The Science of Cultivation

Wei Ping only had to spend a little bit of effort to placate his guest, Wang Xiuying, before the group of young Foundation Establishment cultivators began to be drawn into the conversations around them. After all, there wasn’t a whole lot to talk about since he had already gone over his experiences during his travels. Li Lang and Long Yi had heard of the mysterious expert who taught Wei Ping the Lingering Impact Technique, so they were somewhat familiar with the girl’s background.

At the same time, the trio simply couldn’t ignore the others who were approaching them. The people who had reached their level were all talented or carefully trained by the faction they hailed from. They were all proactive people who took advantage of the opportunity afforded to them.

“Congratulations, you two, for surviving the first round. My name is Feng Qingsong. I couldn’t help but come greet you, seeing how young you two are.”

Li Lang carefully regarded the newcomer, a man with an unremarkable appearance, sporting a boring gray robe. The only distinctive feature was his prim and proper demeanor, but it could easily be just an act.

“Oh, so Senior Feng can tell our age at a glance? How impressive.”

“No need to call me Senior. It makes me feel old,” the man replied with a grin as he shook his head lightly. “And it wasn’t me who took notice of you at first. My master and seniors, who were spectating in the stands, relayed to me about your remarkable performances.”

Li Lang stole a glance at the stands surrounding the platforms they stood on, fighting a frown off his face. Just as he was about to dig further into the motives of the newcomer who approached them, Long Yi suddenly jumped up onto the platform, wrapping an arm around his shoulders, and joined the conversation.

“Your master and seniors have good eyes! My companions sure outdid themselves, but I’d love to hear more about their experiences in that desert. How did you figure out the Qi beasts in there were sensitive to Qi?”

Li Lang wanted to ignore the question, but when he looked up, he found more unfamiliar faces gathering around him, eager to hear what he had to say. He immediately had a premonition that if he stayed silent, more people would pester him, and it would show to the world he had something to hide. Having people look into him was the last thing he wanted.

“I didn’t know. It was dumb luck, I guess? I was testing the effectiveness of my techniques, and didn’t see the need to change up my approach.”

“No need to be so humble,” Feng Qingsong said with a grin. “A cultivator’s instinct is just as valuable as intricate Qi arts. I say you must’ve instinctively averted using more powerful Qi techniques, seeing how you remained in the formation without doing so for the entire first round.”

What instinct? If I knew releasing my Qi would attract more test subjects, then I would’ve done so! That way I wouldn’t have had to run around so desperately to find more Qi beasts!

“Maybe you’re right,” Li Lang weakly muttered. “But from my perspective, it seemed more like dumb luck.”

The young man had hoped his dull answer would cause the curious onlookers to lose interest, but it only acted as a signal to them that he was open to answering questions. Immediately, several others got closer and fired off more inquiries.

“My senior told me you employed some type of poison! From what I heard, it has a pretty decent direct effect, too. I thought most poisons were to drain their target of their energy. Can you tell me more about it? If you’re willing, I definitely would like to procure some.”

The sound of chatter filled the venue. It wasn’t just coming from the area around Li Lang, though. Every participant in the Dark Sea Arena was conversing among themselves. A majority of them focused on topics related to martial and Qi arts, but the occasional talks about alchemy or other crafts didn’t escape Li Lang’s ears.

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While fending off some of the more intrusive questions, Li Lang made his way toward the ones that piqued his interest. It was his way of escaping from the questioning while sating his own curiosity. He completely left his companions behind as he waded through the crowd. Just from eavesdropping on the surrounding conversations, he learned a lot of details and cleared up some misgivings he had until now.

This text was taken from Royal Road. Help the author by reading the original version there.

When he had passed by a group of three discussing the art of formations, he heard them appreciating the intricacies of the one used to simulate the desert realm. He confirmed that the desert really was an illusionary realm, but the Qi beasts were real. It was just that their appearance was transformed by the Formation Master’s illusions, so their ability to harm the cultivators was very real. It was just that the Formation Master would bring them out of the formation if things got too dangerous.

Li Lang wasn’t exactly sure how it was possible to edit just the appearance of those Qi beasts he encountered, considering how real the scorpions were. Their weight distributions, the way they moved, and their attacks all matched up with what he saw. He surmised the Formation Master must’ve had complete control over these Qi beasts in order for it to be possible.

It also created a problem for him. The data he recorded was based on his visual observations. Now that he discovered it wasn’t reliable, his data became invalid. Perhaps it didn’t change the fact his poisons still worked, but the dosage, recovery time, and other details were no longer accurate.

Thankfully, I have the Crucible. I’ll have to run more tests with the Qi beasts in there when I get the time.

Rearranging the priority of his work list, Li Lang found a group discussing the art of alchemy. He threw himself into their conversation with zeal and eagerly agreed to attend their little gathering taking place later in the day. He then moved on to discussions about the other crafts and made similar promises.

For many of these cultivators, it wouldn’t be surprising to discuss the finer details of their crafts or techniques for a whole day or two. There was only so much they could discuss while standing on the barren platform. Many of them naturally decided to move the venue of their discussion to a restaurant back in the city, where they could sit comfortably and leisurely chat while snacking on some refreshments.

That was how Li Lang spent the remainder of the entire day.

Meanwhile, Wei Ping split off with Wang Xiuying not long after the discussions around them started to die down. With Li Lang rushing back into the city to continue picking his fellow craftsmen’s brains, Wei Ping was eager to greet his Senior Brother.

“Senior Wang, i-it’s been some time,” the young man wearing the wooden mask greeted.

The middle-aged man nodded cheerfully upon inspecting Wei Ping. He looked genuinely happy about the progress his Junior Brother had made in his time of absence. He stroked his chin and casually responded with a powerful voice.

“For me, it only feels like it’s been a day since I last spoke to you. Perhaps it’s because I’m getting old. Anyway, I’m happy to see you have realized your potential. I knew you could do it.”

For those who knew him, they would definitely squint an eye at their conversation if they heard the man speaking so straightforwardly. That was because Wei Ping’s Senior Brother wasn’t just anyone, but one of the Eight Demon Pillars! His title was the Whispering Half Saint. As his moniker implied, he often spoke with a soft voice in public, as if he was whispering. The only time that wasn’t true was when he was speaking with his close acquaintances, which caused the onlookers to wonder who the masked individual was.

“It’s only be-because of you and Master’s guidance. Speaking of, will Master be c-coming to Sword Saint Isle?”

“Ha, that old fogey? He’s probably still begging on the streets right now. Did you need him for something?”

A few passersby listening in began gossiping among themselves. Speaking so rudely of one’s master was frowned upon, but the man before Wei Ping didn’t seem to care.

“Y-Yes. Now that I’ve b-broken through, I wanted to ask if he would teach me t-the second chapter.”

“Right, right. Now that you’ve reached the Foundation Establishment Realm, you’d like to practice more potent techniques befitting your new powers, of course. I’d be happy to share, but I’d recommend only practicing the second chapter with the old man around. The second chapter isn’t a cultivation technique, as you know. It’s a Qi art and a volatile one at that. Depending on the Earth-grade cultivation technique you practice, you’ll have to modify it carefully. The old man will be able to guide you safely and help you adapt to it. Unfortunately, I don’t think I’m qualified for this job yet.”

Wei Ping nodded. He had seen how powerful the second chapter of the Lingering Impact Technique was from his Senior Brother before. And just earlier in the day, he had witnessed his niece disciple’s power as well, even though it paled in comparison to the man before him.

He could still remember watching his senior train at his estate. His Qi arts freely flowed around, weaving through obstacles with ease. However, when it hit its targets, the power it exploded with left a lasting impression. He was determined to replicate such power and make it his own.

“I-I understand. I’ll go visit him a-after this is over, then.”