Although it only takes a day for the flying boat to travel from the Top Xuan Sect to Silk Cloud Prefecture, once you enter the Top Xuan Sect, you must sever all ties with the mortal world and focus solely on cultivation. Without special reasons, the sect does not permit returning home.

Alaric Ye had seen many Lin Family children who were found to have Spiritual Roots. Once they left the Lin Residence, they never returned, not even sending a single letter home.

No one knew their level of cultivation, no one knew if they had truly severed their mortal ties, and no one knew if they were still alive!

It was said that only those who achieved the Foundation Establishment stage and became Upper Immortals would gain a certain degree of freedom. Alaric and the others had not even reached the Qi Refining stage yet.

The gap between the Qi Refining stage and the Foundation Establishment stage was like heaven and earth, with only one in a hundred making it!

David Lin and Michael Lin clenched their fists, their eyes red, holding back tears.

Alaric looked at the gradually shrinking Lin Residence with a complex expression, biting his lip, showing no signs of joy or sorrow.

This was the cage where his ancestors had lived for generations...

His father, mother, and ancestors were all buried here.

Before long, the flying boat disappeared into the clouds, completely obscuring the Lin Residence in a sea of white mist. The boat began to glide smoothly through the cloud sea.

The former Young Miss of the Lin Residence, whom Alaric could never hope to reach, now had her eyes on him, filled with curiosity and a hint of concern.

Lucy Lin bit her red lips, hesitated for a long time, and finally mustered the courage to say, "Alaric, I know the people of the Lin Residence treated you poorly in the past. From now on... I'll try to take care of you and make it up to you. Once we enter the Immortal Sect, our ties to the mortal world will be severed. I don't expect us to look out for each other, but I hope you won't hold a grudge against us siblings... If you must hate someone, hate me.

We will no longer be the Young Miss and Young Masters of the Lin Residence. We are now fellow disciples, equals, and we all have to start anew."

As a young lady from a prestigious family, Lucy had received a good education from a young age. She clearly understood many things and was exceptionally quick-witted.

Alaric calmly replied, "Young Miss, Young Masters, I do not resent you. It serves no purpose."

Alaric was not lying.

His father had taught him from a young age to distinguish between kindness and enmity.

The weak are bullied everywhere, a truth Alaric had long understood.

If he ever had the chance, he would not spare the Lin Residence steward who starved his grandfather, the servants who beat his parents to death, or the Lin Residence steward and old master who condoned such actions.

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In his daily life, Alaric was of low status and had never served Lucy, David, or Michael. They had no interactions and were not the managers of the Lin Residence, so Alaric had no reason to hate them.

There were both good and bad people in the Lin Residence. He could not kill hundreds of people just because of a few evil deeds.

As a righteous Immortal Sect, the Top Xuan Sect would not tolerate such actions either.

Lucy showed a sweet smile. "Thank you for understanding. This Black Iron sword is a gift to you, as a small compensation."

With that, Lucy handed over the Black Iron sword, worth a thousand gold pieces, without hesitation.

Alaric was slightly taken aback, looking at Lucy with some surprise. David and Michael were also a bit shocked.

Lucy continued, "No need to be polite. I have an older brother and sister in the sect. I've heard that my sister has excellent talent and is already an Inner Disciple. We have always been close, and she will surely give me Immortal weapons. I don't need this sword.

There's something else you might not know. After formally entering the sect, all miscellaneous disciples receive a Black Iron sword, but those swords are mass-produced and contain far less Black Iron than the ones forged by our Lin Family's master swordsmith."

Alaric glanced at the Black Iron sword but did not accept it. He said calmly, "I cannot accept this gift without earning it. I do not hate you, and I will not accept your gifts. If I need one in the future, I will save up and buy it myself."

Alaric indeed coveted the Black Iron sword, dreaming of owning one.

In his mind, heroes, rogue cultivators, and generals all carried swords. Those who wielded swords were always awe-inspiring.

As a lowly servant, becoming awe-inspiring and respected had always been Alaric's dream.

He longed for it, but he had his principles.

Especially after leaving the slave registry, his mindset had undergone a drastic change.

He would no longer accept charity or gifts from strangers.

The saying goes, "He who eats another's food is soft in speech; he who takes another's hand is short in action." If he accepted the gift, he would owe Lucy a favor, making it hard to punish those who wronged his grandfather.

Lucy smiled awkwardly and took back the sword.

Alaric had no intention of continuing the conversation with Lucy. He found a quiet corner, sat cross-legged, and began to practice his breathing techniques.

David snorted coldly, "This lowly person has quite the airs. In the past, I would have had the servants break his legs. Sister Lucy, we don't need to curry favor with him. In the future, I will surely advance to a mid-grade Spiritual Root and become an Outer Sect disciple, surpassing him by miles!"

Michael whispered, "Brother David, don't be angry. Maybe you don't know, but I heard his parents were beaten by servants and died a few years later. He lost his parents at ten and had to do dirty and exhausting work day and night. It's quite pitiful..."

Michael was glared at fiercely by David and quickly shut his mouth, not daring to say more.

Lucy sighed softly.

"It seems I'll have to find another way to compensate him in the future..."

***

On the deck of the flying boat, there were about twenty or thirty children dressed in luxurious clothes. They were all from other prestigious families in Silk Cloud Prefecture, and some of them also held Black Iron swords forged by their families.

They all looked excited, full of anticipation for the future.

Seeing the flying boat stabilize, some children from familiar families greeted Lucy and her group. Lucy, being naturally intelligent, beautiful, and possessing a rare mid-grade Spiritual Root, quickly became friends with them. They excitedly talked about their aspirations for the Top Xuan Sect and becoming Upper Immortals.

During this time, a few people invited Alaric to join their conversation. After all, his Spiritual Root was of rare quality, and even the Inner Sect Immortal Elder who tested it had praised him. In the past, they wouldn't have given Alaric a second glance, but now they wanted to befriend him.

However, Alaric declined their invitations, stating he needed to focus on his cultivation.

After becoming an orphan, Alaric was only familiar with his roommate, Tom Wang, who was also an orphan and had a face full of pockmarks.

So, he was not good at socializing and was indeed a solitary person.

He found it more relaxing to communicate with insects than with people.

***

Soon, half a day had passed.

During this time, the flying boat stopped and started several times, picking up children with Spiritual Roots from six other major families in Silk Cloud Prefecture. There were now thirty-seven children on board.

After an announcement from two female cultivators, the flying boat officially set off, heading straight for the Top Xuan Sect, the place the children had been dreaming of.

Unfortunately, the weather did not cooperate. Shortly after the flying boat left the boundaries of Silk Cloud Prefecture and entered a desolate mountain range, a violent storm broke out, with thunder and lightning. Soon, it began to pour, drenching all the children on the boat. The Top Xuan Sect Immortal Elders, with their bodies glowing with a protective aura, remained unaffected by the storm, making the children envious.

The rain did not dampen the children's enthusiasm. They continued to chat excitedly about the cultivation world stories they had heard from their elders while tidying their clothes and hair.

The flying boat was protected by formations and generally wouldn't be struck by lightning. However, for safety, Senior Brother Wang ordered the boat to fly a hundred meters above the ground, slowing its speed.

Alaric, who had been meditating in the rain, suddenly opened his eyes.

Buzz, buzz, buzz...

Alaric could clearly feel the insects in the sky becoming extremely restless.

Boom!

A bolt of lightning split the sky, suddenly descending and striking directly at the flying boat.