Their Respective Futures

"The two people around you-one's a reincarnated Purple Mansion cultivator, and the other's a good-for-nothing on the rise. They really are a pair of smiling tigers, two black-horned sharks."

"No offense, but these two Pokémon have been around you for so many years, and you only just noticed. That's really something."

After hearing the whole story from Punk Lü Yuan about how he had obtained the Cultivation Method and Technique Method,

Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan scarcely knew what to say.

The East District of Mingyang City truly was a treasure land of excellent feng shui. Otherwise, what had it done to deserve having three flood dragons like them lying dormant there until now?

These were the Mingyang City East District Three Great Generals-

Lin Qi, a former university graduate and Purple Mansion, Two Divine Abilities cultivator, slain by the economic crisis and reincarnated in Lower City to smurf on the weak.

Wang Yan, whose Spiritual Qi Aptitude had scored only three points on the test and who had been mocked repeatedly by others, but now said he had his own opportunity.

And Punk Lü Yuan, who traveled between two worlds at once, could profit by reselling each world's specialties in the other, and could even exchange cultivation with himself to play the pig and eat the tiger.

Did you dare meet their eyes for three seconds?

"And this Cultivation Method..."

After reading it, Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan had only one thought: "Are you sure his name is Wang Yan, not Xiao Huohuo?"

"Now I'm even wondering if he has an old grandpa with him."

Punk Lü Yuan shrugged and sat down beneath the great tree in the consciousness space, bracing himself with both hands on the ground.

"I can't be sure, but I can't rule it out-whether his real name is actually Xiao Huohuo, or he really does have an old grandpa."

"We'll keep an eye on him in the days ahead."

"But we don't need to worry too much about that, either. The fact that he was willing to give me the Cultivation Method already says a lot."

Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan did not disagree. "That's true."

"Right now, both of them have immense trust in you. Not only will they do nothing to harm you, they'll even help you grow faster."

"I suppose I stumbled into that by sheer luck."

"The only major problem before you now is that Purple Mansion cultivator in the Bright Yang Tower."

Punk Lü Yuan nodded. "Right. After all, we still can't be sure why he values a 'Top-Grade Pseudo Spirit Root' like me so highly."

"Although I managed to learn from the person in charge of the aperture-opening institution that I should be safe for the time being, I can't rule out the possibility that he just wants to fatten me up before eating me."

"Whether it's your world or mine, no matter how wickedly you imagine the higher cultivators of the Purple Mansion Golden Core Dao, it wouldn't be too much."

Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan merely smiled. "What about immortals, then?"

Punk Lü Yuan could no longer keep a straight face. "All right, all right, I know. An immortal gave you an Immortal Book and a prophecy, naming you as the one to become a Dao Embryo."

He did not want to talk to this guy anymore. Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan was fine in every respect, except that he loved humblebragging to him.

So he simply brought over everything he had brought, dumped it all on him, and prepared to go back and cultivate.

By now, the basic Cultivation Method the education system was supposed to send him should already have arrived in his personal inbox.

"Those clothes in the ancient immortal-cultivation style—I bought them for you ages ago. You've worn the ones you have on for two whole months, so they can finally die a natural death."

"That lower-grade Embryonic Breathing magic sword I asked you to upgrade—make sure you get it up to special grade. If you need any materials, tell me. I've got quite a bit of spare cash right now."

"Also, I brought you a copy of both this Cultivation Method and this Technique Method, though you won't have any use for them."

"Hmm... I ordered a hundred tons each of the grain and meat you asked me to buy. Whenever you need them, give me a shout and I'll go get them for you."

"Speaking of which, you've stayed in the same place for two months now. Are there really still refugees around here?"

"Even if there are, could they really have held out until now?"

"Oh, right, are you sure you don't need any of the pills, injections, or stock solutions I bought?"

"The medicines in our era are entirely artificial and pollution-free."

Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan smiled and nodded at each expression of concern and request from Punk Lü Yuan.

As for his last two questions,

he merely said it was better to be prepared, and that success depended on human effort. He declined the medicines.

"Use those on yourself instead. Focus on improving your cultivation."

"As for me, hehe... Don't you know my talent by now? For me, those things would be nothing more than flowers added to brocade."

"And finally-" Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan's gaze sharpened. He took hold of Punk Lü Yuan and said,

"If you discover that the Purple Mansion cultivator in the Bright Yang Tower really does harbor ill intentions toward you,

"there's no need to be anxious. Just cultivate as usual.

"Judging by the example you mentioned before, however quickly he acts, I doubt it'll be before you reach high school.

"And by then, I will surely have attained Purple Mansion Divine Abilities."

Since they had established contact, this was the first time Punk Lü Yuan had seen the ever-amiable Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan look so murderously intent.

"To look on the bright side, if he's investing in you only because he wants you to get into junior college and become a source of support for him after you break through to Purple Mansion in the future, then so be it.

"But if it's the opposite, and he really is the sort to harbor the ambitions of a wolf-

"then I'll give him a dignified end."

Punk Lü Yuan could not help laughing. If anyone else had said that, he would only have thought them mad, bluffing, or exaggerating.

But the one saying it was Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan, the side of himself that represented talent.

The owner of the Immortal Book, the Dao Embryo personally chosen by an immortal in the Ancient Immortal Cultivation Realm next door.

If he dared say it, that meant he had to be confident. Of course, Punk Lü Yuan was actually even more confident than the man himself.

"Got it. I'll go back and make the most of my time cultivating with my Spirit Root. I'll try to reach the Embryonic Breathing First Layer before school starts and see if I can skip straight to second grade."

After Punk Lü Yuan spoke, his figure gradually vanished. Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan did not linger long after he left, either.

In the bedroom, Punk Lü Yuan opened his eyes again and picked up the phone beside him. Sure enough, just as he had expected, the education system worked fast.

The Cultivation Method and school notice had arrived in his personal inbox.

[Radiant Heavenly Sun Company Education Department: Cultivation Punk Year 3066. Greetings, Lü Yuan, prospective primary school student no. 001 of Mingyang City. Congratulations on successfully opening your apertures at the age of eight, as you wished. Your Fetal Breathing Stage immortal-cultivation permit has been issued.]

[Mingyang City Cultivation Method Control Center: Prospective primary school student Lü Yuan, since you have anchored your Dao lineage selection to Fire Virtue, the corresponding Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method has been sent to your inbox in accordance with the relevant laws.]

[Fourth-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method—Megacorporation Ten Directions Bright, 47th Edition: Fire Virtue Basic Cultivation Practice Method]

[Mingyang City No. 1 Technical Primary School: Dear student Lü Yuan, in view of your aptitude, we have transferred you from Class 2, Grade 1, to Class 1, Grade 1. We look forward to welcoming you when you report to school in one month.]

Those were not the only new messages in his inbox.

But after giving them all a cursory glance and finding nothing worth his attention, Punk Lü Yuan opened the fourth-grade Embryonic Breathing Cultivation Method commonly used by the megacorporations.

Then, using it in conjunction with the Burning Instruction, he officially began the first Embryonic Breathing cultivation session of his life.

Of course, he could not do without the drugs!

Bring on the drugs-

Spirit Breath Elixir, Qi-Stabilizing Injection, Meridian-Penetrating Elixir, Rejuvenation No. 3 Embryonic Breathing Crash-Course Injection, Life-Transforming Brand Breath-Nourishing Stock Solution.

Following a guide, Punk Lü Yuan took or injected these medicines, all essential for early Embryonic Breathing cultivation, one after another, injecting them into the appropriate places.

Though he could not catch up to Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan,

he was determined to leave everyone else far behind in cultivation. Only then could he secure his status as a genius and obtain more investment.

Of course, it was also for a sense of security.

No one liked the feeling of having everything about themselves controlled by others, and Punk Lü Yuan was no different.

He had once thought that graduating from vocational secondary school, becoming a company dog's dog, and wasting his life away on an assembly line might be his limit.

So he could only fantasize about higher realms, never daring to hope for them.

But now things were different-

He would get into junior college, go to Upper City, and even enter a megacorporation, to see just what lay beyond Golden Core!

He wanted his fate to be in his own hands alone.

With Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan there, and with his own efforts as well,

he would surely be able to do it!

And just like Punk Lü Yuan, who had settled on a goal, Ancient Cultivator Lü Yuan now had an idea of his own.

At that very moment, beneath the high-hanging moon in the Ancient Immortal Cultivation Realm, on a night with the Great Yin hanging high.

he stood under the great tree where the immortal had bestowed the book, its branches now lush with leaves. He had refined it into a Law Artifact and named it Fusang, and he gently stroked it.

"It's time, Fusang-"

"We should go too, and see just what this world, this immortal-cultivation world, is like."