Ancient Cultivator Legacy

"Is Junior Brother Jiang here?"

The visitor stood tall beneath a Pine and Cypress tree. Apparently seeing that Jiang Yang was busy, he had not approached, but merely called out from a distance.

Jiang Yang was conjuring a gust of Magic Wind to blow the weeds out of the courtyard. At the voice, he turned and saw a young cultivator approaching.

The man wore a deep blue-green robe, with two small cloth pouches slung diagonally at his waist, and looked to be in his twenties.

He was tall and thin, with a long, beardless face and slightly prominent cheekbones. Together with his short, sparse eyebrows, these features gave him an unapproachable air.

Finding the face unfamiliar, Jiang Yang quickly searched his memory but could recall nothing of the visitor. Yet the man had confidently addressed him as Junior Brother Jiang, so he must have come specifically to find him.

Not wishing to slight him, Jiang Yang hurried forward two steps and cupped his hands with a smile.

"I am Jiang Yang. May I ask what brings you here, Senior Brother?"

The visitor also stepped forward to exchange greetings, likewise cupping his hands.

"My surname is Fang, and my given name is Xu. I heard you had been assigned here, Junior Brother Jiang. Since we are neighbors, I thought I should pay you a visit."

Jiang Yang's smile remained unchanged, but inwardly he began to wonder. He had no close friends or relatives in the Sect. Since arriving on Morning Rain Peak, he had not seen anyone pass by, even though the grass around his Cave Abode had grown over half a person's height.

How strange that someone should come visiting now. Still, doubts were doubts. The man was already at his door and had said he had come expressly to visit, so Jiang Yang could hardly leave him standing outside. He extended a hand.

"So it is Senior Brother Fang. A visitor is a guest. Please come into my humble home for a chat."

Fang Xu did not stand on ceremony. He flicked his sleeve and replied courteously.

"Please."

The two entered the Cave Abode one after the other. Jiang Yang invited Fang Xu to sit, then gestured with some embarrassment.

"I have only just begun setting up this Cave Abode, and my humble home is rather bare. I have not even prepared any tea to offer you. How embarrassing..."

Recently, Jiang Yang had been busy tending the spirit bamboo and only returned once every few days, seldom finding time to tidy up. Fortunately, the previous occupant had left a set of solid wooden tables and chairs to keep up appearances. Otherwise, Jiang Yang would have had to take out a Meditation Cushion and ask him to sit on the floor.

Fang Xu thought nothing of it. Resting a hand on the armrest, he said with a smile,

"Not at all, not at all. We cultivators need not rely on external things. You live quietly and seldom venture out, Junior Brother, seeking no indulgence. That accords with the true meaning of the immortal path. Such a disposition makes even me envious!"

Jiang Yang had never expected that his poverty-stricken circumstances could be described as accord with the immortal path. Unable to bear Fang Xu's flood of praise, he hastily raised a hand.

"I am unworthy, truly unworthy. You flatter me, Senior Brother Fang."

Then Jiang Yang asked tentatively,

"There is one thing I do not understand. You addressed me by name just now, Senior Brother. How did you learn of me?"

Fang Xu answered at once.

"Oh, is that all? It was quite a coincidence. Senior Brother Zhou and I are old acquaintances. A few days ago, when I went to report the completion of a routine assignment, we chatted, and your name happened to come up. Senior Brother Zhou had nothing but praise for you, Junior Brother Jiang.

"And as it happens, your Cave Abode is not far from mine. Since we are neighbors, I really ought to pay you a visit."

After a pause, Fang Xu added admiringly,

"Now that I have met you, I see that your looks and bearing are exceptional, and your conduct truly sets you apart from ordinary men. This visit was well worth making."

"Senior Brother Zhou... Zhou Yanwei..."

Only then did Jiang Yang understand. Since leaving the Lower Court, he knew no more than one or two people. If anyone had mentioned him, it really could only have been Zhou Yanwei.

But where did all that praise come from? All I did was listen to him talk...

He actually found it rather odd. Why were they all so enthusiastic? This sudden confidence in him was more than he knew how to handle.

"Uh... Senior Brother Fang... did you say we were neighbors? May I ask where your immortal residence is?"

Unable to respond to the praise, Jiang Yang changed the subject rather awkwardly. Courtesy offered for no reason left him uneasy.

"Oh, not far at all. Climb two or three li uphill from here, and you will see a Watercloud Fir. That is the place. I would not dare call it an immortal residence. I simply gave it a name on a whim: Solitary Chant."

Fang Xu paid no mind to the change of subject and merely gathered his sleeves as he replied.

"Solitary Chant... Lone Chant Residence. Chanting alone, singing in solitude. You must aspire to the purity of a clear breeze and a bright moon, Senior Brother. A fine name."

Jiang Yang repeated it a couple of times before smiling and praising it. A flower-decked sedan chair needed everyone to lift it; regardless of how good the name really was, all he needed to do was offer a round of compliments.

Fang Xu repeatedly waved away the praise as well. Only after exchanging a round of flattery did the two stop.

They then wandered from topic to topic, Jiang Yang keeping him company through some idle conversation, before Fang Xu finally grew serious.

"Junior Brother Jiang, have you heard of Ancient Cultivators Legacy?"

Jiang Yang frowned at the question, then answered,

"Of course. Ancient Cultivators legacies generally refer to inheritances left behind by Qi Refiners dating back at least to the Late Ancient Era. In most cases, their formations have become depleted or damaged over the long years, allowing them to see the light of day again."

In plain terms, they were Cave Abodes and hidden caches left behind by cultivators of earlier times. After years without maintenance, they could no longer contain their Spirit Vigor and were discovered by passing cultivators. Such sites were collectively known as legacies.

This was basic knowledge Jiang Yang had studied before. Yet neither the Sect's records nor mainstream opinion in the cultivation world held them in particularly high regard. Assessments were mixed, largely because there were too many uncertainties.

Exploring ruins and seeking treasure was all well and good, but the ancients were ancient, not stupid. Who would leave Elixirs, Spirit Treasures, spiritual resources, and Mystic Artifacts neatly arranged in a Cave Abode for someone else to profit from, rather than use them himself?

Even when someone occasionally intended to leave an inheritance, they would usually set up layer upon layer of trials and barriers. Yet by the time the formations failed, the Elixirs and Mystic Artifacts inside had often lost their potency as well, leaving the discoverers with nothing but empty joy.

They had been chatting pleasantly enough, only for Fang Xu to suddenly bring up the Cave Abodes of past cultivators. As Jiang Yang recalled what he had learned, his brow furrowed ever more deeply. At last, he simply asked,

"Senior Brother Fang, do you mean... could it be?"

"Exactly!"

Fang Xu raised his short eyebrows and clapped his hands decisively.

"A few days ago, I went out on a routine assignment. When I reached a secluded place, I sensed something amiss with the Spirit Vigor. I investigated, and sure enough, it was an Ancient Cultivators Legacy!"

Then he excitedly tugged at Jiang Yang's sleeve.

"I originally came simply to visit, but now that we have hit it off at first sight, and with Senior Brother Zhou having spoken so highly of you, I might as well invite you along. Why not come with me and explore it, Junior Brother Jiang?

"I have examined it. This legacy is well preserved, and there must be quite a few hidden treasures inside. If we find any Spirit Treasures or other resources, we can easily discuss how to share them!"

Fang Xu delivered all this in one breath, but his excitement did not rub off on Jiang Yang. Nor did the prospect of a Cave Abode left by a past cultivator stir his heart.

From the moment Fang Xu arrived, Jiang Yang had kept three parts of his mind on guard. Now that the Cave Abode had come up, that caution had risen to a full ten.

He might have been a green country bumpkin just setting out into the world, but although a Cave Abode's hidden treasures were certainly enticing, they could not tempt him in the slightest.

The classic of classics: heading out on a treasure hunt... You can know a man's face without knowing his heart. What a huge pitfall...

Jiang Yang's thoughts began to turn, and he even had the leisure to make a sardonic comment to himself. On the surface, of course, he still looked deep in thought.

Usually, only major Sects with truly orderly lines of succession would spare no manpower or resources to build a Great Void Secret Realm specifically to preserve an inheritance. Such cases were rare, however, and their formations were profound. The Secret Realms were worlds unto themselves, impossible to breach without the proper method.

A legacy that someone could easily discover was naturally unlikely to be especially well concealed. With limited means, its owners could only seal it hastily with a formation. Under the grinding passage of years, little of value was likely to remain.

Overall, such places were chicken ribs to a Sect: too little meat to relish, yet a shame to discard. The larger ones were difficult to enter, while the smaller ones were beneath notice. Any cultivation methods or techniques that survived could last a long time, but after so many years, even a missing fragment could make them impossible to practice. There were also countless cases in which the necessary Spirit Treasures no longer existed.

Exploring cave abodes was far from as simple as one might imagine. Most of the time, after immense effort to enter a cave abode or legacy, the rewards fell short of expectations. Wasted effort alone would be tolerable. The real danger was finding something genuinely valuable, which might well bring a fatal disaster.

Yet for some lower-ranking disciples and rogue cultivators outside the sects, these places were a rare ladder to the heavens. Despite knowing the risks, they pressed forward without hesitation. It was only through good fortune that a lucky soul occasionally emerged.