Chapter 6: The Sixth Level of Cultivating Qi

The cultivation technique issued by the system was mastered by Cao Chengyu automatically, even operating on its own, an utterly astonishing phenomenon.

However, there were also limitations—the technique was forbidden to be passed on to others. In other words, anything produced by the Ranking System was for his use alone.

As for his aunt Lin Jiaoyun, since he had achieved his intended purpose, he didn’t plan to pursue that path any further for now.

With the Yellow Court Dao Song in his possession, he now had the qualification to seek immortality and enlightenment. There were too few figures in Immortal Gate City who could make it onto the rankings; for long-term development, it was best to find a new place.

That meant a journey far from home. Ideally, he should find out where the immortal who once descended on Immortal Gate City had come from, and follow the direction she left in—for where immortals tread, opportunities surely await.

Having made up his mind, Cao Chengyu headed for the study. At this hour, his father should already be awake.

This was the perfect time to sound him out indirectly.

On the way, Cao Chengyu opened the newly unlocked system panel, a function that had activated when he first embarked on his path of cultivation, allowing him a complete understanding of himself.

[Cao Chengyu]
Age: 14.3
Cultivation: First Layer of Qi Nourishing Realm
Technique: Yellow Court Dao Song ↓
Spells: None
Secret Methods: None
Divine Powers: None
[Evaluation]: A fledgling on the path to immortality, as yet too weak to truss a chicken.

There was little to say about his cultivation level—clear and concise. But under the techniques section, the Yellow Court Dao Song had a down arrow.

Cao Chengyu focused his mind and clicked. Instantly, a torrent of information surged into his consciousness.

[Yellow Court Dao Song]
Effect: A top-tier Qi Nourishing method. Cultivation improves the practitioner’s aptitude and enhances comprehension. Extremely compatible with the host, it is ideal for those of poor talent.

This was a rather biased evaluation, which made Cao Chengyu indignant. “Why say I have poor talent? Nonsense.”

Annoyed, he soon arrived at the study.

Because dawn’s light was still dim, a lamp was burning inside. Cao Chengyu knocked and entered.

Cao Di, who was about to pore over some scriptures, was surprised to see him come in.

“Yu’er, why are you up so early today? Usually, you sleep till noon.”

“Uh, I went to bed early last night, so naturally I woke up early. I’m here to pay my respects to Father.”

“Oh? And you don’t want any money?”

“Well… a hundred taels would be nice.”

Considering the expenses of traveling in the future, Cao Chengyu thickened his skin and asked.

“A hundred taels? Why don’t you just go rob someone? Here, take this and get out!”

Cao Di, with a huff, pulled a money pouch from his drawer and tossed it over without checking how much was in it. No one knows a son better than his father.

“Well…” Seeing his hesitation, Cao Di knew there was more to come.

“Out with it. Speak up—what’s with all this hemming and hawing, acting nothing like a man.”

“If I wanted to go away for a while, would you allow it?”

“Leave?”

Cao Di’s voice rose sharply.

“You haven’t even grown all your feathers and you want to run off? Stay home and behave yourself. Wait until Mr. Yang says you’re ready to take the scholar’s exam—then we’ll talk about leaving.”

Cao Di’s temper had clearly been simmering for some time; this wasn’t a day’s annoyance.

With no choice, Cao Chengyu had to withdraw.

The scholar’s exam…

Ah, everything comes full circle, and he was back at the Four Seasons Academy. Fate is unpredictable.

Still, cultivating the Yellow Court Dao Song would take time anyway, so he might as well spend this period both studying and training. If he hit a bottleneck in his practice, he would sneak out, permission or not.

Worst case, he’d take horse and sword and roam the world—who was he afraid of?

—

Four Seasons Academy.

Mr. Yang cracked one eye open and, seeing Cao Chengyu return, a faint smile played at the corners of his mouth. “So you came back after I reported you, eh? Thought you could get away, you rascal.”

Unaware of Mr. Yang’s thoughts, Cao Chengyu only felt unlucky. He brightened a bit on seeing his two friends.

Left hand supporting his chin, right hand holding a scripture, he stumbled through his recitation.

Time slipped away in this fashion.

Spring Night Pavilion once more became Cao Chengyu’s haunt—either listening to music or trying to rescue fallen women. Of course, as a young master from a great family, he always had attendants with him. His father had forbidden any wild behavior.

At his age, it was already time, by the standards of the era, to marry and have children. But he resisted, and his parents let him be.

A month passed…

Stepping out of cultivation, he had now reached the sixth layer of the Qi Nourishing Realm. His body, improved by the Yellow Court Dao Song, could shatter rocks with a punch, run like a swallow in flight, leap over eaves and walls with ease.

Recently, he’d indulged his hero’s dreams inside Immortal Gate City, playing the part of a wandering knight.

To reach this level in a month meant his aptitude was decent. The Yellow Court Dao Song grew ever faster with practice; by the third layer, his talent was about average. At the sixth, it was quite good—by the ninth, it was foreseeable his mediocre aptitude would be transformed into the caliber of a prodigy.

His comprehension improved likewise.

A tailor-made technique was truly a blessing.

Besides his cultivation progress, his aunt’s affection for him also continued to rise. Oddly, though he hadn’t made any overt advances, only maintained their former interactions, her favorability increased without end—something was clearly amiss.

After all this time, her affection had reached eighty-nine points; just one more step, an exchange of true feelings, and it would hit ninety.

Clearly, something had happened that he was unaware of. The reward at ninety points was a great temptation.

He grew restless, his cultivation slowing.

After a day at the academy, Cao Chengyu returned home and, almost as if led by fate, wandered into a jewelry shop. There, he bought a golden hairpin shaped like a beauty, adorned with purple pearls—a costly piece.

He placed it in a fine catalpa wood jewelry box and tucked it into his robe, where it pressed uncomfortably against his chest.

Perhaps out of guilt, he barely dared set foot near Rose Garden, both dreading and anticipating what might happen.

He was the sort of person who played the rake but wanted to keep up appearances.

Yet fate brings one what one most fears.

He had barely settled in when his attendant girl, Little Lotus, announced that his aunt had summoned him—she had something to discuss.

At that moment, Cao Chengyu felt like a girl cornered by a rough brute, powerless to resist fate. It was better to close his eyes and embrace it.

Since it was so, he would press forward!

For the sake of the reward, he would not shrink back. A confession—nothing to it. He had done it countless times in his previous life; this would be the first in this one.

With this resolve, he strode energetically toward Rose Garden.

As he crossed the threshold, he saw Lin Jiaoyun seated in the pavilion where they’d once eaten hotpot, wrapped in a fox-fur cloak, her phoenix eyes gazing absentmindedly at the frozen lake.

As he neared, his courage faltered and he turned to leave.

“Chengyu, since you’ve come, why do you wish to go?”

“Ah…”

“It’s nothing—just remembered I forgot something. It seemed improper to come empty-handed.”

“No matter, there’s no need for formality among family.”