Chapter 2: This Water Heart Scripture Has Been Revised Seventeen Times?
Li Yingling's unreasonable request was naturally rejected by Chu Xingchen.
The cultivation method provided by the system was one that could perfectly lead to immortality.
It was even perfectly compatible with her spiritual root.
Such techniques weren't guaranteed even in the great immortal sects. She should be grateful to have something to cultivate at all, yet she dared to be picky.
Besides, he didn't have any other cultivation methods to give her anyway.
Night fell.
Li Yingling lay on the cold wooden board. Without the soft pillows from home, she found it impossible to sleep.
Though she wore clothes, there was no blanket to cover her small stomach, and she felt utterly uncomfortable.
"Master," she called softly.
Chu Xingchen's impatient voice came back, "Why aren't you sleeping in the middle of the night?"
"The temple gate lets in the wind… I'm cold."
Yawning, Chu Xingchen replied, "Get up and walk a few steps. Once you're warm again, go back to sleep."
Li Yingling protested weakly, "But I'll just get cold again after lying down."
Helpless, Chu Xingchen said, "I already told you, that cultivation method is called the Supreme Lunar True Mystical Water Heart Scripture. Just practice it boldly!"
"Once you reach the third or fourth level of Qi Refining, you won't feel cold anymore."
Li Yingling turned to glance at the so-called divine manual lying beside her—the Water Heart Scripture.
Master! Those words are not very convincing!!
Fine, if she was going to die, then so be it. The master she chose—she'd cultivate under him even with tears in her eyes.
Gritting her teeth, Li Yingling got up, took the Water Heart Scripture to the fire, and opened the first page.
[This technique is the exclusive secret art of Water Spirit True Lord of the True Immortal Realm.]
Oh! A True Immortal's technique?
Feeling slightly better, she looked to the next line.
[I am Furious Tide True Lord. The Water Spirit True Lord's writing is nonsense! I've revised it! Stronger effects, rest assured to cultivate!]
Oh! Someone even kindly improved it?!
Li Yingling nodded in satisfaction and continued to the third line.
[I am Ocean-Flipping True Lord. The above two are trash! What rubbish they wrote! Misleading the young! I have revised it.]
…What???
Li Yingling quickly scanned through the entire first page.
Good heavens!
Every line began with "I am so-and-so," cursing the previous authors as idiots.
According to the first page, this Water Heart Scripture had been modified by at least seventeen powerful beings.
In other words, this was a seventeenth-revision cultivation method.
Her hands trembled as she turned to the next page.
Please… no more revisions!
[I am…]
Her vision went dark for a moment, but she forced herself to continue reading.
[I am North Sea Emperor. Stop revising this damn thing! You're all trash who can't write! I nearly went mad cultivating this! This version, corrected by me, is final! Safe to practice! And I repeat—stop revising it!!!]
She glanced down again.
Thankfully, there were indeed no more edits.
However, thick strokes of ink had covered nearly all the original words.
The entire page now contained only one untouched line:
"Water is the primordial essence of heaven and earth."
Wonderful. A completely useless line.
Without hesitation, she flipped to the next page.
It was entirely blackened with ink, overlaid with red handwriting, which was then smeared again.
Multicolored ink blots had turned the page into an abstract painting.
Then someone had scrawled over it again with white pigment.
These so-called mighty experts were clearly too stubborn to admit defeat.
The rainbow of text made Li Yingling's eyes spin.
She looked up toward Chu Xingchen lying on the wooden board and asked weakly, "Master… if I lose control and go mad while cultivating, can you still save me in time?"
Chu Xingchen propped himself up, gazed at the girl crouching beside the fire with the Water Heart Scripture in her hands, and sighed.
"Just cultivate without worry. You won't go mad from it—would your master ever harm you?"
"Master, this really isn't something you picked up off the roadside, is it?"
"Didn't you see it yourself? Do you really think a roadside stall would have a technique like that?"
Hearing this, Li Yingling lowered her head and glanced down.
Indeed… if it were fake, the amount of ink used to forge it was way too much.
She said softly, "Master, if I really start cultivating, you'll protect me, right?"
Chu Xingchen stood up from the wooden board, walked over, and nodded.
"Rest assured, I'll keep you safe. Once you start cultivating, you'll understand how powerful this Water Heart Scripture truly is!"
Master! You even called it the Water Heart Scripture yourself!
But what could she do now?
Gritting her teeth, Li Yingling forced herself to finish reading the Water Heart Scripture that had probably strayed far from its original version.
Then, following its instructions, she began her cultivation.
The moment she started, something felt completely different.
Heaven and earth's spiritual energy condensed rapidly, surging toward her.
Following the scripture's guidance, she drew in the energy and directed it through her meridians.
A natural, flowing sensation spread throughout her entire body.
Chu Xingchen stared in astonishment as Li Yingling swiftly broke through the first level of Qi Refining.
Then, as her aura stabilized, she suddenly broke through again—reaching the second level of Qi Refining!
This seedling… was terrifyingly gifted!
Damn, no wonder she had the "Cultivation Genius" trait—so enviable!
[First Disciple: Li Yingling has broken through to the second level of Qi Refining.]
[One hundred percent cultivation returned.]
Chu Xingchen's eyes lit up. What kind of blessing was this?!
A stream of pure spiritual energy entered his body.
He quickly tried to sense it, but couldn't feel much.
After all, it was only second-level Qi Refining; his own Golden Core stage was far higher.
Forget it—at least he didn't need to worry about being surpassed by this girl.
He would always be ahead by one entire Golden Core realm!
After observing her for a while through the night and confirming there were no issues, Chu Xingchen yawned and lay back down on the wooden board to continue sleeping.
It was, after all, a system-provided technique—it shouldn't have any problems.
Meanwhile, Li Yingling seemed completely addicted to cultivation.
She cultivated from night until dawn.
Sunlight filtered through the broken temple door, illuminating the room.
"Master! Master!"
Chu Xingchen opened his sleepy eyes, seeing Li Yingling's wide, shining gaze filled with admiration.
"What is it?" he asked, confused.
Li Yingling said excitedly, "I've reached the fifth level of Qi Refining! In just one night! This Water Heart Scripture is truly a top-tier immortal art!"
Chu Xingchen yawned, turned over, and muttered half-heartedly, "Mm-hmm, very good."
As he tried to drift back to sleep, Li Yingling hurriedly spoke again, "Master, I haven't built my foundation yet, so I can't live without food. I've been hungry all day. But this place is just wilderness—there's nothing to eat. What should we do?"
Chu Xingchen sighed helplessly.
"You said it yourself—it's desolate out here. Go catch a wild chicken or something."
"You're at the fifth level of Qi Refining now. Surely you can handle a chicken, right?"
Li Yingling froze.
That's not what he said when he tricked her into becoming his disciple!
Why had he changed so quickly after taking her in?
She had no idea how to catch a wild chicken, but seeing Chu Xingchen lying lazily on the wooden board without moving…
Fine. Maybe… this was what cultivation life was like?
Just like that ridiculous Water Heart Scripture.
After convincing herself, Li Yingling grabbed a wooden stick and walked out of the temple to hunt a chicken.
Just as she stepped outside, Chu Xingchen's voice came from behind her.
"Remember to save two drumsticks for your master."
Li Yingling, who had just reached the fifth level of Qi Refining, nearly tripped and fell.