Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 84 | The Path of Seclusion | Novela.app

Li Xue, Yu Ming, and Yun Mingxuan hovered in the air, bidding farewell to Ji Rufeng and Dongfang Jing before preparing to return to the Yunjin Sect. "Sister Li, I’ll come to the Yunjin Sect to find you in a few days!" Dongfang Jing said, his voice thick with reluctance. Li Xue’s figure stumbled atop her flying shuttle, nearly sending her tumbling off. She shot Dongfang Jing a fierce glare and said sternly, "Dongfang Jing, you have the protection of a Nascent Soul Great-Ancestor and a Maternal Great-Ancestor, yet you don't focus on your cultivation to reach the Golden Core stage. Why are you wandering around everywhere? You are squandering your time and your very lifespan! To waste time is a disgrace!" "Yes, yes... I will definitely go into seclusion when I get back and strive to form my core as soon as possible!" Dongfang Jing nodded like a chick pecking at grain, looking remarkably well-behaved and receptive to her teaching. Only then did Li Xue nod in satisfaction. She, Yu Ming, and Yun Mingxuan flew toward the teleportation array; they intended to use it for their return journey to avoid any further delays. Ji Rufeng watched as Li Xue and the others vanished from sight. Seeing Dongfang Jing still standing there with his neck craned, gazing into the distance, Ji Rufeng’s lip twitched. He couldn't help but say, "Dongfang Jing, they’re long gone. What are you still looking at?" "Uh, they’re gone? Then let’s head back!" With that, Dongfang Jing turned and flew off, ignoring Ji Rufeng entirely. Ji Rufeng stood stunned for a moment, then said with a hint of annoyance, "Dongfang Jing, what is the meaning of this? As soon as Sister Li leaves, you lose all your manners?" Dongfang Jing didn't look back. "I need to hurry and bid farewell to my Maternal Great-Ancestor so I can return for my seclusion!" Ji Rufeng felt helpless. This Dongfang Jing really was a creature of whims; surely a moment's delay wouldn't ruin his seclusion. It seemed the only person he would actually listen to was Li Xue. Upon returning to the sect, Li Xue immediately began her preparations for seclusion. The Beast Spirit Convention had left a deep impression on her; in this cultivation world, those without strength were merely meat on a chopping block. Like those low-level spirit beasts, they became the tools of others, stripped of their freedom and even facing threats to their lives. She had no desire to end up like that. Inside the Snow Whisper Cottage, Li Xue laid out various medicinal pills. She had three bottles each of high-grade Qi-Nurturing Pills and Spirit-Restoring Pills, which was sufficient for the time being. There was a difference between ordinary seclusion and "Death Seclusion." Ordinary seclusion involved focused cultivation, where one could contemplate their realm, practice secret techniques, or engage in alchemy and smithing. Death Seclusion, however, meant never stepping outside, devoting oneself entirely to internal cultivation. Li Xue began to formulate a series of plans. She would spend one day a week refining pills; the mature spirit herbs in the Dream Realm needed to be processed as soon as possible. Furthermore, the process of alchemy was a form of cultivation in itself, making it a mandatory task. Secondly, she decided it was best to engage in combat once every three days, as battle was another way to temper one's cultivation. Initially, Yu Ming would spar with her. Later, however, he left to seek experiential training elsewhere. He preferred to raise his cultivation through travel and hardship. *Men really do prefer violence,* Li Xue thought wryly. *As a lady, I won't be like them. It’s better for me to stay home, refine pills, and spar occasionally.* Eventually, Li Xue began sparring with her two Purple Orioles. Both Zi Feng and Zi Huang were at the early Rank 3 stage, equivalent to the early Foundation Establishment stage. When the two spirit beasts attacked together, they provided Li Xue with a satisfying challenge. One day, while Li Xue was working in her spirit herb field, a sudden ripple of spatial energy pulsed through the air. Yu Ming appeared, collapsing in a wretched state by the lakeshore. "Eh? Xiao Ming, what happened to you?" Li Xue asked, running over to him. "Sigh, don't even ask. I ran into a Rank 4 monster beast!" Yu Ming scrambled to his feet, covered in exhaustion and bloodstains. He took out a Spirit-Restoring Pill, swallowed it, and sat by the lake to regulate his breath. It turned out that Yu Ming had ventured deep into the Mangyun Mountains to hunt monsters for training and had accidentally entered the territory of the Black Wolf King. Twenty years ago, the Black Wolf King had only been at the late Rank 3 stage; he hadn't expected it to have already reached the Rank 4 Transformation Stage. Unable to withstand the beast, Yu Ming had no choice but to retreat into the Dream Realm. "Did that Black Wolf King transform into a werewolf?" Li Xue asked with some curiosity. She had never actually seen a transformed spirit or monster beast. During the Rank 4 and Rank 5 matches at the Beast Spirit Convention in the Eastern Beast Mountains, the contestants had all fought in their original forms. Yu Ming replied with a look of helplessness, "Most monster beasts dislike taking human form. Many spirit beasts feel the same way." "Oh." Li Xue felt a bit disappointed. It seemed she had read too many novels in her past life and was prone to projecting human logic onto other creatures, assuming the human form was the most beautiful. In reality, most creatures only transformed into humans to make it easier to integrate into the cultivation world of human practitioners. "Are you still going back there to train?" A glint flashed in Li Xue's eyes. She wondered if the two of them together had the strength to defeat a Rank 4 monster beast. "Forget it. With our current strength, defeating a Rank 4 beast is a bit too difficult. Besides, that's the Black Wolf King's domain; there are plenty of Rank 3 black wolves there as well." Yu Ming quickly cut off Li Xue's fantasies. ***