FIMA Ch154: Cultivation

Gu Siyuan saw the uninvited guest in his own room, yet there was not the slightest surprise on his face, nor did he grow angry at his frivolous words.

With a sweep of his sleeve, he shut the door, walked to the table, and sat down. “What is it?”

After those three simple words of greeting, he no longer spared the visitor another glance. Instead, he leisurely lit the small stove on the table with spiritual fire, then took out spiritual tea and spiritual water from his storage ring, as if preparing to brew tea by the window.

Tilting his head, Xie Xueyi looked at the man’s usual cool and indifferent expression and could not help feeling both irritated and deflated.

No matter what he did, no matter what happened, this man always remained calm and in control, showing almost no emotion, like some old master who had already seen through the dust of the mortal world.

He puffed out his cheeks. “Can’t I come to see you if nothing’s wrong? I just missed you. One day apart feels like three autumns. Unlike you—you never miss me.”

Gu Siyuan picked up some spiritual tea and added it to the pot. “How is it one day? You only left my cabin this morning.”

Xie Xueyi sat down across from him and grinned. “Which is why I say you have no conscience. We spent the night together, just the two of us, and now you pull up your pants and refuse to recognize me. Here I am still pining after you…”

Gu Siyuan had no intention of trading witty nonsense with him. He only asked, “How did you get in?”

Xie Xueyi replied lazily, “Because I’m a perfect match for Siyuan-gege. I know a bit about formations too. Though, good gege, the restrictions around your residence are set a little too casually.”

Gu Siyuan said coldly, “In this entire immortal sect, no one would dare trespass into my residence.”

“Oh, then congratulations, gege. Now you have me.” Not only did Xie Xueyi feel no embarrassment, he even blinked smugly. “I’m definitely going to become the most special person in gege’s life.”

Gu Siyuan glanced at him. “You certainly are special. On your first day after entering the sect, you’re already about to be sent to the punishment hall for trespassing into the residence of the chief senior brother. Added to your earlier offense of leaving the spirit vessel without permission before entering the sect, the two crimes will be punished together.”

“…” Xie Xueyi.

Xie Xueyi’s eyes widened. “Good gege, you wouldn’t be that cruel to me, would you?”

“I would.” Gu Siyuan picked up the scorching hot kettle with his bare hand, poured a cup of spiritual tea, and pushed it in front of him. Rarely, his tone was rather gentle. “Drink it, then go back obediently.”

“?…” Xie Xueyi.

The way he said it sounded like a farewell cup before execution.

Xie Xueyi glared at him. “Gege, how can you turn cold and deny everything so quickly? Back on the spirit vessel, when Ruan Li was insulting me, gege still put on the airs of da shixiong and defended me. But in private, you’re this cold and heartless.”

Gu Siyuan nodded. “Just as Xie-shidi said, since I am the da shixiong of the immortal sect, it is only proper for me to protect the reputation of my junior disciples. It is likewise my duty to instruct them to follow the rules.”

Xie Xueyi’s eyes widened.

Well then, you giant block of ice. When it comes to talking back, you really don’t yield an inch.

With a bang, Xie Xueyi sprang to his feet.

Gu Siyuan thought he was about to leave, so he drew out his spirit sword from his waist, intending to escort him on his way.

In the next instant, however, that red figure darted to his side and crouched down, wrapping both arms tightly around his leg. “No. I want to stay with gege.”

“I’ve heard that in the sect, old disciples often bully new ones, and core disciples bully ordinary disciples too. I’m so delicate and pitiful, and I’m this good-looking. If you leave me all day with the ordinary disciples of Qingchen Shan, can you really feel at ease?”

“And even if you feel at ease, if word gets out later that the fiancé of the dignified chief disciple of Qingchen Shan, the da shixiong of Taixuan Xianzong, was bullied and defiled by a bunch of ordinary Qingchen Shan disciples, where would you put your face? How would you ever roam the world with your sword again?”

Hearing him, Gu Siyuan’s mouth twitched slightly.

Then his eyes narrowed. “Qingchen Shan? During the mountain-assignment ceremony when everyone entered the sect, you didn’t join Ziji Shan?”

Xie Xueyi stopped wailing and looked up at him. “Why would I join Ziji Shan?”

Gu Siyuan pinched his chin. “I remember you and Ji Jinghuan are friends.”

Xie Xueyi’s eyes lit up. “Oh my, gege has been paying attention to me all along. So did gege get jealous?”

Gu Siyuan increased the pressure of his grip a little. “Speak properly.”

“Oh…” Xie Xueyi sniffed. “It’s alright, I guess. Actually, I’ve only known Ji Jinghuan for a little over ten days. I just admired that although he’s also a single-spirit-root genius and the chief of one mountain, he still treats his three-spirit-root fiancée with care and devotion. Unlike certain people…”

Gu Siyuan’s expression remained unchanged, pretending not to hear the sarcasm aimed at himself.

His thumb pressed against those soft crimson lips in front of him. “If that’s the case, why come to Qingchen Shan?”

Xie Xueyi parted his teeth and bit the finger once, then put on the expression of someone looking at a heartless scoundrel. “Because Qingchen Shan has you, of course. What’s a friend compared to a fiancé? I just wanted to stay closer to you. Even if you’re heartless and faithless, what can I do? My heart only has room for one person, and that won’t change until death.”

By now, Gu Siyuan was already immune to the random love talk Xie Xueyi blurted out from time to time.

At that moment, what he was thinking about was the change in the original plot.

When he came to this world, the system’s mission had been: change Xie Xueyi’s fate and let him obtain happiness.

But the instant he received that information, he had already felt there was something unreasonable in the mission’s setup.

If this had been an ordinary world, then solving Xie Xueyi’s troubles and protecting him for one lifetime of peace until natural old age would have been manageable—at most a hundred years.

But in a cultivation world, a person’s lifespan could extend without limit as their cultivation increased.

Even if he removed the protagonist gong and shou and all those people who would bring danger to Xie Xueyi, what then? As long as Xie Xueyi kept cultivating, who knew how many years he might live, or what new dangers he might face?

So if Xie Xueyi succeeded in cultivation and gained an endless lifespan, did that mean Gu Siyuan would have to stay here forever, watching over him all the time in case something happened?

If that was the case, then he wasn’t here to carry out a mission—he was here to play some sort of mortal-raises-an-immortal simulation game…

After turning that over in his mind, Gu Siyuan looked at the person before him and said calmly, “You may stay here. But as for our past, you’d best stop mentioning it. Otherwise, it will do you no good.”

Xie Xueyi’s eyes shone brightly. “I knew gege wouldn’t bear to part with me.”

He sprang up from the floor and continued, “Then gege, if I can’t say I’m your fiancé, what should I say outside? That gege took a fancy to my beauty and brought me here to be your sword attendant?”

Gu Siyuan did not mind. He nodded. “Anything is fine. Use whatever excuse you like.”

As the chief disciple of the mountain, having a sword attendant was perfectly normal for him. It was just that the original owner had been wholly absorbed in cultivation and had never liked having other people around.

Xie Xueyi blinked. “Oh my, so gege had already been thinking that way, huh? You’re quite skilled at playing hard to get.”

Gu Siyuan kindly patted his head and said in an easy voice, “I have never liked overly talkative people. If it gets too noisy, I may change my mind.”

Xie Xueyi immediately covered his own mouth and looked at him pitifully. “Gege, I was wrong. Gege, I won’t talk anymore.”

“Good.”

Seeing that he had finally quieted down, Gu Siyuan stopped bothering with him.

He went straight to the purification room next door and began meditating and cultivating.

The original owner’s cultivation was already among the best of the younger generation in Taixuan Xianzong, but in the end, he was still not equal to the protagonist gong Ji Jinghuan.

Not to mention that the war between the righteous and demonic paths would begin before long. Without sufficient battle strength, never mind endless lifespans and missions that were hard to complete—in this world, where people killed without blinking, even preserving his own life would be difficult.

The cultivation method Gu Siyuan practiced was called the Jiutian Xingchen Jue. It was one of the three supreme sect-defending arts of Taixuan Xianzong, and the original owner had only been taught it after breaking through to Jindan and becoming the chief disciple of Qingchen Shan.

Within the entire sect, only the Sect Master, Supreme Elders, the five mountain lords, and the five chief disciples were qualified to cultivate the sect-defending arts—and each person could choose only one.

At the same level, the power of a sect-defending art was several times greater than ordinary techniques, and it also came with secret spirit skills that fit the cultivation method perfectly, making them twice as effective in battle.

The Jiutian Xingchen Jue he practiced came with two secret skills: Zhaixing Shou and Yunxing Jianfa.

However, sect-defending arts were much stronger than ordinary techniques, and naturally much harder to cultivate as well.

Even the chief disciples of the five mountains, all single-spirit-root geniuses with rare comprehension, had only grasped these supreme arts at a superficial level.

The Jiutian Xingchen Jue had ten levels in total. The original owner had cultivated painfully for years and had only just broken through to the third level. The deeper one went, the more the difficulty multiplied. As for the two secret skills, he had not begun Yunxing Jianfa at all, while Zhaixing Shou had only just entered the second stance.

Gu Siyuan sat cross-legged, quieted his heart, and focused his mind. The formulas of the Jiutian Xingchen Jue continuously flowed through his sea of consciousness.

Thanks to the astonishing comprehension brought by the fusion of his two lifetimes of souls, many profound and difficult points that the original owner had never understood now broke open like a bursting tide, one thread of clear understanding after another rising within him.

Starlight spilled down from the heavens.

The stellar spiritual power circulated, rising from his dantian and flowing through his tough, resilient meridians like the Silver River of the Ninth Heaven descending into the mortal world.

The spiritual power cultivated by the Jiutian Xingchen Jue was like stars and light—brilliant and sharp. Bit by bit, thread by thread, silver radiance circled around Gu Siyuan, gradually wrapping him completely.

Xie Xueyi had been leaning by the lake admiring the scenery. By chance, he turned his head and looked through the window, only to see Gu Siyuan seeming like a solemn dharma-form bathed in starlight, or an ascended true immortal wrapped in holy radiance.

When Gu Siyuan finally finished this round of cultivation and emerged from meditation, the Jiutian Xingchen Jue had successfully broken through to the fourth level, Zhaixing Shou had reached the third stance, and even the most difficult Yunxing Jianfa had yielded him a trace of true intent.

Of course, several days had passed as well.

But for cultivators, going into seclusion for years at a time was common enough that no one found it strange.

The moment he opened his eyes, unsurprisingly, the familiar beautiful face appeared before him.

With both hands braced on his knees, Xie Xueyi huffed, “Finally done. You threw me alone into this room while you went off to enjoy yourself in cultivation. Aren’t you ashamed?”

This round of cultivation had gone extremely well, so Gu Siyuan was in a very good mood.

Even in response to Xie Xueyi’s complaining and coquettishness, his tone was unusually mild. “How many days has it been?”

Xie Xueyi’s eyes widened. “Twenty-nine days. Do you know it’s almost been a full month?”

Gu Siyuan nodded and asked again, “You stayed here the whole time and didn’t leave?”

Xie Xueyi snorted. “Of course. The moment you sit down, you enter meditation, and you didn’t even set up any restrictions. What if some blind fool had barged in and disturbed you, causing qi deviation? Only someone as patient as me would stay and guard you the whole time.”

Gu Siyuan clasped his fists and thanked him sincerely. “Many thanks, Xie-shidi.”

Xie Xueyi raised his chin. “Just saying it with words? That’s not sincere at all.”

Gu Siyuan said, “What advice does Xie-shidi have?”

“Hehe, hehe…” Xie Xueyi gave a few wicked little laughs.

But he was so good-looking that even this did not make him seem vulgar—only charming and adorably seductive.

He reached out and tapped Gu Siyuan’s chin, acting like a rogue. “For a great kindness, words of thanks are meaningless. The only proper repayment is to offer yourself. So our Gu beauty can just casually kiss and thank little Master Xie a few times.”

“…” Gu Siyuan.

Indeed, a mission target who truly begged for discipline.

Seeing that he made no move, Xie Xueyi laughed again. “What, is our Gu beauty shy?”

The corner of Gu Siyuan’s lips curved slightly. “Before that, how about I first give Xie-shidi an important piece of news for free, as thanks?”

Xie Xueyi blinked. “What news? Don’t try to deliberately change the subject.”

Gu Siyuan’s expression turned very solemn. “According to Taixuan sect rules, newly admitted disciples must report to the Instruction Office within thirty days of entering the mountain, be tested on their cultivation progress, and complete one sect task. Otherwise, they may be expelled from the sect. Xie-shidi, you have one day left to prepare.”

“…” Xie Xueyi.

Gu Siyuan, with a personality like yours, you really will never get a wife. Truly never.

Xie Xueyi suddenly threw himself onto Gu Siyuan’s lap and wailed, “I wasted twenty-nine days, and it was all because of you. You have to take responsibility. If I get expelled from the sect, I’ll hang a huge sign on my back with six big characters that say: Gu Siyuan the Heartless Scoundrel.”

Gu Siyuan imagined the scene in his mind.

Tsk…

With one hand he lifted the person upright. “Go down the mountain to the Gongfa Pavilion now. With your talent, one day should be enough to get started. As for the sect task, I’ll handle it for you.”

…

Gu Siyuan and Xie Xueyi went down Qingchen Shan together.

The Gongfa Pavilion was one of the most important places in Taixuan Xianzong. It was not located on any of the five mountains, but on Taixuan Mountain, where the Sect Master resided.

As a newly admitted disciple, Xie Xueyi had received his identity token, sword, and robes on the day of mountain assignment after entering the sect. Within thirty days, he could also use his identity token to receive two cultivation methods from the library free of charge.

After that, he would have to exchange sect contributions for them.

On Taixuan Mountain, sword flight was forbidden. Everyone had to proceed on foot. Along the way, the young disciples of the different mountains whom they encountered mostly nodded and greeted Gu Siyuan, whether willingly or not.

Xie Xueyi walked beside Gu Siyuan, skipping up the mountain like a flower butterfly.

As he walked, he asked curiously, “How are you going to help me with the sect task? If I take a task, are you going to do it for me?”

Gu Siyuan shook his head. “Of course not. That would violate sect rules. Once discovered, there would be no room to turn back.”

Xie Xueyi said, “Then what?”

Gu Siyuan replied, “I am the chief disciple of Qingchen Shan and have the right to post tasks at the Mission Hall. I will post one, you will take it, and in the end, I will decide whether it is completed.”

Xie Xueyi puffed out his cheeks. “Heh. Isn’t that still cheating?”

Gu Siyuan glanced at him. “Then you don’t need help anymore, is that it?”

Xie Xueyi hurriedly grabbed the man’s sleeve and fawned over him. “I do, I do. Gege, I super need you.”

Looking at the Gongfa Pavilion now close at hand, he asked again, “Once I go in, what kind of cultivation method should I choose?”

Gu Siyuan answered casually, “Whatever you like.”

Xie Xueyi puffed out his cheeks and grinned. “And what if I choose something too difficult and can’t even enter the basics in one day? What if I fail the test the day after tomorrow?”

Gu Siyuan said flatly, “With my guidance, that won’t happen.”

“Oh my…” Xie Xueyi laughed so hard he bent over, utterly delighted. “As expected of our immortal sect’s da shixiong. So imposing.”

Gu Siyuan reached out to steady him so he would not bump into others.

“You’d best enjoy being imposing for these next eight years. After that, you won’t get the chance.”

Suddenly, a shrill voice rang out.

Xie Xueyi stopped laughing and straightened up to look.

By the stone stele outside the Gongfa Pavilion stood several figures in purple robes, and the leader was someone he knew quite well.

Because all along the journey back to the sect, he had observed this person often.

Gu Siyuan only swept a cold glance over them, then kept walking forward as if he had seen nothing.

But Ruan Li trembled abruptly.

Uncontrollably, his mind recalled what had happened that day.

That bastard Gu Siyuan had actually scolded and intimidated him in public.

At the time, he really had been frightened and failed to react at once, but afterward, the more he thought about it, the more resentful he became.

Gu Siyuan was just someone who had already lost to Jinghuan-ge. What right did he have to scold him? Jinghuan-ge had never spoken to him like that…

What’s more, Jinghuan-ge also disliked Gu Siyuan.

Thinking that, Ruan Li no longer felt afraid. He raised his voice several degrees and said, “Was I wrong? Plenty of people in the sect know it in their hearts, don’t they? In at most another eight years, the title of da shixiong will belong to someone else…”

At those words, many disciples near the entrance of the Gongfa Pavilion began whispering to one another in secret.

The Taixuan Xianzong Five-Mountain Grand Competition was held once every ten years. The last one had been two years ago, and in the final round Gu Siyuan had won without a fight, becoming the sect’s da shixiong.

This time, Xie Xueyi also stopped walking.

At the same time, he reached out and tugged Gu Siyuan’s sleeve.

Gu Siyuan looked at him. “What is it?”

Xie Xueyi’s eyes widened. “I’m angry.”

Gu Siyuan saw through his thoughts at a glance and pinched his cheek. “There’s no need. I’ll handle it.”

Then he turned to face the arrogantly smug Ruan Li. “I agree.”

Ruan Li froze. “…What?”

Gu Siyuan said indifferently, “With the way you’re acting, aren’t you here on Ji-shidi’s behalf to issue a challenge? I accept. The time and place—tell me.”

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