Isn't This a Game? Why Are You All Cultivating for Real!

Chapter 103: Chapter 103: The Generous Fifth Elder

Song Jiulai was startled, too. "What loophole?"

The system replied, "The Sea View Sect, for all its righteous appearance, has produced an Evil Cultivator."

The moment Song Jiulai heard this, her inner gossipmonger perked up. "What’s going on? Tell me everything."

"Shuitan was accepted as the ninth disciple by the Sea View Sect’s Fifth Elder. Considering his status as an Outer Disciple, this is an unbelievable leap up in the world."

Song Jiulai was so shocked she lost her composure. "How did he become the Fifth Elder’s disciple as soon as he got there? Damn, can a player’s luck really be this good?"

"Of course not, it’s not a good thing," the system said, then added mysteriously, "No, wait. If he were just an ordinary talented disciple, this really wouldn’t be a good thing. But for Shuitan, it might not be a bad thing after all."

It clicked for Song Jiulai. "You just mentioned... an Evil Cultivator?"

The system didn’t keep her in suspense and said directly, "The native Cultivators of the Yunzhou Continent all have the same makeup to their Energy Order. The Energy Order this Fifth Elder used isn’t like any I’ve recorded before. He just directly entered Shuitan’s brain, which almost gave me a scare."

Song Jiulai’s eyes went wide. "You’re not going to screw this up, are you?"

"Of course not. As long as he’s from this world, his level is lower than mine. He can’t bypass me. I’ve already patched that loophole. The reason I always talk to you about the Yunzhou Continent is because you’ve been immersed in the role of a native Yunzhou Continent Cultivator, but in truth, other forms of energy exist outside the continent."

"This world is a planet, and we are currently just on the Yunzhou continental plate. Beyond it, there are many other energy sources. The Cultivation Technique this Fifth Elder cultivates is a bit sinister. What he used just now was a method similar to consciousness parasitism. He was able to roughly scan and perceive Shuitan’s memories, but he couldn’t see them clearly. It’s unlike the local energy system and more like something from beyond Yunzhou. That’s why I said the Sea View Sect, for all its righteous appearance, has produced an Evil Cultivator."

’Outside the Yunzhou Continent?’

Song Jiulai had known about this for a while; the system had actually mentioned it before.

It was just so remote that she hadn’t given it much thought.

She stroked her chin. "You still can’t perceive anything that exists outside the Yunzhou Continent?"

"I can’t scan that far, not enough energy," the system said. "When I first arrived, I only had enough energy to scan the Yunzhou region. However, the overall Energy Order doesn’t change; there are only minor differences."

"To put it simply, this Fifth Elder probably wants to parasitize Shuitan."

Song Jiulai paled. "Parasitize? How can something so terrifying happen to one of my players?"

The system replied, "It’s perfectly normal. As long as they haven’t reached the pinnacle of their Cultivation, Cultivators can’t achieve immortality. Looking at the situation, this Fifth Elder is likely nearing the end of his lifespan. This is the time when they start picking a ’sapling’ to parasitize—in other words, possession. But according to their Energy Order, possession shouldn’t be in line with the energy law. He’s most likely using some other method, and that’s why he’s taking Shuitan as his disciple."

Song Jiulai quickly thought it over.

’Possession wasn’t unfamiliar to her; it was a common trope in Cultivation novels and TV shows.’

’Isn’t it just taking over someone else’s body to be reborn?’

’But what did the system say just now?’

’It’s a bad thing for others, but for Shuitan, it might not be a bad thing.’

It dawned on Song Jiulai. "So, the Fifth Elder really picked the wrong target in Shuitan, huh? I remember that the players’ souls are actually under your control, right? Is he planning to possess the body, or something else?"

"Yep. Normally, Cultivators just possess the body, because talent is carried within the body. All they need is their consciousness to take it over. But Shuitan is different. Shuitan’s body doesn’t actually have a Spirit Root; I force-created it. He can just switch to a new puppet body. If that old geezer tries to make a move, he’s in for a world of hurt!"

The system said excitedly, "This is my turf! Who dares come in and try to steal from me? The audacity! Once he’s in, he plays by my rules! If he really goes through with the parasitism, I’ll trap his consciousness. And while I can’t give his cultivation to Shuitan, he’ll have to cough up every last good thing he’s hoarded his entire life!"

Song Jiulai was momentarily stunned by this unbelievable windfall. "Wait, a deal this good actually exists?"

If the system had a physical body, Song Jiulai could probably picture it rubbing its hands together in glee. "The only question is when he’ll make his move. He probably thinks Shuitan’s cultivation is too low right now. A low-level cultivation can’t withstand the soul of a powerful Cultivator, so he’ll definitely want to nurture Shuitan and help him grow strong. I bet he won’t be stingy. He’ll most likely shower him with Magic Treasures and Cultivation Techniques."

If he really planned to take over Shuitan’s body, he wouldn’t care about these things.

Treating Shuitan as a potential replacement body, there was no need for him to be stingy.

And the system’s guess was right. On his end, Shuitan was also reeling from the sudden news.

The system hadn’t told him the real reason yet, but he could feel for himself that this wasn’t necessarily a good thing.

Because the excitement in the Fifth Elder’s voice was irrepressible, and it didn’t sound like the elation of gaining a talented disciple.

To be blunt, it wasn’t as if there were no other disciples out there with orange Spirit Root talent.

Why hadn’t he chosen someone else?

He must have seen something else in Shuitan.

He had some sort of ulterior motive.

Without showing his true feelings, Shuitan put on an ecstatic expression. "Really? Fifth Elder, I... I..."

He sounded as if he was so excited he had started to stutter.

It seemed that a person’s acting skills could improve by leaps and bounds when they were pushed to the limit.

"From now on, I am your master." The excitement in the Fifth Elder’s aged voice subsided a little as he spoke with a bit more calm. "Your cultivation is still too low. Since you’ve become my disciple, you no longer need to return to the Outer Sect. Take these few Cultivation Technique scrolls and this Magic Treasure."

Shuitan’s vision blurred for a moment, and several Cultivation Technique scrolls immediately appeared before him.

[Gale Skill (Complete)]

[Demon Suppression Seal (Complete)]

[Soul Chasing Spell (Complete)]

Shuitan’s eyelid twitched.

Having been at the Sea View Sect for so long, he had picked up some knowledge.

He had heard of all three of these Cultivation Techniques.

They were all cultivated by Inner Sect Disciples of the Sea View Sect. Although what the Fifth Elder gave was standard fare, he had given him the complete versions.

They included everything from the Early and High Stage.

Although they were single-use technique scrolls, for Shuitan, this was a true windfall from the heavens.

But the most important thing was the Magic Treasure.

It was a wooden fan that looked very ordinary, floating in mid-air.

But upon closer inspection, images of intertwining rain and violent wind continuously appeared on the pure white surface of the fan.

"This Magic Treasure is called the Gale Rain Fan. It’s an Earth-grade Treasure. You can use it after you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage. COUGH COUGH COUGH... It will be sufficient for you all the way up to the Golden Core Stage. You’ll know its power when you use it."

At least until the Golden Core Stage, these would be more than enough for Shuitan.

The Fifth Elder could be called generous, as he even gave Shuitan a First Rank Qiankun Bag.

A Qiankun Bag is larger than a Jiezidai, and more importantly, it can hold living things.

Some Cultivators’ Qiankun Bags can even contain an entire Cave Heaven Blessed Land.

"This Qiankun Bag is one I used during my Golden Core Stage. Inside are several dozen Mid-grade Spirit Stones. This should be enough for you for now. Come find me again when you reach the Foundation Establishment Stage."