I Idle in the World of Immortal Cultivation
Chapter 50: Nascent Soul
Today was especially lively. A strange phenomenon appeared over the Cangxuan Sect.
The eastern sky turned blue first. Not the deep blue of deep water, but a softer, friendlier, water-like blue. Pale blue-green clouds surged out from the nearby white and gray clouds, layer upon layer, piling up in midair, hanging low. Then the spiritual energy began to stir. It wasn't the wind – the spiritual energy itself was swirling, like an invisible fan stirring the spiritual power of the entire Cangxuan Sect.
Yue Long ran out of the mine, her rabbit ears straight up. Rat One lay on Lin Luo's shoulder, his little paws gripping Lin Luo's collar, squeaking.
"Master, why has the sky changed?"
"Someone is breaking through."
"Are you breaking through again?"
"No. This time it's the Sect Leader."
Yue Long's rabbit ears turned. "Why does the sky change when the Sect Leader breaks through? Is it a special physique? Or does he practice a special technique?"
Lin Luo used his Spirit Eye Technique and swept it over the main peak. The numbers on his screen jumped.
[Lu Yuan · Cultivation: Golden Core Layer 9 → Nascent Soul Layer 1. Breaking through.]
[Cangxuan Sect technique phenomenon.]
At the top of the Cangxuan Sect's main peak, Lu Yuan sat cross-legged on the edge of a cliff. Behind him stood the fat elder and the thin elder. Behind them were the inner court elders and disciples. No one spoke. Everyone's eyes were fixed on the sky.
Dark clouds churned, pressing lower and lower, almost touching the spire at the peak's top. Thunder rolled from within the clouds – not the sharp crack of a lightning strike, but a dull, continuous rumble, like someone dragging a massive iron plate across the sky.
Zhao Tian stood at the front of the inner court disciples. His sword hung at his waist, his hand on the hilt, his knuckles white. Wang Hao stood beside him, mouth open, staring at the sky, still holding an unfinished steamed bun. Chen Yutong stood at the back, a book in her hands, but she wasn't turning the pages.
Lin Luo and Yue Long walked up the mountain path and stood behind the crowd of chores disciples. Ma Biao saw Lin Luo and stepped aside, lowering his voice. "Brother Luo, the Sect Leader is breaking through. We're all here to watch and learn."
"Good luck. I believe in you."
"The fat elder said not to get close. Heavenly lightning will increase its power and lock onto the number of people it judges."
Lin Luo didn't answer. He took out his phone and swept his Spirit Eye Technique again.
[Lu Yuan · Nascent Soul Layer 1. Breakthrough progress: 87%. Phenomenon intensity: increasing.]
[Hint: The spiritual energy fluctuations from the breakthrough have spread beyond the Cangxuan Sect's territory. Nearby factions are sending scouts.]
Lin Luo put his phone away and glanced toward the horizon. In the northeast, several sword lights flickered beneath the clouds. In the southwest, a mass of black mist moved slowly. Due south, several large birds circled, shadows of people on their backs.
Yue Long tugged his sleeve. "Master, people are coming to watch too."
"I see them. Quite a few."
"Why are they coming? Are they worried about the Sect Leader?"
"Don't talk nonsense. They're here to bring gifts."
"Then why are they sneaking around?"
"Because they're not here to watch. They're here to spy."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Spy on what?"
"To feel out the Cangxuan Sect. When the Sect Leader breaks through to Nascent Soul, the sect's strength will rise a level. The surrounding factions need to reassess."
Yue Long's rabbit ears drooped. "Will we have trouble?"
"Not for now. After the Sect Leader finishes breaking through, they'll look, then go back to prepare gifts."
"What if they don't leave?"
Lin Luo didn't answer.
---
Lightning snakes flickered beneath the dark clouds. The clouds shifted from blue to dark purple, then from dark purple to gold. Golden light shot down through the gaps in the clouds, gilding the entire main peak.
Lu Yuan's body rose into the air.
Not on his own – lifted by spiritual energy. He hovered cross-legged in midair, his robes flapping in the spiritual energy storm. His hair came loose, falling over his shoulders. The wrinkles on his face were deeper than usual, but his eyes were closed, his lips pressed together, his expression unchanged.
A pillar of golden light struck down from the sky and enveloped him completely.
The fat elder's voice came from the front. "It's done."
The thin elder's voice followed immediately. "Not yet. The phenomenon hasn't dispersed."
The fat elder looked up. The golden pillar was still there, but the dark clouds hadn't scattered. They spun around the golden pillar like a giant whirlpool, pulling the whole sky into it.
Lin Luo swept his Spirit Eye Technique again.
[Lu Yuan · Nascent Soul Layer 1. Breakthrough progress: 100%.]
[Phenomenon: Not dispersed. Reason: The technique Lu Yuan practices is an incomplete remnant of the ancient Cangxuan Sect. When advancing to Nascent Soul, it triggers a blue-green cloud phenomenon. If the phenomenon doesn't disperse, the Nascent Soul remains unstable.]
Lin Luo frowned.
The dark clouds pressed down. Not slowly – they dropped suddenly, like a quilt soaked in water, covering the entire peak. The golden light twisted and deformed under the pressure. Lu Yuan's body swayed within the glow.
The fat elder's expression changed. "Sect Leader—"
The thin elder grabbed his arm. "Don't go over. If you go now, you'll only harm him. And you'll disrupt the flow of his spiritual energy."
"But—"
"Trust him."
The clouds pressed down to less than ten feet above Lu Yuan's head. Lu Yuan opened his eyes.
His eyes blazed with light, like two light bulbs. He raised his right hand, palm up, and a ball of blue-green spiritual energy condensed in his palm. The energy grew larger and larger – from the size of an egg to a fist, from a fist to a head.
Lu Yuan pushed the energy upward.
The blue-green sphere shot into the dark clouds. The clouds tore open, and golden sunlight poured through the crack. The clouds tried to close again, but the crack grew wider and wider, the clouds thinner and thinner, until finally, like a torn piece of paper, they scattered piece by piece.
The sky turned blue.
A Golden Core floated above the Sect Leader's head, gradually transforming into a chibi model of Lu Yuan sitting cross-legged – the Nascent Soul energy form. Then the Nascent Soul dove into the Sect Leader's body. The grass and trees around the Sect Leader grew several times lusher, and the spiritual energy grew thicker.
Lu Yuan's robe settled down, and he stood again at the edge of the cliff. His hair turned black. His physique and face gradually grew younger. His eyes were very bright.
The fat elder was the first to kneel. "Congratulations, Sect Leader!"
The thin elder followed. "Congratulations, Sect Leader!"
The inner court elders and disciples knelt in a wave. Zhao Tian knelt. Wang Hao knelt. Chen Yutong knelt. Ma Biao pulled the chores disciples beside him down to their knees.
Lin Luo didn't kneel. Yue Long saw that he wasn't kneeling, so she didn't kneel either.
Lu Yuan turned. His gaze swept over the kneeling crowd and landed on Lin Luo and Yue Long at the very back. The corner of his mouth moved slightly, then he turned back.
"All rise." His voice wasn't loud, but every word was clear.
The crowd stood. The fat elder stepped forward to help him, but Lu Yuan waved him off and walked down from the cliff on his own.
Lin Luo swept his Spirit Eye Technique one last time.
[Lu Yuan · Nascent Soul Layer 1. Breakthrough complete. Status: Unstable. Needs three months of rest to stabilize cultivation.]
Yue Long tugged his sleeve. "Master, is the Sect Leader done breaking through?"
"Yes. Very exciting."
"Is he more powerful now?"
"Nascent Soul is a whole major realm above Golden Core. Of course he's more powerful."
Yue Long thought for a moment. "Then when can Bone One reach Nascent Soul?"
"Bone One is a demon cultivator. Their Nascent Soul is called a Demon Infant. When it reaches the Demon Infant stage, it can probably fight at the peak of Golden Core."
"How much longer will that take?"
"I don't know. Just keep idling."
Yue Long took a deep breath. "Master, can you not answer with 'just keep idling' every time?"
"Yes. No problem."
Yue Long waited.
Lin Luo didn't speak.
"Well, say it!"
"Just keep idling."
Yue Long took a deep breath and stopped asking.
---
The two walked down the mountain. The setting sun emerged from behind the clouds, painting the whole mountain dark gold. Yue Long walked ahead, her rabbit ears bobbing in the wind.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"Blood One can still revive, right?"
"Yes. Are you looking forward to it?"
"Yes. I've never met him. We'll wait for him to come back together."
"We will. We'll be together eventually. Because we'll—"
"Just keep idling."
Lin Luo didn't speak.
Yue Long reached out and took his hand.
He didn't pull away.
The two walked back to the mine. Rat One ran over from the spirit field, squeaking, a tiny Green Spirit Fruit seedling clutched in his little paws – he hadn't pulled it out. The pit had sprouted, and he was carrying the seedling by its tip.
Yue Long crouched down. "Rat One, don't bite that. That's Sister Xiao's fruit pit."
Rat One squeaked, put the seedling down, and nudged the soil with his nose.
Yue Long replanted the seedling and brushed her hands.
"Master."
"Yes?"
"The outer shell of that young fruit pit is too hard. Rat One was just helping the seedling break out of its shell."
"I know. I feel like today was really fulfilling."
"Is that so? So motivated?"
"Tomorrow I'll do more good deeds."
"Good. Good."
"The day after tomorrow too."
"Great. Great."
"Every day. Until Blood One comes back."
Lin Luo didn't speak.
Yue Long stood up, walked to the stove, and began making soup.
Rat One squatted beside the stove, waiting for mushroom scraps to fall.
Lin Luo leaned against the stone wall and took out his phone. He opened Blood One's interface – he still needed to check the surroundings and figure out what had caused Blood One's death.
[Alt Account · Blood One. Status: Not revived. Current cultivation: Body Refining Layer 9.]
He turned off the screen.
Yue Long came over with two bowls of soup. One bowl in front of Lin Luo, one in her own hands.
"Master, drink."
Lin Luo took a sip. "Salty."
"I put a little more salt in today. I'm seasoning it for you."
"No need, no need. Just right." He held the bowl and drank.
Yue Long smiled. Master was talking more. It felt good to be depended on.
She crouched by the spirit field, holding her soup, her rabbit ears twitching.
Rat One poked his head out of his grass nest, squeaked twice, and ducked back in.
The mine was very quiet.
Merit +1, merit +1, merit +1.
Just keep idling.
---
(End of Chapter 50)
Current Status
Main Account · Lin Luo
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 3 (Displayed: Qi Refining Layer 1)
Nine Cycles Mystic Art: Third Cycle (progress 0.3%)
Lightning Prison Indestructible Body: Second Layer
Spirit Stones: 5050 (900 owed to inn)
Possessions: One jar of salted meat; 100 spirit stones invested in Hall of Good Deeds (given to Yue Long)
Alt Account · Bone One (Demon Cultivation · Black-Gold Skeleton · Assassin Form)
Cultivation: Body Refining Layer 7
Status: Idle battle · Ancient battlefield, target Golden Core Layer 4 demon beast
Alt Account · Blood One (Demon Cultivation · Blood Clan)
Cultivation: Body Refining Layer 9 (after power transfer and infusion)
Status: Not revived, waiting for death investigation
Alt Account · Rat One (Beast Cultivation · Treasure-Seeking Rat)
Cultivation: Spirit Gathering Layer 6
Status: Spirit field at mine land, guarding Green Spirit Fruit seedling
Sect · Idle Sect
Sect Leader: Lin Luo
Members: Yue Long, Su Xiaoxiao (Phoenix Kingdom), Bone One, Rat One, Blood One (awaiting revival)
Level: 2
Idle Bonus: +15%
Sect Contribution: Yue Long 10080, Lin Luo 0
Idle Sect Disciple · Yue Long
Cultivation: Foundation Establishment Layer 2 (Human) + Essence Gathering Layer 5 (Buddhist)
Merit points: 1840
Fudo Myoo's Resolution: 20%
Sect Contribution: 10080
New organization: Hall of Good Deeds (charitable foundation under the Idle Sect)
Hall of Good Deeds funds: 100 spirit stones (invested by Lin Luo)
Spirit Stone balance: ~1100
Possessions: Silver-white wrist guards (mid-grade magical tool)
Idle Sect Disciple · Su Xiaoxiao
Cultivation: Qi Refining Layer 3 (refined)
Status: Phoenix Kingdom · Central Temple, Sequence 0
(End of Chapter 50)
---
End of Volume One
From being a chores disciple of the Cangxuan Sect to building the Idle Sect in the mine and opening alt accounts.
From first meeting Yue Long to fighting together against the Nascent Soul demon beast, with several friends seeing their own weaknesses clearly.
From parting with Su Xiaoxiao to opening an inn in Suihuang City.
From one person to a group of people eating meat together.
From idling to doing good deeds.
Blood One's cultivation skyrocketed. Bone One kept fighting. Yue Long knocked on the wooden fish. Lin Luo chopped wood.
Su Xiaoxiao ate spirit fruits in the Phoenix Kingdom.
Rat One guarded the Green Spirit Fruit seedling.
Just keep idling.
(End of Volume One)