Monsters also need to cultivate immortality scientifically (16): The beginning of the era of industrialized cultivation

Si Qi shamelessly wheedled himself a boyfriend and was secretly snickering in delight when he received a message from the Sect Leader, the third wheel.  

“What the heck, I was hoping to at least scam another kiss…” Si Qi’s muttering voice made Chu Feng stiffen. Turning his head, he saw this brat raise a finger to gather spiritual energy and tap it onto the message talisman. The Sect Leader’s gentle voice came through: “Junior, the grandmasters from the Spirit Taming Sect are here to see you. When will you have time to come over?”  

Si Qi glanced at Chu Feng, who instinctively put on an aloof expression, looking every bit the transcendent and detached immortal.  

Si Qi: “…”  

Tch, what a repressed tsundere.  

Si Qi: “I’ll go now.”  

Then he said to Chu Feng, “Master~~ I don’t know how to fly, won’t you give me a ride~~~”  

In Si Qi’s consciousness space, Xiu Xiu, who was lounging there, dropped the potato chips in his hand with a plop, staring dumbfounded at his master who was deliberately acting cute.  

Wh-what the heck? Had his master been body-snatched?!  

Having known Si Qi for so long, Chu Feng had only ever heard his little disciple call him “Master” a handful of times—always when he was trying to wheedle something out of him or had some ulterior motive. It gave him a headache.  

But then he thought about his disciple’s abysmal luck and feared that if he flew on his own, some random bird, crane, or air current would come to cause him trouble. So he had no choice but to indulge him and act as his personal chauffeur, accompanying him everywhere.  

Along the way, the young man used the excuse of “I’m so scared of heights” to wrap his arms around Chu Feng’s waist and refuse to let go. Chu Feng knew full well that even if he scolded him, the fearless brat wouldn’t listen to him anyway. Resigned, he carried him all the way to the main peak.  

After landing, Chu Feng suddenly remembered something and said to Si Qi, “With your abilities, couldn’t you come up with a way to fly automatically?”  

Having spent so much time with Si Qi and heard him talk with the alchemists and artifact forgers about terms like “automation” and “mechanization,” Chu Feng had picked up quite a few technical terms. A sudden realization struck him, and he said to Si Qi, “Have you been pretending you can’t fly just so I’d carry you around?”  

Si Qi cried out in righteous indignation, “Master, what are you implying? Are you suggesting I’ve been faking it just to take advantage of you?!”  

The main peak was filled with highly skilled cultivators, and upon hearing Si Qi’s voice, they immediately stepped out of the hall. The first thing they heard was the young man’s aggrieved complaint, and their hearts instantly ached for him. They couldn’t help but think that Immortal Venerable Chu’s temper was as cold as ever—how could he scold such a sweet and clever boy? His personality was truly too harsh.  

Not daring to complain to Chu Feng, they could only rush over to comfort the “pitiful” young man in gentle tones, hinting, “Ah, if you don’t like flying, then don’t fly! What’s all this about taking advantage?!”  

Chu Feng: “…”  

He couldn’t very well say that this “taking advantage” was literally taking advantage! This disciple of his had the audacity to cling to his own master in broad daylight on a flying sword—what kind of behavior was that?!

Si Qi put on a well-behaved and sensible expression, speaking with faux humility: “Uncle-Masters, it’s nothing. I was just too foolish and offended Master. He was right to reprimand me.”  

Chu Feng: “…………”  

“Aiya, you little thing, what are you thinking!” The grandmasters had never seen the usually confident Si Qi look so dejected before, and their hearts ached for him. “You’ve only just started cultivating—it’s perfectly normal not to be good at flying yet! Besides, what’s wrong with a master doting on their disciple? If you were my disciple, I’d take you flying every day if you wanted!”  

Forward, backward, right-side up, upside-down, even spinning in 360-degree loops—if it made Si Qi happy, they’d be more than willing to do it all, hands and feet included!  

Si Qi blinked innocently. “But I’m scared of heights, and I always end up clinging to Master…”  

The group wore their favoritism openly. “Then cling! You’re still so young! What’s wrong with being afraid of heights?!”  

The disciples of these very same grandmasters, who had once been scolded with “If you can’t even fly properly, what kind of cultivator are you?!” until their heads were nearly chewed off: “…………”  

Chu Feng, the actual party involved, standing to the side with no chance to interject: “…………”  

Si Qi “timidly” glanced at Chu Feng and flashed a bright smile. “Master, is that okay?”  

Chu Feng looked at Si Qi’s deliberately exaggerated act and nearly laughed in exasperation.  

He was both annoyed and amused.  

And, annoyingly, he found this little brat’s shameless antics kind of cute.  

Under the collective “Don’t you dare refuse” gazes of the crowd, Chu Feng sighed helplessly. “Fine.”  

Really…  

He knew he could never win against this kid in matters like this.  

He was just taking advantage of the fact that Chu Feng doted on him and would never actually stay mad at him…  

Seeing Chu Feng relent, the group exhaled in relief and said to Si Qi, “See? Your Master does treat you well, so don’t be upset anymore.”  

“Master has always been so good to me~~~” Si Qi subtly flaunted their relationship before asking curiously, “What brings all of you here today, esteemed seniors?”  

The group went, “Ah, right!” and proceeded to explain the situation to Si Qi, who rarely involved himself in such matters. “Currently, the price of the pills has dropped slightly, to about a thousand spirit stones per pill. We estimate it might eventually stabilize at a few hundred.”  

Si Qi nodded, unsurprised. “A few hundred is perfectly reasonable. It’s fine to settle at that price.”  

Seeing his reaction, the group quietly sighed in relief. They had worried that Si Qi’s standards might be too high and that he’d be disappointed by the price drop. But as expected of Si Qi—he was as sharp as ever, seeing things clearly.  

Si Qi continued, “Once top-grade pills become more common, they won’t be hoarded and scalped anymore, so a price drop is natural. A few hundred should be the floor—it won’t go any lower than that.”

The group nodded with cheerful smiles. “Even at a few hundred, there’s still profit. Back then, our high-grade pills only sold for eighty to ninety spirit stones each, and most of our sales came from mid-grade pills priced at a dozen or so. Now, the materials needed for top-grade pills are even fewer than those for mid-grade ones. All things considered, we’re still making ten times more profit than before.”  

On one hand, they could earn more, while on the other, cultivators could buy pills at lower prices with even better effects—a win-win situation and a tremendous boon for everyone.  

Then, these grandmasters grinned slyly and revealed their true purpose for coming.  

While reporting the situation to Si Qi was one thing, banding together to seek new paths to riches was another.  

The artifact-forging master, the formation master, and the newly arrived talisman master shamelessly leaned in and said, “Little Friend Si, you see, now that we’ve perfected the alchemy furnace, surely there must be some other methods for forging artifacts or crafting talismans? Could you spare some ideas for your uncles here?”  

Nearby, the Sect Leader of Lingxiao Sect watched as these usually aloof and prideful grandmasters now clustered eagerly around Si Qi, smiling ingratiatingly as they begged him for advice. He found it both amusing and poignant.  

In the past, it had always been others bringing treasures to these masters, pleading for their favor to refine pills or forge artifacts. Now, the tables had turned—these grandmasters were the ones fawning over Si Qi, hoping he’d help them make even more money together. The sight was truly something to marvel at.  

Si Qi, like an innocent child, looked at them without a trace of arrogance or scheming and cheerfully agreed, “Of course! I actually have some ideas I’d love to work on with you all!”  

The group was overjoyed and immediately urged, “Go ahead, Little Friend, speak freely!”  

Si Qi declared, “On the Feasibility of Automated Assembly-Line Talisman Production!”  

“Automated… assembly-line…” During the creation of the alchemy furnace, they had often heard Si Qi mention these concepts, so they roughly understood what he meant.  

The talisman master, however, looked utterly lost and humbly asked, “Fellow Daoist Si, may I ask what ‘automated’ and ‘assembly-line’ mean?”  

The artifact-forging and formation masters standing nearby shot him envious, resentful looks and grumbled, “We were here first…”  

How could this little treasure Si Qi take a liking to the talisman guy before them?!  

Then, out of habit, they joined Si Qi’s discussion and explained, “It’s roughly about using artifact-forging techniques to create ‘mechanical arms’ that can automatically draw talismans, then programming preset ‘formations’ to input specific sequences. Once everything is set up, you just insert spirit stones and talisman paper, and it’ll run on its own. The only thing you’ll need to worry about is discussing with Little Friend Si how to make each talisman more efficient and material-saving!”

The talisman master’s heart burned with excitement, his eyes brimming with anticipation: “Such a thing actually exists?!”  

“Of course it does,” sighed the alchemy grandmasters, inwardly lamenting that this time, they could neither forge artifacts nor set up formations, leaving them with no way to profit. They explained to the talisman masters, “Our pill formulas were initially improved by Little Friend Si… His talent is truly unprecedented. With just a glance, he can refine ancient recipes to the point where even apprentices can consistently produce top-grade pills. You’ll understand once you discuss it with him.”  

Thus, the talisman masters rolled up their sleeves, their anticipation growing unbearable.  

They spent days and nights in discussion with Si Qi, utterly convinced and awed by his genius.  

As for the artifact-forging and formation masters, drawing from their previous collaboration, crafting the corresponding components and formations this time became even smoother. Whenever they hit a bottleneck, a quick consultation with Si Qi immediately resolved it, and progress advanced at an astonishing pace.  

One day, as Si Qi stared at the large spirit stones being loaded into the energy compartment, muttering something incomprehensible about “rechargeable batteries,” a cultivator suddenly recalled something and asked, “Didn’t a certain Zhou once offend you, Little Friend Si?”  

“Zhou?” Si Qi thought of the guy he’d only met once and remembered how he’d recently asked his demonic beast friends—via a communication array left with Old Tortoise—to help track down Zhou Junyi’s enemies. Realization dawned. “What about him?”  

The cultivator chuckled. “After leaving the secret realm, he was hunted by countless cultivators for the treasures he carried. He vanished for over a month, but recently reappeared in Ranming City, sold three top-grade pills, and then encountered the great demon that slaughtered his family outside the city.”  

Si Qi hadn’t expected his demonic beast friends to act so swiftly. Surprised, he asked, “What happened exactly?”  

The cultivator shook his head, marveling. “At the time, he was with five or six companions. Despite knowing he carried such treasures, none of them betrayed him. Even when facing that powerful demon, they never considered abandoning Zhou—instead, they fought alongside him. They were truly loyal to the end.”  

“But who could’ve guessed? After exchanging a few blows with the demon, Zhou suddenly used a magical artifact to vanish on the spot, leaving his friends to bear the demon’s wrath alone.”  

“Those cultivators were nearly killed on the spot—one was even torn in half at the waist. Fortunately, the demon was in a hurry to chase Zhou and didn’t want to waste time on them, so it didn’t pursue further.”  

“Then, one of them somehow procured half a bottle of top-grade Spirit Recovery Pill and fed them to the dying cultivators, barely saving their lives. But their internal injuries and severed limbs will likely never fully heal.”  

“The demon chased Zhou relentlessly, yet he kept slipping away. You have to admit, the man’s luck is baffling. He threw out one treasure after another, somehow surviving against such a monstrous foe. Tsk tsk.”  

In a one-on-one fight at the same level, demonic beasts—with their innate physical superiority—are already far more formidable than cultivators. And this demon was a full four or five realms above Zhou Junyi’s Golden Core stage! For him to escape was like a mortal outrunning a cultivator—utterly inconceivable.  

“Now, even more people in the cultivation world are hunting him,” the cultivator sneered. “A treacherous snake like him deserves it.”  

Though the cultivation world operates on survival of the fittest, hearts are still made of flesh. Zhou Junyi had friends willing to stand by him against a demonic beast—a rare fortune many would envy.  

Yet he abandoned them without hesitation, knowing full well they’d die in his place.  

Trading their lives for a few extra seconds to flee—such despicable cruelty was beyond even the usual cutthroat tolerance of cultivators.  

Si Qi thought for a moment and said, “Those top-grade pills were probably given by me to certain people, who then passed them on.”  

Those still foolishly following Zhou Junyi might, swayed by his lies, angrily confront the ones who “betrayed” him, demanding answers.

The questioned individuals would naturally explain what truly happened in the secret realm and even produce those top-grade pills as proof that Si Qi was nothing like the villain Zhou Junyi had painted him to be.  

Judging by the outcome, it seemed this group hadn’t fully believed those explanations. Still, thanks to their close relationship, they had managed to obtain a few top-grade Spirit Recovery Pill from their friends.  

And so, by sheer coincidence, those very pills ended up saving their lives in the ensuing chaos.  

Once safe, they were consumed by indescribable hatred and regret. Fearing others might fall for Zhou’s lies, they immediately sought out those they’d once misunderstood and bluntly recounted their ordeal, warning them never to soften their hearts or attempt to rescue Zhou if he sent out a distress signal. They urged everyone to stay vigilant against that selfish, backstabbing viper and never be deceived again.  

The story spread like wildfire from their lips, passing from ten to a hundred people until it eventually reached Si Qi’s ears.  

The cultivator recounting this to Si Qi wasn’t surprised to hear the top-grade pills had come from him. After all, the boy was rolling in spirit stones and was notoriously generous, treating these easily brewed pills as trivial gifts—though to others, a single pill worth a thousand spirit stones (ten thousand for a full bottle) was an extravagant gesture.  

Then Si Qi remarked, “Don’t you think this man’s luck has crossed into the realm of absurdity?”  

The cultivator nodded without hesitation. “Absolutely! Aside from Immortal Venerable Chu, I’ve never heard of anyone with such insane fortune!”  

Back when Chu Feng rose to prominence, his backing from Lingxiao Sect meant he never lacked resources, so he rarely relied on his luck to snatch opportunities from struggling rogue cultivators. Thus, few spoke of his good fortune—they simply took for granted that he’d win any luck-based contest, which he invariably did.  

But now, with the original owner (now the Son of the World) flaunting a destiny rivaling Chu Feng’s, the difference was stark. Arrogant and attention-seeking, the Son of the World roamed the cultivation world chasing treasures, ensuring everyone knew of his miraculous escapes from deadly peril.  

The cultivator mused, “I suppose he must share Immortal Venerable Chu’s indomitable fate!”  

Someone nearby immediately objected. “His luck in acquiring treasures might stem from fate, but Immortal Venerable Chu’s strength comes from his own efforts. How dare you compare that scum to him?”  

Realizing his blunder, the first cultivator hastily apologized. “You’re right, my mistake. I spoke carelessly—forgive me.”  

Thanks to Si Qi’s recent fame, his notoriously abysmal luck had also become common knowledge. Many were stunned by his achievements and Chu Feng’s discernment in taking him as a disciple. Only now did they start questioning the cultivation world’s age-old assumption that fate dictated everything—otherwise, how could Si Qi be so formidable?  

Gradually, they began reevaluating other deeply ingrained beliefs, like the source of Chu Feng’s prowess. Some claimed it was pure destiny, but even the luckiest cultivator couldn’t grow stronger without effort. And given the cutthroat nature of their world, those with poor fate often killed the fortunate. When Chu Feng rose to prominence, his enemies were millennia-old veterans—did anyone believe they’d just roll over and die because of his “good luck”? Obviously not.  

Thus, the “fate above all” dogma slowly lost its grip, and no one dared sneer at Chu Feng with “You’re just lucky” anymore—not when his disciple, with the worst luck imaginable, stood as his equal in accomplishments.  

Si Qi waved off the apology, then arched a brow with a meaningful smirk. “Everyone says Zhou’s fate is extraordinary. But if it’s so great, why was he a nobody for years? And how did his entire family get slaughtered?”  

The cultivator froze, then gasped. “Now that you mention it—exactly!”

He frowned in confusion, muttering to himself, “How could this be…?”  

Si Qi said leisurely, “It’s almost as if his luck suddenly skyrocketed overnight—when exactly did he start gaining fame?”  

The cultivator opposite him thought for a moment, then turned to the fellow gossip enthusiasts nearby. “When was the earliest we heard of him?”  

“About half a year ago?”  

“Four or five months.”  

Si Qi smiled faintly. “What a coincidence—that was right before I became a disciple. Also around the time my luck suddenly took a nosedive.”  

Though his tone was light, the listeners caught the implication. The surrounding cultivators, recalling Si Qi’s catastrophically bad luck and Zhou Junyi’s absurdly exaggerated fortune, suddenly realized the two were polar opposites—one blessed by the heavens, the other cursed by them.  

But logically, someone as brilliant and once-in-a-millennium as Si Qi should have luck as formidable as Chu Feng’s. How could his fate be so wretched?  

Meanwhile, Zhou Junyi—who had spent over a decade in the cultivation world as a nobody after his family’s massacre—should have been the one with terrible fortune.  

A lightning-bolt realization struck Chu Feng, who had been silently listening. He remembered his ability to transfer his own luck to his disciple and the way Si Qi’s fortune seemed to drain away like a leaky bucket. His expression darkened abruptly, an oppressive aura radiating from him and making the nearby cultivators tense before he forcibly reined it back in.  

He must have lost control out of concern for his disciple, they thought, none the wiser.  

Then they heard Chu Feng say to Si Qi, “Stay safe in the sect. Your master is going out for a while.”  

Si Qi nodded obediently. “Yes, Master.”  

Chu Feng added, “If anything feels off, remember to take the ‘item’ from my place and keep it on you. Understood?”  

Si Qi grinned mischievously. “I don’t want the jade pendant. Can I just take your clothes instead? The ones you’ve worn.”  

Chu Feng: “…”  

He said dryly, “If I said no, would you listen?”  

Si Qi’s expression very clearly said no.  

And not just any no—a brazen, smug, utterly shameless no that dared him to do something about it.  

Unaware that the “item” in question was Chu Feng’s personal belongings, the onlookers watched the heartwarming master-disciple exchange with fond smiles, completely oblivious to the fact that their “innocent” youth was publicly flirting, reducing the mighty Immortal Chu to resigned defeat.  

And so, Chu Feng set off to track down the Son of the World, determined to uncover whether this man had truly stolen his disciple’s fate.

Under the protective circle of grandmasters who treated him like a treasure, Si Qi smoothly carried out his “scientific research,” miraculously avoiding any mishaps. In just one month, he cracked the method for automated assembly-line production of “flawless-grade” talismans, sparking yet another buying frenzy in the cultivation world.  

With each groundbreaking innovation, the cultivation world finally and irrevocably imprinted Si Qi’s name into its collective memory—ensuring that even tens of thousands of years later, he would never be forgotten.  

—  

Zhou Junyi had been having a very rough time lately.  

It seemed that ever since encountering Si Qi in the secret realm, his originally meteoric rise had taken a nosedive. First, his treasures were exposed, forcing him into hiding under relentless pursuit. Then, after exhausting all his resources to refine top-grade pills, he ended up penniless. Just when he thought he could rely on his foreknowledge to rebuild from scratch, the great demon that should have died by Si Qi’s hands in his past life began hunting him down. No matter where he hid, he was found, making it impossible to retrace Si Qi’s original path of plundering treasures.  

He tried sending distress signals to his former friends, begging for rescue. Yet those who had once been willing to die for Si Qi now ignored his pleas—some even hurled insults back, shouting, “I’m the backstabber? The ones who weren’t backstabbers are already dead because of you!” Only then did Zhou Junyi remember abandoning them to the demon. Oh well, they must all be dead now.  

“Useless trash,” he spat bitterly.  

It wasn’t his fault! If they’d had his skills, they’d have escaped too. Their deaths were just proof of their incompetence.  

Seething with resentment, Zhou Junyi hid in a stinking cave that partially masked his scent from the demon, counting the days and seething over the treasures Si Qi had claimed in his past life.  

Then—an indescribable sense of doom spiked through him. Face paling, he scrambled out of the cave just as an ancient, stable mountain imploded behind him, crushed flat by an invisible force.  

Deafening rubble and choking dust filled the air. Through the haze, Zhou Junyi glimpsed a white-robed cultivator hovering above, coldly surveying him.  

A blade tore through space, aiming for his throat. He shrieked, hurling out a life-saving talisman. The barrier held for a split second before shattering, the residual sword energy ripping through him and leaving him half-dead.  

He recognized this attack. In his past life, Si Qi—obsessed with martial arts—had sparred with this man for days without either gaining the upper hand.  

Yet now, a single casual strike from Chu Feng nearly obliterated him.  

Gritting his teeth, Zhou Junyi swallowed a handful of life-preserving pills, forcibly boosting his cultivation by one realm, and fled without a second thought.  

Chu Feng watched coldly from above, activating his Heavenly Eye to inspect Zhou Junyi’s fate.  

A dazzling golden aura blazed around the man, its magnitude nearly matching his own. But while Chu Feng’s golden light naturally enveloped him, Zhou Junyi’s poured into him from above, unable to fully merge and constantly leaking out.  

Chu Feng’s expression turned glacial. Without hesitation, he unleashed a storm of sword strikes, leveling mountains and forests in his pursuit—determined to sever this thief’s stolen fate and end the perpetual danger to his disciple.  

Within minutes, the landscape was flattened. Despite Zhou Junyi’s desperate pleas, curses, and last-ditch tricks, Chu Feng’s blade found its mark. A clean decapitation. The head tumbled to the ground, lifeless eyes wide with disbelief.  

Yet when Chu Feng searched for the fleeing soul—nothing.  

Damn it!  

His breaths came uneven, fury at the heavens boiling in his chest. He activated a communication talisman, growling to the Lingxiao Sect Leader, “Track down Zhou Junyi’s soul. Annihilate it on sight. Leave no trace.”  

Meanwhile, Xiu Xiu suddenly perked up in Si Qi’s consciousness space.  

[Master! The Son of the World just lost over half of his World Energy!!]