Initial Foray

Wen Xu had eaten hotpot before, but compared to this bowl of scalded meat before him, the flavors in his memories seemed to have lost all color. It was unexpectedly delicious.

He rarely had moments this calm and peaceful. For the past twenty years, he had either been exhausted by survival or busy studying. Because of his eyes, he had no close friends. Even his personal book servant, he rarely ordered about. Sometimes, he had always forced himself—forced himself to do everything he could—because perhaps on some unknown day in the future, fate would knock him down again.

The facts proved that his worries had been correct. If he had not been vigilant enough, perhaps on the very day he entered the capital, his head would already have been separated from his body.

Bian Chunchou was, in every sense of the word, the first true friend he had made.

In truth, Wen Xu's definition of a friend was very vague. In order to recognize "people he had met," he worked hard to remember everyone's characteristics. Since he could not remember faces, he had once placed the identity of friend upon everyone he had seen.

Besides, when scholars made friends, even if they had only communed in spirit for a long time, they could still be called friends. No matter how good his memory was, there would always be times when he mistook one person for another.

"Why did you stop eating? Is it not good?"

That shouldn't be right. He had never failed at mixing a dipping sauce. Could it be that his title as the Little Prince of Haidilao had stopped working?

"No, I just..."

"Just what?"

Wen Xu gathered his thoughts. "I just haven't asked—which elder did you take as your master?"

"Oh, right, I forgot to tell you!" Bian Chunchou began excitedly. "Actually, I originally thought I had no hope of entering the Inner Sect. Who knew the path would twist and turn? It seemed all the elders were quite interested in me, but I know my own limits, so in the end, I took Venerable Ruoshui as my master."

"My master is super beautiful and super cool, and she's super nice too! She also specializes in the Dao of talismans. In the future, when I use water-and-fire cultivation arts to make talismans, I won't have to worry about talismans being too expensive!" Bian Chunchou thumped his chest. "Once I've learned enough, leave you two's talismans to yours truly!"

Chen Zui touched his saber. "I don't use talismans."

You brat, you really wouldn't take oil or salt.

Listening to the two of them, Wen Xu could not help smiling. "Then I'll be relying on you for my talismans in the future."

"See? You're the good one!"

The three of them continued eating hotpot with great gusto. Of course, Bian Chunchou's mouth simply could not keep still. He chatted about this and that, and by the end of the meal, Wen Xu had learned that Chen Zui had taken the Blade Peak Venerable he admired as his master.

He had also learned that in one year, there would be a Sect Grand Competition. At that time, all disciples below the Golden Core Realm would be required to participate.

Once Chen Zui had finished the hotpot, before even the flavor had faded from his mouth, he hurried off with his saber. He said he needed to return and practice his saber arts, making up for today's slackness.

"Wen Xu-Xu, I suddenly realized something very serious."

Wen Xu did not understand. "What is it?"

"Divine Venerable Cheng Wei's seniority in Yonglu Mountain must be very high, right?" After all, he was a big shot in the Body Integration Realm and a Divine Dragon. His age surely started at four digits.

"...The sect master calls my master Little Martial Uncle Ancestor." Wen Xu had noticed it as well.

Bian Chunchou wore an expression like he was constipated. "Then doesn't that mean... even the sect master has to call you Little Martial Uncle?"

"He didn't." After spending time in the Cultivation Realm, Wen Xu's words had become less roundabout. Mainly because if he spoke too tactfully, the two friends beside him would most likely not understand.

"Ah ha, the sect master..." Bian Chunchou could not think of the right words, so he put it another way. "It seems I have to call you Little Martial Uncle Ancestor too."

Not just him—the whole of Yonglu Mountain, my friend has the second-highest seniority!

My friend has been promoted through the generations like crazy.

Wen Xu smiled. "How about you call me that once, so I can hear it?"

Bian Chunchou fell silent for once. Forget it—he could not even bring himself to call someone elder brother, much less... Well, actually, there was nothing he could not call him about Little Martial Uncle Ancestor. The sect master had called him that, so could he!

"Ah, the moon is so bright tonight. Wen Xu-Xu, your ring is quite nice. It's so shiny."

Wen Xu raised his hand. "This is a storage ring my master gave me."

Bian Chunchou: Aaaaah, a Divine Dragon master really was generous with his gifts! But my master isn't bad either.

"I have things too. My master gave me lots of protective talismans. Wen Xu-Xu, do you want some?"

Wen Xu thought that Bian Chunchou truly was a very straightforward person. If one day he could also become so straightforward, perhaps he would no longer feel anxious about the future.

But if he became straightforward, perhaps he would no longer be himself.

His master was right. He should advance to the Golden Core Realm as soon as possible, then return to the Mortal Realm and thoroughly investigate this so-called Imperial Destiny of his.

If someone had truly maliciously twisted his fate, he would certainly make that person pay a price a hundredfold, a thousandfold.

Initial Foray

Yonglu Mountain was a relatively free cultivation sect. Put another way, it raised its disciples free-range. A disciple's cultivation depended one part on their master, four parts on talent, and five parts on self-discipline. After all, even if they cultivated the same cultivation art, they could never end up walking the same road and arriving at the same destination.

From what Wen Xu had seen and heard in his few days in the Cultivation Realm, a cultivator's cultivation was an extremely private matter. From Qi Refining to Foundation Establishment, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, Spirit Transformation, Body Integration, and even the Tribulation Transcendence Realm just half a step from ascension, there were clear and distinct rules dividing each realm.

It was unlike studying. What level one had studied to was difficult to see at a glance.

Therefore, cultivation was fairer. So long as one's state of mind and cultivation were sufficient, one's realm could naturally fall into place as water flowed into a channel.

Of course, this was merely a little theoretical insight Wen Xu had summarized over the past few days. As for what cultivation would truly be like in the future, it was hard for a frail scholar like him to imagine out of thin air.

After all, even now, he did not know when his Qi Sea had opened.

Wen Xu steadied himself. He had already received his Inner Sect disciple token. Perhaps because of his seniority, a more intricate formation pattern had been engraved on the back of his token.

When he had gone to Founding Peak to collect it, the looks in the surrounding fellow disciples' eyes had been so direct that he simply could not ignore them.

Wen Xu immediately decided that until he reached the Golden Core Realm, he would keep his appearances outside to a minimum.

Springless Peak was actually rather remote, but the spiritual energy on the peak was no less abundant than that of the other main peaks. Wen Xu's cultivation was limited, and he could not withstand the bitter cold at the summit for long, so he established his cave abode halfway up Springless Peak.