Chapter 11: It’s You

The room quieted down suddenly. Xu Li spoke softly, “There was!”

“Really? Who are they? Tell me!” Xu Ziyan asked curiously.

“I believe you now, Ziyan, that you lived in a remote mountain village. You actually don’t know the famous figures on the mainland! It just shows how isolated the place you stayed was.” Having said this, she looked at Xu Ziyan with emotion and sighed lightly. “If your uncle hadn’t discovered you, a peerless talent would have been buried like that.”

Xu Ziyan blushed with embarrassment at the praise. She said somewhat shyly, “Xu Li, please stop teasing me. My knowledge is limited. Just tell me.”

Xu Li suddenly became serious, looking at Xu Ziyan with great intensity. “Ziyan, you definitely aren’t destined for ordinary things in the future. You will soar to success. Don’t forget us when that happens.”

“Yeah! Ziyan, don’t forget us.” The others also looked at Xu Ziyan with extreme seriousness at this moment, their eyes filled with hope.

Xu Ziyan was flustered by everyone’s sudden intensity. However, she quickly understood that they were imagining her future success and hoping she would look out for them once she became powerful. To put it bluntly, these four in front of her had been cultivating since they were three years old, yet they only barely reached the Fifth Layer of Houtian by the time they were fifteen. They truly had little major development potential left. Even if Xu Ziyan constantly gave them Elixirs, they couldn’t become top-tier existences. So, it was normal for them to have this thought.

Having figured all this out, Xu Ziyan quickly adjusted her mindset. She knew that if she kept being humble right now, it might cause misunderstandings. So, she smiled and said:

“If I truly soar to success in the future as your good words predict, Ziyan will certainly not forget the kindness you’ve shown me today.”

“Great!” Everyone was overjoyed, clapping their hands and laughing heartily.

After finishing their laughter, Xu Li gathered her thoughts slightly and said softly:

“This continent is vast. Our Xu Clan is located in the Northern Region. With our status, we don’t know much. I only know that in the North, there are Four Great Families: the Han Family of Juque City, the Zhou Family of Canglang City, the Yang Family of Nanlin City, and our Xu Clan of Zhongdu City.

It’s said the Zhou Family of Canglang City produced a genius named Zhou Hao. He is the son of the current Zhou Family Family Head. He started Cultivation at three, broke through to the Fifth Layer of Houtian at five, and entered the Innate Realm at seven. Now eighteen, he is already at the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

Similarly, the Yang Family of Nanlin City also produced a genius, named Yang Linglong. She is the daughter of the current Yang Family Family Head. Her progress was almost identical to Zhou Hao’s. Now also eighteen, she has reached the Fifth Layer of Qi Refining Stage.

As for the Han Family of Juque City, they haven’t produced any particular genius figure. Rumor has it that the most outstanding young master of the Han Family is named Han Cheng. Seventeen this year, he only has the Second Layer of Qi Refining Stage Cultivation Level. The most outstanding in our Xu Clan is Ninth Uncle’s son, named Xu Tianlang. They say he’s about to break through to the Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.”

“So, the most powerful ones are Zhou Hao and Yang Linglong?”

Xu Ziyan asked softly. Hearing Xu Li’s words, she couldn’t help but feel a bit disappointed. She was only fifteen now, and she had only been Cultivating for a few months yet had already reached the Second Layer of Qi Refining Stage Realm.

She believed that with the help of her Elixirs, once her Talisman Crafting Art reached Third Grade, she could create Talisman Arrays. By making herself a Spirit Gathering Talisman Array, with the combined aid of Elixirs and the Talisman Array, her progress would certainly be much faster. Although she started late, she firmly believed that by the time she was eighteen, she wouldn’t be inferior to that Yang Linglong or Zhou Hao. Moreover, as time passed, she would surely surpass them, even leave them far behind.

“No!” Xu Li shook her head and said. “That’s just in the North. I don’t know about other places. And these are just the experts in the secular world. As for the disciples within those Sects, they are beyond what people like us can know. One thing is certain though: the experts within those Sects definitely have much higher Cultivation Levels than people in the secular world. Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao, if they entered a Sect – wouldn’t even need to be a big Sect, even a small one that’s probably not even medium-sized – they likely wouldn’t even count as average.”

“Really? How do you know that?”

“Xu Ling knows more about this. Let Xu Ling tell it.” Xu Li turned her gaze towards Xu Ling.

Xu Ling didn’t hesitate and picked up where Xu Li left off. “My distant cousin was chosen five years ago by a small Sect called the Chiyang Sect. He entered the Chiyang Sect at the First Level of Qi Refining Stage Cultivation Level. Last year when he came back for a visit, he said that the First Level of Qi Refining Stage is the lowest Cultivation Level in the Chiyang Sect. People with Cultivation Levels like Yang Linglong and Zhou Qiang are common there; they don’t count as talents at all.”

Pausing here, Xu Ling continued, “According to my cousin, the Spiritual Energy inside a Sect is much denser than in our secular families. They also get Elixirs supplied. When he came back last year, he was already at the Third Layer of Qi Refining Stage.”

Envy flashed in Xu Ling’s eyes. The others were also filled with longing. Even Xu Ziyan was stirred. But just for a moment. Xu Ziyan then asked, puzzled:

“If Sects are so good, why haven’t Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao joined one? Since your cousin could join a Sect at the First Level of Qi Refining Stage, shouldn’t they have no problem?”

“They most likely want to join a better Sect. If they can get into a major Sect, the Cultivation environment there isn’t something small Sects can compare to.” Xu Dezhi said with envy. “In two more years, it will be the time for the Huayang Sect and Taixuan Sect to hold their Opening the Mountain Gate to recruit Disciples. I think Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao must be aiming to join one of those two Sects. That’s why they haven’t gone to the smaller ones.”

“Oh!” Xu Ziyan suddenly understood, raising an eyebrow. “So, Yang Linglong and Zhou Hao have quite high ambitions! Truly genius figures, their thoughts are different!”

“Pfft! What’s so great about them?” Xu Li scoffed lightly. “They say Zhou Hao was practically raised on Elixirs. That Yang Linglong though, her aptitude is said to be outstanding.”

“What’s bad about taking Elixirs?” Xu Ziyan asked, confused. Seeing everyone’s expressions, she couldn’t help but feel worried.

Xu Tieniu said in his deep voice, “Relying entirely on Elixirs to raise your strength makes your foundation unstable. Later on, breakthroughs become hard, and your fighting power is weaker than someone at the same Realm.”

Xu Ziyan was startled. Could that be? In my heritage, doesn’t it say that after reaching the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Stage, as long as you take those power-boosting Elixirs while also taking Foundation Stabilizing Pills (Guben Dan), you can solve the unstable foundation issue? How come Xu Tieniu says there are problems with instability and weaker fighting power? Could the heritage record be wrong?

Xu Ziyan hesitated. She felt this matter was too important to her, so she couldn’t help but ask:

“I once heard someone say that taking Foundation Stabilizing Pills avoids these problems?”

“Foundation Stabilizing Pill?”

Everyone exclaimed together. They all stared at Xu Ziyan as if they didn’t recognize her. Xu Ziyan felt a chill run down her spine under their gazes. She asked timidly:

“What? Did I say something wrong?”

“Ziyan, the Foundation Stabilizing Pill is like something from legends. The Pill Recipe was lost long ago. If Foundation Stabilizing Pills existed, there would be no problem at all. But that’s just dreaming!” Xu Li shook her head as if dreaming.

“The Pill Recipe is lost?” Xu Ziyan was stunned. I have it in my heritage! So that means taking Elixirs shouldn’t be a problem for me. When I reach the Ninth Level of Qi Refining Stage, I can just refine some Foundation Stabilizing Pills for myself. I was so scared just now thinking there were side effects.

“Still, getting to take Elixirs is their strength. Even if we wanted to take them, we don’t have the chance.” Xu Ling said gloomily.

Hearing this, everyone froze. Thinking that Xu Ling was right, they couldn’t help but become a bit depressed. Xu Dezhi also said with a bitter smile:

“Without Elixirs, I’m afraid we’ll never break through to the Innate Realm in this lifetime. If there were Elixirs that could get me to Innate Realm, I’d take them even if my Realm was unstable.”

“Yeah, we’re all kids from poor families with not-so-great aptitudes. We’re probably stuck in the Outer Hall for life. But Ziyan, if you ever get to take large amounts of Elixirs in the future, you need to be careful.”

“Me? How would I get large amounts of Elixirs?” Xu Ziyan forced a smile, trying to cover up.

“Haha, who knows? Maybe in two years you’ll be chosen by the Taixuan Sect or Huayang Sect. Then you’ll get plenty of Elixirs to eat!”

“Come on, I’m only at the Sixth Layer of Houtian right now. Stop joking. Drink, drink!”

“Okay, drink!”

Everyone picked up their wine cups, clinked them together, and downed the wine in one go. However, after the previous discussion, everyone’s spirits were low. The atmosphere became somewhat stifled, and people weren’t in the mood for casual talk. After exchanging a few more words, they settled the bill and left.

In recent days, the snow had fallen relentlessly, piling deep on the ground. Cold wind whipped snowflakes down collars. The five walked towards the Clan’s Outer Hall through the thick snow. Amid the swirling flakes, Xu Ziyan spotted a vaguely familiar figure approaching from afar through the snow. Squinting at the person, she suddenly recognized him as the man she had bumped into on her first day arriving in Zhongdu City. She remembered that Xu Ximei seemed to call him Brother Lin.

As both groups reached close enough, the Brother Lin also saw Xu Ziyan and her group. Recognizing the Brother Lin opposite them, Xu Li and the others hurriedly bowed respectfully.

“We greet Senior Brother Lin.”

Xu Lin gave them a faint nod. When his eyes fell on Xu Ziyan, his brow furrowed slightly. Suddenly, he seemed to recognize her and blurted out:

“It’s you!”