Chapter Fifty-Six: Hehehe

Sensing the Fate Cluster, activating the Fate Cluster, illuminating the Fate Cluster—these are the three thresholds of Fate Refinement. Unlike the cultivation of Innate Qi in martial arts, where progress is tangible, these three thresholds, if tackled alone, can leave most spirit energy cultivators in utter despair. It’s like having an eccentric girlfriend: you can’t see if the progress bar has moved, where it’s stuck, or why it’s not advancing, nor do you know if you should abort the process. It is an excruciating ordeal, commonly known as a trial of temperament.

After all, the cultivation of Innate Qi provides unmistakable feedback on growing stronger—results even more obvious than those from high-tech fitness routines. As long as one is willing to put in the effort, Innate Qi always responds.

Xiao Hongzhuan was, without a doubt, exceptionally fortunate.

When he was on the brink of death, Lan Yi planted the Celestial Lotus of Thunderpond in Jinling, broadcasting spiritual energy. Absorbing some of this energy, Xiao Hongzhuan recovered his health. By rights, he should have endured seven days, returned to the main world in defeat, and prepared meticulously for the next artificial divine realm trial. Yet a single Earthshade token gave him a chance to bargain with a great figure.

Even more fortuitously, at that moment, Old Demon Lan was about to initiate his training program for Daoist talents. Xiao Hongzhuan, a high-quality candidate, could trade his labor for further assistance from Lan Yi, helping him overcome the hardest threshold in Fate Refinement: Sensing the Fate Cluster.

Is sensing the Fate Cluster difficult? Xiao Hongzhuan tried and found it extremely hard. Following the instructions from the Conquest Space data, he chose a relaxed posture, closed his eyes to sense the Fate Cluster and spiritual energy—and nearly fell asleep.

In theory, knowing where the Fate Cluster is should make sensing it a straightforward task. In reality, it was not so. The average adult’s sensory perception, once their eyes are closed and they’re still, is limited to their breath, face, and abdomen. To sense subtler things—like muscles in the arms, internal organs, or even the hair and cuticle layers—is exceedingly difficult. This isn’t something meditation alone can overcome.

Some Fate Clusters lack sensory nerves altogether. You wouldn’t know if they were hot, cold, painful, or pleasant.

Xiao Hongzhuan’s Blue Wave was located in his kidneys. If he could sense Blue Wave after just a few minutes of meditation, even Old Demon Lan would have to praise him as a genius.

“Next, I’ll use Canghua to thread through your kidneys and connect to your neural core, building an auxiliary sensory nerve to help you sense the Fate Cluster. Don’t worry, it won’t hurt much—about as much as ripping out a fingernail,” Lan Yi said in the quiet chamber, her eerily writhing white hair slowly approaching.

Cold sweat broke out on Xiao Hongzhuan’s forehead. Resisting the urge to run, he asked nervously, “Um, great one, that’s my kidney we’re talking about. It’s not that I don’t trust you, but there won’t be any aftereffects, right? It won’t affect my, uh, future romantic activities with the ladies, will it?”

Lan Yi fell silent. What a character, she thought. His first concern wasn’t the risk to the neural core—his spine—but whether his kidney function would be impaired. In a previous life, this oddball must have perished in Artificial Divine Realm 1909, for with such a distinctive personality, Lan Yi would have recognized him in the Jianghe civilization.

“And, um, great one, is there any, uh, reproductive isolation between people from our main world and the ladies of the artificial divine realm?” Xiao Hongzhuan asked, embarrassed.

Lan Yi paused for a moment, observing Xiao Hongzhuan’s unwittingly silly grin, and even Canghua’s approach halted. “There’s no reproductive barrier. Not just humans, but spirit energy cultivators and other nonhuman races can produce offspring together.”

Xiao Hongzhuan’s eyes lit up instantly.

“You’ve already, shall we say, celebrated with a female of this world?” Lan Yi didn’t care about Xiao Hongzhuan’s private life—he wasn’t a voyeur obsessed with knowing every detail of his subordinates’ affairs.

Xiao Hongzhuan nodded. It was only natural. To others, Lan Yi was an immortal, and so was Xiao Hongzhuan. Even if he was a lesser immortal, some are born to be oxen and horses, while others are born in Rome; with his status, many would settle for getting close to him.

Even martial cultivators treated Young Immortal Xiao with utmost respect. Immortal Master Lan Yi was simply too aloof and rational. People often boasted of having married Lan Yi, but everyone knew the truth. It was simply impossible; thus, they sought to form ties with Xiao Hongzhuan instead.

In this era, the fastest way to forge strong bonds was marriage.

Xiao Hongzhuan, long deprived, couldn’t resist the allure of these gentle, fragrant young women, whose shy company over tea was a far cry from his single-dog existence in the main world. There, female colleagues and blind dates demanded exorbitant bride prices, habitually belittled men, expected them to atone and pay tribute, all while claiming to be spiritually independent.

Oppressed for so long, Xiao Hongzhuan naturally succumbed to the charms of women eager to please in this era. Of course, he still kept a clear head. Any woman even remotely associated with Lan Yi, even those he’d only interviewed, he avoided like the plague. Others weren’t fools either—they’d never dare do anything to offend Lan Yi. Their entire clans wouldn’t be enough to pay for such a mistake.

Xiao Hongzhuan’s situation was, in fact, a microcosm of the future for spirit energy cultivators. The collapse of the old order in the main world involved more than just force—it unraveled labor, economic, social, and especially gender relations. Once the brakes failed, the consequences were catastrophic.

“So, how do you plan to deal with your romantic entanglements?” Lan Yi was pondering the development of Artificial Divine Realm 1909. Aside from the spirit energy cultivators of the Jianghe civilization, he intended to clear out the rest.

Perhaps the word ‘deal’ sounded alarming, for Xiao Hongzhuan hurriedly explained, “Great one, I’m not a cad! And I’m certainly not a cuckold! I just want a simple life with a wife, children, and a warm home—I have no grand ambitions. I’ll find a way to bring people back, or stay here; in any case, I won’t interfere with your plans!”

Xiao Hongzhuan was genuinely afraid—terrified that Lan Yi’s next command would be for him to kill his wife to prove his Dao; he wanted to plead, Don’t make me do that!

“You’re overthinking things. For now, get some sleep. Adjust when you wake up,” Lan Yi said, shaking his head and tapping Xiao Hongzhuan gently.

Xiao Hongzhuan had no strength to resist and lost consciousness as Canghua pierced his neck once more. Immediately, a faintly luminous, intricately structured white hair drifted from Lan Yi’s hand and slid with a swish into Xiao Hongzhuan’s navel.

“Ying,” Lan Yi called, multitasking.

Zhao Sikong’s silhouette emerged from the shadows by the door, bowing to await orders.

“Go investigate whether this blockhead has been deceived, and see if any of those persistent scoundrels have been up to mischief.”

“As you command, Immortal Master.”