This Young Master is not Cannon Fodder

Chapter 57: Coincidence?

Sole Yin, Eight Trigrams Yang Core Revolution Formation

Spacetime Martial Cultivation Method

Lotus Ascension Soul Art

Cultivating three different paths should have hindered Tianyi’s progress, instead he became a tiger that grew wings. Each of the three cultivation methods complemented one another and filled up the deficiencies in the other.

It was as if the three were actually three parts of a singular whole. My understanding of chaos is increasing at a frightening rate, it includes the aspect of spacetime and soul. It feels like the connection between the three is murky and unclear, but I can sense an intricate link between these three concepts.

Previous flaws he hadn’t seen in his spacetime martial cultivation method became glaring, even the Sole Yin, Eight Trigrams Yang Core Revolution Formation perfected by his mother using formations was imperfect. Tianyi realized that the formation using the principles of Yin and Yang was unnecessary.

Even the Lotus Ascension Soul Art seemed to have flaws. There wasn’t anything Tianyi could base it on except his gut feeling. He was currently focusing on strengthening his soul using the Lotus Ascension Soul Art. Soul cultivation only truly began in the Nascent Soul realm, at this time Tianyi was increasing the foundation for his soul.

With the rise of his mastery of the Lotus Ascension Soul Art, his instincts and comprehension with his other two cultivation methods increased. After several modifications to his cultivation methods, his complexion became better than before. At the rate Tianyi was improving, he might fully recover without needing his mother’s aid in perfecting his cultivation methods.

I have a feeling that without me purposely doing anything, these three cultivation methods will be able to merge perfectly. Is it because all three of them originated from the Ten Heavenly Scriptures? But that isn’t right either. Perhaps all the Ten Heavenly Scripture all lead to the singular Dao? All Daos are linked so that wouldn’t be strange.

Before when I trained in spacetime techniques or read about soul techniques, my comprehension of them wasn’t as good as me comprehending the Heavenly Scriptures. My comprehension of the Heavenly Scripture is abnormal. The Sect Master said that cultivating the Heavenly Scriptures carried great risk, yet the time since now I have not felt it at all.

…if you discount the over-accumulation of qi threatening to explode me that is.

And now that I practically cultivate three different types of Heavenly Scriptures, I still feel no different, instead it feels completely natural as if I was born to cultivate the Heavenly Scriptures. The only thing that I can think of that would explain this is the Three Pure True Self Visualization Technique. But the more I think about it, the more it doesn’t seem to be a simple visualization technique any more.

Tianyi had already seen the changes in the three figures within his inner world. First was the emperor, second was the nine celestial bodies corresponding to his Spiritual Cores, and finally the third blurry figure changed into a pure white lotus.

All three figures changed because of the Heavenly Scriptures. When he attained the Primordial Heavenly Scripture, the emperor was formed. After learning the Spring Autumn Scripture, an attempt to merge the Spatial and Timeless Heavenly Scriptures, the nine celestial bodies were created.

And now, after learning the Lotus Ascension Soul Art, a method derived from the Soulheart Heavenly Scripture, his third figure had formed into a white lotus.

If there was no connection between the Three Pure True Self Visualization Technique and the Ten Heavenly Scriptures, then this would have been too much of a coincidence.

Thinking back after he left the Immortal Court and returned from the void, he just happened to reenter near Tianwei Island where the Spring Autumn Scripture was at. And when he returned to the sect, he happened to chance upon the Lotus Ascension Soul Art. Although the Sect Master didn’t outright say it, Tianyi felt that the Lotus Ascension Soul Art had been placed there specifically for him.

Tianyi felt that every action he took was already predetermined by another individual. His fate was in another person’s hand. And no matter what he did, he would be like Sun Wukong, never being able to escape Buddha’s palm. He was unsure if that invisible hand that guided him was a good thing or not. On the surface it benefited Tianyi as his strength was incomparable in the same realm. He felt that he was invincible under the Nascent Soul realm, and undeafetable under the Unity realm.

At the very least, Tianyi was benefiting immensely right now. Even if there was an invisible hand, he could do nothing right now. In the end it came down to the same issue, Tianyi was simply too weak.

Tianyi released a stale breath as he stopped cultivating. His spiritual and martial cultivation didn’t improve much, but his soul became much stronger than before. Walking out of his room, he allowed himself to bask under the sun’s light. Although the pressure of exploding because of his own cultivation disappeared, an even greater web and invisible chains seemed to have appeared and tightened around him even more.

Suddenly the sky darkened, and several bolts of tribulation lightning struck Tianyi without mercy.

“Of course, if the tribulation lightning will stop appearing out of nowhere to hit me, that would be great…” Tianyi said aloud.

Tianyi heard a sweet laughter and saw his junior sister Daoyi walking towards him. “It doesn’t feel like Jade Peak Palace without the constant lightning.”

Tianyi became speechless at his junior sister’s words. Did she become so used to lightning that unless she heard it, it would feel weird? “Junior sister, it is very inconvenient for I, your senior brother. Yet you’re laughing at me.”

Daoyi’s smile didn’t slip at all. “I heard that only after you become an immortal will the Heavenly Dao stop sending tribulation down. Isn’t this the best motivation to become an immortal?”

Tianyi felt his lips twitch. This kind of motivation, who would want? “Junior sister, why don’t you try?”

“Unfortunately, I don’t have senior brother’s luck and can only self motivate myself.” Daoyi rejected. “Senior brother why don’t you cultivate back on the Jade Lotus Clear Pond? It should at least help.”

Tianyi shook his head. “At this moment, the help of the Jade Lotus Clear Pond is negligible to me. To the current me, whether I cultivate on it or not, there is not much difference.”

“Then how about inviting brother Ri to cultivate in it?” Daoyi asked.

Tianyi blinked, the thought hadn’t occurred to him at all. “I hadn’t thought of that. I didn’t expect your relationship with older cousin Ri to be so good that you would ask for him.”

“My relationship with him is just friends. But senior brother, aside from a few elders, the only people near your age you talk to are brother Ri and me.” Daoyi didn’t consider Xia Yushan because despite his youth appearance, he was already a middle-aged man in her eyes.

Is she calling me a near friendless person? Thinking about it… I can’t really deny that the number of people I talk to are too few.

“Once brother Ri finishes rebuilding his foundation base, then we can all work on the formation messenger together.” Daoyi said.

“Formation messenger?” Tianyi said and then recalled the project that Xi Ri was working on. “Formation messenger sounds like a mouthful and isn’t easy to intuitive at all. How about…-”

Tianyi paused. He wanted to say cell phone, but there was no such concept in the cultivation world at all.

“-anyways that name won’t be used. Besides bothering my older cousin Ri and I know formations. How can you help us?”

“I can make music. The formation messenger would ring when a new message appears or when someone on the other side wants to talk through voice transmission.” Tianyi paused, indeed, she could make the ringtones. “And I can cheer you two on!”

Tianyi felt the edge of his lips quirked upwards. His junior sister was very invested in Xi Ri’s project. “Alright, I’ll send a message to older cousin Ri. If he accepts and finishes rebuilding his cultivation base, we can work on it as soon as possible. What features do you think we should have?”

“Music video.” Daoyi said immediately. Seeing Tianyi’s stunned face, she elaborated. “It’s a recorded scene of people dancing with music at the same time. Like those operas that mortals like to watch. We can record the scenes and play them on the formation messenger.”

“No, I understand what you mean.” I didn’t think that people would think of the concept of music videos so soon. Seems like I can’t underestimate the ingenuity of cultivators.

After sending the message for Xi Ri, Tianyi asked Daoyi. “How is your cultivation progress? Any troubles?”

“Thank you for your concern. My Spiritual Pillars are forming nicely.” Daoyi said.

“That’s good.” Tianyi said, happy that progress was well for his junior sister. “What about any concerns and questions? Anything you need?”

Daoyi shook her head. “Everything is progressing smoothly. Senior brother Xia answered many of my questions while you were away. As for needs, I currently don’t need anything.”

Tianyi furrowed his brows. It seemed that there was nothing he could do to help this junior sister of his. The images of a withered Daoyi flashed through his mind. He released a sigh. At the very least the Daoyi before him was safe and sound, he could at least protect the current her.

Although the Daoyi before him was slightly different than the Daoyi of Lei Jingye’s memories. He curled his lips upward, wondering if Lie Jingye knew that Daoyi was his junior sister. He couldn’t help but feel joy thinking about Lei Jingye’s enraged expression.

He was a petty person.

After being assaulted by Lei Jingye, even if there wasn’t a grudge before on Tianyi’s end, there was a grudge now.

He looked at Daoyi, going by the rate of her cultivation speed, Tianyi wondered if he could increase her cultivation speed to the point that it surpassed Lei Jingye. People, especially men, had large egos. The thought of his lover from another timeline being more powerful than him should set off some emotions, right?

Tianyi immediately shot down the idea. It wasn’t worth compromising his junior sister’s foundation just to get a cheap thrill from Lei Jingye. And he would be treating Daoyi as a tool to get back at Lei Jingye, wouldn’t that make him like Xi Longyi?

“Senior brother, are you busy tomorrow?” Daoyi asked when she saw Tianyi sank into silence, unaware of the world around him.

“Huh? No, I have nothing to do.” Besides cultivation, and soon mold might even grow on me. “Why?” Tianyi asked.

“I haven’t visited the city at the mountain’s base. I heard there was a marketplace where you can gamble your luck. I want to visit there. How about you go with me?” Daoyi asked.

Tianyi thought about it, it was a small request and it made him feel like he was doing something for Daoyi by accompanying her. So he agreed.

The next day, Tianyi and Daoyi flew to the city at the mountain’s base. The city wasn’t created by the Buzhou Immortal Sect, but it was under the umbrella of their influence. Under the protection of the Buzhou Immortal Sect, it became a city of commerce for cultivators. Many disciples of the Buzhou Immortal Sect came here to sell and purchase goods.

When Tianyi and Daoyi arrived, they caused quite a commotion. First Daoyi, although she wasn’t wearing her blue dress anymore and returned to her disciple uniform, her uniform was still blue boarded signifying her status as a personal disciple of an elder. She already had fine features, but after cultivation she exuded a unique aura that seemed disconnected from the world.

Tianyi was even more eye-catching. He forwent the disciples’ uniform and returned to wearing his gold coronet and purple robe, but that didn’t detract from his unique aura. He stood out even more, especially after learning the Lotus Ascension Soul Art. His eyes that others would find their sight gravitating towards seemed to be a portal to another universe.

Tianyi ignored the gazes, having grown up with them in this life. But to his surprise, Daoyi was able to calmly ignore them too, as if she had gone through a similar experience.

The two of them browsed the items the sellers put out on their stall or floor mat. Some of them were from loose cultivators while others were from fellow sect disciples. While inspecting through the wares, Tianyi’s eyes were drawn to a minor commotion.

On a ground lay a muscular youth and around him were other youths kicking and beating him. All of them were Buzhou Immortal Sect disciples. Tianyi had some memories of that youth, wasn’t he the one that said all his results were because of his mother?

“Senior brother, are you not going to help?” Daoyi asked, she too saw the commotion.

“No, this is an internal matter of the disciples. Even if I helped him today, what about tomorrow or the rest of his life? Humans in the end have to rely on themselves. Besides that youth doesn’t seem that popular, look at the other disciples, they all see this, yet they aren’t stopping the beating.” Tianyi said.

“A pitiful person has their own reasons to be hated.” Daoyi suddenly said.

Tianyi looked at Daoyi in surprise and saw her expression that didn’t change at all. He had thought she had been asking him to save the person from getting beaten up, but it seems that he was wrong.

AN

可怜之人必有可恨之处

The phrase Daoyi is saying that a pitiful person has their own reasons to be hated in case that isn’t clear. I feel as if the translated saying isn’t as clear as it is in Chinese.