Starting My Cultivation With Time Management

Chapter 156: Chapter 18 Mysterious Seawaters, Luo Yan Leading the Way
The secret realm of the Three Isles treasure ship was a boundless ocean without any visible end.

Compared to the seas of the outer world, this mystical realm seemed normal, yet it bore many oddities.

There was no sun in the sky, yet it was as bright as day; there was no breeze at sea, yet the ship moved without wind.

Miss Shi was delighted, running around on the deck and even took out the Flying Sword to practice Sword Control… naturally, in this secret realm, Sword Control was forbidden.

Linghu Chu stood at the helm on the top deck, carefully inspecting the steering wheel’s structure.

Luo Yan quickly surveyed the surroundings, silently making calculations in his mind.

Every time the Three Isles treasure ship appeared, the secret realm would only be open for three days.

From the initial opening of the secret realm to receiving the news at Yuqing View, followed by the group from Heavenly Craft Workshop rushing over, six hours had already passed.

Meaning, the time left to explore the secret realm was another two days and six hours.

The surrounding sea was calm, without even the basic tide and waves, one could only see the upper part of an island appearing faintly at the two o’clock direction from the ship’s bow.

It seemed to be a mountain range in the center of an island.

“Luo Yan?” Linghu Chu signaled and asked.

After comparing the shape characteristics of the mountain range with all the island information recorded in the Kunlun Mirror, Luo Yan slowly shook his head.

Meaning, that island was not on the map.

Linghu Chu’s thoughts sunk slightly, and he sighed,

“Then let’s go.”

Although the island ahead was unfamiliar, there was nowhere else to go.

He turned the steering wheel, adjusting the ship’s course to head straight towards the distant island.

At the same time, he spread out his Divine Sense, monitoring every move in the surrounding sea.

Luo Yan too observed the surroundings, but didn’t tense up like the senior brother.

Firstly, after all, they had the protection of a Great Perfection Golden Core Realm senior brother, and secondly, there wasn’t a Qiu Changtian or Ling Yunpo appearing before him saying, “I’ve come this time to resolve your death tribulation,” so he could maintain a relatively composed demeanor.

Huh, where’s Miss Shi???

Noticing Shi Liuli’s sudden disappearance, Luo Yan’s heart jolted with shock.

Rushing into the cabin below the deck, he found Miss Shi kneeling on a meditation cushion, which brought him relief.

What’s this about?

In front of Miss Shi, at the table, three sticks of incense were burning in the incense burner, though it was unclear when she had lit them.

Shi Liuli had her hands together in prayer, kneeling on the meditation cushion, muttering a chant under her breath.

On a closer listen, her soft prayer was “May the heavens bless me, on the next island, to encounter a rare adventure that will promote Marrow Cleansing”…

Miss Shi, if prayer were effective, the Cultivation Realm would be full of religions instead of the great Sects, you know?

“Junior Sister Xu,” Luo Yan barely suppressed his urge to laugh, pretending to be curious as he asked, “What are you doing?”

Shi Liuli ignored him and continued her silent prayer until she had finished, only then saying,

“Quiet, I’m cultivating power.”

“Cultivating power?” Luo Yan was baffled.

“I’m influencing the luck and fate of the next few days,” Shi Liuli stated indifferently.

Luo Yan felt he was about to lose his composure and took half a minute to regain his calm before asking,

“So what is the principle behind this… no, behind this manipulation of fate?”

After seriously pondering for a moment, Shi Liuli said:

“It’s not that complicated to explain,”

she said, rising gracefully to her feet and cradling the incense burner in her palms, raising her chin as she spoke:

“First of all, I, Miss Shi, am a person of destiny.”

“Huh?” Luo Yan finally couldn’t hold back.

“What the hell are you laughing at!” Shi Liuli immediately glared at him.

“No, I wasn’t laughing,” Luo Yan weakly tried to explain a few words, and then he asked, “What do you mean by a person of destiny?”

“You know, ‘the favored one by the heavens’,” Shi Liuli stated matter-of-factly. “Look, your senior sister here is beautiful, intelligent, and from an Orthodox Sect family, a senior’s daughter. Isn’t that the most powerful proof?”

Luo Yan suddenly fell silent.

Is he… at a loss for words?

On closer thought, if being born was considered a kind of starting point, then Miss Shi’s starting point was indeed as perfect as it could be.

Among the female cultivators he knew, probably only Xu Yinglian, who came from the Xu Family of Southern Heaven, could compare with her.

But even Junior Sister Xu, despite enjoying the benefits of a Cultivation family, had to passively accept her family’s arrangements, being forced into an engagement with senior brother Qiu Changtian… unlike Miss Shi, who, from childhood to adulthood, only enjoyed the benefits without the need to fulfill any obligations.

Seeing that he had no comebacks and had tacitly agreed, Shi Liuli gave a triumphant smile and continued:

“Having so many favorable conditions in one person is enough to show that I am being paid attention to by the fate of the Heavenly Dao.”

“As long as I pray sincerely, the heavens will definitely hear my plea and reach out to help me.”

Luo Yan sighed internally: Fine, whatever makes you happy.

Miss Shi then set down the incense burner and fumbled with the storage bag she carried with her, saying:

“Junior brother.”

“What’s up?”

“Lend me a High Grade Spirit Stone. I’ll pay you back after we leave this secret realm.”

“Oh,” Luo Yan fished out a High Grade Spirit Stone and handed it to Miss Shi.

According to Luo Yan’s experience, a High Grade Spirit Stone in the Cultivation Realm was equivalent to a “hundred-thousand-yuan bill,” mainly used for large transactions, like purchasing a Sect’s land or immovable properties like caves and heavens.

Beyond that, you couldn’t really buy anything with it in the market because no one could make change for it. So, it was normal for Miss Shi not to have it on her.

Still, Luo Yan believed that Miss Shi would be able to effortlessly produce any number of High Grade Spirit Stones upon returning, so he lent it quite willingly.

Upon receiving the Spirit Stone, Shi Liuli left the cabin and went up to the deck.

Then, to Luo Yan’s astonishment, she threw the High Grade Spirit Stone into the sea.

Luo Yan: ???

“This is a necessary sacrifice,” Shi Liuli turned around to explain, “Even when throwing dice, the odds of good and bad luck are close.”

“So, to fulfill my wish, I must first make a corresponding sacrifice. This way, it meets the requirements of the Heavenly Dao’s fate.”

Hearing this, Luo Yan felt numb, thinking what kind of metaphysical method is this? Isn’t it too mystical?

However, seeing the look of deep conviction on Miss Shi’s face, he started to have his doubts.

Considering this world isn’t one that follows a scientific setting, what if the Heavenly Dao’s fate Miss Shi spoke of truly exists… Wait a minute, the Heavenly Dao does indeed exist, doesn’t it?

“Ah Jing, Ah Jing!” With this thought, Luo Yan hurriedly called out to the Kunlun Mirror in his mind, “Can Miss Shi’s method really communicate with the Heavenly Dao’s fate?”

“What are you thinking?” The Kunlun Mirror was simply speechless, replying irritably, “The fate of the Heavenly Dao doesn’t give a damn about anyone; it’s not something you can communicate with!”

“Besides, even if it could communicate, it would definitely be utterly ruthless. Trying to get a favor from it? Dream on!”

“I suppose so,” Luo Yan patted his head, feeling like Miss Shi’s erratic behavior had really driven him crazy.

If the will of the Heavenly Dao does exist and is watching over Miss Shi, he dreaded that it would be the first to strike down him, a “time thief” who “cheated with Ah Jing”!