Cultivation by lying down

It had been five days since Shen Liang reached the Foundation Establishment stage.

And in those five days... he hadn't moved a single inch.

No eating. No talking. No meditation. Just… stillness. Merged with the cave. Merged with nature. As if he were just another stone among hundreds of ancient rocks.

Ding!

[Path of Stillness] recognizes Host's absolute dedication to stillness.

Passive Skill Upgraded:

Unmoving Like the Mountain (Lv. MAX)

Enemies with a higher cultivation level cannot detect the Host's presence unless using top-tier divine techniques.

Host's spiritual presence is considered "non-existent" by the outside world.

Host's spiritual activity does not attract karma or fate.

New Effect Unlocked:

Unbothered Posture – Host is no longer required to sit in meditation. Any non-action now counts as meditation: standing, lying down, even sleeping.

Shen Liang slowly opened one eye.

"So… I can cultivate while lying down now?"

He couldn't stop a soft chuckle. But that was it. He went back to silence.

Ding!

[Bonus Awarded for Pure Dedication to Stillness without Complaint]

You have gained:

10,000 Qi

2,000 Spiritual Root Purity

5% Resistance to Heavenly Tribulation

"Huh...? Resistance to heavenly lightning?" he thought. "I haven't even done anything yet and I'm already getting anti-sky-strike stats?"

For a moment, he felt… proud. Not of power, but of how his stillness had been acknowledged directly by the system.

Unlike other cultivators who searched for quiet places to sit and absorb nature's energy, Shen Liang didn't actively absorb anything.

He became nature itself.

An ant crawled across his foot, unaware of any human presence. A bird perched above the cave, sensing no threat. Morning mist cloaked his body, mistaking him for an old moss-covered rock.

Ding!

[Spiritual Root Mutating...]

[New Passive Detected: Calm Core (Rare)]

Effect:

Host's emotions are unaffected by spiritual pressure, mental techniques, or illusions.

Enemies attacking Host's mind receive 30% mental damage in return.

Increases effectiveness of passive meditation by 200%.

"…The system really wants me to become a statue, huh?" Shen Liang muttered, stretching his legs.

He lay down on the cave floor.

One hand as a pillow. Legs crossed casually. Eyes staring blankly at the ceiling.

"Ah... so this is what it feels like to be a 'reclining cultivator'."

The night sky began to drop its stars. But atop that mountain, Shen Liang paid it no mind.

Lying there, the world's Qi slowly flowed to him—not because he drew it in, but because the world offered it to him.

While disciples of various sects toiled, bled, and fought in fierce competition—through trials, duels, and missions...

A man on the mountaintop was sleeping peacefully—and growing stronger by the second.

Three days later…

Nie Ruoshui stood near one of the peaks of Eternal Mountain, wrapped in mist so thick even light hesitated to pass through. The air here was unnatural. Silent. Too silent.

Around her stood four strangers—all top-class formation experts from the world's major sects.

None wore the Eternal Heaven robes. On the contrary—they were hired dismantlers and formation architects, summoned only for the most extreme of cases.

"You'd better succeed," Nie Ruoshui said flatly. Her eyes stared blankly down the mountainside, where faint spiritual ripples trembled beneath the mist.

"Otherwise, I won't pay you a single spirit stone."

One man—dressed in dark green, hair tied low—clicked his tongue.

"Strange. Eternal Heaven Sect usually doesn't seek outside help. You're arrogant, secretive, always thinking you can handle your own mess."

He chuckled lightly. "Maybe your sect isn't as legendary as the rumors say."

Bzzzzt…

In an instant, a blade of pure ice hovered one inch from his throat.

"If you still have a tongue, use it to work," Nie Ruoshui's voice was colder than eternal winter. "One more joke, and I'll slice off your head."

The man trembled. Not because of the sword—but because of the overwhelming silence in Nie Ruoshui's presence. A silence so absolute it hurt the bones. The kind of silence only someone who had lived through two world-ending cycles could carry.

An elderly woman among them stepped forward.

"Forgive him, Lady Nie. We meant no offense. But you must understand... this formation is not normal. It's not man-made. It's not formed by seals, spirits, or spirit stones."

Nie Ruoshui narrowed her eyes. "Explain."

The woman knelt, placing her palm on the ground.

"This formation… is a part of the natural law itself. Ancient. Deep. So intricate, it appears deceptively simple. It cannot be seen. It cannot be heard. It cannot be touched."

She looked toward the misty mountain, her voice trembling.

"This place… is no longer just a forbidden zone. It has become a separate existence. Someone… or something… is merging with the laws of the world inside."

Nie Ruoshui fell silent. Her eyes narrowed further.

"…And you're certain no human could do this?"

"None. Not even your Sect Founder could merge so completely with nature to hide their existence this perfectly. We can't even confirm if there's life in there at all."

Another formation master added, "The only possibility: whoever's inside isn't hiding out of fear. They simply do not wish to be found."

Nie Ruoshui stared at the churning mist, as if it were a silent whirlpool of fate.

"Whoever's in there... has gone beyond our understanding. But I must know who it is."

Within the mist, deep at the peak, in a cave covered in grey stone...

Shen Liang was… reclining.

Lying on a flat rock, one hand behind his head, eyes blankly fixed on the ceiling.

He wasn't thinking. Wasn't meditating. Wasn't taking deep breaths.

He was simply… there.

Ding!

[System Message] You have achieved Absolute Stillness for 72 continuous hours while laying down.

Bonus Awarded:

+15,000 Spiritual Defense

+5,000 Spiritual Root Purity

+1 Passive Roll Unlocked

[System Analysis:]

"Host has proven that posture means nothing. Stillness is a state of soul, not body."

[System has granted Title: "Still Soul"]

Effect:

Host's stillness causes natural laws to bypass him. Host cannot be targeted by fate-based or karma-based detection. Even Heavenly Eyes will misinterpret your presence.

Shen Liang yawned slowly.

"Heh. Turns out lying down is considered a cultivation milestone… This world really is getting weirder."

He stretched again, entirely unconcerned.

Thanks to his passive spiritual flow, his body stayed healthy automatically. So there was no need to worry about muscle atrophy, metabolic imbalance, or increased risk of chronic diseases like diabetes and heart failure.

"Hehehe."