Surprisingly Enough(NOT), Common Sense Is Overpowered in Cliché Cultivation World

1.91 In which Ning understands the meaning of despair~

"You know, I have been thinking you were praising the brat a bit too much, but now not so much. He really is a miracle worker." Lou Ren couldn't help but say, glancing at the mirror where Qiu Han was running away from Lei Dong while Xiao Fan transferred some of his points to his steed.

"Aha! You now have to recognize my eye for talent." He Shou boomed with laughter.

Slippery Ferret had been defeated for the very first time in the history of these trials. It was another record, yet again broken by this young man. 

"I wonder why the Slippery Ferret didn't escape once Xiao Fan luckily got his hands on it?" the young elder asked.

"It's more like the ferret couldn't, rather than didn't want to. Perhaps he was using some technique like suction or adhesion to negate the slip ability of the ferret." Hong Zeiling theorized.

"That's true. He really is a wonder..." Another elder nodded, narrowing his eyes, his thoughts unknown.

"Anyway, the trial is finally over. Now it is time for the inheritance rewards." Hong Zeiling nodded.

"Your disciple has gotten consistently high scores not only in this trial, but across the history of the trials. He will probably claim that reward." Lang Feilang spoke to Ling Xin. Her niece passing the third trial would also earn a reward, but she knew her niece was far from Ning's level.

"Ehe, that's right. Maybe he will even get the spiritual imprint." Ling Xin smiled as well. Some mentors liked their disciples to singularly focus on inheriting their craft, but it was evident that by the very nature, Ling Xin was not like that. As long as her disciples liked what they were doing, she never tried to enforce her own views on them.

Just look at Ling Yinran, her niece had been a prime candidate to inherit her craft, but because she had taken to puppeteering, she had never forced her.

"I never received the Spiritual Imprint myself. I wonder how effective it actually is..." the young elder mused.

"The rewards from the trial depend on performance relative to their contemporary companions, as well as all those who have taken the trial in the past. Those who performed best, like Xiao Fan, would receive the full inheritance accompanied by the Spiritual Imprint. Those who just barely passed or performed only moderately would receive either a single technique or some piece of information to aid them on their path." Hong Zeiling explained.

"I don't know exactly how, but our sect founder, Li Changsou, was somehow able to seal a trace of numerous cultivators he had encountered on his journeys and imprint them into a physical form. So not only would the cultivator who inherits this Spiritual Imprint receive the full inheritance of that person, they would also receive accompanying memories of practicing the technique, which would greatly aid their comprehension." Lou Ren spoke.

"Tsk. It sounds really good. Pity I was unlucky and didn't rank highest back then..." He Shou said.

Lou Ren looked at him. "Unlucky? Well, it seems you are already having trouble, old man, remembering stuff."

"What do you mean by that? We are the same age."

"If so, then why do I remember you barely cracking the top ten back then?"

"...It was a very competitive year."

"Sure, buddy." Lou Ren snickered.

"Then, if memories are directly inserted into a young disciple's head, won't that cause problems?" the young elder asked curiously, ignoring the manchilds in this room.

In truth, the majority of the elders present had never received the Spiritual Imprint themselves. Only the first, and sometimes the second, top-ranker would obtain it.

"Not really. Disciples wouldn't be overwhelmed by the memories; only when they deliberately trigger a specific part of the memory would they be able to access it. Moreover, it functions similarly to an image recording stone." This time, it was Ling Xin who answered.

She was one of the few who had received the Spiritual Imprint back in her day. For her, with her spiritual body, the trials had been relatively straightforward.

In the first trial, her foundation had been solid simply due to the nature of her spiritual body. In the second, how could a mere illusion hope to unsettle a genius like her? And as for the third, well, she had simply gone all-out and burned down a good portion of the forest, accumulating quite a few points, though she did get reprimanded for it afterward.

"Yes, this is the finest method of inheritance present in our sect. Not only can disciples use the memories as a reference to comprehend techniques faster, but it also doesn't trap disciples in the exact footsteps of the inheritance-giver. Since comprehension of techniques is largely unique to each individual, it doesn't colour their interpretation too heavily the way other inheritance methods tend to." Hong Zeiling added.

"I see." The young elder nodded, then asked, "How does the tower decide which inheritance to give each disciple?"

"Well, as a Nascent Soul artifact, the tower examines the disciples and bestows the inheritance most suited to their individual path." Hong Zeiling nodded.

Ling Xin nodded as well, pondering quietly. Knowing her disciple, had he received an archery technique? Or perhaps an alchemy technique, like her own?

...

[THE THIRD TRIAL HAS CONCLUDED. REWARDS ARE DISPENSING AS PER INDIVIDUAL PERFORMANCE.]

The sky fractured into dozens of distinct, descending beams of light.

Ning watched with sharp, analytical eyes as the pillars of illumination shot downward, striking the gathered disciples. He immediately noticed the stark tier system embedded in the tower's grading matrix. The vast majority of the alliance members were bathed in a faint, misty white light. Zhang Feng, standing right next to him, was struck by a beam of the same white hue, though his was notably denser and deeper, carrying a kind of solid weight to it. It clearly indicated a higher evaluation than the common pool.

Only three people in the entire clearing stood apart from the rest.

Lei Dong was slammed by a brilliant, polished silver beam that practically hissed with metallic qi. Meanwhile, Ning and Xiao Fan were entirely engulfed by two towering pillars of deep, liquid gold that lit up the dark valley like miniature suns.

"So conspicuous," Ning muttered under his breath, squinting against the blinding glare of his own reward beam. So much for keeping a low profile.

"Brother Ning! What did you get?!" Zhang Feng interrupted, his face practically glowing as he grabbed Ning's shoulder and shook it. He was vibrating with excitement, entirely ignoring the fact that his own white light had already faded. "The tower just hammered a Spirit-Ranked technique right into my brain! The Relentless Heaven-Crashing Hammer! With your absurd score, you must have gotten something completely legendary! What is it?!"

Ning didn't answer immediately. His mind had gone completely, utterly blank.

[Survival Guide for Demonic Cultivators]

Ning clutched his head as a sudden rush of information flooded his mind, the Spiritual Imprint searing itself directly into his consciousness.

"Are you okay? How massive of a reward did you get to have a reaction like that?" Zhang Feng hurriedly helped Ning sit down on a nearby rock, then swept his gaze around alertly, weapon in hand, fiercely standing guard.

After a few minutes, Ning opened his eyes and forced his breathing to steady. "It's nothing, Zhang Feng. I was just... overwhelmed by the sheer volume of the inheritance I received. It seems to include advanced presence-concealment techniques, along with some specialized methods for alchemy and disguise."

"All those fit right in your skillset. The tower really knows you, huh?" Zhang Feng said cheerfully, happy for his friend.

"R-right..." Ning said, quickly looking away to avoid eye contact.

As Zhang Feng kept watch, Ning turned his focus inward to digest the information he had just been given. The transmission already informed him about the spiritual imprint and it's function. Not only that there was also a personalized introduction left behind by the rogue cultivator who had created the inheritance.

[Aspiring demonic cultivators, listen well. You do not need to walk the path of the crowd. Demonic cultivators are deeply misunderstood by ordinary people. They brand us as monsters, but true demonic cultivators are simply those who are entirely free, unbound by the artificial rules and constraints of hypocritical sects. We are people who do what we like, who follow our true desires, and pursue our chosen path relentlessly until the very end. If the tower has selected you for my inheritance, it means you are exactly that kind of person.]

Ning just blinked. 

He was obviously a model disciple who deeply respected rules and regulations. The times he tried to find glaring, exploitative loopholes in them? That was just pro-bono quality assurance! He was doing the sect a favor so they could patch their security flaws!

He was, without a doubt, an honest, innocent, and law-abiding disciple. The tower was slandering him.

Of course, despite Ning's complaints, the spiritual imprint continued, shifting into a deeply serious, almost solemn tone.

[I am well aware of the vile reputation that demonic cultivators must endure, but that is nothing more than the prejudice of the weak. In life, I was known as Shadow, a Foundation Establishment assassin. Before my blade, the heads of greater men fell before they even realized they were being hunted. I cut down the patriarchs of corrupt families and brought low unjust lords. For this, the righteous factions branded me a demonic fiend. But if I am deemed demonic for cutting down tyrants, then so be it. As long as my heart remains in the light, it matters not what the world calls my shadow.]

Ning paused, rubbing his chin.

If he had to be completely honest, that actually sounded quite plausible. In a world where raw strength reigned supreme, the winners always got to write the history books, and edit out their own sketchy behavior. It was highly probable that this "Shadow" had gotten bad rep simply because of the havoc he was causing.

Then again, the guy did just admit to being a professional hitman.

[So, my inheritor, what I bestow upon you is my ultimate legacy, the technique that made my name legendary: the Phantom Veil Art. Once mastered, it can mask your physical presence, your spiritual sense, and even the natural fluctuations of your aura from those of a higher cultivation realm.]

Ning's eyes brightened as he delved deeper into the inheritance. He had never forgotten that the main reason his early progress had been so great was largely tied to the Turtle Breathing Technique, and he remained reliant upon it to this day.

He had long sought a higher-tier version, or even some other method of concealment, but they had proven elusive. In the end, he had even considered taking matters into his own hands and improving upon the Turtle Breathing Art himself, but it seemed his luck had finally turned around.

This Phantom Veil Art was everything he had wanted and more.

[Now, my inheritor, you may be wondering why I named this inheritance as I did. I call it a survival guide rather than a manual because it contains everything you need to stay alive in a hostile world. You will find detailed arts for disguise, the crafting of lethal poisons, methods for detecting if you have been poisoned, tracking techniques, and how to tell if you are being tracked. This is a guide to survive in this world.]

[Inheritor, I wish you a swift ascent upon the path of Demonic.]

Ning closed his eyes and sat with everything he had just received for a long moment.

While Ning heavily disagreed with being branded "demonic" -mostly because, in this day and age, claiming that label was a fast track to getting hunted down by the entire righteous path- he couldn't deny the sheer quality of the loot.

Not only had he scored top-tier stealth and disguise techniques, but the inheritance also included a high-level movement technique used by professional assassins. Toss in a comprehensive encyclopedia on tracking, counter-tracking, and poison creation, and it was truly an inheritance worthy of being passed down from a foundation building cultivator.

Moreover, he had been half-expecting some actual demonic nonsense, like blood rituals or sacrificing virgins. In hindsight, it made sense that the inheritance wasn't that twisted; the tower probably wouldn't hand young, impressionable cultivators an instruction manual on how to become a serial killer.

So the tower must have assigned him this guide simply because of his heavy reliance on stealth.

That was the only logical conclusion.

Ning nodded to himself, entirely at peace. As expected, I, Ji Ning, am a deeply kind-hearted and righteous person. 

...

The spiritual pillar at the center erupted with light, swallowing the surviving disciples one by one as the third trial came to its close.

This time, the space they had been transported into was vast, and once again, they stood inside an enormous hall.

Just like the first floor of the tower, the walls were covered in carvings: cultivators meditating beneath waterfalls, sages pointing at stars, beasts bowing beneath mountains, rivers turning into dragons, and suns sinking into lotus flowers.

At the far end of the hall stood a great bronze door.

Above it floated countless ancient characters, shifting slowly like living things.

Then the ancient voice of the tower descended.

[THE FOURTH TRIAL SHALL NOW BEGIN.]

[ALL LAWS HAVE TRACES.]

[ALL DHARMA HAS ROOTS.]

[ALL TECHNIQUES ARE BORN FROM UNDERSTANDING.]

[TO SEE ONLY FORM IS TO REMAIN OUTSIDE THE GATE.]

[TO UNDERSTAND ESSENCE IS TO STEP UPON THE PATH.]

The ancient voice continued, grand and emotionless.

[THIS TRIAL SHALL TEST WHETHER YOUR MIND CAN PIERCE THROUGH WORDS, IMAGES, PRINCIPLES, AND ILLUSIONS TO TOUCH THE TRUE MEANING WITHIN.]

[THE FOURTH TRIAL SHALL TEST COMPREHENSION.]

The word echoed through the hall.

Comprehension.

Several disciples' expressions shifted. Some became nervous. Some became excited. Some immediately frowned. Dharma(Techniques) was one of the essential parts of the cultivation, and it was a necessary quality for every aspiring cultivator to possess the ability to comprehend them.

Ning's eyes also brightened.

Comprehension?

Now this was interesting. Ning slowly nodded.

Good. Very good.

This was finally his field. He had been waiting for something like this. Compared to everything he had endured in the previous trials, the beasts, the stairs, the forest that kept trying to kill him, the young masters, comprehension sounded absolutely wonderful. Just reading, thinking, and understanding the essence behind things.

Ning could do that.

He was, after all, a person with the supernatural power fit for this situation.

Zhang Feng leaned toward him. "Brother Ning, you seem excited."

Ning coughed lightly and straightened his back. "Naturally. A cultivator must not only strengthen the body, but also refine the mind. To understand the essence behind all things is the true beginning of wisdom."

Wei Zhusang glanced at him sideways. "Just say that you're happy you have an advantage in this trial."

"That too," Ning agreed, without shame. "Moreover, you two are nothing to scoff at either. Wei Zhusang, haven't you already comprehended your spells to the level of great accomplishment? And Zhang Feng, your open-mindedness lets you view things from angles others wouldn't even consider."

Lang Rulang simply glanced at the trio and turned her head away from the mutual flattery. Truly, these guys don't stop talking for even a single instance.

[THE FOURTH TRIAL SHALL BE DIVIDED INTO THREE STAGES.]

[FOR THE FIRST STAGE, YOU MUST DISCERN THE TRUE MEANING OF THE GIVEN SCRIPTURES AND ARTICULATE YOUR UNDERSTANDING.]

[THE FIRST STAGE: SCRIPTURE COMPREHENSION.]

[THE TOWER SHALL JUDGE NOT THE BEAUTY OF YOUR WORDS, BUT THE DEPTH OF YOUR UNDERSTANDING.]

The hall trembled softly.

Then, countless beams of light descended from above, each solidifying into a floating jade tablet before a disciple.

Ning looked at the tablet in front of him.

The surface was blank at first.

Then characters began to appear. One by one. Line by line. They glowed with ancient golden light, each stroke carrying a faint spiritual pressure.

Ning folded his arms.

All right. Let him see what kind of scripture the tower had prepared. Maybe, it would be useful later on.

The first line appeared.

[When the soundless bell rings beneath the rootless mountain, the moon drinks the shadow of the river that has never flowed.]

Ning's smile froze.

He stared at the line.

No. No, no, no. Not the vague, flowery, technically-not-saying-anything prose that pointed vaguely at a concept while describing absolutely nothing. Anything but that.

He took a breath. It was just the opening line. Every scripture had a dramatic opening line. It would get clearer. Obviously, it would get clearer.

The second line followed.

[Those who chase the crane within the mirror shall find the turtle sleeping above the cloud, yet only the empty bowl remembers the taste of thunder.]

Ning slowly lowered his arms.

He read it again.

He read it a third time.

The turtle sleeping above the cloud stared back at him.

A bead of cold sweat ran down the back of his neck.

The third line appeared.

[To step without feet, to breathe without wind, to burn without flame, and to return before departure; this is the gate where form forgets its name.]

Ning stared at the jade tablet.

The jade tablet glowed back.

Ning closed his eyes.

"Well, I'm cooked."

...

Thanks for reading~