As Wang Shouzhe wrestled with his heavy thoughts, everyone stepped forward to exchange greetings one by one.
Only after hearing Wang Lingzhu's introduction did Wang Shouzhe learn that the several Celestial Realm cultivators beside her, men and women who appeared middle-aged or elderly, were collateral kin from branches that had split off from the Great Qian Wang Clan in its early years.
Apart from the few collateral branches that had managed to prosper more and more, most had actually fared rather poorly. Some were already on the verge of extinction, while others lived in considerable hardship.
Once those branches had split off, the Great Qian Wang Clan naturally could not care for them in every possible way like some high-class nanny.
Still, if they had traveled thousands of miles to seek help from the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate, the estate would not completely turn a blind eye. Within reason, it would still lend them a hand.
Of course, if they encountered a collateral branch rotten to the core—one that was incapable, unwilling to work hard, yet expected handouts from the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate—then there was no need to help them.
These kin cultivators belonged to different declining collateral branches, and all possessed Lesser Heavenly Prodigy-grade aptitude. Through the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate's connections, they had joined Lingyun Sacred Land. With cultivation resources subsidized by their own families, the Realm-Stabilizing Ducal Estate, and the sacred land, they had ultimately advanced to the Celestial Realm.
Lesser Heavenly Prodigies counted as outstanding elite disciples in local academies. Grade B and Grade A students were core disciples, and those with sufficient potential could even be accepted as direct inheritors by the various academy lineages.
But within Lingyun Sacred Land, Lesser Heavenly Prodigies were merely ordinary disciples. Only Grade B and Grade A students counted as elites,