Cultivation: I Can Reincarnate Into Various Worlds

He was not in the Returning Core Realm at that time, incapable of controlling his own fate. He himself struggled on the Immortal Path, so how could he have the spare energy to help others.

Now, he had reached the Returning Core Realm. He had the ability to control a part of his own destiny. When he met Song Miyao, he questioned his heart and found that while he was indeed unfeeling, he couldn't sever his emotions for Zhao Yunniang.

The choices he made at different times would vary due to various circumstances.

Although bringing Zhao Yunniang onto the Immortal Path now still posed more harm than good, Xu Xing felt that if he didn't, he might regret it for the rest of his life.

Even if... Zhao Yunniang's aptitude was insufficient, and she perished midway on her pursuit of immortality, it was still better than him doing nothing.

"I am your husband..."

"You... don't need to treat me like a stranger."

Seeing Zhao Yunniang only occupied with her makeup behind the screen and not replying, Xu Xing hesitated for a moment before speaking again.

The words fell.

The atmosphere in the inner palace of Kunhua Palace was quiet; you could hear a pin drop.

"Your Majesty..."

"Do you wish to force this concubine to her death?"

After she finished applying her lip color with a paper, Zhao Yunniang finally responded to Xu Xing. But her words were neither a request nor a refusal; they were entirely unexpected.

Without waiting for Xu Xing to reply, Zhao Yunniang took a deep breath, her delicate body trembling slightly. She looked at Xu Xing from behind the screen. "Yunniang is old. Even if the Immortal Path can be sought, Your Majesty... have you ever calculated the cost involved?"

"Your Majesty is proficient in mathematics; calculating this should not be difficult."

She curtsied slightly and said.

"It's not difficult."

Xu Xing hesitated for a moment, then nodded.

"Yunniang has heard Your Majesty speak of the great world of immortality. I wonder, how many resources would it take for Yunniang to break through to the Innate Realm? How many for the Immortal Foundation Realm? And how many for the Returning Core Realm...?"

Zhao Yunniang questioned him.

Her demeanor at this moment was not that of a virtuous wife. Instead, she somewhat resembled the Empress Dowager issuing decrees to the civil and military officials in the court.

"With your aptitude, and already being advanced in age, you would first need to purchase a Rejuvenation Pill to restore your body's vitality, then an Innate Pill..."

"To reach the Innate Realm alone would cost at least 57,643 Spirit Shells."

"To break through to the Immortal Foundation would require at least another 110,000 Spirit Shells to purchase three Foundation Establishment Pills."

"For the Immortal Foundation Realm, an Immortal Base condensed by pills is not flawless. With a flawed Immortal Base, cultivation speed lags several steps behind others, and one could become hopelessly stuck in the early stage of Immortal Foundation."

"Unless a great price is paid for a Life-cloud Pill. One Life-cloud Pill is worth 150,000 Spirit Shells..."

Xu Xing didn't continue.

It is no easy task for a mundane cultivator with no aptitude to embark on the Immortal Journey.

Often, the resources they consume are several times more than those consumed by ordinary cultivators of the same stage.

However, while reaching the Immortal Foundation Stage would be difficult, it wouldn't be hard for him to use resources to push Zhao Yunniang's cultivation to the Innate Period.

But an Innate Stage achieved solely through pills would likely not grant a lifespan of two hundred years.

A little over a hundred years... should be enough time for him to achieve his Dao Pill.

By then, providing Zhao Yunniang with resources for the Immortal Foundation Realm would be much easier...

"In that case..."

"Does Your Majesty wish to kill this concubine?"

Zhao Yunniang walked out from behind the screen, her eyes fixed on Xu Xing. She saw Xu Xing's gaze falter for a moment when he saw her aged appearance, and she smiled. "Today, Your Majesty sees my aged state and does not wish to look directly? What about in the future?"

"Our affection grew with time; so too can resentment."

"This concubine is a burden to Your Majesty on the Immortal Path. For a day, a hundred days, even ten years, it might be acceptable; Your Majesty might still cherish me as before. But after a hundred years? I fear it would not be so..."

Saying this, she sighed deeply.

To pursue the Immortal Path with Xu Xing, she would merely be his appendage, a canary in a cage.

This, she saw very clearly.

Everyone envies immortality.

She was no exception.

But... she was unwilling to seek such immortality under Xu Xing's protection.

"In this lifetime, Yunniang has received Your Majesty's favor. That is enough to satisfy me. If, on the Immortal Journey, I were to be despised by Your Majesty, Yunniang... I would not die in peace..."

She declared fiercely.

In her youth, at the Wangyue Building, she had already witnessed the full spectrum of human fickleness.

How many young masters and beautiful ladies had been inseparable as lovers, only for most to end in sorrow?

Vows of eternal love... are always bought on credit!

After these words were exchanged, Xu Xing did not answer Zhao Yunniang's fatalistic questions.

He flicked his sleeve, turned, and left, seemingly angered by Zhao Yunniang's disrespect.

However, he did not leave Shenjing, nor did he leave the Imperial Palace, let alone Kunhua Palace. Instead, he pushed open the palace gate and sat on the steps outside.

Under the setting sun, Xu Xing took out his old sword, the one forged on Mount Siming. He laid it across his knees, removed the scabbard, and gently flicked the blade with his finger.

With the movement of his finger,

CLANG! CLANG! The sword hummed, its notes spreading far and wide.

"Is that... the 'Yu Lan Song'? The piece Courtesan Lady Xiangxue of Wangyue Building loved to play back then?"

In the palace, Zhao Yunniang gasped, raising her Qiufu to look outside. Gazing at Xu Xing's gaunt silhouette, she murmured to herself.

Over forty years ago, during the Chongming reign, Courtesan Lady Xiangxue of Wangyue Building became renowned throughout the lands with her 'Yu Lan Song,' becoming one of the seven great courtesans of Shenjing.

Of course. He was an Eighth-rank officer, the Dianju Cheng of the Taipu Temple; he must have visited Wangyue Building...

She had been bought from Wangyue Building by Han Sui, the Taipu Commander.

Xu Xing had once been a subordinate of Han Sui, the Taipu Commander. Han Sui frequented Wangyue Building, a well-known brothel district, so it was common for officials of the Taipu Temple to visit there as well.

Behind the closed doors of the inner palace, Zhao Yunniang listened to the familiar melody. She began to dance the Hu Xuan dance that Courtesan Lady Xiangxue had choreographed for them, whirling gracefully.

However, she was old now, and after dancing for only a short while, she was panting heavily.

Outside, the music stopped.

She pushed open the door to find Xu Xing gone. All that remained was a streak of green-red Escaping Light in the distant starry sky and the iron sword fallen by the doorway.

「Flying Feather Immortal Palace.」

「Outer Sect, Lu Shi Hall.」

"I have a favor to ask of Senior Brother Jiang..."

Even though Xu Xing had already reached the Returning Core Realm, he still addressed Jiang Yan as 'Senior Brother' out of habit, rather than calling Jiang Yan, a Foundation Establishment Cultivator, 'Junior' as per the sect's established conventions.

"What is it..."

Jiang Yan was curious. With his Eighth Layer of Immortal Foundation cultivation, he couldn't even fathom the depths of Xu Xing's cultivation at this moment. Clearly, Xu Xing's realm was far above the Eighth Layer of Immortal Foundation, perhaps even reaching the Void Elixir or Jade Liquid realm.

As a First-class genuine transmission disciple, and a direct disciple of a Dao Lord at that, Xu Xing could mobilize far more resources than he could. He wondered what matter Xu Xing could possibly need his help with.

"I've always admired the way Senior Brother Jiang handles matters."

"To be honest with Senior Brother Jiang, my wife from the mundane world..."

Xu Xing selectively revealed a part of Zhao Yunniang's story.

"This time, after finishing my seclusion and returning to the sect to visit family, I wished to see my wife... Now that I've achieved some success in my cultivation..."

He shook his head and sighed. Then, he took out a Storage Bag from his sleeve and handed it to Jiang Yan. "These are some artifacts and resources I've accumulated. Once sold, they should cover the resources my wife needs to reach the Innate Realm and break through to it..."

Even though Zhao Yunniang hadn't chosen to leave with him, Xu Xing didn't want to be a faithless man.

The artifacts and resources in this Storage Bag were worth at least 100,000 Spirit Shells, enough for Zhao Yunniang to cultivate to the Innate Realm, or even the Immortal Foundation Stage.

Jiang Yan spoke, "'Junior Brother Xu's intention... This Senior Brother roughly understands.'"

Jiang Yan nodded, his respect for Xu Xing growing. This is a man who remembers past kindness, one who wouldn't abandon the wife of his youth.

"I will post a task in the Lu Shi Hall and have Nie Shu take it. Nie Shu has always been reliable. With her to guide your wife..."

Jiang Yan thumped his chest, agreeing to Xu Xing's request.

One hundred thousand Spirit Shells was equivalent to what a Foundation Establishment Cultivator from the Flying Feather Immortal Palace would earn from being stationed outside for a hundred years.

Wealth stirs men's hearts.

Without a trustworthy person to handle it, he truly wouldn't dare to issue this task.

"However..." Jiang Yan paused. "If your esteemed wife, as Junior Brother Xu says, is unwilling to accept this kindness... I will have Nie Shu remain in the mundane world for twenty years, until..."

He didn't finish, but his meaning was clear.

He also couldn't force Zhao Yunniang to choose the Immortal Path.

He could only do what was humanly possible: have Nie Shu wait for Zhao Yunniang in the mundane world for twenty years. The task would only be terminated after Zhao Yunniang passed away from old age...