Li Xue felt she had been far too negligent toward Yu Ming. As his friend—and one bound by a Friendship Pact—she should have noticed his abnormality much sooner. It was obvious; Yu Ming had reached the peak of the late-stage Foundation Establishment around the same time she had. By all rights, he should have entered secluded meditation to attempt Core Formation long ago, yet he had hesitated. There was no doubt he was harboring a mental block.
Li Xue specifically chose a gloomy, overcast day and set up a simple illusion array around them. A fine, persistent drizzle fell; though it could not touch a cultivator’s body, it cast a heavy, oppressive atmosphere over the surroundings. It was the perfect time for baring one's soul. Li Xue sat back, ready to be a listener. Often, people didn't need advice—they just needed someone to hear them.
Yu Ming’s story was a classic tragedy. His father had sacrificed his own life to help his son activate his "World," and Yu Ming’s heart knot stemmed entirely from this.
"If your father hadn't sacrificed himself, could your World have been opened?" Li Xue began her questioning.
"No," Yu Ming shook his head.
"Your father had previously suffered a severe injury, and his chances of advancing further were non-existent, weren't they?" Li Xue asked again.
"Yes..." Yu Ming looked pained.
"Then what he did was perfectly right! Think about it: he had no hope of advancing. A Foundation Establishment cultivator only lives for about a thousand years. Your father probably only had about five hundred years left, didn't he?" Li Xue analyzed.
"Four hundred and eighty-odd years," Yu Ming replied.
"Four hundred years is a lot to a mortal, but to a cultivator, it passes in the blink of an eye. If something had happened in the meantime, he might have met an accidental end anyway. But the most important factor was you. If you didn't have your World, cultivating with your four-element spiritual roots would have been incredibly difficult. Therefore, your father’s choice was the best possible path he could have taken," Li Xue said objectively.
"I know all that. But... my heart still aches," Yu Ming said.
"It’s normal to feel sad. It would be abnormal if you didn't!" Li Xue blinked, a mischievous thought popping into her head. "How was the relationship between your father and mother?"
Yu Ming answered without hesitation, "They treated each other with the utmost respect. Their bond was very deep."
"Actually, your father could have chosen another way to solve the problem without wasting four hundred years of his lifespan—though, of course, he would have passed eventually once his time was up," Li Xue said mysteriously.
"What way?" Yu Ming asked, shocked.
"He could have taken a hoard of concubines. He could have filled three palaces and six courtyards with seventy-two consorts! Then, he could have sired a mountain of children until he finally produced one with five-element roots to inherit the World," Li Xue continued. "Since his lifespan was limited anyway, he could have gone to the secular world, seized some territory, founded a country, and played at being an emperor. To enrich his life, he could have filled his harem and watched the palace intrigue—how interesting would that have been? Actually, being an emperor is quite tiring. It would have been better to just be a wealthy merchant with a massive estate. He could have enjoyed the drama of the inner chambers—favoring concubines over the wife, the struggles between legitimate and illegitimate heirs... how lively! He could have spent his days playing through the mortal realm while trying to breed a five-element successor. Of course, once that child was born, your World would have belonged to someone else!"
The more Li Xue spoke, the more enthusiastic she became. Yu Ming, however, felt a cold sweat breaking out. Finally, he said helplessly, "Sister Li, my father would never have done such things."
"Then there was no other way but to sacrifice himself," Li Xue said. "If he knew from the afterlife that you could unlock the mysteries within the World, he would be overjoyed." A heart demon was something one had to overcome personally, but sharing the burden of one's thoughts could lighten the load significantly.
Indeed, simply speaking his mind had already made Yu Ming feel much lighter. For all these years, he had kept his feelings bottled up. He knew logically that his father’s choice was the best one, but he simply hadn't been able to get past the pain of watching a loved one leave.
"Young man, you must look at things with a long-term perspective!" Seeing that Yu Ming’s mental block was loosening, Li Xue decided it was time for a heavy dose of motivation.
She patted Yu Ming’s shoulder solemnly. "Your father traded four hundred years of his life for tens of thousands, perhaps even millions of years of yours, so that you could fulfill his dreams. In such a profitable trade, what are you still hesitating for? Hurry up and form your Core, reach the Nascent Soul stage, transform your spirit, transcend the tribulations, and ascend to the Immortal Realm—even the God Realm! Do you truly intend to let his painstaking efforts go to waste?"
Yu Ming’s heart shook violently. He murmured, "Trading four hundred years for a million to realize a dream... Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Deity Transformation, Tribulation Transcendence... Ascending to the Immortal and God Realms... What am I still waiting for?"
A surge of heroic ambition filled his chest. He turned toward the sky and roared, "What am I still waiting for?!"
His emotions were turbulent for a long time before he finally calmed down. He looked at Li Xue with gratitude. "Sister Li, thank you. I know what I must do."
Li Xue nodded happily. "That’s my good partner. We’ll be waiting for the good news of your Core Formation!" Yu Ming nodded solemnly.
To the side, Li Lin looked at his mother with even more admiration. "Mother’s words really hit the mark," he praised. "To reach the Nascent Soul, Deity Transformation, and ascend to the higher realms... Mother’s ideals are truly grand. Your level of insight is admirable."
"Ahem, well, that was just a sudden moment of inspiration. Let us all encourage each other!" Li Xue accepted her son’s flattery with a smile and no trace of modesty.
Yu Ming soon prepared to enter seclusion. He had already lingered at the peak of Foundation Establishment for far too long.
Meanwhile, Li Xue and Li Lin began to study the Star Domain Map in detail.
"Our goals for this journey are clear," Li Xue said, falling into thought. "First, we need to find materials to forge Five Elements magic treasures. According to the ancient records, these materials were common before the ancient era, but most of their names have changed now. This will be quite difficult."
"Mistress, you needn't worry about that. I can recognize almost all of them," Hei Yan interjected from the side.
"Ah? You’re coming with us too?" Li Xue asked in surprise.
"Indeed. My Master is entering seclusion for Core Formation and won't be out for at least eight or ten years. Rather than waiting around idly, I might as well accompany Mistress to find materials. I can be of help!" Hei Yan said.
Li Lin grumbled inwardly, *If you want to go out and play, just say so. Don't make it sound so dignified.* He looked at Hei Yan with deep disdain. Hei Yan ignored him, looking at Li Xue with pleading eyes.
"Well, that works. It adds another layer of protection," Li Xue agreed. Hei Yan was in the Transformation Stage, and his strength was equivalent to the early Core Formation stage.
"Second, we need to find spirit herbs," Li Xue continued her analysis. "Specifically for the Primordial Spirit Pill and the Deity Transformation Pill. We lack some of the primary ingredients; it's best to prepare early."
"Third, we need to look for ancient records and formations related to space. Currently, we can only enter and exit the Dream Realm through the Divine Ring. If we can gain an insight into the Laws of Space, perhaps we can create a permanent passage. Wouldn't that make coming and going much more convenient?" Li Xue said wistfully.
Both Hei Yan and Li Lin felt their heads throb. Li Xue’s idea was far too audacious. A passage between worlds was something only a God could achieve. This wasn't like a teleportation array that could be built simply by finding spatial nodes. In the past, "Worlds" were divine artifacts that could only be accessed through specific nodes. If passages were that easy to create, people would have built dozens between the Immortal Realm and the Mortal Realm long ago—why would anyone bother with the hardship of Ascension?
| Chinese | English | Notes/Explanation |
| :--- | :--- | :--- |
| 友契 | Friendship Pact | A formal, magical agreement between friends. |
| 筑基后期大圆满 | Peak of late-stage Foundation Establishment | The highest point of the Foundation Establishment stage before moving to Core Formation. |
| 心结 | Heart knot / Mental block | An emotional or psychological obstacle that hinders cultivation. |
| 结丹 | Core Formation | The stage of cultivation after Foundation Establishment. |
| 元婴 | Nascent Soul | The stage of cultivation after Core Formation. |
| 化神 | Deity Transformation | The stage of cultivation after Nascent Soul. |
| 渡劫 | Tribulation Transcendence | The final stage of mortal cultivation involving heavenly trials. |
| 飞升 | Ascension | The process of leaving the mortal world for the Immortal Realm. |
| 仙界 | Immortal Realm | The higher plane of existence for ascended cultivators. |
| 神界 | God Realm | A plane of existence even higher than the Immortal Realm. |
| 相敬如宾 | Treating each other with the respect due to a guest | An idiom describing a harmonious, respectful marriage. |
| 三宫六院七十二妃 | Three palaces, six courtyards, and seventy-two consorts | A traditional description of an emperor's extensive harem. |
| 宠妾灭妻 | Favoring concubines over the wife | A social taboo in traditional Chinese family structures. |
| 嫡庶之争 | Struggle between legitimate and illegitimate heirs | Conflict between children of the primary wife and those of concubines. |
| 化形期 | Transformation Stage | The stage where a spirit beast gains the ability to take human form. |
| 元神丹 | Primordial Spirit Pill | A pill used to nourish or strengthen the soul/spirit. |
| 化神丹 | Deity Transformation Pill | A pill used to assist in breaking through to the Deity Transformation stage. |
| 神戒 | Divine Ring | The artifact Li Xue uses to access the Dream Realm. |
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Ascended Without Me: Cultivating with a Genius Son | Chapter 94 | The Weight of Sacrifice | Novela.app | Novela.app
