Cultivation: When you take things to the extreme

Chapter 294: Chapter 196: Sudden Change_1

Ten years in the real world, a thousand years in a dream.

Taoism for a lifetime, what then?

“Ugh, it’s finally over!”

Inside the outdated Yellow Beam Game Warehouse, Ye Bai propped up his skinny frame, a youth who should have been full of energy, now filled with dejection.

Sitting in the game pod, he glanced at his wristwatch, a series of unread messages from concerned parents.

But Ye Bai gave a bitter smile, deleted them all, then stood up to leave the pod, grabbed a bottle of Spiritual Wine from the fridge, slumped onto the couch, turning into a lump of clay, and listlessly turned on the TV to continue wasting his meaningless time.

It was indeed meaningless.

What’s the point of cultivation?

A great era of Taoism where everyone is like a dragon?

With a population of three hundred billion, if all were pythons and True Dragons, how could this world possibly bear it?

The vast majority are just small fish and shrimp, stepping stones for others, mere paving bricks.

He was no exception.

Another failure in the high school exams, not to mention the Wandao School, even entering any major academic institutions was a hard reach.

At this point, one could either retake the exams next year in hopes of fighting once more, or accept reality and let go of their dreams.

Ye Bai decided to choose the latter, as it was his only choice.

Because this was his third failure at the exams.

Wandao School, despite its benevolent governance, and even with cultivators adopting Agricultural Methods to satisfy the basic survival needs of all, provided just that—bare minimum survival needs.

If you want to cultivate, you still have to strive for various resources yourself.

But some things are not achievable by effort alone.

Sometimes, you have to admit that you are mediocre, ordinary, just… incapable!

Ye Bai was once a young man harboring dreams, but the cruel reality of life, the three failures at the high school exams, told him something.

He… was just an ordinary person, a mediocre one, just like his parents.

Without a Spiritual Root, poor talent, average understanding, not qualifying for Wandao School or any branch institutions, he could only enter a third-tier college with no requirements, invoking the Fake Cultivation Skill to painstakingly seek progress, laboring for decades or centuries, with only a slim hope of forming a Golden Core.

The Golden Core, the greatest ambition of his life as a common Cultivator with no power, no family wealth, and no background.

But even this pursuit, is far from assured.

In this world with an overwhelming population of three hundred billion,

Three hundred billion people, all cultivating, how much sustenance would that require?

Add to that the prolonged lifespans of cultivators, and the burden becomes even greater.

Even Wandao School struggles to provide for all.

Thus, the threshold for cultivation had to be slightly raised. Although education is still accessible to all, unlimited resource provision is not feasible.

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Take the high school exams, for instance, where everyone can attend middle and high schools for free, receiving the basic benefits of the Scholar’s Palace. If you pass the exams, you are cultivated by the institution.

If you fail, you can retake the exams, but only three times at most. After three retakes, there are no more benefits, and all resources must be self-provided.

Ye Bai is an ordinary person, and so are his parents. Although they can afford to pay for another exam, the chance of turning the situation around on the fourth try remains slim.

Ye Bai does not wish to do this, nor does he have the will to do so.

What difference does it make to pass the exams? Is a Golden Core guaranteed?

What about reaching Golden Core? Can one definitely achieve Nascent Soul?

And what about Nascent Soul? Does it ensure entry into the Immortal Realm?

But with the world at peace, even though competition exists, the pressure to survive isn’t overwhelming. Why go to such troubles?

To lie down comfortably, recite some scriptures daily, meditate, play games, reach Foundation Establishment through seniority, enjoy a lifespan of two or three hundred years, and then proceed to the Yin Mountain Mansion to reenter the cycle of reincarnation…

Wouldn’t that be beautiful?

What about the grand events of Ten Thousand Dao, the Competition of the Chosen.

What about the True Monarchs and Heavenly Masters, living freely in the Immortal Realm.

What about the talents and beauties, the unrivaled elegance.

That’s for the prodigies. As an ordinary person, it’s best just to be a reliable cog in the machine.

This has become a popular movement among the public in recent years.

The Ye Bai of the past looked down on such thoughts, but now… he couldn’t help but agree.

Someone once said, one step in growing up is accepting one’s own mediocrity, as well as that of one’s parents.

Most people in the world are ordinary and commonplace.

They can’t be the protagonists in a story; they’re just the unnoticed, part of the backdrop.

Ye Bai is the same, his youthful dreams eventually awakening to the harsh reality.

“Today, we are fortunate to have Real Monarch Lanfeng from the Heavenly Craftsmanship Institute, who will answer a series of questions about various recent hot topics.”

The host’s voice, clear and melodious, pulled Ye Bai back from his despondent world.

Sitting up to look, he saw two people sitting across from each other in conversation on the TV.

The person in the main seat had white hair yet a youthful face, with eyes hinting at profound mysteries, indicating advanced cultivation.

Ye Fan recognized this person—no, should be said to be a fan of him.

Real Monarch Lanfeng, originally named Chu Nan, was the leading figure of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Institute in the past five hundred years.

It was said that a thousand years ago, he had passed the Wandao School exams with excellent marks, entered the Heavenly Craftsmanship Institute for cultivation, and came into contact with the Heavenly Crafting Technique and the Spirit-Treasure Mech Armor Method.

Over the next five hundred years, he surged forward triumphantly, reaching the Golden Core Realm and mastering the Heavenly Crafting Technique, becoming a leading expert in his field, successfully passing the professional title assessment, earning the honorific title of “Real Monarch Lanfeng,” and qualifying as a chief officiant for the Luotian Dajiao.

In the past five hundred years, he had achieved the Nascent Soul Realm and become the leader of the Heavenly Craftsmanship Institute. Even within Wandao School, he held significant influence. The three new types of mech armor that the institute had introduced in recent years were all developed under his leadership.