Chapter 772: Alien Survival, The Earthling Cultivation System Unveiled

"Ancient emperors' tombs were certainly designed to prevent grave robbers."

"The reason I hadn't encountered any defenses before was likely because I teleported directly into the tomb's interior, bypassing the outer layer of traps and arriving in the middle section of the burial goods."

Li Li had always been cautious, even when opening the previous tombs, testing them by throwing in various objects.

He had been working hard in society for many years.

Running businesses like KTVs and bars naturally exposed him to all sorts of people, from all walks of life. In fact, before he went legitimate, he himself was deeply involved in the underworld and had seen many dangerous situations.

"Fortunately, Ji Shang's era was still primitive, without modern technological or chemical anti-grave robbing mechanisms. At most, there would be mechanical crossbows and traps." He carefully pushed open the door.

Before his eyes was a massive palace. The first thing he saw was a meticulously carved stone statue of the Moon God, Ji. Behind the deity was a full moon, and beneath it, a young boy, Ji Shang, knelt on one knee.

Divine right of kings.

The meaning of this statue was evident.

Even after the long passage of time and a layer of dust, the lifelike features on the statue's face were still discernible.

"The Moon God, Ji... the ancient deity who sent me here earlier... it might have been him..." He pursed his lips.

The entire palace, with its golden, sculpted walls, was exceedingly luxurious.

In the distance, there was a literal 'pool of wine and forest of meat'—countless fine wines and delicacies, frozen solid like beautiful ice sculptures. It seemed he had found the right place; the tomb contained all sorts of burial goods: armies, wine, and treasures.

"There aren't any mechanisms in the main tomb either?"

He took a deep breath, his aged body crawling forward, feeling every corner of the floor to ensure he wouldn't step on any trigger mechanisms.

"It seems I simply bypassed the outer layer of mechanisms. Is the core area completely undefended? After all, for an emperor like Ji Shang, a once-in-a-millennium figure who unified the kingdoms of Zhongzhou, conquered the vast grasslands, and almost dominated more than half the planet's territory—equivalent to reaching Spain in Europe—how could such a proud man leave imperfect traps or mechanisms in his main tomb, a place he intended for his own enjoyment? All anti-grave robbing measures would logically be concentrated in the outer perimeter. If one could breach that, there would be no need for further defenses inside."

Li Li took a deep breath; to say he wasn't excited would be a lie.

After all, this was a legendary emperor, comparable to Qin Shi Huang!

He was just an ordinary Guangdong businessman. If he hadn't been following that mysterious forum, he would have been completely lost here, clueless about what was happening, and very close to death.

He carefully took some of the frozen food from the dining tables, intending to leave this freezer-like main tomb palace. He had no intention of prying open the coffin.

He couldn't guarantee that Ji Shang's coffin didn't have a hidden mechanism, or that Ji Shang might even still be alive.

He even laboriously dragged several large stone sculptures and stacked them heavily on the coffin lid. Only after confirming it would be impossible for a normal person to push them open did he start mumbling,

"Amitabha, may the great Physical Buddha Newton bless me and help keep this coffin lid tightly shut for this emperor of the ages, this heroic ruler who waged wars his entire life and killed tens of thousands!"

"Wait."

He froze for a moment, utterly shocked, his body trembling violently.

"So that's it!"

He exclaimed, "It's perfectly normal that Newton, that peerless genius of Western physics, was extremely passionate about studying theology in his later years. After all... he was originally a true disciple of the Physical Buddha!!"

He had a sudden epiphany, feeling goosebumps all over his body. "Look at his golden curly hair, isn't that exactly the nappy, curly hairstyle of a Buddha?"

"Everyone thinks Buddha is found in Buddhism, but in reality, Buddha is in all sentient beings."

He mumbled to himself, becoming increasingly devout since arriving on this extraordinary planet and realizing that everything was real.

"What secrets do our ancient Chinese myths truly hide? What kind of great splendor did our ancient civilization possess?"

He moved into a small, enclosed space, insulated from the icy tomb outside. He retrieved some intricately carved furniture, smashing priceless antiques into wood splinters, and attempted to start a fire by rubbing sticks.

To his dismay, he found that this seemingly simple skill, essential for primitive people, eluded him for an entire day. His hands were raw and bleeding.

Reality was cruel.

Ultimately, he could only huddle in a corner, covering himself with some luxurious burial clothes, using his body heat to melt ice for water, and consuming the food.

He shivered uncontrollably, looking exactly like a destitute old man in a cold wind.

This was an extraterrestrial wilderness survival.

His teeth chattered from the cold. "All those stories are lies... about transmigrating to another world and easily surviving with various tricks. Even the simplest act of rubbing sticks to make fire is difficult for a modern person..."

Even frozen like this, he could still amuse himself.

"I think anyone wanting to transmigrate should learn how to make fire by rubbing sticks, thoroughly study the manufacturing processes for gunpowder and nuclear bombs, master mathematics and chemistry, and enter the threshold of 'Physical Buddhism' and 'Chemical Daoism,' with at least a university degree... After all, compulsory nine-year education is how the state secretly cultivates disciples of 'Buddhism' and 'Daoism,' inheritors of ancient mythical civilization."

—Universal cultivation begins with compulsory nine-year education.

At this moment, he felt that from Newton's physics and the scientific revolution to contemporary society, though seemingly eliminating feudal superstitions of various eras, in reality...

Earth was progressing towards the transcendent.

If supernatural phenomena were to reappear, Earth's compulsory nine-year education, the 'sea of questions' strategy, and exam prep like 'Five Years of College Entrance Exams, Three Years of Simulated Tests,' would all be producing countless peerless experts.

"Current students find studying boring and yearn for the supernatural powers of other worlds. But the most tedious part of the so-called path to transcendence is precisely studying."

He murmured, as if he had glimpsed the true essence of the world,

"All things in the world are equal. How can one become strong without enduring tedium? How can those who can't even persevere through studying, who don't learn the truths of the universe like physics and chemistry, become strong?"

The universe, in its unseen ways, is destined.

No matter the world, a lazy student who doesn't put in effort will always remain a lazy student.

"Outside, there should still be an arms race, and the major continents should be launching satellites in about a year... And that player, Yuan Qinghua, should still be secretly cultivating the 'Nine Revolutions Profound Art,' waiting for that day to embark."

A year?

He silently calculated, realizing these matters were irrelevant to him.

After all, he was just an ordinary person. Furthermore, how was he to escape the outer tomb mechanisms? They were virtually indestructible for him.

"I must cultivate! I must study!"

A determined thought was born in his mind.

"But martial arts cultivation is impossible. Even though the principles of such techniques have spread, I lack 'divine sense' and can't train every part of my body... I can only cultivate the 'Soul Dao.' Yet, the core players have always hidden these methods from us ordinary forum viewers; there are no public Soul Dao techniques. Am I supposed to create my own?"

His scalp tingled.

"How is that possible? ...Reviewing all the worlds and realms I've seen, throughout the entire history of transcendent civilization, anyone who could create cultivation techniques from scratch must have had a corresponding transcendent bloodline..."

"But as an Earthling, what transcendent bloodline do I have?"

No matter how he thought about it, it was a dead end!

The outer layers were full of tomb-guarding mechanisms, and he, an ordinary person, couldn't get out. Remaining in the tomb, the oxygen levels, food, and water would all eventually run out.

His time was extremely limited.

He huddled in the corner. "I can only hope someone tries to rob this tomb, but is that even possible? Qin Shi Huang's mausoleum on Earth hasn't been excavated to this day for protection. And here in Zhongzhou, it's not just about protecting the tomb; Ji Shang's descendants are ruling the country. How could they possibly dig up their own ancestral grave? If only I could get online and ask for help on the forum..."

Over the next three months, he failed countless times. Amidst hunger and cold, he finally learned to make fire by rubbing sticks, but that was all.

Despite his frugal living, eating only one meal a day and minimizing activity outside of basic needs to reduce oxygen consumption, he had still used up most of his stored food.

The frozen vegetables from the burial goods were all gone, leaving only meat.

His physical condition was deteriorating rapidly, and he discovered a terrifying problem:

Although the mysterious deity had previously treated his body, his cancer was now on the verge of flaring up again.

At the same time, he had been exposed to radiation.

His body was seeping blood; his gums, nostrils, and the top of his head were completely bald in patches.

"It just occurred to me now: those vegetables and meats must have undergone micro-radiation treatment to be sterilized, allowing them to be preserved for so long in the ice..."

He also discovered something even more terrifying.

The elite soldiers and generals, frozen in ice, might actually still be alive.

They might have also undergone various radiation treatments and then been frozen in a state of slumber, showing faint signs of life. This was utterly terrifying!

"If the frozen soldiers were still alive, then Ji Shang himself must certainly be alive!" He was completely unnerved. "Is he planning to awaken one day, along with his loyal troops—this army of terracotta warriors—to conquer this planet again?"

He hadn't been idle these past three months.

He thought about experimenting on the corpses, merging their radiated genes to cultivate 'Buddhist Daoism.'

But he stopped himself instantly.

He lacked the necessary knowledge and ability to extract their blood, create transcendent bloodline potions, or forcibly integrate their blood into himself. If he were a second or third-tier cultivator, there might be a slim chance of resisting the effects, but now?

With his current physical condition, the mortality rate would be one hundred percent.

Now, he could only close his eyes, rest, and research the legendary Soul Dao.

He became completely serious.

"Martial Dao and Soul Dao are both unadorned, fundamental cultivation methods that directly address the core essence."

As an Earthling, he could only begin to study these things, because knowledge was the ultimate power.

"I understand the principles of Martial Dao: using 'divine sense' to observe every muscle and bone, conducting comprehensive training, consuming large amounts of food for nourishment, and evolving the physical body and flesh... I don't have divine sense, so Martial Dao is impossible! Moreover, there isn't enough food here to provide powerful energy... I can only research Soul Dao. As an original, bloodline-independent cultivation method, it's a simple way to train the soul; it must be an ancient meditation technique!"

Martial Dao was for ancient warriors who forged their qi and blood.

Soul Dao was for ancient Daoists who meditated cross-legged.

These were precisely the two major systems, as all cultivation methods originated from them.

But why did no one, neither Daoists nor warriors, succeed with ancient meditation?

Martial Dao requires divine sense. Does Soul Dao, then, require energy replenishment?

Hoo, hoo, hoo.

He closed his eyes, his breathing long and steady, though it clearly wasn't having much effect. He knew a little about qigong and ancient breathing techniques, having lived through the era of nationwide qigong craze as a middle-aged man.

Another month passed.

The meat was also almost gone.

If this continued, he would have no choice but to eat the corpses.

"Better to die than eat corpses; I won't live much longer anyway... Besides, the most serious problem now isn't food, but the complete lack of oxygen."

He distinctly felt the oxygen growing thin, experiencing symptoms of altitude sickness and struggling to breathe.

"I strongly suspect that all that seemingly useless oxygen Ji Shang stored in the tomb was likely intended for ventilation once they awakened... like a blood transfusion, as their blood is oxygen. It was a contingency for their awakening," he took a deep breath. "I've now completely depleted all of their reserves."

At this point, he was at the end of his rope.

Four months was too short; he had only practiced useless qigong.

He had no choice but to make a final desperate attempt. He first tried melting the ice around one of the soldiers to examine his body, and discovered an even more terrifying truth.

According to what he learned from the forum, this soldier, despite being in his thirties and already white-haired, was actually a second-tier cultivator.

He was utterly shocked on the spot. "Ji Shang, even though he gained technology as a 'Moon Diviner,' had already begun researching transcendent systems himself. Most of the soldiers who followed him were second-tier cultivators and essentially old men. He himself must have been around the third or fourth tier! He alone managed to open up four realms of cultivation!! The average lifespan in this world is forty years. By that logic, a fourth-tier cultivator's lifespan would be seventy or eighty years. This means that when Ji Shang 'died' of old age, it wasn't actual death but a state of suspended animation—he was still in his prime!"

He paced back and forth in the tomb, goosebumps rising on his skin, as if he had uncovered a vast, ancient conspiracy. "He fell into slumber because he saw that his loyal troops, who had followed him, were all going to die of old age. So he chose to sleep, wanting to bring his inner circle with him to the next life!"

"Also, he wanted to wait for future Moon Diviners to fully research the moon, then re-emerge, rule the world, and seize the fruits of their labor from each successive era."

The coffin in the main tomb was weighed down by several large stones, but he was still terrified.

Finally, he lowered his head and looked at the thawed elite soldier. "This corpse is already dead. It seems the survival rate from freezing isn't high... But since they're dead, and as second-tier beings, their energy is in their blood. Blood circulates oxygen and carbon dioxide, and these energy-infused gases are exactly the oxygen I need. Perhaps I can..."

He visibly struggled, then suddenly pounced on the soldier's neck and bit into it.

He ravenously sucked in the oxygen, simultaneously feeling a rush of what seemed like sweet spring water entering him, nourishing his entire aged body.

He continued to suck deeply, then sat cross-legged on the ground and began to meditate.

Rumble!

His mind seemed to enter some special, unseen state. When he came to, he felt exceptionally full of vigor and spirit. "It works! It really works! Soul Dao, as a fundamental source technique, is also very simple, but it requires vast resources and cultivation energy!"

He then continued to cultivate tirelessly.

Looking at the countless ice sculptures of the terracotta warriors, he slowly bowed.

"You're all dead anyway, so please bless me. I will live on, carrying your will. Amitabha, Newton bless, please keep the coffin lids pressed down tightly, and don't bother me."

He went to select soldier corpses that appeared definitively dead, bit into their necks, and absorbed the vital energy cultivated within them, as a modern person might.

One day, he accidentally melted the ice around a living person whose heartbeat was faint and slowly recovering. He was startled.

"Should I kill him... otherwise, I wouldn't stand a chance... Even if the other person is old, he's still a second-tier cultivator, a veteran soldier hardened by countless battles!"

He nervously pursed his lips, holding a self-made stone weapon, aiming it at the old soldier's head, unsure whether to strike.

It's impossible for a modern person to instantly transform into a cold-blooded killer and immediately adapt to the law of the jungle; people need to grow.

But just as he hesitated, the white-haired soldier opened his eyes and emitted a weak divine sense.

He didn't understand what the soldier was saying, but after a moment, the heartbeat stopped again.

Li Li took a deep breath, feeling the soldier's body grow completely cold. "He must have died. He only lived for a few seconds after being unfrozen... After all, he was already an old man who had died of natural causes."

He hesitated for a moment, then directly pounced on the still-warm corpse, biting through its throat and sucking its blood and vital energy.

He then continued his meditation practice.

He found this method surprisingly fast.

After all, this was energy cultivated over others' lifetimes. Although each soldier was a second-tier cultivator, by constantly breaking open the terracotta warriors and damaging ancient relics, he himself was quickly approaching the first tier.

Half an hour later, Li Li was still meditating when he suddenly heard a sound.

It was a twitching sound!

"Who??"

He opened his eyes in horror and witnessed an unbelievable, terrifying scene.

The old soldier whose neck he had just bitten was alive, convulsing all over, his expression one of pain and struggle, as if undergoing a genetic mutation.

"What the hell is this!!?"

He raised his axe in terror, pointing it at the convulsing, white-haired old soldier on the ground.

Woo, woo, woo!

The old soldier was actually growing younger, his hair turning black, as if he were reverting to youth.

"This is?! This is!?" Li Li couldn't hold back his terrified shout, his mind reeling. "How could this happen? What in the world is going on!?"

Li Li's gaze dropped.

He suddenly saw the bite marks on the white-haired old man's neck, the hollows stained with his own blood.

It was his own bleeding gums, and his blood had entered the other person's body.

"It's my blood!!"

"No!! It's the blood of us Earthlings!"

He stared at the bite marks on the neck of the white-haired soldier, who was writhing in pain on the ground. A dead man, an old man who should have passed away peacefully, was growing younger. This sight reminded him of an ancient myth...

A millennium-old legend belonging to Earth.

His legs felt like jelly, his teeth clenched, his wide eyes filled with horror. At this moment, a terrifying historical prelude slowly unfolded before him.

"We Earthlings, are actually...!?"