Chapter 131: Self-Reliance

The source energy coursed chaotically through his body, entirely beyond his control. Whenever he attempted to corral it with his spiritual sense, it would slip away. He had tried circulating it through the meridians according to the techniques of the Qingyun Sect, but there was not the slightest reaction.

Cultivation knows no passage of time.

By the time Ye Wuya opened his eyes again, the sky had already darkened. He rose and walked over to check the adjacent room, but Jiang Xiaoxiao was not there; she had wandered off somewhere.

The mountain where Ye Wuya resided was situated behind the main grounds of the Qingyun Sect. The first three peaks were occupied by servant disciples and inner-sect disciples, while the latter three were reserved for core disciples, elders, and the Sect Master. Only the peak where the Scripture Pavilion stood remained perfectly serene; it was strictly off-limits to idlers and was guarded around the clock. If anyone was an exception, it was Ye Wuya, the only outsider permitted to enter the Scripture Peak at any time.

He exchanged familiar greetings with the two disciples guarding the pavilion and began to stroll about. Although the darkness made the ground difficult to see, it posed no trouble for him. His night vision was as clear as daylight; he could not even recall when it had become this way.

As he walked slowly out of the pavilion, the guards bowed respectfully. "Greetings, Senior Ye."

"Mm, pay me no mind. I am just out for a walk," Ye Wuya replied with a nod, striding off with an air of nonchalance.

Behind him, he could faintly hear the two disciples whispering.

"Senior Ye is truly a good man. I’ve been in the Qingyun Sect for eight years, always coveting that 'Whirlwind Fire Technique.' Ever since he moved into the pavilion, he just gave it to me," the disciple on the left said quietly.

"Tell me about it! Last time I mentioned that technique I’d been dreaming of for so long, the very next day, he walked out and passed it right to me!" the disciple on the right added, his eyes bright with excitement.

...

Listening to the chorus of flattery fading into the distance, he smiled to himself. Using someone else's property to buy the loyalty of others—it felt remarkably good.

He circled the mountaintop but found nothing out of the ordinary; the patrols were patrolling, and those practicing were practicing.

"No idea where Jiang Xiaoxiao has run off to." Ye Wuya wandered aimlessly, rubbing his stomach. He was hungry, and it had already begun to growl several times.

Although the meals Jiang Xiaoxiao prepared were mediocre, they were rich in energy. The food provided by the sect was made by servants using common ingredients, which could never satisfy his body's needs. Ever since he had recovered, his appetite had grown insatiable. His body was now like a humanoid tyrannosaur; while his cultivation might lag behind the experts of the Golden Core Realm, in terms of pure physical strength, he dared say he was their equal.

Yet, this physical prowess was matched by a persistent heartache regarding his cultivation. In a real fight, who would choose to go blow-for-blow with raw physical strength? A couple of profound techniques would blast him into dust.

Cultivation, oh, cultivation! Ye Wuya was like a man holding a treasure chest without the key. But he was certain that if he could find that key to unlock his potential, he would become powerful indeed.

Spiritual sense, sword intent, physical body, cultivation—he was missing one out of four.

Rubbing his temples, he headed toward the foot of the mountain. Without Jiang Xiaoxiao to bring him food, he would have to find his own way to fill his belly. If he didn't eat, all his strength would be for nothing.

Ye Wuya remembered that there was a massive Heavenly Pond within the Qingyun Sect, home to many aquatic creatures! He vaguely recalled there being several exceptionally large red fish in those waters.

Step one to survival: self-reliance!

Having made up his mind, his mood lifted, and he descended quickly from the Scripture Peak. As he walked down the stone steps, two disciples at the base saw him and smiled, quickly bowing. "Greetings, Senior Ye!"

"Mm, hello." Ye Wuya gave a faint reply and kept walking.

"Safe travels, Senior Ye!"

The two disciples continued to beam at his retreating figure, seemingly accustomed to his indifference. Ye Wuya didn't care about their behavior; after all, nearly everyone who served at the Scripture Peak had benefited from his "generosity."

In truth, Ye Wuya had been in the Qingyun Sect for over a month and rarely ventured out. Apart from the day he and Jiang Xiaoxiao had visited the martial arts arena, he had spent almost all his time holed up in the Scripture Pavilion. This was his first time out since then.

Relying on the memory of his initial forced entry into the sect, he headed slowly toward the Heavenly Pond. He walked at a leisurely pace, like someone taking a stroll. Most disciples were away, having accepted tasks from the Contribution Hall. Aside from the necessary guards, the sect was relatively quiet.

To obtain resources, Qingyun disciples had to accept missions—gathering herbs, hunting spirit beasts, or suppressing bandits—to earn contribution points, which could then be exchanged for supplies. Ye Wuya understood this; a sect as vast as Qingyun could not simply support over a hundred thousand cultivators for free. That would be unsustainable. To put it bluntly: self-reliance leads to prosperity. If you want others to support you, you must provide the capital to justify it. Without that, is daydreaming of a free lunch ever going to work?

As he walked, he slowly heard the sound of water. He knew he was nearing his destination.

A moment later, he arrived. Before him lay a vast waterfall pool, fed by a cascade flowing down from the main peak of the Qingyun Sect. The spray from the falls was as fine as dust, filling the air with a misty haze that draped the surrounding trees in a thin veil; a chill in the air left him feeling refreshed.

The waterfall was over ten meters wide and plunged from a height of over a hundred meters. It roared down like an enraged silver dragon, crashing into the heart of the pool with such force that it kicked up wild winds and a rain of spray. Each column of water, each curtain of mist, shattered against the rocks at the base like millions of pearls, churning the water into waves and fog. The torrent looked like thousands of beasts brawling and roaring, tumbling together until the entire valley was engulfed in a spray of jade-like droplets.

"Here we are," Ye Wuya said.