"Work-Rest Balance?"
Tian Buyi and Su Ru had heard the term from Tian Ling'er more than a few times lately. Originally, Tian Buyi had dismissed it as a clever excuse Lucian had cooked up to justify his indolence.
But now, staring at the boy's abnormal progress, he wasn't so sure.
Could this method actually work for him? But there's no logic in breaking through without practice,Tian Buyi thought.
Normal cultivators couldn't train around the clock because human meridians couldn't withstand the continuous circulation of spiritual energy for too long. Resting for a few hours between sessions was standard practice.
But Lucian hadn't trained for months.
How does one break through after months of doing nothing?
Tian Buyi was utterly perplexed. He considered himself a genius who had flourished through late-blooming accumulation, yet he couldn't fathom Lucian's cultivation speed. Finally, he simply nodded.
"Very well. From now on, you may follow your own methods. However, if your progress stalls, we will end this experiment immediately."
Su Ru turned her gaze toward Du Bishu. "Look at your Junior Brother. He's already broken through. If you don't work harder, Lucian will surpass you soon. When that happens, let's see how you maintain your dignity as a Senior Brother—or how you plan to keep leading him astray into laziness."
"Ahem." Beside them, Wu Dayi and the others exchanged glances and coughed awkwardly, feeling as though Shiniang's barb was aimed at them as well.
Du Bishu looked ready to weep. Heaven be my witness! He'd admit to being a bit of a gambler, maybe even a fan of questionable literature, but he would not take the fall for Lucian's slacking. "Shiniang, he's the one who wants to sleep! I've actually tried to advise him before!"
"Shiniang, Sixth Brother didn't lead me astray," Lucian suddenly interjected, seemingly coming to Du Bishu's defense.
Du Bishu looked at Lucian as if he were a long-lost savior, ready to chime in with his gratitude.
But then Lucian continued:
"Brother only took me to the back mountains to go fishing, taught me how to find the most comfortable spots to nap under the sun, and shared his... special collection of books with me..."
Lucian didn't wait for Du Bishu to speak; he began ticking items off on his fingers, methodically listing "evidence" of Du Bishu's corruption. This was his "thank you" for the forbidden book from earlier.
Du Bishu's eyes widened in horror. He lunged to cover Lucian's mouth, but the boy dodged him with practiced ease.
Tian Buyi and Su Ru's faces turned a shade of icy slate. Their freezing glares pinned Du Bishu to the spot, making him freeze mid-motion.
This is revenge! Pure, unadulterated revenge for my attempt to frame him earlier! From the betrayal of his cultivation breakthrough to this character assassination... this Junior Brother is a monster! Du Bishu realized with sinking dread. He's throwing me under the carriage without a second thought!
"Hahaha!"
Tian Ling'er, who had been brooding earlier, couldn't contain herself. She doubled over, clutching her stomach in laughter.
Only Song Daren's expression shifted significantly. He cast a sharp look at Du Bishu. If he hadn't misheard, Lucian had just mentioned Du Bishu sharing his "collection"—meaning the forbidden books.
"Fine. Very well," Song Daren said, his smile vanishing. "I see now that making you throw out those trashy books was exactly the right call."
"That's enough," Tian Buyi commanded, silencing the group. "Sixth, you truly must focus. Your Shiniang will be giving you special attention during your sessions."
"Yes..." Du Bishu replied, his voice hollow. The nightmare had officially begun.
"The rest of you won't be exempt either," Tian Buyi added. "However, since Lucian's realm is still low, intensive guidance might be counterproductive for him right now."
Wu Dayi and the others, including Song Daren, looked as though the sky had just fallen on their heads.
The next morning, having finished breakfast, Lucian watched with barely concealed glee as Su Ru led the others away.
Before long, the training grounds echoed with the pathetic groans and miserable shrieks of his brothers.
"Hmph! Why didn't you tell me yesterday that you reached the second level?" Tian Ling'er had been holding her tongue for a day and finally snapped at Lucian.
"I forgot," Lucian said with a shrug. Looking into her bright, indignant eyes, he told the simple truth.
"I don't believe you!"
"Suit yourself. It's the truth." Lucian ignored the girl's gnashing teeth and turned toward the back mountains.
It was time to use the cheat.
There was only a year left until the main story began, and he needed to accelerate. He had spent a long time thinking about it, and he had no intention of trying to save the villagers of Grass Temple Village.
First, he was currently in a period of "low-profile development." Even if he spent the entire year training, he would reach the sixth level of the Jade Essence Realm at most. He couldn't fight someone in the Upper Essence Realm. Until he grew stronger, he was just a pebble in the path of Puzhi or Cang Song—one they could kick aside without effort.
As for informing the Qingyun higher-ups? Who was he to them?
A man needed self-awareness. His current talent was "good," but not "Daoxuan-level genius" good. Daoxuan wouldn't believe him unconditionally. Tian Buyi might, but Lucian had no plausible excuse for knowing what was coming.
Besides, while the village massacre was a tragedy, Cang Song had already defected to the Demonic Sect in his heart; who knew if he had other allies lurking? This was a real world, not a fantasy of his own making.
Between a Master who treated him well and a group of strangers in a village, Lucian knew which side he stood on.
Guilt? Why? I'm not the one holding the blade.
Beneath the Black Bamboo Grove.
Clad in his green Daoist robes, Lucian sat cross-legged atop a jagged rock, calling up the panel in his mind.
[Name]: Lucian Qing [Realm]: Taiji Pure Essence Path – Second Level of the Jade Essence Realm [Work-Rest Balance]: Current Rest Duration: 67 Days and 8 Hours.
He expended thirty days of rest duration.
Instantly, a cool sensation washed over his brain. His thoughts felt ten times sharper. He entered a meditative trance in a heartbeat, circulating the formulas of the Taiji Pure Essence Path.
Every book he had read over the past year and every vista of Big Bamboo Peak he had observed flashed through his mind, forming a reservoir of potential. Briefly, two "snow-white" shapes from the forbidden book's cover flickered in his thoughts; Lucian quickly suppressed them and focused back on his training.
The contents of the library transformed into sparks of inspiration, guiding Lucian as he made micro-adjustments to the flow of energy through his meridians.
Spiritual energy swirled around him, tugging at his robes. The essence of heaven and earth was pulled into his body, refined into spiritual essence, and then condensed into Yuanqi(Source Energy).
Once the Source Energy formed, he would reach the third level. As the manuals said: "The Taiji Source Energy contains the three-in-one. The 'Ultimate' is the center; the 'Source' is the beginning..."
At that stage, he would be able to convert environmental energy directly into personal power, leaving him only one step away from the fourth level.
Lucian's fingers flicked through a series of rapid mudras. The surge of spiritual energy intensified, flooding through his pores and acupoints. The breakthrough was reaching its climax.
After an unknown amount of time, the turbulence subsided. Lucian pulled his aura inward, compressing it to a single point.
Then—Boom!
His presence surged, climbing level by level.
"Cheating really is the way to go," he muttered, opening his eyes with a smile. "Third level, just like that."
[Name]: Lucian Qing [Realm]: Taiji Pure Essence Path – Third Level of the Jade Essence Realm [Work-Rest Balance]:Current Rest Duration: 37 Days and 10 Hours.
He checked the time; only two hours had passed since he started.
He had just told Su Ru he was at the second level yesterday. Now he was at the third. Lucian hesitated. Should he tell them?
After a moment, he decided to let nature take its course. If they asked, he'd tell them. If not, he wouldn't. Aside from the potential threat of Cang Song, Qingyun Sect was safe enough. Daoxuan was devoted to the sect; he wouldn't let a prodigy come to harm.
And if he ever did run into Cang Song, he held the secret of Wan Jianyi in the Ancestral Hall. Given Cang Song's obsession with his former senior brother, that information was a literal life-saver.
With his path clear, he decided to head to the library to gather more knowledge. At the fourth level, one gained the foundation for all techniques and could begin refining their own magical treasures.
He was only one step away from the legendary feat of "sword-riding" flight. The thought of soaring through the clouds, a dream shared by almost everyone, filled him with a surge of excitement.
During this session, Lucian felt he still had energy to spare. While his cultivation speed was maxed out, his mind was overflowing with inspirations that his current physical vessel simply couldn't manifest yet. It was as if his brain had a thousand ideas, but his body was trailing behind, struggling to keep up