Yun Haoran walked down without an aim, he was being followed by birds and beasts, the roots of trees and plants created the road for him. He was not walking but instead controlled the trees and roots to propel him while creating a path.
"Master, what are you thinking?" A tiger popped out its head. It had a majestic appearance no normal tiger gets. Its mighty aura scared any Meridian Opening Beast, the tiger was on the cusp of breaking through the second stage of Cultivation.
It was one of the animals Yun Haoran adopted from this mountain. He opened their Sea of Consciousness by pills and gave them each a Cultivation manual that suited them. They were his companions and the guardians of the Mystic Mist Peak.
"Oh, nothing. To feel nature is to return to Dao and in return you shall understand it." spouted Yun Haoran with nonsense. He was thinking about the plans he was concocting while practicing. His Cultivation Manual he created by extensive studying the techniques in the sect is a special case that evolve and adapt.
His master helped him and became a priced cultivation manual at Saint Stage. It remained nameless because it have the potential of many evolutions that when it transcended the Saint Stage, it will be different.
Being the personal disciple of a Saint, he gained the capability to know and read any manuals in the sect, upto Saint Stages. Although Elder Gold Sword used his authority and time limit for him to read and learn.
The Cultivation stages are as follows. Meridian Opening, Qi Sea, Grotto Heaven, Primordial Soul, Open Domain, Divine Body, Law Tempering and Law Comprehension.
Those in Law Comprehension are the Saints that are known as the Strongest in this Era. There are more stages in Cultivation in ancient times but since the Devil's Invasion, the Path to Emperor had been severed.
Law Comprehension is not about understanding the laws of Heaven and Earth but knowing one's road. It is also known as the Road Opening Stage.
A normal cultivation manual absorbs one of the Spiritual Qi of Five Elements or the elements of nature. His manual absorbs the purest form of Wood Element while also absorbing the 4 Elements namely Metal (Gold), Earth, Flame and Water.
That is how it is supposed to be but now he can absorb all the elements to refine and temper his Wood Qi to become Immune to any elements that he always envisioned. If he were to name it, he wanted a Tree capable of shouldering anything, the World Tree.
It is easy for him since he opened his 13th Meridian. He got this idea in his teens when he was stuck in a secret realm that was owned by a Saint Stage. 10 years ago when he was chased by someone, he managed to discover it. He saw the ceiling with 13 holes in the image of a Human.
He contemplated the reason why, it opened his understanding and got the idea of the 13th Foundation. He also got a good stuff that makes his path clear and enviable.
As to how he got it, it was because of his tenacity. The supposed 5 years of cultivating in Meridian Opening stages become 10 years. No one laughed at him because his abilities could kill a late Stage Qi Sea that time.
It was surface level because he finish the 9th Meridian Stage, the late stage. He was not satisfied his strength so he honed it a hundred times with pain and suffering.
His cultivation is faster but polishing his Qi Sea is one that should take place. The Qi Sea stages have 3 small stages with them having 3 more smaller stages in it.
Refinement is the early stages with 1-3 levels in Cultivation. To refine Dantian is to control the Heavens. Tempering is the middle stages with 4-6 as the base. To temper the Dantian is to hold power within oneself. Connection is the late stage with 7-9 as the base, when it is connected in the Meridians; cultivators have now the capability to absorb the Spiritual Qi in their pores instead of Breathing.
There is a perfect stage but he was still studying about it. It was about how to go beyond and have the 13th Foundation. He called that mysterious stage the Uniqueness.
Cultivation is to have an ambition one wants to get. He has an ambition for Immortality but that is far from the future, he should have goals and aspirations. His goal for now is to get the 13th Foundation. 13th Foundation from all Level.
"I don't want to do that but shall we start our Pyramid Scheme?" mumbled Yun Haoran. When he opened his palm, five seeds appeared that holds radiance. They are interconnected and had a strong connection to Yun Haoran.
All have the power of the Five Elements but with the smirk he was giving, it looks like he also has more in his sleeve.
The birds and beasts who have seen these have their beings wanted to get the seed. They held back because to get something without his permission is a grave sin. They are grateful for him that they can cultivate in peace in the mountains while hunting sometimes to satisfy their primal bloodline.
—
'Li Chao, the Warhammer Emperor. He was the same generation as me and the next Emperor after me. He was my great friend that saved me from their besiegement. An Outer court disciple that became the personal disciple of Elder Nine Summit, the Great Elder of Earth Gravity Peak.
I didn't befriend him because it will result in an event where he did not meet that mysterious person.'
She remembered something he said when they became close enough to become a Dao Brother and Sister, "Sister, if I did not meet that mysterious person that day, I am afraid I will not be where I am today."
'Who is that mysterious person, though? Many people have become great with low talent. They have one in common, they are humble and like helping but not in the expanse of their life. Li Chao is an exception. When they thought he died, he became a Tree Demon that killed almost all of them. Slowing their pursuit on me.'
She remembered he protected the Sect until Senior Brother and Master appeared. With a wave of his hammer, lightning struck. When he pounds it, the Earth splitted apart.
"Yong Yunzi, are you listening?" She returned on her stupor and thoughts when she heard the voice of an old man with vicissitude on his tone.
"Yes, Master." Yong Yunzi then looked at him with understanding when moment's ago she was contemplating. She heard this lesson countless times.
Mystic Mist Peak never cared for rules or traditions, except for one. Respect your Master and Brothers for they will help you in your journey. Those three rules are just lax and for them to have something they could call a Rule.
Yun Haoran once kowtowed to his master but never in the ceremony of discipleship, like him Yong Yunzi didn't need it. The ceremony is Yong Yunzi giving a tea to Elder Gold Sword.
Elder Gold Sword twitched his face, "Oh, I think I am hallucinating that you are not listening. Well then, repeat what I have said."
Yong Yunzi scratched her cheeks and said, "Master, did you know the moment I acknowledge you as my master, I also acknowledge you as my father?"
"That kind of mind games will not work on me, your Senior Brother did that and is still not working." smirks Elder Gold Sword while playing with his beard.
Yong Yunzi playfully repeated what his Senior Brother told to their Master. It may be because Elder Gold Sword is alone for thousands of years but he was easy to play with. They grow old and become Experts themselves, the relationship they have the first time is still there.
"Okay Master. Cultivation is like sailing on a misty shore in a boat and paddle. The boat is our Dao Heart while the paddle is the talent. When we decided to cultivate, there was no returning back but to sail in an unknown sea, without destination.
There will be storms happening left and right while we could hold and rely on ourselves. There is luck involved but never trust in it but the boat. Even if the paddle is destroyed, but the Boat remains, use yourself to reach your destination. If The boat was destroyed, expect that your path is finished." Yong Yunzi repeated what her Master said with seriousness. A complete imitation of Elder Gold Sword.
"Good, good, good. Hahahaha. You understand unlike that bastard." laughed Elder Gold Sword that stood up from the rock he was sitting.
"Did you know what he said when I asked him to repeat it to me?" added Elder Gold Sword with a question.
"No Master." Yong Yunzi became attentive. This is the first time she would be hearing this. In her first life, she was attentive that her eyes will pop from her socket. The reason why she didn't need to repeat it.
"Cultivation is like dogs eating shit. When the dogs become too overbearing for eating shit, someone would throw rocks at the dog." said Elder Gold Sword with ridicule and anger on his face. The analogy is wrong in any angle but saying it from his mouth makes it look correct.
"Master, may I laugh?" asked Yong Yunzi. She was trying to hold her laughter from leaking.
"You may. Don't hold back." replied Elder God Sword while smiling.
"Hahahahaha." She laughed so hard that she was now holding her stomach.
'Senior Brother, oh Senior Brother.' She thought as she heard a voice. "Look for me tomorrow. You would start cultivating from then on."
"Yes Master." She stood up and bowed her head then started laughing again.
She heard countless jokes but this is not a joke. When someone knew the personality of Yun Haoran, he is a person as carefree and a freedom incarnate. He is easy to deal with, however his metaphors and analogies are hard to be accepted. The dogs eating shit is a serious metaphor used by his Senior Brother. She hadn't laughed for a long time that she have forgotten how embarrassing it was.
—
"Why do I feel irritated all of a sudden?" asked Yun Haoran in the surrounding. He was crafting a robe with a lot of formations and runes that are interconnected with each other.
He was not only an Alchemist but also an Artifact Refiner, Formation Master and Rune Creator. He makes sure that the robe looks old with mysterious power. It was a special effect to mislead the enemy. He learned to his Master who taught him all he knew about the professions.
The sun is now setting, he created a dish for his Junior Sister and Master because she was merely a mortal. His Master likes his mortal dish so he makes it once a month.
His Pyramid Scheme would now commence. The pyramid scheme that is not a scheme at all. He will make others do the work for him.