Master, What Dao Do You Cultivate?-Chapter 6: Modern Cultivation Guide

Early the next morning, Ji Qinglin was woken up by the sound of Coal Boss flapping his wings.
After living here for so long, the doors and windows could no longer keep the clever Coal Boss out.
Smelling the fragrance lingering on the black feathers, Ji Qinglin lightly tapped the bird's head and said:
"Out ruining my reputation again? Is she up?"
"Ga ga—"
After living together for so long, Ji Qinglin and Coal Boss had developed a way to communicate simple messages.
Since there weren’t many customers in the morning, the Ji Family General Store opened later.
When Ji Qinglin went next door, Yu Ye was indeed already gone.
Not only was the bedding neatly folded, but the entire living room had been cleaned.
So it turns out there was still a gap between what he thought was clean and what was truly spotless.
Good habits. Whether she became his disciple or not, at least she’d make a decent cleaner.
By the time Ji Qinglin came downstairs, Yu Ye was carefully examining the items on the shelves.
She was wearing fitted sportswear, which toned down her curves a little but gave her a fresh and youthful vibe. Bathed in the morning sunlight streaming through the glass window behind her, she looked radiant. It seemed like she had rested well last night and wasn’t as on guard anymore.
Yu Ye put down a meridian diagram and lifted her head, suddenly spotting Ji Qinglin standing at the top of the stairs watching her.
“G-Good morning, Master!”
Startled, Yu Ye quickly grabbed a rag and pretended to keep wiping down the shelves.
Although she was still adjusting to the idea of being a potential disciple, she understood the reality of relying on someone else’s roof.
Cold Yu Ye: Does he not make any noise when he walks? That staircase creaks like crazy—does he have some kind of "Silent Step" module installed on his feet?
Mad Yu Ye: Just saying… is it possible he just knows where to step so it doesn’t creak?
Cold Yu Ye: …
Ji Qinglin paid no attention to Yu Ye’s sneaky glances. He poured himself a glass of hot water, took a sip, and said,
"Not bad, pretty diligent. That should be worth five extra points during the evaluation period."
Coal Boss perched on Ji Qinglin's shoulder lifted his head slightly and flapped his wings as if he were making gestures, acting all high and mighty.
"Thank you, Master. But I was thinking, if I clean for you, could I also earn some money? Bangkok must pay hourly for cleaning jobs, right?"
"Pfft!"
Ji Qinglin nearly choked on his water. Good grief, so she wasn’t cleaning because of OCD but because she wanted to make money off her master? Well, too bad for her—no one had ever taken advantage of him before!
But Ji Qinglin didn’t let it show. Instead, he smoothly changed the topic:
"That’s all negotiable. Yu Ye, are you hungry?"
"Uh, actually, yeah. But it wouldn’t be right to make Master cook, would it? And besides… would that cost extra?"
After being charged for her meal yesterday, Yu Ye was now extra cautious about anything involving food or clothing.
"If you know it’s not right, why aren’t you cooking for yourself? The noodles are in the cupboard—make a bowl for me too."
"???"
Mad Yu Ye: What did I just say?! You really thought you could make money off a guy who loots dead robots for cash and gear?
Cold Yu Ye: Tch. Well, it’s my own place too. I’ll just treat it as self-service.
Ji Qinglin opened the pantry next to the fridge and took out the noodles and seasoning packets.
Thankfully, food supplies in this world were still well-stocked. Otherwise, as someone who had only tasted the tip of the iceberg of Chinese cuisine, Ji Qinglin would really struggle to adjust.
But since he’d been living alone for so long, he had grown used to just making do with his meals.
After mooching a bowl of hot noodles from his disciple, Ji Qinglin watched as Yu Ye happily slurped down a second serving. It reminded him of what he had confirmed over the phone last night, so he asked:
"Yu Ye, do you want to cultivate?"
Yu Ye wiped the soup from the corner of her mouth.
"Cultivation? Haven’t really thought about it… but for now, probably not."
"Why?"
"I overheard the elders yesterday. Apparently, our general store is running at a loss, so there’s probably no extra money for cultivation… If I try using the old goods on the shelves, I’m honestly afraid I’ll go straight into Qi deviation."
Ji Qinglin cursed internally. Those old bastards—were they badmouthing him openly now, not even caring about outsiders? But the fact that Yu Ye recognized the items on the shelves meant she had at least some knowledge of cultivation.
"Don’t worry. If you decide to cultivate, I’ll make sure you get the best cultivation set available."
Mad Yu Ye: Pfft! You lying little sh*t! The guy who keeps tabs on every single purchase—where’s he gonna get money for a cultivation set?!
Cold Yu Ye: Ha, at least the attitude is nice. A well-intended lie, I guess.
Seeing Yu Ye deep in thought, Ji Qinglin continued,
"But first, I need to know how much you understand about cultivation."
Hearing that Ji Qinglin was about to give a lecture, Yu Ye set her bowl aside and straightened up.
She knew the man in front of her had some skills, so she made sure to act humble.
"Disciple’s understanding is still quite basic."
"That’s fine. Let’s hear it."
Yu Ye cleared her throat and recited,
"Life is the body, soul is the nature. The path of cultivation is a dual cultivation of both. The body attains immortality, and the soul cycles endlessly without dispersing—this is what it means to achieve the eternal Dao body."
In this era, science had managed to restore some of the secrets of Eastern cultivation, but only in form. Most Qi Refiners didn’t truly care about refining their minds and energy; they were just chasing power and seeking eternity.
"The body is weak—so one may enhance it with prosthetics, strengthen it with hormones, or steal the celestial path… Thus, through Foundation Stabilization, Qi Refining, Core Formation, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul, one attains the Dao."
The paths of body enhancement included mechanical implants, external body fortification, and the cultivation of immortal physiques. The levels were divided into Foundation Stabilization, Qi Refining, Core Formation, Golden Core, and Nascent Soul, each with three sub-stages.
Yu Ye, who was still healthy and hadn’t undergone any technological enhancements, was only at the Foundation Stabilization Realm.
"The soul is fragile—so one may reconstruct it, refine it through countless paths, or absorb souls for supplementation… Thus, through Soul Strengthening, Soul Tempering, Spirit Projection, Yang Soul, and Essence Purification, one attains the Dao."
Soul cultivation focused on refining consciousness, whether by transferring it into external objects, breaking various protocols, or entering virtual space to absorb residual souls. The levels were divided into Soul Strengthening, Soul Tempering, Spirit Projection, Yang Soul, and Essence Purification, each with three sub-stages.
Since Yu Ye was quoting directly from
Modern Cultivation Guide 3.0
, Ji Qinglin waved his hand to stop her before she finished.
"You can skip the parts about artifact refinement and corpse cultivation. Let’s just talk about the basics of dual cultivation. Which do you want to start with?"
While technology could speed up certain cultivation steps, it still couldn’t replace thousands of years of accumulated knowledge, so one had to specialize.
This time, Yu Ye didn’t hesitate at all.
"Body! Disciple wants to train the body first."
Mad Yu Ye: Hey, hey, hey! Why train the body first?
Cold Yu Ye: What, you want me to start with soul cultivation, enter virtual space, and get scared to death by you?
Ji Qinglin nodded.
"Decisive. A wise choice. Cultivating the soul is indeed more difficult and dangerous. And your cultivation path?"
Yu Ye sighed.
"If possible, of course, I’d want to steal the celestial path. I’m not at the level of sacrificing my body for the Dao… But I know that’s not realistic for us. So for now, I’d like some time to prepare before I start cultivating, Master."
Stealing the Celestial Path essentially meant using a cultivated immortal body and transplanting it onto oneself.
Though called an "immortal body," it was actually just an artificial set of high-strength biological meridians, bones, and even muscles—after all, so-called immortals had never been proven to exist.
Yu Ye knew that brand-new artificial meridians were incredibly expensive. Ordinary ones required regular replacements, while the high-end versions were permanent but cost a fortune. They were far beyond what most cultivators could afford.
But to her surprise, Ji Qinglin didn’t hesitate at all:
"Alright, then we’ll go with Stealing the Celestial Path. I’ll get you an A-rank cultivation meridian set."
Yu Ye’s clear apricot eyes widened even further.
"Master, you’re not joking, right?!"
Mad Yu Ye: Hiss—quick, look it up. I think he might’ve sold you for a good price.