When the Disciple Token spoke of being the most knowledgeable existence, it deliberately paused, cleared its throat, then continued:
"Ahem, ahem."
"I entered the Heaven Defying Sect ten years ago and flawlessly passed the most difficult disciple trial in its history."
"Eight years ago, I became the Inner Sect's foremost disciple and earned the recognition of every elder. They fought over taking me as their disciple, until Grandmaster emerged from seclusion and took me away."
"Five years ago, I emerged from seclusion already as the Cultivation World's greatest prodigy. At the same time, I acquired all the knowledge of the Heaven Defying Sect. There is nothing I do not know."
"Now, the Heaven Defying Sect has decided to let me take responsibility for nurturing its new disciples. Grandmaster said that seeing young new disciples like you would keep me from forgetting the road I came from and let me forever remember my original heart."
"However, I never expected to encounter you."
"Hehe~ Ning Ri, I am truly surprised. I never thought I would see you among the ranks of new disciples."
"With talent equal to mine, you should not have ended up like this."
"I am now a renowned figure in the Cultivation World. By all rights, you too should have risen to fame. Yet while I walk shoulder to shoulder with the other elders of the Heaven Defying Sect, you still have to take this disciple trial and start all over again."
"I am somewhat disappointed, somewhat sighing at the changes of fate, but... it does not matter. I have never been a petty person. Since your fortune runs deep enough for you to receive my guidance now—"
"I will surely make you understand what cultivation truly is!"
The Disciple Token's voice was light and breezy, yet tinged with faint arrogance and contempt.
It was an embodiment of superiority.
Though it had not openly looked down on him, it somehow made his stomach burn with anger.
After thinking for a moment, Ning Ri said, "Transfer me to a human agent."
The moment he spoke—
The Disciple Token fell silent again.
After a long silence, it said:
"Your question is too complex. The token failed to understand it. Please ask again."
Ning Ri chuckled smugly, but the expression on his face quickly turned speechless.
Why was he getting worked up with a Disciple Token?
How was this any different from arguing with an intelligent customer service assistant on the phone?
Then Ning Ri steadied himself, directly treated it as an AI, and asked, "Hello. Since you are going to nurture me, you need to answer my questions properly."
Disciple Token: "Fine. I will try my best to satisfy you."
Ning Ri: "Then let me ask you: what is an Anomaly?"
The Disciple Token said in surprise, "You do not even understand that?"
As it spoke, an unconcealable sense of superiority radiated from it.
Ning Ri: "?"
Could you just answer properly, man? Why were you throwing questions back at me?
Didn't I choose the warm and considerate one?
The Disciple Token continued, "However, since you are still at this level of cultivation after all these years, I assumed you would not understand. So I have already organized the information for you in advance. I will pick out the key points and read them to you."
Ning Ri gave a hum. That sounded more like it.
The Disciple Token said, "When Grandmaster personally taught me, he once told me..."
"An Anomaly is called an Anomaly because it is a place with countless rules that differ from those of the normal Cultivation World."
"Those rules are strange, absurd, and bizarre... If one fails to act according to them, one will face injury, suffering, and even death. That is why they are called Anomalies."
"Mm, I remember Grandmaster saying that Anomalies are divided into Innate Anomalies and Acquired Anomalies."
"Innate Anomalies evolved from secret realms. Oh... I forgot. You have wasted too much time and do not know what secret realms are. Truly..."
Ning Ri: "?"
The Disciple Token said, "Let me explain it to you from the beginning."
"Our Cultivation World contains countless small worlds. Those small worlds are secret realms."
"At first, ownerless secret realms had no restrictions whatsoever. Only after cultivators took control of them would they alter the conditions and methods for entering them."
"Until one day, no one knew what happened between Heaven and Earth, and the secret realms underwent drastic changes."
"Ownerless secret realms became exceptionally strange, while controlled secret realms also descended into chaos, leaving countless dead and wounded."
"And that is an Innate Anomaly!"
"Do you understand?"
After listening, Ning Ri nodded slightly. So that was how it was. But he said aloud, "Your explanation was terrible. I could not understand it."
He was stress-testing how well the Disciple Token's persona had been designed.
If he could give whoever made the Disciple Token some suggestions for improvement, perhaps he could earn a little more contribution.
After hearing this, the Disciple Token became somewhat angry. "How can you not even understand this... Forget it. Since you do not understand, I will explain it to you again..."
Seeing this, Ning Ri hurriedly stopped it. "No need. I understand now. Next, tell me about Acquired Anomalies."
The Disciple Token said, "Acquired Anomalies are formed after powerful beings fall. Some speculate that after the changes in Heaven and Earth, Anomalies invaded the corpses of powerful beings and ultimately created anomalous lands."
"These Acquired Anomalies are more perilous and terrifying than Innate Anomalies, and they are extremely complex."
Hearing that, Ning Ri suddenly understood. Then he asked, "Then what does taming an Anomaly mean?"
Disciple Token: "Taming an Anomaly? Do you even need to ask? Naturally, it means controlling it. Has your ability to comprehend truly become this terrible?"
There was deep disappointment in its words.
Ning Ri: "..."
What exactly were you disappointed about?
Forget it. He had chosen this persona himself. Next time, he would find a normal one.
Only then did the Disciple Token say, "Taming an Anomaly is an uncontrollable ability. No one knows what one must do to tame an Anomaly."
"Some people simply act according to an Anomaly's rules and eventually control it. Others need to keep divining hexagrams until they eventually control it. Still others rely on endlessly stir-frying and cooking meals until they eventually control it..."
"There are no patterns or methods to taming Anomalies."
Upon hearing this, Ning Ri gained a basic understanding of Anomalies.
Ning Ri asked curiously again, "But are mortals not troubled by Anomalies?"
He had been a mortal for so many years, yet he had never even heard of Anomalies...
Disciple Token: "Of course mortals are troubled by Anomalies. How could you think otherwise? You are far too ignorant! Are you really Ning Ri, who can be mentioned in the same breath as me?"
Ning Ri laughed in anger. "..."
The Disciple Token said, "A mortal's Anomaly is this: without the help of cultivators, they cannot obtain methods of cultivation."
"They must be taught cultivation techniques by living cultivators before they can cultivate."
"In ancient times, mortals who encountered fortunate opportunities could receive inheritances and establish themselves as immortals. But nowadays, even if mortals pass through places of inheritance, they gain nothing."
Ning Ri froze when he heard that—
Was that true?
Then... how had he managed it?
His Qi Refining Art had been obtained by chance—
He had suddenly picked it up one night.
At the time, he thought he had encountered a fortunate opportunity. Later, after discovering that the technique was the Qi Refining Art and was incomplete, he had even clicked his tongue...
But after hearing the Disciple Token say this, Ning Ri's thoughts immediately became subtle...
The Disciple Token said, "And because mortals carry the Mortal Anomaly upon them, they will not suffer interference from other Anomalies."
"Only after they become cultivators will the Mortal Anomaly be broken."
"So, do you understand now?"
If you think this book is good, remember to add it to your bookshelf so you do not have trouble finding it next time.
Before you continue