Chương 284: B5—Chapter 4: The Dilemma of Diving Into Madness

The other side of the Gate was a serene garden. The air felt cool and carried the faint, sweet aroma of blossoms in full bloom. Paths of neatly placed stepping stones wound between lush greenery and vibrant flowers, leading toward elegant wooden gazebos with intricately carved roofs. Beside the paths, a pond reflected the delicate pink trees above, its surface rippling softly as fish glided underneath.

The scene was alive with color—pink and magenta blossoms mingling with bursts of yellow and orange from clusters of flowers, all framed by the deep green of meticulously trimmed bushes and towering trees. I looked behind me, and the Gate anchors were two standing stones. Each looked weathered and ancient, their surfaces etched with faint patterns, as though the wind and rain had carved stories over centuries.

Both stood on stone slabs, while vibrant bushes in shades of pink and green framed them like a living canvas. The path between the stones, paved with irregular slabs of smooth stone, led further into the lush garden, where the air seemed to hum with an almost reverent stillness.

"Beautiful," I sent to the team telepathically, my tone full of awe at the tranquil scene around us.

"Yeah, but don't turn visible. There are probably people here," Mahya sent back in a clipped tone. We walked along one of the stepping stone paths, each step light to avoid announcing our presence. I scanned the garden, my gaze drifting between the vibrant blooms and the quiet elegance of the pavilions, searching for an exit. As much as I wanted to stay a while and soak in the serenity, the thought of explaining our sudden, uninvited presence to whoever might be here kept me moving.

I didn't feel like answering questions like,"Who the hell are you?" or "How did you get here?" The garden was extensive, and after ten minutes of walking around, I told the team,"Wait here. I'll look for the exit from the air." From above, the full scope of the garden became visible. It was enormous, stretching at least two or three kilometers in every direction and surrounded by a forest. There were also people here. Men sitting in a lotus position with their hands clasped on their knees occupied many pavilions.

Gardeners worked in various areas of the garden, trimming bushes and sweeping the walking paths. One man fished out fallen leaves from a pool with a long-handled net, and others were watering the flowers. A tall stone wall surrounded the entire garden. I found the exit gate, but two guards stood inside the garden, while five more stood on the other side, holding spears. That way out was barred. I landed and said,"We'll have to fly out, but I need a minute before that."

Nobody was close to us, so I took out my camera, became visible and invisible again, and snapped a few pictures. I couldn't pass up the chance. Then Al climbed onto my back while Mahya got on Rue, and we flew out of the garden. As we ascended, I described to them what I had seen.

"Blech," Mahya said with an exaggerated tone of disgust, her thoughts practically dripping with disdain.

"Cultivators."

"Why do you sound so negative?" Al asked, his curiosity clear.

"I read about them in my family's archive. They sound smart and interesting."

"They might be interesting, but the lot of them are totally insane," Mahya shot back.

"They're crazier than wizards. Wizards are at least mostly harmless, but those nut jobs only look for fights." We flew over the wall and left the garden. I spoke aloud, "I read something like this in the Archive. There weren't a lot of explanations, only that cultivator worlds appear above mana 50 and that all of them were crazy. I read some cultivation stories from Earth, but I'm unsure if they're accurate. Is there something we need to know?"

"Look for the article in the Archive called On the Madness of Cultivator Worlds. You'll have to dig a lot to get to it, but it's worth it," Mahya said, her tone amused for some reason.

"When I traveled with my parents' friends to high mana worlds, they always avoided cultivators. Shakuk told me that the article's writer might be an idiot, but he knew what he was talking about."

"So you personally never visited a cultivator world?" Al asked.

"No," Mahya replied, shaking her head.

"After reading about them, I wasn't enthused about the idea."

"Let's find a place to open the house," I said, looking around for a suitable spot.

"We'll find the article and then decide if we should travel here or cross back and look for a better world to visit." We flew for about ten minutes and reached a lake surrounded by pagodas. The lake was calm, its surface reflecting the buildings like a mirror, broken only by the occasional ripple. The pagodas varied in size and design, each one unique. One was small, with a single tier and bright red pillars, its roof edges curling sharply upward like a bird ready to take flight.

Another was much larger, three stories tall, with balconies around each level and intricate wooden carvings lining the railings. A smaller one sat closer to the water, its base built directly over the lake on sturdy wooden stilts, connected to the shore by a narrow bridge. The largest pagoda stood further back, with five tiers. Its roof tiles were deep green, and golden accents gleamed faintly in the sunlight. All the pagodas looked empty but well-maintained, as if the owners had stepped away for a while.

The surrounding trees framed the scene, their blossoms occasionally drifting down into the water. It was peaceful, but the absence of people made the place feel slightly eerie, like walking into someone's home when you know they're not there. I dropped off Al and took a closer look at the pagodas. Sure enough, they were empty, and not "nobody's home for the afternoon" kind of empty. No, these places had been vacant for a while—weeks, maybe even months.

I couldn't pinpoint exactly what gave me that feeling, but it was there. I just knew I was right. Despite that, the pagodas didn't look abandoned. Not even close. There wasn't a speck of dust on the wooden railings, no stray leaves littering the floors, and the lake breeze hadn't so much as dislodged a single tile on the roofs. Everything was immaculate, almost unnaturally so. It felt like someone had been here to clean up—except I knew nobody had.

I suspected these buildings were enchanted to stay spotless, but I wasn't ready to jump to conclusions. Still, the feeling lingered: no one had been here in a long time. It looked as good a place as any to open the house, so I told the core to open it to match the surroundings. I got a cute, small pagoda that, in my opinion, was the prettiest of the bunch. And no, I wasn't biased—it really was the best. Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.

The new pagoda nestled perfectly by the water's edge, its golden-yellow walls glowing warmly in the afternoon light. The roof's elegant curves mirrored those of the other pagodas, but the polished, dark tiles had a subtle sheen that caught the eye. Delicate details lined the wooden railings and pillars, adding a refined charm. Blossoms from the nearby trees framed it on both sides, their soft pink petals drifting lazily onto the pagoda's pristine steps.

The reflection in the still lake made it look as though it had always been part of this serene landscape, blending so seamlessly that the place wouldn't look complete without it. After a pleasant lunch of stir-fried huge black pelican breasts with vegetables and some mushrooms—added as a nod to Al's passion—I dove into the Archive. This time, I didn't linger on other things, just scrolled page after page searching for the article Mahya mentioned.

I noticed in passing that the demands for me to give the Gate chain to Zindor had now grown to seven pages long. Lis still blew me out of the water, though. The questions on his posts had now reached triple digits. He was still ignoring them, so interspersed among the questions were a lot of curses. Those curses were so varied and colorful that I made a mental note to come back to them later when I needed a good laugh. Finally, I found it, and oh boy, it was a doozy.

The title alone,"On the Madness of Cultivator Worlds," practically screamed of someone who'd reached their limit with these so-called cultivators. The opening paragraph? Even better—it read like a mix of a scholarly critique and an unhinged rant. I had to stop myself from laughing out loud as I skimmed the first few lines. This was going to be good. Tr.

OB On the Madness of Cultivator Worlds Written by Orenin Blaithe, Seeker of Truth, Bringer of Order, Defender of Rationality Introduction: A Study of Madness Disguised as Power Ah, cultivator worlds. If you've ever stumbled into one of these accursed places, you already know the horror—nay, the absurdity —that awaits. These so-called "cultivators" are not noble scholars, wise mystics, or heroes as their stories might have you believe.

No, they are little more than mana-stealing lunatics who hoard power like rabid pinchmiks hoard nuts. These worlds, usually occurring at mana levels 50-65, are cesspools of chaos where logic and decency go to die. And, of course, you will find no Guidance in these places. Why, you ask? Because these "cultivators" suck the mana out of the world and into their own bodies like the selfish parasites they are. No guiding spirits can flourish when the world's very life force is being devoured!

In this article, I, Orenin Blaithe, will detail the stages of cultivation—as much as I have been able to discern from the nonsense their practitioners spout—and explain why these people are irredeemably insane. If you find yourself in a cultivator world, do yourself a favor: leave immediately. These realms are nothing but trouble. What Are Cultivator Worlds? Cultivator worlds are found in mana-rich environments, typically above level 50.

In such worlds, mana does not flow freely for the benefit of the people and the planet, as it does in civilized places. No, in these worlds, certain individuals—the so-called "cultivators"—decide that the mana is theirs to consume. They call it "qi" or "essence," as though renaming it makes their theft any less egregious. By pulling this mana into their bodies, they cut themselves off from the Guidance, the very force that allows proper beings like us to thrive and progress.

I would pity them if they weren't so utterly obnoxious. Mana Levels and Their Corresponding Madness Cultivator worlds vary in the insanity they breed, depending on the mana level of the world. Here is what I have discerned: 1. Mana Levels 50-55: Low Ascension Worlds These worlds host cultivators who rarely progress beyond the Foundation Establishment Realm (more on that later). While still deluded, they are at least limited by the relatively low mana density.

Their techniques are crude, their progress slow, and their egos only mildly unbearable. 2. Mana Levels 55-60: Mid-Tier Lunacy At this level, cultivators can reach the Nascent Soul Realm and, consequently, their arrogance increases tenfold. By this point, they have discovered that they can form miniature spiritual versions of themselves (called Nascent Souls) and think they've achieved godhood. Spoiler: they haven't. 3.

Mana Levels 60-65: Peak Insanity Before Ascension Here, cultivators reach the so-called "highest realm before ascension." I am told there are realms beyond this in very high mana worlds, but I will not waste time speculating on the ravings of lunatics. What I do know is that cultivators at this stage wield power that is as destructive as it is nonsensical. They claim to control the very laws of reality, yet somehow still spend most of their time picking fights with each other.

Stages of Cultivation: A Study in Absurdity Allow me to walk you through the stages of cultivation, as described by the cultivators themselves. Note: Everything you are about to read is ridiculous, but I shall present it as accurately as possible. 1. Body Refinement Realm This is the first stage of cultivation, where practitioners strengthen their bodies. They claim to "temper their bones" and "forge their organs" as though they are blacksmiths working on a particularly stubborn piece of metal.

In reality, they're just over-exercising and consuming obscene amounts of so-called "spiritual herbs" that would be better used by an actual alchemist. By the end of this stage, they can punch through walls and lift absurdly heavy objects. Practical? Perhaps. Rational? Absolutely not. 2. Qi Gathering Realm Here, the cultivator begins to sense and manipulate mana—or as they insist on calling it, "qi." They spend hours sitting cross-legged and breathing in the world's energy, stealing it like bandits in the night.

This stage is often accompanied by a sense of false enlightenment, where they believe they are "one with the universe" simply because they've learned to glow faintly in the dark. 3. Foundation Establishment Realm At this stage, the cultivator claims to have "established their foundation." What does this mean? Who knows! They'll say things like, "My dantian has stabilized," or, "My meridians are clear," as though anyone outside their little cult understands what they're talking about.

In truth, this stage is just an excuse for them to show off their newly gained ability to throw fireballs or freeze rivers. 4. Core Formation Realm This is where the madness truly begins. Cultivators at this stage condense a so-called "golden core" within their bodies, which they believe makes them invincible. They're not. But don't try telling them that, unless you want to spend the next hour being lectured about "the Dao." 5. Nascent Soul Realm Ah, the Nascent Soul Realm.

Cultivators at this level claim to have created a miniature version of themselves within their bodies—a "Nascent Soul." They believe this tiny spirit is the key to immortality. In reality, it's just another manifestation of their unbridled egotism. They also become extremely dangerous at this stage, capable of leveling mountains and controlling weather. Approach with caution… or better yet, don't approach at all.

Why Cultivators Are Insane There are many reasons why cultivators are utterly mad, but I will focus on the most egregious: 1. Mana Theft Cultivators do not respect the natural flow of mana. They suck it into their bodies, disrupting the balance of their worlds and preventing the Guidance from taking root. This is why cultivator worlds are so chaotic—there are no guiding spirits to maintain order. Cultivators call this process "cultivating qi" and act as though it's a noble pursuit. It's not.

It's theft, plain and simple. 2. Obsession with Power Cultivators are obsessed with becoming stronger, no matter the cost. They consume rare resources, destroy ancient relics, and even kill each other in their endless quest for "ascension." Their greed knows no bounds. 3. Ridiculous Behavior Cultivators are prone to absurd antics, such as declaring lifelong grudges over minor slights or challenging each other to duels over trivial matters.

They also have a habit of shouting the names of their techniques before using them, as though announcing "Heaven-Splitting Sword Strike!" makes it any less ridiculous. 4. Delusions of Grandeur Cultivators believe they are the pinnacle of existence. They speak of "walking the Dao" and "seeking immortality" as though they are philosophers instead of glorified mana hoarders. Their arrogance is unmatched, and their lack of self-awareness is frankly embarrassing.

Conclusion: Avoid Cultivator Worlds at All Costs In conclusion, cultivator worlds are places of madness, chaos, and mana theft. The people who inhabit them are delusional maniacs who would rather destroy their own worlds than share their precious "qi." If you find yourself in such a world, do not engage with the locals. Do not listen to their ramblings about "the Dao" or "breaking through realms." And above all, do not let them draw you into their insane power struggles.

Leave immediately, and return to a world with Guidance, where mana flows freely and sanity prevails. This has been your warning, courtesy of Traveler Orenin Blaithe. Ignore it at your peril. I sat for a while, thinking it over, and eventually decided that, yes, I did want to travel this world of lunatics. At the very least, it would be interesting.