To cultivate is to utilize the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth to surpass mortality. To cultivate, is to defy the heavens. However, all those who defy are not born equal.

A normal human is born with a hundred years of life. Most, however, are not able to reach that age. To cultivate, the very basic requirement is to possess spiritual roots. The cultivation world was not a fair one, for even taking the first step on the path to immortality required one to possess luck.

Spiritual roots, if one were to use the terminology of Xander’s home world, could only be described as genetic anomalies. The spiritual qi of the world nourished its surroundings, allowing mortals to have a slight increase in longevity and cultivators to step on the path of cultivation. The denser the spiritual qi in the environment, the greater the chance of a ‘genetic anomaly’ with spiritual roots being born.

Even then, there are differences within spiritual roots, which can further determine one’s potential along the road of cultivation.

However, those considerations cannot be compared to the most important one: The pull of fate and destiny.

If one were to be asked, ‘In what type of cultivator would the pull of fate and destiny be the weakest?’, then the answers they would receive would be rather interesting.

One would perhaps argue, that it was the cultivator with the least potential, the one who lagged behind among the ranks of super humans, who was disdained, ignored or scorned upon for his very existence, would be a fine candidate.

For the cultivation world was vicious, and might made right. That was not to say, that all cultivators were unreasonable or ruthless. It was simply a difference in existence, for a higher ranked cultivator would simply deem a lower one unworthy of negotiation. Simply put , those at the bottom of the barrel often faced the greatest suffering, for they were unworthy.

However, this answer would be incorrect. Perhaps fate had forsaken the weakest cultivator, or perhaps it was tempering him. The suffering he would go through as a result of his position, would not be for moot. Either it would break the cultivator, or sharpen his will to rise above discrimination, unfairness, and give him an unending desire for power. For the stronger the will, the greater the pull of destiny.

The strongest, most talented cultivator, was of course, not the answer either. He was blessed by fate, and that blessing brought about a confidence and arrogance that would only cause him to look down upon his fellow peers. His will would be one of indomitability, for those beneath his level or status could not possibly defeat him, and the ones that did, were naturally equivalent or greater to him in both aspects.

After analysing both the ends of extremities, the final answer was evident.

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Wen Jie is a cultivator.

To cultivate, is to defy the heavens.

However, Wen Jie had no such grand intentions or aspirations.

At age ten, a local scout for the Five Elements Sword Sect determined that he had talent for cultivation. At age 12, a cultivator visited his house once again, taking him to the sect after his agreement. His mortal parents were now under the protection of the Five Elements Sword Sect, and would be paid a stipend until the end of their natural lifespan. Once he reached the sect, he would be given a Qi Cycling Technique and a stipend of cultivation resources until he broke through.

To be a cultivator was the dream of any young child, and Wen Jie was no different. He too dreamed of becoming a mighty foundation establishment cultivator, flying through the skies on upon a grand sword. Besides, as long as he kept up with his cultivation, he could visit his parents twice a year. The cultivator scouting him had made that much clear.

Only later, after entering the sect, did Wen Jie realize that this was not always the case. The cultivators of the ancient times were forced to sever their mortal ties before stepping on the road to cultivation, but this practise was eventually retired. Many seniors defied this practise by whisking their parents away to the immortal world and taking care of them until their natural death, and ending up surpassing the Patriarch Core Formation realm and reaching the Nascent Soul Stage.

The reason behind their actions, and its subsequent effect was a complete mystery to Wen Jie, but he was glad about it nonetheless.

All the foundation establishment seniors he asked about this matter replied to him with the same answer: ‘As long as your Dao Heart is stable, you may do as you wish.’ Of course, that did not include killing mortals, or committing heinous actions.

The concept of a Dao Heart was still blurry to Wen Jie, but he understood the concept. There was no singular Dao Heart in the world, and it seemed as if every cultivator had their own unique Dao Heart. For example, if one’s Dao Heart was attaining power, regardless of consequences, then their Dao Heart would not collapse even if they were to kill mortals for cultivating a demonic technique. While Wen Jie could not ascertain his own Dao Heart yet, he knew that if he were forced to kill mortals, it would likely collapse.

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That did not mean that Wen Jie was a saint. Few who stepped on the path of immortality could claim themselves to be a saint, for even if you did not seek trouble, it would eventually knock at your doorstep. Killing mortals was the highest of taboos for a righteous cultivator, and Wen Jie considered himself to be a member of the righteous path. For mortals were the very foundations of the sect, and he himself was once a mortal. If the sect did not protect mortals, he would have never stepped on the path of cultivation.

At age 15, Wen Jie broke through the shackles of mortality and entered the first stage of Qi Refinement. It took him three years and three months to do so. With his single vein spiritual roots, such an outcome could only be described as, not bad. In fact, it was good for his aptitude. However, when viewed as a whole, it could only be described as…. average.

A child’s quality of spiritual roots is decided at birth. What determines it is the amount of spiritual qi the child within the womb can absorb within the nine months of growth. A single vein spiritual root meant that the child’s foundation for cultivation was complete, even though it was the lowest level of spiritual roots that qualified for admission into the Five Elements Sword Sect. Those with quarter formed, half formed and three-fourths formed spiritual roots were not qualified for entry. Thus, on the whole, Wen Jie’s spiritual roots were simply…average.

Those that were considered prodigies only took one year to break through. Such prodigies did not exist in this batch of graduates. Those who broke through before completion of the second year would be directly considered core sect, even if it was at one year and 11 months. These cultivators possessed the fabled double vein spiritual roots, which provided a qualitative boost to their cultivation. Potential alone was not everything, as will power and desire were equally important. Thus, even among those with the same talent, there could be vast disparities in cultivation level.

Those who broke through within two to three years of cultivation could be considered as talented, in their own manner of right. This batch was considered part of the inner disciples, and they had a single vein spiritual root along with a second vein at varying stages of completion. While the effect was not as pronounced as perfect double vein spiritual roots, it did give them an easier time cycling qi. There were even single vein spiritual root cultivators among the inner disciples, those with extraordinary willpower or exceptional comprehension.

Wen Jie knew that while core disciple was a bit of a reach, the inner disciple position was not impossible for him. Were his comprehension of his Qi Cycling Technique profound enough, his cultivation speed would reach ground-breaking levels. After all, the patriarch of their sect had formulated a golden core with just single vein spiritual roots, due to his supreme comprehension. It was said that Patriarch Earth fire could rival Nascent Soul Ancestors when it came to Dao Comprehension, and would himself become one in the future.

However, his own comprehension could only be described as… neither too good, nor too bad.

Those who broke through the first stage of Qi Refinement within three to four years were considered outer disciples. That meant that the stage of the sect pampering him with resources had come to an end. At three years and three months, had Wen Jie possessed a little more talent or comprehension, he would have made the cut.

But in the world of cultivation, a little gap can widen into an unfathomably vast chasm.

Initially, Wen Jie regretted it and felt resentful to the heavens. But eventually, he realized that his life was… pretty good? Perhaps even better than the weaker inner disciples. With average spiritual roots, comprehension and talent, he probably wasn’t going to make the cut for an inner disciple, and challenging one for their spot would only lead to enmity if he failed.

At age 18, he reached the second stage.

At age 21, he reached the third stage and hit the first bottleneck.

Those who couldn’t break the first bottleneck within five years were kicked out of the sect, and those who qualified, got to select a cave abode.

Wen Jie had been the strongest outer disciple for a while now. Those more qualified or more talented than him, had already left.

The chores, he assigned to those weaker than him.

When inner disciples came to pick a fight, or use an outer disciple for ‘target practice’, they would never mess with him. Instead, he would help them choose a target, after considering their backing and talent so that things would not get out of hand.

He maintained a cordial relation with inner disciples, and clearly indicated that he was no threat to them. He was even willing to take care of small matters for them.

Finally, at age 21, he got the most lucrative job possible, after using all his connections with the outer sect elders. Supervising the new candidate selection that happened once every six years.

He paid little to no attention to those with single spiritual veins, but those with double vein spiritual roots? Hehe. Of course, what ever they desired, he would arrange. Cultivation pointers, resources that he had pilfered by bullying other outer sect disciples, and even rumors, he would arrange them all.

He now had two solid connections with core disciples, and everyone that was worth anything in that batch looked upon ‘Brother Wen’ favourably. Brother Wen was wise, magnanimous and kind, and he possessed knowledge about all the ‘interesting’ places surrounding the Five Elements Sword Sect.

Now, even inner disciples wouldn’t callously act against him. Not that he’d give them reason to do so, his own life was worth the most after all. If an inner disciple crippled an outer disciple, there would be an uproar, and serious punishment, but he would still be crippled. And to be crippled in a world of cultivators, well, the people he had previously wronged.... It would not end well for him.

The only thing Wen Jie loved more than lording over weaklings and pilfering cultivation resources was his parents, and that was one thing that everybody could respect.

It was time to visit them again.

He would visit bearing gifts.