Chapter 735 - 222: [Despised by All, Even the Dogs—Brother Xiaohai] (6800)_3
Many cultivators, upon reaching his realm, find that the capacity for the body to be nurtured by Primordial Qi is exhausted, and further manipulation of Qi cannot enhance the physical body. However, after Chen Yan consumed the Divine Tree Juice, his limit was raised, allowing him to continue using Qi to nurture and strengthen his physical body.
Two hours later, Chen Yan awoke from his meditation, contemplating the path of his future cultivation. Suddenly, he felt a stir in his heart; the protective array outside his cave was fluctuating.
He got up and walked to the entrance of the cave, waved his sleeve to open the cave door, and saw Zhang the Third kneeling outside, respectfully saying, "Reporting to the master, there is a visitor."
Chen Yan was puzzled, so Zhang the Third quickly explained, "It’s the cultivators from nearby who have heard of a new neighbor moving in and, according to tradition, have come to pay their respects."
Chen Yan understood and nodded, saying, "Since they are cultivators who live nearby, they must be received."
Afterwards, Chen Yan and Zhang the Third walked to the courtyard gate, seeing three cultivators in long robes standing outside. As the gate opened, the three looked at Chen Yan and bowed, saying, "Greetings, Fellow Daoist!"
Chen Yan also cupped his hands in reply, then invited the three inside.
Having just moved in, the yard was empty, so he invited the three into the cave, where they sat in an empty room.
Zhang the Third, being quick-witted, soon instructed his young nephew to bring in some tea.
After inviting the three cultivators to sit, Chen Yan saw Zhang the Third sending someone in with tea, feeling a stir in his heart, knowing that he had nothing prepared to entertain guests.
However, he didn’t question it, simply waiting for the guests to settle before exchanging pleasantries.
"I am Zhao Shanhe, new to West Platform City, residing here, graciously receiving your visit, but in this humble abode, there is nothing to entertain guests with. I will visit you to return the courtesy another day."
The three returned the courtesy and then introduced themselves one by one.
The one with the highest cultivation was named Long Da, at the Early Stage of the Guiyuan Realm—his cultivation might not surpass Chu Keqing, though in a fight, he could likely crush Chu with one hand.
After all, Domain Realm cultivators are not like those in the real world who only possess Primordial Qi cultivation and are ignorant of spells.
The other two were at the Inner Room Realm, but despite their lower cultivation, Long Da highlighted that one was an alchemist and the other an artifact refiner when introducing them.
Thus, even though they were only at the Inner Room Realm, due to their special professions, they lived in courtyard residences with six servants attending to them.
Otherwise, being ordinary at the Inner Room Realm would not earn such privileges.
After some small talk, Chen Yan shared his background, saying he came from Snow Cliff Pass, where he spent many years fighting against the Fierce Beast Race, gained some opportunities, and fortuitously entered the path. After years in Snow Cliff Pass battling in formations and growing tired of the slaughter, he returned to the Western Border Domain and settled in West Platform City.
The three showed respect for Chen Yan’s Guiyuan Realm cultivation and were polite without daring to probe further.
The experiences of the three were also quite typical for bottom-level loose cultivators.
Despite Long Da having the highest cultivation, at the Early Stage of the Guiyuan Realm, he ironically had the poorest future prospects among the three—he came from a mortal family, his cultivation was attributed to a distant relative who found the path, currently serving as a low-tier Immortal Official on the Immortal Platform, whose cultivation was likely only at the Ascension Realm.
In Long Da’s family, spanning five generations over a hundred years, only one promising cultivator emerged, relying on this relative’s support. Long Da, being the most talented in the family, received some resources from this relative to cultivate to the Early Stage of Guiyuan Realm.
But it was likely that his talent had peaked, and without exceptional opportunities, further advancement seemed unlikely.
On the contrary, the other two guests were brothers.
The older was named Zhu Yao, and the younger Zhu Qi. As the names suggest, one was an alchemist, and the other an artifact refiner. They were ordinary mortals originally living in the mountains outside the city. By chance, they encountered a cultivator searching for Heavenly and Earthly Treasures in the mountains.
The brothers served the cultivator, guiding him through the mountains for a long time.
The cultivator found the desired Heavenly and Earthly Treasures and, since the treasures were not yet mature, settled nearby and guarded the plant in the mountains for eight years.
The cultivator, an eminent figure from the Immortal Platform, saw potential in the brothers, thus accepting them as registered disciples, one practicing alchemy, the other artifact creation.
Settling by the plant and guarding it led to eight years of teaching.
Two years ago, the Immortal Herb matured, and the cultivator harvested it and left, instructing the brothers to diligently cultivate both paths. He said if they managed to become third-grade alchemists or artifact refiners, they could seek him at the White Jade City Immortal Platform to formally enter his tutelage.
Of course, some words were not explicitly stated, but the brothers understood.
The registered teacher’s intention was that if they did not achieve third-grade status in alchemy or artifact refining, it meant they lacked talent, and thus wouldn’t qualify to formally become his disciples.
This chance encounter led them onto the path, freeing them from their mortal identities, which repaid their eight years of service.
The brothers trained for eight years under the great cultivator, and after his departure, they continued for another two years.
Adding up to ten years, they had now reached second-grade in both alchemy and artifact refining, nearing the third-grade promise.
Thus, despite their cultivation realm being only at the Inner Room Realm, Long Da, the Guiyuan Realm cultivator, was very courteous to them, knowing the brothers likely had better prospects than himself.