The Science of Cultivation [Xianxia]

Chapter 117: Stepping Back

All three artifact spirits were taken aback by Ruby’s demand. They stood still in shock for several moments before Green recovered. He spoke with indignation.

“We swore not to take another master! You can’t be seriously asking us to submit to this Energy Gathering realm br—”

“Silence!” Blue chastised her companion in green robes. “I apologize for his tone, but he isn’t entirely incorrect. Your master’s cultivation is too low to be able to control us.”

“Nonsense! Are you saying my master is unworthy of you? As far as I know, once you take him as your master, you’ll be able to absorb the energies from the outside world. It’ll solve your so-called crisis. It’s a win-win deal.”

“Umm, but he won’t be able to make use of us,” Orange nervously stated, getting quieter the more he spoke.

“That is but a temporary matter. My master will surely soar to great heights in due time. It is your fortune to be able to serve him.”

Ruby’s proud boasting had left the three lesser spirits to be speechless. They didn’t know how to refute the request. Even Li Lang didn’t dare intervene. He knew too little regarding how artifact spirits operated. He didn’t know if what Ruby said was true. If it really solved the three spirit’s predicament and also gained him a powerful artifact, it was in his best interest to let things continue their course.

“That…request is a little sudden for us,” Blue finally broke her silence. “While the three of us did decide not to take another master, we also vowed to our previous master that we would continue to pass on his sect’s legacy. Please give us some time to think it through.”

“How dare—”

“Ruby!” Li Lang interjected. “It’s fine. Give them some time.”

“If you say so, Master.”

Li Lang exchanged nods with Blue.

“From what you guys told me, I’m not the one in a hurry here. You know where to find me.”

“Of course. I’ll bring you back for now.”

At her words, Blue flicked her sleeve, obscuring Li Lang’s vision. In the blink of an eye, Li Lang found himself back in his room. Ruby was still in his hand, along with the hat it was in.

“Master, you didn’t need to be that nice to them, you know? They were in the wrong. We could’ve gotten them to submit to you right there and then.”

“Ruby, I understand you’re doing it for my good, but there’s no point in forcing others to submit. From my… limited experience, it’s never a good idea to force people to work for you. Give them some time first. If they don’t come around, you can be more forceful.”

Having awoken from the possibility of owning this pocket realm, Li Lang could barely contain himself. It wasn’t because of the prospect of owning a powerful artifact. It was more due to all the knowledge that came along with it!

It was obvious The Great Trial of Water Crest had a large repository of cultivation-related texts. Li Lang could only drool at all the possibilities that could unlock for him. That was why he was open to the idea of getting the spirits to submit to him even under duress. However, he knew forcing others was a suboptimal method, so he would allow them some time first as it wasn’t an urgent matter for him.

Having thought of all the new things he could learn, he quickly directed his attention to the new manual he received. Passing the fourth round of the brushweaving trial had rewarded him with the Elemental Condensing Brush technique.

He had only skimmed it for its capabilities, so he was eager to dive into it. As he perused through the texts, his mind continuously contemplated how its contents could assist him in the fifth round.

While he hadn’t attempted it, Li Lang memorized what the fifth round required. It asked him to enchant a peak Mortal-grade artifact with three runes. It made him wonder if it really was a task that was much harder than the last.

This pocket realm should be quite dated, from a completely different age. Several ‘lost’ techniques given as rewards confirm this.

Li Lang suspected the standards had changed over the years. Three rune inscriptions may have been common for Energy Gatherers living in the previous age. They may have still used various plants and Qi beast-based inks that allowed them to do what Li Lang had done. Otherwise, it would have been quite strict of them to put a task meant for Foundation Establishment cultivators as early as the fourth trial.

Nevertheless, it didn’t change the task Li Lang needed to accomplish to pass the next round. It would take some time for Li Lang to learn more about enchantment, but he was eager to do so. Yi Lin hadn’t gone over the details on how to enchant yet, so it likely wasn’t a short process. It was also due to enchanting not being something expected of an apprentice.

Every artifact was valuable. The lowest among them were at the peak of Mortal-grade. It would be foolish to entrust these valuable assets to the hands of an apprentice.

While Li Lang waited for the three artifact spirits to deliberate, he resumed his usual routine. He cultivated and honed all his techniques every day, then went to socialize with his group. He never said anything about the spirits, as it wasn’t a done deal yet. Plus, he couldn’t explain how he managed the feat of possibly subduing the pocket realm without revealing Ruby.

Instead, he focused on asking Long Yi about his experience of breaking through to the seventh stage of the Energy Gathering realm. There was a huge divide from the sixth to the seventh stage. From the seventh stage onward, you would truly become one of the top experts among mortals. Along with it came the power to manipulate your Qi from range.

With Long Yi having grade three aptitude, his experiences may not be compatible with Li Lang, but he still had to ask. Even if the path he had to take was different, the end goal was the same.

“So you’re saying once your body cultivation slowed, you began feeling your Qi staying connected with you from a small distance? Perhaps it’s because you had a lot of practice with your Terra Moon Slash technique. I should practice my ranged techniques more. ” Li Lang placed a hand on his chin and pondered.

“Yeah, it just happened. Then I simply needed to hold on to that feeling and tried to consciously extend that range.”

Li Lang asked Long Yi again and again, day after day. It was because Long Yi was the only person who cultivated in the orthodox way like he did. Combined with his higher aptitude, he was able to provide Li Lang with a lot of food for thought.

Interviewing one person isn’t enough. Just his experience may be able to help me get through this small bottleneck, but when it comes time to challenge Foundation Establishment, I don’t feel confident at all.

I have to get more information from various sources to help me unravel the future stages of cultivation. But the only people who practice orthodox cultivation methods are us three and those from the Peerless Gate. Maybe I should venture back into the righteous sect’s territories at some point…

Other than exploring how to continue progressing with his cultivation, Li Lang spent his spare time investigating all the previous phenomena he wanted to test. There were things he could get help from the demonic cultivators around him.

The major one was the nature of spiritual roots. It had a direct correlation to one’s aptitude. While Li Lang had conquered some of the weaknesses of his low talent with the Cleansing Drug, that only mattered for the Energy Gathering realm. In a way, he solved a symptom, not the root cause.

He still remembered the conversations he had with Elder Cao Mei about the various realms of cultivation. She had patiently explained to him various tidbits of knowledge in order to placate Li Lang into becoming a full-time alchemist for her sect.

These conversations included how aptitude affected a cultivator when they were in the Foundation Establishment realm. While she hadn’t been that detailed in her explanations, it was enough for Li Lang to know that those of a higher aptitude could cultivate and recover their Qi faster.

In the Foundation Establishment realm, one would no longer suffer from Qi overdose. They were no longer mortal and could cultivate all day. The main issue they would face then was to find enough energy for them to absorb, and their comprehension of the world. The ambient Qi in the air would take far too long to satisfy their needs. This was the stage when they often consumed Qi stones to progress quickly.

Li Lang suspected all these things were also related to the number of one’s spiritual roots. That was why he wanted to find a way to maybe attain more of them. Perhaps it could be transplanted or grown. He didn’t know, but he did want to find out.

The first step to that was to start asking around. There were numerous cultivators around, and if his companions weren’t enough, he could start asking the others within the pocket realm.

The only worry was his trial points. That was exactly why he reached out to the three artifact spirits once he had everything else in order.

“Blue, can you hear me?” Li Lang muttered to himself in his room.

As he suspected, he immediately got a response. Blue lights flooded in from somewhere before forming into a girl.

“Yes, what is it?”

“You guys are still thinking about our proposal, right?”

“...That’s correct. Please allow us some more time.”

“It’s okay. I’m not here to rush you.”

“Then how can I help you?”

“I wanted to ask if you could stop my trial points from decreasing if I stop my current training.”

“Why would you—” Blue gulped dramatically while directing a cautious glance at Li Lang’s hat. “Nevermind. Your request is reasonable, considering we’re the ones making you wait. I accept.”

He grinned upon having earned the time to perform his research on other topics and was eager to jump straight into it. He planned to start his interviews with his companions first, before approaching the other cultivators within the realm as he needed.

He was determined to make use of this opportunity where cultivators gathered and had access to speak with them. Thinking up to that point, Li Lang realized he needed something to incentivize his helpers. While his acquaintances may agree to assist him, he couldn’t say the same for the others.

“Blue, can you do one more thing for me as well?”