Cultivation Methods Under Heaven

"A subterranean passage could indeed shield one from the shockwave of an explosion. But if floodwaters came and one still crawled inside, it would be no different from digging one's own grave."

"What happened today was truly a little unimaginable."

Li Shun's expression shifted between light and dark as he hesitated over whether to activate Threefold Self-Reflection.

After a long while, he finally shook his head. "Forget it. Even if I rewound time, with my current abilities, I absolutely couldn't stop this flood from descending. I couldn't even warn them in advance—it would only invite more suspicion."

"The defenses of Cold Mountain County haven't been breached yet... Better to hold still for now."

"Threefold Self-Reflection can only reset one day. The restriction is still too great. I wonder whether things would change if that broken stone statue were restored." Li Shun sighed inwardly.

"And..."

Li Shun looked toward the county office, a flicker of cold light passing through his eyes.

"Though I cultivated the Twelve Longevity Method and borrowed two hundred years of lifespan from Heaven..."

"I haven't developed any supernatural means at all. Aside from becoming younger and stronger, there has been no fundamental change."

"It seems a longevity method is merely a longevity method. It is entirely different from cultivating strength."

"These past few days, I've tried asking Fang Xun about it, but that bastard... always brushed me off with vague answers!"

Before such a terrifying heavenly disaster, even the usefulness of Three Reflections had been squeezed down to almost nothing.

An unprecedented sense of urgency rose within Li Shun.

His desire to increase his own strength became incomparably pressing.

Since he had gained nothing from Fang Xun, Li Shun decided to change directions.

He began openly and covertly asking the county office constables for information. Now that Li Shun's status had risen, the constables were willing enough to talk with him. So long as it did not involve confidential matters, they told him nearly everything they knew.

Yet to Li Shun's disappointment, these constables knew just as little about so-called "cultivation."

The reason they possessed strength beyond ordinary people was entirely due to their status as "constables."

"Great Qian officials are blessed by the Sage's radiance. Even frail women and children with no strength to truss a chicken can gain the power to split mountains and shatter stones overnight, so long as they receive the court's recognition."

"Of course, for someone like Constable Chief Wu, who was already formidable to begin with, it is like adding wings to a tiger."

After making inquiries, this was the answer Li Shun received.

"It seems this Cold Mountain Keeper of mine isn't part of Great Qian's official system." Li Shun mocked himself.

Then his eyes flickered. "In all of Cold Mountain County, the only true cultivators may be Wu Kuang, Cheng Yishu, Fang Xun, and the rest."

"There are even fewer than I imagined."

"Right... There's also him."

A thought stirred in Li Shun's mind, and he abruptly settled on a plan.

The next day, carrying ten jin of air-dried meat, he went to find Cold Mountain County's assistant magistrate, Yu Shang.

"This is...?" Yu Shang's attitude toward Li Shun could only be described as extremely indifferent.

He sized up the dried meat in Li Shun's hands, somewhat unable to make sense of it.

Li Shun said, "This was bestowed by the court when I was granted my title. You know how it was—I used to live a hard life, so I could never bear to eat this dried meat. Now that the flood has sealed off the city, I heard supplies are scarce within the city, so I thought I would bring it here and offer this small token of my support."

"I still have three jars of wine at home. If you need them, Assistant Magistrate, I'll bring them over shortly." Li Shun patted his chest in assurance.

"Oh? You actually possess such awareness?" Yu Shang glanced at Li Shun.

Then he chuckled. "Stop beating around the bush with me. I've lived for decades; what kind of people haven't I seen? Speak. What do you want?"

Li Shun no longer pretended. Cupping his hands, he said, "Elder Yu truly has eyes like torches. I came today because I have a favor to ask."

"Now that the flood has sealed off the city, I have nothing but brute strength and no means to protect myself..."

"I wonder how one can become like the county magistrate, capable of flying through the sky and burrowing into the earth. I ask Elder Yu to clear up my confusion."

Yu Shang laughed scornfully. "So that's what this is. But you have come to the wrong person this time."

"This old man only has a few supernatural abilities because of this official robe. If I took it off..."

Though Yu Shang looked to be only in his forties, he referred to himself as an old man.

And even as he spoke, his hands did not slow. He reached out and accepted the dried meat Li Shun had brought.

He continued, "The various extraordinary abilities of this world can all be said to originate from the Hundred Schools of the ancient philosophers. But after His Majesty unified the realm, the situation became vastly different."

"In today's world, the most orthodox path, and the one with the greatest number of cultivators, is the official academies. Wear a Great Qian official's robes, and you possess extraordinary power."

"The second rank is the prominent schools."

"The Confucian School, Mohist School, Daoist School, Legalist School, and Military School—these five schools have deep roots and many followers, spread throughout both court and countryside. Our county magistrate belongs to the Confucian School lineage."

Having once witnessed Fang Xun's methods, Li Shun nodded to himself.

"As for the third rank, they are the hidden schools."

"The Yin-Yang School, Diplomat School, medical school, Agricultural School, miscellaneous school, and novelists, among others."

"Though their scale is weaker than the second-rank prominent schools, each possesses its own mysterious methods. They play irreplaceable roles throughout Great Qian's various departments."

"Beyond that, there are also certain schools with exceedingly scarce inheritances and even more cryptic methods."

"They come and go like shadows, and ordinarily do not reveal their identities. I know nothing about those."

Yu Shang laid out the cultivation framework of Great Qian's realm in a calm and orderly manner.

"If you wish to cultivate, you must seek out the corresponding school."

"Find a master and enter their sect. Only after obtaining their inheritance will you have a chance."

"However... the Hundred Schools are hostile toward one another, as incompatible as fire and water. Even within each school, factions stand thick as forests. Once you choose, you can never change, or you will surely be hunted down. You must think carefully..." At this point, Yu Shang suddenly shook his head with a bitter smile.

"Now that the flood has sealed off the city, even if you wanted to take a master, you likely have no opportunity."

Still unwilling to give up, Li Shun asked, "Could it be that there is not a single school in Cold Mountain County?"

Yu Shang shook his head. "Cold Mountain is a remote place. Almost everyone in the city is a penal laborer—why would those great masters come here?"

"There once was one. The master of Jixia Bookshop should have belonged to one of the Hundred Schools. But I have not heard any news of him for a long time."

At this point, Yu Shang paused, then warned him, "Besides, entering one of the Hundred Schools is no easy task. You were originally a Cold Mountain laborer and spent half your life painstakingly cultivating the Spirit-Splitting Life-Forming Art. This Spirit-Splitting Life-Forming Art was originally a method of the Agricultural School. Though you never formally entered the Agricultural School, you can barely be counted as half an Agricultural School disciple. Other schools may not readily accept you."

Perhaps seeing the uncertainty on Li Shun's face, and perhaps considering the ten jin of dried meat he had brought, Yu Shang comforted him, "If you are worried that the flood will drown the city, I do not think you need to be. The Bright Light Formation is more than sufficient to withstand this mere flood. Just follow the county magistrate properly. Perhaps one day, if he is in a good mood, he may take you into his school."

"What the Hundred Schools value most is inheritance. Without someone to point out the way, entering the gate is nearly impossible."

Li Shun returned to his residence with heavy steps.

"I never expected the Hundred Schools' cultivation system to have such a high threshold."

"Besides, am I really supposed to enter the Agricultural School?"

"Hm? No, that's not right."

He suddenly recalled that every time he activated Threefold Self-Reflection, transparent robes and a ceremonial cap would mysteriously appear on him.

"From that perspective, the school most suitable for me is absolutely not the Agricultural School."

"It is the Confucian School."