Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)

News that the Zhutian Civilization would soon invade the Cultivation World en masse and that the Cultivation World was entering a state of combat readiness spread quickly and caused an uproar.

“I told you the outside world was fraught with perils and that we shouldn’t go out so easily. Now look what’s happened. The hegemon of the cosmos has set its sights on our Cultivation World and is coming to attack us.”

“So what if they come attacking? What’s there to be afraid of? Our Fusion, Transcendent Tribulation, and half-immortal powerhouses are no vegetarians; they are a force to be reckoned with. One slap and they’ll send them flying.”

“That’s the best-case scenario. I also hope it’s true. But they are the hegemon of the cosmos after all. To have earned that title, they must be incredibly powerful. We may not be a match for them.”

“Who gives a damn? Worse comes to worst, we’ll drag them down with us.”

𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

“You lot still have time to stand around chatting? All the factions are holding emergency recruitment drives. There is no threshold for entry; anyone can have their spirit root tested. Even if you fail, they’ll give you basic Qi Training and body refinement cultivation techniques for free. Hurry up and take your children there!”

“What? There’s such a thing?”

“Quick! If you’re late, you can just eat dust.”

For cultivators with some talent, they paid even closer attention to the Cultivation World’s combat-readiness state. Constrained by limited resources, their progress had been slow. This was a golden opportunity for them to transform from carps into dragons. Everyone was raring to go, determined to make a name for themselves.

“Those secret domains that open once every hundred or thousand years will all be opened during the war preparation period. This is a heaven-sent opportunity.”

“Once your cultivation realm meets the required standard, the imperial court will even distribute cultivation manuals and spirit stones. I was just fretting over insufficient cultivation resources. This works out perfectly!”

“On top of that, the elders of the major sects will go out to impart the Dao. Even Fusion experts will be giving lectures. Just hearing it once in this lifetime would be worth it!”

This was an unprecedented grand spectacle in the Cultivation World. Faced with an unknown enemy, Great Xia, the Buddhist Kingdom, and all major factions cast aside their differences and strove to elevate the Cultivation World’s strength in the shortest possible time so that they could stand a fighting chance against the Zhutian Civilization without relying on immortals. The entire Cultivation World was like a raging inferno fed with oil.

As the person in charge of Cultivation Weekly, Lu Yang had access to firsthand intelligence from across the Cultivation World at essentially the same speed as Dai Bufan.

Reports concerning prodigies sprouted like bamboo shoots after a rain. As the number one prodigy of the present age, Lu Yang felt deeply gratified to see the younger generation so active.

“Rogue cultivator Gongsun Hai consecutively passed three Golden-Core-level secret domains, emerging as champion in each. On the ancient battlefield, when faced with eight cultivators of the same level in successive challenges, he wielded his sword with qi and defeated all opponents, successfully defending the arena. He is hailed as ‘Small Lu Yang.’[1]

“When Zhang Ding of the East Sea was born, a treasured cauldron descended from the heavens. An immortal bone was awakened in his brow, and he obtained three ancient legacies. He battled a Kunpeng, bested a Dragon Prince, and has never been defeated since his debut. The world praises him as having the makings of another Lu Yang.

“Long Tianyang joined the Allure Sect as its sole male disciple to temper himself. Faced with temptations from his senior and junior sisters, he steadfastly guarded his virginity. His qi and blood flowed backward, and he bled from all seven orifices. After surviving this ordeal, he broke through to the Nascent Soul Stage. People have given him the nickname ‘Small Meng Jingzhou.’”

Lu Yang pressed a hand to his forehead. It’s fine that you guys become famous, but why must you keep associating yourselves with Old Meng and me, piggybacking off us? Nevertheless, these are trivial matters not worth his concern.

The Innate Daoist Priest handed over a report. “Zhao Po of the Corpse-Driving Sect is your friend, right?”

“Zhao Po is still at the Void Refinement Stage, isn’t he? What could he have done to make the papers?” Lu Yang took the intelligence report, puzzled, and began reading.

“Zhao Po of the Corpse-Driving Sect has developed mutual affection with his guardian, the female Hanba, and they have become Dao partners... Hmm?” Lu Yang’s expression turned peculiar. He rubbed his eyes to ensure he wasn’t seeing things. Zhao Po, you kid, what’s the matter with you? Did I give you the female Hanba to do this with her?

“Mingtai of the Sword Tower advanced to the Fusion Stage, triggering the phenomenon of ten thousand swords paying homage. Amid the unusual phenomenon, he confessed to the Sword Tower Supreme Lord, and they became Dao partners?”

Lu Yang’s expression grew increasingly odd. I remember that Mingtai was the Sword Tower Supreme Lord’s sword spirit who had gained sentience. Later, after the Sword Tower Supreme Lord fought Liu Ningxuan and exhausted her soul power, she became Mingtai’s sword spirit. The two had swapped roles as master and servant.

Now you two aren’t even pretending. You’ve directly become Dao partners, huh?

“How wonderful. They’ve all become Dao partners.” The Everlasting Immortal Fairy leaned on Lu Yang’s shoulder, muttering under her breath like a female ghost. Only Lu Yang could see her; neither the Innate Daoist Priest nor Gu Junye could.

“Indeed. It can be considered as lovers finally ending up together.” Lu Yang felt that Mingtai and the Sword Tower Supreme Lord becoming Dao partners was within expectations.

“The White Horse Dynasty and several other planets have already been relocated to the Cultivation World. That’s fast.” Lu Yang clicked his tongue in admiration. The intelligence report included a recording orb documenting the process. Six Fusion cultivators had moved the planet here.

Moving just the planet would require only one Fusion cultivator, but the process would alter the planet’s environment. For mortals, that would be nothing short of an apocalyptic calamity. More cultivators were needed to ensure that no harm came to them.

“Have all the cultivators who went out been recalled? With a formidable enemy before us, running into the Zhutian Civilization out there would be disastrous.”

The intelligence reports he received also mentioned several old friends of the Taciturn Daoist Priest.

“Even Xu Xin, the Minister of Justice, has broken through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage. That’s so fast.” Lu Yang sighed. He shared some history with him. Back when the Everlasting Immortal Fairy had taken over his body in the imperial city, Xu Xin had arrested him.

Whether it was due to fortuitous opportunity or sensing the tense atmosphere in the Cultivation World, more than one Apex Fusion cultivator had broken through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage.

“They’re simply breaking through in accordance with the greater trend. There’s no need for Sword Master Xuanyuan to be so alarmed.” Few things could affect the unflappable Gu Junye’s Dao heart. Even the Innate Daoist Priest couldn’t match such composure. He had always believed that Gu Junye was the reincarnation of some puissant personage.

Lu Yang had no desire to engage Gu Junye, but the latter was staring at him expectantly, his eyes clearly begging Lu Yang to play the straight man. Even with his head lowered, Lu Yang could feel the heat of Gu Junye’s gaze. He gave in and asked, “In accordance with the greater trend? How so?”

“All things in the world are part of the cycle of reincarnation. The immemorial, primordial, and ancient eras all had their Battle of the Great Era, where prodigies gathered, heroes contended, and the Heavenly Dao’s suppression loosened, making breakthroughs incomparably easy.

“What we see now is merely a recurrence of those Battles of the Great Era in those ages.

“Opening the Cultivation World as an act in accordance with the greater trend, with the mandate of heaven. Although that so-called hegemon of the cosmos is nothing to worry about, the masses are ignorant. How could they know the true strength of the Cultivation World?

“Everything has its yin and yang. This can also be considered a good thing. The Cultivation World has been peaceful for too long, lacking external pressure. The Zhutian Civilization’s arrival provides just enough pressure to help it break through.”

Lu Yang’s eyelid twitched. Gu Junye’s theories are quite the bluff.

In the shadows, a pair of gloomy eyes fell upon Gu Junye. The mastermind behind the scenes observed Gu Junye in bewilderment, wishing to see through him.

Logically speaking, a reincarnated soul should be influenced by their past life to some degree. Although Gu Junye’s words aren’t entirely accurate, he has gotten some things right about ancient events hidden in history—things no one had ever told him.

“Could he be the reincarnation of that person whose body I took over?”

1. You may have come across such terminology in games, where characters are sometimes referred to as “big” or “small” followed by another character name. “Big” suggests that the character is a better or stronger version, while “small” implies that the character is a weaker version of the referenced character. ☜