Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 314: Fist Techniques and Spells Are Both Methods

“He mastered a curse-type fist technique, or should I say, a curse-type spell, all by himself?!” Even the knowledgeable senior male disciples in the crowd were taken aback.

The Dao of Curse fell under the domain of karma. Both karma and time were universally acknowledged in the cultivation world as one of the mighty abilities that were the most difficult to comprehend, learn, and unravel.

Junior Brother Li is so young, yet he comprehended such a ruthless curse-type spell on his own. Who could have thought?

“To even ask whether this is a fist technique or a spell clearly shows you haven’t been paying attention during Big Senior Sister’s classes!” A Divine Transfiguration male disciple looked at his Nascent Soul junior sister disdainfully for shouting earlier. “With your lack of knowledge and skills, how do you expect to advance to the Divine Transfiguration Stage in the future?”

The Nascent Soul junior sister stammered. In the outside world, she was renowned for her brilliance and erudition, revered and praised as a “talented lady.” But within the Dao-Seeking Sect, such accolades were utterly meaningless.

Who would dare claim to be well-read and erudite in the Dao-Seeking Sect?

“Big Senior Sister has repeatedly emphasized not to draw too clear a line between fist techniques and spells. Fist techniques and spells are all methods.[1] All methods ultimately lead to the same destination. If you make such rigid distinctions, how will you ever achieve the state of ‘one method to connect all methods?’

“It’s precisely because many people like you have this misconception that despite possessing powerful spells far superior to their opponents, they end up defeated after their opponents seize the opportunity to engage in close combat.”

Cultivators proficient in spells feared close combat the most. Having spent years honing their spells, their physical strength was often mediocre. Once entangled in close combat, not only would they be unable to cast spells, but even their safety couldn’t be assured.

The Divine Transfiguration senior male disciple patiently explained, “So the ideal state is to use fist techniques to cast spells. That way, regardless of whether it’s long-range spell battles or close-quarters physical combat, there will be no weaknesses, right?”

The Nascent Soul junior female disciple nodded. It does make sense. Although I have ample energy and practice both fist techniques and spells without neglecting either, Senior Brother’s words have made me realize that I should reflect on myself.

“Big Senior Sister even complimented Junior Brother Lu Yang, saying he has achieved this, demonstrating signs of unifying all methods to lead to the same destination. He’s far ahead of you and me.

“Although I don’t know to what extent Junior Brother Li has accomplished, if he could earn Big Senior Sister’s praise, he must have made remarkable progress in this aspect!”

Although the senior disciples had lined up to beat Lu Yang up, that didn’t stop them from acknowledging his talent.

~~~

Lu Yang, Tao Yaoye, and the others were astonished to see Meng Jingzhou achieve enlightenment and comprehend the “Descendants-Severing Fist Technique.”

How could such a fist technique exist? Is there no more justice in the world?

The person most shocked was Qin Yanyan.

Before coming to the Dao-Seeking Sect, she carried some pride, thinking that Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou were simply faster in their cultivation. She believed that she could catch up with some effort.

Although she was two months older than Li Haoran, her cultivation was on par with his. Since Li Haoran’s talent ranked among the top ten of the younger generation, she figured she wasn’t far behind and was fully qualified to become a disciple of one of the Five Great Immortal Sects. However, with Su Yiren as her mentor, there was no need for her to join one of the sects.

She had believed that even if there was a gap between her and young top talents like Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou, it wasn’t significant. By observing their battles, she could surely learn something.

But now? The day anyone manages to learn it is when pigs fly!

No wonder my ex-dad can only rank fifth in his cohort despite having the purest Fire Spirit Root. It’s indeed hard to break into the top four.

Moreover, the first place uses the Arhat Fist to make people lose their hair, while the second place uses the Single’s Curse Fist to make people single for life. Are these two from the Dao-Seeking Sect or the Hanging Monastery?

Upon witnessing Meng Jingzhou’s fist techniques, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy lamented, “So this is what they mean by ‘Talents rise in every generation, dominating the scene for centuries.’”[2]

Lu Yang raised an eyebrow, looking conflicted. The poem was recited correctly, but why can’t I help but feel that it’s somewhat out of place in this context?

“Does this kind of fist technique have no limitations?” Tao Yaoye wondered. Man Gu’s Ancestor Assembly Golden Core was within reasonable bounds, not to the point of synchronizing with the cultivation levels of his ancestors. Could Meng Jingzhou’s fist technique really ignore cultivation levels?

Wouldn’t everyone run at the sight of it then?

Yun Zhi watched the smug Meng Jingzhou for a while before withdrawing her gaze. She shook her head lightly and explained to everyone. “It’s not as exaggerated as you think. Meng Jingzhou is at the Golden Core Stage, so his fist technique can only be used against cultivators at the Golden Core Stage or below. Furthermore, he has to be wary of backlash from his opponents.”

“Backlash?”

“Yes, take Li Haoran as an example. His fiancée is Su Yiren, a Fusion cultivator. Li Haoran’s destined match is Su Yiren, and such a marital fate cannot be severed by ordinary means. If Meng Jingzhou were to use the Single’s Curse Fist on Li Haoran, he would suffer a backlash from being unable to overcome Li Haoran’s marital fate.”

Lu Yang asked curiously, “What would happen to Meng Jingzhou if he suffers a backlash?” Would it mean that Meng Jingzhou himself will be doomed to singlehood?

But in that case, wouldn’t there be no difference regardless of whether he suffers a backlash?

Yun Zhi performed a quick divination with her fingers. “He might lose all karmic ties with women for a period of time. Specifically, during this period, he’d be unable to interact with any women. By the workings of fate and coincidences, he might find himself avoiding women or women avoiding him.”

The Single’s Curse Fist sounds very restrictive, with the risk of backlash. But upon closer thought, who else would be like Li Haoran and have a Fusion fiancée at such a young age?

Li Haoran, who was also listening nearby, was baffled. “Isn’t the greatest backlash from Senior Brother Meng’s fist technique getting hunted down after using it?”

Lu Yang, “...”

That’s valid. Meng Jingzhou’s fist technique can’t kill anyone, but for anyone struck by it, swearing eternal vengeance against him would likely be the best-case scenario.

“Earlier, Senior Brother Meng mentioned that his fist technique is inherent to his golden core. But I’ve never heard of a Single’s Golden Core having such a technique?” Li Haoran wondered out loud. In his quest to form his golden core, he had read many insights on golden core formation, including descriptions of the Single’s Golden Core.

Li Haoran pointed out the flaw in Li Haoran’s thinking. “You got something wrong. Meng Jingzhou didn’t form just one Single’s Golden Core but an unprecedented two.”

Question marks were popping out of Li Haoran’s head.

Lu Yang continued, “Previous seniors with a Single’s Spirit Root didn’t comprehend this fist technique, which implies that their level of singleness wasn’t as profound as Meng Jingzhou’s.”

“Lu Yang, you’re slandering me again! This is clearly a testament to my exceptional comprehension!” Meng Jingzhou jumped off the stage, glaring at Lu Yang in rage.

Lu Yang shrugged, pretending he hadn’t said anything.

Man Gu slowly woke up and looked around in confusion at the noisy surroundings. “I lost?” After summoning his ancestors to possess him, he had no memory of everything that transpired.

Lu Yang said earnestly, “Your ancestors were worried about cutting off the clan’s lineage and admitted defeat.”

“Ah?” Man Gu blinked in befuddlement. Did Senior Brother Meng resort to underhanded tricks like “Monkey Steals the Peach,” attacking the opponent with one hand and grabbing their crotch with the other?[3]

He couldn’t have gone so far, right?

“Lu Yang, come back with me,” Yun Zhi said curtly before heading straight back to Heaven’s Gate Peak.

The disciples who had been watching the battle dispersed. Some returned to cultivate, some went to the scripture library, while others went on dates with their junior sisters.

Lu Yang had to jog to keep up with Yun Zhi’s pace.

“Big Senior Sister, has the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s kitchen been brought back?”

“Mmm.”

Inside his mental space, the Everlasting Immortal Fairy’s eyes lit up.

1. Unfortunately, I had to tweak it in the English version. In the original Chinese text, fist techniques are “quan fa,” while spells are “fa shu.” As you can see, both have the character “fa” in them. It can mean law or method, among other meanings. ☜

2. This poem is typically used to describe the literary scene and aims to challenge poets like Li Bai and Du Fu of the Tang Dynasty. It was written by Zhao Yi, a historian and poet in the mid-Qing Dynasty. ☜

3. To be more precise, the peach refers to the testicles... ☜