One Gate Apart

"Zhang Tieshan... Zhao Siyao... Ye Lei..."

The Golden Cloud Valley deacon rattled off dozens of names in one breath.

Those whose names were called were overjoyed, their hearts filled with yearning for the immortal path of longevity that lay ahead.

"My name wasn't on the list... Did he miss it?"

Lin Yi bit down hard on his lip, unable to believe it.

Seventeen years old, Qi Refining Third Layer, Low-Grade Spiritual Root—he should have met the requirements.

At the first trial, the "Spirit Sensing Pillar," and the second, "Nine Curves Peak," his results had both been quite good.

It was not only Lin Yi's name that had gone uncalled.

Lan Chang'an and Li Ergou had also failed the entry examination.

"All others, leave the mountain gate at once!"

The Golden Cloud Valley deacon wore a cold expression as he led the chosen Immortal Seedlings away.

The hundred-odd youths left behind, including Lin Yi and Li Ergou, all looked downcast and unwilling to accept it.

Lan Chang'an remained expressionless. He had expected this.

Golden Cloud Valley's entry examination had an age limit of eighteen.

Lan Chang'an had landed exactly on the upper limit.

A few months later, and he would not even have been qualified to take the examination.

Although his performance in the third trial had been outstanding, his age and cultivation were simply dragging him down too badly.

With a bone age nearing eighteen and only Qi Refining First Layer cultivation, his potential was truly abysmal in the eyes of a sect.

Even if his Spiritual Root had barely reached Mid-Grade, Golden Cloud Valley would not have wanted him.

"Brother Lu, does this mean we can't cultivate immortality anymore?"

On the road down the mountain, Li Ergou wore a face like a dead parent, as though his dream had shattered.

"Don't be too discouraged. As long as you have a Spiritual Root, you can cultivate. At worst, you can become a Rogue Cultivator."

Lan Chang'an comforted him thus.

In truth, he knew that with Li Ergou's background and aptitude, walking the path of a Rogue Cultivator would be harder than climbing to heaven.

Lan Chang'an, however, was not worried. After all, he had the memories of two lifetimes of cultivation to aid him; his start was merely not so smooth.

Led by two Golden Cloud Valley disciples, everyone descended the mountain together.

They passed by a lake overflowing with spiritual qi.

Lan Chang'an took a deep breath and looked toward the young man reflected on the lake's surface.

This lifetime's body possessed well-proportioned, sturdy muscle lines, with hard calluses grown across both palms.

His face was rugged and sharply defined, his pupils black as ink.

Strong and hale, with martial skill to boot.

He was no frail, wind-blown sissy.

Lan Chang'an nodded inwardly, fairly satisfied with this lifetime's body.

"Senior Brother Yu, given my performance in the examination, why was I eliminated?"

During the descent, Lin Yi spoke with a young Golden Cloud Valley disciple, his tone carrying a trace of complaint.

It turned out that before the entry examination, Lin Yi had used the connections and resources of the Royal Marquis Estate to grease some palms in Golden Cloud Valley.

"Young Marquis, your result in the third trial, the 'Illusory Heart Platform,' was at the bottom. By sect rules, unless one possesses a High-Grade Spiritual Root or above, they cannot be admitted."

Senior Brother Yu's lips moved as he transmitted his voice.

He sneered inwardly. Golden Cloud Valley was, after all, one of the top five cultivation powers in the Liang Kingdom.

With ordinary aptitude and such a poor State of Mind and will, how could Golden Cloud Valley possibly look favorably upon him?

"The Illusory Heart Platform?"

Lin Yi felt indignant and instinctively glanced at Lan Chang'an.

Lan Chang'an's third-trial result had been so excellent, yet hadn't he been eliminated as well?

Thinking of that, Lin Yi felt much better.

No matter what, he was a concubine-born son of the Royal Marquis Estate.

With worldly power at his back, even if no sect took him in, he would still have a far easier time than ordinary Rogue Cultivators.

That said—

When he stepped out of Golden Cloud Valley's mountain gate—

And gazed toward the mountain peaks gradually veiled by mist, where spiritual qi drifted like smoke and exotic Spirit Cranes flew...

Lin Yi fell silent for a long while before sighing deeply.

"One mountain gate, and from this day forth, immortals and mortals walk different fates!"

He understood it perfectly. Even bolstered by royal and marquis power, his future destiny would differ as vastly as heaven and earth from those lofty immortal sect disciples.

"Zhao Siyao..."

He recalled how he had once tried to win over that beautiful, graceful young lady of a great family.

He had even fantasized about entering an immortal sect alongside her in the future and pursuing longevity together.

Yet once he stepped through this mountain gate—

Zhao Siyao had become a heaven-favored daughter, visible yet forever beyond his reach.

In just one day, life's circumstances had opened such a vast gulf between them.

"Brother Lu, Brother Li, my Guang'an Marquis Estate has some cultivation resources. Why not return to the mortal world with me and develop there?"

After leaving the mountain gate, Lin Yi's mentality had changed, and more than half of the arrogance around him had faded.

Lin Yi knew that Rogue Cultivators had a hard time getting by and that it was best to huddle together for warmth. He tried to use worldly power to recruit Lan Chang'an and Li Ergou.

"I'll listen to Brother Lu." Li Ergou grinned foolishly, revealing a mouthful of yellow teeth.

He had few opinions of his own, but he trusted Lan Chang'an.

Before this, Lin Yi had shown him no respect whatsoever, revealing a faint but unmistakable contempt. Li Ergou might have been an ignorant farmer, but that did not mean he had no thoughts of his own.

Lan Chang'an, on the other hand, was a man of the martial world and very down-to-earth. Along the way, he had chatted nonsense and boasted freely, showing Li Ergou some care, so it had been easy for him to earn Li Ergou's trust.

"Does the Guang'an Marquis Estate have a First-Order Spiritual Vein?"

Lan Chang'an asked only one question, his tone calm.

"Th-this... it does not."

Lin Yi's expression changed.

He immediately realized that Lan Chang'an would not be easy to fool!

A First-Order Spiritual Vein could support Qi Refining cultivators and speed up cultivation.

Compared to the spiritually impoverished lands of the mortal world, it was as different as heaven and earth.

"Then forget it."

Lan Chang'an was practical.

He waved his hand directly, cutting off the speech Lin Yi had been preparing to recruit them with.

Without a First-Order Spiritual Vein, the Guang'an Marquis Estate could at most provide a few incomplete cultivation manuals, or mortal gold and silver, precious medicinal herbs.

Those things meant nothing to Lan Chang'an.

"Haha! Young Friend Lu wants a First-Order Spiritual Vein? My Mu Family has a Second-Order Spiritual Vein. I wonder if we might recruit you to join us?"

A hearty male voice came from the direction of the mountain's foot.

The newcomer was a middle-aged man in green robes, fair-faced and elegant in bearing.

"Qi Refining Eighth Layer?"

Lan Chang'an's soul was powerful, and sensing the fluctuations of mana from the other man's body, he became wary.

However, beneath Golden Cloud Valley's mountain gate, outsiders did not dare act rashly.

A Second-Order Spiritual Vein, the Mu Family?

Lan Chang'an's gaze flickered as he made a guess at the visitor's identity.

"How should I address you, Senior?"

"This unworthy one is Mu Maode, the head of the Cultivation Mu Family at Jade Moon Lake. I have come to recruit a batch of young cultivators."

The green-robed middle-aged man wore a kindly expression as he explained his purpose.

"So it is Senior Mu."

Lan Chang'an cupped his hands, but he noticed that the Mu Family Head's eyes seemed to gleam faintly whenever they fell upon him.

"As far as I know, cultivation families generally do not raise bloodlines from outside their clan, do they?"

Someone in the crowd voiced their confusion.

Few of the youths who had taken the sect examination came from society's lower ranks. Most were children of nobles and wealthy merchants, descendants of Rogue Cultivators, and even offspring of cultivation families.

"In recent years, my Mu Family has lost quite a number of clansmen. We urgently need fresh blood, which is why we have made this exception. Of course, the descendants of royal marquis estates and cultivation families are not among those we seek to recruit."

The Mu Family Head, who had been waiting here, had already investigated the identities of the youths participating in the examination.

He looked toward Lan Chang'an, the only one with a Mid-Grade Spiritual Root, then swept his gaze over the other youths.

He announced loudly, "My Mu Family has ten openings! We are recruiting young cultivators and will provide a Spiritual Vein Dao Field, cultivation manuals..."

At those words, the youths without backing could not help but be tempted.

Cultivating with a family was still far better than being a Rogue Cultivator.

"One does not accept favors without merit. Senior Mu, why not make it clear? If we receive your noble family's resources, what must we give in return?"

Lan Chang'an spoke bluntly.

The Mu Family Head gave him a slightly surprised look, then chuckled.

"I did not expect a young friend of your age to see things so clearly. Then Mu will speak plainly."

"I see that Young Friend Lu is a fine-looking talent with an extraordinary fate. My clan has quite a few beautiful young ladies who are learned and courteous. You may choose one—or several—to take as wives and concubines."

At this point, Li Ergou's eyes widened round, and his dry lips trembled.

"There's actually something this good??"

Born a farmer, he had not had enough to eat or warm clothes to wear. In this life, marrying even an ordinary-looking woman had been a distant dream.

Let alone marrying a beautiful woman who was learned and courteous.

Faced with the Mu Family Head's enthusiastic recruitment—

Lan Chang'an, who possessed two lifetimes of memories, remained expressionless, though he sneered inwardly.

Did you think the Mu Family valued your Spiritual Root aptitude?

No!

They were merely eyeing your kidneys.

Sure enough, the Mu Family Head finally showed his dagger after exhausting the map.

"Our requirement is this: any young cultivator who joins the Mu Family must have the children they bear with women of our clan take the Mu surname, especially those children who possess Spiritual Roots!"

"Th-this... isn't that marrying into the wife's family?"

Li Ergou froze and blurted it out.

The Mu Family Head did not mind. Smiling, he said, "Those who join must leave behind ten children. If you can leave one child with a Mid-Grade Spiritual Root for our clan, or two children with Low-Grade Spiritual Roots, that will count as fulfilling the condition. In return, the Mu Family will provide you with a cultivation Dao Field, cultivation techniques, and a fixed quantity of Spiritual Rice and medicinal pills each year."

After hearing the conditions, Lan Chang'an shook his head inwardly.

What kind of marrying into the wife's family was this?

Calling it "marrying in" would already be putting a gloss on it.

They were plainly breeding tools.

"Brother Lu, do you think it's reliable?"

Li Ergou looked at Lan Chang'an eagerly. He was clearly tempted.

"Marrying into the wife's family—would you not mind?"

"My family has several brothers anyway."

Li Ergou scratched his head, looking embarrassed.

Then he lowered his voice, sounding somewhat excited.

"Brother Lu! There's a place to cultivate, and we can even marry wives and have children... This deal is worth it!"