Chapter 4: A New Beginning

“Heh, Biao’er, how are you? Are you mostly recovered today?”

Tang Zhantian paid no more mind to the Divine Wind Academy recruitment instructor who had already left and descended to the ground. He smiled as he spoke to Wang Feng.

Wang Feng nodded and said, “Yes, mostly. But there’s something that might disappoint you.”

“Oh? Do tell, what might disappoint me?”

Tang Zhantian seemed somewhat curious as he asked, because he could feel that this “son” before him had always given him a strange sense of unfamiliarity.

“I’ve lost my memory! Completely. I don’t even remember my own name.”

Wang Feng confessed candidly. At this moment, he urgently needed to understand this world and adapt to it quickly.

However, he didn’t mention anything about his soul transmigrating. He wasn’t clear about this person’s attitude towards him yet. If he told the truth, he might immediately suffer at the other’s hands. He might have been idle in his previous life, but that didn’t mean he was stupid.

“Oh, that’s alright. Your mother and I long since realized this. After all, the injuries you sustained were severe. It’s already a blessing you could reclaim your life. As for something small like memory loss, it’s insignificant. If you work hard, it will gradually come back.”

Tang Zhantian seemed to have anticipated this long ago and spoke without any surprise.

“But… but…”

Hearing this, Wang Feng hesitated a bit.

Tang Zhantian frowned slightly. “But what?”

“It’s just that I don’t know my name right now, and calling you father feels a bit awkward.”

Wang Feng voiced the thoughts in his heart.

“Young Master!”

Little Lv, standing to the side, paled upon hearing Wang Feng’s words and hastily interrupted.

“Haha, no matter, no matter. Over the years, your mother and I haven’t properly cared for you. Don’t mention now, when you’ve lost your memory. Even when you were well before, we rarely heard you call us. This is indeed our failure. Alright, Little Lv, you take Biao’er around and help him get acquainted. I have a batch of elixirs to concoct.”

Tang Zhantian said with a smile. However, after only a few sentences, he hurriedly left.

“Huh, Little Lv, is concocting elixirs really that important to him?”

Seeing this “father,” Tang Zhantian, leave after only a few words—especially since every time it was just a few sentences before he left for some elixir business—Wang Feng’s heart was also filled with doubt, and he couldn’t help but ask.

“Yes, Young Master. You’ve lost your memory, so naturally you don’t know how formidable the Master is at concocting elixirs. Although Master’s cultivation level is only Mid Core Formation Stage, he can concoct fourth-grade, even fifth-grade elixirs that some Nascent Soul Cultivators can’t create. He is a prestigious figure on the entire Divine Wind Continent.”

A touch of pride appeared on Little Lv’s face as she spoke.

“Huh? Fourth-grade elixir?”

Hearing this term, many things involuntarily surfaced in Wang Feng’s mind. Still, he thought to let Little Lv explain.

Little Lv said, “Yes, fourth-grade elixir. Oh, I forgot; you have amnesia. Elixirs are divided into ten grades. The lowest is the first grade, then the second grade, the third grade, and so forth. The highest grade is the tenth. I’ve heard that only Tribulation Transcendents can concoct tenth-grade elixirs. I haven’t heard of anything higher.”

“Huh, I still don’t understand.”

Wang Feng shook his head and said.

Actually, he was starting to grasp some clues inside, but he didn’t voice them. Otherwise, his “amnesia” wouldn’t seem genuine.

“Alright, let me put it to you like this. The grading of elixirs is actually directly related to the divisions in cultivator cultivation levels. On our Divine Wind Continent, cultivator cultivation levels are divided into Qi Condensation, Foundation Building, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Refinement, and Tribulation Transcendence stages. Qi Condensation itself has nine layers. Reaching the first to third layer confers no substantial ability. Only by reaching the Fourth Layer could one cast spells, marking the distinction from mortals, and use magical artifacts. By then, combat prowess would be enhanced. As for elixirs, cultivators must reach the Foundation Establishment Stage before they can safely consume the lowest-grade elixirs. Body Refiners, however, don’t face such strict requirement. Those in the Qi Condensation Stage usually only use medicinal liquids for marrow cleansing and impurity expulsion…”

Little Lv, seemingly wanting to ensure Wang Feng understood, explained slowly.

It took a full quarter of an hour before Little Lv finally finished.

Listening to Little Lv, Wang Feng basically understood. The continent he was on now was named Divine Wind Continent. On this continent, almost everyone cultivated. However, they were primarily divided into two paths: Body Refining and Immortal Cultivation (Cultivation). Generally, those with Spiritual Roots chose Cultivation because achievements in Cultivation far surpassed those in Body Refining. Body Refining was exceptionally arduous. Without substantial resources, even devoting an entire lifetime might only achieve a level barely equivalent to a Foundation Establishment Cultivator. Even with ample resources, lacking specific opportunities, one still couldn’t surpass the hurdle of the Body Refining Third Tier!

Naturally, there was also the classification of cultivator realms. The broad divisions were startlingly similar to what he’d seen in those novels. This sparked a strange thought in his mind: perhaps this place really was just a world within his dream, though the dream felt far too real, making it hard to distinguish from reality. Fortunately, he had resolved that whether this was a dream or reality, he would proceed earnestly.

Seeing Wang Feng slowly absorbing the information, Little Lv ultimately stopped and said, “Enough, there’s no need to ask me. Once you return and go through the books in your bookcase, you’ll understand everything.”

“Yes, alright. No need. I think I’ve grasped most of what you just said. On this Divine Wind Continent, almost everyone cultivates—either Immortal Seekers (Cultivators) or Body Refiners. Mortals are a very small minority. Naturally, Body Refining is minor and leads to no significant achievements; thus, its tiers are quite simple and its cultivation arts pitifully few. Cultivators, however, have meticulously defined realms and numerous cultivation arts. The main cultivation realms are roughly divided into Qi Condensation, Foundation Building, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Refinement, and Tribulation Transcendence. Apart from Qi Condensation’s nine layers, the others each have Early, Middle, and Late stages. Cultivation Arts are further classified into four grades: Heaven, Earth, Mystic, and Yellow, with Heaven-rank being the highest and Yellow Tier the lowest. Naturally, the grade of the cultivation art influences one’s ultimate achievement. If a Late Foundation Building Stage cultivator practiced a Heaven-rank Cultivation Technique, they could potentially fight an Early-stage Golden Core cultivator using a Yellow Tier Cultivation Art. The inherent strength gap between Golden Core and Foundation Establishment is usually insurmountable. But because of the disparity in cultivation arts, opposing them becomes possible. Though based on what you said, Heaven-rank Cultivation Techniques probably aren’t abundant on the entire Divine Wind Continent. In fact, even Earth-rank ones might be scarce…”

Having read too many cultivation novels, Wang Feng understood about eighty percent just from Little Lv’s explanation and proceeded to expound effortlessly.

“Huh… Young Master, are you truly amnesiac?”

Upon hearing Wang Feng confidently say so much, Little Lv grew suspicious again.

“Yeah, I really have amnesia. It’s just that these things seem to have always been in my mind. Your words just reminded me.”

Wang Feng said nonchalantly.

Of course, the primary reason he dared say this was because he still doubted everything. He suspected it was all very likely a dream. This division of Heaven, Earth, Mystic, Yellow cultivation arts? Wasn’t that straight out of Battle Through the Heavens? The realm divisions? They were everywhere.

“Hmm, but Young Master, now that I think about it, you seem like a different person since waking up.”

Little Lv observed Wang Feng thoughtfully for a moment before speaking.

“Oh?”

A faint smile appeared at the corner of Wang Feng’s mouth as he countered.

“Yes, really different. As if it’s still the Young Master’s body, but the soul inside is someone else’s!”

After thinking, Little Lv surprisingly uttered something shocking.

Hearing this, Wang Feng involuntarily paled momentarily, but swiftly returned to normal. He managed a smile, “Hah, Little Lv, are you trying to suggest I’ve been… possessed?”

“No! No! Young Master, don’t misunderstand! That’s not what I meant…”

Little Lv seemed to grasp the implication and hastily explained. Yet, inside, her heart skipped a beat. Could the Young Master be possessed? No, no, shouldn’t be. If he were possessed, the Master and Madam would surely notice something different. It must just be the amnesia making me feel this way. Still, why do I feel this?

“Alright, I didn’t mean to blame you. Since we’re idle now, why don’t you tell me about my past? Otherwise, I won’t be able to function here.”

Though a million thunderclaps roared inside him, Wang Feng spoke calmly.