Chapter 20: Chapter 20: The Egg-Swapping Period
Inside the villa, feeling the imminent threat of the sword at his throat, Fang Can could only feel a sense of resignation.
"Everyone knows that even for a peerless genius, it takes at least five days of hard cultivation to achieve a Transcendent Body. And you’re on the verge of the First Layer of the Mortal Transformation Realm. Not even the reincarnation of the Great Derivation Divine Monarch could possess such talent."
Jiang Ning’an pressed the longsword closer, leaving a thin cut on Fang Can’s neck. "You lied about how long you’ve been there. What are you trying to hide?"
Even with his composure, Fang Can wanted to let out a long sigh. ’In this day and age, nobody believes you even when you tell the truth.’
"Have you ever considered the possibility," Fang Can retorted, "and I’m just saying it’s a possibility, that I’m a peerless genius—the kind that even the Great Derivation Divine Monarch can’t match?"
Jiang Ning’an didn’t answer, but her expression said it all: ’You?’
Fang Can was utterly exasperated. ’I can understand the weak complaining about their circumstances, but why are they complaining about the strong, too?’
’It’s one thing for people from your world to have mediocre talent, but now it’s my fault I reached this level in seven days? You’re all a bunch of ignorant rookies. Do you even know what a hack is?’
"Fine, fine, you’re right," Fang Can said, deciding to humor her. "I actually arrived in Great Derivation a month ago. I only gained this strength after a month of bitter training."
Fang Can looked wearily at the foolish woman before him, all the fight gone out of him.
"Anyway, after spending some time in Great Derivation, I was pulled back here. You must have come over with me around the same time."
"If the pattern holds, you should return to Great Derivation in a few days. You’ll just keep cycling back and forth between the two worlds."
Hearing Fang Can’s explanation, Jiang Ning’an breathed a sigh of relief. Although there was no proof, at least there was hope of returning.
As she relaxed, Jiang Ning’an sheathed her sword. She looked at the young man before her and hesitated, seeming to struggle with her words.
Fang Can, however, seemed to guess what was on her mind and took the initiative. "You’re injured, aren’t you? If you need a place to stay, just say so. But you’ll have to pay rent."
"Rent!" Jiang Ning’an’s eyes widened slightly. After a moment’s pause, she stammered, "I... I don’t have any of your currency."
As a disciple of a righteous sect, she couldn’t bring herself to default on a debt. After some thought, she offered, "However, I can teach you martial arts as repayment. You haven’t entered the ’egg-swapping period’ yet, have you?"
The phrase "egg-swapping period" sent a chill down Fang Can’s spine. He couldn’t help but stammer, "The... the ’egg-swapping period’? What ’egg-swapping period’?"
"Then it seems you haven’t entered it yet," Jiang Ning’an explained.
"It’s a term among male Martial Artists. I heard my master mention that Martial Artists with a Transcendent Body must replace their old blood with new. However, for men, the ’root organ’ is difficult to refine and replace through training, so it easily becomes a major vulnerability in cultivation and combat."
"Therefore, some Martial Artists proposed uprooting it entirely while in the Mortal Transformation Realm. Once that piece of flesh is gone, you can save at least twenty percent of the hard work required for this realm."
"After you break through this realm, a Martial Artist just needs to spend a few months to grow it back. It... it doesn’t affect... marital relations."
As she finished, Jiang Ning’an’s face flushed slightly, but Fang Can only felt a profound sense of horror.
’Why is practicing martial arts like one of those evil techniques? "To master this divine art, you must first castrate yourself." No, thank you!’
Seeing Fang Can’s expression, Jiang Ning’an advised,
"Actually, for a boy your age, it’s already a bit late to go through the egg-swapping period. If you wait until your new and old blood have completely mixed before you... remove it, it could severely damage your foundation. Therefore, I suggest you undergo the ’egg-swapping surgery’ within the next few days."
"I refuse!" Fang Can crossed his arms in a large ’X’. "If all you can teach me is how to ’swap my eggs,’ then please leave this villa right now."
At this point, Fang Can felt this woman was truly sinister. ’I was just after her Cultivation Technique, but she’s after my family jewels!’
On the other hand, Jiang Ning’an felt rather aggrieved. It was a once-in-a-lifetime struggle for most Martial Artists to break through the Mortal Transformation Realm. Now here was a method to speed up the process by twenty percent, and he had rejected it.
Frustrated that her good intentions were rejected, Jiang Ning’an still said,
"Fine, forget about the egg-swapping. But the path of the Martial Dao relies mainly on the strength of one’s will. I can’t help you much beyond offering some guidance on your techniques. As for a deeper inheritance, that is beyond what I can teach."
"Inheritance?" Fang Can asked.
"That’s right." Jiang Ning’an patiently explained to the newcomer,
"The ’inheritance’ refers to the Cultivation Techniques and martial arts one practices after the Mortal Transformation Realm. They are created and refined over generations by their respective sects."
"For example, the Celestial Secret Tower’s *Words Become Law* was gradually improved from the original *Golden Mouth Jade Words Art* over a hundred generations of Tower Masters."
Fang Can committed everything Jiang Ning’an said to memory. Then, a thought occurred to him. "Then... have you ever heard of the *Acting Method*?"
"The *Acting Method*!" Jiang Ning’an instinctively snapped her head toward Fang Can. "Don’t tell me you’ve joined some heretical demonic sect? I advise you not to practice that method. It will only bring harm to yourself and others."
"Why?" Fang Can asked.
"Doesn’t the *Acting Method* increase your cultivation speed? It sounds no different from the ’egg-swapping period.’ Why would you encourage me to do that, but not let me practice the *Acting Method*?"
"Because ’acting’ only provides some insignificant, unorthodox boosts in the early stages. The difference between a righteous path and a heretical one is whether or not using the Cultivation Technique will damage your future on the Martial Dao."
"When you encounter a bottleneck, the so-called *Acting Method* won’t help you; it will hinder you. This is especially true when trying to cross into a major new realm. It’s a dead end, unless you plan on staying in the Mortal Transformation Realm for the rest of your life."
At this, Jiang Ning’an’s expression turned stern and righteous. "We cultivators must face difficulties head-on, strengthen our resolve, and align our knowledge with our actions. We must not be deterred by setbacks but dare to be pioneers. If you blindly pretend to be someone else, your heart will inevitably be clouded by dust."
Fang Can nodded in understanding. He could tell she was likely from a prestigious, righteous sect.
’In that case,’ he thought, ’I’d better completely bury my dark history of joining the Tiger Slaughter Sect, lest she have some kind of extreme reaction upon finding out.’
"My name is Fang Can. Might I ask for your name, miss?" Fang Can asked, gazing at the young woman before him.
The light in the villa illuminated her flawless face, making her appear dazzling beyond compare.
With no intention of hiding anything, the young woman declared her identity forthrightly, "Jiang Ning’an of Jiejian Mountain!"
Fang Can secretly committed the sect’s name to memory, planning to look it up when he returned. An embarrassed expression then appeared on his face. "Um... Miss Jiang, may I ask... is your Jiejian Mountain still accepting disciples?"
"You want to become a disciple?" A strange smile touched Jiang Ning’an’s lips. "A pity. You have already embarked on the Martial Dao. Until you reach the Heaven-Ascending Road, you cannot learn any other Cultivation Technique."
"Why?" Fang Can couldn’t help but ask. Jiang Ning’an’s answer had completely shattered his plans.
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