Rapid Advancement in Cultivation

"I am the Shepan Mountain Earth Deity, little old man. Please, hero, do not take offense."

A puff of white smoke rose from the ground, and as it dissipated in an instant, a tiny old man appeared, standing no higher than Lu Bian's knees. His bald head was covered in thin, root-like filaments, making him look like a medicinal plant that had gained sentience.

"No offense taken, none at all."

"I am a very kind person, and I am very easy to talk to," Lu Bian said to the Earth Deity.

"Haha, haha." The Earth Deity merely chuckled.

"Hero, please follow me. I know of a good place to stay."

Lu Bian led his donkey and pulled his cart, following the Shepan Mountain Earth Deity.

The good place the Earth Deity spoke of was a cave halfway up Shepan Mountain. It provided shelter from the wind and rain, and the ground inside was quite dry, with no sign of snakes, insects, rats, or ants.

"This place is great; it saves me the trouble of building a house."

"As long as you are satisfied, hero."

"How should I address you, hero? I shall go and gather some food for you."

"Just call me Lu Bian. What kind of food are you going to get?" Lu Bian squatted down to speak with the Earth Deity.

"Nothing much, just some wild berries and vegetables from the forest. They are perfectly fine to eat once washed," the Shepan Mountain Earth Deity replied.

"By the way, Hero Lu, are you aware that the Eagle Sorrow Stream here was once the dwelling place of the Eight Legions Heavenly Dragon Guangli Bodhisattva, the West Sea Jade Dragon Third Prince? Because it was tainted by his dragon aura, the flowers, fruits, and vegetation around the Eagle Sorrow Stream all possess nourishing properties."

The Shepan Mountain Earth Deity spoke tactfully, but Lu Bian understood perfectly.

The scene from Journey to the West that left the deepest impression on him during his childhood was Sun Wukong and Zhu Bajie asking for Little White Dragon's urine to use as medicine for the ailing king.

Little White Dragon was a true dragon; even his casual waste possessed many miraculous properties.

"I have no need for it. You should give it to my donkey instead."

"It has accompanied me for over ten thousand miles; it deserves a boost to its health."

"Oh, since you find it beneath you, hero, I shall take it to feed the donkey." The Shepan Mountain Earth Deity vanished back into the ground in a puff of smoke.

Lu Bian tidied up his temporary cave dwelling and, after setting up his camping gear, began to train.

Lu Bian practiced the Ultimate Boundless Qigong. Stepping from Electric Current Propulsion into Magnetic Rotation was merely the beginning; his "First Heaven" cultivation included ten thousand horses of power, a sliver of the Complete Realm, and a portion of magnetic flux.

The improvement of "Heaven" cultivation was solely related to magnetic power. When he reached "Magnetic Rotation: Thirty Thousand Horses of Power," he would attain the "Third Heaven" level of cultivation.

Lu Bian opened his video chat window and broadcasted his training session to the Chat Group, allowing Shi Tianwu to provide verbal guidance.

Lu Bian owed his rapid progress in the Ultimate Boundless Qigong entirely to Shi Tianwu, a fine teacher.

Shi Tianwu had evaluated Lu Bian, stating that while his martial arts comprehension was of upper-middle quality, his physical talent was astonishing, placing him in the top tier.

Lu Bian only needed to listen to his teacher and practice diligently; his body would allow him to reach whatever heights his teacher's guidance could unlock.

Regarding the consumption and replenishment of his body, Lu Bian's daily breathing allowed him to absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into his body with almost no loss, and it would not dissipate. After specifically employing the Magnetic Field Qigong Breathing Technique, the power of his intake of spiritual energy increased, and every cell in his body grew stronger with every passing moment.

What realm would Lu Bian reach after three months of complete focus on the Ultimate Boundless Qigong?

The Ninth Heaven!

Magnetic Rotation: Ninety Thousand Horses of Power!!

He had only been at the Third Heaven after three months of entry-level training, yet with another three months of practice, he had reached the Ninth Heaven.

Such rapid progress was closely related to Lu Bian's talent, but it was inseparable from a favorable magnetic environment.

The magnetic environment was a shackle that limited the improvement of one's magnetic realm.

In an era with a harsh magnetic environment, a person's upper limit for magnetic cultivation might only reach Electric Current Propulsion. In a slightly more stable environment, the highest realm was the Twenty-Fifth Heaven, but in the best magnetic environments, one could give birth to a powerhouse of the strongest realm: the Ninety-Ninth Heaven.

Lu Bian was convinced that the world he had transmigrated into was the world after Journey to the West. Since the world of Journey to the West was filled with so many gods, buddhas, demons, and monsters, the magnetic environment for cultivation was naturally excellent.

Living off the wind and dew for three months, Lu Bian's lifestyle, reminiscent of a pre-Qin Qi practitioner, caused the confidence of the Shepan Mountain Earth Deity and the Eagle Sorrow Stream Water Deity in his ability to defeat the three demons to grow day by day.

"Hoo..."

Lu Bian finished a set of the Ultimate Arhat Fist and caught his breath. Tiny electric arcs flickered in his eyes, nostrils, and mouth.

"It should be enough."

Lu Bian had fully adapted to the power of the Ninth Heaven of Magnetic Rotation in his normal state and felt he could go to the east bank of the Eagle Sorrow Stream to subdue those three demons.

"Earth Deity, I am going to deal with those three demons. Please help me lead my donkey over in a while."

"Wait a moment, Hero Lu."

"Is there something else?"

Lu Bian turned back.

"I have brewed some wild fruit wine. Drinking it can bolster one's courage and amplify one's power. It would be quite helpful if you drank a cup or two before the battle, Hero Lu."

"Very well."

"It's just that I never drink alcohol. What is the alcohol content of this wild fruit wine?"

"Content? It's homemade fruit wine; how could it have any content?"

The Earth Deity did not understand what Lu Bian meant by "content," assuming it was just a term used by city folk that he, a countryman, did not understand.

The Earth Deity smiled and went to fetch the wild fruit wine he had brewed, pouring it into a green-skinned gourd and handing it to Lu Bian.

"Nothing else to add? I'm heading out now." Lu Bian looked at the Earth Deity.

"Nothing at all, nothing at all."

"I'm off."

Lu Bian walked outside the cave and leaped into the mountain forest halfway up the slope, soaring across several miles in a single bound like a roc spreading its wings.

Though it wasn't true flight, the leap was incredibly staggering.

Using the trunks of a few large trees as mid-air stepping stones, Lu Bian arrived at the side of Eagle Sorrow Stream after only a few breaths.

"Hero Lu, be extremely careful." The Water God spoke to Lu Bian from the edge of the stream.

"Rest assured, I have a firm grasp on the situation."

"Do keep an eye on my donkey; it's likely to be frightened crossing Eagle Sorrow Stream. Don't let it jump into the water."

"Don't worry, don't worry."

Lu Bian looked back to see the Earth Deity leading the donkey toward the water's edge.

"I'm leaving."

Lu Bian vaulted across the air, cleared Eagle Sorrow Stream, and landed on the cliff on the eastern bank.

The territory on the eastern bank was deathly quiet. As Lu Bian entered the mountain forest, he couldn't even hear the chirping of birds along the way.

He needed to stir up some commotion so that the three evildoing demons would take notice of him.

"Is anyone there?"

"Is anyone there?"

"Is there any ghost here?!"

Lu Bian shouted as he walked, sounding like someone searching for a lost person.

With every shout Lu Bian let out, his voice carried for three miles.

Soon, the Tiger Demon, the Bear Monster, and the Ox Spirit heard Lu Bian's calls.

"Brothers, someone is here." The Ox Spirit looked up.

"Ha! Something good to eat again! Hehehe." The Bear Monster stuck out his long tongue and licked his lips.

"Don't eat him all at once. Save half to salt away so we can enjoy it during the New Year!" the Tiger Demon said.

That's right, demons celebrate the New Year too.

During the three months Lu Bian had spent stopping to cultivate, the season had already turned to autumn.