Bonus Chapter 3: Why Is It So Hard to Show Off These Days?

I flipped open this cultivation manual for a look; there was no date on it, and the words “Basic Foundation” were scrawled crookedly on every page.

Unable to sleep, I studied it deep into the night. Only by peering between the lines did I finally make out the meaning—the whole book had just two words over and over: “Normal practice.”

This wasn’t any kind of evil cauldron art, but a perfectly proper entry-level cultivation manual, about as legitimate as could be.

In fact, the methodology was quite complete—whoever designed it must’ve been highly skilled.

“The founder of this Taiming Sect… not bad at all…”

A worthy rival!

I tossed the manual aside, set up a Virtual Machine in my Qi Sea to run cultivation in the background, and let out a long sigh.

“There really is nothing wrong with this manual. Stupid disciple, you should set up a second Qi Sea and let it run too.”

As expected, Cluru put her hands on her hips and proudly declared:

“I’m your Senior Sister now! Not a little disciple!”

“You unfilial disciple from a horse-riding Yao tribe…”

Fine then, if we’re putting on a show, might as well go all out.

Since we’re in the sect now handling real business, I’ll address Cluru as ‘Senior Sister’ for the time being.

“I just don’t believe it…”

Lying on the bed, I tossed and turned in frustration, unable to sleep.

I was supposed to confidently lead Cluru around, showing off and slapping faces, but instead I failed to show off, and now it feels like my own face is about to get slapped.

“I just don’t believe this Taiming Sect is such a genuinely benevolent place. Hmph, you’ll slip up sooner or later!”

“Everything changes eventually~” Cluru lounged about, swinging her feet. “You’ve been away for so many years, of course the Realm of Cultivation would change… You don’t even know what’s happened all these years.”

“Hmph… Change? Like it’s that easy.” I retorted, unwilling to admit defeat.

“I drifted around the Nine Provinces for tens of thousands of years without anything changing. How could things change in a measly three thousand years after I left?”

“Maybe it hit rock bottom and bounced back. Things reach extremes and reverse.”

“All I’ve learned from living this long is that humans are best at plundering. As long as power rules this world, nothing will ever change. Anyone who tries is usually snuffed out before they can make a difference.” I said firmly.

“There’s always a lucky one though—hot-blooded, kind, some peerless hero dropping from the heavens…”

Is there, though? I didn’t believe it.

Still, Cluru had a point. Everything in front of me did feel a little unfamiliar.

Tomorrow, I’d better find out what’s really happened over these three thousand years.

Holding Cluru close, we spent a quiet, uneventful night.

…

The next morning, a knock at the door woke us up.

Standing outside was an adorable little loli!

She wore a light pink sect training uniform, not the pure white of Yihe Peak, so she must not be a disciple of Yihe Peak.

She looked about the same age as Cluru and me, with bright, deep purple eyes, both pretty and cute.

But the problem was…

She was a little Yao girl too, so why the hell did she have nine tails?!

Is nine tails standard issue for everyone except me now?

“Xuanyang Shishu asked me to wake you both for morning class. Um…” The girl seemed a little shy. “I’m a disciple from Lingyin Valley, Epusy—no, Dahlia.”

“Dahlia? That’s a name from West Lake, isn’t it?”

“Mm,” the girl blushed and smiled. “Xuanyang Shifu was worried you’d be scared, so he sent me to wake you up. Maybe since I’m also Yao Race, you’d feel more comfortable.”

“……”

Not comfortable at all.

Just looking at your tails is enough to make me want to crawl into a hole.

Is growing nine tails supposed to be so easy?!

Do the other foxes never worry about stunted tail development??

Truly, the foxiest of foxes.

After getting dressed with Cluru, we followed Senior Sister Dahlia up to the peak.

On the way up the mountain, I couldn’t help but ask:

“As someone from the Yao Race, how did you dare join a Human Sect? Were you kidnapped or something?”

“Hmm?” Dahlia seemed confused by my question. “It’s normal for Yao to join Human Sects now… As for how I got here…”

She curled her lips. “I was drawn from a card pull.”

Yao joining Human Sects is normal? True equality?

But… with Yao’s weak strength, how could they possibly turn things around?

Lost in thought, we reached the top of Yihe Peak.

“We’re here. I’ll head back to Lingyin Valley for morning class.” Dahlia smiled and waved, riding the wind away. “Let’s play together sometime.”

“See you.”

.

Yihe Peak was the tallest mountain in the Taiming Sect’s domain.

The first ray of sunrise always shone on the Peak Lord’s thighs, bathing them in golden light.

And right after that came the martial arena at the summit.

Morning class took place in the arena.

“In our Taiming Sect, each peak has its own morning class,” Peak Lord Xuan Yang stood before the hall, hands behind his back.

“For example, Lingyin Valley’s morning class is playing music, cultivating the heart and mind. But here at Yihe Peak, we’re direct and fierce. Our morning class is just two words—FIGHT CLUB!!!”

“……”

When he said “fight club,” a spark of excitement seemed to flash instinctively in Peak Lord Xuan Yang’s eyes.

And in the disciples below, too.

“Houtu Holy Master once left us wise words—‘Life and death are nothing, if you’re not convinced, just fight! Might makes right!’

In the Realm of Cultivation, strength is king—no need for me to repeat this, everyone here knows it, which is why you chose Yihe Peak.

If you want to hit, hit the face. The thrill of a punch that explodes the head is something no other attack can compare to!

So… let’s begin! You need to start fighting from childhood!”

With a grand gesture, Xuan Yang summoned countless sandbags from the sky.

“First, blow up the sandbags! Then, it’s time for blood-pumping sparring! Go, stick a photo of the person you hate most on the sandbag… and hit! Hit with everything you’ve got!”

I watched as the disciples, all too familiar with the routine, each produced a photo.

They slapped them onto the sandbags.

Then—

“Huah!”

“Ha!”

“Die, ex-partner!”

“Aaaaa—smash—!”

“……”

It was only at this moment that I realized—Yihe Peak was full of muscle demons.

Every senior brother and senior sister, the same.

Cluru and I swallowed hard and symbolically started hitting the sandbags.

With our weak foundation, no amount of training would bulk us up too much, so there was no need to fear becoming muscle maniacs.

“Harder!”

Xuan Yang strode over to us.

“Imagine the sandbag is a Beiju Luzhou cultivator who tormented you! Hit! Beat them to death! One day, you’ll have your revenge in person!”

“…Huff…”

Cluru and I were only running in Virtual Machine mode, so our cultivation wasn’t high, and we quickly wore ourselves out.

“Mm, you two are still young. That’s good enough for now.”

Xuan Yang nodded in satisfaction, then immediately gave a stern warning:

“Rest for now, but within a week, you must blow up this sandbag… or you’re out of the sect!”

Kicked out of the sect? No way—I haven’t even exposed your schemes yet.

Hmph.

“Don’t need a week.”

Panting, I stood up and raised my hand.

My eyes sharpened, focusing all my just-learned spiritual power into my fingertips.

“Bang—!”