Jiang Tang was once celebrated as a genius, but his remarkable abilities eventually turned him into a resource that powerful organizations wanted to control. After escaping that role, he enters a world filled with cultivators, factions, and larger-than-life figures who all seem determined to define him before he can define himself. Some see a future ruler, others a dangerous rival, and still others simply a useful worker. Jiang, however, insists that he wants an ordinary life. The problem is that every new encounter makes that ordinary future harder to reach—and reveals more about why his abilities matter.
Chapter 32: A New Cultivation Method
Late at night on Cloud and Mist Mountain, the starry nebulae—which lingered year-round—shone as brilliantly and beautifully as the Milky Way. Such a magnificent sight often left the Xian Zong’s new disciples spellbound, but at that moment, in the valley where the Immortal Herb Pavilion stood, none of the disciples were in the mood to admire the sea of starlight. Outside the Immortal Herb Pavilion—whether from the Inner Pavilion or the Outer Pavilion—everyone was now completely absorbed in watching the Xuan Guang Rankings, or gazing at the unmoving silhouette of that dark-skinned, curly-haired youth! He had long held the top spot, yet he continued to widen the gap between himself and the other disciples of the Immortal Herb Pavilion. “He’s about to break the 10,000 mark—who exactly is this Jiang Tang?” “Even if he came from a family of spiritual plant cultivators, it’s impossible to be familiar with so many spiritual plants at such a young age!” “This is defying the heavens!” “Even the most outstanding disciple of the Immortal Herb Pavilion, who had only recently surpassed 7,000 points, suffered a crushing defeat because he couldn’t answer the question—and he was the last one to do so. I’m afraid the Immortal Herb Pavilion will never be able to send another disciple to defeat Jiang Tang!” “Hmm, unless it’s a senior disciple. But those disciples are all over thirty and are competing at the Jade Spirit Palace. As for this low-level disciple’s herbal identification contest, Jiang Tang is sure to take first place. I’ve never heard of an outer hall disciple ever beating one from our own hall.” “Haha, the Immortal Herb Pavilion has really made a complete fool of itself this time!” As the disciples were discussing this, Jiang Tang—who had remained as still as a mountain the entire time—suddenly turned and walked toward the teleportation array. “Huh?” All the disciples watching him were taken aback for a moment, but they quickly snapped back to their senses. He broke the 10,000 mark! Though not an unprecedented feat, this was the first time in over ten thousand points had been achieved in the hundreds of low-tier herbal identification competitions held over the past three thousand years. However, Jiang Tang remained unparalleled in history, for he was the first “little monster” since the Xian Zong’s founding to completely crush the Immortal Herb Pavilion disciples while holding the status of an Outer Pavilion disciple! “I wonder how much the reward will be this time!” Jiang Tang thought to himself. Just as he stepped onto the teleportation array, he seemed to sense something and instinctively turned his head to look at the exquisite doll on his left. The instant their eyes met, a flash of light appeared, and Jiang Tang’s figure vanished. The exquisite doll withdrew her gaze; a radiance flashed around her, and she immediately drifted away. This scene only strengthened the conviction of several female disciples in the Immortal Herb Pavilion that their Junior Great-Uncle and Jiang Tang must be connected—but what exactly was that connection? Their innate, womanly curiosity was in full swing! “I’ve already made some inquiries. This Jiang Tang comes from the Sand Sea. I heard that our Great-Grand-Aunt made a trip to the Sand Sea three years ago. Could it be that she recognized Jiang Tang as a prodigy and recommended him to Xian Zong?” “Hmm, that’s very likely. But why did he end up on Black Reef Island?” “Yeah, why indeed?” Unlike these gossipy female disciples, the rest of the Immortal Herb Pavilion disciples all had ashen faces—especially the new recruits! “Junior Sister Lian’er, rest assured—no matter what, I’ll make sure that Jiang Tang meets a miserable end!” “Senior Brother, please don’t. Senior Brother Jiang probably didn’t mean it. Besides, he’s so talented—after this, even the Pavilion Master will likely want to recruit him into our Pavilion. It’s just a minor incident; Lian’er doesn’t mind. I’m just worried you’ll do something foolish for my sake!” At these words, the male disciple’s expression grew even more grim, and he insisted stubbornly, “If this isn’t considered intentional, where is justice? Where is righteousness? Junior Sister, don’t worry about me—I’m not foolish enough to let anyone catch me red-handed!” Mo Canglian sighed softly. After seeing this senior brother out of the courtyard, she watched his receding figure. Just as her gaze grew somber, it suddenly—in the blink of an eye—shifted back to a look of pitiful vulnerability! At the same time, another male disciple floated up outside the courtyard. Looking at Mo Canglian, he smiled and said, “Junior Sister Lian’er, coming out to greet me personally—you’re truly flattering this senior brother!” “Senior Brother, please don’t tease Lian’er. If you’re here to pick a fight with Senior Brother Jiang just because of me, then don’t even mention it—Lian’er doesn’t…” “Waaah!” By the end of her sentence, Mo Canglian had actually burst into tears again, leaving the newly arrived male disciple with a sinking feeling in his heart as his own expression darkened! “Jiang Tang！” That name had spread throughout the entire lower ranks of Xian Zong practically overnight! As for Jiang Tang himself, he remained completely oblivious. “I had just turned ten, Yu Long was nearly eleven, and the other three were only slightly older than Yu Long—but even the one closest to my age was still eight months behind me.” Eight months, in Jiang Tang’s eyes today, seemed like the blink of an eye, but back then, each day felt like an eternity! Bearing the hopes of everyone in his branch of the family, Jiang Tang trained relentlessly every day. He would squeeze his Yuan Power to the point where his energy vortex was on the verge of collapse, then frantically absorb crystal stones to replenish it, only to drain it all again—repeating this cycle over and over. His personal record was once 103 times in a single day. This cultivation method was the best recourse for those lacking natural talent—relying solely on hard work. Of course, it also required a massive reserve of crystal stones, but the process was excruciating: constantly pushing his limits, with the risk of losing control and falling into madness if he wasn’t careful. Yet its efficiency was undeniable. In the records spanning ten thousand years on Nikuang Mountain, only eight people had ever exceeded one hundred sessions in a single day; Jiang Tang was the ninth, which speaks volumes about the sheer intensity of his dedication! Yet now, Jiang Tang likely couldn’t even manage ten repetitions. It wasn’t that he lacked perseverance—after all, low-tier cultivation doesn’t require one to worry about bloodline—but rather, he simply didn’t have enough crystal stones! From the mid-Yuanwu stage to the early Qiwu stage, he had already spent three hundred crystals just cultivating the Golden Gangs True Qi. Yet the Ao Long Decision of Nikuang Mountain consumes even more than that. As Jiang Tang progressed from a Mortal Body to a Spirit Martial Body, he couldn’t possibly keep track of how many crystals he’d burned through—he only knew that his family’s accumulated wealth spanning several generations had been completely depleted. That was fifty thousand crystals! Later, his clan provided him with a substantial amount more and even brought him to the area of Nikuang Mountain with the densest concentration of Primordial Qi—and that’s what made him the strongest human prodigy! “It’s been a long time since I’ve cultivated like this—it can’t hurt to give it a try.” Jiang Tang suddenly felt a surge of enthusiasm and immediately assumed the lotus position. Instantly, the Yin-Yang Fish within his body began spinning wildly. With every rotation, the demonic energy and spiritual power they released—like countless pairs of intertwined serpents—streamed out of the vortex in all directions, slithering into the Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Just before the meridians were about to burst, the energy squeezed out in fine threads, seeping into his flesh and bones. But before long, the two forces—which had been forcibly nourishing his blood, bones, muscles, and tendons—expanded to the point of bursting. They transformed once more into even finer serpents, emerging by the thousands from his pores and dissipating completely. “Hmm?” Dongfang sensed something and looked at Jiang Tang in puzzlement. “What is this…” Qiong Sang was also momentarily taken aback, then exclaimed in surprise, “Just as I suspected—I’ve sensed this ever since I entered your memories. Now that I see it, it’s indeed the tempering technique of the Ancient Divine Lineage, albeit a simplified version.” Having spent a long time with Dongfang, Qiong Sang’s manner of speaking had changed considerably. “What do you mean?” Dongfang asked curiously. Qiong Sang glanced at the demonic energy drifting through the room and said, “Do you know why the spiritual energy disappears after it’s released?” Dongfang replied, “All I know so far is that spiritual energy is a purified form of primordial energy, but it still can’t compare to demonic energy. It must be absorbed by the demonic energy once it leaves Jiang Tang’s body.” “You…” Qiong Sang didn’t even know how to describe this guy—a freak? Under these circumstances, Dongfang’s eyes alone would never have been able to detect this, yet he had still figured it out! How could he not be a freak? “Exactly,” Qiong Sang nodded, then continued, “This is what makes demonic energy so terrifying. Divine power gathers the energy of all things. When the Divine Descendants absorb divine power, they retain the good and expel the bad—and thus demonic energy is born. Just as all things can become spiritual energy, so too can demonic energy. When it accumulates in great quantities and persists for a long time, the Formless Demon emerges!” Looking at Jiang Tang, Qiong Sang offered further guidance: “Little Jiang Zi, your current cultivation method is too wasteful. You should split your body in half—one half to absorb demonic energy and draw power from crystals, while the other half releases it. As the energy vortex rotates, shift one half by a hair’s breadth. When yin and yang are reversed, that is the ‘Minor Celestial Circuit’!” Although Jiang Tang was in the midst of cultivation, he hadn’t entered a meditative state. Upon hearing Qiong Sang’s words, he was surprised but eager to give it a try. So he took out a crystal stone and practiced according to Qiong Sang’s method for a moment—only to find himself drenched in sweat and forced to stop. “This is completely impossible to practice—it’s too difficult. It’s just like countless walls waiting for me to crash into them,” Jiang Tang shook his head repeatedly. “It’s precisely because it’s difficult that I’m having you do it. The cultivation methods of the Divine Descendants have far too many drawbacks. You could say they’re just a bunch of spoiled brats who know nothing but how to squander their inheritance. In the end, how many of them will actually become gods?” “Mountain deities are gods too,” Jiang Tang retorted irritably. “Right, and your family even has the Kitchen God.” For the first time, Qiong Sang was at a loss for words. What on earth is this kid thinking? He was talking about true ancient deities—beings who created the heavens and the earth and brought forth countless living creatures—and yet this guy… “Xiao Jiang Zi, you must remember: to become a true Supreme Being, you must walk your own path. If your ‘Path of the Heart’ is to follow the Supreme, you must pioneer your own cultivation method.” “Has no one ever used this kind of cultivation method?” Jiang Tang frowned. “Of course not—I just made it up.” “Damn it! A made-up cultivation method—aren’t you afraid someone might die!” Jiang Tang really wanted to smash this guy’s sly cat-like face with a single palm strike! Qiong Sang, however, said smugly, “What’s there to be afraid of? You have to trust my 100,000 years of experience.” “Fine. I’ve also realized that my previous cultivation methods no longer suit me.” Jiang Tang was now well aware of the power of the Yin-Yang Fish Vortex; in his demonized state, he was unrivaled among peers of the same rank—but he couldn’t see a future ahead! But Jiang Tang didn’t want to give up. Since he’d set foot on this path, he was prepared to see it through to the bitter end! For three full days, Jiang Tang experimented with a completely new cultivation method. Although he was unable to enter a meditative state, he finally managed to complete a minor celestial circuit. During this time, the hardships and pain had become almost numbing to him! After recording Jiang Tang’s condition in his spiritual brain, Dongfang said, “Not bad—this method of cultivation is much better. However, the magical duels are about to begin, and earning crystals is the top priority.”
