Chapter 10 Eating and Sleeping Are Cultivation

At this moment, Ye Jiuyao was sprawled across his bed, snoring thunderously, the grating sound echoing throughout the room. Lately, he had been utterly exhausted. Now, his consciousness had already entered the Canglang Diagram.

“Xuanniang, when will you give me the cultivation method you promised?” Ye Jiuyao asked, his eyelids drooping as he gazed at Xuanniang, looking utterly listless. He was just too tired, his spirit weighed down by fatigue that made him drowsy.

“It’s been ready for a while now.” Xuanniang smiled gently, flipping her hand to produce a scroll so pristine it looked as though it had just been crafted. Ye Jiuyao opened it with suspicion, immediately feeling as if Xuanniang was pulling his leg.

The ink on the scroll had not yet dried; elegant, meticulous calligraphy danced across the surface, and at the very beginning, three bold characters were written.

“The Art of Eating and Sleeping?”

Ye Jiuyao muttered the words softly, now certain Xuanniang was messing with him. After all, from everything he’d read, a foundational cultivation manual should be tattered, its cover yellowed and ancient, exuding an aura of timelessness.

But this was nothing like that!

Worse still, the ink on the scroll was still wet.

And then there was the name of the technique itself, so absurd it was almost laughable.

As the name implied, the Art of Eating and Sleeping was a method that promised cultivation through eating and sleeping—could anything be more preposterous?

“What’s wrong? Does it feel unsophisticated, lacking in grandeur and prestige?”

“Well… probably… maybe… perhaps…” Ye Jiuyao replied absentmindedly. Xuanniang covered her mouth with a laugh, then parted her lips, her words melodic and crisp.

“There are three thousand great Daos, and countless lesser paths. Of them, eating and sleeping are among the most prominent. Cultivation can allow one to abstain from food and transcend mortal needs, but the true essence still lies in the grains and fruits of the earth. The world is foolish and ignorant—why must you follow suit?”

Hearing this, Ye Jiuyao suddenly found himself convinced.

Hadn’t he spent thirteen years indulging in food and slumber, breaking through cultivation barriers as easily as drinking water, advancing without concern?

The more he thought about it, the more he realized the strength of this method.

It was outrageously powerful!

Devastatingly powerful!

While others had to fight tooth and nail in cultivation, secluding themselves for years to overcome a single bottleneck, all he needed to do was eat his fill, take a nap, and perhaps awaken to new heights.

Ah… he was so exceptional, how could anyone else possibly compete?

“So… Xuanniang, I…”

“It’s yours now. And from this moment on, the vital energy within the Canglang Diagram can no longer nourish you. Once you begin cultivating the Art of Eating and Sleeping, you will draw sustenance from the world’s primordial energy itself, absorbing the purest essence the heavens and earth have to offer.”

“As for the ‘sleep’ aspect, you’ll have to discover its mysteries on your own. Even I don’t understand it—nor did your grandmaster.”

Ye Jiuyao nodded. Though he’d lost the nurturing energy of the Canglang Diagram, he’d gained the Art of Eating and Sleeping, perfectly compensating for the loss.

Furthermore, the mystery of “sleep”—even that enigmatic elder in his memories couldn’t unravel it. If he could comprehend it… well, in worldly terms, he would be unrivaled, worshipped by all wherever he went.

Excitement surged in Ye Jiuyao’s heart; for the first time, he felt as if he had found his own path. Perhaps thirteen years of suppression could finally be released.

“Look at you—go on, start cultivating,” Xuanniang encouraged him.

Ye Jiuyao took this as a pardon from death, hurrying off to what he considered the most secluded and energy-rich corner of the Canglang Diagram to begin his cultivation.

Little did he know, it was actually the worst spot in all the realm—without exception.

The poor child, still smug, believed it was the best place—also without exception.

“Jiuyao really has changed. Truly, nothing is more confounding than matters of the heart. For someone so lazy to become diligent in cultivation—Xuanniang, what technique did you give him?”

“Haha… Just that old manual our master didn’t want—the one about eating and sleeping. I thought it suited him perfectly, so I fished it out from under master’s table and copied it over.”

Laughter erupted within the Canglang Diagram.

If Ye Jiuyao ever learned that he was cultivating a manual that used to prop up a table leg, who knows if he’d die of anger.

Right now, however, Ye Jiuyao sat, cradling the “Way of Eating and Sleeping” scroll with a look of utmost seriousness, staring intently. Anyone witnessing it would have marveled at his scholarly dedication.

But in the next instant, all was undone.

“Snore… snore…”

Ye Jiuyao, eyes wide open, had fallen asleep. His snoring echoed through the cave, and all signs of diligent study vanished without a trace.

“Ye Jiuyao!!”

Suddenly, a roar like a tigress exploded within the cave. Xuanniang, her celestial beauty forgotten, glared at him in fury.

“Snore…”

But Ye Jiuyao’s snores remained thunderous.

“……”

Xuanniang launched a flying kick. She had thought he’d changed his ways, but clearly, he’d shocked her once again.

“Ah… Who? Who ambushed me?”

“It was me, you little brat!”

Ye Jiuyao blinked sleepily, and upon seeing Xuanniang’s wrathful face, he let out a startled cry. At that moment, she looked as fierce as a tigress ready to devour him—how could he not be terrified?

“Xuanniang, I… I was cultivating! I was practicing the Way of Eating and Sleeping. It’s all about the sleep aspect, and your kick… sigh… it ruined my whole cultivation!”

With a straight face, Ye Jiuyao spoke to Xuanniang, so earnest that for a moment, she almost believed him.

“You little scoundrel, it seems thirteen years of beatings have taught you nothing. Now you even dare to fool me.”

Mysterious energy surged from Xuanniang, binding Ye Jiuyao tightly, wrapping him up like a dumpling.

“Xuanniang, please, let me show you! Don’t tell the other ladies—this method is perfect for me, and with my talent, I’ll master it in no time.”

“Can’t you sense the difference in me already? There are two distinct energies within me. Look—”

Suddenly, two forces erupted from within Ye Jiuyao: one sinister, one righteous. Crimson light swept the cave, white energy surged like oceans and mountains, filling the space.

“What?!”

Now it was Xuanniang’s turn to be stunned, a thousand thoughts racing through her mind.

Could he really have mastered it? Didn’t master say that only a select few fools could achieve this technique, and everyone else would fail?

How could it be?

Besides, Ye Jiuyao didn’t look like a fool at all.

Lost in thought, Xuanniang forgot all about the bound Ye Jiuyao. Bowing her head, she murmured quietly to herself so only she could hear.

Seeing this, Ye Jiuyao realized he had managed to bluff his way through, but as he watched Xuanniang, he suddenly wondered if he’d actually stumbled upon the right path by accident.

All he’d really done was blend the powers of the great demon within him, unleashing a strange fusion of energies.

But Ye Jiuyao no longer cared—he would just roll with it. He called out at once:

“Xuanniang, could you let me down now?”

“Xuanniang?” He called twice before she responded.

“Ah? Oh!” With a wave of her sleeve, Xuanniang dispelled the bindings, leaving Ye Jiuyao free at last.