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The Science of Cultivation - Chapter 214: Ascension Technique Attempt Pt.3
🕑 Added 2025-01-03 23:30:01 +0000 UTCPresident Dekel stared at Langley unflinchingly as the man appeared to be frozen in place. He was lost in thought, trying to formulate an answer to the president’s question. For some reason, the more he thought about it, the more his feeling of unease grew.
He was sure there was no other research topic he would pursue other than the one he was currently working on. After all, his very life depended on it. And if he succeeded, it could benefit quadrillions of people across the Federation of Humanity.
However, a seed of doubt began to sprout deep in his mind. He wondered if his lifelong goal was essentially just trying to survive. This doubt had shaken his resolve.
No, just surviving isn’t any way to live. How I spend my days matters too. But what do I want to do once I can live longer? It can’t be more research. That would be too…hollow. What did I want back when I was a child?
Drudging up some old memories, Langley couldn’t avoid thinking about his mom and her last words. She was the one who encouraged him in everything he did. She taught him not to fear failure, as it was worse to be afraid of trying at all.
The experience of losing his mother while he could only powerlessly sit by her deathbed was what caused his obsession with life-prolonging research. He didn’t want that to ever happen again.
It may be illogical, considering it was already too late, but he didn’t care. Humans weren’t machines. Their each and every action wasn’t always logical.
“Professor Langley?” the president finally urged him for an answer after some time.
“Umm, do you mind if I ask what you are pursuing first?”
“That is quite…political of you, making me set an example so you can find a safe way out. Well, I don’t mind. My actions are constantly being scrutinized by millions of analysts at every moment. What I am pursuing as the President of the Federation of Humanity is simple. To do my best for the people, so that we can live through the years peacefully. During my term, at least.”
“That’s…” Langley was at a loss for what to say.
Reading his expression, the president continued.
“It is quite plain, I know.”
“That is one way to put it. I can’t say I expected that answer.”
Hearing this, the president smiled.
“I don’t appreciate high-minded goals. People who tout them often don’t mean it. I don’t mind openly admitting that I want my term to go smoothly, so the future generation would come to respect my efforts rather than laugh at my failed policies. That is enough to keep me going while I work. Besides that, I’ll look forward to the cushy retirement life once my term ends.”
As President Dekel spoke, her tone became more casual as she broached subjects unrelated to her work. It relaxed the mood and also reminded Langley of his childhood dream.
While his friends at school wanted to become firefighters, soldiers, bankers, or just wanted to get rich, Langley’s goals were much simpler. He wanted to have a family of his own and live out his life quietly. He didn’t have any dreams for a flashy job. It was quite a mature dream for an elementary student, but that meant he wouldn’t easily outgrow it.
I became too scared to lose someone important again and gave up making connections. Maybe that can change once I’ve succeeded in curing myself.
The more Langley explored this idea, the more attractive it became to him. Having a loving family to enjoy longevity with soon became his goal.
However, it isn’t so easy. It’s a dog-eat-dog world. I’ll have to grow stronger to protect myself. From what I hear, immortals are only ageless, but not unkillable. Wait—immortals? What am I talking about?
Blinking rapidly, Langley’s mind suddenly raced at maximum speed as some memories resurfaced. He realized what he saw before him wasn’t reality!
I’m having a lucid dream, or is this an illusion?
Before Langley—or Li Lang, to be precise, could dwell on it, he felt himself waking up from the dream. He opened his eyes and confirmed his surroundings. The familiar walls and the figure of his two friends reassured him that he hadn’t been kidnapped or anything. He was still inside a cave within the Crucible.
Before he could relax, he felt the ambient Qi violently swirling toward him. It wasn’t anything new, but the intensity grew stronger than before. When he glanced down, he found a small spherical area within his lower stomach glowing!
The sudden discovery caught him off guard. He almost immediately fumbled his control of the energies accumulating within his body. Realizing he was in the critical moment of his breakthrough, he quickly expunged all idle thoughts and focused.
None of these events escaped the notice of the Foundation Establishment cultivator nearby, who was tasked with watching over his friend.
“Wei Ping, look. He’s entering the final stage!”
“Be p-prepared. It’s also the most d-dangerous part.”
“Hmm, it should be fine! I’m sure of it. He’s been waiting so patiently at the peak of Energy Gathering for so long. He is more than prepared for this.”
Wei Ping gave him a look and said nothing. He knew Long Yi was just comforting himself. No one could be sure if the breakthrough would succeed, especially when it involved someone with grade-one aptitude using an unproven technique. However, he knew it was pointless to call him out on it.
Both of them wanted Li Lang to succeed. This was especially so for Wei Ping, as it would show this path was feasible for him. Despite being the first to learn the Lingering Impact Technique, Wei Ping had failed at every breakthrough attempt. Now that he learned the Ascension Technique, he was excited to try again.
Li Lang had gone first, but if he succeeded, his excitement would only multiply.
All this caused Wei Ping to grip his hands tightly. He had a feeling that succeeding today would have a significant impact on their future.
Of course, even if they failed, he trusted Li Lang to continue improving his methods until he succeeded, but that took a lot of time. Time was a non-renewable resource. Once spent, it was gone.
Having embarked on the path of cultivation, Wei Ping could sense that speed mattered. That didn’t mean he thought cultivators should rush through their training. He had an inkling that each major realm was only going to get exponentially harder the longer one waited.
While each new major realm came with the benefit of prolonging a cultivator’s lifespan, the time one had to reach the next realm was barely enough for most people.
Foundation Establishment Realm cultivators had a lifespan of approximately five hundred years. From what he learned from all the experts he had met, only top geniuses broke into the Violet Core realm at the age of one hundred! For the people with less exaggerated talents, the average was between two hundred and fifty to three hundred years. Once one was four hundred or older, their condition would start deteriorating, and the chances of a breakthrough would drop dramatically.
While Wei Ping was pondering the significance of a successful breakthrough, Li Lang was still enduring his trials. His gas tank felt empty, but he had to force himself to persist. Thankfully, after the dream he had, he had a clear goal to dedicate himself to. Whether he knew it or not, it did wonders for his willpower.
I will obtain the secrets to immortality and then become powerful enough to deter everyone from messing with me. That way, I can live a truly free life.
The prospect of such a life excited him.
After another grueling hour, the dreaded cracking noise resounded from the cave! Depending on the cultivator, the sound differed a little, but it also differed between a successful breakthrough and a failed attempt! One marked the arrival of a new stage, while the other was a sign that their efforts had not been rewarded.
The only real way to know which one it was was to carefully examine the cultivator to see if there was any Qi leaking out.
“Wei Ping—” Long Yi muttered. “I don’t sense anything. Do you?”
“No…”
“Does that mean he succeeded? Should we take a few steps back before tribulation lightning strikes?”
“It doesn’t always strike, but yeah. We s-should back away.”
After that, the scene began to calm down. The whirlwind of Qi returned to normal. It allowed the Qi sense of others to approach the man in question.
“Without a doubt, Li Lang had succeeded!” Long Yi celebrated. “He did it! I knew he could do it!”
He lunged at Wei Ping to bring him into a hug.
“But why isn’t he opening his eyes yet? If he’s too fatigued, he should’ve fallen asleep, but that doesn’t seem to be the case.”
“Maybe s-something is happening within him? Do you s-sense anything?”
“Only Li Lang would know what is happening inside his body.”
The two impatiently waited from a distance. They discussed their friend’s condition while waiting for him to open his eyes. Unfortunately, he remained seated in the lotus position even when the sun began to set without any signs of that changing.
“What is happening? Why isn’t he moving? Did something go wrong?”
“You’re the o-one who has first-hand experience in this, so w-why are you asking me?”
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Comments
Draconic edge P.D 3000
Would be a fun little twist if number of spirit roots grow to accomadate the realm you reach if they are unsufficient.
Pepperbell
Bro really went studying with Ruby before celebrate with his bros 🤣
