Cultivating in Reverse: My Sign-In System Wants Me Dead

The moment the three anchors stabilized, the crystalline Sapling Wood Root trembled.

Then it grew.

A faint trunk of crystal light anchored to the Dao Pedestal. Its canopy of pale, freezing fire bloomed in the empty void. But its roots extended outward, piercing the boundary to reach his physical flesh.

For a single instant, Su Bai saw an impossible image inside himself.

A reversed crystal tree growing from a frozen star.

Its burning branches reached deep into the cold darkness.

Its roots sank outward into living warmth.

Yin within. Yang beyond. Wood bridging them both.

Su Bai felt his breath stop.

Lu Canghai also froze. Although he could not see the internal scene directly, he sensed the change. 𝗳𝚛𝗲𝕖𝚠𝚎𝚋𝗻𝗼𝕧𝗲𝐥.𝚌𝚘𝐦

The extreme Yin in Su Bai’s Dantian no longer felt completely isolated.

The extreme Yang in his body no longer felt completely unreachable.

A line had appeared between them. A very thin line.

But for cultivation, sometimes one line was enough to change fate.

Su Bai slowly opened his eyes.

His pupils seemed to carry a faint crystal reflection.

He exhaled.

The breath that left his mouth was half cold mist and half warm vapor.

Lu Canghai stared at him.

For a long moment, neither master nor disciple spoke.

Then Lu Canghai’s expression became strange.

He looked at Su Bai, then at the nearly empty sack beside him, then back at Su Bai.

Finally, he said, "Disciple."

Su Bai looked at him.

Lu Canghai asked seriously, "Are you still human?"

Su Bai thought about it. Then he answered honestly.

"Master, according to your earlier diagnosis, only partially."

Lu Canghai froze.

Then he burst into laughter.

"Gahaha! Good! Very good! At least you listen carefully!"

Su Bai smiled faintly.

But the smile soon faded.

The bridge existed now, but the bridge was only the beginning.

His Golden Core problem had not disappeared. It had only changed from impossible to dangerous.

Su Bai slowly raised his head.

"Master."

Lu Canghai stopped laughing.

"What is it?"

Su Bai said, "I think I can start preparing to condense my Golden Core."

Lu Canghai’s expression became serious at once.

He did not immediately agree. Instead, he looked at Su Bai for a long while.

"Are you certain?"

Su Bai nodded.

"I am not saying I can succeed immediately. But the bridge has been formed. If I keep waiting without testing the next step, I will not know where the real problem is."

Lu Canghai stroked his beard.

"That is true."

Then he looked around Clear Cloud Peak.

Everything looked very suitable for tea and meditation.

It did not look suitable for a strange disciple with a pure Yin Dantian and pure Yang body attempting an unknown Golden Core breakthrough.

Lu Canghai’s eyelid twitched.

"No."

Su Bai blinked.

Lu Canghai said firmly, "You are not condensing your Golden Core here."

Su Bai looked around. After thinking carefully, he understood.

His Golden Core breakthrough would not be normal.

His lightning tribulation would probably not be normal either.

If something went wrong, Clear Cloud Peak might lose more than a few trees.

Lu Canghai waved his sleeve.

"I will prepare the training ground on the main peak. It has enough space."

Su Bai nodded slowly.

Lu Canghai continued, "I will speak to the Sect Master and have the Peak Masters help arrange protective arrays. Your breakthrough may attract a strange tribulation. It is better to prepare too much than too little."

Su Bai clasped his hands.

"Then I will trouble Master."

Soon, Lu Canghai stepped onto his flying sword and left Clear Cloud Peak.

Su Bai watched him disappear into the clouds. Then he lowered his head.

He did not stay idle.

If he was going to attempt Golden Core, he had to prepare properly.

A normal Golden Core breakthrough had two major dangers.

The first was the inner test. When the core began forming, the cultivator’s spirit, memories, fear, regret, and obsession could be stirred into chaos. Some called it the Inner Demon Tribulation. Some called it the Dao Heart Trial.

If the Dao Heart wavered, the forming core could crack. If the mind collapsed, the cultivator might go mad, become twisted, or lose themselves completely.

The second was the outer test.

Heavenly Tribulation Lightning.

That one needed even less explanation.

It struck.

People died.

Very clear.

Su Bai began organizing his preparations.

First, he took out the six Tribulation Lightning Beads.

He used fine spiritual thread and strung them together into a temporary wrist chain.

The moment Su Bai tied it around his wrist, arcs of faint lightning crawled along his skin.

His fingers twitched. His nerves sharpened. His reaction speed became even more sensitive.

Su Bai flexed his hand. The effect was clear.

Could it let him dodge Heavenly Tribulation Lightning?

Probably not.

Tribulation lightning was not an arrow. It was not something that politely traveled in a straight line and waited for people to move aside.

But better reaction speed would let him circulate Qi faster, shift his body at critical moments, activate defenses, and respond before his mind fully panicked.

That was enough.

Next, Su Bai took out the Blood-Soaked Sword Shard. The killing intent within brought Su Bai calm focus.

He tied it at his waist.

Then he took out the Obscuring Mind-Fog Tea Leaves

Su Bai brewed an entire kettle, then he drank it. All of it.

A faint mist rose from his body. His eyes became calmer. His thoughts became quieter.

After that, Su Bai fixed the Wraith-Slumber Manacle around his wrist. It kept fatigue away.

Finally, Su Bai felt slightly more confident.

Soon, he reorganized his system inventory. Life-saving items were moved to the very front.

After finishing, Su Bai sat quietly and adjusted his breathing.

...

Several hours later, Lu Canghai returned.

His expression was more solemn than usual.

"Come, disciple. The training ground is ready."

Su Bai stood.

Lu Canghai continued, "The main peak training ground has been cleared. The disciples have stopped training temporarily. Protective arrays have been activated. Several Peak Masters are on standby outside the formation."

Su Bai felt a little guilty.

So many people had to stop their own matters because of his breakthrough.

He clasped his hands toward the direction of the main peak in his heart.

He would remember this favor.

Then he followed Lu Canghai onto the flying sword.

The sword flew toward the main peak.

From above, Su Bai could see disciples leaving the training grounds in orderly groups. Many looked curious, but no one dared approach the restricted area.

News would definitely spread.

That could not be helped.

A peak Foundation Establishment disciple attempting Golden Core was already a major event.

A disciple like Su Bai attempting Golden Core was probably the sort of event that made elders pretend to be calm while secretly preparing repair funds.

Soon, they arrived at the massive training ground. Layer upon layer of formation patterns covered the stone floor.

At the edge of the formation, Su Bai saw several figures.

Sect Master Li Xuanzong stood with his hands behind his back. The Peak Masters were also there.

Su Bai politely cupped his hands from afar.

Lu Canghai landed with Su Bai at the entrance of the training ground.

Then he turned to him.

"Be careful."

Su Bai bowed deeply.

"Thank you, Master."

Lu Canghai nodded.

"I will be watching."

Soon, Su Bai walked into the center of the training ground and sat down.

The moment he sat, he felt the difference.

Qi gathered from all directions. The training ground did not only have defensive arrays. It also had Qi-gathering arrays.

Su Bai waved his hand.

Hundreds of High-Grade Spirit Stones appeared around him.

Then he placed the remaining Shattered-Soul Oblivion Pills within easy reach.

Finally, he closed his eyes.

The noise outside faded. His breathing slowed. His consciousness sank inward.

Su Bai did not immediately move Yin or Yang.

First, he had to ignite Dao Fire.

Fire Root cultivators often had a natural advantage in this step. Their elemental fire could guide the process. It was like using a proper flame source instead of grinding stones together in the rain.

Wood Root cultivators were not helpless. Wood could feed fire. But if the cultivator had no fire affinity, they still had to create the first spark carefully.

Su Bai circulated his Qi.

Slowly at first. Then faster.

Su Bai guided the spiritual energy along different paths, letting them rub against each other without losing control.

Too little friction, and there would be no spark.

Too much, and the Dantian might destabilize.

Su Bai adjusted again and again.

One breath.

Ten breaths.

A hundred breaths.

Inside the Dantian, Su Bai finally felt it.

A spark.

Su Bai immediately became focused.

He fed it carefully.

The spark trembled. Then it grew.

Su Bai’s heart moved.

’Success.’

The first step had succeeded.

Now, he needed to guide it toward the Dao Pedestal and begin softening the outer layer.

The Dao Fire slowly descended.

It approached the Yin-Crystal Asteroid.

And that’s when it happened...

The fire leaves of his Sapling Wood Root rustled.

Su Bai froze.

Ashen-Frost Blight Flame.

The moment the newborn Dao Fire neared the Yin-Crystal Asteroid, the Ashen-Frost Blight Flame reacted.

The leaves rose like a beast that had smelled food.

Su Bai’s eyes widened inwardly.

’Wait. No.’

The Ashen-Frost Blight Flame surged.

Before Su Bai could stop it, the ashen flame opened like a mouth and swallowed the newborn Dao Fire whole.

The Dao Fire vanished.

The Dantian became quiet.

Su Bai stared at the place where his Dao Fire had been a moment ago.

His expression did not change outwardly.

But inwardly, he almost cursed.

’You have got to be kidding me.’

Even his Heavenly Flame had learned how to be difficult.

The first step had failed...