Fate Is Predestined

After walking into the mansion, Zhao Ling'er went off to prepare a meal.

Chen Ze lay alone on a recliner, pondering the idea of opening a shop.

The profit margins he could earn from running a shop were too tempting for Chen Ze; what he lacked right now were Spirit Stones.

Furthermore, completely seizing the Mine would require more doppelgangers, and having more doppelgangers was synonymous with increasing his own strength, making the opening of a shop an absolute necessity.

Before long, the doppelganger Zhao Ling'er had finished preparing a table full of dishes.

Chen Ze enjoyed the food with satisfaction, while the doppelganger Zhao Ling'er served him from the side.

"How is the sect entrance examination going for the doppelganger Chen Fan?"

"Reporting to Master, the news sent back by the doppelganger Chen Fan indicates everything is going smoothly. He passed today's selection, and once he clears the final round tomorrow, he will be able to join the Qingyun Sect."

"Mm, that was to be expected. With his Qi Refining Seventh Layer cultivation, passing the examination isn't difficult, and becoming an Outer Disciple will be an easy task. Let him continue!"

"Understood."

"How are Zhao Yun and the others doing? Have they aroused any suspicion?"

"Not for the moment. With the doppelgangers having infiltrated the Ye Family guards, they have been mining without any reservations, basically digging non-stop. Furthermore, the three doppelgangers acting as Ye Family guards have intercepted a portion of the Mysterious Iron Ore, though they haven't gone too far and still hand over a share to the Ye Family."

"Very good, let them continue!" After saying this, Chen Ze drank another bowl of soup and smacked his lips.

"Refreshing!"

"Hee hee!" The doppelganger Zhao Ling'er laughed happily from the side; it was her honor that Chen Ze enjoyed her cooking.

Moreover, every time she watched Chen Ze finish a meal she had prepared, she felt a sense of accomplishment.

"Oh, now that Chen Fan has gone to the Qingyun Sect, there's no one left to wash the dishes." Chen Ze set down his soup bowl.

Far away at the Qingyun Sect, the doppelganger Chen Fan seemed to feel a summons in the dark.

"Master, Ling'er can wash the dishes too."

"That won't do. How could I let you do menial labor like washing dishes?"

With a thought from Chen Ze, the doppelganger No. 4, who had been working hard at the mine, was summoned into the Myriad Things Space.

He then appeared before Chen Ze, still holding a mining pick in his hand.

"Master." The doppelganger No. 4 looked a bit confused.

"Take a break, you can go back to digging later. First, go wash the dishes."

"Yes."

It was the first time the doppelganger No. 4 had done such a thing, and he was still a bit dazed, but his body obeyed and he walked toward the dining table.

Chen Ze wasn't worried about anyone discovering that one miner was missing from the Mine; after all, the few guards there were his people anyway.

Besides, sooner or later, the entire Mine would be his.

Chen Ze lay back comfortably on his recliner, with Zhao Ling'er attending to his side.

At this moment, the doppelganger Chen Fan, far away at the Qingyun Sect, felt the sensation of being summoned vanish.

Could it be that Master missed me again?

As the doppelganger Chen Fan was wondering this, he suddenly felt someone calling him.

"Brother Chen, please look after me in the future. My name is Yu Xingsi."

As he spoke, Yu Xingsi cupped his hands toward the doppelganger Chen Fan.

The doppelganger Chen Fan sized up this Yu Xingsi, who had come to participate in the Qingyun Sect's entrance selection just like them.

His cultivation was slightly lower than his own, only at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, and while he was quite handsome, he was still a notch below him.

The doppelganger Chen Fan cupped his hands in return and said, "Greetings, Brother Yu."

"Brother Yu, why aren't you resting to prepare for tomorrow's selection?"

"I felt a bit excited for a moment, and my heart just wouldn't settle down. Seeing that Brother Chen wasn't resting either, I thought I'd come over to chat and discuss some cultivation insights."

The cultivators who had come to participate in the selection, like the doppelganger Chen Fan and Yu Xingsi, were all arranged to rest together after passing today's round.

Only by passing tomorrow's final selection could they officially become Outer Disciples of the Qingyun Sect, at which point everyone would have their own room to rest in.

For now, they were all arranged in a large dormitory.

Though they were supposed to be resting, at this final juncture, everyone else was seizing the last bit of time to sit cross-legged and cultivate.

The doppelganger Chen Fan and Yu Xingsi were the only two not meditating.

The doppelganger Chen Fan didn't need to cultivate, so it didn't matter whether he meditated or not.

As for Yu Xingsi, he truly couldn't calm his mind.

The doppelganger Chen Fan said, "Alright then, let's go outside to talk so we don't disturb the other fellow Daoists' cultivation."

"That is exactly what I intended. I happen to have two bottles of fine wine; although they aren't any sort of Immortal Brew, they taste quite good."

Hearing Yu Xingsi say this, the doppelganger Chen Fan felt a slight sense of awkwardness on his face.

It seemed his master was not a person who particularly enjoyed drinking.

However, since the conversation had reached this point, the doppelganger Chen Fan felt it would be rude to refuse.

With Yu Xingsi at the Qi Refining Sixth Layer, his passing the selection tomorrow was a certainty, and they would be fellow disciples from then on.

Chen Ze's mission was to ensure he remained in the Qingyun Sect, so naturally, he had to maintain good relations with these fellow disciples.

Besides, Yu Xingsi meant well, and he couldn't just turn him down flat.

The two had already arrived at the pavilion outside the courtyard, and Yu Xingsi produced two jugs of wine.

He handed one to the doppelganger Chen Fan while holding the other in his own hand.

Before a word was spoken, Yu Xingsi clinked his jug against the one in the doppelganger Chen Fan's hand.

"Brother Chen, please."

With that, Yu Xingsi raised his jug and took a hearty swig.

The doppelganger Chen Fan held the jug, watching as Yu Xingsi began to drink.

Should I drink this, or not?

If I drink a little, Master shouldn't say anything, right?

I am doing this to complete the mission, after all.

Having made up his mind, the doppelganger Chen Fan lifted the jug and took a sip.

"Hmm, it's a bit spicy, but the taste isn't bad."

For the doppelganger Chen Fan, who was drinking for the first time, it didn't seem like such a big deal; he wondered why his master disliked it so much.

After taking a drink, Yu Xingsi felt his restless heart settle down.

"Brother Chen, is this your first time drinking?"

"Yes, I've only ever focused on cultivation before. This is indeed my first time drinking, but the taste is quite good."

The doppelganger Chen Fan was telling the truth; didn't Chen Ze never drink and only know how to cultivate?

Yu Xingsi laughed out loud and said, "Haha, Brother Chen, your life is far too dull. Isn't the point of cultivating immortality to seek freedom? It is quite necessary to relax appropriately."

"Brother Yu is right," the doppelganger Chen Fan echoed.

"Haha, come, let's have another." Yu Xingsi raised his jug again and clinked it against the doppelganger Chen Fan's.

"It's no wonder your cultivation is higher than mine; I suppose when you aren't cultivating, you're just cultivating more!"

The doppelganger Chen Fan gave an awkward smile and nodded.

"Brother Chen, what is your purpose in cultivating immortality?" Yu Xingsi suddenly asked.

"Isn't the goal of cultivating immortality to seek longevity?" the doppelganger Chen Fan asked, puzzled.

"Haha, Brother Chen, with talent like yours and mine, it would be a stroke of great fortune to reach the Golden Core Realm in our lifetime.

If we don't reach the Golden Core Realm and only make it to the Foundation Establishment Realm, we only gain another hundred years or so of life.

Therefore, one should live freely and happily; our fates are already set."

After hearing what Yu Xingsi said, the doppelganger Chen Fan merely nodded slightly.

Yu Xingsi wasn't wrong. Without any fortuitous encounters, relying solely on talent, reaching the Golden Core Realm was the end of the road.

Perhaps they wouldn't even reach the Golden Core Realm and would be trapped in the Foundation Establishment Realm for life.

Reaching the Foundation Establishment Realm granted a lifespan of 200 years, while reaching the Golden Core Realm granted 500 years.

If one couldn't reach the Nascent Soul Realm within those 500 years, the path of immortality would come to an end.

Still, having a lifespan of 500 years in this life was not exactly short.