My Cultivation Techniques Upgrade Automatically

Chapter 203: Chapter 202: Execute on the Spot

”Wu Chen is growing stronger so quickly, and he’s only killing villains. What’s wrong with that?”

After much thought, Hong Ling spoke flatly, her expression unreadable.

’Even though Master didn’t explain what a Reincarnator is, I’m guessing they come from some powerful background or faction.’

’If Wu Chen has a background like that, I’d only feel I’m not worthy of him. I wouldn’t think any less of him.’

”If he has to go somewhere far away, I’ll wait for him.”

”Once I reach the Blood Coagulation Realm, I’ll go find him.”

”I believe he’ll remember me.”

Hong Ling’s words were firm. In the time they had spent together, he would tease her and make harmless jokes, but she never saw the contempt of a superior for their subordinate in his eyes.

He said he would come to the Blood Slaughter Sect to save her, and he kept his word.

So there was no way he would forget her, like her master suggested.

But Li Langtian, perched on her shoulder, let out a chuckle, thinking his disciple was quite the lovestruck fool.

”My dear disciple, that’s where you’re mistaken.”

”Whether this Reincarnator remembers you or not isn’t up to him.”

He shifted into a more comfortable position, his tiny form lounging on Hong Ling’s shoulder. He propped his head on one hand and slowly began to explain.

”If we were talking about the Ancient Races, like those with an Overlord Body, their descendants’ realms improve rapidly because they rely on the power of their clan’s bloodline. Naturally, there’d be nothing to worry about.”

”But Reincarnators are different. They rely on the accumulated foundation of their past lives, which is why their cultivation speed surpasses that of ordinary people.”

”The thing is, these Reincarnators aren’t aware of this. Their past-life memories only awaken once they reach a certain realm.”

”Actually, ’memories’ isn’t quite right. Think of it more as their ’past self’.”

”So, my dear disciple, you tell me: when two selves exist inside one body, can they possibly coexist peacefully?”

”That...” Hong Ling was stunned. She had never heard of anything like this, but from Li Langtian’s words, she was beginning to understand.

’The Wu Chen I know has, without realizing it, stumbled into a massive crisis.’

’Someone has set a trap for him!’

”I’ll just tell you the answer. As far as I know, no Reincarnator has ever managed to defeat their past self.”

”Because once the past self awakens, it won’t just try to seize the foundation built in this lifetime. The powers behind that past self will also help it complete the transformation.”

Li Langtian wasn’t just trying to scare her, nor was he deceiving her. His memories confirmed everything he knew about Reincarnators, and every word he had just spoken was the truth.

”Truth be told, after his past self awakens, it would actually be a good thing if Wu Chen really did forget you.”

He added as an afterthought.

”’Forgetting me would be a good thing?’” Hong Ling repeated her master’s words. She didn’t understand, but she knew he had no reason to deceive her.

’After all, I’m just in the Jade Bone Realm. What could a master with such a mysterious background possibly gain by tricking me?’

’Wouldn’t it make more sense to trick Wu Chen, who has the extraordinary background?’

’No wonder he... ’

As her master continued to explain, Hong Ling thought of the way Wu Chen had always kept her at arm’s length.

’Did he already sense something? Is that why he’s been so distant?’

’Was he trying to keep me from getting involved in all this Reincarnator business?’

”When a Reincarnator’s past self awakens, its only goal is to take the foundation of this life. Then, it will sever all of this life’s memories to cut off any connection to you. If that happens, you at least have a chance to survive.”

Li Langtian clarified his earlier point. ”But we can’t rule out the possibility that some of them were bastards in their past lives. Those ones might keep the memories of this life.”

”These people will track down the karmic ties from this life... and they’ll do it while the present self is forced to watch.”

”If they just kill you, that’s a quick end. What’s to be feared is if they decide to torture and toy with you...”

Li Langtian didn’t elaborate, but from his tone, Hong Ling could guess what he meant.

After all, she had spent time in the Demon Sect. The mere thought of the ways those twisted disciples toyed with women made her skin crawl.

’One self killing the other... one self slaughtering the other’s karmic ties.’

’What kind of sick fucks are they?!’

’These people don’t sound like good people at all!’

Hearing this, Hong Ling’s brows furrowed. A fire of indignation burned in her chest, and she gripped her scabbard so tightly that it creaked.

She knew she was right. Wu Chen was keeping his distance precisely because he didn’t want her to get dragged into this after his past self awakened.

But her shoulders quickly slumped, and her entire demeanor deflated. Her voice was as faint as a buzzing mosquito.

”But I’m just a Martial Artist at the Jade Bone Realm... Even if I went down the mountain and found Wu Chen, I couldn’t possibly help him defeat his past self...”

”Hah!”

Seeing his opportunity, Li Langtian sat up straight and stopped lounging, patting his chest proudly.

”You’ve still got me, your master!”

”A master who’s just a remnant soul? Paired with a Martial Artist at the Jade Bone Realm?”

Hong Ling felt that such a team was just asking for a death sentence.

’If we go find Wu Chen, we’d just be making it convenient for his awakened self to sever this life’s karmic ties!’

”Hey! That’s where you’re wrong!”

Li Langtian didn’t mind his disciple looking down on him. He was, after all, just a remnant soul. There was no arguing that, so her concern was perfectly understandable.

”Most Reincarnators fail to defeat their past selves because their willpower isn’t strong enough. They think they’re geniuses, but they haven’t actually experienced enough. Their minds aren’t steady or calm.”

”But if you give him a reason to live, a reason not to give up... If a variable like that exists, the outcome of the struggle is anyone’s guess.”

Li Langtian did his best to explain at length.

Hong Ling still looked confused. ”Master, what do you mean by ’a variable’?”

”Giving your young man an unforgettable memory, a truly shocking one—that will be the variable for this life of his.”

”And what kind of memory is unforgettable?” Hong Ling still didn’t grasp the point.

Li Langtian explained patiently, ”Think about it. Given Wu Chen’s nature, or perhaps because of his past self’s arrangements, he is bound to enter one perilous domain after another to seize opportunities.”

”Even with the advantages of being a Reincarnator, no one can guarantee they’ll emerge unscathed from such treacherous places.”

”So, if one day Wu Chen is grievously injured, and just when he needs someone the most, you appear before him...”

As Hong Ling listened to her master’s eloquent explanation, her eyes grew brighter and brighter. She was starting to grasp the crucial point.

”So, when that time comes, do you know what to do?

Li Langtian looked at his disciple with a chuckle. ”After three breaths, let’s both say what scene would truly move a man’s heart!”

Hah! Hah! Hah!

”Stand in front of Wu Chen and slay his powerful foe!”

”Pin Wu Chen’s body down and take him right then and there!”

Three breaths later, master and disciple spoke at the exact same time. After they finished, both fell into a long, awkward silence.

「On the cliff’s edge.」

Hong Ling hung her head, strands of hair hiding a face so red it looked like it might start bleeding.

How could she possibly misunderstand what her master meant by ”take him right then and there”?

She was from the Demon Sect, after all. While practicing her blade by the cliff, she had occasionally caught glimpses of the sect’s disciples in... amorous embraces among the mountains.

Just thinking about such scenes made her so embarrassed steam could have come out of her ears...

The thing was...

After thinking it over,

’Why does Master’s idea... actually seem to make a lot of sense?!’

BAM!

Li Langtian was mortified, slapping a palm to his own forehead.

If his soul-form weren’t so unstable, he would have loved to take a blade to himself and slice away all the inappropriate thoughts in his head.

’Why do I feel like *I’m* the Reincarnator here?’

Thinking about what he’d just said, he wished a hole would open in the ground and swallow him whole.

The girl wasn’t exactly a child, but when he had dispelled her Blood Palace Seal, he’d learned that his disciple was still a virgin.

’And while my idea was actually a good one...’

’As her master, it was disrespectful and uncouth of me to say it.’

He was about to apologize, but Hong Ling recovered first and asked calmly:

”Master, if Wu Chen is ever in grave danger... whether it’s standing in front of him, or... the other option... I’m still just at the Jade Bone Realm. I don’t think I’d be able to do either...”

This was the harsh reality. Her realm was too low. No matter what ”position” she took, it would be difficult.

”Ahem!”

Li Langtian seized the chance to change the subject. ”Don’t you worry about that. Stick with me, and I’ll have you in the Dragon Transformation Realm within three years. You’ll be able to keep pace with your young man, no problem.”

”Besides, the awakening of his past self is still a long way off. It won’t happen as quickly as you think. We have plenty of time.”

”You will absolutely get the chance to make him fight for his life—for you—at the final moment!”

Having fully absorbed the five Soul-Storage Pearls, Li Langtian had recovered a good portion of his memories. He used to think the Dragon Transformation Realm was formidable, but now, it seemed merely so-so.

So, Li Langtian’s current goal was simple: to forge Hong Ling into one of the most powerful young prodigies of her generation.

Then, he would help Wu Chen seize his past life’s opportunities for himself, preventing the past self’s memories from awakening, and making him, too, one of the strongest young prodigies.

As for provoking powerful factions by getting involved with a Reincarnator, not only did he not care, he was actually eager to stick it to those powers who shamelessly plunder the world’s opportunities for themselves.

”Haaah—”

He had been talking for so long. Even after absorbing five Soul-Storage Pearls, Li Langtian felt exhausted, especially since he had also used a teleportation ability to find his disciple.

As he spoke, a wave of drowsiness washed over him. He let out a long yawn and said:

”Disciple, I’m getting sleepy. I need to rest a bit.”

”As for leaving the mountain... you don’t have to do everything I say. Think it over. Leaving the mountain means danger, that’s a certainty. Your young man must have thought so too, which is why he forbade you from leaving.”

”Well, anyway... I’m going to sleep now...”

With that, Li Langtian’s eyes could barely stay open. His form dissolved into a streak of light that flowed into the space between Hong Ling’s brows, coalescing into an intricate, golden Flowing Cloud Mark.

It added a touch of mystique to her cool, flawless face.

Then, with a flash of light, the mark vanished. But the aura of profound mystery it left behind, a sense of being untouchable, remained.

On the cliff, Hong Ling stood alone.

She quietly mulled over her master’s words.

”’Leave the mountain?’”

Her eyes sparkled as she gazed at the distant mountain range. Her thoughts were a mystery, but her pale fingers absently rubbed her lower abdomen as she let out a soft huff.

”If that day ever comes for you, you rascal... hmph, hmph!”

”I’m leaving the mountain!”

No longer hesitating, Hong Ling made her decision. She reached up and undid the twin-looped bun at the back of her head, letting her long, jet-black hair cascade down her back like a waterfall.

She gathered her long hair with both hands, bound it with a red cord into a high ponytail, and returned to her room in the courtyard to change into a black tunic.

The tight-fitting black clothes outlined the young woman’s slender, budding figure. Her high ponytail danced in the mountain breeze.

The softness in her face vanished, replaced by her usual cold, stern expression.

With no extra adornment, she possessed a refined, otherworldly air.

About the time it takes to drink a cup of tea, the urgent clatter of hooves echoed through Refining Valley.

A fine, jet-black steed burst out of Refining Valley, on its back a slender figure whose face was concealed by a wide-brimmed hat.

Horse and rider, a single form like an arrow, shot out into the vast wilderness beyond.