Volume One: First Steps on the Path Chapter Twenty-Six: Cultivation Method

As the two of them continued to eat and drink, the sumptuous feast on the table gradually disappeared without a trace. After finishing his meal, Wang Dongdong, still unsatisfied, rubbed his now even rounder belly and couldn't help but say, "That's strange, Ye, why does it feel like I ate even more than usual today? I feel like I could eat a lot more."

Ye Junze replied with a perfectly serious face, "No, you've always eaten this much. It's just your imagination." Yet in his heart, he knew the real reason, but chose not to explain it to Wang Dongdong, thinking he would figure it out soon enough. He remembered that when he had first started cultivating two years ago, his appetite had also soared. His parents had been quite alarmed, suspecting lingering effects from a past incident, and he had only been able to explain it away as a growth spurt. Seeing that nothing else seemed amiss, his parents eventually let it go, especially as he grew stronger and healthier by the day, which brought them obvious joy.

"Ye, you're making things up again," Wang Dongdong retorted. "I know my own belly very well. I can tell I'm eating even more than before—must be that the food at this school is just too delicious. It's influencing me."

"Yes, that's it exactly," Wang Dongdong declared with confidence.

"As long as you're happy," Ye Junze replied, once again dashing his friend's self-assurance.

"Alright, I'd better get going," Ye Junze said, rising to his feet. "I'm going back to consolidate what I learned today. You shouldn't just be thinking about food. Rest up, then do some cultivation. See if you can manage a Small Heavenly Cycle."

"Okay, I'll do whatever you say, Ye," Wang Dongdong replied cheerfully. "I'll rest a bit and then get to it. You work hard too!"

Ye Junze waved a hand, signaling that Wang Dongdong needn’t see him out, and walked back to his own room.

After returning, Ye Junze tidied up briefly and then lay on his bed, reflecting on the day's events, the cultivation method, and the various training issues Li Xi had mentioned. This was a habit of his since childhood: once the day's tasks were done and he had a moment to himself, he would review his experiences, searching for gaps to improve upon next time. Though he hadn’t quite achieved the ideal of “thrice daily self-examination” described in books, he was sure he managed at least once a day.

After some contemplation, convinced he hadn’t overlooked anything, Ye Junze was about to try out the so-called cultivation mode when his phone chimed with a new message. It was from Lin Xin: “How’s it going, junior? Everything smooth?”

“Everything’s going well. I’ve almost mastered the technique. Thanks for checking in, senior,” Ye Junze replied with a smile.

“That’s great! I knew you were talented—you’ve only just started and you’ve already got the hang of it.”

“Not at all, senior, you flatter me.”

“Well, I’ve got things to do, so I’ll talk to you later. Remember, you owe me a meal!” Lin Xin was still thinking about the dinner Ye Junze owed her.

Ye Junze couldn’t help but smile at her words and replied, “Of course, I’m always at your service, senior.”

After finishing the conversation with Lin Xin, Ye Junze gathered his thoughts. Remembering what Li Xi had said, he stood up and called out to the empty air, “Enter cultivation mode.”

As soon as the words left his lips, it was as if some unseen force had heard him. The bed beneath him began to sink down, and once it had fully descended, a familiar meditation cushion—just like the one he’d seen in the classroom—rose up in its place. This cushion was even larger and more ornate than the classroom version.

After carefully observing for a while and finding nothing amiss, Ye Junze sat down on the cushion. Instantly, the now-familiar shield of light enveloped him. With his mind at ease, he began to recall the cultivation method from the “Xuantian Dao Canon” and commenced his practice.

After successfully completing a Small Heavenly Cycle with the technique, Ye Junze felt his understanding of the Dao Canon deepen, and the faint violet sphere in his dantian seemed to grow richer in color. Thus, he continued cultivating, quietly absorbing new insights.

After some time, a thought suddenly occurred to him: “I wonder if I can practice the ‘Xuantian Dao Canon’ here just like I did in the Taixu Illusion?” The idea wouldn’t leave his mind, so Ye Junze decided to try it at once. He silently recited, as he usually did, “Taixu Illusion, begin!”

In the blink of an eye, Ye Junze found himself once again in that familiar place. As he was still orienting himself, Meng Yuan’s familiar voice sounded from the air: “You finally thought of it. I was beginning to think you’d never figure it out unless I told you.”

“I just wanted to try it and didn’t expect it to actually work. This is interesting,” Ye Junze replied, unsure if he was speaking to Meng Yuan or to himself.

“Now that you know it works, make the most of your time and cultivate,” Meng Yuan said, emotionless as ever.

Ye Junze, hearing this, said, “No rush. I have a few questions for you.”

“Go ahead.”

“When I’m in the illusion, does the meditation cushion still work?”

“Yes. Because you always enter the Taixu Illusion as a spiritual entity, you must have sensed this yourself. The cushion’s effects still apply to your physical body. Combined with the illusion and Anze’s spirit-gathering array, your cultivation speed has increased even further.” Meng Yuan paused, then added, “But that cushion truly surprised me. I didn’t expect that in this age, someone could still craft such a powerful cultivation tool. It seems Anze Academy is extraordinary indeed.”

Ye Junze replied with a wry smile, “Didn’t we already know this place was unusual when we first arrived? The more we learn, the more we realize we’ve only scratched the surface—not just of the Academy, but of the world itself.”

“Exactly. So please focus on your cultivation. When you have enough strength, everything you wish to know will be revealed,” Meng Yuan responded coldly.

“Ah Meng Yuan, what am I to do with you? You really are an unfeeling, relentless taskmaster,” Ye Junze couldn’t help but complain.

Unmoved, Meng Yuan answered, “First, I am a spirit, not a machine. Second, I am not forcing you; it is all for your own good.”

“Alright, you win, you’re always right,” Ye Junze surrendered.

“I’ll get to cultivating then, before you drive me crazy.” With that, Ye Junze assumed a meditative posture and once again immersed himself in cultivation.