Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

Following his usual routine, after spending some time in Penglai, Luo Yan would turn his attention to reading the files of other storylines.

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However, Shi Liuli had changed so much in temperament that she seemed like a completely different person, which genuinely made him worry and thus he stayed in Penglai a bit longer than usual.

Without mentioning anything else, Shi Liuli’s recent dedication to learning the Sword Casting Technique was simply too intense, almost to the point of neglecting sleep and food.

Of course, as a Cultivator who had practiced Fasting, not sleeping or eating was not an issue, but seeing her neglect her Cultivation Level like this made Luo Yan feel quite distressed.

There was no helping it, he could only take care of her as he did Junior Sister Xu and Senior Sister An, by preparing some Purple Mansion Secret Medicine for her.

"Liuli," Luo Yan found Shi Liuli again and asked to confirm, "How much have you accumulated in your Refining Mansion Cultivation now?"

Shi Liuli pondered for a moment and answered:

"Sixty years of the Mercurial Elixir Liquid, fifty years of Dynasty Yuan Spiritual Energy, thirty years of Jade Pond Golden Lotus, thirty years of Vermilion Marrow Dan."

"My father took me to Yuling Island once, where I bathed in the heavenly light at the top of Saint’s Peak, which gave me another fifty years of Refining Mansion Cultivation."

"So, adding them all up amounts to two hundred and twenty years, which meets the standard for a High-Grade Golden Core. You don’t need to worry about me neglecting my cultivation."

Upon hearing this, Luo Yan felt an urge to cry.

So sensible! You even guessed what I was worried about. This doesn’t seem like you, Miss Shi!

I would actually prefer you to be a bit more arrogant, a bit more willful, a bit more capricious...

He sighed internally and then asked once more:

"Even so, you shouldn’t become too engrossed in the Sword Casting Technique, as one’s Cultivation Level is fundamentally the root of a Cultivator..."

"I know." Shi Liuli replied with a faint smile and nodded, "Luo Yan, I’m going to cast a sword now, would you like to come and watch?"

"You’ve already learned to cast swords?" Luo Yan was greatly surprised.

Casting swords to make Flying Swords was not the same as mortal blacksmiths forging iron; how could it be so easy to learn?

It’s been less than half a month!

"Not sure," Shi Liuli said, shaking her head, "I have to give it a try."

"I’ll go and get the eldest senior brother," Luo Yan said thoughtfully, "If there really is a problem, at least there will be someone on the scene to resolve any doubts."

He went to the Heavenly Forge Sword Workshop and told Linghu Chu about the situation, to which the eldest senior brother had the exact same reaction:

"Liuli has already learned to cast swords? Hasn’t it been less than half a month?"

"Ahem." Luo Yan suddenly felt the need to "show off" and said with a gesture, "I’ve told her not to aim too high, but she has been completely immersed in it, neglecting sleep and food... If the eldest senior brother could check on her progress, that would be great. Jingyun thanks you in advance."

"No need for formalities," Linghu Chu quickly replied warmly, "These days I’ve been too busy and neglected to check on the little junior sister’s progress in learning to cast swords."

"It’s just that..." Linghu Chu’s eyes reddened as he continued, "As you know, Jingyun, Cultivation is the foundation of the Daoist path. We shouldn’t let the little junior sister become too obsessed with sword casting..."

As he said this, Linghu Chu sighed emotionally.

"If Master were still alive, he would never let Junior Sister Xu work so hard."

The two felt a surge of gratitude for their master’s kindness, and as the atmosphere grew more earnest, Linghu Chu immediately set aside the work at hand. He no longer cared about the sword embryo in the furnace and hurried to check on Shi Liuli’s progress with her sword casting.

"By the way, Junior Brother. When do you plan to hold the Daoist Companion ceremony for you and Junior Sister Xu?"

"Soon, at the end of the month. The immortals have been rather busy lately."

"You should hold the ceremony as soon as possible. Junior Sister Xu doesn’t seem to be in the right state of mind; it’s quite distressing to see. Getting married will hopefully allow her to feel more at ease."

"Of course, even just to repay Master’s kindness, I won’t let Liuli down."

When the two returned to the Heavenly Craft Workshop, they saw Shi Liuli lighting the furnace in the sword casting room where Linghu Chu had originally been working.

Depending on the Five Elements attribute of the sword being cast, different materials and forging techniques must be used.

This time, Shi Liuli was casting a Water System Flying Sword.

She used the Primordial Magnet Forge as the base, rapidly shaping the sword embryo, then pinched out a Daoist Formula to activate the Southern Dipper Galaxy secret technique.

Massive amounts of water from the celestial river poured into the forge, swiftly absorbed by the magical formation seal on the sword embryo. Shi Liuli pinched the Daoist Formula with her right hand and the Sword technique with her left, making the sword embryo rotate rapidly in the heart of the celestial river, fully absorbing the True Yuan of water.

"Junior Sister Xu’s sword forging skills might be lacking, but her endurance in forging a sword has reached the entry Level," Linghu Chu whispered to Luo Yan without daring to disturb her, "If she finishes perfectly, the sword’s quality will be between Eighth Grade and Ninth Rank after it emerges from the forge."

"Tsk tsk tsk, who would have thought Junior Sister Xu would have such talent in sword casting? She truly is her father’s daughter," he mused, half in melancholy and half in admiration.

Luo Yan, however, didn’t pay attention to these details—sword casting was Greek to him, after all.

He simply watched Shi Liuli roll up her sleeves, revealing arms as white as lotus roots, and her hair was simply tied into a ponytail at the back of her head. Her straightforward and energetic appearance truly added a much more charming aspect to her originally delicate beauty.

Although he had promised their deceased master that he would take good care of Liuli (before obtaining the Heaven-Mending Stone, to nurture her to a level "where she could possess sufficient status at Yuqing View"),

seeing Shi Liuli finally overcoming her spoiled and wilful nature, which had been her only character flaw, Luo Yan felt a mix of affection and pity for her in his heart.

Affection for her strength, but pity that she had to be strong.

If given the choice, Luo Yan would rather have let her always be a carefree young lady, but unfortunately, the world doesn’t work on "what ifs"... Sigh, he could only do his utmost to treat her well in the future!

"Sword Master, is this sincerity or pretense?" quietly asked the Qing Ping Sword to the Kunlun Mirror in the Sea of Consciousness.

"It should be genuine," replied the Kunlun Mirror, "but what does it matter if it’s genuine? In the end, isn’t he planning to run away?"

"I think, if the Sword Master can train Shi Liuli to become the next Elder Shi Ding in the future," pondered the Qing Ping Sword, "then even if he abandons her and runs away, he could be said to have fulfilled his duty, right?"

"Is that really okay?" immediately opposed the Kunlun Mirror, "What about all the feelings Shi Liuli invested... do they have no value? Even if he must run away, he should at least properly address those feelings. What does it mean to just disappear without a word?"

"But if he makes it clear outright, they might not agree," chuckled the Qing Ping Sword, "look at Shi Liuli; she considers the Sword Master her pillar of support, always considering him in everything she does."

"If one day the Sword Master tells her, ’I’m sorry, I am a traitor’, wouldn’t Shi Liuli go mad on the spot and flay him alive?"

"That’s... not necessarily the case," the Kunlun Mirror became uneasy, "but you have a point."

"Even if he shields and protects Shi Liuli, he has become her pillar of support, and that’s a debt of feelings not so easily settled. Anyway, let’s wait and see what the future holds."