Starting Cultivation During a Trip

"Ah!?" Zhang Fan was taken aback. He sensed slightly, and the old man's aura was weak, at most just in the realm of the Spirit Department, still far from High Skill.

At first, Zhang Fan thought this old man's cultivation had reached the realm of Returning to the True, so high as to be near the ordinary.

Now, it seemed he was simply weak.

"Little one, who told you that being older or having a higher rank necessarily meant being a master?" The old man in gray robes said with a smile.

"This..."

Zhang Fan curled his lips; he really had jumped to conclusions.

"Most people in this world are mediocre. In the Daoist Sect, cultivation speaks of natural talent, understanding, and destiny... most people live mediocre lives, and in the end, achieve nothing, just like me."

As he spoke, the old man in gray robes squinted his eyes slightly, as if recalling his own life's experiences.

"Mediocrity and ordinariness are the norm in life."

"I only managed to live long."

At this point, the old man in the gray robe squinted his eyes, looking at Qiuwu.

"Little Qiwu knows well; those in the sect with high realms, seeking longevity, often die young. While those like me, with low realms and no achievements, live long..."

"The principles of the world are indeed very interesting. Perhaps the Dao lies in ordinariness!" The old man in gray robes said with self-deprecation.

The principles of the world are indeed mysterious.

Those seeking longevity are instead filled with tribulations, struggling to live long.

Those who climb high often fall low and die; those good at swimming often drown...

The principles of this world seem to develop in opposite directions.

Deep love brings short life, extreme wisdom injures, extreme strength brings humiliation... all the affairs of the world correspond to the Dao.

Zhang Fan remained silent; perhaps his rapid progress all this way, the old man's words made him realize that mediocrity is the norm of life.

Especially on the path of cultivation, how many, like this old man, pursued for a lifetime, in the end found High Skill unattainable, buried in the deep mountains, forgotten by time, leaving not even a name.

"I took it for granted," Zhang Fan said softly.

"Young man, don't be like that, you seem like a good seedling." The old man in gray glanced at Zhang Fan, speaking softly.

"This..."

"To be able to stand with little Qiwu, how can you not be a good seedling?"

The old man naturally couldn't see Zhang Fan's depth, but Meng Qiwu was a dragon among people; anyone who could stand shoulder to shoulder with her certainly wasn't weak.

The old man's realm wasn't high, but having lived long, he saw through worldly matters.

"The future... you young people hold the future... Pure Yang..."

The old man in gray chuckled self-deprecatingly, shaking his head: "Back in the day, who said it..."

"The greatest pain in the mortal world is accepting one's mediocrity, but the greatest happiness in the mortal world also comes from accepting one's mediocrity..."

"Yes, it was Chu Chaoran who said it... he also achieved Pure Yang..."

The old man in grey muttered to himself, squinting his eyes as if intoxicated.

"Senior, you have met Transcendent Zhenren?" Zhang Fan asked.

"Yes, I have met him. Back then, he wasn't yet the world's number one. Oh right, the world's number one at that time also came, drinking all night with him outside this dilapidated temple..."

"Later, he became the world's number one."

The old man in grey recalled: "The world's number one... for these sixty years, this world has been known as Chu Chaoran's..."

As he finished speaking, it wasn't clear how much helplessness and sentiment were hidden inside.

He too had lived through that era, once held dreams and passion, and once longed for the realm of Pure Yang Wuji, but in the cultivation of trials and tribulations, he accepted his mediocrity, living out his remaining years.

"Pure Yang is perhaps just a dream for most people," Zhang Fan muttered softly.

"Sit down, and rest a while before setting off again," Meng Qiwu sat down.

On this trip she accompanied Zhang Fan, it was akin to finding a needle in a haystack; there was no need to rush.

Zhang Fan turned to the water dispenser beside him, took out two paper cups, and began to pour water.

"Qiwu?"

Right at this moment, a gentle voice came from outside the door. Zhang Fan turned to look and saw a man and a woman walk in, each carrying backpacks. The man appeared to be about thirty years old, tall and robust, while the woman was petite and charming without makeup, her beauty rating around six, akin to a class beauty's standard.

"Yan Fei!?"

Meng Qiwu showed a look of pleasant surprise upon seeing the visitors.

"Tsk, tsk, I just arrived at Zhongnan Mountain, planning to see you, didn't expect to run into you here," Yan Fei approached, taking Meng Qiwu's hand like an old friend reunited.

"Why did you come from Shangjing?" Meng Qiwu asked.

"A couple of days ago, wasn't Wang Qingyi from the Wang Family crippled by someone? We are here for that," Yan Fei directly stated.

"You represent the White Crane Temple?" Meng Qiwu's question caught Zhang Fan's attention.

He carried two cups of water to the table and placed them down.

"Pour another cup," Yan Fei casually said, not even glancing at Zhang Fan, clearly mistaking him for temple staff.

Meng Qiwu glanced his way, wanting to speak, but Zhang Fan turned and went to pour water.

"Let me introduce, this is my junior brother, Han Wenlong."

"I've heard of Senior Sister Meng's renown even back in Shangjing," said the tall man with a gentle smile, revealing a row of white teeth, his words pleasant to the ear.

Meng Qiwu nodded slightly, acknowledging him; she was always like this, never saying more than necessary to ordinary men.

"Yan Fei, are you here to capture..." Meng Qiwu hesitated before continuing, "Wang Qingyi, you know, even his cultivation couldn't stop it."

"I understand your concerns; Wang Qingyi is a prodigy of this Wang generation, and the one who crippled him is no small figure."

"Do you know who it is?" Meng Qiwu asked without revealing any emotion.

"Of course I know." Yan Fei's eyes focused, a cold glint flashing as he uttered a name.

"The present Human Xiao."

"Knowing this, why were you sent?" Meng Qiwu said with determination, "It's not that I look down on you, but the Thirteen Zodiacs, with this person at the helm, possess unfathomable cultivation, having refined Jia Sheng Gui Si..."

"Don't blame me for being blunt, but if you come, you might just be cannon fodder."

"Qiwu, you are not an outsider; I know your intentions. We are here to convey the superiors' instructions, to direct operations. As for dealing with Human Xiao, there are naturally others for that," Yan Fei held Meng Qiwu's hand.

"Who?"

"This..." Yan Fei hesitated.

"Senior Sister Meng isn't an outsider, no harm in telling her. Maybe she can even lend a helping hand against Human Xiao."

Beside, Han Wenlong chimed in, sincerely expressing goodwill towards Meng Qiwu.

"There's actually nothing to hide." Yan Fei nodded softly.

"Qiwu, have you heard of the Coffin Lifting Association?"

"The Coffin Lifting Association? I've heard a bit..." Meng Qiwu nodded.

She didn't know much about the Coffin Lifting Association, only that it appeared many years ago as a mysterious organization, a fleeting glimpse.

"The Coffin Lifting Association, an organization dedicated to researching the Nine Great Inner Elixirs, conducted an experiment many years ago, using the corpses of those cultivating Jia Sheng Gui Si to extract a certain blood, combining it with ordinary human blood..."

"Hoping to create beings naturally awakened to this technique."

At these words, Zhang Fan's eyebrows raised, revealing a peculiar expression.

The Coffin Lifting Association's research on the Nine Great Inner Elixirs was deeper than he imagined; who knows how many experiments they conducted secretly.

"The corpses of those cultivating Jia Sheng Gui Si are very rare, and the extracted blood is very special. I don't know the specifics of the experiment, but they all failed..." Yan Fei shook his head.

"Those people..."

"I don't know," Yan Fei interrupted Meng Qiwu's question.

"But there was a woman who survived, not only surviving but fled to Qinxi Province, where she met a man..."

"That man was no ordinary person, his name was Wang Qiancheng."

"A person from the Pure Yang Wang Family!?" Meng Qiwu said, her voice tense.

"Yes, he was from the Wang Family, and the woman not only got together with him but also had a child..."

"A freak!"

"Freak?" Meng Qiwu said puzzled.

Yan Fei paused, then said, "A freak naturally awakened to [Jia Sheng Gui Si]."

At these words, Meng Qiwu's expression changed slightly, vaguely guessing something.

"At that time, the Wang Family had not realized how terrifying this child's potential was, treating him as a bastard, a monster, discarding him to the wild..."

"Later, President Jiang found this child..."

"Sending him to an orphanage!"