Unable to Cultivate

It would put her in an impossible position. His faked death had to be kept secret from the Imperial Preceptor. If he told the Big Ice Cube, as a disciple who was more like a daughter to the Preceptor than an actual daughter, she would inevitably be torn between the two. Noticing the conflicted emotions washing over his third son’s face, Xu Yinhe spoke in a gentle tone: “Of all things under heaven, matters of the heart are the hardest to govern. I hope you will handle these affairs properly.” Xu Yuan raised his eyes slowly and offered a faint smile. “Do not worry, Father. I know where to draw the line.” Xu Yinhe fixed his gaze on Xu Yuan, his deep eyes seeming to peer straight into the young man's soul. His voice was low and quiet. “Perhaps. “If you can, in matters concerning women, your father would rather you behave as you once did.” With that, Xu Yinhe turned and walked unhurriedly out of the courtyard gate. Watching his father’s back vanish around the corner, Xu Yuan sat quietly in the waterside pavilion for a good while before shaking his head with a soft chuckle. This old man really didn't mince words. Behave with women as he once did? Put bluntly: play with them and toss them aside. Where in this world could you find a father encouraging his own son to be a heartless scoundrel? Musing over this, Xu Yuan looked in the direction his father had departed for a few moments, the smile on his lips gradually softening into a faint sigh. His father’s meaning was simple enough: he could be promiscuous, carouse every night, and indulge in women to his heart’s content, but he must never let himself become too devoted. For someone at the center of imperial power, excessive devotion was a dangerous taboo. Leaving aside the ancient tales of sovereigns lighting beacon towers to amuse concubines, the history of the Great Yan Dynasty alone was rife with examples of imperial princes relinquishing the throne for a woman, only to be ambushed and murdered by their rivals. Rising slowly to his feet, Xu Yuan withdrew his gaze and gave a light shake of his head. His father was truly strict with himself and lenient with others. His mother had passed away so many years ago, yet his father had never remarried. Now he was actually encouraging his son to pursue more women... At that thought, Xu Yuan’s train of thought paused slightly. He suddenly understood the deeper meaning behind his father’s words. Heirs. Under the societal structure of the Great Yan Dynasty, a colossal faction required an outstanding heir to steady the hearts of the old retainers below. The reigning sovereign, Li Yaoxuan, had three thousand concubines in his imperial harem and could spawn dozens of whelps, pitting them against each other like venomous insects to cull an heir. But their Prime Minister's Manor had to rely solely on his father and mother playing the genetic lottery. Fortunately, both father and mother possessed exceptional genes, pulling three SSRs in a row with him, Xu Changge, and his second brother; otherwise, panic would have spread through the manor long ago. Even so, having too few direct descendants left the Prime Minister's Manor vulnerable to a strategy of wiping out their bloodline. If rivals couldn't bring down Xu Yinhe, they would target his progeny. Once he was gone, the vast Chancellor's Manor would crumble from within without anyone needing to lift another finger. His father beating around the bush like this probably meant he was getting anxious inside. A wry smile touched the corners of Xu Yuan’s mouth. Come to think of it, how could the old man not be anxious? His eldest son was already in his early thirties, yet strutted around every day like a solitary rogue, never setting foot in a brothel or stepping into a pleasure house. If they hadn’t discovered the existence of that Young Celestial Master last time, they might have suspected Xu Changge preferred the company of men. Now that he finally had a dissolute third son on hand, he naturally felt compelled to drop subtle hints. Thinking of this, Xu Yuan let out a soft, helpless sigh. “I wouldn't mind either, but right now I can't even beat them...” His fists tightened slightly as an inexplicable surge of urgency welled up in his chest. Striding back to his room, he kicked off his boots and sat cross-legged on the soft bed. He needed power! No matter the reason, he urgently needed greater strength. With his current physique, perhaps reaching the third-rank Grandmaster realm would be enough to break through the defenses of the Big Ice Cube and the others! Focusing his thoughts, Xu Yuan extended his spiritual vision to probe the chamber, quickly locating the core of an array. Because his father had little interest in material indulgences, no entertainment facilities were built inside the manor’s inner compound. On the other hand, cultivation facilities of every variety were thoroughly provided. The bedrooms of the children were carved with the world’s top Spirit-Gathering Arrays; once activated, an inexhaustible supply of pure Source Qi would flood the room. The moment the array roared to life, wisps of near-visible Source Qi mist formed in every corner of the bedchamber. Sensing the surging Source Qi around him, Xu Yuan closed his eyes and quietly channeled the Blood Yuan Heart Calamity Art. The sea of mist in the room began to boil, swirling and rushing toward Xu Yuan's body. A few breaths later, the turbulent mist abruptly froze. Xu Yuan opened his eyes, a scarlet glow flashing within them, and stared at the surrounding sea of Source Qi with an odd expression. He looked down at his palms, inspected the dantian inside his body, and then closed his eyes to cultivate again. A few breaths later, he stopped once more. This time, the look in his eyes was no longer merely puzzled, but filled with bafflement and astonishment. The moment the mist was drawn into his body, tempered through his meridians, and channeled into his dantian, the pure, milky-white Source Qi was instantly broken down and dissolved by the black Source Qi inside him. "......" Xu Yuan clicked his tongue, his breathing quickening slightly. He tried several more times until only a third of the black Source Qi remained in his dantian. Only then did he confirm the grim reality. It seemed he could no longer advance his cultivation through ordinary Source Qi. He couldn't even replenish the depleted Source Qi in his dantian... Sitting dazed on the soft bed, Xu Yuan felt his thoughts tangle in chaos. In his previous life, watching protagonists in anime and novels forge a cultivation path entirely their own was undeniably thrilling, but experiencing it firsthand left him with nothing but bewilderment. This world had seen its share of peerless geniuses who pioneered their own methods. Qi practitioners, martial artists, soul cultivators, and even unorthodox paths built upon yin ghosts and aberrant ghosts—all of them ultimately relied on the heaven and earth's Source Qi as their bedrock. And what about him? Xu Yuan looked down at his hands, his breath coming with difficulty. His body had developed an irreversible conflict with the very foundation of cultivation in this world. How was he supposed to cultivate? No, cultivating aside, if this issue remained unresolved, every shred of power within him—whether the black Source Qi, the Intent soul, or his unique spiritual vision—would become rootless duckweed. Every bit he used would simply be gone forever. "......" After his mind raced for a dozen breaths, Xu Yuan hesitated no longer. He slipped out of bed, pulled on his boots, and walked toward his father's courtyard. Though he had walked the path of cultivation for quite some time, he still only knew the what, not the why. Just like knowing how to make a phone call in his past life, understanding that sound waves were converted into electrical signals by a device to transmit messages, but having no idea how to actually build a telephone. He might not know how to build a "telephone," but that didn't mean his father wouldn't. And even if his father didn't, someone within the vast Chancellor's Manor surely would. With these thoughts in mind, Xu Yuan soon arrived outside his father's courtyard. The gate stood ten feet tall, understated rather than opulent. Xu Yuan stepped up the stairs and reached for the knocker, about to rap on the door, when an indifferent, mellow voice spoke from behind him: "Father has stepped out. If you have business, you may speak to me." Xu Yuan’s hand paused. He turned his head slowly to look at the elder brother standing ten feet away, draped in green robes like an immortal descended to earth. Xu Changge looked back at him with an impassive gaze. After a moment of eye contact, Xu Yuan went straight to the point: "Xu Changge, I can't cultivate anymore." "......" Xu Changge’s serene demeanor instantly hardened, his brow knitting tight. "What do you mean?" Seeing Xu Changge’s expression, Xu Yuan's heart sank as well. For someone in his position, being unable to cultivate was no less disastrous than a ruler being incapacitated by illness. After recounting what had just occurred in detail, Xu Yuan stared expectantly at his elder brother. Xu Changge’s sword-like brows remained furrowed like distant peaks. After a moment of silence, he asked bluntly, "Since you cannot cultivate using Source Qi, can you cultivate by devouring medicine humans?" "......" Hearing this, Xu Yuan's eye twitched. Medicine humans—a rather inhumane euphemism. The art of alchemy was constantly evolving, and every new formula required countless refinements, all of which were tested on medicine humans. Consequently, to research new pill recipes, every major faction kept some in captivity, more or less. Including the Prime Minister's Manor. To Xu Yuan's relief, unlike places such as Wanyao Valley, the Chancellor's Manor maintained an official standing. Most of the medicine humans they kept were enemy captives or condemned convicts from local dungeons. Reflecting on this, Xu Yuan bared his teeth with a strange look. "Wait, are you telling me to eat people?" Xu Changge looked slightly embarrassed before lowering his voice: "I heard about what happened to you from Uncle. Huizhou County—" "Say no more." Xu Yuan cut him off and pointed to his head. "If it were merely absorbing Source Qi, I wouldn't mind. But if I use that method, I'll likely have to devour their flesh and blood along with it." As a human, the memory of consuming another person’s flesh left Xu Yuan feeling physically revolted. Xu Changge was silent for a brief moment, then whispered, "Shall I call Father back?" Xu Yuan pondered for a moment, then shook his head lightly. "Father probably can't help with this either, and I already have a few guesses of my own." Xu Changge stepped forward, asking with a touch of urgency, "What are they?" Weighing his words, Xu Yuan said in a low voice, "The energy in my body right now is likely composed of Source Qi, yin origin, and life origin. Cultivating probably requires all three." "Yin origin and life origin..." Xu Changge murmured the words, and his expression relaxed slightly. "In other words, you need yin ghosts and demon crystals?" "Most likely... but I can't be sure until I test it," Xu Yuan replied quietly. He glanced toward the outer compound and asked, "Is Lou Ji in the manor right now? She should understand my current state better." A thoughtful look crossed Xu Changge’s eyes. "Lou Ji left after stabilizing your condition, but that woman named Luo Xiran is over at the Gewu Academy." Xu Yuan’s spirits lifted slightly. "Take me to see her." "......" Xu Changge stared at him without a word. Xu Yuan's mouth twitched, and he couldn't help but complain, "Hey, don't look at me like that. I'm not looking for an excuse to go fooling around outside." A glimmer of amusement flashed in Xu Changge's eyes. He shook his head and said, "Father has no intention of placing you under house arrest. He simply doesn't want you going out and stirring up trouble under your own identity." Hearing this, Xu Yuan's eyes brightened slightly. "What do you mean by that?" "You'll know when the time comes. Father will explain the details once he returns." Showing no regard for brotherly affection, Xu Changge played the riddler, casually adding, "I have a rough grasp of your physical state now. I'll head to the Gewu Academy to find Jiang He—" Halfway through the sentence, Xu Changge broke off and chuckled with a shake of his head. "Actually, there doesn't seem to be any need for that." Xu Yuan raised an eyebrow, puzzled. "What do you mean?" Xu Changge pointed toward a guest courtyard in the outer manor and said softly, "Xinyao is right here in the manor. You can just speak to her shortly." Xu Yuan was taken aback. "Xinyao is in the manor?" The corner of Xu Changge’s mouth curled into a peculiar smile. "Indeed. She's currently chatting with the Imperial Preceptor's disciple. You two traveled together before, didn't you? That girl seems quite fond of Ran Qingmo." "......" Silent for a heartbeat, Xu Yuan realized he was being led in circles. Taking a deep breath, he said in a low voice, "Wait, Xinyao specializes in arrays. My condition requires knowledge of pharmacology to resolve. Xu Changge, are you—" "Who told you Xinyao only understands arrays?" "......" Xu Yuan fell silent. Xu Changge gave a light humph. As if recalling something, he stepped forward, narrowed his eyes at Xu Yuan, and asked with a smile: "Changtian... "I noticed two scars on Xinyao's forearm. When I asked her, she refused to say who gave them to her. You didn't happen to hit her back in Shengshan County, did you?" "......" Xu Yuan was speechless. A dead memory suddenly attacked him. The memory of beating Xu Xinyao, only to receive a savage thrashing from Xu Changge afterward. And this king of posturing would never listen to explanations. After a brief pause, Xu Yuan kept his expression neutral, furrowed his brows, and played dumb: "What are you talking about?" Xu Changge gave him a piercing look, then sighed faintly. "Changtian, treat Xinyao better. When Uncle and Lou Ji brought you back to the Gewu Academy half-dead, Xinyao barely slept for half a month just to stabilize your injuries." Xu Yuan pressed his lips together, his fists clenching slightly. "...I understand." "I hope you truly do." Xu Changge's tone carried a hint of warning. Glancing up at the sky, he changed the subject: "By the way, on my way north earlier, I ran into the Saintess of the Overseeing Heaven Pavilion." Xu Yuan's pupils shrank slightly. Given Tianyan's temperament, running into Xu Changge at that time... Seeing his reaction, Xu Changge scoffed softly. "Why so tense? Rest assured, I did not draw my sword against her." Hearing that, Xu Yuan felt relieved, but quickly realized his elder brother had probably told the poor, bullied Saintess everything. "Where is she now?" Xu Changge pondered for a moment, glanced toward the south, and murmured, "Hmph. According to our intelligence, she seems to have headed back south. Most likely, she went to find her master on your behalf."