This is an automated archive made by the Lemmit Bot.

The original was posted on /r/hfy by /u/RecentFeature1646 on 2025-07-01 21:17:53+00:00.

Ke Yin has a problem. Well, several problems.

First, he's actually Cain from Earth.

Second, he's stuck in a cultivation world where people don't just split mountains with a sword strike, they build entire universes inside their souls (and no, it's not a meditation metaphor).

Third, he's got a system with a snarky spiritual assistant that lets him possess the recently deceased across dimensions.

And finally, the elders at the Azure Peak Sect are asking why his soul realm contains both demonic cultivation and holy arts? Must be a natural talent.

Expectations:

• MC's main cultivation method will be plant based and related to World Trees

• Weak to Strong MC

• MC will eventually create his own lifeforms within his soul as well as beings that can cultivate

• Main world is the first world (Azure Peak Sect)

• MC will revisit worlds (extensive world building of multiple realms)

• Time loop elements

• No harem

Patreon

Previous| Next

Chapter 198: Aftermath

I blinked awake to sunlight streaming through the thin window of my childhood bedroom. For a moment, I just lay there, staring at the familiar wooden beams above me. The events of yesterday felt like some strange fever dream—the ancient shrine, Ke Jun's blood domain, that desperate final battle where I'd drawn on stellar energy.

But the lingering soreness in my meridians confirmed it had all been real.

Somehow, I'd survived channeling power that should have killed me. Not only survived but... improved? I could feel the difference in my body—stronger, more refined, with physical essence reserves that were beyond my cultivation stage.

"Good morning, Master," Azure's voice echoed in my mind. "Your spiritual pathways have stabilized, though I recommend a full meridian examination when convenient."

I groaned, stretching my arms above my head.

"Let me guess," I said. "You've been monitoring my vital signs the entire time."

"Naturally. Your body underwent significant changes during the battle. The integration of Ke Jun's blood essence appears to have had some... interesting effects."

I immediately sat up, remembering the strange statue I'd glimpsed in my inner world. "Right. I should check—"

A gentle knock interrupted my thoughts. "Yin? Are you awake?" Mother's voice called softly from beyond the door. "Breakfast is nearly ready."

"I'll be right down!" I called back, reluctantly pushing aside my curiosity about the changes in my inner world. It would have to wait.

I quickly tidied myself, noting with some surprise that someone—likely Mother—had washed my clothes. My sect robes now hung by the window, the fabric still carrying a hint of dampness despite being mostly dry. She must have stayed up late to clean them.

As I dressed, I caught my reflection in a small bronze mirror on the wall.

The changes were subtle but unmistakable. My jawline had sharpened, becoming more defined. My cheekbones seemed higher, giving my face a more aristocratic cast. Even my eyes had changed slightly—still the same dark brown, but somehow deeper, with tiny flecks of crimson that hadn't been there before.

I looked like... well, like a young cultivator from a powerful clan rather than a village tailor's son. The irony wasn't lost on me—now I actually matched the backstory I was supposed to have.

Last night, my parents had been a little concerned about the changes when they saw me but they calmed down after I attributed it to my recent breakthrough.

With one final glance at my reflection, I headed down.

***

When I stepped into the main room, the scent of congee, pickled vegetables, and fried dough sticks filled the air. Father sat at the table, carefully mending what appeared to be a festival banner, while Mother bustled between the cooking area and the table.

"There he is," Father smiled warmly. "Our hero returns to the land of the living."

"Just doing what anyone else would do,” I replied, sliding into the seat.

"Hong," Mother scolded gently, though her own smile belied any real displeasure. "Don't tease him. Sit, Yin. You must be hungry after... well, after everything."

After defeating Ke Jun, we headed to the mountains to retrieve the villagers. The trek through the mountain paths had been slow, with wounded teammates, but the relief on the villagers' faces when we arrived had made it worthwhile.

The journey back to the village had been a strange mixture of celebration and solemn procession. The villagers had been overjoyed to return home safely, but the mood among our team remained subdued. We'd completed our mission, yes, but at a cost that felt unnecessarily high.

We had a brief team meeting at the village elder's house in which Liu Chang had announced we would stay in the village for a few nights. "Everyone needs time to recuperate," he'd said. "We're in no condition to travel immediately."

Yan Li had agreed, noting that rushing back while injured would only risk further complications.

I was secretly relieved, not because my body needed recovery time, but because it meant a few more days with my family.

The entire team had been given accommodations throughout the village, with the more seriously injured members staying at the village healer's home for monitoring.

"How are you feeling?" Mother asked, placing a steaming bowl of congee before me, bringing me out of my thoughts.

"I'm fine," I assured her, accepting the bowl with a grateful nod. "Just tired. Using... certain techniques can be draining."

My ancestor’s blood essence did a great job at healing my body, the tiredness I was referring to was more of a mental fatigue.

Father raised an eyebrow. "Must have been some technique. Liu Chang tells me you were instrumental in defeating the... creature... in the shrine."

I nearly choked on my congee.

Last night, I'd stayed up late with my parents, recounting a carefully edited version of what happened at the shrine. I'd strategically omitted the part where I channeled energy far beyond my cultivation level and nearly burned out my meridians.

Instead, I'd focused on the revelation that the Ke family apparently descended from a powerful ancient cultivator. Father had stroked his chin thoughtfully at that, admitting there had been family legends passed down through generations—whispers of a great ancestor who had achieved immortality—but he'd always assumed they were just stories to make children dream big.

"You spoke with Liu Chang?" I asked, setting my spoon down carefully.

"He came by early this morning," Mother answered, refilling my bowl without being asked. "Very polite young man. Wanted to make sure you were recovering well."

"He also mentioned something about a star?" Father raised an eyebrow. "Said it appeared above your head during the battle."

I sighed internally. Of course Liu Chang would mention that particular detail—it wasn't exactly something you saw every day, even in a cultivation world.

"It was just something I've been working on," I said vaguely. "Not quite perfected yet."

"Well, it certainly seemed to do the job," Father said, his fingers working deftly as he repaired a tear in the festival banner. "The village is safe, thanks to you and your friends."

"The whole village is planning a celebration tonight," Mother cut in, adding pickled vegetables to my bowl. "To thank all of you immortal cultivators for your protection."

"We're hardly immortals, Mother," I corrected gently. "Just cultivators. Qi Condensation realm is barely the first step on the path."

"To us, you might as well be immortals," Father said, setting aside his mending. "Supernatural movement, throwing lightning and fire... what else would we call you?"

I couldn't argue with that perspective. To ordinary villagers, even the most basic cultivation techniques must seem miraculous. I remembered feeling the same way when I first read about such abilities in novels from my previous life.

As we ate, I considered the question that had been forming in my mind since the battle with Ke Jun. This village—my ancestral home—was no longer safe. Not because of any remaining threat from Ke Jun himself, but because word would spread about what happened here. Curious cultivators, treasure hunters, or worse might come investigating.

"Have you ever thought about moving?" I asked, trying to sound casual. "Perhaps to a village closer to Azure Peak?"

Mother nearly dropped her spoon. "Moving? But we've lived here for generations. Your father's shop has a reputation here. Why would we leave?"

"The Ke family has been in Floating Reed Village since before the Eastern Emperor's grandfather was born," Father added, his brow furrowed. "Our roots run deep here."

I set down my spoon, choosing my words carefully. "I know, and I understand the importance of heritage. But after what happened... this place might attract unwanted attention."

"You mean other... things like that ancestor?" Mother asked, her face paling slightly.

"Not exactly like him, no. But word spreads. A powerful relic, an ancient technique, even just rumors of something unusual—they all attract attention. Some of it dangerous."

Father frowned. "But surely after defeating that creature, the village would be considered safe?"

"That's not how cultivators think," I explained gently. "They'll wonder what made this place special ...

Content cut off. Read original on https://old.reddit.com/r/HFY/comments/1lpdrej/cultivation_is_creation_xianxia_chapter_198/