Ning Wanqiu

The Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region stretched tens of thousands of li across, while the Mystic Spirit Continent to its west spanned millions of li.

The Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region had eighteen cultivation Lineages, while the cultivation Lineages on the Mystic Spirit Continent were as numerous as the hairs on an ox. It also had more than a hundred cultivation sects.

The four strongest sects on the Mystic Spirit Continent were the Mystic Sword Sect in the north, the Heavenly Sword Sect in the south, the Holy Cardamom Sect in the east, and the Dao Heaven Sect in the southeast.

These four great sects belonged to the first tier of cultivation sects. Of course, the Buddhist cultivation sect in the western Mystic Spirit Continent, the Joyful Purity Sect, also belonged to the first tier in terms of strength.

The sixteen great sects, including the Purple Sword Sect, the Golden Yang Sect, and the Purple Palace, belonged to the Mystic Spirit Continent's second tier.

The nearly hundred remaining sects belonged to the third tier.

Every ten years, the cultivation sects of the Mystic Spirit Continent spent three days recruiting young cultivators from the major cultivation Lineages of the Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region and Rogue Cultivators from all over the region on Immortal Ascension Island.

Cultivators from the Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region had to obtain a letter of recommendation from one of the eighteen Lineages before they could enter Immortal Ascension Island for an interview.

As the Xi Household's chief guest elder, Tang Yuan had now received its letter of recommendation.

Although Xi Xinfeng, the head of the Xi Household, had repeatedly urged him to stay and even given Tang Yuan the household's highest Cultivation Method, the lower fifth-grade Spirit Mystic Jade Flow Scripture, Tang Yuan remained determined to join a cultivation sect on the Mystic Spirit Continent. Only those sects possessed fourth-grade Cultivation Methods.

Tang Yuan had been at Qi Refining First Layer for a full four years, yet he had never managed to attempt a breakthrough to Qi Refining Second Layer. Still, since he had received the Xi Household's highest Cultivation Method, he promised that no matter which sect he joined, he would always remain its chief guest elder and do everything in his power to keep it safe...

With the Xi Household's letter of recommendation, Tang Yuan entered Immortal Ascension Island without trouble. In less time than it took an incense stick to burn, he felt like a frog at the bottom of a well, nothing more than a piece of trash. Heroes under heaven were as plentiful as carp crossing a river, and even dragons and phoenixes among men struggled to take a single step.

Tang Yuan was twenty-nine years old, with a Middle-Grade Spirit Root and a cultivation level of Qi Refining First Layer. He was also a fourth-grade Alchemist. Among the tens of thousands of cultivators in the Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region, he was as rare as a phoenix feather or a qilin horn.

But when he looked at the requirements of the sects recruiting disciples on Immortal Ascension Island, they demanded either a high-grade Spirit Root; a special wind or lightning Spirit Root of at least middle grade; a Middle-Grade Spirit Root, but an age of less than fourteen and a cultivation level of at least Qi Refining First Layer; or an innate treasure body or spirit bones. Some even demanded that applicants be at least the reincarnation of a Purple Mansion cultivator.

By those requirements, Tang Yuan barely qualified for admission to a third-tier sect at best.

The Blissful Purity Temple was also recruiting disciples, and its requirements were low, but Tang Yuan didn't dare go there.

With no other choice, Tang Yuan thickened his skin and kept putting himself forward, hoping a cultivation sect would take him as a disciple. But things did not go as he wished. He spent three whole days on Immortal Ascension Island, yet not a single sect was willing to accept him.

Seeing that quite a few sects were already packing up their stalls, Tang Yuan found himself standing before the Blissful Purity Temple's recruitment stall as if some ghost had led him there. If nothing else works, I'll marry into the temple and become a monk. But if I become a monk, what about my wife?

"Fellow Daoist, may I ask what relationship you have with Tang Yuan from Flying Squirrel Immortal Island in the Western Spirit Ten Thousand Islands Region? Do you know Tang Yuan and Tang Xiao?

"The 'flying squirrel' in the name is the same as the five-colored flying squirrel that produces Five Spirit Fat." A woman's voice rang out like a bronze bell.

Tang Yuan turned to look. A pretty female cultivator in green, her hair in twin ponytails, was looking at him with delight written all over her face.

The woman looked somewhat familiar, but he couldn't remember where he had seen her. Judging by her waist token, however, she was a Purple Sword Sect disciple at Qi Refining Fourth Layer.

Tang Yuan cupped his fists in greeting. "Greetings, Fellow Daoist. Flying Squirrel Immortal Island is my mortal hometown.

"Tang Xiao is my second younger brother, and I'm Tang Yuan."

"You're Tang Yuan?!

"How have you grown more handsome as you've gotten older...

"You look younger and younger. Did you take some secret pill?" The female cultivator looked astonished.

The Beauty-Preserving Pill that Luo Ningran of the Demon Realm had sold him not only preserved his looks but also made him somewhat younger. He now looked like a young man of seventeen or eighteen.

"I merely took a Beauty-Preserving Pill. And you are, Fellow Daoist?" Tang Yuan asked with a smile.

"Well, look at you, growing younger the longer you live.

"I thought you were your own son." The female cultivator lightly punched Tang Yuan. "It's me, Ning Wanqiu.

"Don't you recognize me?

"Is it because I've grown old?"

Ning Wanqiu?!

The little crybaby who had studied cultivation under Daoist Gou alongside Tang Yuan and Liu Hanchuan all those years ago?!

Later, a hundred immortal seedlings had taken part in the Purple Sword Sect's selection, but only Ning Wanqiu and seven others had passed the test and become its disciples. Tang Yuan and Liu Hanchuan, meanwhile, had become contracted spirit laborers fishing for the Xi Household.

Ning Wanqiu exchanged a few pleasantries with Tang Yuan, and they reminisced about their childhood studying cultivation together under Daoist Gou. Seeing his brows knit slightly, she asked, "Brother Tang, which sect did you join this time? Don't tell me you joined the Purple Sword Sect too. Still, even though you're two years older than me, you'll have to call me Senior Sister."

"I..." Tang Yuan scratched his head awkwardly. "My aptitude is too poor. No sect wants me.

"I went to your Purple Sword Sect's stall the day before yesterday, too, but I didn't meet the requirements.

"My Middle-Grade Spirit Root and Qi Refining First Layer cultivation qualify, but you only accept cultivators under twenty."

"Can't you refine Spirit-Replenishing Pills for Qi Refining cultivators?

"You can be called a fourth-grade Alchemist. For my sect's recruitment this time, anyone who reaches the fourth grade in any of the hundred cultivation arts-alchemy, formations, talismans, artifact crafting, poison making, Spirit Plants, insect taming, beast taming, and the like-can have the age limit raised to thirty-five.

"My Senior Brother Liao Chao must have been making things difficult for you on purpose. He has a high-grade Spirit Root and looks down on cultivators with mid- and low-grade Spirit Roots.

"I wasn't here the past two days. Come with me now. With my recommendation, you'll definitely be able to become a Purple Sword Sect disciple.

"Hehe, remember to call me Senior Sister from now on.

"Hmph, nine years ago, once I'd established myself in the Purple Sword Sect, I wrote to Liu Hanchuan and learned that you'd already married and had a child.

"You won't get away this time..." Ning Wanqiu tossed her ponytails. Without a trace of a female cultivator's dignity and reserve, she instead looked like a lovestruck woman pulling her sweetheart along as she took Tang Yuan by the hand and led him straight toward the Purple Sword Sect's stall.

Tang Yuan neither dared nor wanted to pull his hand free of Ning Wanqiu's. He simply walked along in silence. Ning Wanqiu's cultivation is higher than mine. If she gets angry, I can't beat her in a fight. Besides, I really do want to become a Purple Sword Sect disciple.

Ning Wanqiu walked along, her heart full of joy as she pulled Tang Yuan by the hand. She thought to herself, Once we entered the immortal sect, our lives took different paths.

The sea of people is boundless, yet I actually ran into Tang Yuan here. It seems he and I are still destined for each other.

So what if Tang Yuan has a wife and child? His wife is a mortal. Even with the miraculous pills Tang Yuan gives her, she won't live past a hundred. Qi Refining cultivators have a lifespan of a hundred and eighty years. Besides, in another ten or twenty years, Tang Yuan's wife will be old and faded, an old crone...

Hmph, when I get back, I must ask Master for a Beauty-Preserving Pill...

...At the Purple Sword Sect's recruitment stall, Ning Wanqiu heaped praise on Tang Yuan and pleaded on his behalf, but Liao Chao remained unmoved.

"Senior Brother Liao, how about I, Ning Wanqiu, owe you a favor? Tang Yuan already meets the sect's recruitment standards. Aren't you afraid I'll report to Master when we return, if you keep making things difficult?" Ning Wanqiu's face was full of anger.

"Junior Sister Wanqiu, don't forget that I'm in charge of recruitment this time. I have the authority to decide whom to accept.

"The great Dao of cultivation depends on fortuitous opportunity, and I just don't take a liking to this Tang Yuan..." Liao Chao said with a smile that didn't reach his eyes. "Of course, if Junior Sister were willing to give me that Origin-Nurturing Pill of yours, I could reluctantly allow Tang Yuan to become an outer sect menial disciple of our Purple Sword Sect for now."

"You..." Ning Wanqiu hesitated for a few breaths, then took out a jade bottle. "I can give you my Origin-Nurturing Pill, Senior Brother Liao, but Tang Yuan must be a full inner disciple."

Liao Chao was just reaching out with a grin to take the jade bottle when Tang Yuan stopped him.

Tang Yuan cupped his fists and bowed to Ning Wanqiu. "Wanqiu, I'm truly grateful for your kindness, and I'm honored that you think so highly of me, but this Origin-Nurturing Pill is too precious. I can't accept it.

"Origin-Nurturing Pills are used to attempt a breakthrough to the Middle Stage of Qi Refinement. Even in a famous and powerful sect like the Purple Sword Sect, they're hard to come by.

"As Fellow Daoist Liao said, perhaps I, Tang Yuan, really have no fate with the Purple Sword Sect, so there's no need to force it."...