Rebirth: Slice-of-life Cultivation Chapter 3 3 Body Refining

Jiang Ning proceeded down the street, repeatedly contrasting the structures lining both sides with their upcoming transformations.

Once these outdated homes get razed, plenty of relocation residences will spring up, paving the way for a soaring 32-level high-rise to emerge from the earth, destined to serve as a fresh iconic site in the years ahead.

Through Jiang Ning's memories, the overwhelming sense of disconnection slowly faded, allowing a feeling of stability to return.

He detected the nearby Spiritual Energy and noticed its density was far thinner compared to the sect from his prior existence.

The denser the Spiritual Energy, the quicker one's cultivation progresses. Should it drop too low, even someone with his Heavenly Spirit Root would face considerable difficulties.

While Jiang Ning kept moving, after about thirty minutes, he had left the bustling city core behind. The neighborhood here boasted more vegetation, and the Spiritual Energy density had risen by almost a third from earlier levels.

He pressed on and soon found himself at the river embankment, featuring a sleek paved roadway.

Folks were strolling and jogging all around. A few senior men toted compact Bluetooth speakers, broadcasting traditional operas as they ambled at a relaxed pace, while vendors hawked fresh fish along the curb.

Jiang Ning paused off to the side, his eyes scanning the scenery with a broad sweep. Far off, a serene river meandered, dotted with numerous vessels anchored along its expansive hundred-meter breadth.

This marked the Huishui River.

The Spiritual Energy density in this spot surged dramatically beyond that of the urban heart, ample enough to fuel Jiang Ning's cultivation efforts.

This rebirth granted him a fresh opportunity, and Jiang Ning had no intention of abandoning his path in cultivation.

Cultivation offered countless advantages. Even short of attaining immortality, it bolstered physical vitality, prolonged lifespan, and bestowed powers far surpassing those of mere mortals.

Jiang Ning still vividly recalled how, in the future, his relatives battled grave illnesses in hospitals, facing sky-high bills yet failing to avert their deaths; that profound despair and suffering lingered etched in his mind.

These days, by embracing cultivation and ascending to cultivator status, he could craft specific Elixir Pills to safeguard the lifelong well-being of his family.

Besides, thriving in contemporary society without cultivation's aid would render it challenging for Jiang Ning to secure true prosperity and prestige.

Prior to his encounter with the cultivation realm in his former life, he had been nothing more than a typical desk jobber. Despite his foresight into future events, pitting himself against genuine corporate magnates, his strategies might fall short.

Cultivation remained his greatest strength.

Jiang Ning cast a look toward a hamlet nestled below the remote river embankment. Near the barrier, a row of weathered single-story homes drew his attention.

That very spot was where he aimed to secure rental lodging.

During his final university year in that past existence, Jiang Ning had come back to Yuzhou City for practical training when a startling report surfaced.

The overhaul of aged properties involved excavating foundations too deeply, uncovering a tiny container stuffed with gold ingots that ignited a frenzy among laborers, leading to a violent clash that stirred widespread attention.

Back then, Jiang Ning had visited the scene out of curiosity, and the location pinpointed the third single-story home counting from the west.

Presently, that container remained undiscovered, so Jiang Ning could claim it himself and prevent any tragic violence. What reason was there not to?

Events like this had cropped up often in recent years. Take 2017, for example, when a group in Yuzhou analyzed lottery numbers, pooled purchases, and one ticket struck gold with a payout exceeding eight million.

Yet that lay in '17, and lotteries struck Jiang Ning as far too chancy anyway, something he never relied upon. Come 17, having advanced in cultivation, he wouldn't require a simple lottery win to elevate his circumstances.

His immediate task involved securing the rental before classes began, settling in, and then unearthing the container.

The site's distance from Fourth Middle School measured roughly three kilometers, a quick fifteen-minute bike ride or a forty-minute walk, tolerable enough.

Jiang Ning eyed the heavens; the sun had dipped below the horizon. He dialed up his aunt with a simple message that he'd grab dinner outside tonight.

His uncle and cousin managed a eatery, often staying out past midnight, so his aunt raised no fuss upon hearing this, merely passing the word to his cousin's spouse and Shen Qing'e.

Hearing the news, Shen Qing'e experienced a swirl of feelings. She had journeyed to Yuzhou alongside Jiang Ning, who vowed to show her around for enjoyment, yet on their debut day, he pulled this stunt—utterly unacceptable.

She resolved in quiet determination that upon Jiang Ning's return, she wouldn't utter a syllable to him.

Even tomorrow's school visit, she planned to skip tagging along with Jiang Ning, unless he sweet-talked her into it and treated her to another round at the snack stalls!

...

As darkness settled, the lamps along the Huishui River embankment flickered to life, drawing increasing crowds of walkers.

Jiang Ning wandered to and fro, mulling over which cultivation method to pursue.

In his earlier incarnation, the method he followed was the "Ice Soul Life Skill." He had honed it to an advanced stage where emotions and cravings dissolved, rendering him detached from earthly attachments, akin to lifeless timber.

For this new chapter, Jiang Ning vowed never to revisit that path. What joy existed in existence without any yearnings?

Jiang Ning sifted through the methods stored in his memory, and after careful deliberation, he selected three: a core cultivation approach, a Divine Sense technique, and a Body Refinement one.

He resolved to train in all three at once.

Within the Cultivation World, amid abundant Spiritual Energy, Jiang Ning had first concentrated on amplifying his mana alone. It was only after hitting a particular stage that he turned to nurturing his Divine Sense and physique.

However, in the current Real World with its sparse Spiritual Energy, pursuing all three tracks together enabled swift strength gains. Though modern life posed hurdles for cultivation, its immense manufacturing output provided edges the Cultivation World simply couldn't rival.

For instance, the humming sound issuing from the roadside substation enclosure.

A caution label on the enclosure warned, "High Voltage Danger. Keep Away."

Jiang Ning perceived an electromagnetic aura radiating from the substation area. Should a regular individual venture too near, peril could strike.

News outlets frequently covered such mishaps.

Jiang Ning refrained from approaching closely himself. His frame was delicate and untrained, ill-equipped to endure high-voltage shocks.

Among the Luoyun Sect's stores lay a supreme Body Refinement method called the "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Body Tempering Technique." It defined a faction that ascended rapidly millennia ago, owing to their base in a Thunder Domain. At their zenith, they birthed three flawless Nascent Soul experts, warriors of unmatched prowess, ruling the Cultivation World for close to a thousand years.

Yet once the Thunder Domain waned, the group crumbled.

When picking Body Refinement methods in his past life, Jiang Ning had eyed this formidable option but passed it over in the end. Thunder Domains proved rare across the Cultivation World, and drawing on natural lightning clashed with his core cultivation aims.

But here and now, with the substation right at hand, Jiang Ning promptly opted to practice the "Nine Heavens Divine Thunder Body Tempering Technique."

He settled by the roadside, positioned two meters from the substation, oriented toward the Huishui River's gentle current. This spacing felt safe enough; even passing seniors edged nearer than his spot.

Jiang Ning executed the Thunder Skills, leveraging his innate gifts and past-life insights to swiftly grasp the fundamentals.

While the electromagnetic field carried no direct charge, he employed this extraordinary method to challenge the natural order, channeling the electricity into his form from a distance.

"Sss~"

Jiang Ning drew in a sharp breath. The subtle current infiltrating his body provoked an itchy sensation on his skin and raised his hairs, triggering an involuntary tremble, but the night's shroud concealed him from view.

Jiang Ning persisted in directing the current, tempering his physique, and savoring the gradual buildup of power within.

Moments slipped by unnoticed, and the foot traffic on the river embankment swelled before thinning out once more. At last, Jiang Ning rose to his feet.

He tapped his T-shirt with a finger, unleashing a vivid electric spark that gleamed conspicuously.

Jiang Ning balled his hands into fists. His lean muscles bulged, electricity surging through his veins, overflowing with vigor. The wonders of Body Refinement shone through; mere hours of practice equaled two months of jogging.

Such was the true power of Cultivation.

He checked his phone; the clock read 10:30 p.m. already.

"If nothing unexpected happens, Junlong should be on the 11 p.m. high-speed train," Jiang Ning muttered to himself. Jiang Junlong was his uncle's youngest son.