Who Let Him Cultivate?! (WX)-Chapter 546: Real Knowledge Comes From Practice

Immersing himself in the Dao-Seeking Sect’s atmosphere, Shi Chan felt a surge of emotion. He could sense the entire place pulsing with positivity and vitality—a stark contrast from the Hanging Monastery.

This kind of lively atmosphere is exactly what our Hanging Monastery lacks.

“No wonder the word on the street is that the Dao-Seeking Sect is the number one great immortal sect. There’s indeed some substance to the rumors.”

The so-called “word on the street” referred to the pingshu story, Saga of the Dao-Seeking Sect.

He lingered by the arena stages, watching disciples exchange dazzling techniques, whose spectacular duels elicited cheers and applause from the audience. Since the Dao-Seeking Sect disciples knew each other, his unfamiliar face stood out, though it didn’t take long for them to deduce who he was.

“Are you Junior Brother Shi Chan from the Hanging Monastery? Care to step onto the stage for a sparring match?”

Shi Chan smiled and shook his head in refusal, stating forthrightly that he had come to the Dao-Seeking Sect to seek Buddhist spells, not to engage in strife—that would go against his original intent.

You must be joking! Every one of you is at least at the Nascent Soul Stage. If I could win, pigs would fly. That’s not called a sparring match—it’s called a beating.

“Shifu often said the Taciturn Daoist Priest possesses both Buddha and diabolic natures. Left unchecked, he would bring calamity to the mortal realm. The Taciturn Daoist Priest’s cultivation advanced too swiftly, and only Shifu could suppress him. I wonder what the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s disciples are like.”

He inquired with people nearby for information on Lu Yang.

Lu Yang was quite the legendary figure in the Dao-Seeking Sect. His tenure as acting sect leader for two months and three days had thrust him into the spotlight. Whenever his name was brought up, any disciple would have something to say about him.

“I didn’t expect Lu Yang to abuse his authority as acting sect leader to force his own victory—truly contemptible! However, his reputation here in the Dao-Seeking Sect is surprisingly not bad. No wonder he could cultivate the Arhat Fist. It seems that Fellow Daoist Lu Yang’s Buddha nature is deep, and he is destined for a bright future. I suppose his misuse of the acting sect leader's authority was due to being possessed by a great devil, which led him astray. May he be forgiven and blessed. Sādhu, excellent.”

Compared to the Taciturn Daoist Priest, Lu Yang is upright and aboveboard, and his reputation in the Dao-Seeking Sect is excellent.

“Based on what I’ve heard from all the senior brothers and sisters, the Taciturn Daoist Priest has four disciples, and Lu Yang is the fourth. The second and third disciples are away from the Central Continent, leaving only the eldest disciple to look after Heaven’s Gate Peak.

“Shifu always warned me not to provoke the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s eldest disciple. But as they say, ‘real knowledge comes from practice.’ Scriptures are merely the experiences of those before us. How can I copy them directly? Let me test it first.”

~~~

Following the directions, Shi Chan arrived at Heaven’s Gate Peak, where he found Yun Zhi in the middle of cultivation.

Yun Zhi retracted her powers and eyed Shi Chan with slight bemusement. Why is a disciple from the Hanging Monastery looking for me?

“This little monk is a disciple of the Hanging Monastery. My Buddhist name is Shi Chan. Senior, may I ask if you’re the Taciturn Daoist Priest’s eldest disciple?

“Yes, I am. What brings you here, Junior Brother Shi Chan?”

“I’ve heard that your cultivation is peerless and unbeatable among peers at your realm, Senior Yun Zhi. Would it be possible for you to suppress your cultivation to the Advanced Golden Stage and spar with me?”

“Sure.”

“To be honest, I’ve never been defeated since I began my path in cultivation. I’m rather confident in my cultivation. Feel free to strike as you please, Senior Yun Zhi. Don’t worry about whether I can withstand it.”

~~~

Not long after, Shi Chan limped down Heaven’s Gate Peak, his face bruised and swollen.

“Looks like Shifu was right. Senior Yun Zhi indeed can’t be provoked.”

Next, he wandered into the commercial district. He could sense that from the shop owners to the staff, the area abounded with talented dragons and tigers in hiding.

“It seems at least a third of this street are experts.”

In truth, everyone in the commercial district was an expert. It was just that the remaining two-thirds had returned to a state of simplicity, and he couldn’t discern anything.

Suddenly, he halted in his tracks, his expression one of vigilance.

Ahead was a cultivator exuding palpable baleful energy. One could only imagine the number of lives he had taken.

Diabolic Creed?!

I should follow him to check.

He gingerly trailed the cultivator, tailing him halfway down the street before stopping.

That cultivator stopped before a barbeque shop.

Shi Chan’s nose twitched as it sniffed the aroma of the fusion between cumin and lamb, fully stimulated by the flames. It whetted his appetite and caused him to swallow his saliva involuntarily.

“Lamb skewers! Fresh, authentic lamb skewers!”

“Old Gao, Old Liu, I’ve brought you more meat.”

At his words, Chef Liu cheerfully passed his skewers to Chef Gao to be roasted while he accepted the storage ring from the creed leader. Inside were freshly butchered cuts of beef and lamb, so fresh that the muscles still quivered as if they were dancing.

“This little master here, you’ve followed me the entire journey. Is it because you wanted to eat roasted skewers?” The creed leader turned. He had noticed Shi Chan long ago.

“Two skewers for you, little master?” Chef Gao offered kindly.

Shi Chan shook his head firmly. “This little monk didn’t bring money.”

Eating at restaurants isn’t expensive, and if I can’t dine and dash successfully, I can wash the dishes. These barbeque skewers here are pricey, and the bill has to be settled with spirit stones. It’s clearly not something a few days of scrubbing plates could make up for.

“It’s fine. You’re from the Hanging Monastery, right? All visitors are guests. These two skewers are on the house—consider them our treat.”

Shi Chan shook his head again. “I cannot accept it for free. Why don’t we do this? Since you seem to run a breeding farm, and I’ve worked in one before, I could assist you there.”

In fact, Shi Chan had been working in a slaughterhouse before this. If not for Senior Uncle telling me to come to the Dao-Seeking Sect for studies, I would still be in the slaughterhouse. Since there’s an opportunity in the Dao-Seeking Sect, I might as well seize it to continue my cultivation.

“Umm...” The creed leader hesitated. This little monk is clearly a senior monk from the Hanging Monastery. If the Dao-Seeking Sect finds out I let him go to the slaughterhouse, I’m afraid they won’t let me off.

Shi Chan fished out the token given by Dai Bufan. “Senior Brother told me that this token grants me access to any part of the Dao-Seeking Sect.”

Seeing Shi Chan’s unwavering attitude, the creed leader relented, and Shi Chan finally enjoyed the barbeque skewers as he had wished.

He led Shi Chan through the sect's central zone and arrived at a grassland. This was his slaughterhouse. Livestock, such as cows and sheep, were everywhere, and the water and grass were fresh and beautiful.

“Boss, you’re back!”

Three Alluring Ghosts—Little Five, Little Six, and Little Seven—stared in surprise at the monk accompanying the creed leader.

A diabolic creed leader running a breeding farm is already bizarre enough, and now a monk is also joining?

Shi Chan was equally surprised. I didn’t expect the Dao-Seeking Sect to offer shelter to three Alluring Ghosts. Is this their way of embodying the sages’ doctrine of ‘education for all, regardless of background?’

“Shi Chan greets all three female benefactors."

The three female ghosts hurriedly returned the courtesy.

Shi Chan quickly settled into the rhythm of his work. The butcher’s knife in his hand rose and fell as it sliced along the fibers of the beef, dividing the meat into a dozen precise cuts in the blink of an eye.

“Sādhu, excellent. Namo Amitabha-granny nights. Odāta-many nights...”[1]

Setting down his butcher’s knife, Shi Chan chanted the Rebirth Requiem, dispelling the cow’s lingering resentment. This was why no trace of resentment clung to him despite having slaughtered countless cattle. He had long advocated for all butchers to learn the Rebirth Requiem, though progress was unfortunately limited.

If every butcher followed my example, foolish acts like that Great Yu cultivator refining a Soul-Summoning Banner with the resentment of livestock wouldn’t have happened.

“Little master, please cease your powers!” the three Alluring Ghosts beseeched. We are merely at the Foundation Establishment Stage. How could we withstand his high-level Rebirth Requiem?

Shi Chan immediately stopped chanting. He had forgotten that three ghosts were here.

Guilty, he offered graciously, “If you ever get sick of living one day, just tell me. I’ll perform deliverance rituals to help you move on in peace.”

The three Alluring Ghosts hastily declined.

1. You can understand this as Buddhism-related terms that are converted into a gibberish format. ☜