Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

“Think about it, Xiao Yangzi. If this immortal is the master of the Cultivation World, you benefit too. Once I get tired of it, I’ll pass the Cultivation World to you, and you’ll become its new master. You can do whatever you please, with no one to stop you.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy tempted Lu Yang with power, luring him to collude with her.

As the saying goes, those who stay close to vermilion become red, and those who stay close to ink become black—you are the company you keep. Having been around Lu Yang for so long, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy had learned to scheme.

“If you get tired of it, you can pass it to Lass Yun... oh, Lass Yun isn’t here. In that case, you can pass it back to this immortal.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy remembered that the only reason she could be the Cultivation World’s master was that Yun Zhi was absent.

Lu Yang felt that the Everlasting Immortal Fairy was pretty adept at time management. Big Senior Sister hasn’t even returned, yet the Cultivation World has already changed hands several times.

“And when Lass Yun—Big Senior Sister returns, what will you do, Immortal Fairy?” Lu Yang had been influenced by the Everlasting Immortal Fairy for so long that he nearly used the wrong form of address. Fortunately, he was quick-witted enough not to let her lead him astray.

The Everlasting Immortal Fairy instinctively flinched, but on second thought, she felt that she was no longer who she once was. Why should I still fear her?

“Hmph, in the past, this immortal fairy might have feared her somewhat. But now, I am the Emperor of the Great Dou Dynasty, and she is merely the Minister of War. What can she possibly do to me?”

“But Big Senior Sister has defied those above her more than once. She even locked Shifu up for ten years.”

At his reminder, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy recalled this incident. “Despicable Lass Yun! I thought that giving her the position of Minister of War would restrain her and stop her from laying hands on me, but she had already anticipated this and imprisoned that Taciturn boy beforehand, showing that she isn’t bound by rules!

"People who don’t like to talk really are full of schemes, always calculating so much.”

She pouted unhappily. I thought I could finally get the upper hand on Lass Yun.

“Hmm? This isn’t the way to Heaven’s Gate Peak, right? Where are you going?”

“Cultivation Weekly’s office.”

~~~

“The Zhutian Civilization, the hegemon of the cosmos, is leading a massive army to attack the Cultivation World, while Great Xia and multiple other factions have jointly decided to enter a state of combat readiness?!”

The Innate Daoist Priest, the acting head of the newspaper, was shocked by the news. This is a war between worlds. One can only imagine how devastating it will be.

“Heh heh, what ‘hegemon of the cosmos?’ Before our Cultivation World, they’re nothing but mud chickens and clay dogs.” Gu Junye, the other acting head, sneered contemptuously at the Zhutian Civilization.

“In the primordial era, our Cultivation World was the sole supreme world among the myriad worlds under heaven. This so-called Zhutian Civilization is nothing but a self-proclaimed hegemon of the cosmos, taking advantage of the Cultivation World’s absence to sing its own praises.”

“Sounds like you’ve already received news of the Zhutian Civilization?” Lu Yang walked into the office with a smile, overhearing the Innate Daoist Priest and Gu Junye discussing the matter.

“Sword Master Xuanyuan, are you no longer wandering beyond the heavens?”

Lu Yang. “...”

Every time he saw Gu Junye, his scalp tingled. If it weren’t for the fact that he had founded the newspaper himself, he genuinely wouldn’t have wanted to come here.

When both Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were away, the Innate Daoist Priest and Gu Junye handled Cultivation Weekly’s publication.

The newspaper’s current scale was incomparable to its humble beginnings. At its founding, it only had a handful of staff, including Lu Yang. Now, its members included Dao-Seeking Sect disciples of every cultivation level.

Cultivation Weekly had become a mission for the disciples. With disciples all over the world, they could gather local news and send it back to the sect in exchange for contribution points.

Lu Yang cleared his throat, pretending not to have heard Gu Junye’s question, and stated his purpose in coming here. “Thank you for your hard work while Old Meng and I were away. With the Cultivation World entering a state of combat readiness, this is the time for you to showcase your abilities and make a mark out there. Don’t let the newspaper hold you back. Leave the rest to me.”

“What are you saying, Sword Master Xuanyuan? As the reincarnation of a Daoist Lord, I face no bottlenecks in cultivation; breakthroughs come naturally. Why would I need to cultivate deliberately? As for making a mark out there, I shall not compete with the younger generation for empty fame.”

Lu Yang’s expression turned peculiar. Founding Ancestor Innate is the one who dispersed his cultivation to cultivate anew; he needs no seclusion and faces no bottlenecks. But why do you, Gu Junye, also need no seclusion, with your progress on par with Founding Ancestor Innate’s?

“Because he’s a secular cultivator,” the Everlasting Immortal Fairy explained. “The newspaper gathers the world’s major secular events, perfect for secular cultivators. Although it’s not comparable to direct contact with the secular world, the indirect exposure to worldly affairs is immense. The cultivation efficiency surpasses even that of those who deliberately immerse themselves in the mundane world. You can even call this place a holy land for secular cultivators.”

Lu Yang was silent. I feel that my cultivation is pretty high, and I have witnessed far more than most half-immortals, so why do I keep encountering things beyond my understanding?

He let out a long sigh. “In that case, both of you can stay here.”

~~~

“Cultivation theory is really hard to learn.” The scientists in the aid team sighed deeply. It was an entirely new framework for them, and with so many aspects reliant on idealism, it was extremely difficult to grasp.

Dean Gao, however, found it manageable. He had more or less grasped the basics of cultivation theory. He waved to order. “Shopkeeper, bring us some of your signature skewers.”

The aid team all had mechanical bodies and didn’t need food for energy, but eating served a purpose beyond sustenance. It helped relax the mind and adjust one’s research mindset. As such, he had asked the Dao-Seeking Sect disciples and learned about this barbeque shop, then brought a few trusted aides here for skewers.

“Skewers coming up!”

The scientists caught the aroma and cast their worries to the back of their minds, their mouths watering. The Interstellar Alliance didn’t have anything this delicious.

Dean Gao took a bite and was floored. It was his first taste of the Cultivation World’s cuisine. Plants and animals grown in spirit energy seemed to taste several times better. We've come to the right place.

“Have you noticed that the sun here is much larger than elsewhere? If we harness solar energy, energy problems will be resolved.” Dean Gao tried to redirect the scientists’ attention away from their struggles with cultivation theories. “See, solar lamps already exist here, which means they’ve recognized the value of solar energy.”

The shopkeeper’s eyes lit up as he overheard Dean Gao’s words, as though he had found a kindred spirit. “Harnessing solar energy—Patron, do you also think it’s a promising path?”

“Have you studied solar energy?” Dean Gao didn’t understand the shopkeeper’s sudden enthusiasm.

𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

“Of course.” The shopkeeper whipped out a blueprint from his storage ring and unfurled it before Dean Gao. “Look, this is my blueprint. I plan to arrange magical treasures around the sun to absorb and store solar energy...”

Dean Gao stared at the blueprint, his eyes filled with astonishment. This sounds more advanced than the Interstellar Alliance’s stellar mining equipment. Even the barbeque chefs in the Cultivation World are this impressive?

“Do you really just sell barbeque skewers?”

The shopkeeper scratched his head sheepishly. “I used to be the creed leader of the Radiant Sun Creed. I’m now with the Dao-Seeking Sect, helping out at this barbeque shop.”

When Man Gu was a commandery governor, he hadn’t forgotten that he was also a disciple of the Dao-Seeking Sect. As a commandery governor, he had arrested the members of the Nine-Netherworld Creed and the Radiant Sun Creed, and as a Dao-Seeking Sect disciple, he had apprehended the two creeds’ higher-ups.