For thousands of years, no one in the cultivation world had ascended.
Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Soul Transformation—the lifespan of a Soul Transformation cultivator could reach over a thousand years, yet in the world of cultivation, time was but a fleeting moment.
The peak of the Soul Transformation stage should be followed by "feathered ascension," entering the Upper Realm. This was the state every cultivator pursued, and they never ceased searching for an opportunity to ascend.
Rumor had it that the Upper Realm had accepted enough cultivators from the lower realms and had closed the path to ascension. However, if one could forge a celestial-grade artifact, concoct a celestial-grade spirit pill, and simultaneously reach the peak of the Soul Transformation stage, they could open the path to ascension on their own. Yet, the celestial recipes of the lower realm had long been lost, and many Soul Transformation cultivators spent their entire lives unable to meet these conditions.
In the year Duan Mingyu, possessor of the Heavenly Yin Physique, was born, word spread throughout the world that although the celestial recipes were lost, remnants of celestial artifacts still remained in the lower realm. If one could obtain such a secret treasure and repair it, ascension might once again be possible.
The cultivation world, silent for so long, was once again whipped into a frenzy.
When Nie Shiyun had read the novel, he felt everything was merely a setting. But now that he had become a cog in the gears of fate, he gradually began to feel emotions that an outsider could never experience.
The current Sect Master of Yunqing Pavilion, Nie Mingde, was only at the middle stage of the Nascent Soul realm. The pavilion had no Soul Transformation ancestor to watch over it. However, Yunqing Pavilion did possess some heritage; its greatest secret was a manual containing the methods to repair celestial artifacts. It was just that for a thousand years, no celestial artifacts had appeared in the world, and Yunqing Pavilion’s smithing techniques had gradually declined. With no use for the manual, it had been set aside.
In the original book, the first step Duan Mingyu took to drive the main plot forward actually started because of Nie Shiyun.
In the story, Nie Shiyun, unable to restrain his feelings, used an excuse to take Duan Mingyu to the restricted area of the library—a place sparsely populated and forbidden to outsiders. The coaxed Duan Mingyu realized Nie Shiyun had improper intentions just as Zhai Bairong arrived, leading to a confrontation with the pursuing Nie Shiyun.
That manual fragment, which only a Soul Transformation cultivator should have been able to access and comprehend, was discovered by Duan Mingyu simply because he was favored by the Heavenly Dao. He committed it to memory and, upon returning, reported the matter to his sect. This laid the groundwork for the eventual extermination of Yunqing Pavilion when the world fell into chaos later on.
Of course, rather than saying Nie Shiyun harmed Yunqing Pavilion, it would be more accurate to say he was merely the fuse. Ultimately, it was a case of the pavilion lacking the strength to protect the "jade" it possessed—a classic case of "bearing a treasure is a crime."
The subsequent main plot was long. Duan Mingyu’s good luck came in one wave after another. He gathered a group of lovers with different personalities and complementary abilities, found perfectly timed opportunities in secret realms, and even when his own sect, the Moon-Reflecting Sect, finally revealed its true colors at the end, he managed to turn the tables using his powerful harem and spirit treasures. The final ending, naturally, was Duan Mingyu and his four lovers establishing their own sect and living happily ever after.
As a former reader, Nie Shiyun knew this was the luck bestowed upon the protagonist by the author—the very thing "power fantasy" readers loved most.
"There should be a change," Nie Shiyun frowned. Logically speaking, if he didn't take Duan Mingyu into the restricted area, the other party wouldn't trigger the subsequent plot.
If Yunqing Pavilion wouldn't be affected, he couldn't be bothered to care about Duan Mingyu. He would let that group of "immortals" fight amongst themselves while he simply watched the show.
Nie Shiyun was hesitant, but with the mindset of testing the original plot, he sought out his junior sister, Qi Xuan'er.
"I haven't been feeling well lately and don't care to go out. My cousin is busy smithing all day. With outsiders in the pavilion, things are unstable. Keep a close eye on things when you have the chance."
Qi Xuan'er was surprised to hear such advice. In her impression, Nie Shiyun was quite distant toward her, an outsider who had joined the sect, and rarely instructed her on anything.
"Alright. But isn't Senior Brother worrying too much? The visitors are seniors from a great sect, after all."
"One must always be wary of others."
Hearing Nie Shiyun say this, Qi Xuan'er could only nod obediently.
From then on, Nie Shiyun stayed behind closed doors. He wanted to see if Duan Mingyu would miss this opportunity or if the Heavenly Dao would pull the plot back on track in another way.
Ten days later, Nie Shiyun's suspicions seemed to be confirmed.
When Qi Xuan'er came later in the day to bring him his usual spirit medicine liquid, she mentioned: "By the way, Duan Mingyu came to the pavilion alone today to check on the progress of the treasures. He used to come with the seniors, but this time he was alone and got lost. He almost wandered into the West Court. Luckily, I ran into him. He really is quite muddled."
The West Court was exactly where the sect's library was located. Although there should have been disciples guarding the area to record entries and exits, with Duan Mingyu's luck, it was hard to say if he wouldn't have just happened to walk right in.
Alarm bells rang in Nie Shiyun's heart. He felt fortunate that he had warned Qi Xuan'er in advance. He sighed inwardly—it seemed the Heavenly Dao would not allow him to remain an outsider.
Just as Nie Shiyun was trying to recall small details from the book while searching for a countermeasure, an unexpected change occurred.
"Nie Shiyun, are you there?"
Through the restrictions of his residence, Nie Shiyun clearly saw a beautiful, slender youth standing outside the courtyard. This was the very Duan Mingyu who, in the original plot, should have been cold and indifferent toward him.
"I heard from your junior sister last time that you haven't left your house during this period. I know you're home!" Duan Mingyu's voice was higher than that of a normal adult male; people often praised his speech as sounding like the pleasant ringing of bells. However, at this moment, Nie Shiyun only felt that Duan Mingyu's voice sounded like a death knell.
Steeling himself to go to the door, Nie Shiyun maintained an extremely polite distance. "Is something the matter?"
Duan Mingyu let out a deep sigh, his expression one of helplessness.
"Recently, the shopkeeper of the herb shop found the place where my senior brother and I are staying. He said... these were the spirit herbs you forgot to take after your argument when you ran into him! Only then did I realize you two had a private dispute over me..."
"..." Nie Shiyun remained silent. *You're overthinking it.*
"Thank you. I mentioned before that for some reason my constitution is always cold and yin-heavy, requiring a large amount of spirit herbs to nourish it. I didn't expect you to remember and go to the herb shop to look for them as soon as I arrived," Duan Mingyu looked at Nie Shiyun with clear eyes. "But... I'm truly sorry. I already rejected you long ago. I cannot accept your things."
Nie Shiyun was unable to defend himself. He had originally bought those herbs for his own use. But the fact that he had three spiritual roots was a secret, so he naturally couldn't tell an outsider that he needed the herbs.
"I thought so too, which is why I didn't end up buying the herbs later. I imagine with Senior Zhai taking care of you, you don't need me anyway."
Duan Mingyu felt his words were a sarcastic, biting remark and shook his head. "You don't need to belittle yourself. I'm sure you will find someone suitable for you."
Nie Shiyun hadn't realized that a conversation with Duan Mingyu could be so completely at cross-purposes. He had likely been labeled a "simp," and it was a label he wouldn't be able to shake off for a while.
"Then I shall take you at your word," Nie Shiyun didn't bother explaining, responding neutrally.
"Then we can still be friends in the future, right?" Duan Mingyu revealed a smile.
He truly lived up to being the protagonist who gathered all the author's love. Not only was his skin as white as jade and his appearance stunning, but he also exuded an air of youthful purity. Perhaps it was this innocent feeling that made his appearance seem even more radiant. In the original work, most men, when gazed upon by such innocent eyes, would involuntarily agree to his requests.
But Nie Shiyun wasn't into this type to begin with. Moreover, the thought that a single unintentional action from this person could lead him down the same path as the original host made him break into a cold sweat. Nie Shiyun forced a smile, thinking about how to handle the situation, when their conversation was interrupted.
"Mingyu."
"Senior Brother! Why are you here?" Duan Mingyu's tone was very surprised. Clearly, Zhai Bairong didn't know he had come to speak with Nie Shiyun alone.
Zhai Bairong was still dressed in white today, with only a faint green bamboo pattern on his cuffs, looking very elegant. One second, his gaze toward Nie Shiyun was as piercing as a needle; the next, it softened as it turned to Duan Mingyu's face. "How could I not be worried? You go running off the moment I look away."
"I just had some things to clear up with Fellow Daoist Nie. Don't worry, Senior Brother, I'm not a child anymore. I can handle this much!"
"How can I be at ease when you're like this?" Zhai Bairong looked pointedly at Nie Shiyun as he spoke.
The newcomer was indeed Zhai Bairong, whom he had already encountered once before. Seeing that cold gaze sweep over him, Nie Shiyun immediately felt things were going south—in the jealous "Gong" tropes readers loved, it was usually the cannon fodder who suffered! Fortunately, he had the foresight to maintain a full foot of distance from Duan Mingyu; otherwise, he really wouldn't have been able to clear his name even if he jumped into the Yellow River.
Nie Shiyun only wanted to send the two of them away quickly to avoid further complications. A fake smile plastered on his face, he said, "I haven't been feeling well lately and have been resting in seclusion. I've troubled you both to make this trip. As for other matters... it's truly a misunderstanding. I no longer have any improper thoughts toward Duan Mingyu. I apologize for my previous offenses."
One does not strike a smiling face. Seeing Nie Shiyun's attitude was so sincere, Zhai Bairong scrutinized him suspiciously but did not press further.
Nie Shiyun breathed a sigh of relief inwardly. He was glad that Duan Mingyu only had one "Gong" by his side for now. Zhai Bairong had grown up in the Moon-Reflecting Sect and carried the air of an elite Eldest Senior Brother; among the various lovers, he was relatively the most reasonable one.
Having survived another confrontation with the protagonists, Nie Shiyun watched them leave Yunqing Pavilion and finally let out a long breath, feeling physically and mentally exhausted.
He faintly sensed it—the Heavenly Dao didn't want to let him go. In this perfectly constructed story, he was the obstacle disrupting the narrative's flow.
Perhaps his previous idea of just going with the flow was wrong.
Nie Shiyun's mindset quietly shifted. If he didn't strive for more, he was destined to walk the same path as the original host—the only difference would be the process. And to become powerful in this world of cultivators where one could not rely on anything external, the most important thing was one's cultivation level.
This was also the biggest problem currently troubling Nie Shiyun.
***
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Transmigrated into a Total Shou Novel as a Cannon Fodder, but Ended Up 1v1-ing the Male Lead | Chapter 3 | The Pull of Fate | Novela.app | Novela.app
