty cloths before expertly cleaning the cauldron out. Clearly this kind of explosive failure had happened many times before. At least she was enjoying herself.

  “Not quite,” I replied, taking a seat to one side while she cleaned herself up. “It depends on your decision, my little disciple.”

  “My decision? What do you mean, master? Of course I will become a cultivator like you,” she replied, cocking her head to one side in confusion.

  “Of course you will, Xiao Cui. That isn’t what I meant. Let me explain,” I chuckled helplessly.

  “For a cultivator, it can be said that their foundation is even more important than their talent. Even if one is a genius prodigy of a thousand years, if they use a shoddy technique and develop a terrible foundation, their future achievements will be pathetic,” I explained, seeing her eyes widen in understanding as she sat down in front of me to listen.

  “The reverse is also true. Someone with average talent can become a legendary nascent soul sage if their foundation is sturdy enough.”

  “Master, how can I develop a powerful foundation? I want to be as strong as you!” Xiao Cui declared resolutely.

  “I am not worth mentioning when it comes to strength, little Cui,” I said with a wave of my hand. “There are countless cultivators in this world who could swat me like a fly. However, I would say my foundation is relatively strong. The reason I said you will have to make a decision is regarding your own foundation,” I told her, reaching the crux of the matter.

  “What decision?” she replied, leaning closer.

  “You can begin cultivating today, but you will only be able to use the Cloudy Falls Sect’s basic cultivation method,” I began.

  Unfortunately none of the manuals delivered by the Golden Leaf Consortium were superior to it, even when the additional books had arrived a few days ago.

  “Master, that is the method which you and Elder Wang practice? Isn’t it a strong method?” she asked with confusion.

  “Well, I am not sure I can say with confidence I am still practicing this method. My cultivation is quite unique,” I chuckled in reply. “However, you are correct in saying that my brother Wang used it during the Body Tempering Realm. He now uses the methods passed down by his Master, Elder Bang. He has a sturdy foundation and great strength, it is true. Will you follow in his footsteps, little Cui?”

  She fell silent for a few breaths of time, considering her answer. When she finally spoke, I had to refrain from letting my smile appear on my face.

  “What is the other option, Master? You told me I would have to make a decision but so far you’ve only given me one choice.”

  “Smart disciple,” I said, patting her on the head. She pouted but didn’t resist. “The other choice will be more difficult, but ultimately it will end with you having the sturdiest foundation possible. You will need to hold off on cultivating until I can develop an even more powerful method of cultivation for you to practice,” I explained.

  “You will create a technique for me, master!?” she exclaimed. “Of course I will choose that option. How can the methods of that stupid sect compare to you?”

  “Pffff,” I snorted. This disciple of mine was truly something. “The only problem is, I don’t know how long it will take to create this method or whether it is even possible. Are you willing to take that risk? The real difficulty in this option is that you are not a patient person,” I said, causing her to reach over and slap my arm.

  “Bastard master,” she huffed. “Of course I will trust you. Besides, I am not bored here. I am having fun with my experiments and there is plenty to do on the mountain. If you say you will do it, then I believe you!”

  “Good. Then I will leave you to your experiments. Don’t go testing them on the others, I know how mischievous you are,” I warned her with a wink.

  “Hmph. As if they deserve to taste my creations,” she retorted, sticking out her tongue.

  I left her house chuckling, satisfied with her decision. I was truly happy, a warm feeling blossoming in my chest. Both of the youngsters that I had brought with me to the mountain had so much faith in me. How could I let them down now?

  I was resolved to succeed in all my endeavours no matter how hard I had to work or what I had to sacrifice. In the end, doing this would bring me to new realms of understanding and pull everyone around me up to the pinnacle along the way.

  Before getting back to studying the various manuals at my disposal, I wanted to have a stroll to clear my head. Reading through the works of those fanciful ancient cultivators caused me to develop migraines.

  I found myself in the cavern of golden spirit stones. When the delivery person had come from the Golden Leaf Consortium, they had informed me that the manager was looking forward to doing more business with me. I wondered what else I could buy with the endless wealth at our disposal.

  The manuals weren’t all they’d brought. We had all the basic resources we could need to start the sect on the right path. Construction materials, techniques, spiritual rice seeds, training equipment, and more.

  Honestly, I wasn’t sure if there was anything I needed right now. Lost in thought, I didn’t notice when the huge form of Guan Jin slithered up behind me.

  “It seems there’s ss-something on your mind, youngster,” the enlightened serpent hissed in my ear, startling me.

  “Senior Jin! Forgive me,” I replied with a shallow bow.

  “No need for such formalitiesss between us. What troubles you, Zhao Dan?”

  I rubbed my chin. Truthfully, there were many things that were causing me a headache right now. However, if I was to pick out one issue that bothered me the most…

  “Senior Jin, after hearing about the treasures within, I have been tempted to travel to the Blossoming Heavens. However, I feel bad for my good brother Wang. He deserves this opportunity as much as I, but he will have to stay in order to guard the sect from outside threats,” I sighed.

  “Hmph. Trifling mattersss. Take him with you, I will guard the mountain. No one will trample on the property of Master Guan while I, Guan Jin, am here to stand guard!” the serpent hissed proudly.

  “Are you sure? I really don’t want to impose on Senior,” I replied, excited but maintaining my decorum.

  “Of coursse. Only a fool would miss the opportunity to travel to the Blossoming Heavens. If I was still a little snake, perhapsss I too would join you. Instead, I will be ss-satisfied if you bring me some trinkets back, little Zhao.”

  I nodded resolutely. With Guan Jin’s promise, I could be confident in leaving the mountain securely. Perhaps Second Elder Li would be suspicious, but what could he do against an enlightened beast? Nothing!

  “Then, I will trouble you with the protection of the sect while I am gone. I will make sure to bring back a worthy gift,” I said gratefully, before turning to leave the cavern.

  I still had many worries, but now I had one less. My steps felt lighter as I returned to the surface. The Blossoming Heavens! This would be my first time entering a secret realm.

  Truthfully I had wanted to go from the moment I heard about it, but my responsibilities were too heavy. Now that I had the chance, of course I would leap at it.

  There were only a couple of weeks until we would need to leave. Before then, I had to ensure the Grasping Life Sect was prepared for my absence.