Even the Strictest Anti-Addiction System Can't Stop Doting Parents

Wu Ming's ambitious strategy planning came from the heart—as a professional first-clear player, one of his greatest joys and specialties was sharing guides.

Unfortunately, this professional integrity failed to move Zhu Ying. After he solemnly declared his grand aspirations, Senior Sister only let out a weary sigh, like a young wife listening to her drunk husband boast while doing housework... then she stiffened her face, sternly scolded him, and told him to wash up and go to bed early.

After that, still fuming, she grabbed Zheng Lingxi, who was still silently copying the Human Emperor Immortal Collection Annotation, and walked off amid the girl's cries.

The next two days went according to plan.

Every day at four in the morning sharp, he got up and went next door to wake her, then began his exhilarating daily routine under Zhu Ying's decidedly unfriendly gaze.

Daytime was mostly Root Stance training, steadily refining his marrow and strengthening his foundation through solid footwork. Evenings, Senior Sister used the Arcane Magic Blade to boost his Human Emperor Scroll cultivation—but Second Senior Sister was nowhere to be seen, probably locked up in some dark room somewhere.

After two days, Wu Ming's progress exceeded even Zhu Ying's expectations. Through two sessions of comprehension, he had memorized nearly a hundred more characters, and by leveraging his refinement advantage, he had barely accumulated the Human Dao Seal to the ninth layer.

In theory, after the five-hundredth character of the Human Emperor Scroll came the tedious Hundred Races Chapter, and comprehension progress should slow sharply. Without sufficient blood energy and True Essence support, without mind-sharpening and spirit-refining methods, every additional character felt like ten thousand more words!

To reach the ninth layer of the Human Dao Seal without even entering Qi Refining Stage—this was a rare marvel in the wilds of Qiongzhou!

So on the morning of the third day, Zhu Ying brought Wu Ming to the Sect Leader Temple and invited out Gu Bai, who had just finished his seclusion, so the old man could witness the miracle of a great teacher producing a fine disciple firsthand!

Gu Bai was surprised, but even more gratified.

"Good... good, good, good! In just three days, you've achieved Root Stance success, unblocked your meridians, and even reached the ninth layer of the Human Dao Seal! Ying'er, you've truly brought out an excellent junior brother!"

Zhu Ying took no credit: "It's Wu Ming himself who is a genius. This disciple only struggled to keep up, barely managing not to hold him back."

Gu Bai sighed: "In truth, it's your master's incompetence—I've failed to manage the Gujian Sect well, dragging down all three of you disciples."

"...Master, I've said this countless times. Without you, the three of us would have died long ago in the wilderness of Qiongzhou. How could we have reached our current cultivation?"

Gu Bai tried to argue further, but Zhu Ying silenced all his discouraging words with a single icy glare.

"Ah, your master is muddled, saying such dampening things on a joyous occasion... Ming'er, since you've achieved success in cultivation, your master should give you a reward. Whatever you want, just say it!"

Wu Ming didn't hold back: "Is there a reward list? I'd like to look it over carefully first."

"?"

"!?" Zhu Ying's beautiful eyes went wide as she fumed, "What nonsense are you spouting at Master!? Didn't I teach you not to talk recklessly!?"

"Master is rarely generous. I'm afraid if I'm not careful and ask for too much, Master won't be able to provide it, and we'll all be awkward."

"And you think saying it now isn't awkward!?" Zhu Ying was so angry she nearly blue-screened.

Fortunately, Gu Bai stepped in to smooth things over.

"Heh, Ming'er means well. Your master was thoughtless, throwing a difficult problem at his disciple... Ming'er's concern isn't wrong. The Gujian Sect is struggling now, and truly can't offer many decent rewards. I still have a few magic treasures on me, but none are suitable for a newcomer at Qi Refining Stage, let alone since Ming'er already has the Taiyi Dharma Sword... As for passing on techniques, elixirs, and talismans, those will be provided step by step without needing special rewards. Our Gujian Sect has only four people in total—there's nothing to hide."

After a pause, Gu Bai continued: "Since Ming'er has the ninth-layer Human Dao Seal, the next step is to comprehend the Spring Encounter Book and cultivate the Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method... I have a notebook recording some insights from when I cultivated this orthodox method back in the day. It might benefit your training! Let me go back and search through my bookcase to find it for you—consider it this time's reward!"

Wu Ming had no objections, as he hadn't really cared about the sect's rewards anyway. He worked hard on cultivation and writing guides, and the system gave him creation incentives. Every breakthrough layer of the Human Emperor Scroll came with corresponding Spirit Crystal rewards—small in quantity, but reliable for daily accumulation, with extra rewards at whole-number layers—a veritable mine.

But Zhu Ying clearly showed surprise and hesitation, though under Gu Bai's gentle gaze, she ultimately said nothing more.

After that, the three master and disciples chatted idly. Near noon, Gu Bai showed signs of fatigue—clearly his brief days of seclusion hadn't fully restored his strength. Seeing this, Zhu Ying dared not disturb him further, grabbed Wu Ming, and hurriedly took her leave.

Back at Xianyun Abode, it was time for the part Wu Ming had been eagerly awaiting: Senior Sister teaching on behalf of the master—the Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method, the Spring Encounter Book.

The teaching process was simple and unadorned: before the landscape painting in the main hall, Zhu Ying took out a thin booklet with a tender green cover and solemnly handed it to Wu Ming, who accepted it respectfully, and the ceremony was complete.

No oaths or vows were needed, no kneeling or kowtowing, yet the weight contained in this simple ritual made even Wu Ming set aside all frivolity and cooperate seriously with Senior Sister until the very end.

After the ceremony, Zhu Ying used the manual to explain the introductory incantations and energy circulation methods to Wu Ming in detail.

As a former veteran small-town exam warrior, Wu Ming had an excellent memory. After reading the three-hundred-plus characters of the introductory chapter once, he had already remembered seven or eight out of ten. After reciting silently for a while, he had them all committed to heart.

But when it came to practice, progress ground to a halt.

No matter how he meditated and breathed, how he sensed heaven and earth, the spiritual energy he could capture and absorb into his body was pitifully scarce. And even what he did absorb was hard to convert into usable Mana, with circulation through his meridians sluggish and labored... From noon until evening, Wu Ming couldn't even complete a single full cycle on his own.

Even so, Wu Ming's fighting spirit remained high—he failed repeatedly but kept trying. However, an insurmountable bottleneck quietly arrived at this moment.

"!?"

Just as Wu Ming attempted breath control and energy circulation for the three hundred and eleventh time, he suddenly found he couldn't breathe.

It wasn't that his mouth or nose were blocked, but rather that the diaphragm and intercostal muscles governing his breath seemed to suddenly go numb and slack, losing all ability to contract. For a moment, Wu Ming couldn't even open his eyes.

And the faint wisp of spiritual energy struggling through his body abruptly stalled, dissipated, and ultimately left no trace of ever having existed.

Nearly a whole day's effort vanished like a dream.

The numbness and weakness throughout his body felt like some invisible force pressing down on him, denying him even the chance to keep trying.

Such a sudden anomaly would panic and discourage most people. But Wu Ming's fighting spirit soared instead—he wanted to carve a path out of this dead end!

After all, the more dire the predicament, the higher the value of the guide for breaking through...

Yet just as his blood boiled, a cool sensation descended from above, quenching the heat.

"Alright, stop here."

Zhu Ying's voice arrived with a cool Lesser Origin Return Technique, instantly clearing the numbness from Wu Ming's body and forcibly waking him from his rigidity.

Wu Ming opened his eyes, a hint of confusion in them.

"The Spring Encounter Book is part of the Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method—its nature is balanced, gentle, and nourishing. So cultivation must proceed step by step... Those who uphold the orthodox method have a daily time limit for training. Forcing it will only backfire. If you had stubbornly persisted just now, you risked qi deviation."

Wu Ming suddenly understood and sighed: "As expected of an orthodox method—officially built-in anti-addiction! All it needs is a 'Healthy Cultivation Advisory' printed on the first page to be perfect!"

Zhu Ying said helplessly, "Your Spirit Root aptitude is insufficient, so cultivating this Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method will inevitably be slow and arduous. The first hurdle of the Spring Encounter Book cannot rely on external aid, making it especially difficult. But you must not grow impatient because of this. Remember, the immortal path is long, and steady accumulation is the true way. With daily effort, your hard work will not be in vain."

Wu Ming chuckled, "Senior Sister worries too much. I've seen this kind of gacha cultivation setup plenty of times. I'm already unfazed—no need for extra chicken soup."

"...What soup?" Zhu Ying was slightly taken aback. She studied him in silence for a long moment, confirming that Wu Ming was genuinely at ease, before sighing in admiration. "I was worried earlier that since you've always advanced by leaps and bounds in novel ways, as if nothing in the world could trouble you, you might grow anxious when you finally hit a setback and resort to shortcuts. It seems I underestimated you..."

Before she could finish, Wu Ming asked eagerly, "So, is there a trick to bypass the anti-addiction system?"

"...You!" Zhu Ying let out a self-deprecating laugh and slumped her shoulders in defeat. "I really want to tell you there isn't, but with your personality, you'd just ignore me and recklessly try things on your own. Cultivation methods are different from body tempering. Even with the Mystic Sect Orthodox Method, going berserk is a near-certain death. So listen carefully—the tricks and shortcuts you want do exist."

With that, she furrowed her brow slightly, her lips moving in a silent murmur: "It's fine. You're the Senior Sister. You can do this..."

Then, taking a deep breath, she stepped before Wu Ming and gently tapped the crown of his head. A stream of pure, dense True Essence poured down like a libation, forcing him to calm his mind and sink into a hazy, meditative trance between self and not-self.

In the chaos and obscurity, a clear, cool girl's voice rang out like the primordial opening of heaven, illuminating the Spirit Court.

"The spiritual platform holds one breath; the Mysterious Female gives birth to nine revolutions..."

The entry incantation of the Spring Encounter Book echoed formlessly, reverberating again and again, slowly settling into an engraving.

The girl chanted without pause, and the entry incantation of the Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method took root word by word in the sea of consciousness.

At the same time, the True Essence that had entered his body began to circulate gently with the engraving of the incantation, rising from the crown of his head, passing through the Spirit Court, Xuanji... Its momentum was gentle yet vast, clearing every blocked meridian with ease.

After a moment, the True Essence had traversed his entire body, returning through the Jade Pillow to the Baihui, completing one full cycle. Then, it withdrew from the Baihui point without leaving a trace within his body.

With the cycle complete, Wu Ming naturally attained his divine ability. The earthly spiritual energy that had been deeply carved into his limbs and bones through days of Root Stance practice began to stir awake, like spring rain gathering into streams, flowing slowly through his meridians.

Wu Ming couldn't help but open his eyes. Everything before him seemed vibrant and full of life, colors bursting forth. His own body felt unprecedentedly light, a faint stream quietly flowing within him.

The first layer of the Spring Encounter Book was complete just like that.

The barrier that had blocked him for half a day seemed as if it had never existed.

For a moment, Wu Ming was dazed.

Wait, it's done just like that? Then... how am I supposed to write my guide? Stack Senior Sister's affection and rely on coop bonuses!?

The next moment, Zhu Ying's voice softly reached his ears.

"'Immortal Touches My Crown'—this is one of the shortcuts of the Three Pure Ones Orthodox Method... Remember the feeling of that cycle just now. In the future, on your own... you must be able to do it smoothly and naturally..."

Her voice came in fragments, sounding tired and weak. Wu Ming snapped back to reality and saw his Senior Sister slumped before him, her breath disordered, drenched in sweat.

It was obvious that the Immortal Touches My Crown technique she had just used was not something to be taken lightly. It had to help someone break through a bottleneck without forcing growth or leaving any imprint of the caster. This kind of Mystic Sect Orthodox Method, which demanded everything at once, seemed to have no side effects but actually had the greatest one: immense consumption!

For the Three Pure Ones Mystic Sect, which possessed the world, such consumption might be trivial. After the technique, there would be countless spiritual pills and medicines to fill the void.

But the Gujian Sect's cultivation resources were clearly not so abundant.

Zhu Ying struggled to steady her breathing, reluctantly pulled a small incense bottle from her sleeve, brought it to her nose, took a light sniff, and immediately put it away. Only then did a faint trace of color return to her pale face.

"I'm fine. Don't... keep staring at me like that!" Zhu Ying gritted her teeth, her face reddening further. "Anyway, shortcuts do exist, but unfortunately, I can only help you this once. The reasoning... you're smart enough to figure it out."

Wu Ming sighed, stood up, and bowed respectfully to Zhu Ying. "Thank you, Senior Sister!"

Zhu Ying smiled. "I'm your Senior Sister. Master asked me to teach in his stead, so this is what I should do. Don't disappoint Master's expectations. Alright, don't worry about me. Carefully savor the feeling of the True Essence's flow just now. Strike while the iron is hot, so as not to..."

Mid-sentence, Zhu Ying's starry eyes were already half-closed, and by the end, her voice cut off abruptly. The girl nodded off with a doze, directly collapsing onto the table. The next moment, a faint snore arose.

Immortal Touches My Crown was not meant to be used by someone at the early Foundation Establishment stage. But if she, as the Senior Sister, didn't step up, then that old man who should have been quietly recuperating but insisted on copying texts all night would surely jump in.

So, she had no choice but to push herself.

In her sleep, she murmured in a daze.

"I can do it."

Just realized I had a book club group but never posted it: 1046475706

Welcome to join. I'll occasionally pop in to show off my pulls.