Big Data Cultivation

Feng Jun is a person of integrity. Although he really wants to keep watching Li Zhishen form his core, since he has accepted the consultation fee, he must do the job. 𝙛𝒓𝒆𝙚𝒘𝒆𝓫𝙣𝓸𝙫𝓮𝒍.𝒄𝒐𝓶

Dantai Shenmin is not far away, less than a hundred miles in a straight line from Taiqing Sub-Court, arriving in an instant.

Feng Jun didn’t even approach very close. When he was about twenty miles from the cave residence, he had a bad feeling.

Due to this feeling, he simply came to about two miles from the core formation site, swiped his mobile phone, and quickly shook his head, "It’s over, the chance of the core formation has dropped below half; notify his family to come quickly and see him off."

"You!" A master was furious upon hearing these words, "And you have the nerve to say such sarcastic remarks at this time?"

Feng Jun was taken aback upon hearing that and then shook his head, "Saying farewell counts as a sarcastic remark? Sorry, I’m not quite sure... In my sect, it’s the last bit of concern for those who are leaving."

"Alright, different families have different customs," another master spoke up to mediate, realizing that different forces might have different etiquettes, and although the phrase ’seeing someone off’ sounded slightly mocking, upon careful thought, it did have some reason.

Of course, these were all minor matters; what he cared about most was, "Can’t it be saved anymore? We have cauldron seedlings!"

Feng Jun shook his head and blandly replied, "It’s useless; medicine can’t cure a dead disease. A disease destined to be fatal can’t be saved... Of course, if you don’t believe it, you can bring the seedlings to match."

The previous master immediately brought over four cauldron seedlings, and sure enough, "Eighteen percent... but the number is declining."

The decline sounded not too severe, but since Dantai Shenmin hadn’t yet succeeded in core formation, if the number kept dropping...

Another master pondered for a long time and then sighed, "Is it really... inevitably fatal?"

Feng Jun blinked in surprise and answered, "Of course not necessarily fatal."

The two masters turned their heads in unison, their eyes lighting up, "Is it possible not to die?"

"Of course," Feng Jun nodded, answering bluntly, "Just stop the core formation process."

"Stopping the core formation... can be stopped just like that?" The previous master didn’t believe it, "Even if it doesn’t lead to inner demons, the person will be wasted, right?"

Feng Jun shook his head, "Qu Jianlei also formed his core twice, and with me here, stopping his core formation isn’t difficult, the key issue is... does he agree to do it?"

"You can stop him from continuing the core formation?" Another master’s face changed again, "Really?"

Feng Jun was too lazy to answer directly and chose a detail instead, "Stopping his core formation also requires using cauldron seedlings."

"Then let’s stop," this master decisively said, "Being able to live another hundred years is better than dying on the spot."

Interrupting the core formation process requires considerable skill, but with Feng Jun present, he commanded step-by-step and took a whole day to reverse the core formation state while activating the cauldron seedlings.

Another half a day passed, and by noon, a seedling finally stepped into metamorphosis. Shortly afterward, a loud shout came from the cave residence, "Who is it, what’s going on?"

"We can temporarily block the Earth Vein now," Feng Jun stated calmly, "There’s nothing more for me to do here. I’m leaving."

"Please wait, Mountain Master Feng," one master raised his hand in a salute, "Shenmin will likely be very upset, and we hope you can explain to him."

"Explanations cost Spirit Stones," Feng Jun expressed without emotion, "Originally, I just wanted to leave like this."

He has received a three-thousand consultation fee, which is impossible to refund; it’s reasonable if he charges a bit more after pulling someone back from the path of certain death. But considering the other party’s core formation failure and sour mood, he doesn’t want to add fuel to the fire, taking it as doing a good deed.

When Dantai Shenmin emerged from the cave residence, he was visibly annoyed and shouted hoarsely, "Who harmed me?"

Two masters from the Dantai family went up to persuade him, but to no avail. When you think about it, he’s almost four hundred years old, and he finally found the feeling of core formation, using a lot of Heaven and Earth Treasures; getting interrupted halfway would make anyone go crazy.

A master forcibly explained a couple of sentences, but the crazed Dantai Shenmin didn’t listen at all, "Do I not know that forming a core might lead to death? If I die, so be it, why meddle?"

This individual sighed helplessly, "You know all too well; you hold resentment in your heart... Mountain Master Feng, would you mind explaining a bit?"

Dantai Shenmin turned his head, stuck out his neck, and glared fiercely at Feng Jun.

"Let me clarify one thing first," Feng Jun spoke slowly, "I don’t belong to the Dantai family; if you dare be disrespectful to me as a master... I will kill. Do you understand?"

Dantai Shenmin’s face changed several times. Although he was infuriated, he truly understood that if he dared to provoke, Feng Jun would indeed dare to kill—his disrespect towards a higher-up gives the Dantai family no ground for complaint.

He snorted coldly, suppressing his anger, "Then speak."

Feng Jun laughed upon hearing this, revealing his white teeth, "Ant, try humming one more time?"

"Uh," Dantai Shenmin was immediately choked up, looking around, he realized this was indeed on Dantai family’s land.

But for the other party to say this, and in front of his family’s two masters, was truly arrogant. However... he really didn’t dare to hum again. Although he was angry, he was still nearly four hundred years old and certainly not that immature.

After thinking for a moment, he raised his hand and cupped it in greeting, "My Core Formation was interrupted, causing emotional instability. I apologize for any disrespect and hope the master is understanding."

Feng Jun waved his hand and replied nonchalantly, "Remember, there won’t be a next time."

His tone was casual, as if referring to some trivial matter, but it was precisely this attitude that further provoked Dantai Shenmin—Do you look down on me like this?

Feng Jun indeed looked down on him. He simply recounted the events, "...The final decision to stop your Core Formation was made by your family’s masters, unrelated to me. I just informed you of the final decision and suggested your family come to bid you farewell."

"Bid me farewell?" Dantai Shenmin was stunned by such an ethereal statement, momentarily forgetting his anger. He wandered for a moment, savoring the meaning behind it, and his anger dramatically decreased.

Having family bid farewell is not a good suggestion. Cultivators should proceed haughtily alone or haughtily die alone. However, the current problem is that in the entire thirty-seven branches, only he supports the peak of transcendence.

Once he dies, the ability of the thirty-seven branches to compete for resources will reduce again.

The Dantai Clan is relatively fair internally, but not absolutely fair. The clan even encourages moderate internal competition, as long as it doesn’t cause major issues—the Dantai Clan mostly cultivates in secret realms, and a completely harmonious clan can’t nurture bravery.

This reasoning doesn’t sound wrong, but if internal competition is allowed, even if "moderate", it’s significantly different with support and without support.

Even if other branches are willing to support justice, they mainly uphold fairness in major matters and can’t care for minor ones.

Realizing this, he wasn’t so angry at Feng Jun anymore, "May I ask Master Feng if I can attempt a second Core Formation?"

Seeing his temper had tempered a bit, Feng Jun didn’t mind saying a few more words, "Don’t even think about it in twenty years; thereafter there might still be a chance, but the probability should be lower than this time."

Dantai Shenmin bitterly smiled, shaking his head, "Twenty years... alright, I don’t have resources for another Core Formation in the short term either."

"Don’t discuss this with me," Feng Jun waved his hand, speaking impatiently, "Regardless of money, I saved you this time; earnestly speaking, two thousand Spirit Stones. Small business, no credit allowed."

"Two thousand spirits," Dantai Shenmin’s eyes widened, unable to control himself, "You interrupted my Core Formation, and I still have to pay Spirit Stones, does that fit?"

"I wasn’t the one to interrupt you," Feng Jun answered leisurely, "I do business, I charge... reminding you again, watch your attitude!"

"But Master Feng, I’ve already paid the fees," Dantai Shenmin spoke with a bitter smile, "Not to mention the deduction fee, you gave such a high probability, yet when forming the Core it dropped significantly... Three thousand consultation fee should have been used for dealing with such accidents, right?"

Feng Jun blinked, speaking calmly, "I’ll just ask you, do you plan to pay or not?"

"The Dantai Clan doesn’t have debtors!" Dantai Shenmin spoke sincerely, "As long as Master Feng provides a reason, I will surely pay... Actually, I’m really curious, such a high Core Formation probability, how could it suddenly drop so low?"

His words had a hint of suspicion towards Feng Jun, but the questioning wasn’t baseless either. The high and low probability of Core Formation doesn’t guarantee the higher probability outcome, but a significant drop before the formation is unusual.

"These two issues you mentioned are actually one," Feng Jun replied unhurriedly, "The initial probability calculation was correct, and I did charge your consultation fee, but the result appearance was due to variables on your end, while I... at least saved your life."

"It shouldn’t have been an issue; it increased my workload! Charging you an additional two thousand spirits... is it much?"

He raised his hand and pointed towards the Tribulation Cloud not far away, "It even delayed my observation of the Sword Cultivator’s Core Formation. Do you understand my loss?"

Dantai Shenmin was dumbfounded, "Variable on me?"

"Strictly speaking, the variable was with the Yellow Essence Pill you prepared," Feng Jun took out a cigarette and lit it, "I mentioned preparing Yellow Essence at least three thousand years old, five thousand-year-old would be ideal... Yellow Essence over a thousand years, what could it do?"

"Impossible," Dantai Shenmin froze, then exclaimed, "I applied for the Yellow Essence Pill from the clan’s main treasury, refined from five thousand-year-old Yellow Essence, how could it be fake?"

Feng Jun blinked, took a deep drag on his cigarette, and asked slowly, "This Yellow Essence Pill... should be something you had beforehand, not applied specially for Core Formation?"

Dantai Shenmin nodded, "Yes, had it for a decade or so, how did you know?"

"Simple," Feng Jun blew out two smoke rings, "If they knew it was applied for Core Formation, who would dare use inferior qualities?"

(Updated, call for monthly votes.)