Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 411: Looks Like the Seven-Emotions Valley’s Strength Is Not to Be Underestimated
Chapter 411: Looks Like the Seven-Emotions Valley’s Strength Is Not to Be Underestimated
“Why didn’t I encounter any of this?!” Meng Jingzhou lamented regretfully, convinced that he had missed out on tremendous fortuitous opportunities.
Damn Lu Yang, stealing my fortuitous opportunities! This grudge is irreconcilable!
“It’s all fate. Just accept it,” Lu Yang consoled.
“F*ck off!” Meng Jingzhou snapped. Why do all the good things happen to Lu Yang?
Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou had zero intention of fighting at all; Zhao Po had been worried for nothing.
“Who did you bring back?” Meng Jingzhou tilted his chin at Zhao Po.
Dreading another “Corpse-Driving Sect’s Number Two” quip from Lu Yang, Zhao Po hurriedly introduced himself. “I placed second in the Corpse-Driving Sect’s grand tournament. The name is Zhao Po. Basic Golden Core Stage.”
Meng Jingzhou was stunned. Zhao Po seems our age, or at most a year older. Yet with such talent, he’s only second in the Corpse-Driving Sect?
If Zhao Po comes to the Dao-Seeking Sect, he’d easily rank sixth.
“You’re only second in the Corpse-Driving Sect with your level?”
At the mention of this topic, Zhao Po chuckled bitterly. “I hate to admit it, but Senior Brother Huang Ming is indeed a bit stronger than me, and his combat instincts far outclass mine. Even if we fight again, I’d still lose. During that battle, I exhausted every trump card, yet he remained unfazed and showed no signs of weariness, looking like he was holding back other moves.
“Senior Brother Huang Ming has always been more outstanding than me. He was always far ahead on every mission outside. While others were still searching for clues, he’d already slain the mastermind.
“It's just that Senior Brother Huang Ming lost his parents at a young age and grew up an orphan. He's always been withdrawn and unwilling to interact with others.” Zhao Po shook his head regretfully. I’d hoped to exchange cultivation insights with Senior Brother Huang Ming, but unfortunately, he isn’t willing to talk to me, the runner-up.
“Now that the sect leader has taken him in as a disciple, I’m afraid meeting him will be even harder.”
“That strong?” Lu Yang elevated his evaluation of Huang Ming. He’d assumed that Huang Ming and Zhao Po were at a similar level. But hearing what he said, it sounds like there’s a massive gap in their abilities?
“Enough about me. I heard Senior Brother Meng is cursed and can’t get close to women?”
Meng Jingzhou pondered a moment. “Feels like I also couldn’t get close to women before the curse either.”
Zhao Po comforted him. “Don’t lose heart, Senior Brother Meng. As a sage once said: Those destined for greatness must first endure torment of their mind and spirit, toil of their muscles and bones, hunger of their body, and deprivation of their everything. Thwarting their every effort tempers their resolve and resilience, awakening abilities once impossible.”[1]
Meng Jingzhou chuckled, liking Zhao Po more by the second. “Well said, truly a prodigy from the Corpse-Driving Sect! You’re much better with words than this grandson Lu Yang! You’re my friend from now on! When you go to the imperial city next time and feel like you lack troubles, just drop my name—Meng Jingzhou!”
Zhao Po, “...”
Why do I feel like that last part sounds off? Did I mishear?
“To clarify, my curse prevents me from getting close to women. I heard that many cultivators in Wilderness Province excel in the curse arts, and since the Corpse-Driving Sect is a large sect in the province, we were planning to head to your esteemed sect and check if there is any solution to this curse.”
Zhao Po contemplated and earnestly replied, “In that case, I’d recommend Senior Brother Meng to go to the Seven-Emotions Valley.”
“Seven-Emotions Valley?” Like Lu Yang, Meng Jingzhou’s knowledge of the Seven-Emotions Valley was simply its existence.
“Our sect specializes in orthodox Corpse-Driving Techniques, but when it comes to curses, we are far beneath the Seven-Emotions Valley’s level of mastery. Here in Wilderness Province, the Seven-Emotions Valley is the first suspect for any curse. However, they’re considered semi-secluded, so outsiders know little about them.”
Lu Yang nodded, confirming his idea. “Looks like the Seven-Emotions Valley’s strength isn’t to be underestimated. They are probably on par with your sect, right?”
Zhao Po was stunned. How did Senior Brother Lu know about this? Even I had learned it from the elders after winning second place in the sect’s grand tournament and rising in status.
“The weaker sects would have long been wiped out.” Zhao Po acknowledged Lu Yang’s point.
“Let’s head to the Seven-Emotions Valley. It’s close anyway.” Lu Yang referenced the map and calculated that they should reach in less than half a day based on the old horse’s speed.
“It’s right here.” Lu Yang pointed to the location on the map and showed the old horse, who snorted in acknowledgement.
Zhao Po was shocked by this scene. To him, the old horse was just another ordinary horse. Why does it seem to understand humans so well?
Perhaps this is a secret best left unasked. He wasn’t one to pry. It’s perfectly normal for cultivators to have secrets. When I sensed something amiss with Brother Ye and Brother Wenren during our travels, I didn’t ask—and thus unfolded the scene of two women disguised as men secretly in love with each other and bullying the honest person.
The three boarded the carriage, and Zhao Po made the walking corpse squat atop the carriage to scan the surroundings and intimidate robbers and rascals.
Corpse Drivers held an exalted status in Wilderness Province. When wanderers met their end in foreign lands, it fell to these Corpse Drivers to drive their corpses back to their hometown for a proper burial. Bandits and outlaws who spotted a walking corpse here would immediately realize there was a Corpse Driver inside the carriage and voluntarily abandon targeting them.
Inside the carriage, Lu Yang and Meng Jingzhou asked some questions related to Corpse-Driving Techniques.
“I’ve long found it strange. Walking corpses lack spirit intelligence and are essentially objects. Why not transport them in storage rings instead of staying at inns?”
“Factually speaking, walking corpses are indeed objects that can be placed in storage rings. However, we Corpse Drivers believe that walking corpses possess life, just in a state imperceptible to cultivators. Since those are lives, we must accord them the same treatment as we would with other living beings—letting them eat, live, and travel with us, and even using the word ‘please’ when asking them to battle.” Zhao Po smiled bitterly. “It’s precisely because of our unique perspective on life and death that rumors in the outside world spread, claiming that the founder of the Nine-Netherworlds Creed came from our Corpse-Driving Sect.”
Zhao Po explained various aspects of Corpse Drivers to the two, which were far more authentic than others could share.
In less than half a day, the trio and one corpse successfully arrived at the Seven-Emotions Valley.
“I have a friend in the Seven-Emotions Valley who’s a true lineage disciple and extremely adept at removing curses. When I was cursed, I sought my friend for help.
“Senior Brother Meng, what level is your curse? If it’s anything at the Nascent Soul level or below, my friend can lift it. If it’s at the Divine Transfiguration level, there’s still a chance, and even if it can’t be removed, it can be alleviated.”
Meng Jingzhou hesitated before saying, “A conservative estimate would be at the Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation level.” After all, I’d evenly split the curse with Sect Leader Qiu, which reduced its potency.
Zhao Po leaned back slightly, his expression becoming solemn with respect. When I made enemies while traveling, they were usually old ancestors at the Golden Core Stage. The probability of bumping into Nascent Soul-level old monsters was already slim, much less Divine Transfiguration cultivators.
Should I say ‘as expected of a peerless prodigy from the Dao-Seeking Sect?’ Even the curse he’s afflicted with is at the Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation level.
What on earth had he done to get hit by a curse of this level?
Even slapping the Seven-Emotions Valley’s leader twice probably wouldn’t warrant a Half-Step Transcendent Tribulation-level curse.
Lu Yang remarked inwardly, This barely scratches the surface. For us brothers, the enemies we make start at the Fusion Stage—anything below that isn’t worth our attention.
1. This is adapted from a quote from Gaozi by Mengzi (Mencius). ☜
The source of this c𝐨ntent is freewe(b)nov𝒆l
