Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 158 | A Swift Advancement | Novela.app

Land might have been scarce elsewhere, but around the mountain villa, it was the one thing they had in abundance. After hearing Nie Shiyun’s plan, the Patriarch had Hong Lang lead him to a neighboring mountain. No members of the Tiger Clan lived there, but it contained several grotto-heavens specifically prepared for clan members to use during breakthroughs, as well as storehouses and utility rooms. Nie Shiyun surveyed the area and was quite satisfied. After all, he had only expected a patch of empty ground; he hadn't anticipated having a temporary grotto-heaven to stay in. "Do you really not need me to find a few brothers from the clan to help protect your array? If you ask, the Patriarch would likely agree to send them," Hong Lang asked earnestly before leaving. "I have a premonition that this will go very smoothly. There’s no need to trouble them," Nie Shiyun smiled, signaling that there was no need to worry. "Alright then." Seeing that Nie Shiyun had his own plans, Hong Lang nodded and departed. He had already instructed his kinsmen not to approach this mountain during this period to avoid being caught in the lightning tribulation. Seeing Nie Shiyun so confident, he guessed that this closed-door breakthrough wouldn't take very long. Summer was drawing to a close, and by the time the Cold Dew arrived, the celestial ship would be leaving port. Nie Shiyun constantly spoke of going to the upper layers to find his Dao companion; surely he wouldn't forget that. Nie Shiyun sensed that Hong Lang had finally moved out of range and breathed a sigh of relief. After sealing the grotto-heaven, he entered his spatial realm immediately. That afternoon, scattered groups of tiger cultivators still trickled toward the entrance of the artifact-refining courtyard, wanting to ask Nie Shiyun how their treasures were coming along. These were the ones who hadn't come initially but had changed their minds after seeing their kin using such handy tools. Unfortunately, there were already too many people ahead of them in the queue, leaving them waiting with necks craned in anticipation. Hong Lang returned to the mountain from the villa and, after reporting to the Patriarch, decided to patrol the spirit fields at the foot of the mountain before the sun set. It just so happened that the group of tiger cultivators, unable to find Nie Shiyun and finding He Yin’s doors tightly shut as well, ran straight into Hong Lang as he was heading down. Upon learning that Nie Shiyun had gone into seclusion, looks of disappointment were practically carved into their foreheads. "How long are we going to have to wait? Until the year of the monkey?" "Exactly! From what I know, it’s incredibly difficult for humans to cross a lightning tribulation. What if something goes wrong..." "Pah! Can't you say something auspicious?" The tiger cultivators began to clamor all at once. Hong Lang laughed at their long faces. "Who told you not to come earlier? Fortunately, Senior Nie seemed completely certain of himself. I doubt he’ll make you wait too long." Just as the words left his mouth, a dull roll of thunder sounded. The tiger cultivators looked at one another. "Is this... has it already started?" Hong Lang: "It does seem like the sound is coming from the direction of the neighboring mountain..." It hadn't even been half a day since he dropped Nie Shiyun off at that villa! The crowd of tiger cultivators immediately swarmed toward the back of the mountain, soaring over the forest to look out from mid-air. Sure enough, dark clouds massed directly above the other mountain villa, and the faint rumble of thunder echoed. Fortunately, the two mountains weren't right next to each other, allowing this group of Nascent Soul and Soul Transformation tiger cultivators to leisurely watch the spectacle from a distance. They didn't understand the situation, but Hong Lang knew it well. He had taken Nie Shiyun to the grotto-heaven that morning, and that place was completely empty. Had Nie Shiyun managed to set up his arrays in such a short time? Or did he simply not intend to use an array at all? Hong Lang had thought it would be at least a dozen days before he saw Nie Shiyun again. He never expected the lightning tribulation to descend after only half a day. "What immense pressure! I can feel it even from here." A tiger cultivator with a mid-stage Nascent Soul cultivation felt uncomfortable even at this distance. "The first one is coming down." Everyone stared nervously at the distant dark clouds. After about the time it took to drink a cup of tea, the second bolt of lightning fell. "Eh? It seems the power of the tribulation is already starting to weaken." "It really is going smoothly!" "With this, he’ll be at the same cultivation level as the Patriarch and the elders! That’s great... if we ever reach Void Refinement, maybe we could be promoted to the main family." Amidst the discussions of the onlookers, the second bolt ended. After an interval of about fifteen minutes, the third bolt arrived. Subsequently, the dark clouds gradually dispersed, and the peak of the neighboring mountain returned to normal. The oppressive, pitch-black clouds vanished without a trace, turning back into colorful clouds dyed with the lingering glow of the setting sun. The speed of it all was comparable to a passing thunderstorm; many tiger cultivators in the villa hadn't even noticed it. Nie Shiyun’s tribulation was over, just like that. On the other side, having welcomed a lightning tribulation after a long hiatus, Nie Shiyun opened his eyes after being tempered by the restorative rain that follows a tribulation. Outsiders would likely envy how easily and unimpeded his tribulation had been, but Nie Shiyun knew very well that his situation was a case of extremes reversing. One had to remember how disastrous his breakthroughs to the Golden Core and Nascent Soul stages had been. If not for the support of the Yunqing Pavilion and a spatial realm that allowed him to "cheat" and restore his state, he would have been struck dead by lightning several times over. Now that the last traces of the original plot had vanished, the current "Heavenly Dao" seemed to be making up for its previous mistakes of making things difficult for him, practically cutting him all the slack in the world. Consequently, the matter of crossing a tribulation was as easy as reaching into a bag to retrieve an object. Bitter first, sweet later—not a bad deal. Nie Shiyun took a deep breath and, taking advantage of his post-tribulation state, spent a few more days in the jade pendant stabilizing his cultivation. After suppressing his breakthrough for so long, he reached the Middle Stage of Void Refinement in one go. Nie Shiyun was very satisfied with this efficiency. After all, he had heard that Void Refinement cultivators were as common as dirt in the middle layers; this would give him more confidence when he ascended. When he emerged from the space, only a few hours had passed outside. Nie Shiyun felt refreshed after his advancement. More importantly, the surrounding spiritual energy didn't feel scarce just because his cultivation had improved; on the contrary, because his physical body had adapted to the environment of the Upper Heaven Realm, he felt as though he was being enveloped by a never-ending stream of spiritual energy. When Nie Shiyun returned to the Tiger Clan villa, Hong Lang, who came to greet him, felt his increasingly unfathomable spiritual power and gave up trying to figure out why this human progressed so rapidly. If it had been a few months ago, Hong Lang would never have believed such a thing. The Nie Shiyun he thought he wouldn't see for a while this afternoon had reappeared in the villa as a Void Refinement cultivator by evening. Nie Shiyun heard that the news of his advancement had already spread through the clan. Many tiger cultivators were hoping that with his spiritual power reaching a higher level, he would be able to refine even better treasures. Nie Shiyun gave a wry smile, thinking that if this were the cultivation world he came from, various sects would be coming to deliver congratulatory gifts for such an event. Here, not only were there no gifts, but he had to keep working hard. The difference was truly night and day. Upon returning to the refining courtyard, he ran straight into He Yin and his wife, who had heard the news earlier. Nie Shiyun hadn't seen He Yin for several days; ever since the failed attempt to teach him, the man had rarely shown his face. Nie Shiyun had been thinking about when to have a chat with him, worried that his well-intentioned help might have inadvertently left the man despondent. This was perfect timing. The couple invited Nie Shiyun into their home for drinks to celebrate his advancement. Although Nie Shiyun wasn't someone obsessed with alcohol, a few drinks on occasion were quite pleasant. Moreover, he was used to being surrounded by people celebrating after a breakthrough; the current quietness felt a bit unusual, so he agreed without a second thought. "Senior Nie actually reached Void Refinement just like that! Incredible." He Yin clinked glasses with Nie Shiyun, his expression full of reverence. "I haven't seen much of you lately. Have you been resting?" Nie Shiyun asked. He Yin gave a couple of awkward laughs. "I didn't want to disturb Senior’s refining. But there are no other positions for me in this villa, so I’ve just been idling in the house." He Yin had been depressed for a long time. Although he had known he wasn't cut out for refining, the fact that he still couldn't grasp it even under Nie Shiyun’s patient guidance had dealt him another blow. He Yin’s wife was even more boisterous than him when it came to drinking. Slapping Nie Shiyun on the shoulder, she said she would go hunt some demonic beasts in a couple of days as a congratulatory gift. Nie Shiyun tried to decline, but he couldn't stop her enthusiasm. Furthermore, she brought up Nie Shiyun’s recent efforts to teach He Yin, saying she had to thank him properly and would be angry if he didn't accept. Nie Shiyun couldn't handle such hot-tempered types and eventually agreed to accept. The drinking and chatting were originally quite merry, and He Yin had almost forgotten about the refining business. But once his wife mentioned it, he became despondent again. Nie Shiyun glanced at He Yin’s wife, who hadn't noticed. She seemed to be getting a bit tipsy, laughing as she recounted interesting stories from previous hunts in the forest, completely oblivious to He Yin’s mood. "Next time, why don't you go hunting with your wife? It might help clear your head," Nie Shiyun suggested. Hearing this, He Yin’s wife was the first to get anxious. "Oh, that won't do! We have so many in the Tiger Clan who can hunt, but very few who are good with their hands. The clan specifically ordered that he shouldn't go out and take risks. I can handle that kind of work myself." She spoke slurringly, clearly having had too much to drink. He Yin gave Nie Shiyun an apologetic smile and pulled his wife away to coax her back into the room to rest. It took quite a while before He Yin returned, drenched in sweat. "Sorry about that. I’ve made a fool of myself." "It’s a good thing she’s so spirited. And she cares about you very much," Nie Shiyun smiled. He Yin nodded. "She is very protective of me. It’s just that her personality is sometimes too dull... no, it’s probably that I tend to overthink things." With only He Yin and Nie Shiyun left, the front hall suddenly became quiet. After a long silence, He Yin suddenly asked, "Senior Nie, do you think I’m simply not suited for artifact refining?" Nie Shiyun felt a bit put on the spot and took a sip of wine. He subtly felt that after such a pause, even words of comfort would seem insincere. He looked at He Yin and saw that while the man was depressed, he wasn't trying to fish for encouragement; he was asking for Nie Shiyun’s honest opinion. Nie Shiyun sighed and replied, "That is indeed the case. Given your level of talent, you have already pushed it as far as it can go." As if receiving the expected answer, He Yin swirled the wine in his cup, narrating as if reminiscing. "A long time ago, that senior was in a hurry to go to the main family and hastily chose me as the successor refiner. He said my talent was okay and told me to work hard. Since then... my kinsmen all said that as long as I worked hard, I would surely succeed. I actually believed them at first, burying my head in practice for decades, hardly ever leaving this courtyard..." Recalling those long days, He Yin looked a bit lost. "But I’m not suited for it at all, and I don't even like refining. I actually just wanted to be the most ordinary demonic cultivator in the clan, making some handcrafted decorations when I’m free, or maybe helping my kin make a few pieces of furniture occasionally..." Nie Shiyun looked at him and said sincerely, "In that case, why not just stop? Go do what you like." "Huh?" He Yin looked up at Nie Shiyun. Nie Shiyun thought for a moment and continued, "If you want to make furniture, then put down refining entirely and do that. I heard from Hong Lang that your kinsmen rarely come to you for treasures anymore. Since you’re only trapped here by the empty title of 'Tiger Clan Refiner,' why not go out and see the world?" He Yin was stunned. Although his kinsmen didn't think highly of him, they would always encourage him by saying "you'll be able to do it one day." Hearing that he was going to study refining with all his might, his wife had also supported him unconditionally. The option of "giving up" seemed to have vanished from his mind long ago. "If you ask me, instead of forcing your clan to produce a refiner, it would be better to learn how to deal with human refiners. You’re the one who knows the trade best in the clan, and your personality isn't as reckless as most tigers. Instead of burying your head in practice, why not stay in a town for a while and see if you can find business opportunities to cooperate with humans?" Nie Shiyun suggested. After all, Nie Shiyun had made a tidy profit from the Tiger Clan and was enjoying their hospitality. For him, having arrived in the Upper Heaven Realm with nothing, this was like charcoal in the snow. He hoped that after he left, these big tigers could improve their current situation. They shouldn't just cling to the treasures they had and remain isolated, nor should they pin their hopes on a kinsman who wasn't meant to learn refining. Instead, they should try a new path. He Yin wasn't drunk, but he had been drinking heavily to drown his sorrows earlier, so his reactions were a beat slower than Nie Shiyun’s. He processed Nie Shiyun’s words for a while before murmuring to himself, "But my kinsmen have already spent so much energy on me, I can't just say I’m quitting..." Nie Shiyun sighed and shook his head. "It’s called cutting your losses... You don't have to give up immediately. Just try doing something else first. Who knows, you might find that the things you thought you liked are even more painful to do! By then, you might feel that refining is actually more enjoyable and come back on your own." "Senior Nie must be joking. How could such a thing happen?" He Yin said in surprise. "Of course it can," Nie Shiyun said with conviction. Though it was a very long time ago. For example, his past self who resolutely changed majors halfway through university, only to find after starting work that no matter which industry you were in, it was all equally painful... As Nie Shiyun drank, he recalled things from a very, very long time ago. A cultivator’s life was too long; the time he had lived in the cultivation world already far exceeded the days he had spent before coming to this world. Human memories fade easily. In the first decade or so after arriving here, he could still frequently recall things from before. Gradually, those memories seemed to lose their color. Not even a trace of that modern world appeared in his dreams anymore. Sometimes, Nie Shiyun even began to doubt: did he really come from another world? Could everything about that world be a dream he had imagined... Nie Shiyun had once shared this doubt with Zhai Bairong. He would occasionally have these sudden thoughts, and Zhai Bairong would only smile helplessly, saying he only thought such things because he had too much time on his hands. Seeing Zhai Bairong’s face allowed Nie Shiyun to clearly remember how they had met when he first arrived in this world, and how their fates had become intertwined by a twist of chance. Those memories that had blurred and faded suddenly became vivid once more. "This wine of your Tiger Clan really packs a punch." Nie Shiyun shook his head, surprised to find himself a bit lightheaded. He had no intention of getting drunk here, so he circulated his true qi, expelling the alcohol from his body. Nie Shiyun was alert again, but He Yin, having heard Nie Shiyun’s words, clearly didn't want to sober up immediately. Using his tipsiness as a shield, he frowned and thought deeply, his expression incredibly serious. Seeing that the theme of the drinking session had completely shifted from celebrating his advancement to He Yin’s contemplation of his future path, Nie Shiyun didn't mind the tangent. He made an excuse that he needed to rest and left the slightly tipsy He Yin to continue his solitary pondering. In such matters, an outsider only needs to provide a nudge; ultimately, the person has to figure it out for themselves. After returning to his room alone, Nie Shiyun hesitated for a moment—should he rest for the night or continue practicing? Normally, he would choose to relax for a while after a breakthrough. But the situation was different now. Considering the near future, although Nie Shiyun was somewhat mentally fatigued, he still dove back into the jade pendant to continue his cultivation.