Star-defying cultivation

Cultivation's system

Ye Xian immediately turned around, looking at the place where the lightning had struck and then at the sky, wondering where the voice had come from. Then a thought immediately crossed his mind.

Heavenly Voice!

"Geez! If the Heavenly Voice really belongs to a woman, that's not a good sign!" he muttered while scratching his head.

"Sorry, Auntie Heavenly Voice! You just made me angry and I... Uh, my hand reacts on its own whenever I'm angry." He said this while seeking her forgiveness.

[Why are you calling me "Auntie"? Wow, did I miss part of the story?]

"It was just out of respect. But if you don't like respect, I can just call you 'darling.'"

This time, a long silence weighed down on the surroundings before the voice continued after a long sigh.

"Fine! Then let's get straight to the point, Ye Xian."

Oh? Ye Xian tilted slightly to the side as he wondered how this voice knew his name. He did not remember telling her. He couldn't help but ask.

"How do you know my name, anyway?"

A light laugh rang out before the Heavenly Voice answered with amusement, "Someone told me about you in the Upper Realm. I really didn't think you would come here one day. Fate is amazing, isn't it?"

Ye Xian thought for a while about who could have possibly told her about him, forcing himself to remember, but he couldn't find anyone.

"Who told you about me? No matter how much I think about it I can't find anyone who could have told you about me... Except for the souls of the chickens I ate."

[...]

[Don't try to understand, and as far as I know, you're here for a wish, right? Say it.]

[And keep this in mind, a wish like "I want to become the strongest" or "I want to become someone famous" won't work. I can only give you the means to quickly reach what you want, and in that regard, you won't be disappointed.]

Ye Xian couldn't help but feel excited as he stood straight and coughed twice before speaking with the utmost seriousness.

"I wish to have 'you' by my side to help me cultivate and become an emperor."

[...]

A deathly silence filled the surroundings as Ye Xian looked around excitedly, waiting for the response of the Voice of the World.

He wasn't really stupid, even if he sometimes gave that impression, and therefore he knew how to act in this kind of situation. He had thought about it during the three days he had spent on the mountain and had decided that since the Voice of the World could grant wishes, why not simply have her by his side?

Suddenly, feminine laughter rang out as Ye Xian felt a terrible pain in his head, forcing him to hold his head with both hands and close his right eye.

A few seconds later, the laughter stopped, and the Heavenly Voice spoke again.

[He told me you were cunning, but I didn't believe him. Now I think I have proof that he was right.]

[However, I must warn you: having me with you goes against your destiny, although it is the only path for you to become an "emperor" as you wish.]

The only path... Ye Xian muttered to himself before thinking for a moment and nodding with a smile.

"Of course I accept..."

After a long silence, the Heavenly Voice warned him once again.

[Say, "I choose this path of my own free will and will not complain no matter what dangers I face."]

"I choose this path of my own free will and will not complain no matter what dangers I face!" Ye Xian simply said with great excitement.

[Very well!]

He suddenly shuddered. This time, the Heavenly Voice had resonated inside his mind rather than in the sky. He couldn't help but scratch his head in confusion.

[From now on, I will assist you. Just call me "System." I'm too lazy to give myself a proper name right now.]

Ye Xian was so happy that he almost danced on the spot, but he restrained himself. Then he simply asked, "So?"

[First of all, you obtain a Starry Dantian as a gift for spending three days here waiting for me.]

Suddenly, Ye Xian felt his body tremble slightly as he saw a luminous mist circulating around him. It seemed to cover the earth, the sky, and even beyond, moving in every direction without limit. Then, the mist immediately disappeared.

[ Dantian successfully created! You can now perceive and absorb spiritual energy! ]

"What is spiritual energy?" Ye Xian asked as he sat down.

[Spiritual energy is the natural energy present between Heaven, Earth, and even beyond, in the cosmos, which cultivators absorb, refine, and use to strengthen their bodies, advance their cultivation, and use supernatural techniques.]

So that's what it is...! Ye Xian was enlightened. Then he asked again with curiosity.

"And the Dantian? I've heard cultivators talk about it, but I never understood what it was."

[You can think of it as a vast reservoir located within a cultivator's spiritual body. Spiritual energy is stored there after being refined, waiting to be used to power techniques and strengthen the body. It is therefore essential to cultivation.]

"So that's why those heartless cultivators rejected me that day..." Ye Xian concluded as he remembered the day when the cultivators from the Heavenly Emperor Sect had come to select new disciples.

[Exactly!]

"Now that I think about it, you mentioned a 'Starry Dantian.' I've only heard cultivators talk about the 'Dantian.' Are there different types?"

[Yeah! There are three types of Dantians, and therefore three types of spiritual energy and three types of cultivation.]

Ye Xian couldn't help but become even more fascinated by the world of cultivation as he listened silently to the explanation of the Heavenly Voice.

[There is the Earth Dantian, which allows one to absorb the spiritual energy of the earth and practice Earth Cultivation, and it is the type of Dantian that the majority possess. The Heavenly Dantian allows one to absorb the Heavenly Energy surrounding the world and, as a result, practice Heavenly Cultivation. This form of cultivation is rare, and those who possess it are inherently superior to Earth Cultivators due to the superiority of Heavenly Spiritual Energy over Earth Spiritual Energy.]

[And finally comes the Starry Dantian, which allows one to absorb Starry Spiritual Energy, the most powerful and even rarer type of spiritual energy, in order to practice Starry Cultivation.]

[In this Lower World, only one person possesses this cultivation, and that is the one you call The Eternal. Even in the Upper Realm, this is an extremely rare cultivation. It is a cultivation related to the stars and does not require a cultivation method.]

And I can practice this type of cultivation... Ye Xian thought excitedly.

He already had an idea of what a cultivation method meant, so he did not ask.

"How do I begin cultivating, then?"

[Since you don't need a specific cultivation method, it should be easy.]

Ye Xian became dizzy as information entered his mind. It was mainly information about how to practice cultivation.

[Information related to cultivation successfully transmitted.]

[First Mission: Enter Qi Condensation realm ]

Ye Xian focused as he assimilated the information about cultivation. He instinctively sat cross-legged before closing his eyes. The luminous mist he had perceived earlier reappeared, except this time he was looking at it with his mind.

He extended the right hand of his spiritual body, attempting to grab the luminous spiritual mist that was spiritual energy, and after several attempts, he succeeded in capturing it. However, he still couldn't make it enter his body, which forced him to withdraw his right hand.

He turned his attention toward the Dantian within his spiritual body, which was like a vast inner space resembling an ocean or a miniature world, and after observing it, he had an idea.

He focused on his Dantian, seeking to fully control it. He failed once, twice, before succeeding on his third attempt. Thus, he tried to change the shape of his Dantian until he gave it the shape of a black hole, which then began spinning at high speed, absorbing the spiritual energy around it.

It is at this moment that he also notices something... that spiritual energy had tiny stars inside it making it magnificent, and all of it seemed to be coming from a distant place. He hadn't noticed it at all at first.

But he puts it aside.

He couldn't help but smile, knowing that he would soon enter Qi Condensation realm.

According to the information transmitted by the Heavenly Voice, this was the very first level, or realm, of cultivation. It was not simply an increase in power, but a complete transformation of the body and mind. After refining enough spiritual energy, he could use this energy to rebuild his foundation, eliminate the impurities from his body, and strengthen his spirit. From that moment on, he could no longer be considered a mere mortal.

After approximately thirty minutes, Ye Xian suddenly trembled as a large amount of Starry Spiritual Energy was released from his body and scattered throughout the world in all directions, causing several spirit beasts in the forest around him to raise their heads.

Ye Xian slowly opened his eyes before standing up and examining his body, which had undergone changes.

He had finally become a cultivator after successfully reaching Qi Condensation realm.

Before he could say anything, the forest around him, the mountain, and the air began to tremble as he could feel several beams of light rise from various locations before dispersing.

[The world has just gained a second Starry Cultivator. It's only natural that everyone is agitated, considering that the Starry Spiritual Energy you released acted as an alarm.]

[However, I will hide the type of your cultivation from the others. This will avoid trouble and, most importantly, prevent the Eternal from taking an interest in you.]

"..." Ye Xian fell silent, still looking around him.

Suddenly, a beam of light shot toward him at great speed before revealing a young man elegantly dressed in blue, with long hair tied behind his head, forming a long ponytail that descended down his back.

He looked at Ye Xian for a moment before turning his head and looking around.

I'm sure I sensed a powerful spiritual energy around here... he thought as he turned his gaze back toward Ye Xian.

Huh! He has an Earth-type Dantian, and his spiritual energy seems powerful despite his age. What is a child doing here? Aren't those bastards from the Heavenly Emperor Sect supposed to recruit everyone with potential? How could they have overlooked a child with such good potential?

Then he shook his head before asking Ye Xian in confusion, with a warm smile.

"Junior! Do you already belong to a sect?"

"No!" Ye Xian said while nodding, still perplexed.

The young man then sighed before asking him next.

"The journey toward the Great Dao is long, but enjoyable when you have a sect behind you. Would you like to join the Arch-Emperor Heavenly Sect and get closer to your goal?"