Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 823: A Whale Falls, All Things Rise

The Dao-Seeking Sect’s joint operation with the imperial court to eradicate the Heartless Creed created such a massive commotion that anyone with even the slightest intelligence network was aware of it.

The mighty cultivation experts were rendered speechless for a long time upon hearing the news. Some even slumped into their chairs, their faces filled with disbelief.

“That old Taciturn scoundrel reached the Transcendent Tribulation Stage? How is that possible?”

The steward wore a conflicted expression. “It’s unknown whether it’s true or false, but I heard this news was deliberately spread by the Taciturn Daoist Priest himself.”

“...That does seem quite in character for him.”

“Back then, he formed his golden core one day earlier than me and flaunted it in my face. If he has really reached the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, how insufferably pompous would he become?”

“If even this grandson can become a Transcendent Tribulation cultivator, there’s no reason I can’t.”

“Heaven has no eyes!”

“Seclusion! Seclusion!”

Similar scenes played out across the cultivation world. For a time, major figures were cursing Heaven’s lack of eyes while deciding to enter seclusion. 𝒇𝓻𝓮𝓮𝙬𝙚𝒃𝒏𝓸𝙫𝒆𝙡.𝓬𝓸𝒎

Even the Fusion cultivators in the Demon Region and the East Sea were no exception; they were all attempting to break through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage.

When Zhu Tian presided over the court assembly, he noticed that more than half his ministers were absent. Upon asking, he learned that they had all entered seclusion.

With the Taciturn Daoist Priest's advancement to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, the once bustling cultivation fell into a temporary lull. Perceptive individuals suddenly had a feeling that the Great Era was approaching. They feared that many Transcendent Tribulation cultivators would emerge after this collective seclusion.

“I heard there’s an adage in the East Sea: A whale falls, all things rise. It perfectly describes the current situation.”

“Doesn’t ‘a whale falls’ refer to a dead whale? The Taciturn Daoist Priest isn’t dead, is he?”

“We can pretend he is.”

Of course, the lull was only applicable to the upper echelons of the cultivation world. The cultivators who hadn’t reached the Fusion Stage weren’t very familiar with the Taciturn Daoist Priest and were largely unaffected.

~~~

Buddhist Kingdom.

In the skies above the boundless desert, a figure swooshed past, disappearing before the travelers riding their camels could have a glimpse. Immediately after, several more figures flew through the air, closely pursuing the first figure.

“Ye Zijin, stop right there! If I don’t bring you to justice today, how could I face our predecessors?!” Several renowned eminent monks from the Buddhist Kingdom were chasing Lu Yang’s Second Senior Brother, Ye Zijin. The group’s leader bore the Dharma name Puxuan.

After all, they were eminent monks and had clashed with Ye Zijin multiple times. After a series of struggles, they finally surrounded him.

“Ye Zijin, what have you scribbled in our predecessors’ works?!” The eminent monks glared at Ye Zijin furiously.

Aware that he couldn’t possibly defeat this group of monks, Ye Zijin hurriedly waved his hands to dissuade them. “Hey, hey, hey, please don’t resort to violence, no violence please. We’re all people who have left secular life. There’s no need for fighting and killing.

“I simply wrote two sentences. Look how worked up you all are.

“Annotating beside scriptures is our Buddhist Kingdom’s tradition. I, Ye Zijin, by any measure, can be considered a saintly monk. If you all can annotate our predecessors’ works, then I also have the right to annotate scriptures. What’s wrong with that?

“You all often say that Buddhist teachings are vast and profound, that even a lifetime of comprehension can only allow one to grasp the surface. In that case, there’s no problem with me praising that ‘Buddhist teachings are boundless,’ right?

“We Buddhist sects also often say, ‘Only now do I know I am myself.’ Doesn’t this mean that after cultivating Buddhism and a pursuit for a lifetime, the final answer ultimately lies within oneself? In that case, it isn’t wrong for me to write ‘Buddhist teachings are boundless; turning back leads to the shore.’”

“Nonsense! Your words clearly advise others to return to secular life! One of our Buddhist disciples saw your writing, achieved great ‘enlightenment,’ and returned to secular life!”

Ye Zijin quickly responded, “You can’t put it that way. That was due to his poor comprehension ability. You shouldn’t blame it on me.

“I, Ye Zijin, am wholeheartedly devoted to Buddhism. Everyone in the Buddhist Kingdom wants to inscribe their praise for me on a stele. How could I possibly encourage people to return to secular life?”

The eminent monks grew incensed. Everyone wants to inscribe their praise for you on a stele? Everyone clearly wants to inscribe a eulogy for you on a tombstone![1]

“Then what did you mean by placing a copy of Longevity Art that can grow one’s hair next to the scriptures?”

Ye Zijin replied, “Oh, you’re talking about that? I lost that book. Since you found it, could you return it to me?

“No offense, but look at all of you, always getting angry. Your daily heart and mind cultivation doesn’t seem to be going well. On the other hand, look at my shifu—that’s true major success in cultivation of the heart and mind. He’s always cheerful, and now he has even broken through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage.”

Hearing Ye Zijin bring up the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s achievement in reaching the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, Master Puxuan’s veins bulged. He belonged to the same generation as the Taciturn Daoist Priest and didn’t expect the latter to be faster than him in advancing to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage. The more he thought about it, the angrier he became, and his aura fluctuated violently. Gnashing his teeth, he recited scriptures.

“This aura... He’s about to advance to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage!” The other masters were overjoyed to detect Master Puxuan’s aura fluctuations. They rapidly formed a protective circle around him to guard his cultivation.

Ye Zijin’s eyelid twitched.

“What in the world? Why is he breaking through after a few words? Is breaking through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage that easy?”

While Master Puxuan was undergoing his tribulation and the other eminent monks were protecting him, unable to pay Ye Zijin any mind, the latter seized this chance to accelerate his escape from the desert.

“I need to find a place that Master Puxuan won’t discover. Speaking of which, now that he’s breaking through to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage, he probably won’t come after a junior like me anymore. If he seeks someone out, it should be my shifu.”

Ye Zijin placed a palm on his chest, radiating a benevolent glow that made him resemble a saintly monk. “Shifu, I believe you have few rivals after your advancement to the Transcendent Tribulation Stage. Your disciple is worried that you might be too lonely, so I’ve found you an opponent, giving you a bit of pressure as well. Since we’re master and disciple, there’s no need for thanks.”

~~~

Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were still oblivious to the changes occurring in the outside world, nor did they care. Their cultivation was low, and they were merely minor characters. There was no need for them to know so much.

The two lived quite comfortably during their ten days in prison. The drafty roof was swiftly repaired by Ye City’s bailiffs skilled in earth-type spells. The pillars that collapsed during the battle were also fixed by bailiffs adept at wood-type spells.

“I never realized such convenient spells existed.” Lu Yang witnessed the entire repair process of the prison. Truly, every discipline has its own specialists. Although my cultivation surpasses these bailiffs, I’m far inferior in the technique of building prisons.

I can only “Draw Underground Prison,” which doesn’t even have a door.

During cultivation, the arrays helped to enhance their control over their internal spirit energy.

Food was also not a problem. Although the Innate Daoist Priest was exonerated and released, he didn’t return to the Dao-Seeking Sect. Instead, he remained in Ye City, delivering meals to Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou every day, all purchased from the Blessed Fortune Restaurant—the finest restaurant in Ye City.

“Founding Ancestor, you’ve spent too much on us.” Lu Yang felt somewhat embarrassed, though he knew these spirit stones were insignificant to the Innate Daoist Priest.

The Innate Daoist Priest was not short on money. On the contrary, he could be described as exceedingly wealthy. The Dao-Seeking Sect had a retirement system, where retired elders received an annual sum of spirit stones.

This meant that the Innate Daoist Priest had 120,000 years of unclaimed pension. One could only imagine the staggering sum of spirit stones that represented. Among Fusion cultivators, hardly any were richer than the Innate Daoist Priest.

Ten days passed. Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou’s seclusion in prison concluded, and they escorted the Innate Daoist Priest back to the Dao-Seeking Sect.

1. I tried to translate the wordplay, but I’m afraid it might not be obvious. The original idiom, which means something like “praised by anyone who has a mouth,” includes a character that can mean “gravestone.” The same character is used in the second sentence, but this time, it means to “erect a tombstone” instead. ☜