The Gathering

Beyond the door lay a hall more than a dozen times larger than his room.

Five low dining tables stood in the hall, one at the head and two on either side. Apart from one empty table, people were already seated on cushions behind all the others.

As Wang Yu walked in, they all turned their gazes toward him.

"You must be Fellow Daoist Wang, young brother. My, my, I cannot quite discern your cultivation, but such powerful blood and vital energy are truly rare. Please, take a seat!" An old man in purple robes at the head table rose as he spoke. His hair and beard were snow-white, his complexion ruddy, and his eyes brightened when he saw Wang Yu's face.

"You flatter me, Senior." Inwardly taken aback, Wang Yu cupped his hands, then sat behind the only empty table and looked at the people seated at the other three.

At one table sat a fierce-looking ascetic monk wearing an iron band around his head.

At another sat the young couple he had seen on deck.

At the last sat a kindly-looking old woman in red and green robes, with a black wooden hairpin tucked into her graying hair.

"There are not many fellow cultivators aboard this ship, and half of them are already here. The rest dislike lively gatherings, so I did not invite them. By the way, Brother Wang, who is your master?" After returning to his seat, the purple-robed old man posed the question with seeming casualness.

"My apologies. My master forbids me from mentioning his name while traveling, so I cannot say more here." Wang Yu stood again and cupped his hands to everyone around him.

"Quite cautious, aren't you? We all boarded at Yellowstone City. How many fellow cultivators could there be there? If you don't want to say, forget it." The monk beside him rolled his eyes and spoke in a rumbling voice.

"With people's hearts so treacherous these days, I find it quite admirable that Brother Wang is so steady at his age," the old woman said in a kindly tone.

The young couple had evidently recognized Wang Yu from the deck as well, and whispered to each other with surprised expressions.

"Haha, if Brother Wang would rather not say, let us leave it at that. Allow me to introduce everyone. This is the Iron-Arm Zen Master. The Metal Stone Art he cultivates is a renowned protective art in the Qi Refining Realm. His arms are impervious to blades and spears, untouched by water or fire, and can even withstand magical artifacts head-on. This is Madam Yin, skilled in commanding beasts and spirits. She can slay an opponent without leaving a trace, so you must never offend her. Brother Huang here is a disciple of the Huang Household, and its most outstanding disciple in nearly twenty years. Beside him is his wife, Fellow Daoist Hu." Yu Bintian introduced them one by one with a cheerful smile.

Wang Yu cupped his hands in greeting to each of them. When he heard that the young man was from the Huang Household, his heart tightened, but he sat back down without showing the slightest change in expression.

"Fellow Daoist Yu, although we are only passing acquaintances, you have uncovered nearly everything about us. But what did you mean when you said Brother Wang's blood and vital energy were stronger than almost anything you had seen in your life?" Madam Yin asked the purple-robed old man.

The others also looked puzzled.

"To be frank with you all, I once practiced a Qi Observation Method that gives me a special sensitivity to those with vigorous blood and vital energy. The moment Brother Wang entered, it felt as though a furnace had been brought into the room. I have truly encountered very few people with such vigorous blood and vital energy."

"My guess is that Brother Wang has either cultivated a special Body Tempering art or awakened some physical bloodline. Of course, I can only sense this because his cultivation is still low. Once his Dharma power grows more profound, outsiders will no longer be able to discern it so easily." Yu Bintian glanced at the old woman and answered with a laugh.

Awakened a physical bloodline!

Madam Yin had yet to react when the monk and the young couple from the Huang Household all let out soft exclamations. Their gazes toward Wang Yu were plainly different now.

The Qi Observation Method!

Wang Yu, however, felt that things were taking an unwelcome turn. Bloodline power seemed far more unusual than he had imagined, and he hurriedly offered a vague explanation:

"You jest, Senior. I haven't awakened any bloodline. I've merely practiced a few simple Body Tempering arts."

His Iron-Eater Crocodile bloodline was only half awakened, so that was not exactly a lie.

"Body Tempering arts are also quite rare in the Qi Refining Realm. Come to think of it, my Metal Stone Art counts as half a Body Tempering art itself. If we have the chance, the two of us could exchange insights." The monk's tone changed drastically, and he even nodded to Wang Yu in greeting.

"My wife and I are also rather interested in Brother Wang's Body Tempering art. The Huang Household has collected some secret arts rarely found outside. If you are willing, Brother Wang, we could exchange a few insights as well." The young man from the Huang Household cupped his hands toward Wang Yu across the room.

Wang Yu could only nod and agree to each offer.

Watching all this with the hint of a smile, Madam Yin continued questioning the purple-robed old man:

"Fellow Daoist Yu, you are different from the rest of us. Though you are also a rogue cultivator, you possess vast wealth in Tongzhou, with servants in droves and a whole household attending to you. Why would you come to a resource-starved remnant spirit land like Yellowstone City, only to hurry back so soon?"

"Indeed. I have also heard of Brother Yu's reputation as a wealthy gentleman of Tongzhou. Otherwise, I would not have accepted your invitation so readily," the monk agreed with a nod.

"Ah, at my age, what else could make me travel so far? I merely wanted to earn a few more spirit stones for my good-for-nothing descendants. Though Yellowstone City is a remnant spirit land, it produces abundant iron ore. A third of the cargo aboard the Iron Arrow is fine refined iron I purchased from the Huang Household. Once I return to Tongzhou and find some blacksmiths to hammer it thoroughly, I will have a batch of thousand-fold forged iron to sell in Market City," Yu Bintian replied casually.

"That is true. We rogue cultivators cannot compare with those from cultivation lineages and sects. We must fight with our own two hands for every resource we need. With Brother Yu also having to provide for his descendants' cultivation, it must be even harder." Madam Yin looked deeply sympathetic.

"I often curse the fact that I wasn't born into some great cultivation lineage. Otherwise, after all these years, my cultivation would never be so meager. With the Huang Household backing him, Brother Huang's cultivation is already no lower than ours, despite his youth." The monk nodded as well, looking enviously at the couple from the Huang Household.

"Brother Tie, a small cultivation lineage like the Huang Household is not as fortunate as outsiders imagine. Not only is competition fierce over the few resources within the lineage, but if one member offends a powerful cultivator, the entire lineage suffers."

"That was why our Huang Household fled far from home back then and was forced to settle in a remnant spirit land like Yellowstone City. I actually envy you all for being free and unfettered, without a lineage to worry about. If one truly wishes to advance further in cultivation, one should join a major cultivation sect. Only sects can provide the resources that offer hope of Foundation Establishment." The young man from the Huang Household wore a bitter smile.

"Reaching Foundation Establishment offers the prospect of living two hundred years. Who wouldn't want that? But after the third level of Qi Refining, one must go to a spirit domain with a spirit vein to continue cultivating. Rogue cultivators like us must either work at Market Cities backed by major powers or risk our lives serving cultivation lineages as guest retainers. I worked at Guangyuan Market for twenty or thirty years myself, learning a small craft in refining spiritual materials, before I finally scraped together enough spirit stones to leave," Yu Bintian said wistfully, stroking his beard.

"I was not as fortunate as Fellow Daoist Yu. I only embarked on the path of cultivation after inheriting the legacy of a rogue cultivator senior, but the resources he left behind only carried me to middle Qi Refining. Now, sects refuse to accept me, great cultivation lineages think too little of me to take me as a guest retainer, and I have no skills to earn spirit stones by working in a Market City. All I can do is find a remnant spirit land like Yellowstone City and scrape up a little spiritual energy, barely keeping my cultivation from slipping," the monk added gloomily.

Listening to their complaints, Wang Yu wondered inwardly whether life for rogue cultivators outside was truly so difficult.

"I fared slightly better than you two. I was once an outer disciple of a sect, but later committed a grave mistake and was expelled," Madam Yin said slowly.

"What? Fellow Daoist Yin was once a sect disciple?" Both Yu Bintian and the iron-banded monk were startled, and studied the old woman anew.

The couple from the Huang Household exchanged a glance, then also looked surprised.

"Compared with becoming an inner disciple, entering a sect as an outer disciple is relatively easy. Do not judge me by my appearance now; my cultivation aptitude was quite good when I was young. How I regret what I did back then. Only after being expelled did I learn how difficult cultivation was outside. After all these decades, my cultivation has declined rather than advanced," Madam Yin said with a sigh, though a certain pride remained in her words.

"Fellow Daoist Yin, may I ask which sect you belonged to?" the monk could not help asking.

"My sect showed me great kindness. Now that I am merely a rogue cultivator, I naturally have no face to mention its name. As for Fellow Daoist Huang, although the Huang Household is not a great cultivation lineage, its basic cultivation resources are still assured. That alone makes your circumstances several times better than those of ordinary rogue cultivators." Madam Yin shook her head, then smiled at the young man from the Huang Household.

"Actually, you are all being too modest. Once we immortal cultivators reach middle Qi Refining, establishing ourselves in any major Market City is no problem at all. Even with our lineage's resources supporting us, my wife and I have only just entered this stage. As you all know, the early stages of Qi Refining are relatively easy, but after reaching the middle stage, every level becomes harder and takes longer than the last. When Brother Tie says cultivation lineages think too little of him, he must mean the great ones. If he is willing to become a guest retainer for a small lineage like our Huang Household, we would certainly welcome him with open doors," the young man replied politely.

"Oh, with that assurance from Brother Huang, if I can no longer get by outside, I may really come to your lineage as a guest retainer. When that time comes, Brother Huang, do not forget what you said today." A slight smile appeared on the monk's fierce face at the young man's words.

The young man from the Huang Household naturally agreed without hesitation.

Wang Yu, who had been listening intently from the side, now noticed that everyone's gaze was beginning to settle on him, whether deliberately or otherwise. After turning it over in his mind, he understood. He coughed twice and addressed the others:

"I come from a remote part of Yellowstone City and have only been cultivating for a few years, so my cultivation is very shallow. This time, I left Yellowstone City with my master's permission simply to see what the outside world is like, and to find somewhere with a spirit vein where I can continue cultivating."

"Brother Wang, the fluctuations of spiritual energy around you are faint, so you probably have not yet condensed a spirit root. At your age, you ought to venture out and gain experience. What future could you have if you stayed forever in a remnant spirit land like Yellowstone City? Guangyuan Market lies within Tongzhou, and I still have some friends there. If you would like to take a look, I can make a few introductions," Yu Bintian said warmly to Wang Yu.

Wang Yu thanked him repeatedly.

They chatted for a while longer, sharing interesting stories and experiences from the cultivation world. Wang Yu and the young couple from the Huang Household listened with keen interest.

Just then, Madam Yin suddenly asked the young man from the Huang Household a question:

"Brother Huang, those two people who wanted to board before we set sail were from the Huang Household, weren't they? Were they looking for you two?"