Chapter 17: Great Opportunity

Literary Cultivation, Wu Xiu—these were easy to understand.

Literary and martial arts could be considered cultivation.

Poison Cultivation, Medicine Cultivation—these could also be considered skills, which was also understandable.

What was the situation with Smoke Cultivation and Wine Cultivation?

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Does smoking and drinking also count as cultivation?"

"Of course, why wouldn't it? Whether it's smoking or drinking, as long as you can reach a realm, it's all cultivation!" Qin Qin Xiaopang said quite proudly. "Our village's Uncle Liu Er had to drink five *jin* of wine a day; later we found out he was a second-layer Wine Cultivator!"

Ma Wu expressed doubt: "What kind of business does this Uncle Liu Er do? Can he afford Wine Cultivation?"

This Wine Cultivation really wasn't something just anyone could afford. Five *jin* of wine a day—how much money would that be?

Qin Qin Xiaopang refused to accept this: "Uncle Liu Er was a brewer himself!"

Ma Wu was still skeptical: "Even if he's a brewer, how many *jin* of wine can he brew in a day? He drinks five *jin* himself every day; is the wine he brews enough for him to drink?"

Li Li Banfeng felt Ma Wu was being a bit too pedantic. What if Uncle Liu Er owned a winery?

But he didn't expect Ma Wu to really get stuck on this: "Wine Cultivators aren't common. I want to go see this Uncle Liu Er. Where is he?"

Qin Qin Xiaopang puffed out his chest: "He's dead!"

Ma Wu frowned: "How did he die? Don't tell me he died from drinking!"

A Wine Cultivator couldn't possibly die from drunkenness.

Qin Qin Xiaopang scratched his head: "To say it has something to do with drinking is true, but it can't be considered dying from drinking.

That day, Uncle Liu Er got drunk, jumped into the river, and then drowned."

Ma Wu snorted: "Brother, it's not that I don't believe you, but what you're saying doesn't make sense. A second-layer cultivator, how could he easily drown?"

Qin Qin Xiaopang answered very seriously: "It's not easy to drown. Uncle Liu Er jumped into the river and swam very happily; originally, there was no big problem.

The villagers told him to get ashore quickly, saying the river mouth was ahead and the current was swift.

Uncle Liu Er said no matter how swift the current was, he wasn't afraid. He saw the Ancestor, and the Ancestor helped him change his path, making him a Water Cultivator."

"Water Cultivator..." Ma Wu rubbed his chin and thought for a long time. "There is indeed such a path, but it's not common. Did Uncle Liu Er really become a Water Cultivator?"

"I don't know," Qin Qin Xiaopang shook his head. "Anyway, I don't believe it, and the villagers don't believe it either.

To prove it to us, Uncle Liu Er deliberately swam to the swiftest, deepest part of the river mouth and plunged headfirst into the silt at the bottom of the river. By the time we fished him out, his mouth and nose were filled with mud and sand, and he had long since stopped breathing."

Ma Wu sighed upon hearing this, seemingly believing Qin Qin Xiaopang's words: "Wine Cultivation, this path is too dangerous."

Li Li Banfeng asked: "How much did this Uncle Liu Er drink that day?"

Qin Qin Xiaopang answered: "I heard them say he drank twelve *jin*."

No wonder he saw the Ancestor.

"Twelve *jin*? Can twelve *jin* of water even be drunk?" Li Li Banfeng truly felt it was absurd, but thinking about the chubby young man needing to eat twenty *jin* of food, he felt this place was absurd to begin with.

"Does a Wine Cultivator have to drink desperately?" Li Li Banfeng wanted to understand more of the ins and outs.

"Naturally, you have to drink desperately; otherwise, how can you earn 'light-time'?" Qin Qin Xiaopang looked at Li Li Banfeng very seriously.

"What does earning 'light-time' mean?" Li Li Banfeng still didn't understand.

Qin Xiaopang looked at Li Li Banfeng with even more contempt: "How come you don't know anything?"

Ma Wu was very patient and explained to Li Li Banfeng: "No matter which path, once you enter the path, pass the test, and gain a level, you have to cultivate in the future.

But if you cultivate step-by-step, every time you raise a level, it takes ten years of light-time. That is to say, from the first layer to the second layer, it takes ten years. If you want to cultivate from entry to the tenth layer, it takes ninety years. Can you afford to wait?"

Li Li Banfeng didn't know how to answer.

He didn't know how big the span was from the first layer to the second layer, what the benefits were, or if it was worth those ten years.

Ma Wu continued: "If you don't want to wait, you have to earn this light-time back. I don't know the rules of Wine Cultivation, but I've seen a first-layer Food Cultivator who eats five *jin* of food every day—that's called step-by-step. If he doesn't eat enough, his cultivation will regress.

Eating ten *jin* of food every day is called earning light-time. The extra five *jin* of food helps him earn one day of cultivation. If he insists on eating double every day, in five years, he can reach the second layer!

If he insists on this, he doesn't need to persist for ninety years; in forty-five years, he can reach the tenth layer."

"What's the benefit of reaching the tenth layer?"

Ma Wu said: "In the entire Yaowanggou, not even a sixth-layer cultivator has appeared. As long as you reach the seventh layer, you are the boss of Yaowanggou.

Never mind Yaowanggou, even in the entire Puluo Province, tenth-layer cultivators can be counted on one's fingers. This is a genuine regional powerhouse!"

Li Li Banfeng had no interest in being a boss: "Reaching the tenth layer, you'd be seventy or eighty years old. Being a powerhouse or not, what does it matter?"

"What if you're seventy or eighty?" Ma Wu laughed. "Reaching the tenth layer, this life will change, and your lifespan will extend three times.

Originally, you could live to be one hundred; now you can live to be three hundred. Seventy or eighty, converted by a factor of three, is twenty-some years old. This is the prime of life!"

Reaching the tenth layer gives you three times the lifespan!

This attraction was huge!

Qin Qin Xiaopang patted his chest: "From the day I was born, the neighbors said I was a lucky one. I can definitely reach the tenth layer of cultivation!"

Li Li Banfeng looked at Qin Qin Xiaopang: "In that case, Brother Qin, will you have to eat five *jin* of food every day in the future?"

"If it's after the second layer, that won't be enough..." Speaking of this, Qin Qin Xiaopang was a bit worried.

He wasn't worried about whether he could eat it; he was worried about whether he could afford to eat it.

But he had already made his choice, because he knew that besides eating, he had no other skills.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "If you reach the ninth layer, how many times can your lifespan be extended?"

"The ninth layer won't extend it!" Ma Wu waved his hand. "Only by reaching the tenth layer can you change your fate. The ninth layer is still the lifespan of an ordinary person. If you can't reach the tenth layer in your lifetime, all your previous efforts will be wasted."

This was a bit harsh. Before the tenth layer, you couldn't extend your life at all.

If you cultivated step-by-step, it would take eighty years to reach the ninth layer. Even if you started cultivating at ten, you'd be ninety by the time you reached the ninth layer. Would you still have the strength to continue cultivating?

This was probably why cultivators all wanted to desperately earn light-time and shorten their cultivation time. They all wanted to charge toward the tenth layer in their lifetime.

"Is every path like this?"

Ma Wu nodded: "Every path is like this. If you want to change your fate, you have to cultivate with all your might and charge toward the tenth layer.

Martial Cultivators have to practice desperately every day, Literary Cultivators have to study desperately, Food Cultivators have to eat desperately, Joy Cultivators have to do it desperately.

Of course, there are also shortcuts—eating medicinal herbs, drinking medicinal soups, taking elixirs. Those things are all too expensive and not a long-term solution."

Li Li Banfeng thought for a moment and asked: "What about Cultivation of the Fields?"

Qin Qin Xiaopang was stunned: "Why choose Cultivation of the Fields? Is it because you're looking for something cheap?"

Li Li Banfeng really was looking for something cheap.

He only had two thousand *yuan* on him and couldn't afford the medicinal powder.

Hou Hou Zi Qiu had promised before he left that he would pay for the medicine, and Li Li Banfeng could choose any path.

But Li Li Banfeng wasn't a shameless person. Two boxes of instant noodles in exchange for a life was enough. Why should he let others spend so much money on him?

Ma Wu shook his head: "Brother Li, you must be cautious. This cheapness cannot be sought. Medicinal powders don't have high or low value; they are all the wisdom of our predecessors. The reason Cultivation of the Fields medicinal powder is sold cheaply is because no one buys it, because Cultivation of the Fields is the most bitter path."

"What do you mean by that?"

Ma Wu said: "I don't know what the situation is like in the Outer Provinces, but there should be farmers, right? You should know the hardship of farmers.

Planting in spring and harvesting in autumn, working hard every day without rest—this can only be considered step-by-step daily cultivation.

Exhausting your efforts to seek good seeds and planting rare flowers and grasses is the means to earn light-time.

Brother Li, just think, when you reach seventy or eighty, can you still farm?

If you encounter wind disasters, water disasters, droughts, or locust plagues, and the harvest for the year isn't enough, not only will you not earn light-time, but your cultivation base might also be damaged.

If you encounter enemies or bad people who come to steal, rob, or set a fire, you might end up with nothing for the year. This isn't just about damaging your cultivation base; it's a crisis for your life.

Brother Li, this path is too arduous. Be cautious, be extremely cautious!"

It seemed Cultivation of the Fields couldn't be chosen. Ma Wu was right; this path was indeed too difficult.

Li Li Banfeng had a general understanding of Joy Cultivation and Two Two Shi Xiu.

"Then how should Travel Cultivation be cultivated?"

"Just walk everywhere!" Qin Qin Xiaopang could answer this question. "The more places you walk, the farther you go, the faster your cultivation grows, and the more light-time you earn.

People who have no fixed abode all like Travel Cultivation!"

"What about Residential Cultivation?"

"Lying at home, the longer you lie there, the faster your cultivation grows!"

Li Li Banfeng was stunned: "Can you cultivate by lying at home!"

"Yes, that's why Residential Cultivation is sold so expensively!" Qin Qin Xiaopang looked regretful. "If I hadn't saved enough money, I would have chosen Residential Cultivation. Ma Wu, I see you're a wealthy person, why don't you choose Residential Cultivation?"

Ma Wu shook his head: "I can't stand that boredom. Most of the time throughout the year, I have to stay in the residence; it would bore me to death.

I won't hide it from you two, I'm a person who likes the word 'joy' the most. If I'm short of girls by my side, I can't survive a single day."

Li Li Banfeng said: "That's simple, just bring the girls into your residence."

Ma Wu sighed lightly: "That can't be done casually. The mechanism of Residential Cultivation is different from other paths. The cultivation base isn't earned by oneself alone; it's obtained together with the 'Residence Spirit'."

"What is a Residence Spirit?" Li Li Banfeng heard quite a few new terms.

But this question stumped Ma Wu:

"I can't explain clearly what a Residence Spirit is. Residential Cultivators rarely show their faces, especially after reaching a level; very few Residential Cultivators can be seen.

I only know that a Residential Cultivator must buy a good residence. It can't be too conspicuous, otherwise, people will disturb you, and it can't be too isolated, otherwise, you won't have food and drink.

The residence itself must have spiritual energy. If you nurture this spiritual energy well and turn it into a spiritual object, that's the Residence Spirit.

I don't know what this spiritual object is, but if a Residential Cultivator wants to reach a higher level, they must have a Residence Spirit. This hurdle is quite difficult to pass.

This spiritual object has a temperament. If a Residential Cultivator can please the Residence Spirit, the Residence Spirit can help the Residential Cultivator earn a large amount of cultivation.

If they can't please the Residence Spirit, the cultivation won't increase. If they provoke the Residence Spirit, there have even been cases of the Residence Spirit killing the master—that is, killing the cultivator."

Li Li Banfeng listened with wide eyes, and Qin Qin Xiaopang also listened very seriously. Residential Cultivation was indeed a mysterious path.

Li Li Banfeng asked: "Why would the Residence Spirit be provoked? How could it reach the point of killing the master?"

Ma Wu said: "I've only heard of this kind of thing once, and it happened in Yaowanggou.

The Residence Spirit loves cleanliness. If it encounters something unclean, it will try to clean it up. Therefore, Residential Cultivators must also diligently tidy up their residence.

There was a Residential Cultivator in Yaowanggou who was extremely slovenly. Not only did he not tidy up the residence, but he didn't wash his face, didn't bathe, didn't wash his hair, didn't wash his clothes, didn't groom his beard and hair, and was always dirty.

The Residence Spirit endured it, and even often helped him wash his clothes, wipe his face, and cut his hair, helping him tidy up.

But this person didn't repent. Not only was he slovenly himself, but he also brought a group of slovenly friends to live in the residence for many days.

Without the Residence Spirit's permission, no outsiders are allowed to live in the residence. These people also made the residence a mess. The Residence Spirit was enraged. One night, it killed the cultivator and all his friends—not a single one was left!"

Qin Qin Xiaopang shivered. He was a bit slovenly himself: "Then what happened to that Residence Spirit?"

"It stayed in the residence and became an evil spirit. It's still harming people to this day."

"Doesn't anyone care about this?"

"Who cares? There are plenty of evil spirits; who has the heart to care about this?"

Listening to Ma Wu and Qin Qin Xiaopang chatting, Li Li Banfeng fell into deep thought.

Which path should I choose?

Is this important?

Very important, to save my life.

According to the Peddler, if you're hit by the sky light and don't enter the path, you'll definitely die.

But as long as you choose a path, won't your life be saved?

Wasn't the purpose of my trip to save someone? Is choosing a path important?

Of course it's important!

What a rare opportunity this is!

I've offended that group of people from the Dark Star Bureau, and they said they wanted to kill me. If I want to live, I must learn some real skills to protect my life!

More importantly, there's also the great dream of tenth-layer cultivation!

"Good things are good things, bad things are bad things; the logic is just that simple." Li Li Banfeng muttered to himself.

Qin Qin Xiaopang didn't hear clearly: "Brother Li, what good things and bad things?"

Li Li Banfeng didn't answer.

The thing in front of him was a good thing. Regardless of how many extra factors there were, being able to obtain supernatural power and an extra-long life was a good thing.

Choosing a path suitable for oneself was an even better thing among good things.

But which path was suitable?

He knew too little about these paths.

"What skills do cultivators of each path have?"

"That's complicated," Ma Wu said. "Martial Cultivators can fight, Literary Cultivators can scold, Travel Cultivators can run, Food Cultivators eat and drink their fill, having both techniques and strength."

Qin Qin Xiaopang added: "Joy Cultivators can do it ten times a day; that's nothing!"

Ma Wu laughed: "But it's not just that skill; Joy Cultivators are good at disturbing people's minds."

"What about Residential Cultivation?"

Ma Wu said: "Residential Cultivation is both offensive and defensive. It specifically depends on the temperament of the Residence Spirit. Outside the residence, Residential Cultivators have average combat power among the same layer; inside the residence, Residential Cultivators are invincible among the same layer, and can even fight across a layer!"

Residential Cultivation is that strong?

Should I choose Residential Cultivation?

Money can be repaid to Hou Hou Zi Qiu later, but where can I buy a residence?

(End of chapter) ===== CHAPTER 18 =====