How Cultivation Works

Alex chuckled. "The problem in my world was that, for most of history, we had no real threats. No superpowers, no external dangers to push us forward as a species." He leaned back, his voice laced with amusement. "So, to keep their power, the elites did what they do best—they blocked others from rising. Resources are limited, right? And, as you said, greed knows no bounds."

Mingyue listened carefully. 

"But after the awakening of superpowers and the opening of dungeons, all of that became irrelevant." Alex's tone sharpened. "Now, we have unlimited paths for development. The only thing stopping us is whether we can keep up with the new dangers—because monsters aren't just threats from dungeons anymore. Some come from entirely different worlds."

Mingyue narrowed her eyes. "Then, by that logic, your world should already be changing, right? Yet, it's still broken."

Alex sighed. "Because it's already too late for us. People are too divided, too set in their ways. Every faction has its own interests, and none of them will ever work together." Then, he smirked. "But your commoners? They're perfect. They're still at a stage where they fear for their lives every single day. Which means…"

Mingyue's eyes glinted in realization. "They'll trust me completely at first."

"Exactly," Alex said. "That's the best time to instill our values—when people want leadership, not resist it. And from there… we expand."

Mingyue mulled over his words. She still hadn't seen Alex's world's weapons firsthand, and deep down, she still carried a bias toward cultivators. Could mere weapons really stand against centuries of cultivated power?

Alex seemed to sense her hesitation. "It's just the beginning, Mingyue. Once I get the right method, I'll find a way for all of them to cultivate. Then, we'll build a better social structure than the one in my world." His voice grew firmer. "The technology already exists to fix my world's problems, but people are too stubborn to change. Your world, though? Your people still believe in things like destiny and heaven's will. If you do this right, they'll worship you like a god."

Mingyue's expression turned unreadable. "How far do you plan to go with this idea, Alex?" She was curious now. He kept pushing for it.

Alex's voice lowered. "Mingyue, don't forget—we were chosen as Progenitors. The last one died at his enemy's hands."

Mingyue stiffened.

"No matter who they were, that means we'll have to face them sooner or later." His tone was calm, but the weight behind his words made her uneasy. "And based on what Vesa told us, even immortals from your world are nothing compared to them."

Mingyue swallowed hard.

Alex continued, unwavering. "If neither of us rises to be the strongest in our worlds, what qualifications do we have to stand against them? If we don't prepare now, we'll just become the next victims."

Mingyue exhaled. Could they really stand against beings who had killed the previous Vampire Progenitor? Not without an army. "…Alright. I'll think about it."

Alex chuckled. "This plan is still rough, but you get the gist of what I'm aiming for. We need to lay a foundation. And your commoners? They're the best choice for us right now—not those stuck-up cultivators."

Mingyue raised an eyebrow. "You do realize I'm a cultivator too, right?" She could hear Alex laughing on the other end.

"Okay, okay, I'm sorry," Alex said, raising his hands in mock surrender. "It's just… I've read so many cultivation novels, and every single time, I wonder why cultivators are so dumb when it comes to using commoners. There are so many ways to make use of them."

Mingyue tilted her head slightly. "Like what?"

Alex smirked. "Take maids, for example. A strong cultivator could plant a vow into their souls, then slip them some poison to put into their master's drink. No one would suspect a thing." He chuckled. "And I guarantee most cultivators would underestimate them."

Mingyue's brows furrowed slightly. "That's… actually possible."

Alex grinned. "Exactly! And what about all those weak cultivators? You know, Mr. Side Character One and Extra Two—the ones who get used as disposable underlings by so-called geniuses? They could be put to actual use—like setting up proper manufacturing processes for weapons."

Mingyue remained quiet, listening.

"As industries grow, living standards improve. That means better workers, which means better output. If we integrate modern methods with cultivation, we could mass-produce resources at an insane rate."

Alex leaned back. "Take qi crystal mines, for example. Right now, commoners mine them by hand, right? But what if they had modern drills and proper tools? Output would increase by at least tenfold."

Mingyue hummed in thought. "…I never considered that."

"Of course you didn't," Alex teased. "You've been raised in a world that doesn't think like this. But that's fine—that's what I'm here for."

Mingyue rolled her eyes but smirked slightly. "I'm really curious about these novels of yours now. How exactly do they portray us?"

Alex's grin widened. "Oh, you have to see for yourself."

Mingyue's voice held a hint of amusement. "Can you send me some?"

"I'll load them into the phone."

"And those video games you keep mentioning—I want to try them too."

Alex smirked. "Done. I'll send a selection. Can't wait to see what you think of them." As he spoke, a thought crossed his mind. 'Which novel should I pick? Something packed with the usual tropes, obviously. Face-slapping young masters.

 A tragic protagonist with a cheat ability.

 Comes from the smallest family, in the smallest city, in the smallest country, in the smallest realm. The female lead conveniently loses her virginity to the MC because of aphrodisiacs. She has ice cultivation and mysteriously disappears to join a sect in a higher realm. One or both of the MC's parents are missing, only to later be revealed as descendants of a supreme clan. There's definitely an old expert's soul backing the MC.'

Alex really wondered how much of that nonsense actually happened in Mingyue's world. Probably not as exaggerated. But who knew? 'Good thing Vesa lets us instantly understand each other's language,' he mused. 'Otherwise, this would be so much harder.' His thoughts shifted again. "I'll send some weapons for you to test Once you see them in action, you'll understand how useful they are."

"Alright. I'll be waiting for these so-called powerful weapons of yours."

With that, the call ended. As soon as their conversation was over, Alex felt a rush of information flood his mind. Vesa had begun transmitting all the cultivation techniques Mingyue had acquired from the secret realm. Even with his abilities, it took time to process everything. And when he finally absorbed it all— His mind was blown. 'This is nothing like the novels I've read.'

Yes, they used Qi. But it wasn't just about gathering it—it required precise breathing techniques, movement patterns, and mental focus just to activate a technique properly. It was Like in Avatar the cartoon. A technique wasn't just something you "learned." It had forms, rituals, specific movements that had to be drilled into muscle memory before it became second nature. And that was just for one secret art. 'No wonder cultivators didn't freely swap techniques like in novels.' Mastering even one could take years.