Chapter 15: A New Path and a Calculated Gamble

Although the Heavenly Net Profound Poison caused Ye Cha immense suffering and made him fear discovery, it also possessed unforeseen advantages beyond its drawbacks.

For instance, it granted immunity to all poisons.

Furthermore, for demonic cultivators, dual cultivation with someone possessing this physique would yield twice the results with half the effort.

When Ye Cha first saw the words ‘dual cultivation,’ he paused, a momentary blankness crossing his face, before quickly grasping their implication.

Given his current predicament, if a demonic cultivator were to capture him, it wouldn’t be dual cultivation; it would be becoming a mere cultivation vessel to be exploited.

The mere thought of demonic cultivators lining up to ‘dual cultivate’ with him sent shivers down Ye Cha’s spine, leaving him utterly distraught.

Thus, to avoid such a grim fate, Ye Cha understood that he absolutely could not allow his condition to be exposed.

To remain hidden, he had to continuously cultivate and advance his realm, using his cultivation level to suppress the growth of his Heavenly Net Physique. It was akin to taking medication for a chronic illness, keeping its symptoms at bay.

While this was merely a temporary solution, it would at least buy him some time.

As long as he could delay discovery by others, Ye Cha would be more than content.

This brought him back to square one. To cultivate and upgrade, with his ‘trash’ five-spirit root aptitude, even cultivating day and night would yield little progress.

There was simply no way around it. A five-spirit root demanded an enormous amount of spiritual energy, already putting him at a severe disadvantage compared to those with single or dual spirit roots.

With traditional cultivation paths effectively ruled out, Ye Cha decided to seek solutions through resources.

In the cultivation world, one didn’t solely rely on absorbing spiritual energy to cultivate. Spiritual stones, elixirs, and formations were all auxiliary means to rapidly boost one’s cultivation.

There was once a tale of someone who stumbled upon the former abode of a powerful cultivator, acquiring elixirs made from ten-thousand-year-old Blood Lotuses. After consumption, they broke through several realms consecutively.

Such strokes of luck, akin to winning a multi-million lottery, occurred every so often. This led many cultivators to wander far and wide, hoping to become one of these fortunate few.

For Ye Cha, increasing his cultivation was paramount, yet he couldn’t leave the Firmament Sect.

While remaining in the Firmament Sect carried the risk of exposure, being captured by demonic cultivators outside its protection would be a fate worse than death itself!

This was the swift conclusion Ye Cha reached after reading the words on the slip of paper. It was then that he suddenly understood why his ‘cheap’ mother had been so insistent on him joining the Firmament Sect, even to the point of nearly severing ties with their family.

‘My formidable mother,’ a wry smile touched Ye Cha’s otherwise expressionless face. He knew he couldn’t abandon even the slightest glimmer of hope.

He still longed to return home and reunite with his powerful mother.

Therefore, no matter how difficult it was to ‘conquer’ the Firmament Sect’s sect master, he would not give up.

As long as he had access to sufficient cultivation resources, his realm would rapidly ascend.

Despite Ye Cha’s striking good looks, casually attaching himself to a wealthy patron would be effortless. However, there was a clear distinction between different kinds of patrons.

For instance, the resources held by a second-generation rich individual and a self-made magnate differed vastly.

In Ye Cha’s previous life, this act would be called ‘finding a sugar mommy.’ Yet, in the cultivation world, it was a perfectly normal courtship or marriage proposal.

After all, in a world where yin overshadowed yang, the stronger a female cultivator, the more favor she found with male cultivators.

Moreover, as one’s cultivation realm advanced, so did their lifespan, and with it, their appearance would remain eternally youthful.

Shen Ruotong had lived for nearly a millennium, yet her outward appearance suggested she was merely in her early twenties.

Of course, this was also due to Shen Ruotong’s exceptional aptitude, allowing her to cultivate thousands of times faster than others, thus preserving her youthful visage. After all, the aging of one’s appearance with time was an irreversible process for most.

In the cultivation world, besides those like Shen Ruotong who maintained eternal youth, there were also cultivators in their seventies and eighties, their hair streaked with white.

However, among the truly powerful cultivators, most presented the appearance of middle-aged individuals.

Furthermore, special elixirs existed that could grant perpetual youth, preventing any signs of aging until death.

Whenever such rare elixirs appeared, countless cultivators would spare no expense, throwing thousands of gold at them. They sought to preserve their youthful looks, a constant reminder that their time was not infinite.

“The sect’s minor competition in two days… interesting. It seems I’ll need to prepare once more.”

As Ye Cha lowered his left hand, he pondered the news he had just received, his mind meticulously sifting through the details.

Today’s plan had been executed perfectly. Not only had he dealt with the annoying Li Ge once and for all, but he had also ‘coincidentally’ encountered the sect master, laying the groundwork for future meetings.

The sect’s minor competition in two days presented an excellent opportunity to make an impression. Conveniently, he had been invited by the Elder Council to serve as an usher, providing an even more legitimate reason to approach Shen Ruotong.

While being near a powerful female cultivator like Shen Ruotong increased the chances of his Heavenly Net Physique being discovered, Ye Cha now found himself with no other recourse.

In essence, ever since the Heavenly Net Physique manifested, he was left with no choice but to embark on this path.

According to Ye Cha’s original aspirations, after leaving a family where he constantly had to maintain a facade, he would finally be able to live the life he desired, free from the burden of wearing a false mask, and truly be himself.

However, reality often delivered a blunt blow, abruptly shattering such beautiful dreams.

In this very moment, Ye Cha found himself paradoxically grateful for his previous life within the family. It had, in a twisted way, granted him a ‘Master’s Certificate in Green Tea Arts,’ allowing him to ‘show off his skills’ within the Firmament Sect and strive to obtain what he desired.

Though this might be unfair to Shen Ruotong, where in this world could true fairness ever be found?

Just like how, after transmigrating, he was treated as a bargaining chip within his family. Then, upon leaving for the Firmament Sect, he gained the Heavenly Net Physique. Alas, a life fraught with misfortune seemed to be his destiny.

Still, such trials alone would not defeat him.

As the old saying goes, ‘Life is like rape; if you can’t resist, you might as well try to enjoy it.’

As long as he could survive…

Ye Cha’s mindset was resilient; he didn’t wallow in self-pity but quickly formulated a series of plans.

And truth be told, from another perspective, this was rather like an RPG game where one had to conquer a beautiful maiden, possessing its own unique charm.

After all, Shen Ruotong was not only exceptionally beautiful and powerful, but also incredibly wealthy.

A woman like her would be sought after anywhere.

Ye Cha knew that ‘conquering’ such a woman would be exceedingly difficult, especially considering the sect master’s lofty status. Compared to him, a newly promoted outer disciple, their positions were as different as heaven and mud, a truly vast disparity.

Under these circumstances, if Ye Cha were to pursue Shen Ruotong through conventional means, it would undoubtedly end fruitlessly.

Therefore, he would have to resort to some subtle tactics.

Imagining the events two days hence, Ye Cha’s lips suddenly curved into a slight smile, knowing that it would be a pivotal turning point in his life.