Cultivation and Experiments!

"Future spacetime!"

Meng Nan closed his notebook and considered this other spacetime again.

It seemed that both the future spacetime from his previous life and the future spacetime from this life had unfolded on the basis that there was no "Information Panel" and he could no longer "open future spacetime."

"And both began from the present spacetime."

Everything he had experienced in the real spacetime in his previous life had already been set in that future spacetime. Nothing had changed.

This life was the same. Even his finding Qian Yuji and killing Zhou Shan had already been things he'd experienced.

"The past is set."

"The future holds infinite possibilities."

"What I experienced these two times was only a possibility, not an inevitability."

"In other words, twelve years from now, I might be circulating Inner Qi, but it's also possible that some fortuitous opportunity or twist of fate will make me a Qi Refining Immortal Master."

Meng Nan sorted out his thoughts, and his eyes lit up.

As long as he could keep opening future spacetime, that day would come sooner or later.

And perhaps he could reach even higher than a Qi Refining Immortal Master.

He might even become a true immortal.

"But—"

At that thought, Meng Nan remembered something else and couldn't help shaking his head.

If he really reached such a future spacetime, according to the mechanics of the "Information Panel," his cultivation would still correspond to his level in reality.

He might look like an immortal.

But he wouldn't even be at the Qi Refining level.

That would be awkward.

No point thinking too much.

He had to focus on the present.

"With twelve years' worth of cultivation experience—and my own experience at that—I should be able to progress faster from now on."

Considering the circumstances of this life, Meng Nan thought about what he should do and where he needed to improve.

Cultivation!

Training!

He absolutely had to raise his cultivation.

At the very least, he had to reach the "Inner Qi circulation" level and catch up to where he'd been in this life.

After that, he'd have to prepare for the next time he opened future spacetime in reality.

"Spirit Sand."

"Sacrifice."

During those twelve years, Meng Nan's diary had included records about "Spirit Sand." Not where to find it, but information about it.

He'd learned that Spirit Sand was an extremely important cultivation resource, one that Qi Refining Immortal Masters needed for their training. It was never shared with outsiders, and was incredibly difficult to find at the Inner Qi and True Qi stages.

Even among True Essence cultivators, only a few received a small amount, even if they became disciples of the Tianlin Immortal Master of Tianlin Cave.

With Meng Nan's cultivation and background in reality, he could forget about getting any.

And he'd never heard of anyone finding Spirit Sand lying around.

"Spirit Sand is out of reach for the time being."

"I'll have to rely on 'sacrifice.'"

Sacrifice meant killing people, and the stronger the victim, the better.

So he couldn't neglect his spell training.

In his previous life, Meng Nan had focused on one technique, the "Spirit Wandering Steps." Over the twelve years of careful study in this life, he'd mastered another as well: "Pine Wind Swordplay"—

As powerful as a pine, as swift as the wind.

The swordplay emphasized speed and force, following a nimble style that paired perfectly with the "Spirit Wandering Steps."

At the Fetal Breath Stage.

At the Inner Qi Stage.

Even at the True Qi Stage.

The so-called "spells" cultivated at these stages were all similar to mundane martial arts. True spells like the "Fireball Spell" and the "Earth Evasion Spell" were difficult to activate with Inner Breath, Inner Qi, or True Qi, let alone cultivate. He shouldn't even think about them.

Even if there were spells that Inner Qi or True Qi cultivators could practice, Meng Nan was too low-born to get his hands on them.

However—

"The Blood Arrow Secret Technique!"

The only thing that could be called a spell was the "Blood Arrow Secret Technique" left behind by the nameless Inner Qi cultivator whom he and Zhao Xiaoshuang had fought to the death and finally killed.

Meng Nan had no memory of what happened then.

But Zhao Xiaoshuang had told him that the man they'd fought together had quickly begun to falter. Just as they were about to kill him, he'd suddenly spat a blood curse and shot a blood arrow from his mouth. It carried blood and force, pierced Meng Nan's body, and shredded his heart and lungs beyond repair. No medicine could save him; all he could do was wait to die.

The "Blood Arrow Secret Technique" was no simple matter.

If he studied it carefully, it might become a trump card he could use to kill those above his level.

"Break through to the Inner Qi Stage."

"Master the 'Blood Arrow Secret Technique.'"

Meng Nan looked at the bamboo grove undulating like waves and set two small goals for this life.

It was September of Immortal Year 30.

Meng Nan's previous life had also reached Immortal Year 30, but it had been April, a little earlier.

If the next eight years followed the course of his previous life, then in another year or two, the first Immortal Master in Tianlin Cave in decades would achieve his breakthrough.

"Zheng Shanpeng."

Meng Nan remembered the man's name. He'd also looked into his past.

But it was no use.

Zheng Shanpeng had shown an aptitude for cultivation at an early age and entered Tianlin Cave to train. After reaching the True Essence Stage, he was taken in by the Tianlin Immortal Master as a personal disciple.

That had happened more than ten years ago.

In other words, in the present spacetime, Zheng Shanpeng was already the Tianlin Immortal Master's personal disciple. He had an exalted status and was widely recognized as a top cultivation prodigy with the makings of an Immortal Master. A great many people wanted to curry favor with him, including prospective cultivators at the True Essence Stage.

And Meng Nan?

He was nobody!

"I can't get close to Zheng Shanpeng for now."

"I don't know who the prominent figures in the other villages and strongholds are, either."

"But I know exactly who in Yinlian Village will reach the Inner Qi Stage and who will make it to the True Qi Stage over the next eight years."

"Even if the changes involving Zhou Shan and Zhou Boren lead to some unexpected twists, these people all have a certain aptitude. They've genuinely achieved those breakthroughs."

If Meng Nan wanted to cultivate better and build a solid foundation in Yinlian Village, then gradually expand his influence and keep improving, he had to get these promising talents on his side.

Especially the one from an ordinary background who would reach the True Qi Stage.

"I've got nothing better to do."

"I'll get to know them."

"In a few years, I'll have a few more Inner Qi peers and a few more True Qi cultivators to learn from."

A journey of a thousand miles began with a single step.

Only by gathering things bit by bit could a great river finally take shape.

With an advantage like the "Information Panel," Meng Nan had to play it safe at first. Once he was certain that he could complete the "opening progress" whenever he wanted in reality, opening future spacetime would become much easier. Then he could afford to take a few risks.

But for now—

"Steady first!"

Cultivation in the "Visualization Realm" centered on "increasing Inner Breath" and the "Qi Circulation Diagram."

For many people, including Meng Nan in the past, increasing Inner Breath had been a major hurdle—

It took three to five months just to increase it by one point. What was the point of cultivating?

Even with eight years of cultivation experience and twenty-four Breaths, Meng Nan could only increase his Inner Breath by two points after a month of hard training.

With the Visualization Realm capped at one hundred, it would still take four years.

Spending his energy on cultivating Inner Breath made it even harder to sketch out the "Qi Circulation Diagram."

Fortunately, Meng Nan also had the "Suoluo Seed."

"With this spirit fruit, increasing Inner Breath won't be hard."

That left only the "Qi Circulation Diagram" as a challenge.

In the bamboo grove.

Inside the house.

Meng Nan sat cross-legged, his upper body straight and his whole body relaxed and natural. With every breath in and out, the true skill revealed itself.

His faint Inner Breath stirred with his cultivation, as if it too were breathing, and gradually showed signs of growing stronger. But the growth was slow. At his current pace, it would take half a month to make even a little progress. He knew that because he had the "Information Panel."

Other people didn't have an Information Panel, and couldn't quantify their Inner Breath, so they couldn't see it.

Meng Nan didn't worry about his Inner Breath's progress. With the "Suoluo Seed," he could raise it whenever he wanted.

He focused most of his energy on the "Qi Circulation Diagram."

In this state, Meng Nan visualized a "Qi Circulation Diagram"—

It took the form of the Thunder God, mighty and imposing, with a whip in one hand and a seal in the other.

The Thunder God descended.

The image shifted from unreal to real.

A "Qi Circulation Diagram" gradually appeared on the Thunder God's body, indistinct and flickering. Only the beginning was visible, with no way forward. Someone had to guide the flow of energy into it and keep testing, keep trying, until they finally worked out a complete "Qi Circulation Diagram." Only then could the Inner Breath transform and the cultivator advance to the next realm.

The process required precision.

The slightest slip could lead to an error.

Meng Nan kept four kinds of cultivation notes—

The first covered techniques, mainly the "Spirit Wandering Steps" and "Pine Wind Swordplay."

The second tracked his cultivation progress: when he'd reached each stage, and at what point in time. He recorded it so that Meng Nan could compare his current progress against it.

The third was a collection of mistakes. It included all kinds of unnecessary errors that did nothing to help cultivation or teach him a lesson, and only wasted time. Meng Nan recorded them so he wouldn't make the same mistakes from the start.

The fourth covered insights and reflections.

Meng Nan should only read the entries for a particular stage when he reached that stage of cultivation. They contained all kinds of insights, but it was best for him to work them out for himself as he trained.

Knowledge gained from books always felt shallow.

Insights gained firsthand ran deeper.

If he first came to an understanding on his own, then used these notes to fill in what he'd missed, the lesson might sink in even more deeply. Later, he could also save some time organizing his thoughts and speed up his progress.

With these methods all working together—

He caught up!

Made fewer mistakes!

Gained a deeper understanding!

All of it helped Meng Nan's cultivation speed finally pick up.

Especially when he compared it to his cultivation over the previous twelve years: each day was faster than the last. A sense of accomplishment welled up as he could see exactly how far ahead he was and how much time he'd made up.

He cultivated like this.

When he returned to reality, he'd have to cultivate all over again, reinforcing everything once more. His foundation would become even firmer and his understanding more thorough.

Time passed.

Meng Nan immersed himself in his cultivation, making progress every day as his cultivation rapidly improved.

Zhao Xiaoshuang hadn't neglected her training, either.

After going through a life-and-death separation, her mind seemed to have been tempered, and her cultivation advanced a little. To his surprise, she broke through to the "Inner Qi Minor Heavenly Cycle" in one leap.

It was an unexpected delight.

When it came to cultivation aptitude, Zhao Xiaoshuang was better than Meng Nan.

They had both started cultivating at sixteen. When they married, Zhao Xiaoshuang had reached the Qi Sensing Realm, while Meng Nan had only reached the Stillness Realm.

That made it clear enough.

Twelve years ago, Meng Nan had been a little ahead of Zhao Xiaoshuang thanks to his eight years of cultivation experience. But over the following twelve years, she'd long since caught up and overtaken him.

Now Zhao Xiaoshuang could cultivate for thirty-five Breaths at a time, while Meng Nan had only managed thirty-three Breaths before he died.

One had started at "Sixteen Breaths," the other at "Twenty-four Breaths."

There was no need to spell out the difference between them.

Zhao Xiaoshuang might not be a genius, but she was at least more capable than Meng Nan.

"Good! I'm glad you're better than me!"

Meng Nan was happy to be outdone.

He had the "Information Panel," and could travel between the present and the future. His cultivation was bound to progress quickly.

But Zhao Xiaoshuang couldn't do that.

Meng Nan could still help her with resources, but aside from that, she'd have to rely on herself.

Cultivation!

It was hard for anyone else to lend a hand.

Take Tianlin Cave, for instance. The Tianlin Immortal Master had held himself aloof for decades and taken in many disciples during that time, yet it wasn't until two years later that he had his first Qi Refining Immortal Master under his tutelage.

That showed how difficult it was even for an Immortal Master to help those who came after him.

Cultivation still depended on oneself.

Of course, Meng Nan had another way to cheat.

He got Zhao Xiaoshuang into the habit of keeping notes, just like him. As they accumulated, those notes became Zhao Xiaoshuang's cultivation journey—the path she would take to immortality.

She read through them all and memorized them.

Then, once they returned to the present, she could teach Zhao Xiaoshuang, both openly and in secret.

The first twelve years.

Then another eight.

Zhao Xiaoshuang could draw on a full twenty years of cultivation experience from Meng Nan, avoid detours, and gain even more insights.

Just like Meng Nan now, her cultivation progress would surely improve.

Meng Nan put his heart into memorizing, and he put his heart into cultivating, too.

Thunder Illumination Scripture.

Spirit Wandering Steps.

Pine Wind Swordplay.

His cultivation was advancing.

He was also practicing the latter two techniques. He had all sorts of notes and insights on them, too, and by cultivating again according to his own experience, his progress was just as impressive.

Only Blood Arrow Secret Technique was different. He had just acquired it, had no experience with it, and found it hard to get started and harder still to master.

But in eight years, he figured he would have made some progress.

Time flowed like water.

Before the foundation he'd built in this life ran dry, Meng Nan resolved to stay holed up in the stronghold and seek out other cultivators at the Inner Qi Stage every day to exchange insights.

Most people would probably find this kind of cultivation dull.

But Meng Nan made progress every day, and he enjoyed every minute of it.

He also had his wife and children by his side, and could witness the marks and might of time, all while putting his parenting theories to the test and honing them.

In the previous life, over those eight years, Meng Nan had done a decent job raising his three children. At least all three had grown up to be good people.

They had their little flaws, of course. No one could expect perfection.

But when it came to cultivation, the two eldest had little talent. What a waste of such fine names.

When Meng Nan's first life had ended, his eldest, Meng Xingzhe, was eighteen and still stuck at the Qi Sensing Realm. That was far from good enough.

This time, Meng Nan would try to instill a way of thinking conducive to cultivation in his children, little by little, without changing their innate natures.

Young children hadn't yet settled into their ways, which made them easier to shape.

Just as some families on Earth in his previous life raised children with a scientific mindset, who later became scientists, while others nurtured an artistic streak, and those children became artists.

There were innate factors, but upbringing must have played a part as well.

Innate factors were like Root Bone.

Perhaps cultivation after the fact could improve their comprehension to some degree.

The truth came from practice.

This time, Meng Nan would put that idea to the test.

People said interest was a child's first teacher. Meng Nan's first attempt was to tell them a few inspirational cultivation stories he'd made up.

He paired them with all kinds of myths, divine abilities, and magical treasures—in short, he made the stories as wondrous as he could, stoking their interest in cultivation and their yearning for the immortal path.

If they grew up that way, then by the time they were sixteen, each of them would have at least some interest in cultivation.

With that interest to sustain them, they could probably endure the tedium of cultivation for a while. Once they found a sense of achievement in their training, that would feed back into their interest and create a virtuous cycle.

Of course.

That was only in theory.

They would have to wait and see how it worked out in practice.

Four thousand characters, ha! Please vote for me!