Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard” Chapter 5: Su Yuan, the Book Lover
Previously on Steady Cultivation: Starting With the Perk “Work Hard, Rest Hard”...
Memories kept resurfacing one after another.
Before he knew it, quite a while had elapsed.
Yinqin gazed upward at the heavens, feeling a bit perplexed.
Darkness had already cloaked the sky.
Without meaning to, he peered inward and spotted the young lad still absorbed in sifting through assorted volumes, completely immersed.
He scrutinized it nearer.
"Thirty-six Cooking Methods for the Azure Spirit Rabbit."
The corner of his mouth spasmed. This youngster...
Yinqin let out a light cough.
Su Yuan raised his head and shot a quick look.Yinqin beamed amiably: "Junior Brother, while this place overflows with random tomes, it holds cultivation-related ones too. For instance, the seventh volume on the seventh rack bears the title 'Detailed Explanation of the Azure Wood Technique.' It delivers in-depth breakdowns of wood-attribute cultivation arts. Though the Azure Wood Technique counts as just a low-grade yellow-tier skill and might not match your needs, comprehending one art paves the way to grasping others. The core concepts within build the bedrock of cultivation. Peering into it always proves worthwhile! Concerning that book in your hands, hehe."
"Who taught you that?"
"My master..." Yinqin shot Su Yuan a fierce glare, "You rascal, you need a good thrashing!"
Su Yuan let out a stiff chuckle: "Apologies, it just came out. I'll check it out for real this time!"
"Mm, plenty of such volumes exist. You need to examine them closely and possess the vision to uncover the Dao's marvels!"
Yinqin grinned contentedly. It felt like he witnessed a legacy passing on, a sort of...
All at once, his eyes bulged as he watched Su Yuan grab that volume and leaf through its pages like a simple illustrated tale. In moments, he finished it entirely, shelved it away, then scanned the racks and swiftly located a tome named "The Beginning and End of Opening a Hundred Orifices," which indeed aided cultivation, yet...
He observed Su Yuan speed-flipping through books once more, but such hasty browsing screamed playfulness, not true learning!
Yinqin shut his eyes and heaved a profound sigh: "Indeed, rotten wood can't be sculpted!"
"Who're you referring to?"
"I..."
Yinqin's eyes flew open, and there stood Su Yuan right in front of him somehow.
"Senior Brother, may I borrow these books to read back at my place?" Su Yuan inquired.
In his arms sat several volumes, the top one labeled "Some Stories of the Red Mansion."
Yinqin furrowed his brow: "No removing books, return them! What nonsense is that!"
"Such a shame. Guess I'll return tomorrow then!" Su Yuan regretfully returned the books.
Su Yuan prepared to depart the library.
"What's your name?"
A voice rang out from behind.
"I'm Su Yuan, Senior Brother!"
"Fine, I've got it noted!"
[ Ding! Reputation +1! ]
Su Yuan froze and spun to face the senior brother.
The senior brother had already shut his eyes once more, nodding off.
A flicker of doubt stirred in Su Yuan.
Returning to his quarters, Su Yuan relaxed briefly. Once the entry's rest hit six hours, he attempted cultivation anew.
Initially, the day's readings surged back into his thoughts. What had zipped by earlier now got recalled swiftly, committed to memory, and comprehended. His grasp of cultivation gradually sharpened, like gaining scattered epiphanies, albeit piecemeal.
Su Yuan brushed it off and shifted to running the Meridian Rotation.
This round, he managed to initiate Meridian Rotation using three wisps of spiritual energy via the Triangle Spin method. Yet upon completion, his spiritual energy merely grew by five wisps!
This stemmed from his enhanced mastery.
"Looks like longer rests boost cultivation gains, but limits surely exist; else it'd be overly divine."
Su Yuan murmured, then dropped out of the entry mode and promptly collapsed into bed for sleep.
Dawn arrived.
Su Yuan awoke naturally, took his time freshening up, then blankly eyed the Fasting Pill.
"This pill's flavor is truly vile!"
Su Yuan held his nose and gulped it down with liquid, skipping any chewing. The acrid aftertaste clung stubbornly to his tongue.
"Which alchemist crafted this? Why not mix in some sweet syrup?"
Su Yuan pondered pursuing alchemy himself but saw it as unfeasible currently.
Next, he mulled sourcing fresh produce and spices, yet his pouch held zero Fragment Spirit Stones, leaving no funds for purchases even if markets existed.
Just as he exhaled in frustration, Zhang Wei dropped by once more.
Su Yuan anticipated it; the door stayed ajar.
Zhang Wei shoved the door wide with a broad grin.
"Hey, what great tidings bring you today?" Su Yuan queried.
"Hahaha, wager a guess on my Dantian's spiritual energy count now?"
"Thirty?" Su Yuan ventured.
"Thirty-five!" Zhang Wei planted hands on hips, beaming smugly.
"I slyly learned that fool Zhou Wuyou has scraped together just eighteen wisps of spiritual energy yet struts like a peacock. Laughable! See his sheer cluelessness! Tsk tsk, small wonder it's me—mystical tier arts simply dominate! Add my low-grade dual spirit roots and sharp aptitude, and my progress likely matches top mid-grade spirit roots!"
Zhang Wei's smugness shone through, so he swung by specifically to boast to him!
Su Yuan puzzled over Zhang Wei's habit of bragging solely to him, not fellow disciples.
In truth, even Zhang Wei couldn't explain it. Su Yuan just struck him as unique, extraordinary, though he couldn't nail down why.
Likely because Su Yuan, as a transmigrator, lacked the deference others showed to privileged young masters. He engaged them on equal footing. Backed by his system, he exuded confidence in speech. Sprinkling novel phrases now and then piqued Zhang Wei's interest.
Su Yuan checked his spiritual energy: a mere thirty wisps. It paled against Zhang Wei's, yet Su Yuan's practice duration was far briefer, his arts and supplies vastly inferior. Despite that, he'd outpaced Zhou Wuyou. Overtaking Zhang Wei loomed as inevitable.
"Oh yeah, any lecture scheduled today?"
"Absolutely! I checked yesterday already. Two sessions await. One covers insights on the 'Fire Departure Technique,' the other basics of the 'Thick Earth Technique.' I'm Gold-Water roots; no point for me!" Zhang Wei waved it off.
"Hold on, a senior brother mentioned that delving into one art illuminates all. Even if these don't align with you, their cultivation tenets link up and form the essentials. Listening benefits everyone!" Su Yuan countered promptly.
"Who said so?" Zhang Wei blinked in astonishment.
"The library's guardian senior brother!" Su Yuan explained.
Zhang Wei scratched his head: "So, what took you to the library?"
"Doesn't matter!" Su Yuan replied. "I'm attending regardless. Joining me?"
"Sure, perfect chance to ease my meridians. That spirit replenishing liquid exhausts too fiercely!" Zhang Wei agreed.
The pair reached the lecture hall without hitch. This gathering shrank compared to the prior one yet packed the space solidly.
Newcomers' hunger for cultivation wisdom burned bright.
As the hour struck, a roaring blaze ten meters tall burst onstage, drawing gasps from the audience. From the inferno emerged a stunning woman clad in scarlet feathered attire, her pale complexion radiant amid the blaze, utterly captivating.
The fire dissipated, and the enchantress offered a subtle smile. Her rich tone resounded through the hall: "I'm the inner sect's second senior sister, Nangong Huoyu. Today's session covers the second lesson in the 'Fire Departure Technique.' Though common and low-ranked, this art boasts its strengths!"
"Flames rage with power yet harbor life force. Fire scorches everything but also revives the earth. Without warmth and illumination, no life thrives. The 'Fire Departure Technique' I impart starts from fire's bursting nature. What's termed...
Zhang Wei hung on every word. Initially deeming the 'Fire Departure Technique' irrelevant, he soon caught sparks of realization—like honing jade with a foreign gem. The gains were modest, yet superior to solo pondering!
Thus, he focused sharper.
Out of habit, he glanced over and found Su Yuan with head lowered, mind gradually absorbing. This signaled engagement with the material.
Edging nearer, Zhang Wei caught Su Yuan's soft, steady snores... the chap was napping!
Zhang Wei went quiet briefly, elbowed Su Yuan, who blinked up in bewilderment.
Zhang Wei quelled his urge to snap and faced forward to keep absorbing.
Su Yuan eyed Zhang Wei curiously, yawned, and nodded off anew. Grasping arts demanded too much effort and would halt his rest buildup. Far wiser to recharge fully now for peak vigor in future sessions!
The finest perk of these lectures lay in the inner sect elders' indifference to attention; they delivered, and as long as no disruptions arose, all was well.
Hence, the session wrapped up. The senior sister morphed into flames and vanished. Impressive entry and exit!
"Come on, cultivation time!" Zhang Wei slapped Su Yuan's shoulder.
"But isn't the next class up?" Su Yuan queried, befuddled.
"It is, but the impact's negligible. I'd sooner cultivate and catch the Gold-Water session later!" Zhang Wei declared.
Su Yuan bobbed his head: "Got it! Best of luck then!"
Zhang Wei rose. Spotting Su Yuan rooted in place, he asked strangely: "You staying?"
"Yep, I plan to attend. As that senior brother said, one art unlocks all...
"Enough!" Zhang Wei chuckled ruefully. "I, Zhang Wei, bow to no one ever. You're the exception! Keep at it, I'm heading out!"
"See ya!" Su Yuan waved.
Zhang Wei rubbed his forehead and shook his head en route.
"You'll regret it come the exams!" Zhang Wei grumbled under his breath.
Su Yuan stayed composed, unmoving, awaiting the next session directly.
A few disciples lingered too, so Su Yuan blended in unnoticed.
Thirty minutes later, the third lecture commenced!
This round, attendance dipped below full but exceeded three hundred.
The instructor, an inner sect senior brother of robust frame, expounded on the 'Thick Earth Technique' clearly and accessibly—far less baffling than Zhuge Jian's style!
His looks were ordinary, but his delivery excelled.
Su Yuan refrained from deep pondering, letting the words flow through passively, etching them into memory for later epiphany bursts amid entry cultivation.
The talk concluded after ninety minutes.
Su Yuan weaved unsteadily to the library and encountered the elder senior brother afresh.
"Senior Brother, here to read!"
Yinqin kept his gaze down and merely hummed.
Su Yuan dipped a slight bow, then dashed to browse volumes. Upon spotting intriguing non-cultivation works, he delved in closely. For cultivation material, he glanced over thoughtlessly.
And so, deep into the night, as the library shut, Su Yuan departed with reluctance.
Yinqin eyed Su Yuan's retreating form and jerked his lip: "Where'd this fool kid pop from? Skipping proper cultivation, utterly beyond saving!"