Difficult, So Difficult

"Are you talking about me, the one who can come and go as he pleases?" Yue Qianchou narrowed his eyes, staring at him. A sharp glint flashed in his gaze as he spoke in a calm tone that carried a chilling undertone.

Although he had been involved in organized crime in his past life, he was still a formidable overlord in the underworld. The commanding aura that burst forth from him unintentionally carried a sense of disdain for all beings. While the people present were also accustomed to positions of authority, their status stemmed from their prominent family backgrounds. Faced with the aura that Yue Qianchou had forged through decisive action and combat, they immediately felt inferior.

The second young general was slightly startled. He too had once fought on the battlefield and wondered who his third brother's friend truly was. Judging by his demeanor, he couldn't possibly be an ordinary person who could fake such an aura. It seemed to carry a faint scent of blood, and without the experience of taking tens of lives and engaging in prolonged decisive combat, one could not possess such an aura. This aura was something he often saw in his father, the Marquis General.

The others also felt that familiar aura, and suddenly found it difficult to speak. The second civil official, who had been wearing an arrogant expression just moments ago, was stunned into silence by Yue Qianchou's words. The beautiful woman with tear-streaked cheeks also stopped crying and looked at him in surprise.

Shi Xiaotian had also never seen Yue Qianchou like this before. It seemed his eldest brother had truly angered the Boss. He shook his head slightly, a hint of panic in his heart, and walked to the Boss's side with a fawning smile. He then turned to everyone and said, "Mother, Eldest Brother, Second Brother! This is my Martial Uncle, and also my savior. Without Martial Uncle, I'm afraid Xiaotian would never have been able to see Mother and my two brothers again!" His intention in reintroducing the Boss as his Martial Uncle to his family was clear: he was afraid his family would look down on the Boss and cause trouble. He then introduced his three family members to Yue Qianchou.

This person was actually Xiaotian's Martial Uncle, which meant he was also an Immortal? Several people were surprised by Yue Qianchou's youth and felt uneasy, thinking how they had treated him rudely just now. After all, in the Huaxia Dynasty, even the reigning emperor treated cultivators with great respect. Yet, they had just left him aside, and the eldest civil official had even spoken disrespectfully.

The second young general immediately bowed and said, "This junior, Shi Yintian, greets the Immortal Master." Yue Qianchou nodded indifferently.

The eldest civil official bowed with some trepidation, saying, "This junior, Shi Youtian, greets the Immortal Master. I was unaware of the Immortal Master's identity just now and apologize for any offense caused." Yue Qianchou, however, cast a cold glance at him, showing no intention of forgiveness. The former's face immediately turned pale.

Seeing her eldest son's embarrassment, the beautiful woman also gracefully bowed and said, "This concubine, Li Hongniang, greets the Immortal Master. My husband is away on campaign, and my eldest son lacks discipline. I beg the Immortal Master to forgive any offense."

Yue Qianchou truly had no intention of letting the Shi family's eldest son off the hook. After enduring so much cold treatment at the Qingguang Sect, he had no choice but to lower his head when under someone else's roof. He never expected that even a mortal would dare to speak to him disrespectfully now, which instantly ignited the suppressed anger in his heart. But this woman's words had a double meaning! My husband is not here, and you, a dignified Immortal, wouldn't possibly bully my son! Added to that, Shi Xiaotian was looking at him with a pleading expression, so he had no choice but to suppress the anger in his heart.

"Madam, there is no need for such formalities!" When he said this, it meant he would no longer pursue the eldest son's matter.

Li Hongniang and her three sons quickly thanked him, then instructed the servants to prepare food and drinks to entertain the Immortal Master. Yue Qianchou politely declined. After such an awkward first meeting, what was the point of sitting together and eating and drinking?

In fact, a major reason he didn't get angry was that his cultivation was indeed not very good; he was only at Qi Refining Level Five. Shi Xiaotian had already reached Qi Refining Level Seven. Although the latter had not been able to discern his cultivation level up to this point, if a fight were to break out, damn it, Shi Xiaotian wouldn't know who to help. He certainly wouldn't help him fight his own brothers.

Moreover, if his cultivation level were revealed, would Shi Xiaotian still consider him the Boss in the future? That was truly hard to say. He remembered a Brother Li from the underworld saying – when morale is low, it's hard to lead the team!

Finally realizing the importance of cultivation, he pulled Shi Xiaotian aside and asked him to arrange a secluded place for him to cultivate. The latter immediately relayed the eldest brother's words to his mother, and the entire Marquis General's Mansion became busy.

The Marquis General's Mansion had a spacious backyard. A small courtyard in the most secluded corner was quickly cleaned. The General's Mansion issued a ban, and no one was allowed to enter the small courtyard in the backyard without permission.

"Xiaotian, if your family asks about your experiences, I think it's best to tell them selectively! Knowing too much won't do them any good. Also, it's best not to let outsiders know about our situation here. Otherwise, if the Qingguang Sect finds out someday, the trouble will be immense!" Yue Qianchou said. The courtyard was secluded and quiet, which he was very satisfied with. At this moment, only the two of them were in the courtyard.

"I understand!" Shi Xiaotian nodded.

A year passed quickly. The small courtyard in the backyard of the Marquis General's Mansion became a mysterious place. Apart from the third young master Shi Xiaotian entering and exiting daily, no one else ever saw the Immortal inside. As for the matter of an Immortal residing in the backyard, the General's Mansion imposed a strict gag order. The servants who had the good fortune to witness it that day never mentioned it, and naturally, other servants remained unaware. Those servants who knew would secretly bow towards the small courtyard every day when passing by the backyard, believing that the legendary Immortal lived there!

The masters of the General's Mansion were quite pleased to have an Immortal living in their home, feeling they had a powerful backer and were very at ease. Most importantly, the Immortal truly had the demeanor of an Immortal; he never disturbed them. As long as good food and wine were delivered daily, the Immortal never even stepped out of the courtyard, let alone disturbed them.

However, one person was quite dejected: the eldest young master of the General's Mansion. Once, to show off, he mentioned to the Immortal who was about to take him as a disciple that his family also had a hidden Immortal. As a result, that Immortal refused to take him as a disciple anymore and even refused to see him.

This made him suffer immensely. It was one thing not to know if he had the aptitude, but knowing it was simply torture. How could anyone resist the temptation of eternal life? Thus, he set his sights on Yue Qianchou, wanting to become his disciple. He repeatedly pestered his third brother to help him get an introduction. But his third brother absolutely refused, saying, "Eldest Brother! I really can't see where you have any aptitude. You must have been deceived by someone!"

He was blinded by obsession and refused to believe it, thinking his brother was unwilling to help with the introduction because he had offended his Martial Uncle, and thus began to resent his third brother. Furthermore, in a moment of foolishness, he broke into the small courtyard, intending to beg Yue Qianchou to accept him as a disciple. However, as soon as he stepped through the courtyard gate, he felt as if he were trapped in a fog, wandering around inside without being able to get out, nor did he see anyone.

This was a simple formation that Yue Qianchou had learned from the white fox to prevent anyone from casually intruding. Although it was not a powerful formation, it was enough to trap a mortal. He hadn't expected to trap this fellow. Shi Xiaotian discovered this when he came, and he couldn't help but smile wryly. He could bring his eldest brother out, but it wasn't easy to do so. He could only beg Yue Qianchou to release him. When Yue Qianchou understood why Shi Youtian was trapped, he shook his head and refused Shi Xiaotian, saying he should be kept trapped for a few more days so that his brother would suffer a little, fearing endless trouble otherwise. Shi Xiaotian thought that made sense.

However, after two days, Li Hongniang became anxious. She couldn't find her eldest son anywhere, and the court was also looking for him for work. Finally, Shi Xiaotian, fearing his mother and second brother would worry too much, had to tell his family that his eldest brother had been trapped for trespassing into his Martial Uncle's courtyard. Li Hongniang and Shi Yintian were greatly alarmed. They rushed to the small courtyard in the backyard and stood at the courtyard entrance, not daring to enter. They saw Shi Youtian inside, running around like a headless fly. His body, having not had a drop of water for two days, was clearly very weak.

The mother and son immediately knelt at the courtyard entrance, begging Yue Qianchou. Yue Qianchou, considering that he was being provided with food and lodging, felt it wouldn't be right to go too far. Thus, he released Shi Youtian and warned him that if he trespassed again, he would not be lenient.

This was just a minor incident, but after witnessing Yue Qianchou's divine abilities, the mother and her two sons revered him even more. Shi Youtian, having experienced the consequences, was even more eager, but he no longer dared to trespass.

Relying on the vast amount of Spirit Stones within the golden bead, Yue Qianchou successfully broke through to Qi Refining Level Ten within a short span of one year. Shi Xiaotian had reached it even earlier. Once the Qi Refining stage reached its peak, the next step was Foundation Establishment. After asking the white fox, a severe problem lay before them.

The Foundation Establishment stage, Core Formation stage, Nascent Soul stage, and Tribulation Transcendence stage were four difficult thresholds for cultivators to cross. These four thresholds could not be crossed without external assistance. The so-called external assistance referred to spiritual pills and medicines that cleansed the marrow and washed the bones. Why cleanse the marrow and wash the bones? The body of a cultivator was like a vessel. If the vessel was not strong enough, it could not bear more powerful cultivation. Forcing a breakthrough would only result in one outcome: exploding and dying.

Yue Qianchou asked the white fox again, "Then why, when you were trapped in the stone cave for many years without consuming any spiritual medicine, were you able to break through from the Nascent Soul stage to the Tribulation Transcendence stage? Knowing the miraculous use of the golden bead, can I also rely on the golden bead to advance?" The white fox told him that these were fundamentally different matters.

The Cultivation World was divided into the Human Path, the Demon Path, and the Ghost Path. The white fox belonged to the Demon Path. Unlike the other two paths, cultivation in the Demon Path proceeded simultaneously with body refinement. If body refinement was not successful, cultivation would be difficult to advance. It was the most arduous path among the three, but among those with the same cultivation level, it was also the most powerful.

The Ghost Path was the easiest path to cultivate. They did not absorb spiritual energy but yin energy. As long as there was sufficient yin energy, their cultivation could increase without any restrictions. However, due to the limitations of the laws of heaven and earth, their power was the weakest among the three paths.

The Human Path, although divided into the Righteous and Demonic paths, these were merely divisions made by humans themselves. In reality, they were just different cultivation techniques. Ultimately, it was still only one path. Humans, being the most intelligent of the three races, were the most respected. For example, if a demon wanted to ascend to the Immortal Realm, they had no chance without transforming into a human form. Perhaps there was a balance of gain and loss! The laws of heaven and earth gave humans the best things, but also the weakest bodies. Therefore, humans devised various methods to increase their cultivation, but the body, as a vessel, became the biggest limitation.

In short, it told him that although the golden bead was incredibly strange, since it existed in the world, it must also adhere to the great laws of heaven and earth. Some things could not be arbitrarily changed, so it could help demons but not necessarily humans.

The white fox also said, "When the golden bead was inside me, although I never used it, I could feel the changes in my body and cultivation day by day. Have you felt anything after swallowing it for such a long time?" Yue Qianchou immediately became dejected and told her that apart from his physique improving slightly, he felt nothing at all. The white fox sighed, "The cycle of heaven's will. Such a treasure of heaven and earth must have its own unique benefits for the Human, Demon, and Ghost paths!"

There was no other way. It seemed he still needed to find a Foundation Establishment Pill to achieve Foundation Establishment. He asked the white fox, but she hadn't taken one either and didn't know how it was made. She only knew that larger sects should have the formula for refining Foundation Establishment Pills, and it wasn't a particularly important secret. It seemed the spiritual herbs for refining the pills were quite difficult to find.

Yue Qianchou felt depressed. If he had known, he wouldn't have strained his relationship with the Qingtian Sect. He couldn't possibly go back now! That would be courting death!

Not only was he depressed, but Shi Xiaotian was also depressed! He only now realized that this Martial Uncle had not yet passed the Core Formation stage. This made him eagerly cultivate with a pile of Spirit Stones, only to reach the limit. Yue Qianchou wouldn't dare to absorb more Spirit Stones even if he gave them to him. Why? The True Qi in his body had already reached the limit of the Qi Refining stage. Absorbing more would cause his body to explode! Who would risk their life?

In the courtyard, the two of them sighed at the pile of Spirit Stones. Although the items were good, what could they do? Finding a Foundation Establishment Pill had become a thorny issue. Suddenly, Yue Qianchou shouted, "I've got it!"

Shi Xiaotian's body trembled, and his eyes lit up. "Boss! Do you have a way?" Yue Qianchou smiled and said, "Doesn't your eldest brother know some damn Immortal? Go and call your eldest brother here. I have something to ask him."