Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

Just as Lu Yang had said, there was no one more suitable to be the interviewer than Meng Jingzhou. With how shamelessly Lu Yang was pleading with him, Meng Jingzhou relented.

Lu Yang didn’t even have to worry about the newspaper headline; Meng Jingzhou had already come up with it.

Young Hero Lu Slays City Lord While Tempering in the Mundane World

“So, Fellow Daoist Lu, could you describe how you fought against the Heartless Creed Leader, Yang Kongtong?” Meng Jingzhou quickly settled into his role as the interviewer, questioning Lu Yang about the events.

“Looking back, it was all a coincidence. At the time, I was in Muxue City in the Extreme North, tempering myself in the mundane world, when I unexpectedly discovered that Yang Kongtong had already taken over the city lord’s body long ago. To stop him from slaughtering the citizens of Muxue City, I had no choice but to step forward. Luckily, during the battle, my cultivation fluctuated to the Apex Transcendent Tribulation Stage, giving me a fighting chance against him. After a grueling battle, I finally slew him.”

Lu Yang gestured as he spoke, trying his best to recreate the scene. This was a grand event that deserved a vivid account.

Meng Jingzhou nodded while recording Lu Yang’s words: Lu Yang candidly stated that defeating Yang Kongtong was all a coincidence.

“Yang Kongtong was a formidable opponent. His Seven Emotions Incipient Dao Fruit could alter one’s emotions, thereby influencing the battle. There was no direct way to counter it; the only option was to endure it. Fortunately, I have a Buddha heart, so the Seven Emotions Incipient Dao Fruit couldn’t affect me.”

Meng Jingzhou jotted down Lu Yang’s words again: Lu Yang is devoted to the Buddha; emotions cannot affect him.

“No one could have anticipated that Yang Kongtong’s true identity was an ancient half-immortal who had inherited numerous legacies from ancient great factions. During his cultivation, he had countless lovers, but in the end, those lovers came to blows over him and dismembered him, forcing him into a slumber that lasted from the ancient era until now.”

Meng Jingzhou wrote: Yang Kongtong met a miserable end, dismembered because he had too many lovers. This has prompted Meng to reflect: does this tragedy not serve as proof that having too many lovers isn’t a good thing? As they say, femme fatales bring calamity. Cultivators should minimize contact with the opposite gender, focus on their cultivation, and prevent such tragedies from recurring...

“Have you recorded it all down?”

“Yes, all of it.”

“Let me take a look.” Lu Yang craned his neck to look. He couldn't help but feel that Meng Jingzhou had finished scribbling in no time despite his lengthy account.

“There's nothing much to see.” Meng Jingzhou hurriedly hid the interview notes behind him.

Lu Yang instinctively sensed that something was off and circled behind Meng Jingzhou. “I'll just take one look.”

“Hey, Old Lu, why are you snatching it?”

Then Lu Yang saw Meng Jingzhou’s interview notes.

Both fell silent.

“This is how you do an interview?!”

“I simply condensed it a little.”

Lu Yang was glad that he had checked Meng Jingzhou's interview draft beforehand. If this goes to print, it'd be a disaster.

Meng Jingzhou secretly sighed. As I thought, I can't pull any tricks in front of Old Lu.

Under Lu Yang's supervision, a correct and objective interview draft took shape. After adding some interesting anecdotes and trivia from the cultivation world, this issue of Cultivation Monthly would be ready for printing.

When Lu Yang brought the compiled Cultivation Monthly to Incarceration Peak, he heard fervent debates coming from within.

“Let me tell you, our Emperor-Lord’s Devouring Dao Fruit devours all things. The more it devours, the stronger he becomes. As long as he wishes, he can devour our whole world and become an unprecedented powerhouse. One glare and your Great Yu will be reduced to ashes!

“At that time, never mind Great Yu, even Great Xia wouldn't be a match for His Excellency the Emperor-Lord! In fact, even the Four Ancient Immortals would tremble before him!”

“What’s so special about devouring all things? Our Yu Emperor’s Replacement Dao Fruit can replace all things, including cultivation. No matter how strong the Emperor-Lord becomes, our Yu Emperor can swap his power onto himself. So what if the Emperor-Lord can become powerful? In the end, it'll all benefit our Yu Emperor!

“Four Ancient Immortals? Dual immortals of Great Xia? Yun Zhi of the Dao-Seeking Sect? They can only flee from our Yu Emperor!”

Lu Yang listened silently at the entrance, wondering whether life on Incarceration Peak was so full that the prisoners had started to speak nonsense.

“Ahem.” Lu Yang cleared his throat.

The heated debate filled with finger-pointing and curses aimed at each other's parents instantly quietened down. Only the echo of Lu Yang's footsteps could be heard at Incarceration Peak.

The prisoners looked at Lu Yang nervously, dreading that he had brought another inmate back.

Fortunately, Lu Yang was only here to look for Guan Shanhai this time. Lu Yang handed a few sheets of newspaper to Guan Shanhai and said, “This is the newest issue. Print more copies than usual.”

“Alright.”

At the sight of this, the Great Yu cultivators shot provocative looks at the Great Qian cultivators, their spirits soaring. See? Even Lu Yang comes to our Imperial Preceptor for help. Does your Great Qian have the ability to do so?

“Wait a moment.” The Fate Arbiter, who had remained silent all this while, suddenly spoke. His voice was low, as if he had come to a decision.

Lu Yang looked at the Fate Arbiter in puzzlement. What's wrong all of a sudden?

“Printing newspapers? I can help, too.”

The Fate Arbiter had known about the newspapers when he was in the immortal palace, but he didn't know they were printed by Guan Shanhai.

Lu Yang having Guan Shanhai print the newspapers was one of the reasons for the Great Yu faction’s arrogance.

“I see that your newspapers have Sound Transmission Arrays, presumably for those who can’t read. That’s a good idea, but it’s not very user-friendly for mortals.”

Lu Yang nodded, signaling the Fate Arbiter to continue.

“My Spirit Awakening Dao Fruit can transfigure newspapers. They can produce sound even without Sound Transmission Arrays. Once transfigured, the newspaper will possess some spirit intelligence. If a mortal wants to hear a specific section, they just have to tell the newspaper, and it will recite it automatically! If a mortal wishes to learn to read, the transfigured newspaper can teach them too!”

Lu Yang drew a sharp breath. This sounds like a viable idea. If it works, literacy rates in Great Xia, or even across the world, could skyrocket.

He took out a copy of the newspaper printed by Guan Shanhai and had the Fate Arbiter transfigure it. Just as the Fate Arbiter had described, it became more user-friendly.

Moreover, awakening sentience was the ability of the Fate Arbiter’s Dao Fruit. Guan Shanhai couldn’t replicate it even if he wanted to. In other words, transfiguring all the newspapers would require the Fate Arbiter’s power.

Guan Shanhai remained silent the entire time, only watching the Fate Arbiter through the bars of his cage. As expected of Great Qian’s Chief Officiant, his methods are truly extraordinary. He’s a formidable opponent!

“Grand-Shifu, isn’t life on Incarceration Peak a bit monotonous? How about we give the prisoners a bit more space for activities?” Lu Yang whispered to the Grand-Shifu, the master of Incarceration Peak.

The Grand-Shifu also felt that things couldn’t go on like this. Nodding, he followed Lu Yang’s line of thought. “Are you saying that we should set aside an area, have the Fate Arbiter and Guan Shanhai lead their respective forces, and let them clash in a real battle to determine once and for all whether Great Yu or Great Qian is stronger?”

“Grand-Shifu... you’re a bit too extreme.”