Chapter 31

Chapter 31

Cultivation Through Copulation.

Episode 31: Crossed Time

How many ways are there for a cultivator at the Qi Condensation stage to advance to the Foundation Establishment stage?

According to what Yuk-gyeong had read in novels, there were three methods in total.

One method involved reaching the Foundation Establishment stage through a special ritual that forcibly invoked a heavenly tribulation at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage. This was called the Method of the Heavens, a way to break through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment using the power of the heavens.

Another method was to reach the Foundation Establishment stage using a Foundation Pill. This was called the Method of the Earth, a way to break through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment by borrowing the power of alchemy.

The last method was to reach the Foundation Establishment stage in one leap through enlightenment at the peak of the Qi Condensation stage. This was called the Method of Man, a way to break through from Qi Condensation to Foundation Establishment entirely by one’s own strength.

The above three methods were categorized into the grades of Heaven, Earth, and Man due to their differences in approach, not because of any hierarchical relationship.

In practice, reaching the Foundation Establishment stage by any method resulted in similar power levels. It wasn’t that the Method of Heaven was better or the Method of Man was worse.

However, in terms of risk, the Method of Heaven was the most dangerous, followed by the Method of Earth, and the Method of Man was the least risky.

The danger of Heavenly tribulation was self-explanatory, and the Earthly method was risky because the potency of the pill could be too strong, potentially acting as poison. The Human method was less risky, though it took longer and carried the danger of inner demons.

“So, I can choose between the Heavenly breakthrough or the Human breakthrough to reach Foundation Establishment. I think I’ll aim for the Human breakthrough. After all, the human breakthrough is beneficial for reaching Core Formation. Gaining enlightenment from Heavenly tribulation would only be beneficial much later, so isn’t it better to choose what’s advantageous for Core Formation now?”

The outer disciple who spoke as if he had mastered Foundation Establishment, Cho Ryoo-ha, was sixteen years old this year and was the one who first guided Yuk-gyeong at the Medicine Hall.

It turned out that he was just above Yuk-gyeong, so there wasn’t much difference in rank.

In a way, he was a senior.

In the past, Senior Cho had been an impressive senior who treated Yuk-gyeong kindly.

Now?

A talkative senior. Nothing more, nothing less. Working together at the Medicine Hall, they became quite friendly?

“That’s right. It’s good to achieve any Foundation Establishment.”

Yuk-gyeong casually listened to Ryoo-ha’s words while organizing dried herbs.

There were more tasks to do as a medicine attendant than expected.

Growing, managing, harvesting, drying, steaming, and boiling herbs… The tasks were overwhelming for the meager contribution points given.

However, compared to disciples of other halls, the Medicine Hall had the merit of allowing them to rest after their assigned tasks are completed.

In the Technique Hall, when a new technique manual comes in, interpreting, annotating, and verifying it for issues were brain and body-breaking tasks. Although the Sect didn’t overwork its disciples, it was inevitably challenging.

In the Inner Treasury Hall, which handled the Sect’s finances, and the Discipline Hall, which set the Sect’s rules, the workload was equally intense.

Their tasks involved working overtime regularly, and it was said that they were given separate training time.

The Medicine Hall didn’t have such issues, allowing the disciples to freely choose when they train.

Moreover, the Medicine Hall had many static tasks like organizing herbs, so there was no burden.

If you could secretly siphon off herbs to earn contribution points, there was no better cushy position. Hence, the demand for medicine attendants was quite high.

Even so, no one wanted to work as a medicine attendant under the picky and difficult Elder Bu.

Anyway,

the job was so static that many medicine attendants had excess energy, leading them to become chatterboxes.

Just like Senior Brother Cho, who was chattering right next to me.

He had so much to say that his mouth never stopped moving.

“Junior Brother, oh, did you really say it’s okay to call you junior brother? You’re at Qi Condensation 8-Star and decided not to act like a senior brother, right?”

Strictly speaking, Ryoo-ha was at Qi Condensation 5-star, and Yuk-gyeong was at 8-Star, so it was correct for Yuk-gyeong to be the senior brother.

In this harsh xianxia world, cultivation level was the ultimate authority.

It was only natural for Yuk-gyeong, who reached Qi Condensation 8-Star, to be considered a senior brother.

But such a chaotic hierarchy? Yesterday a senior, today a junior? Would the traditional sects just stand by and watch?

Of course, even traditional sects acknowledged this chaotic hierarchy to cultivate ambition and respect for higher cultivation levels among disciples.

However, traditional sects handled it with decorum, allowing the two to get along comfortably when one advanced to a senior-like level.

In other words, they encouraged flexibility.

If you adhere strictly to the hierarchy, sure, you’re a senior, but who knows what tomorrow holds? You could end up in a mess maintaining such a chaotic hierarchy, they would say.

“Yes, of course.”

Yuk-gyeong was cool about such matters.

What did it matter whether he was a senior or junior?

Once Yuk-gyeong reaches Foundation Establishment 1-Star and becomes an inner disciple, the hierarchy would naturally sort itself out.

How dare an outer disciple talk down to an inner disciple? Are you out of your mind? I’m letting it slide now for your enjoyment, but this is how it’s going to be.

Therefore, Senior Brother Cho casually called Yuk-gyeong his junior brother, and Yuk-gyeong referred to Cho Ryoo-ha as senior brother.

Moreover, it’s adorable how the young one enjoys being called senior brother. Though listening to the kid chatter endlessly like a child can be quite tiring.

Yuk-gyeong hastily organized the dried herbs and stood up abruptly. It wasn’t because he was tired of Senior Brother Cho’s words.

“Senior Brother, I need to go out today, so I’ll leave the rest to you.”

“Oh? Alright, sure. Have a good trip. I’ll finish up here.”

Senior Brother Cho nodded at Yuk-gyeong’s words.

Today was a day for a brief outing.

Yuk-gyeong leisurely descended from Grass Dragon Peak, where the Medicine Hall was located, and headed to the mountain gate. At the gate, he completed a simple procedure to obtain a pass and stepped outside.

He had applied for it a few days ago, so there were no obstacles.

Thus, Yuk-gyeong left Dark Moon Sect.

As Yuk-gyeong was leaving the mountain gate, a disciple with long hair tied back, who was on duty, asked the disciple who handed Yuk-gyeong the pass.

“An outing request? Who is it?”

The on-duty disciple, always wearing a nonchalant expression, replied tersely with tired eyes.

“I don’t know. There are so many disciples here, it’s impossible to remember them all.”

Then, a freckled-faced disciple on duty with him retorted.

“Isn’t that the guy known as the Single Spiritual Root holder? How can you not remember him?”

The long-haired disciple in blue robes clapped his hands as if remembering.

“Oh, Single Spiritual Root owner Lee Yuk-gyeong? He’s supposed to be a complete waste, right? They say his cultivation and comprehension are nonexistent for someone with such a legendary title.”

“Who said that?”

“I don’t know. The disciples were saying it. I think it was some senior brother?”

A freckled-faced disciple snorted, dismissing it as nonsense.

“He won the Qi Condensation martial arts competition, and he’s considered useless? They say he’s at Qi Condensation 8-Star after just a week of cultivation. How is he useless? If anything, he’s a genius.”

The long-haired disciple in blue shrugged nonchalantly and replied.

“I don’t know either. It’s just something I heard. There’s a lot of talk lately about how too many resources are being allocated to this Single Spiritual Root owner.”

“Well, it’s natural for Single Spiritual Root owners to receive more resources. Think about how many resources were allocated to the Two Spiritual Root owner of the Jang family.”

The freckled disciple argued that the resource distribution to Yuk-gyeong was justified, to which the long-haired disciple responded defensively.

“The Jang family is different. They’ve contributed significantly to the Sect. It doesn’t make sense to allocate so many resources to a disciple of unknown origin.”

The freckled disciple inwardly snorted, thinking,

‘Hmph, aren’t you praising him too much just because he’s backed by the Jang family?’

Qi Condensation-stage cultivators were only permitted to go as far as to the cultivation city of Manho. Holding a permit that restricted him to Manho, Yuk-gyeong couldn’t leave its boundaries.

Leaving the permit outside would also violate the Sect’s regulations. If caught later, it would lead to immediate disciplinary action.

But it was fine. Yuk-gyeong’s destination was within Manho.

Yuk-gyeong strolled through Manho, his sleeves fluttering.

Seeing the men working by the lake and the bustling people in the streets of Manho, Yuk-gyeong felt a deep sense of nostalgia.

When I first came to Manho, I was just a country bumpkin, but now I’m a respectable cultivator.

However, the mundane world wasn’t as pleasant as I thought.

The foul Qi generated by ordinary people affected Yuk-gyeong’s sensitive senses.

‘It’s like smelling food waste. After being in a pure sect and coming down to a world full of foul Qi, I’ve realized how repulsive it is.’

Ordinary people can’t sense this foul Qi. They live here without realizing the foul Qi accumulating in their bodies or the foul Qi they emit. Only martial artists know they must expel this foul Qi from their bodies.

Only cultivators are sensitive to the foul Qi of ordinary people and avoid it.

That’s why cultivators rarely involve themselves with the mundane world.

No one wants to deal with food waste if they don’t have to.

Yet, since cultivators are also human, they can’t completely sever ties with the mundane world, so there are those who manage the “food waste”, usually employed as external stewards.

Cultivators, unless at a very high level, still need to eat and wear clothes.

In any case, the mundane world is a troublesome place for cultivators to get involved with.

Occasionally, there are cultivators who live ostentatiously in the mundane world, pretending to be immortals, but they have peculiar tastes, living as if rolling in a trash bin. They don’t care about foul Qi.

Yuk-gyeong quickly left the crowded eastern part of Manho and headed west.

Mountains surrounded Manho like a folding screen, and the western side was particularly rugged with many rocky mountains.

Hardly anyone ventured into the western mountain range where Yuk-gyeong was heading.

Only those like the people walking earnestly ahead of Yuk-gyeong, grasping at straws for cultivation, headed west.

In front of Yuk-gyeong, the two people heading towards the western mountains chatted quietly.

“Is it true that if we wait here, we can take an immortal as our master?”

“But you must stay quiet. And you shouldn’t stay too long. If the immortal gets angry, you’ll be kicked out immediately. Also, be careful, there are often Demonic cultivators around here who don’t value human life.”

“Gasp! We must value our lives. Let’s hurry down. Why didn’t you say that earlier?”

“Hmph, did you come here without that kind of resolve? Even if I die, I will become an immortal.”

“Ha, you’re willing to gamble with your life. You only have one life. I’m heading down first.”

Eventually, one of them turned back and descended the mountain.

Then, seeing Yuk-gyeong following up,

“Heh, did you come here to meet the immortal too? Your life might be at risk, so go down! You look young, but you seem fearless.”

Yuk-gyeong looked at the man with a puzzled expression. Whether Yuk-gyeong went down or not, the man hurriedly descended the mountain.

“Myriad Blood Mountain…! I will definitely take the immortal as my master!”

Yuk-gyeong’s destination, known as Myriad Blood Mountain, was a mountain full of caves located west of Manho.

Myriad Blood Mountain is said to be the place where a cultivator named Grandmaster Wondong attained enlightenment and reached the Nascent Soul stage. This attracted many cultivators hoping to ascend to the Nascent Soul stage, resulting in the mountain being riddled with holes like a mouse-chewed cheese.

So many caves were dug out that it wouldn’t be surprising if the mountain collapsed at this rate, which led the Manho cultivation world to jointly manage the mountain.

The digging of more caves was prohibited, only those that had already been excavated could be rented out for training by paying with Spirit Stones.

Originally, the Myriad Blood Mountain was a freely accessible area, so there was no restriction on entering or leaving.

However, the caves were strictly managed.

Entry? Okay. Anyone could enter. Whether you’re an Orthodox cultivator or a Demonic one, it didn’t matter.

Just the digging of new caves was forbidden.

Other than that, they didn’t care about what happened within the Myriad Blood Mountain.

It was a very simple rule.

Thus, Myriad Blood Mountain came to be known by a certain name…

The name was Irresponsible Training Cave.

Indeed, there was no one guarding Myriad Blood Mountain. However, what stood out were the strange mechanisms installed at the entrances of the many caves dug into the mountain.

Those were the guardian of Myriad Blood Mountain’s training cave, the entry mechanisms.

The operating principle was simple.

Insert the appropriate amount of Spirit Stones, and the door opens.

To Yuk-gyeong, it felt like an automatic door system similar to European bathrooms that open when you insert money.

Yuk-gyeong recalled.

So, it was definitely around here.

They definitely said it was here.

Yuk-gyeong was looking for a cave that hadn’t been used for a long time, with a poorly managed entrance.

The fortuitous encounter the protagonist had while wandering through Manho’s training cave was here. The protagonist, lacking money and Spirit Stones, entered a rather poor quality cave and gained a fortuitous encounter.

Perhaps that’s what makes him the protagonist. Even while wandering around in rags due to lack of money, the fortuitous encounters found him.

Yuk-gyeong took out a Spirit Stone from his spatial pouch and inserted it into the slot designated for the Spirit Stone.

Clatter!

The mechanism operated by the Spirit Stone received it and clunk! opened the entrance to the cave.

The cave Yuk-gyeong was looking for, which hadn’t been used for a long time and was poorly managed, was naturally located in an area with sparse Spiritual Qi.

Thanks to that, Yuk-gyeong was able to open the cave at a low cost.

‘Not here. Ugh, dust. Can’t they clean up a bit?

‘Not here either. What’s that? A porn magazine? Should I take one as a souvenir?

’Not here either? Why is there so much trash? They turned this place into a complete dump before leaving.

‘Not here either. At least this place was used cleanly.’

Yuk-gyeong opened the neglected caves as if he was scattering Spirit Stones.

The only part where Yuk-gyeong felt valued in the Sect was when resources were allocated to him. He always had an abundance of Spirit Stones, and there were more than enough Spiritual Pills and Spiritual Herbs to devour.

Even after scattering his Spirit Stones to open the caves, it barely made a dent in Yuk-gyeong’s pocket.

In a way, it’s like the higher-ups don’t really care, but the salary is hefty.

Yuk-gyeong was in an ambiguous state, being both pleased and displeased with his position in the Sect.

If one were to have a Singular Spiritual Root, the Sect would naturally prioritize them.

It’s like, except for Elder Bu, no one seems to care about him right now.

Sigh, was it a mistake to have joined the Dark Moon Sect, or are all sects like this?

In novels, they didn’t treat Single Spiritual Root owners like this. Single Spiritual Root owners were clearly classified as a core disciple and were nurtured well.

But if I only look at my own situation, it’s not like people just ignored me, and I’m growing well, so it’s hard to complain.

I just can’t tell.

If only this Sect didn’t pay me so well, I’d leave immediately, but the monthly Spirit Stones and Spiritual pills are too sweet.

Should I stay just one more month before running away? Or just until next month? It makes me keep pondering like this.

There’s also the part where I’m hesitating because there’s no guarantee that I would be able to successfully run away.

Anyway.

Yuk-gyeong mechanically inserted the Spirit Stones and repeatedly opened the caves.

Yuk-gyeong’s actions continued until dusk, and he repeatedly inserted Spirit Stones so much that his arms were sore.

Of course, it didn’t affect Yuk-gyeong’s finances at all.

Yuk-gyeong grumbled.

‘How lucky is the protagonist that he opens a cave and an opportunity is waiting for him? I’m doing this all day even though I know about it. Ugh, my arm hurts.’

Found it!

It was here!

Yuk-gyeong only searched through the caves that weren’t completely organized, and since he couldn’t find it no matter how much he searched, he just went into a somewhat disorganized cave.

But then a jackpot was hit here.

What he was looking for was right here!

“The Pure Land Incantation Technique! You were here! How long have I been looking!”

The ‘Pure Land Incantation Technique’ is a book on barrier techniques.

When the protagonist Yong-heon found it, it was said to be so old that it crumbled after one reading.

But… Why does it look so new? This is a new book, right? The owner of this cave doesn’t seem to have left that long ago…

Is something off?

Why was it an old book when Yong-heon got it, but a new book when I see it?

What does this mean?

How are his time and my time intertwined?