Chapter 5: Su Yuan, the Book Lover

Recalling and recalling.  Unknowingly, a long time had passed.  Yinqin looked at the sky with some confusion.  The sky had already darkened.  He involuntarily glanced inside and saw that the young boy was still flipping through miscellaneous books, thoroughly engrossed.  He looked closely.  "Thirty-six Cooking Methods for the Azure Spirit Rabbit."  He twitched the corner of his mouth. This kid...  Yinqin cleared his throat.  Su Yuan looked up and glanced over.  Yinqin smiled cheerfully: "Junior Brother, although there are many miscellaneous books here, there are also some about cultivation. For example, the seventh book on the seventh shelf is called 'Detailed Explanation of the Azure Wood Technique.' It contains detailed interpretations of wood-type cultivation methods. Although the Azure Wood Technique is only a low-grade yellow-tier method and may not be what you need, mastering one technique can lead to understanding many. The principles inside are the foundation of cultivation. It's always beneficial to take a look! As for the book you’re holding, hehe."  "Who taught you that?"  "My master..." Yinqin gave Su Yuan a sharp look, "You brat, you deserve a beating!"  Su Yuan forced a dry laugh: "Sorry, it slipped out. I'll look properly now!"  "Mm, there are many books like that. You have to look carefully and have eyes that can discover the wonders of the Dao!"  Yinqin smiled with satisfaction. He seemed to see a kind of inheritance, a kind of...  Suddenly, his eyes popped wide as he saw Su Yuan find that book and flip through it page by page as if reading a picture book. In no time, he flipped through the entire book and put it back, then searched the shelf and precisely found a book called "The Beginning and End of Opening a Hundred Orifices," which was also beneficial for cultivation, but...  He saw Su Yuan flipping through books rapidly again, but that kind of flipping was clearly playing, not studying!  Yinqin closed his eyes and sighed deeply: "Truly, a block of rotten wood cannot be carved!"  "Who are you calling that?"  "I..."  Yinqin opened his eyes wide and saw Su Yuan had somehow already come before him.  "Senior Brother, can I take these books back with me to read?" Su Yuan asked.  He held several books, the first cover reading "Some Stories of the Red Mansion."  Yinqin frowned: "No taking books out, put them back! What kind of talk is this!"  "That's a pity. Then I’ll just have to come again tomorrow!" Su Yuan regretfully put the books back.  Su Yuan was about to leave the library.  "What’s your name?"  A voice came from behind.  "My name is Su Yuan, Senior Brother!"  "Alright, I’ve remembered you!"  [ Ding! Reputation +1! ]  Su Yuan was stunned and turned to look at the senior brother.  The senior brother had already closed his eyes again and was dozing off.  Su Yuan felt a twinge of suspicion.  Back in the dormitory, Su Yuan rested for a while. When the entry’s rest time reached six hours, he started to try cultivation again.  At first, the contents he had read during the day began to flood into his mind. The material that had previously flashed past was now recalled and rapidly memorized and understood. His cognition of cultivation slowly improved, as if he had gained some insights, though still quite fragmented.  Su Yuan didn’t care much and put those things aside to start circulating the Meridian Rotation.  This time, he was finally able to start circulating Meridian Rotation with three strands of spiritual energy and used the Triangle Spin technique. However, when the Meridian Rotation ended, his spiritual energy only increased by five strands!  This was the result of his improved control.  "It seems the longer the rest, the better the cultivation effect, but there must be a limit; otherwise, that would be too godlike."  Su Yuan muttered, then exited the entry state and immediately lay down to sleep.  Morning.  Su Yuan naturally woke up, leisurely washed up, and then stared blankly at the Fasting Pill.  "This pill really tastes awful!"  Su Yuan pinched his nose and swallowed it with water without chewing. The bitter taste lingered in his mouth, unbearable.  "Which pill master made this? Couldn’t they add some sugar water?"  Su Yuan began to consider the possibility of becoming a pill master himself but realized it wasn’t practical for now.  Then he thought about where to get fresh ingredients and seasonings, but he didn’t even have a single Fragment Spirit Stone left in his pocket, and no money to buy any even if there were places selling them.  Just as he sighed, Zhang Wei came visiting again.  Su Yuan had expected this; the door wasn’t closed.  Zhang Wei pushed the door open with a big smile.  "Yo, what good news do you have today?" Su Yuan asked.  "Hahaha, guess how many strands of spiritual energy I have in my Dantian now?"  "Thirty?" Su Yuan guessed.  "Thirty-five!" Zhang Wei put his hands on his hips proudly.  "I secretly found out that Zhou Wuyou, that idiot, has only gathered eighteen strands of spiritual energy and is already acting all high and mighty. Hilarious! Look at how naive he is! Tsk tsk, no wonder it’s me—mystical tier cultivation methods are just fierce! Plus, my low-grade dual spirit roots and high comprehension, my cultivation speed probably rivals the best among mid-grade spirit roots!"  Zhang Wei’s pride was impossible to hide, so he specially came to show off to him!  Su Yuan wondered why Zhang Wei only liked to brag to him and not others.  Actually, Zhang Wei himself didn’t know why. He just felt Su Yuan was somehow different, special, but couldn’t pinpoint exactly how.  Probably because Su Yuan was a transmigrator and didn’t show the humility others had toward the so-called background-rich second-generation cultivators. Instead, he treated them equally. Plus, with a system backing him, he was confident and spoke with assurance. Occasionally throwing out new terms made Zhang Wei curious.  Su Yuan felt his spiritual energy: only thirty strands. This looked worse than Zhang Wei’s, but Su Yuan’s cultivation time was much shorter, and his cultivation methods and resources were far inferior. Even so, he already surpassed Zhou Wuyou. Surpassing Zhang Wei would only be a matter of time.  "By the way, is there a lecture today?"  "Of course! I already looked it up yesterday. There are two classes. One is about cultivation experience with the 'Fire Departure Technique,' and the other is the essentials of the 'Thick Earth Technique.' I’m a Gold-Water spirit root; no need to attend!" Zhang Wei said dismissively.  "That’s not right. I heard from a senior brother that mastering one technique leads to understanding all. Although these two methods don’t suit you, the cultivation principles they contain are interconnected and foundational. It’s always good to listen!" Su Yuan immediately said.  "Who told you that?" Zhang Wei was surprised.  "The senior brother guarding the library!" Su Yuan introduced.  Zhang Wei was a bit confused: "So, why did you go to the library?"  "That’s not important!" Su Yuan said. "I’m going anyway. Are you coming?"  "Alright, just in time to relax the meridians. The spirit replenishing liquid drains too much!" Zhang Wei nodded.  The two arrived smoothly at the lecture hall. This time, the crowd was much smaller than before but still full.  The eagerness of beginners for cultivation experience was evident.  When it was time, a flame ten meters high erupted on the stage, startling the crowd into exclamations. A beautiful woman in fiery red feathered robes stepped out from the flames, her snow-white skin glowing against the red flames, breathtakingly beautiful.  The flames vanished, and the beauty smiled faintly. Her mature voice echoed in the lecture hall: "I am the second senior sister of the inner sect, Nangong Huoyu. Today, I will give the second cultivation lesson on the 'Fire Departure Technique.' This technique is very common and low grade, but it also has its merits!"  "The fire bursts fiercely but contains vitality. Fire can burn all things yet also brings life to the land. Living beings cannot grow without light and heat. The 'Fire Departure Technique' I teach begins with the explosive properties of fire. The so-called..."  Zhang Wei listened attentively. At first, he thought this lecture on the 'Fire Departure Technique' had little to do with him, but as he listened, he felt a flash of insight—like using an outsider’s stone to polish jade. Though the effect was small, it was better than his own independent study!  So he listened even more carefully.  Glancing unconsciously, he saw Su Yuan bowing his head, his mind slowly processing. This was an acknowledgment of the lecture content.  When Zhang Wei got closer, he heard Su Yuan softly and rhythmically snoring... the guy was dozing off!  Zhang Wei was silent for a moment, nudged Su Yuan, who looked up confused at him.  Zhang Wei suppressed the urge to curse and turned his head to continue listening.  Su Yuan looked at Zhang Wei with curiosity, then sniffed and drifted off again. Understanding cultivation techniques was too time-consuming and would interrupt his rest accumulation. Better to rest well now and be fully energized for later cultivation!  The best thing about listening to lectures here was that the inner sect senior brothers and sisters didn’t care if you listened or not. They just taught; as long as you didn’t cause trouble, it was fine.  Thus, the lecture ended. The senior sister transformed into flames and disappeared. Wow, the entrance and exit were perfect!  "Let’s go, time to cultivate!" Zhang Wei patted Su Yuan.  "Isn’t there another class?" Su Yuan asked puzzled.  "There is, but the effect is minor. I’d rather focus on cultivation and listen to the Gold-Water attribute class later!" Zhang Wei said.  Su Yuan nodded: "Oh! Then good luck!"  Zhang Wei stood up. Seeing Su Yuan not leave, he asked oddly: "You’re not going?"  "Yeah, I want to listen. One technique leads to understanding all, as a senior brother told me..."  "Stop!" Zhang Wei smiled helplessly. "I, Zhang Wei, have never obeyed anyone in my life. You’re the first! You keep listening, I’m out!"  "Goodbye!" Su Yuan waved.  Zhang Wei held his forehead with one hand and shook his head as he left.  "You’ll be the one crying in the tests later!" Zhang Wei muttered.  Su Yuan remained calm, not moving, and waited directly for the second class.  Some disciples didn’t leave the venue, so Su Yuan didn’t attract much attention.  Half an hour passed, and the third lecture began!  This time, the seats were not full but still had over three hundred people.  The lecturer was again an inner sect senior brother, sturdy in build, teaching the 'Thick Earth Technique' in a very straightforward and understandable way—not as confusing as Zhuge Jian’s lectures!  Though his appearance was plain, his teaching was quite skilled.  Su Yuan still didn’t think or understand deeply, letting the content go in one ear and out the other, passively recording it in his mind to trigger a sudden enlightenment later during entry cultivation effects.  The lecture ended after one and a half hours.  Su Yuan staggered to the library and saw the older senior brother again.  "Senior Brother, I’m here to read!"  Yinqin didn’t even lift his head and just grunted.  Su Yuan bowed slightly, then ran off to flip through books. When he found interesting miscellaneous books, he took a closer look. When the content was about cultivation, he skimmed through it without thinking.  Thus, until very late, when the library closed, Su Yuan reluctantly left.  Yinqin looked at Su Yuan’s back and twitched the corner of his mouth: "Where the hell did this idiot brat come from? Not cultivating properly, truly hopeless!"