Cultivation Nerd (xianxia)

Hu Jin stared at the plate of food before him while the outer disciples around him rambled on various topics. He had never considered it before, but the simple act of being able to eat whenever he wanted was a privilege he hadn't fully appreciated until now.

Just a couple of days ago, he had been imprisoned by an inner elder for allegedly crippling the cultivation of his disciple's brother. It was a conundrum, a sticky situation that had led to him being treated horribly, forced to subsist on just one meal a day. With those memories fresh in his mind, he focused on savoring the plain bowl of rice and meat before him; though unseasoned and lacking the flavors of the meals he once enjoyed as a talented member of the Hu Clan, this simple fare felt strangely satisfying, like the best meal he'd had in a long time.

"Please stop acting like a wimp," a deep, elderly voice chided, emanating from the coin in his pocket.

"Shut up, old man," Hu Jin grumbled in response. "What would a ghost know about good food? That damn prison was starving me."

Hu Jin was certain he would have perished in that cell if not for a just Core Elder whom he had befriended. Even now, his clenched fist betrayed the anger still simmering within him at the memory of his ordeal. Grateful to the Core Elder for his rescue, Hu Jin nursed revenge plans against those who had wronged him.

His gaze hardened at thinking about what he intended to do to those people. They had initiated the conflict and then resorted to underhanded tactics to falsely accuse him.

"You better start cooling down. People are starting to notice you. If you keep this up, someone might throw a punch to earn favor with those who put you in that cell," the old man warned, his voice echoing from the coin.

As always, the old man's advice proved wise, and Hu Jin had learned the consequences of drawing undue attention to himself the hard way. In this world, the nail that stuck out the most was often hammered down. So, for now, he had to bide his time.

He knew he just had to wait a bit longer. Hu Jin would have his reckoning once he regained his former talent and soared to heights he had never reached before. He would prove wrong all those who had belittled, mocked and mistreated him.

The breakfast no longer held that somber taste as he ate, quickly finishing his meal. Afterward, he walked out, keeping his head down as he passed through the dusting of snow, avoiding conversation with anyone. Even the old man in the coin remained silent for once.

Descending the stairs, the wet snow melted beneath his feet, and he glanced toward the library tower in the distance. He couldn't help but notice that his teacher's usual insistence against visiting the library had lessened, and the librarian's scrutiny had diminished slightly. However, his master had warned him sternly against stealing from the library again, cautioning him of potential drastic consequences should the librarian decide to retaliate.

Pushing those thoughts aside, Hu Jin redirected his steps toward the market. Despite the winter chill thinning the crowds, some vendors and buyers still braved the cold. Yet, as he navigated the stalls and shops, he couldn't shake off his growing annoyance.

Most merchants boasted only blades or inscribed armor in their shops, their claims of wild defensive abilities easily debunked by his master.

"Why is everyone selling so many damn weapons?" Hu Jin grumbled.

"Winter is known as the season of war, and in my younger days, it also used to be known as the season of survival," said the old master, his voice tinged with reminiscence. "Back then, humanity faced genuine threats from Monstrous Beasts. We were one bad horde away from extinction as a species."

"Really?" Hu Jin's anger momentarily gave way to curiosity. His master didn't often share personal stories. "Were the cultivators weaker back then?"

"No, quite the opposite, actually. Though sects nowadays are more organized, back then, some no-name Nascent Soul Cultivator established the Blazing Sun Sect. It wouldn't become the powerhouse it is today until the Blazing Sun Immortal achieved immortality."

It was fascinating to have someone with such intimate knowledge of history at hand. Still, Hu Jin was more interested in his master's life than the broader history of the Blazing Sun Sect.

"Finally," Hu Jin muttered as he spotted a shop selling alchemy ingredients.

After purchasing what he needed, he swiftly left the market, the ingredients disappearing from his hand and being stored inside the coin where his master resided. Walking around with expensive alchemical ingredients in plain sight wasn't safe.

Venturing into the cold, leafless forest, he found a secluded spot where he could practice in peace, free from interruptions.

"Master, have you checked if anyone is around?" Hu Jin asked.

"Yes, no one is around, don't worry," his master reassured him. "It's a shame you don't have the brains or talent to learn some arrays. Then you wouldn't have to rely on me so much for these things. My limited awakeness puts you in danger for the rest of the day."

Ever since he had used his power to defeat that serpent, his master had struggled to stay awake for extended periods, revealing the toll that encounter had taken on him.

With a swift motion of his hand, an Alchemical Cauldron transformed into a small furnace, its silver cover adorned with intricate golden inscriptions. A vibrant crimson-red flame emanated from within, casting an eerie glow and sending out a chill that permeated the surroundings.

Hu Jin had never questioned how his master possessed such an artifact. But whatever material it was crafted from, it exuded a distinctly ominous aura, prompting him to avoid using it in the presence of others.

As the snow melted and steam rose from the ground, Hu Jin felt the cold dissipate, replaced by an uncomfortable heat. Despite the discomfort, he persevered, gritting his teeth as beads of sweat formed on his brow.

With another gesture, he retrieved the herbs, monstrous beast cores, and other ingredients he had purchased, carefully adding them to the furnace and attempting to control the flames. However, his inability to sense or manipulate Qi made the task challenging. Yet, with his master's guidance, they managed to prevent the fire from spiraling out of control.

This process continued until eight misshapen crimson-red pills formed within the furnace, which his master extracted using Qi. Though they were of poor quality compared to market-standard pills, they were a testament to Hu Jin's progress in alchemy despite less than a year of practice.

"You're making good progress for someone with less than a year of experience in alchemy," his old master complimented him. "You could be considered a Tier 1 Alchemist, albeit barely. Alchemy has a steep learning curve and typically requires one to be at least a Qi Gathering Cultivator to advance further."

Hu Jin smiled, appreciating the rare compliment from his master. "It's all thanks to having a skilled teacher like you."

"Then again, I mastered the basics in under two months when I was eight. So you aren't that special either, but still better than nothing," the old man sighed, his smugness evident despite remaining confined to the coin.

"Asshole," Hu Jin grumbled under his breath.

Despite hearing him loud and clear, the old fossil didn't dignify his remark with a response, instead saying, "Anyway, take these pills and get back to training. Someone with your lousy talent can't afford to mess around."

Though their exchanges were often laced with backhanded remarks, Hu Jin complied, popping one of the pills into his mouth. The bitter taste made him want to spit it out, but he forced himself to swallow. What followed was even worse—a burning sensation spread through his body, turning his skin red and causing veins to bulge.

A Body Strengthening Pill was notoriously difficult to stomach, and Hu Jin knew the modern versions should taste better. However, his master only knew ancient recipes, and attempts to recreate modern versions had failed due to their inability to accurately describe the taste.

Thus, they had no choice but to endure the unpleasantness to make the most of their limited spirit stones.

Hu Jin prayed the pills wouldn't have unforeseen side effects like hair loss. But the searing pain coursing through his veins felt akin to being injected with molten lava.

...

Hu Jin lay on the warm ground a full day later, his body still radiating heat from the intense training. The snowfall around him melted upon contact with his heated skin, leaving a solitary snowflake to melt on his cheek.

Despite the exhaustion and pounding headache, Hu Jin knew this was necessary. Consuming all the pills in one go would have normally been disastrous. Still, his master's healing herbs had prevented the worst outcomes.

"At least you broke through to seven-star Body Tempering," remarked his master, acknowledging Hu Jin's progress.

Hu Jin couldn't discern if those were meant to be encouraging words to help him endure the pain, but if they were, they fell short.

"It feels like every muscle in my body has been torn apart," Hu Jin groaned, wincing as even the slightest movement sent waves of agony through his limbs.

"Well, because they have," the old master stated matter-of-factly. "We have to take shortcuts if you want to be strong enough to defeat that fiancée of yours in two years. She might be many things, but she is undeniably talented."

The mere mention of his former fiancée, who had broken off their engagement, ignited a blaze of hatred within Hu Jin. All thoughts of pain were overshadowed by the burning desire to overcome her and the disgrace she had brought upon him and his family.

His fingers twitched involuntarily, sending fresh waves of pain rippling through his body. Hu Jin fought back tears, forcing himself to endure.

The image of his ex-fiancée, her cruel smile etched in his memory, fueled his determination. Even the forest seemed to respond to his intensity, the melted snow expanding around him.

"I'm ready to continue our training!" Hu Jin declared, his voice trembling with pain and resolve.

His progress had been remarkable, thanks to the guidance of his master, propelling him to seven stars of Body Tempering in an astonishingly short time.

"Ow! This hurts like hell!" Hu Jin growled, tears streaming down his cheeks and his nose running. He felt utterly pathetic, but he pressed on. "Training here instead of the usual grounds was a good call. I may not say it often, but you've managed our resources exceptionally well, master."

Suddenly, a misty aura emerged from Hu Jin's pocket, gradually taking the form of an old man with a long white beard and silver hair. His golden-yellow eyes, slit like a snake's, bore into Hu Jin with an intense gaze.

Despite being nothing more than a ghostly presence, the old master's appearance never failed to send a chill down Hu Jin's spine. He looked imposing, and Hu Jin was accustomed to feeling intimidated whenever he appeared.

However, despite his intimidating demeanor, the old master wore a smile on his face. "Of course, all my ideas are good. I didn't live for centuries and almost reached the peak of cultivation without having a brain."

Despite the evident self-praise, Hu Jin bowed his head respectfully. "Thank you for your guidance. I promise to do my best to find a way to restore your physical form, master."

The old master's smile widened at the gesture, his eyes shining with appreciation. But soon, his expression turned serious, and he ran a hand through his ghostly beard. "Still, don't become arrogant just because you've progressed in Body Tempering. Advancing quickly in this stage is relatively common, with various methods available. The true challenge begins when you reach Qi Gathering. Even an average cultivator with fifty spirit roots would take about a year to advance by one star in Qi Gathering. And suppose they fail to break through to Foundation Establishment after cultivating for a decade. In that case, they'd have to restart from one-star Qi Gathering again. Many perish despite their potential because they fail to break through in time."

"Yeah, I understand," Hu Jin nodded solemnly. He was well aware of his limitations and needed to address his lack of cultivation talent.

With fewer than fifty spirit roots, and not even twenty at that, advancing to Qi Gathering was a monumental challenge, let alone progressing beyond. But with his master's guidance, he believed anything was possible.

"It may seem fast and easy now, but the path of cultivation is far from it," the old master nodded.

"Yes, and the sooner we restore my spirit roots, the sooner we can achieve our goals," Hu Jin affirmed.

A part of him was eager to reclaim his former talent, where Sects vied for his attention, and his family showered him with praise.

"Technically, we're not healing your spiritual roots. There's nothing to heal or recuperate because it had been almost a decade since your cultivation was broken by the time we met," the old cultivator explained, his tone oddly punctual on certain matters. "Still, we're creating new ones."

Hu Jin nodded, recalling how he had acquired those nineteen spirit roots in the first place. While the herb he had stolen from Ye An had earned him her eternal enmity, the pill his master had concocted from it had granted him a second chance at cultivation.

"Since your body will be out of commission for weeks after the Strengthening Pills, you should rest during that period and use the time to enrich your knowledge," the old master suggested a dangerous glint in his eyes. "You should visit the Alchemy Pagoda."

"I've already learned plenty," Hu Jin insisted. "It would be more beneficial to spend that time searching for new techniques. It's been a while since we stumbled upon an Earth Grade Technique."

As Hu Jin stretched, feeling his body slowly recuperating thanks to the healing pills, the old master countered his idea. "Instead of learning more techniques, you should focus on mastering those you already have. Achieving a Trace at Qi Gathering is monumental, and you can't do that with a half-assed technique."

Hu Jin knew his master was rarely wrong in such matters, but he couldn't resist teasing him. With a smug smile, he remarked, "You're just nervous about being near the library because of that bookworm, aren't you?"

The old master frowned. "Not necessarily, but you should always avoid Liu Feng."

Though Hu Jin was confident his master could discern his jest, the severity of the situation warranted such precautions, and he didn't take the warning lightly.

"You never explained why we need to be cautious around that guy," Hu Jin shrugged, seeking clarification.

Liu Feng exuded a dangerous aura akin to a serpent lurking in the grass, biding its time to strike. He was someone you didn't want to turn your back on. Yet, despite his threat, others in the sect were even more dangerous than him.

"It's never wise to associate with those who skirt the edges of death," the master shook his head solemnly.

Hu Jin arched a questioning brow, eyeing his master. "Skirting the edges of death? You do realize you're a ghost, right?"

"When I was alive, I possessed theoretical knowledge of the soul and concocted many poisons that targeted it. But it wasn't until after my death, when I departed my body, that I gained the ability to perceive the soul firsthand," the old master explained, his expression grim. "And I can tell you, without a doubt, that Liu Feng's soul is nothing short of an abomination."

"Abomination? What does that mean?" Hu Jin inquired.

"It could mean many things," the old man shrugged. "At best, the lad was born with a peculiar soul. At worst, we're dealing with an immortal who has evaded death. No one but an immortal could achieve such a feat. Though crude, the melding of souls is seamless."

The gravity of the situation settled heavily on Hu Jin, sending a shiver down his spine.

"Believe me, kid. You don't want to entangle yourself with their kind. Immortal cultivators transcend humanity—they're stronger and more cunning than you can imagine. Even if an immortal were to reincarnate and lose their power, they would still retain their immortal techniques. And trust me, you don't want to cross paths with those individuals."

His master's somber warning echoed in Hu Jin's mind, reminding him of how Liu Feng had looked at his master during the exams.

What a terrifying guy…

 

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