Chapter 25
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Chapter 25: Building Momentum
Soon, Ji Yang found the information he needed in a book.
Cultivation is going against the heavens!
Heaven and earth’s spiritual energy is gathered within oneself, and cultivators refine this energy to transcend, seeking immortality. This goes against the laws of nature.
Thus, each level of cultivation presents its own difficulties. When a cultivator reaches the Spirit Transformation stage, they must endure the Calamity Clouds, and the power of these trials only grows with each major stage.
It is said that after the Tribulation Crossing stage, there is the Great Calamity of Heaven and Earth. If one can survive, they can ascend to become a true immortal, living alongside the heavens.
Yet, according to records, no one has ascended in the Cultivation World for thousands of years.
Some believe that true immortals do not exist, but many others firmly believe that one can become a true immortal after the Tribulation Crossing stage.
The way of heaven is indifferent; yet, from the great principles, there are fifty paths, and of those, humans can evade one.
Cultivators mastered the methods of cultivation thousands of years ago and discovered differences in how various talents progress.
Among them, the Talent Jealousy is the primary choice.
This talent allows for the fastest cultivation speed, but Ji Yang remained skeptical; he felt his own progress was not fast at all!
However, the book introduced it this way, and Ji Yang had no way to argue against it.
Though Talent Jealousy is powerful, it also brings endless risks. From time to time, disasters occur.
These can be natural calamities or man-made misfortunes.
According to the records, there have been no less than ten individuals with Talent Jealousy in the Cultivation World, including both righteous and demonic factions, but none of them survived. Among them, the highest attained merely the Spirit Transformation stage!
Thus, this talent is rare but, in some ways, less stable than exceptional talents.
The book also recorded the stories of several individuals with Talent Jealousy.
Ji Yang read through each one.
"Wudao, born in the year 2355 of the Immortal Calendar! Thunder tribulation descended at birth! Not tolerated by heaven and earth! Confirmed as having Talent Jealousy."
“Eighteen years old, entered the Sensing stage, hunted by a Foundation Establishment monster!”
"Twenty years old, reached the fifth level of Qi Refinement, ventured outside, and accidentally escaped from an ancient cave!"
"Twenty-eight years old, in the Foundation Establishment stage, embroiled in battles among high-level cultivators, facing constant dangers."
"Forty years old, in the Golden Core stage, nearly struck by a fallen meteor from the sky."
"Sixty years old, entered the Nascent Soul stage, struck down by heavenly lightning! Perished!"
Then Ji Yang read about several other individuals with Talent Jealousy. Their fates were similar, filled with misfortunes and untimely deaths. One Golden Core cultivator even died while protecting someone, trying to defy the heavens.
Ultimately, both met their end in the underworld.
Ji Yang felt a chill in his heart; this moment finally gave him some understanding of his own talent.
Slow cultivation pace was one thing, but it also came with endless risks!
Being struck by heavenly lightning at the Nascent Soul stage and easily falling into unseen calamities—this felt like being cursed with misfortune.
Such a talent was better left alone, but it wasn’t a decision Ji Yang could make.
At that moment, Ji Yang recalled Ye Wuchen’s words, advising him to cultivate on Jingtan Peak for five hundred years to ensure his life was worry-free.
Originally, Ji Yang thought that Ye Wuchen’s words were irresponsible; now, reflecting on it, he realized that his cheap master indeed had courage.
He just didn’t know what realm Ye Wuchen had reached.
Although Ye Wuchen meant well, Ji Yang did not want to go with the flow; he had confidence in turning things around.
In the end, Ji Yang summarized the records in the book. Most cultivators remained relatively safe during the first thirty years, but after that, the power of calamities would grow stronger and become increasingly bizarre, regardless of one’s level.
This meant he had a chance; as long as he could reach the calamity strong enough and grow his strength, the calamities would not harm him!
Thirty years was enough!
“Everything has been copied; look it over and then destroy it. No sharing allowed.”
On the other side, the attendant had finished all the copies.
Ji Yang set the book down, did not look any further, and stored all the copied documents into his storage bag.
After Ji Yang left, a cultivator at the first level of Qi Refinement quickly exited the Scripture Pavilion and whispered a few words using a messaging talisman.
Meanwhile, upon receiving the news, Wu Yun picked up the messaging talisman in his hand. A trace of doubt flashed in his eyes as he muttered to himself,
“Has he come out so soon? Then there’s no need to wait any longer!”
“Today shall be the day my fame spreads!”
Wu Yun slowly walked out of his room, glanced at the sky, then hesitated for a moment,
“Forget it, it’s too late today; I’ll wait until tomorrow.”
“After all, he can’t escape; this will give me more time to build momentum!”
With this thought, a smile crept onto Wu Yun’s face as he sent out several more messaging talismans.
Soon, rumors spread among the outer disciples.
“Have you heard? Outer disciple Wu Yun is going to duel last year’s new entry, Ji Yang!”
“Wu Yun? Who is that?”
“Ji Yang? Who is he?”
Onlookers looked confused. Two relatively unknown figures suddenly faced off; what did it matter to them?
If they were well-known, influential outer disciples, they would be more interested, but since neither name rang a bell, what was the point of a duel?
Ji Yang had some renown, but in an instant, no one thought much of it. Besides, there were so many outer disciples; who could remember them all?
“You don’t know that?”
Seeing the disdainful expressions from the speakers, many felt puzzled.
Was it something significant? Or were both of them hidden talents who had been in seclusion?
Those being mocked felt embarrassed and began to inquire secretly. Soon, their identities were revealed.
Wu Yun, at the ninth level of Qi Refinement, was of moderate talent and a disciple from a subordinate family, but his strength was unknown.
Ji Yang, a Talent Jealousy who entered last year, joined Jingtan Peak and was personally taken as a disciple by the Peak Master, enduring a year of hard training to reach the first level of Qi Refinement!
He had just reached the first level of Qi Refinement and had already slain a fifth level Qi Refinement outer disciple with a single sword strike, reducing his cultivation by two levels!
Such exaggerated strength greatly piqued the interest of everyone!
Yet, the disparity in strength between the two was too vast, leaving everyone skeptical of Ji Yang.
Still, as the last remaining exceptional talent in the sect, many wanted to see what made this Talent Jealousy different.
As rumors spread from one to ten, and ten to a hundred, a wave quickly stirred among the outer disciples.
“Ji Yang? What a nobody.”
“Not interesting at all.”
Several disciples standing at the peak of the outer sect, having already reached the Tenth Level of Qi Refinement, expressed their disdain.
As the He Dao Sect was a top righteous sect, there were many talents, and they understood Talent Jealousy much better; they were not blindly intrigued like ordinary outer disciples.
While Talent Jealousy may progress faster, it wasn’t to an exaggerated extent, especially since this individual had joined Jingtan Peak.
Who didn’t know that Peak Master Ye never took pills and had been a diligent practitioner?
As his disciple, the standards would undoubtedly be stricter, making rapid growth through pills impossible!
Seeing the top outer disciples all express their lack of interest, the discussion gradually quieted down.
However, many still quietly watched Wu Yun’s every move.
