Chapter 443: Sima Yi, the Soon-to-be Antagonist
Sima Yi, the counterpart of the legendary strategist in Miaomiao's modern world, who had laid the foundation of the Jin Dynasty after the Three Kingdoms Period, was now before him.
In historical records, Sima Yi was a smart politician, talented war strategist, and capable warlord. He had many achievements under his belt while working for the Cao Family.
Unfortunately, there were so many talented officers under Cao Cao, Cao Pi, and others. Sima Yi often avoided the spotlight to stay away from political strife and worked behind the scene before Cao Pi acknowledged his talent, promoting him into the Prime Minister of the Cao Wei Dynasty.
Seeing the counterpart of the legendary figure here, Miaomiao had goosebumps.
"Sima Yi? Oh, right. Your father, Sima Fang came here often. So, you've decided to join my sect, eh?"
"Yes, Sect Master! I would like to follow in your footsteps. Please guide me well!"
Despite being well-educated and being raised by a wealthy merchant clan, Sima Yi wore dirty clothes, which were the same as commoners.
He was humble, yet eloquent. Everyone around him seemed to look at this boy with admiration.
'That's Sima Yi's natural charisma for you. He has that protagonist's air around him...'
Ding
[The Devil begs to differ.]
[The Devil has given you a quest.]
...
Antagonist Nurturing Quest: Nurture the Young Antagonist, Sima Yi
Quest Objectives:
- Raise Sima Yi's Cultivation Base to the 7th-Stage.
- Teach Sima Yi at least 10 Demonic Arts and 10 Dark Element Techniques.
- Impart Sima Yi an Immortal-Grade Cultivation Technique.
- Sima Yi condenses Dark Element Pillar.
- Sima Yi marries Zhang Chunhua, the 6th Princess of Holy Zhang Clan.
Failure Condition: Sima Yi is killed or one of the complete conditions can no longer be achieved.
Rewards:
- One Random Compound Element Crystal.
- A Pylon Tower with an advanced element of your choice.
Failure Penalty:
- You will be forced to hunt more protagonists.
...
'Figure as much.'
Miaomiao wasn't surprised. On the contrary, he had planned to nurture Sima Yi anyway.
After all, since Liu Bei Xuande existed, other talented officers of the Shu Dynasty, such as Jiang Wei, Pang Tong, Wei Yan, or even Zhuge Liang might still be lurking on this continent.
Miaomiao never wanted them to join Liu Bei like in the Romance of the Three Kingdoms. He needed a countermeasure against these heroes if they were to join Liu Xuande as in history.
Sima Yi showed up at the right time. Miaomiao wanted him as an assurance since his existence was the bane of the Shu Kingdom.
Miaomiao closed his system menus and nodded at Sima Yi. Then, he turned Dian Wei, pretending that he didn't give Sima Yi preferential treatment.
"Have they learned any cultivation technique from our division yet?"
Dian Wei nodded, "During the assessment test, these children have mastered 10% of Yin Flame or Yang Flame's first chapter techniques. Their mental strength is average, but they are all fast learners."
"Hoh?"
"Their affinity with Yin and Yang Essence is high. I think they can evolve their dantians and cultivate Demonic Essence or Life Essence in the future."
Hearing the praise from the mysterious monster in front of them, the children were elated. Though they were somewhat scared of Dian Wei's Arachne Physique and her glutton nature, they still respected her as the Vice Sect Master.
"Good. I'll inspect their constitution one by one and design a custom curriculum for everyone. Let the children come to the sect's hall one at a time. I'll be testing them inside the building."
Miaomiao entered the new building, which was the first Division Main Hall.
It was a 10-story wooden pagoda with attached buildings on the sides. On the first floor, an island throne in the middle of a shallow pool, filled with Unified Element Spring Water, was the main attraction. A thick fog of Life Essence filled this place.
Aside from the pool inside the wooden building, two doors led to the attached buildings, aka the dorms of the disciples. The main stair behind the throne led to the upper floors, which led to 100 small rooms for the disciples to enter secluded cultivation.
Miaomiao stood before the pool and activated the foldable bridge so that the disciples could cross to the island in the middle of the pool.
He sat on the throne and sent a voice transmission message to Zhu Qiao and Dian Wei, telling them to let one of the disciples enter.
...
"What's your name?"
"G-Guo Cheng, Senior!"
"... Nice name. Stand in front of me and close your eyes."
Miaomiao ignored the translation of the child's name and pointed his index finger to the disciple's forehead, sending a strand of his Life Essence into the latter's dantian.
10 seconds later, Miaomiao pulled back his Qi strand and brought out a jade plate, which Ju Shoufen and Jia Wenhe had provided for all captains.
These jade plates could record a cultivator's memory, intent, or knowledge. Most local cultivators used it to impart their techniques to their juniors, disciples, or friends.
Miaomiao injected his knowledge and his comprehension of a system cultivation technique, which he had fused during the past experiment.
Simplified Sunflower Manual
"You have a high affinity with Yang Qi and Yang Essence. As for you Yin Qi and Yin Essence, your talent is average. This Heaven-Grade Cultivation Method can refine your dantian and increase your affinity with Yin Energy. Practice this cultivation technique until you reach level 10 of the 3rd-stage. Then, come and find me for a better technique. As for your combat abilities and skills, I'll give you the basic MMA techniques and footwork. Oh, DO NOT CUT YOUR DICK TO FAVOR YIN ESSENCE EVEN THOUGH THE CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE IS THAT GODLY!!"
He passed the jade plate to the disciple.
The young boy's eyes glittered in delight. He bowed to Miaomiao several times before he ran out of the building.
"Next!"
Dian Wei sent a young girl inside.
Miaomiao repeated what he had done to the previous boy. This time, he gave her a different technique.
"You have a high affinity with both Yin and Yang Energy. However, you can't harmonize them and often got sick because of Qi conflict. I'll give you a technique to pacify the rampaging Yin and angry Yang so that you can evolve them into either Demonic Qi or Life Qi when you reach the 4th-stage."
The girl got another rare cultivation technique, which Miaomiao had learned from the system.
The girl happily took the jade plate, and another boy entered the hall.
"You are strange. You are a boy, yet you have a high affinity with Yin Qi. This will do you no good in the long run since you might end up cutting your pee-pee when you grow up. I'll give you something to enhance your Yang Qi affinity to maintain the balance of your dantian and constitution."
Once more, Miaomiao gave something to cover for the weaknesses of the children.
He kept imparting them unique heaven-grade cultivation methods without caring if they would spread it to others. Rather, he wanted them to flex their skills to their families.
Word of mouth was important in Miaomiao's plan. He needed to create an image, where he was a kind benevolent ruler and sect master.
This also created an illusion. If the newcomers of this sect could learn heaven-grade techniques, what could they learn after they were promoted as inner disciples, core disciples, or legacy disciples of an elder?
The fame would attract more attention from the local people. Then, Miaomiao would gather more talented children and families to be his supporters.
Soon, the last disciple entered the hall.
It was Sima Yi's turn.
Miaomiao grinned, wondering why Sima Yi showed up late, "I thought you had stood in the middle of the pact. How come you enter last?"
"Sect Master, sir. I went to the latrine, so I returned late."
"I see."
Miaomiao didn't bother finding fault with the boy even though the excuse was bad.
He had spent hours, providing tips and briefing 99 children. It was impossible to spend over an hour taking a dump.
"Well, if you say so. Come closer."
Again, Miaomiao did the same to Sima Yi as he had done to other children.
However, he found something interesting in Sima Yi's dantian.
There was a soul fragment in there.
Ding
[You have discovered the soul fragment of the Demon Lord of the Sixth Heaven, Oda Nobunaga.]
Miaomiao almost fell off his chair when Dion identified the identity of the soul fragment's owner.
He was shocked!
Oda Nobunaga!?
In a cultivation world!?
Dammit! That was an interesting plot! Miaomiao wanted to read this story if someone were to write and post it on a web novel site!
"Erm..."
Sima Yi was taken aback by the reaction of Miaomiao. He frowned and doubted his new master.
"Ahem," Miaomiao corrected his demeanor and gazed into the eyes of this villain-to-be.
'Jesus Christ. Sima Yi and Oda Nobunaga? He will surely found a new dynasty after Liu Bei and others died. Heck, will he rebel against me?'
Ding
[The Devil assures you that Sima Yi will never harm you as long as you are his mentor.]
'Thanks for the assurance, boss.'
Miaomiao took several deep breaths to calm down. His face turned solemn.
"You have the affinity for both Demonic Essence and Life Essence. Considering your current cultivation base, you should start pursuing a better cultivation method to enhance your foundation. I'll give you this..."
Unlike other children, Miaomiao imparted his knowledge, which he had learned from the certain Evil Grimoire.
Immortal-Grade Cultivation Method, Star Devouring Sanctuary.
This method allowed the practitioners to absorb any type of Qi, Essence, Elemental Energy, and even Soul Qi to reinforce one's physique, meridians, dantian, and bone marrow. It could flush out impurity in their bodies and their opponents' bodies to use as Curses or Hexes as well.
Meanwhile, it laid a foundation for the practitioner's element affinity. They could cultivate Dark Element, Shadow Element, or even Death Qi in the future!
Practitioners could also plunder the energies of others to increase their cultivation base!
It was an Evil Art, an overpowered one!
Yet, Miaomiao nonchalantly handed it to Sima Yi, who had a demon lord's soul inside him!
Ding
[The Devil is pleased with your decision.]
[The Devil has donated 100 2nd-grade soul stones to your channel.]
Ding
[The Swan Goddess blockades the transaction. All donations will be detained by the custom until the ban is lifted.]
Ding
[Macho Joshua has deployed emissaries and a member from the Trumpet Alliance to visit the Swan Goddess.]
[Uriel complains to Macho Joshua that he has just left Heavenly Goose Planet not long ago.]
[Macho Joshua threatens to cut Uriel's wage.]
[Uriel cries.]
Miaomiao ignored the system commotion and let out a long exhale. He glanced at Sima Yi's face, checking his reaction.
Strangely, his innocent pupils flickered. Miaomiao could even notice the excitement in Sima Yi's eyes while he could spot the faint will of the demon lord.
"Thank you very much, Sect Master! I'll cultivate hard!"
Sima Yi knelt and kowtowed three times. He slammed his forehead to the floor.
However, Miaomiao still frowned. He sighed again and decided to be frank.
"Can I talk with the demon lord inside you?"
"!!!"
Sima Yi widened his eyes in shock. He hesitated as he bit his lower lips.
However, his pupils suddenly changed color. It turned yellow.
The boy changed his attitude. He stood up and glared at Miaomiao while he crossed his arms behind his back, "What do you want, brat!?"
The voice of Sima Yi turned to that of an old man in his 90s. It was horse and deep.
Miaomiao stood up and cupped his fist, "Greetings, Demon Lord. I'm a DaoTuber and the contracted worker of Macho Joshua, the Devil, and many dao gods."
"Hoh?"
Sima Yi's face changed. He sneered and chuckled, "So, you're the Devil's guy, huh? No wonder you can detect me. Now, I appreciate that you favor this child, but what is your goal? Why are you helping me?"
Miaomiao raised his head while his hands were still cupped, "I'll be direct. I would like to raise Sima Yi as my legacy disciple, but I hope that you wouldn't harm me, my family, or my friends."
"Too bad. I found this child first. He will inherit my will and my arts. After he grows up, I'll make him the strongest demon lord of the Heaven Realms, and I'll get my revenge!"
"May I ask who offended you?"
"The accursed Outer God from another dimension, the founder of the Divine Xie Clan, Xie Qingtian!"
"Xie Clan... Xie...Tian?"
Miaomiao narrowed his eyes.
[The Devil crosses his fingers, having goosebumps.]
[Macho Joshua solemnly pays attention to the live stream.]
[Uriel's hands and feet sweat, being uncertain of the future.]
[Kunwu, The Sun Crow, and Tilted Hongjun stop breathing.]
[Many Dao Gods hold their breath and cover their mouths.]
[Many Immortals are curious about the odd reaction of the gods.]