Otherworldly Cultivator

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Chapter 24: Otherworldly Cultivator

"Really?" Huang Xiaoling's expression shifted slightly.

Had anyone else said this, she would have thought they were playing to the crowd, with no idea how high the heavens were or how vast the earth was.

But the person saying it was Chen Beiwu, her exceptionally talented son.

"Of course," Chen Beiwu said earnestly.

"All right, I'll keep this pill."

Huang Xiaoling stopped insisting. "If you can reach the eighth layer of Qi Refining before next September, you'll be the head of this household. Your dad and I will listen to you in everything.

"But if you can't, you'll obediently return the Frostfall Pill for me."

"It's a deal!" After settling the agreement with his mother, Chen Beiwu turned to head upstairs.

"Wait. There's something you absolutely must remember." Huang Xiaoling called him back.

"What?" He looked over his shoulder.

"Use protection when you're spending time with your classmates. Don't end up making a baby."

Chen Beiwu: "..."

Watching Chen Beiwu flee in disarray, Huang Xiaoling couldn't help tightening her grip on the jade bottle, her heart filled with tangled emotions she could hardly put into words.

Only after a long while did she voice a sentiment that held both relief and a measure of guilt and self-reproach. "My boy really has grown up!"

Back in the cultivation room, Chen Beiwu began teleporting with Iron Egg.

He briefly inspected the arrangements in the Cave Abode. After confirming that no demonic beasts had entered, he cleared away his traces, sealed the cave, and set off toward the edge of the mountains.

With a second-realm Azure Thunder Tiger living there, the mountain range was no longer safe. He needed to find somewhere safer to cultivate.

At the same time, finding signs of human habitation would help Chen Beiwu establish the basic circumstances of this cultivation world.

The following morning, Chen Beiwu rested with his head on his desk, unable to hide his delight.

After leaving the Cave Abode, he and Iron Egg had searched the mountains for an entire day, successfully finding three Jade-Scale Snakes with modest cultivation and two first-tier exotic herbs.

Clearly, in this other world with its extraordinarily dense spiritual energy, Jade-Scale Snakes-serpents extremely particular about their habitats-were no longer rare.

With enough Jade-Scale Snake Gallbladders, Chen Beiwu was even confident he could fulfill the agreement ahead of schedule and reach the ninth layer of Qi Refining during his senior year.

"Hey, Chen Beiwu, what are you doing lying there? Come over here!" Xu Lingling called.

The third and fourth periods were alchemy lessons. As the class representative for the subject, she had a responsibility to look after classmates with weaker grades.

Indeed, in Xu Lingling's eyes, with her perfect alchemy scores, Chen Beiwu-who usually scored only around eighty-nine-was a poor student.

Noticing his classmates' gazes, Chen Beiwu calmly stood and followed Xu Lingling to the Alchemy Room.

As he sat beside a furnace, a fragrant breeze suddenly wafted toward him.

"How's your practice with Blazing Flame Pull going?" Xu Ziqing casually handed him a talisman. It was none other than a middle-grade first-tier [Clear Breeze Talisman].

The Alchemy Room had been built above a fire vein, and its temperature was extremely high. Staying briefly was fine, but after a long time, even cultivators with fire spiritual roots would find it unbearable.

A middle-grade first-tier [Clear Breeze Talisman] could provide a cool, comfortable environment, protecting its user from fire toxins.

"I gave it to my dog to practice." Chen Beiwu waved it away and took out a low-grade first-tier [Gentle Breeze Talisman].

Its effect was considerably weaker than that of a Clear Breeze Talisman, but it was inexpensive.

"Hey, what's that supposed to mean? Are you saying I'm worse than a dog?" Xu Ziqing gave Chen Beiwu a coquettish shove.

Chen Beiwu instinctively kept his distance. "I'm really not lying. My dog's very smart. He might actually learn Blazing Flame Pull."

Amusement shone in Xu Ziqing's eyes. She considered it for a second, then said, "I don't believe you. Not unless you take me over to see."

Under his classmates' envious, jealous, and resentful gazes, Chen Beiwu shook his head. "He hasn't learned it yet. We'll talk once he has."

Hearing this, Liu Yan froze for a moment.

Good grief. A beautiful, wealthy girl offered to visit his home, and Chen Beiwu actually had the heart to turn her down. He really did deserve his reputation as Shouhe No. 2 Middle School's wall of steel.

Xu Lingling gave an innocent smile and leaned close to Chen Beiwu's ear, whispering, "I want to see him then, too."

Watching two girls hover around one guy, Liu Yan nearly ground his teeth to pieces.

Comparing yourself to others really could drive you to your grave. After considerable hesitation, he turned away and pretended not to see anything. Otherwise, he truly wouldn't be able to take it.

Soon, as the bell rang, their teacher, Li Jiacheng, appeared before the room's only alchemy furnace.

"Today, I'm going to discuss the practical applications of the water-method pill-refining technique..."

Chen Beiwu automatically tuned out both the beauties around him and Teacher Li's rambling. His mind wandered far beyond the heavens, filled with nothing but thoughts of catching snakes and gathering medicinal herbs.

When the bell rang to end class, he was the first to say goodbye and leave.

"That's strange. Why does Chen Beiwu leave as soon as class ends lately? He doesn't even go to the school's cultivation rooms."

"Right? It feels like he's avoiding something."

Xu Lingling and Xu Ziqing exchanged a glance and spoke in unison.

"Could he be avoiding you?"

"No way," they both said at once.

"Why are you copying me?" Both girls' eyes widened.

"..."

Meanwhile, Chen Beiwu returned home and began another tense, thrilling exploration of the other world.

Classes, exploration, snake catching, herb gathering, cultivation, and accumulating luck-a week passed in the blink of an eye.

"Roar!"

A Blackstone Bear covered in wounds let out an enraged roar that shook the forest, then crashed heavily to the ground, giving off a rich, charred aroma.

"Woof."

Iron Egg's canine teeth were bared as he clamped down on the Blackstone Bear's throat. Even after it lost the ability to resist, he did not let go.

"All right, Iron Egg. You can let go now." Chen Beiwu looked at the bear demon.

This Blackstone Bear had only twenty years of cultivation. Of its entire body, only its hide, gallbladder, and paws were worth a few spirit stones.

Had it not attacked first, Chen Beiwu would not have bothered fighting it for such a paltry sum.

Iron Egg released his jaws and gave two low growls of warning.

Chen Beiwu raised his head and looked curiously toward the dense forest ahead. A figure as nimble as an ape was approaching at tremendous speed.

The newcomer's cultivation was not high, probably somewhere between the fifth and sixth layers of Qi Refining-a reasonably suitable cultivator to make contact with.

"&...@@%!" ("Greetings, Senior. Please save this humble girl's life!")

Lin Yu stopped and bowed respectfully, ignoring the blood dripping from her right shoulder.

The man looked young, and his clothing was rather peculiar, but the powerful aura radiating from him was unmistakably genuine. His realm was far above hers; he was at least a late Qi Refining cultivator.

To possess such cultivation at his age, he most likely came from the Five Great Sects. He was a suitable person to ask for help.

What's all this gibberish? What is she saying? Chen Beiwu froze, a bad feeling rising in his heart.

Good grief. His earlier suspicion had indeed come true.

The Immortal Alliance's language and this world's language did not belong to the same system.

If he wanted to develop steadily in this other world, he would have to learn not only an unfamiliar language, but also this world's profound, obscure cultivation terminology.

"*&*&#." ("This humble girl is willing to serve as your slave or maid.")

Seeing Chen Beiwu remain motionless, Lin Yu clenched her teeth and dropped to one knee, her expression pitiful and pleading.

Meanwhile, the fingertips of her left hand tugged subtly downward, revealing the fullness of her bosom, which threatened to spill free.

(End of chapter)