The Transmigrator's Cultivation

Chapter 54 - Arc 5: Loose Cultivator Alliance | Chapter 54: Exiting Seclusion

Translator: Lynn

Sponsored chapter (2/10)

Since Xu Ziqing’s rebirth, he had developed a close relationship with the white-clad spirit, feeling grateful for his kindness and admiring his benevolence. He regarded him not only as a friend but also as a close family member, someone he could rely on and face the challenges of their journey together. Because of Yun Lie’s significance in his life, Xu Ziqing had refrained from asking about his abilities, fearing it might reopen old wounds or strain their relationship.

However, in the heat of the moment, Xu Ziqing blurted out the question without thinking. The sudden surge of unease caused by the signs he experienced had clouded his judgment. Yun Lie, seemingly caught off guard by the question, raised his eyes and maintained a cold expression. Xu Ziqing, however, met his gaze without averting his eyes.

Silence filled the air, and Xu Ziqing’s anxiety heightened. Unable to discern Yun Lie’s thoughts from his impa.s.sive face, he started to worry, thinking, “Is Brother Yun angry?”

Just as Xu Ziqing was about to lose hope, Yun Lie finally spoke. He revealed, “I am the first disciple of Xiaozhu Peak in the Wuling Immortal Sect.”

Xu Ziqing was taken aback. “Wuling Immortal Sect… Is that Brother Yun’s sect?”

Yun Lie nodded in confirmation.

The realization dawned upon Xu Ziqing. Yun Lie hailed from the Great World, which explained his extensive knowledge.

After a brief contemplation, curiosity got the better of Xu Ziqing, and he inquired about Yun Lie’s cultivation level. To his astonishment, Yun Lie replied with a cold expression, “Peak of the Golden Core Transformation Stage.”

Impressed, Xu Ziqing recollected that the blood demon in this small world had reached the late stage of the Golden Core Transformation Stage¹

Sorry, I had translated the blood demon’s stage wrongly before. I’ve revised it.

The stages are Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core Formation, Golden Core Stage, and so on. 

, causing havoc and instilling fear in everyone. It now made sense why Yun Lie showed no fear when faced with the blood demon. However, he also remembered that there was a Golden Core cultivator in the Alliance of Scattered Cultivators.

“Brother Yun, does the Wuling Immortal Sect have a Golden Core cultivator?” Xu Ziqing asked eagerly.

Yun Lie’s expression remained stern as he replied, “In my sect, only Golden Core cultivators and above are qualified to  accept disciples.”

Xu Ziqing’s lips slightly parted, unable to contain his astonishment. If only a Golden Core cultivator or higher could accept disciples in Yun Lie’s sect, then Yun Lie’s master must be at least a Golden Core cultivator. Since Yun Lie mentioned being the first disciple of Little Bamboo Peak, it implied the existence of other peaks within the sect.

Contemplating this, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but feel a strong longing. In this small world of Haotian, the Xu clan, with its highest cultivation level at Foundation Establishment, was considered remarkable. Other clans were likely in a similar situation, and even the major sects had few legends of Golden Core cultivators circulating.

Now, hearing about Yun Lie’s background, Xu Ziqing wondered just how many Golden Core cultivators there were in the Wuling Immortal Sect. It was no wonder that people in this world aspired to break through and enter the Great World. The difference between this small world and the Great World was like that between a firefly and a radiant moon. How often were the people of this small world like frogs at the bottom of a well, unaware of the vastness above?

Xu Ziqing’s heart surged with longing, and as he looked at Yun Lie, his expression became inevitably complex.

If someone possessed the stature and grace of Yun while at the peak of the Core Formation stage, one could only imagine the magnificence they would exude in the Golden Core realm…

Xu Ziqing was shaken, and his pupils contracted in response.

“What do you mean, Brother Yun? Does that mean the Wuling Immortal Sect will accept disciples before the Ascending Dragon Gate?” he asked, seeking clarification.

Yun Lie nodded slightly, and an instant surge of joy filled Xu Ziqing’s heart.

If he could join the Wuling Immortal Sect, wouldn’t he and his friend become fellow disciples, sharing the same path from that point onward?

Xu Ziqing had always been curious about Yun Lie’s past, but due to various reasons, he refrained from asking. However, if he were to enter the Immortal Sect, it would be easier to uncover the mysteries surrounding his friend’s previous life.

What happened to Brother Yun back then? It must have been an incredible journey…

With this thought, Xu Ziqing’s unsettled mind suddenly calmed, and the ripples of uncertainty vanished.

Moreover, regardless of what transpired and how it concerned him, he knew he still had to focus on his cultivation. What good would it do to worry excessively? It was best to adhere to the saying, “Counter soldiers with arms, water with an earth weir²This means: different situations call for different actions / to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation. Metaphorically, no matter what method the other party uses, there is always a corresponding way to deal with it. Having made up his mind, Xu Ziqing felt as if his Daoist heart had been polished once again, resulting in a serene and transparent state of mind..”

Yun Lie remarked, “It’s good to continually reflect upon oneself.”

Xu Ziqing nodded gratefully. “Thank you once again, Brother Yun, for your guidance.”

Yun Lie responded, “You need to enter seclusion. No need for further words.”

Xu Ziqing faintly smiled. “Yes, Brother Yun.”

Yun Lie returned to his storage ring, and Xu Ziqing closed his eyes, entering a state of meditation.

This time, his mind was free from disturbances, and his breathing was calm. Soon, he fell into a state of emptiness.

—

One year later.

Outside the house on the hillside of Lingqiao Mountain, a clever boy was tending to a flower garden, while behind him, a beautiful woman diligently swept away the rocks with a st.u.r.dy iron broom.

Inside the house, a tranquil room existed, shielded from the noise of the outside world.

Within that room, sat a handsome young man of 18 or 19 years old.

With a straight posture, he sat on a futon, enveloped by a thin layer of green light. From a distance, it appeared like a film of flowing water, while up close, it resembled countless streams of air converging and condensing.

Why describe it as air currents?

Inside the “currents,” it was not as serene as it initially seemed. Countless minuscule serpentine shapes wriggled and swam about. They densely intertwined, heads and tails connected, and when they drew near, they merged into these “currents.” However, it remained unpredictable, sometimes conjoining and sometimes separating, yet it never detached from the young man’s body, finally settling into a calm state.

The young man’s eyes were shut tightly, his expression composed.

Suddenly, he raised his two fingers and aimed at the ground—

“Thud!”

A burst of sound erupted as a green light shot from his fingertips, leaving behind a small hole in the ground, about the size of a finger. The hole was perfectly round, its edges smooth, devoid of any trace of smoke or fire. Yet, it penetrated the ground, showcasing its astonishing power.

When the young man opened his eyes and observed the small hole, a slight sense of relief flickered in his gaze.

After using his spiritual power to point at the ground two more times, there were two sharp sounds, and two additional small holes appeared next to the previous one, identical in size and depth.

Observing the holes, the young man sighed softly and muttered to himself, “I’ve been practicing this Mu Hua Zhi for a while now.”

Xu Ziqing had purchased various wood techniques from the Trade Hall, and among them was the commonly known finger technique called the “Mu Hua Zhi.”

The “Mu Hua Zhi” consisted of three stances, making it the most basic wood attack technique. It involved gathering wood qi, concentrating it at the fingertip, and releasing it to inflict harm.

Although it was only a middle-grade technique easily obtainable, its offensive power was decent, making it suitable for casual pract.i.tioners seeking self-defense.

Xu Ziqing had chosen this technique because, like other wood cultivators, he desired to enhance his defensive capabilities.

The previous finger technique he had performed was the first stance of the “Wooden Finger” called “Into the Wood.” It was the simplest stance and the essence of the technique. The other two stances, “Wood Penetrating a Hundred Steps” and “Wood Bullets,” were variations of the first stance, incorporating minor adjustments.

For a wood pract.i.tioner, gathering wood qi and channeling it to the fingertips was not particularly challenging. However, the difficulty lay in making this gentle wood qi inflict harm.

Initially, when Xu Ziqing practiced the Wood Hua Finger, the wood qi he condensed would dissipate upon contact with the ground, as gently as a breeze. It couldn’t even harm a person, let alone injure them.

He attempted this numerous times, but the results were consistently disappointing, causing him much frustration.

It took several days of experimentation before Xu Ziqing gradually realized that he hadn’t made any mistakes but lacked a crucial understanding. When condensing the wood qi, he had released too little spiritual energy, resulting in loose condensation that naturally dispersed upon impact.

However, how could he make it more condensed?

The solution was simple—release more spiritual energy and compress it to be released together.

But a new challenge presented itself. While releasing spiritual energy was easy, releasing more of it required a longer time. It took him several breaths to execute a single strike, making it too slow for practical combat.

Subsequently, Xu Ziqing discovered that when he attempted to increase the speed and power of his technique, it often deviated from his intended target. His strikes meant for the East would end up hitting the Southeast instead.

Thus, Xu Ziqing understood that to master this technique, he needed to release sufficient wood qi while maintaining speed and accuracy to achieve true success.

It took him half a year to refine his strength, speed, and precision. Now, when he executed the finger technique, he could produce a flickering green aura within a hundred feet.

He had gained a modest offensive ability to rely upon.

During the remaining six months, Xu Ziqing not only mastered the first stance of the Wooden Finger but also practiced the two variations. While he gained some understanding, it was not as profound as with the initial stance. He also practiced blindfolded, incorporating new seeds into his dantian, using his Ethereal Wood Qi to nurture them and generate various permutations.

Under the pressure of more than ten cultivators, Xu Ziqing discovered that the acupuncture points on his fifteenth and sixteenth meridians trembled and loosened during his cultivation.

This pleasant surprise prompted Xu Ziqing to refine his spiritual energy further, gradually attacking each acupuncture point one by one over the course of a year. As a result, with less than ten acupuncture points remaining, he would be able to open all of these two meridians, subsequently breaking through to the ninth level of Qi refinement.

Overall, this retreat proved highly beneficial. Not only did Xu Ziqing significantly advance his cultivation, but he also acquired additional means to protect himself. Regardless of future challenges, he could face them with a certain degree of confidence.

After practicing the Mu Hua Zhi for half an hour, Xu Ziqing suddenly felt a wave of inspiration and slight fatigue. Recognizing that his retreat had reached its conclusion and that further progress would require strengthening his mindset, he ceased his practice, stood up, and left the meditation room.

Just as he stepped out the door, he heard the piercing cry of an eagle, and a black and gold figure swiftly descended, resembling a streak of light. In an instant, it stood before him. Xu Ziqing smiled gently, not evading the eagle’s approach but instead extending his right arm slightly. As expected, his arm sank as it was grasped by two sharp claws.

Perched on his arm was a majestic eagle, nearly three feet in size. Its body was as black as ink, with a layer of golden feathers adorning its black plumage, radiating a dazzling brilliance.

It was none other than Chonghua.

To test whether Chonghua would honor its promise, Xu Ziqing used ten beast spirit pills as a temptation. Afterward, he gave the remaining pills to Qingfeng’s boy, instructing Miao Yue to oversee their distribution, providing one every two days, before resuming his retreat.

A year had pa.s.sed since Xu Ziqing last saw Chonghua, who had grown larger and more imposing, exuding the air of a ruler.

Overwhelmed with excitement, Chonghua displayed its desire to please and flatter Xu Ziqing.

After rubbing its head against Xu Ziqing’s arm several times, it spread its wings, ascended to the treetop, and released an invisible ball of air. The projectile struck a nearby short tree.

“Ka—”

A resounding crunch echoed as the tree, thick as a man’s leg, shattered instantly. Its crown plummeted to the ground, branches, and leaves breaking off, leaving only a protruding stump.

Xu Ziqing was mildly surprised, but joy flickered in his eyes. He waved at Chonghua, prompting it to swiftly glide over and grab hold of his outstretched arm.

“Chonghua, was that your innate divine ability?” Xu Ziqing inquired.

Chonghua growled softly, seemingly responding.

Xu Ziqing was even more astonished as he could somehow understand the meaning behind Chonghua’s growls. It appeared that this was indeed a minor divine ability, albeit the lowest level among natural divine abilities.

Unable to contain his curiosity, Xu Ziqing asked, “Chonghua, did you just use a minor divine ability?”

Chonghua widened its eagle eyes and nodded affirmatively.

Xu Ziqing took a deep breath, his heart filled with even greater joy.

He possessed the ability to manipulate wind, indicating that his talent was related to the element of wind.

In ancient times, there existed the Golden-winged Peng bird, an ancient demonic beast known for its enormous size and the ability to traverse vast distances. Its wings resembled clouds in the sky, and its speed was as fast as thunder, allowing it to cover millions of miles in an instant! And now, Xu Ziqing discovered that his talent lay in wind manipulation, just like the Peng!

Chonghua’s father had a trace of Peng bloodline within him, and despite only training for two hundred years, his cultivation had surpa.s.sed that of his mother, Xuan Ying, who had trained for over 500 years. Xu Ziqing had initially believed that he hadn’t inherited the Peng bloodline, as he wasn’t born with a beast elixir within his body. However, it seemed that he didn’t inherit it at birth but rather had it hidden within his bloodline, waiting for the right time to manifest.

Now that Chonghua demonstrated the ability to control the wind, Xu Ziqing couldn’t help but feel hopeful.

If Chonghua continued to cultivate, would it one day awaken the Roc bloodline within its blood? If that happened, Chonghua’s potential would be limitless!

Excitement surged within Xu Ziqing’s heart, but he managed to calm himself down and stroke the eagle’s head in approval.

Chonghua let out a low cry, expressing its happiness.

After a few moments of bonding, Xu Ziqing turned his gaze towards Qingfeng and Miaoyue, who had been standing by his side since he emerged from seclusion. He spoke to them, “You two have worked hard taking care of Chonghua during my year of seclusion.”

Qingfeng and Miaoyue exchanged glances, and Qingfeng stepped forward to respectfully report, “Under the guidance of the Immortal Master, we have diligently attended to Lord Chonghua. We have followed the Immortal Master’s instructions and provided him with a spiritual elixir every other day…”

It turned out that due to Chonghua’s affection for Xu Ziqing, his master, he restrained his beastly instincts and submitted to the care of the two servant girls. Although he was greedy for the beast spirit pills, he accepted their supervision. However, he was a proud and solitary creature, and aside from Xu Ziqing, he only feared Yun Lie, paying no attention to others.

Initially, after consuming the ten beast spirit pills, Chonghua’s body became enveloped in a thick layer of demonic energy, significantly enhancing his strength. He would spend his days practicing on thick tree branches and honing his combat skills by utilizing rocks and woods in the mountains and forests. As the pills were reduced to one every two days, Chonghua’s greed gradually subsided, and he began to understand the many truths Xu Ziqing had taught him.

After consuming the ten bottles of 100 Beast Spirit Pills, half a year had pa.s.sed. During this time, Chonghua’s size increased, and he was now capable of absorbing the essence of the sun and moon on his own. Humans could cultivate by possessing heavenly spiritual roots and absorbing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, making them the most favored beings in the world. Similarly, once beasts developed spiritual intelligence, they also possessed something that the heavens admired—the ability to absorb the essence of the sun and moon.

However, not every beast knew how to absorb the essence of the sun and moon. It required an epiphany, qualifications, and a touch of understanding and opportunity amidst the vast chaos. Chonghua had never had the chance before because although he had developed spiritual intelligence, his physical body was still stronger than that of ordinary beasts. Moreover, he carried a trace of his ancient bloodline, making it even more difficult for him to establish a connection with heaven and earth.

But for beasts, the stronger their potential, the harder it becomes for them to establish that connection.

If they couldn’t establish that connection, how could they absorb the essence of heaven and earth?

That’s why Chonghua’s progress had been slow. However, during this period, with the aid of the Beast Spirit Pill, he had managed to reach that realm, albeit barely.

So for the past six months, even without the Beast Spirit Pill, Chonghua practiced under the red sun during the day and absorbed moonlight under the full moon at night. His cultivation progressed at a pace comparable to when he had the pills. It was with the help of the moonflower and other essences that Chonghua awakened a small divine talent within a short period of time—this was no accident.

Xu Ziqing listened to Qingfeng’s report with a faint smile on his face. He was rea.s.sured by Chonghua’s progress, which had far exceeded his expectations. However, he also understood that from now on, the same grade of Beast Spirit Pill would no longer be of any use to Chonghua.

But if he wanted Chonghua to be his companion for a long time, he couldn’t neglect his cultivation. With that thought in mind, Xu Ziqing turned away. It seemed that it was time to visit the fourth level of the Trading Hall.

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• 1
  

  Sorry, I had translated the blood demon’s stage wrongly before. I’ve revised it.

  
  

  The stages are Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, Golden Core Formation, Golden Core Stage, and so on. 

  
  

• 2This means: different situations call for different actions / to adopt measures appropriate to the actual situation. Metaphorically, no matter what method the other party uses, there is always a corresponding way to deal with it. Having made up his mind, Xu Ziqing felt as if his Daoist heart had been polished once again, resulting in a serene and transparent state of mind.