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179. White Jade Body Cultivation
🕑 Added 2022-04-02 22:36:24 +0000 UTCThe other cultivators sighed, full of the same despair Hui felt. He glanced around at them and felt a sudden burst of camaraderie, something he hadnât felt in any of his lives; not in his first life, not in Starbound Sect, not in Black Asp Sect. He shook his head, exhausted. Weâre all in this together, brothers and sisters. Together, weâll get through this!
Though no one said a word, the pace of their running lowered a beat or two. The more muscular cultivatorsâ breathing evened out as they took a break, and cultivators like Hui caught up. Hui ran along, his whole body aching. Iâve never faced such torture. Not even under the hands of the loan sharks! At least they would only break my bones and crush my body. Theyâd never⊠never⊠force me to run myself to death!
A blast of white flashed by them. The whole group jumped. A few of the quicker-witted ones, Hui included, sped up once more.
A second later, Ding Lao arrived with a laugh. âA real challenge, for the first time in a long time! I like that girl. Sheâs got spunk. If only you could also be like her, my pitiful, flabby brothers and sisters⊠Ah! But if you keep at it, and continue to train your bodies, one day⊠one day! One day, all my brothers and sisters will be as powerful as that girl, with gorgeous muscles glittering under the sun!â Ding Lao clenched his fist, a wide smile on his face.
âBe like her?â
âNo way. Ding Lao approves, so that means⊠she relied on her physical body alone to move that fast?â
âNever! Itâs impossible! Ding Lao and that girl⊠theyâre both freaks!â
Hui gasped, panting too hard to speak. Sweat streamed down his face and back, and his legs ached fiercely. Dammit. Iâm going to die! Iâm going to sweat out my organs and die! My legs are going to fall apart. Iâm dying!
On and on. Liu Baozhai slowed down and ran alongside Ding Lao, who jogged casually alongside them despite their brutal pace, not even sweating. He chattered at Liu Baozhai, who occasionally dipped her head in agreement or uttered a single syllable. Like him, she wasnât even breathing hard, let alone sweating.
Hui narrowed his eyes in disgust. This⊠this⊠I canât believe it! Chatting up a girl while the rest of us suffer, how could he! And he isnât even using his qiâŠ
Hui stopped dead. The thought hit him like thunder, roaring through his brain. Wait. He⊠isnât even using his qi.
Isnât using his qi.
When I play dead, I canât use qi. Body cultivation⊠isnât it the ultimate kind of cultivation for me?
âHey! No slowing down!â Ding Lao shouted.
Hui dropped to his knees and kowtowed to Ding Lao and Liu Baozhai. âSeniors! Please take this small disciple under your wings! Iâll do anything, just⊠teach me body cultivation!â
Ding Laoâs eyes shone. âYou⊠could it be? Have you gained enlightenment on the art of cultivating oneâs muscles? Yes! It seems⊠you, at the very least, have broken through the first realm of body cultivation, which is⊠to understand the true value of body cultivation! And on your first day, too. Aha, Junior Brother, it would be an honor to teach one so gifted!â
The other cultivators shot Hui pitying looks, quietly shaking their heads.
He ignored them, instead climbing to his feet to roar off at top speed. His heart thudded, his breath came short, his legs ached, but he ignored all that. My bodyâs too delicate. I canât take a lot of hits. On top of that, I need to use qi to attack. Only a little qi with the talismans, but even so, itâs still some qi! If I can learn to attack without qi, I can sneak attack from a position of absolute advantage. If I can develop a tougher body that can take more punishment before I have to get up and give up on playing dead, I can survive more encounters! ThisâIâm only disappointed that I didnât think of it earlier.
Ah! Is that what Master was trying to tell me about when he used body cultivation to piece a robe back together? Was that his way of showing me a body cultivation technique so I could play dead even better? Master! This small disciple truly lacks comprehension! When I return, I ought to bow to Master as apology for my deficient understanding!
Liu Baozhai drew up alongside him, abandoning Ding Lao. She looked at him, then frowned. âXie⊠Hao?â
âAh! Apologies, Elder Sister. This small cultivator is suppressing his death aura,â Hui apologized, ducking his head.
Liu Baozhai nodded, face as flat as ever. She held out her hand.
Hui looked at it, then at her.
âTake it.â
Hesitant, Hui grabbed her hand.
It felt cold and hard under his hand, but quickly warmed up under his touch. A smooth, rocky surface curved away beneath his hand. He frowned. âFeels like⊠jade?â
She nodded. âWhite Jade Body Cultivation Technique.â
âIs that your technique?â Hui asked, slightly confused.
Liu Baozhai looked at him. She frowned, just faintly.
âEr, Elder Sister?â
âInspect it,â she demanded.
âInspect⊠it?â
âMy hand.â
Hui blinked, then scratched his head. Er⊠is this⊠is she a sports girl? Is that why sheâs okay with me investigating her hand with qi? Like how Ding Lao doesnât seem to think of sharing qi as problematic the way everyone else does. He hesitated another second, then sent a bit of qi into her hand to inspect it.
Cold. Hard as stone. Veins and qi passages coiled through her body, as stiff as the rest of her, as if theyâd been carved into place.
He yanked his hand away, startled. Their eyes met.
âNot suitable,â she said quietly.
Isnât your technique a bloodline technique? Of course itâs not suitable for a small cultivator from a nameless mortal family like me!
âŠAh, speaking of which. I should give that lady who sent me off some gold. I can do that much.
Wait, but where was my home? I⊠fell asleep on the way to the sect.
Hui sighed. Oh well, Iâll figure it out.
Still⊠her body cultivation technique⊠although I canât use it, I can use the idea. Transmute the flesh into something stronger, something with magical properties. Leave behind my fleshly body and ascend to a stronger, more permanent form!
But⊠what?
Hui put a hand on his chin, thinking. Not undead flesh. Thatâs⊠I donât want to become a ghoul. True, they have incredible regenerative power, butâŠ
Hmm⊠thereâs the snake shedâs regeneration technique. I have to lose a skin to use that, though, and currently, Iâm only strong enough to use that technique thrice in succession. Besides, I donât want to rely on that. I want my own body to regenerate itself, without overtly using qi. But⊠only at the right time! If I immediately regenerate, that could kill my death-faking!
Maybe sheâs right. Maybe a technique like that isnât suited to me at all. Iâll set it aside for now.
Then what about Ding Laoâs technique?
He looked at Ding Lao. Putting a hand to his back, he remembered the rowdy qi that surged into him. With that... I couldnât help but run. Then⊠is that his technique? Or is his qi always like that?
The only time my qi was like that, I almost died! Unsuitable, unsuitable! This poor disciple's qi passages arenât strong enough!
Between the two⊠if I had to pick one, Liu Baozhaiâs technique is closer to what I want! No qi required, a magnificent body that can take a beating far beyond any ordinary cultivator! Ding Laoâs unrivaledly powerful qi and surging energy is not for a humble cultivator like me. I want to play dead, not charge headlong into battle.
Itâs settled. White Jade Body Cultivation Technique, I donât care if youâre a bloodline technique! Iâm going to comprehend you⊠in my own way! Decided, Hui clenched his fist.
âHey! No slacking!â Ding Lao shouted.
âUnderstood, Elder Brother!â Hui called back, pushing himself faster. He surged to the front of the pack, ignoring the pain in his body. Until then⊠anything, to make this body of mine stronger and play dead more successfully!
The other cultivators looked at Hui, sadness in their eyes.
âAh. Heâs gone insane, hasnât he.â
âHeâs lost it. Thereâs no future for him in cultivation anymore.â
âDonât tell me⊠will we have two Ding Laos from now on?â
Comments
RedFaux
YOUTH!~
Wyatt Hilbert
Thanks for the chapter
