Chapter 3: A Perilous Path and a Stingy Immortal’s Legacy

Ye Lan fell silent.

Though he had only glimpsed the general outline, Ye Lan already understood the exorbitant price he would have to pay.

This fortuitous encounter was not worth having!

No wonder there were no guardian spirit beasts, no intricate traps left by predecessors, nor any hair-pulling puzzles to solve. It was placed openly, prominently, in a position immediately discernible, practically screaming, ‘I’m right here; do you dare cultivate me?’

Indeed, Ye Lan had to admit this item possessed the right to be arrogant; its cultivation requirements were truly heaven-defying!

Flipping further through the pages, the secret manual offered a logical explanation.

Originally a cultivation method intended for women, its extreme yin nature disrupted the balance of yin and yang. Thus, it required innate pure yang qi to achieve a state of nine yin and one yang. Such innate pure yang qi could only be found in men; women simply could not possess it.

‘It must have sensed my pure yang qi, which is why it drew me in!’

Without a moment’s hesitation, Ye Lan flung the manual away. To his astonishment, however, after performing two graceful rotations in the air, the manual executed a stylish drift and voluntarily returned to his side.

Staring at the cultivation manual that had flown back to him, practically begging him to ‘Hurry and learn, young man, I’ll take you to the skies,’ Ye Lan’s lips trembled with rage.

‘If only it didn’t have that second condition, I wouldn’t have hesitated for a moment!’

As if sensing Ye Lan’s thoughts, a line of white characters materialized in front of the manual.

[If you don’t learn it, I can wait another millennium, but you might die.]

Ye Lan could only stare in stunned silence.

‘Good heavens, this book actually has a spirit!’ he thought, utterly shaken. ‘This must be a cultivation method created by a master of the Dao Seeking Realm; otherwise, who would be so idle as to nurture a spirit within a mere book?’

‘And its requirements are so bizarre!’

‘Liang Tong, you utterly despicable scoundrel! May you rot in hell!’

That scoundrel had intended to kill him, knowing full well that if the incident of ambushing a fellow disciple were to spread, he, an inner disciple who knowingly broke the rules, would face an even more gruesome end.

Ye Lan had brought some healing medicine, but it was certainly not meant for fatal wounds.

Clearly, the manual before him had seen through his predicament.

[It’s just a piece of flesh; don’t be afraid of the pain. Stop agonizing over it. Your very life is currently hanging by a thread because of me, but I can’t sustain it for much longer.]

‘Goodness, a secret manual is actually trying to counsel me now!’

‘Is this just a piece of flesh?! This is my masculine dignity, alright?’

The manual spirit quickly wrote white characters in mid-air: [Your body will perish, and your Dao will vanish. Though you possess a thousand passions, they will ultimately amount to nothing. Observing your bone age, you are no more than forty; your cultivation, merely at the Core Condensation stage. You have yet to witness the vastness of heaven and earth, the profound mysteries of the Dao, or the serene joy of longevity. To then enter the Heavenly Dao’s cycle of reincarnation, reborn as man, fowl, or beast, uncertain if you will ever again have the chance to tread the immortal path—can you truly be content with that?]

‘This…’

Admittedly, the manual’s words struck a chord deep within Ye Lan’s heart. Having finally arrived in the cultivation world he had yearned for in his previous life, and having, with great difficulty, embarked on the path of immortality in this life, how could he possibly accept having his nascent Dao crumble so soon?

Yet… it would have been better if it had just done the deed while he was unconscious. In his previous life, he had read countless novels, but in those stories, protagonists either transmigrated directly as women or transformed without any awareness.

However, Ye Lan’s current situation fell entirely outside those scenarios.

First, he was still male when he transmigrated!

Second, he was fully conscious!

Third, he was fully aware of the consequences!

‘If I agree to this, it just feels… wrong.’

The manual spirit, observing the dithering man before it, understood it needed to fan the flames further. [Moreover, the path of cultivation is long and arduous, brimming with countless possibilities. If you were to turn into a pile of dust here, how would you know if fate might not offer a different turn in the future? It would be better to set this aside for now; you might not be able to pick it up again later. After all, regrowing severed limbs is easy, but attaining peerless divine techniques is hard.]

Under the manual spirit’s beguiling… or rather, persuasive counsel, Ye Lan found himself admitting that its words held a certain undeniable logic. After all, this was a world of cultivation!

‘Regrowing severed limbs should be a simple matter, shouldn’t it?’

‘If I cultivate this, I can survive, get out, and find a way to grow it back. But if I die here, who knows if I’ll even be human in my next life?’

After a fierce internal struggle, he declared, “I… will… learn it!”

The manual spirit immediately erupted with joyous white characters: [You are indeed intelligent and courageous, possessing the bearing of an immortal!]

Immediately after Ye Lan’s agreement, the manual spirit launched into a flurry of praise.

Ye Lan didn’t believe a single word of such overtly pragmatic flattery, but what needed to be cultivated still needed to be cultivated.

Trembling, Ye Lan retrieved the finger-sized flying sword from his sword scabbard. At present, he struggled even to circulate spiritual energy, leaving him no choice but to use this small blade—and without anesthetic!

The thought alone plunged Ye Lan into a terrible mood.

The manual spirit, observing from the side, asked in confusion, [What are you trying to do?]

Ye Lan retorted irritably, “Are you not aware of the cultivation requirements written on your own pages? Why ask me what I’m doing?”

The manual spirit suddenly understood, responding, [Oh, oh, oh, there’s no need for that.]

Ye Lan’s tightly furrowed brows instantly relaxed, a flush of color appearing on his pale face. The smile that curved his lips was as radiant as the sunlight, whose source within this grotto-heaven remained a mystery.

“No self-emasculation!?”

The manual spirit formed a smiling emoji with white characters and stated, [Asking the obvious.]

Ye Lan’s expression instantly shifted from the warmth of spring to the depths of winter. “So, what exactly are you trying to say?”

The manual spirit quipped, [I meant you don’t have to do it yourself. Don’t you feel pain? After cultivation, your Yangfeng (TL Note: An ancient term referring to the male reproductive organ) will transform into acquired qi and dissipate automatically. Your body will then change accordingly.]

At this, the manual spirit sounded quite smug, declaring, [No marks, no wounds. How about that? Isn’t it incredibly considerate? When it comes to helping people experience a second life, if I say I’m second, I doubt anyone in this world would dare claim to be first.]

“I…”

Ye Lan couldn’t fathom what this thing was so proud of. His own mental state had already been shattered by the book; even popcorn couldn’t explode as violently as his current emotions.

“Sigh, well, let’s get on with it then.”

As he spoke, Ye Lan prepared to circulate his spiritual energy according to the manual’s instructions, but the manual spirit spoke again.

The manual spirit’s next sentence, however, nearly made him choke: [If you circulate your spiritual energy now, wouldn’t you die?]

Ye Lan was speechless.

He took a deep breath, gazed at the manual, and forced a smile that was perhaps a touch too gentle. He spoke in a low voice, “You had better tell me everything about the cultivation process in one go. Otherwise, I’ll burn you for firewood first, and then commit suicide!”

The manual spirit replied, […You didn’t even ask me. Young people nowadays have no patience at all, they’re just stubborn and unwilling to listen to advice. Can’t you… Alright, fine, I understand. Put the flint away. I’ll take you to experience your second life. You don’t have much time left.]

Seeing that Ye Lan was ready to send it to the afterlife, the manual spirit ceased its idle chatter. Although it didn’t believe mortal flames could ignite it, a person like Ye Lan—whose circumstances were so rare and who was compelled to cultivate this peerless manual—was truly uncommon. If he were to die from anger, it would be a colossal loss.

It was, after all, waiting for Ye Lan to bring it great renown!

Having spoken, the manual spirit drifted towards the grotto-heaven’s southeastern direction, with Ye Lan following at a measured pace.

And that journey led straight into an abyss, an unspeakable future.

****

At the time, she hadn’t yet realized that she was not the only one to have entered this secret realm.

Just as Ye Qingfeng followed the manual spirit’s guidance towards her cultivation spot, a tall, youthful man also entered the realm. He wore a precious blue patterned robe, cinched at the waist with a tea-brown auspicious cloud-patterned belt, his hair flowed freely, and beneath his brows, bright, intelligent eyes sparkled.

The young man’s lips were curved in a slight, gentle smile, exuding a refined elegance. He was as heartwarming as the first breath of spring wind, amiable, bright, graceful, and composed.

Compared to Ye Lan’s half-dead entrance, this young man, despite his slightly torn clothes, possessed vigorous vitality and an imposing aura. Clearly, he had not suffered significant setbacks within the secret realm.

His name was Quan Haoqing, and he was a proud rogue cultivator participating in this secret realm trial.

While most resources in the cultivation world were controlled by sects, noble families, and states, it wasn’t to the extent of leaving rogue cultivators no path to survival. After all, with the righteous path currently ascendant, even the so-called prominent orthodox sects valued their reputation and didn’t wish to appear too grasping. Thus, secret realms accessible only to lower-level cultivators still permitted rogue cultivators to enter.

However, without the aid of a sect, rogue cultivators remained ignorant of the secret realm’s conditions, and their chances of obtaining fortuitous encounters were slim. Even if they stumbled upon one, it might very well end up in someone else’s hands.

At this thought, Quan Haoqing’s face darkened slightly. Earlier that day, blessed by fortune, he had barely entered before discovering an extraordinary magic treasure within a grotto-mansion. Yet, a Core Condensation realm cultivator, who arrived later, had played the role of the oriole behind the mantis, snatching it away. And he even knew that cultivator!

‘An old acquaintance!’

‘Their relationship could only be described as a cursed destiny!’

The other party had decisively used their fists to ‘reason’ with him. There was nothing he could do; Quan Haoqing, merely at the late Marrow Cleansing Realm, currently lacked the confidence to decisively defeat a Core Condensation realm cultivator capable of projecting spiritual energy.

His opponent was a full realm above him, and their resources and cultivation methods were beyond his reach. As the saying goes, when one lives under another’s roof, one must bow one’s head.

Silently etching the opponent into his memory, and ‘dearly’ remembering them, he, adhering to the principle of respecting elders and cherishing the young, graciously relinquished the treasure.

Recalling several previous ‘friendly’ encounters where it was a matter of life and death.

Quan Haoqing secretly resolved that at their next meeting, he would definitely send this troublesome acquaintance to meet the Immeasurable Heavenly Venerate.

‘A Sky Philosophy Sect cultivator, eh?’

‘Core Condensation Realm, eh!’

‘With a little careful planning, surely a grand sect wouldn’t relentlessly pursue an innocent rogue cultivator.’

This was how rogue cultivators dealt with sect disciples; there was no other way. If you hit the young, the old would come calling.

Unless the rogue cultivator’s strength was enough to make even the sect apprehensive.

However, Quan Haoqing had no intention of waiting that long. What if, during his secluded cultivation, the other person’s lifespan ended or an accident befell them? Then, his karmic debt would remain unsettled.

Yet, encountering that adversary, whom he wished to send to the Western Paradise, had inadvertently led him to another fortuitous encounter.

A peerless cultivation method titled ‘Starfall Crimson Flame Art.’ The manual spirit recording the Starfall Crimson Flame Art informed him that this technique was created by a senior who had achieved enlightenment and ascended to immortality.

Quan Haoqing, however, reserved judgment. Firstly, this cultivation method was incomplete, only covering the stages from Marrow Cleansing to Core Condensation.

Secondly, if this was truly created by an immortal, then that immortal was somewhat stingy.

Other immortals, when leaving behind their inherited secret manuals, would at least include some exotic flowers and fruits, or rare treasures.

When the manual spirit told him that the ascended immortal had also left him some ‘startup resources,’ Quan Haoqing was ecstatic. A storm of thoughts erupted in his mind, imagining potent elixirs for marrow cleansing and bone refining, or perhaps divine weapons of boundless utility. But upon seeing one hundred decent-quality spirit stones, Quan Haoqing was utterly bewildered.

While indeed, one hundred high-grade spirit stones constituted a significant resource for him.

Yet, it felt akin to a wealthy merchant, whose riches rivaled a nation’s, leaving behind a legacy that consisted solely of a success manual with only its first half and ten taels of silver.

This instantly caused Quan Haoqing to question the identity of the manual’s creator.

Nevertheless, adhering to his principle of not complaining when he gained an advantage, Quan Haoqing accepted the one hundred spirit stones with a ‘satisfied’ smile, and praised the manual spirit’s master as truly gentle and generous.

As if feeling its own reputation was at stake, the manual spirit then suggested taking him to another secret realm, where there might be even more fortuitous encounters.

Following the principle of ‘the more, the better,’ Quan Haoqing naturally accepted with delight.

Thus, he arrived in the very grotto-heaven where Ye Lan was located.

“Speaking of which, the environment in this secret realm seems quite similar to yours,” he mused.

As he walked through the woods, a gentle breeze rustled the leaves, creating a soft murmur. Sunlight filtered through gaps in the foliage, casting dappled shadows and imbuing the scene with a sense of peace and pleasure. Quan Haoqing thoughtfully surveyed his surroundings, then questioned his manual spirit.

The manual spirit replied, [Of course. They were all created in a single batch, and the creator didn’t consider differentiating them.]

Quan Haoqing’s manual spirit did not need to manifest elegant characters in the air to communicate with him; after completing the initial stages of cultivation, Quan Haoqing could directly communicate with the manual spirit telepathically.

Quan Haoqing raised an eyebrow, inquiring, “That person?”

[Indeed, a friend of my former master. He and my master each left behind a cultivation method and… a few resources within the secret realms.]

“Ah, also one hundred spirit stones, right? I understand, I understand.”

With an expression that clearly said ‘I get it,’ Quan Haoqing proactively offered an explanation, saying, “These are all trials given to us by the immortals.”

Quan Haoqing genuinely wished to be an understanding and good person, but his manual spirit was evidently more honest than he expected: [No, you’re overthinking it. It’s purely because they were so utterly penniless due to certain events back then. Those hundred spirit stones of yours were my former master’s last savings at the time.]