Tianyi awoke with a pained groan escaping his lips.
His eyelids fluttered open and waited for his blurred vision to sharpen. He could feel his pain wracked body trembling just from the groan leaving his lips. Hating pain Tianyi tried to minimize it the best way he could by lessening his movements.
The scent of medicine also registered to Tianyi as his eyes moved around the room. It wasn't a room in his estate. Although he didn't know which room this was, Tianyi guessed that it was an unused room from his mother's palace.
Tianyi closed his eyes as he inspected his body.
Inside his body the Violet Gold ranked Dragon Pearl Core stayed still and rotated at a broken tempo. His other eight Gold Cores with heavy attributes of yang were also rotating in a circular fashion around his Dragon Pearl Core from their miniature dantians, also in a broken tempo but not in sync with the rotation of the Dragon Pearl Core.
There was also the illusionary Taiji diagram within his body, unfortunately it was also rotating in an uneven tempo and sometimes the black color of yin would spill into the white of yang or the white of yang would spill into the black of yin.
He could feel it, the yin qi and yang qi clashing against each other and creating an uncontrollable true qi of chaos. Tianyi could sense the true qi of chaos running rampant in his body to the point his meridians were continuously being injured before being healed.
The unfamiliar yang true qi and yin true qi was not doing him any favors either.
Had it not been for his control of the tribulation essence that all his cores now produced, thanks to having been completed with his Dao Tribulation Lightning Spiritual Veins, his body would have already destroyed itself.
Now it was only thanks to the tyrannical power of his tribulation essence that forcibly constrained the turbulent qi within him that allowed him to remain alive. But in Tianyi's current condition, forget about cultivating, he couldn't even freely control his own body right now.
When a Foundation Establishment realm cultivator advanced to the Core Formation realm, their new cores will absorb the spiritual qi that absorb and generate true qi with it. This true qi varies from cultivator to cultivator, but this true qi was far more powerful than the natural spiritual qi. This is also a reason why the difference between Core Formation realm cultivators is wider than in the Foundation Establishment realm.
When Tianyi opened his eyes once more, his heartbeat skipped for a moment at the sudden and silent appearance of his mother.
"Fu-" Tianyi didn't have a chance to finish as in his agitated state, his internal wounds reopened and caused blood to spurt out of his mouth.
Mengfei frowned as she saw the blood spurting out. She took out a handkerchief from her spatial ring and wiped the blood off of Tianyi face.
"Yi'er, no matter the situation, you must never forget your etiquette. I'll not latch onto it this time, but do not speak anymore vulgarities."
Tianyi almost immediately spurted blood out of his mouth again once he heard those words.
"Mother, do you know what went wrong?" Tianyi asked, his voice extremely hoarse and weak.
Mengfei sighed as she gazed at the sickly white face of her son. "It's mother's fault. I underestimated the abstruseness of the Dao of Chaos as well as the process of Yin Yang. One begets two, two begets three, and from three all myriad objects spring forth."
"The process of merging the yin and yang to create the primal chaos is unrefined and so there is an imbalance in your body. But there is also a silver lining. Because of the disharmony, the estimated true qi of chaos is weakened, had it been perfect your body would have likely exploded."
"Had you not already formed your Martial Body, you would have died. The main problem lies in the fact your body was never meant to hold nine Spiritual Cores and your body can't handle it unless you manage to form a Nascent Soul Martial Body. But that will not solve all the problems, so we need to deduce a new Martial Cultivation method that can handle the nine Spiritual Cores and the true qi of chaos."
What the hell is with me and explosions, I swear in the past year I became closer to a ticking bomb with each passing day! Tianyi was inwardly aggrieved. "So what now? I can't very well dispel my core. If I do shatter one of them, there would be an imbalance. And should I shatter all of my cores, my immortal path would be severed." Tianyi was helpless.
"Shattering your cores would create an imbalance depending on how you shatter them." Tianyi's eyes brightened at his mother's words. "If you shatter your yin attribute core, then you would only have to contest with your yang cores. Or you could shatter your eight yang cores and be left with only your yin core. Naturally the qi within your body would be altered and the Primordial Heavenly Scripture would no longer be as suitable for you to cultivate."
The light in Tianyi's eyes dimmed a bit. "I-Is there no other way?"
"The perfect method and also the most difficult method is to create a new cultivation method that combines both aspects of spiritual and martial ways. To do this we need to deepen our understanding of the Dao of Chaos, Yin Yang, Yin, and Yang. The Sole Yin, Eight Trigram Yang Nine Core Revolution is an incomplete method."
"Unfortunately we do not possess the Eight Pillar Sect's Taiji Fist, the premier arts created from the Dao of Yin Yang and the most supreme manual that combines both the martial and spiritual way, for reference. If you choose this path, you will be groping in the dark, and although I will help you as much as possible you will mainly need to rely on yourself to deduce a new method. "
"The most important matter right now is to deduce new martial body that will enable you to accommodate the Sole Yin, Eight Trigrams Yang Core Revolution Formation."
Tianyi's eyes dulled. "Mother, you make it sound so easy. Even now, the only cultivation manual that combines both the spiritual and martial way is the Taiji Fist you spoke of before and that was created by Patriarch Zhang Sanfeng when he was a Transcendent Mortality Sage. I'm just a Core Formation realm cultivator that can't even use his true qi right now."
There was a trace of hopelessness in Tianyi's eyes.
Xi Mengfei felt her heart chill as she lamented the situation. "This…Yi'er, it's not like there was no other way. The heavens is vast, there may be some supreme natural treasure that can alter your physique in order to compensate. Mother is one of the strongest expert, it shouldn't be hard for mother to find a treasure to aid you."
Tianyi however closed his eyes and ignored his mother as he sank deep into thought. I'm unwilling to just shatter my cores and alter my cultivation method. Creating a new method, the chances of that is unlikely, but isn't like there isn't hope. Who knows, maybe I'm actually a genius at creating cultivation methods? Haha, that joke isn't funny.
Tianyi felt that he could understand the pain of paraplegics a little back on Earth. The feeling of helplessness and knowing that anything you do would result in nothing.
Seeing Tianyi sink into silence, Mengfei closed her eyes and left the room as silently as she entered.
"How is senior brother?" Daoyi who was also at the Jade Peak Palace asked.
Mengfei shook her head at Daoyi. "Your senior brother is in deep thought right now, do not bother him."
"Oh."
Mengfei didn't bother anymore as she left the room. No matter what choices Tianyi made, she should at least prepare the necessary ingredients first so she went towards the Immortal Scripture Repository and visited various elders to consult on the creation of a new cultivation method.
But she didn't gather anything that would help Tianyi heal himself should he choose to shatter his cores. Because in her eyes Tianyi, although seemingly humble, was actually more prideful than anyone else! Should he choose to shatter his cores, Mengfei would know that he lost all his confidence, even the confidence to try and the chances of him ascending to immortality after this setback was extremely small.
If that was the case, then she would quietly guard Tianyi for the rest of his life.
Tianyi for the rest of the day closed his eyes deep in thought, not even sleeping as he accustomed himself to his pain wracked body.
In the novels, all the protagonists find unique cultivation methods and cultivate them without any problem. And they are always relics of long gone eras, if it was in this world it would be some from the Primordial Eras when divinities still roamed the land.
SO UNFAIR!
Why is it when I try to form my own unique cultivation method it blows up in my face! I even had the help of my mother, Sword Empress Xi who comprehended the Dao of Heaven, Earth, and Man and has imbued her insights into Destiny into her sword arts.
Why!?
I'm unwilling! I'm unwilling to fail at this! So what if my cultivation method is new and wasn't created by a primordial deity? I'll perfect it and make so it that it won't lose to any method created by those deities! No, I will surpass them!
Tianyi even back on Earth was a competitive person by nature. If he didn't put the situation in his eyes, he would be too lazy to care. But once a matter that he cared about entered his eyes, his fighting spirit would blaze and refuse to lose. Since coming here Tianyi had always been comparing himself to the protagonists of novels, in a way his greatest rival was his own thoughts.
When Tianyi opened his eyes once more, they were no longer dull and lifeless and instead contained a trace of undying vitality as golden lights flashed from within his pupils.
"Sssssssssssssss"
Tianyi hissed as he felt as if every muscle in his body strain from pain as he tried to move. It felt like his muscles had been partially liquefied and only a portion of his body could actually be controlled.
But compared to the Blood Absorption Ritual, although it was very painful it was comparatively dull. I guess I should thank the Blood Absorption Ritual for increasing my pain tolerance, otherwise I'd probably have cried from this pain.
"Senior brother!" Daoyi who had waited all day and night was shocked as she saw the unkempt Tianyi walk through the doors still in loose robes and his hair untidy. She came closer and tried to hold up him only for Tianyi to flinch back as he gritted his teeth.
"Stop!" Tianyi nearly screamed out. He looked and saw the hurt look of Daoyi and quickly added. "My body is in pain right now, if anyone were to touch me it would hurt even more than moving myself."
"A-ah, I see." Daoyi said as she showed a hint of a smile, but quickly frowned. "Are you alright?"
Tianyi managed a slight smile, but it was ruined as blood leaked out of the corner of his lips. The red blood standing out even more against his sickly skin.
"Stop, don't worry. I think this will be a regular occurrence in the future." Tianyi said as he wiped the blood using his sleeve. "Where is mother?"
"Master went out yesterday and hasn't returned." Daoyi replied.
Tianyi frowned. She couldn't have gone out of the sect to search for some supreme natural treasures right?
Just as Tianyi thought that he saw his mother come in through the doors, not a hair out of place but her eyes couldn't help but linger on Tianyi's face.
"Mother." Tianyi began but was soon surprised as he saw the numerous scriptures and manuals that floated around his mother. His eyes even saw some of the names.
Stella Star Scripture
Twenty Eight Northern Sea Body Manual
Nine Yang Sword Arts
Three Yin Saber Arts
Grand Sun Mantra
Lunar Star Scripture
Among others, they were obviously various manuals that were to be used as reference. "Mother did you already know what I would choose?" Tianyi asked before he ruefully smiled. I guess it is true, mother knows best.
"Mother would there happen to be any Soul Cultivation Manuals?" Tianyi asked.
Mengfei slightly tilted her head. "No, why would you need Soul Cultivation Manuals?"
"Since I'm already going to do this, why not go all the way and merge all three aspects? Soul, Spiritual Core, and Body into one. It's not like I will lose anything in the attempt."
Mengfei thought about it for a moment before a flash of recognition crossed her eyes. "Alright. If you're going to do it, do it all the way."
Tianyi smiled. Perhaps it was just an unknown feeling but he felt the number three would be very important in his cultivation. Like how he was ingrained with the Three Pure True Self Visualization Technique.
Three months later, Tianyi was sitting indolently on a couch in the garden. In his hands was a cultivation manual and on the table next to him were several more manuals, some already read and some he hadn't.
He had finally been able to at least cultivate his Dragon Emperor Fist now. Although he was going to change or perhaps even abandon it, it didn't mean that strengthening his Martial Body wouldn't do any good for him.
In fact the stronger his Martial Body was, the lesser the true qi of chaos would affect him. Now he was able to move about with only minor inconvenience. Of course if he agitated his body enough, he might still cough out blood.
It was simply another day where Tianyi was focusing wholeheartedly on deciphering the Dao of Yin, Dao of Yang, Dao of Yin Yang, and the Dao of Chaos. As for the Soul Cultivation Technique, he decided to save that for a later time. He at least wanted to have the ability to manipulate his true qi of chaos before doing anything else.
Suddenly out of nowhere, a lightning bolt appeared in the sky and struck Tianyi.
Tianyi was totally unprepared and was thus unable to defend himself and this caused him to vomit a large amount of blood. Tianyi looked up in the sky in disbelief, he could feel another bolt of lightning begin to form and descend despite the cloudless sky.
Tianyi gritted his teeth and circulated the qi within his Martial Body to the full extent to defend the next bolt of lightning.
In total, three bolts of lightning struck Tianyi and left him in a sorry state, as now there was a large puddle of vomited blood lying next to his feet. Theoretically Tianyi could absorb the tribulation lightning to further his cultivation but doing so in his current state was incredibly unwise.
What Tianyi used to think as a gift from the heavens was now a calamity as he couldn't absorb and could only defend against them. Luckily the cores made from his Dao Tribulation Lightning Spiritual Veins gave him an increased resistance against tribulation and the lightning.
"Even you are kicking while I'm down!?" Tianyi roared at the heavens even as blood leaked from his mouth, his eyes slightly crazed. He raised his right hand and middle finger up. "Well, FUCK YOU TOO!"
A fourth bolt struck Tianyi.