“Zhou Yan.”
“Yes, master?”
“I hope you understand that your talent is monstrous, something that this world hasn’t seen in hundreds of thousands of years.”
“But that doesn’t mean you should get cocky, there are thousands of geniuses that are born. But who truly makes it to the top of the cultivation world?”
“The answer is those who are lucky, have resources, have connections, and have a firm will.”
“Don’t let your talent blind you from the fact that a dead genius is nothing but a waste.”
Zhou Yan knew that Elder Wang had a point, although talent played a part in one’s cultivation journey. It didn’t decide how far someone would go in the cultivation world. Countless geniuses meet unfortunate ends during the process.
While the more obscure figures rise above the steps of these so-called geniuses. Only those who can truly rise above the rest can be considered a true genius.
“Disciple understands.”
Zhou Yan bowed towards Elder Wang with a solemn look. Elder Wang nodded at him with an appreciative smile, messing up Zhou Yan’s hair.
“Take this manual, it’ll teach you how to take your first step into the cultivation world as a Qi Apprentice.”
A tattered book flew towards Zhou Yan. It read, ‘Qi Cultivation Manual’. Once he received the book in his hand. The ground opened beneath him, sending him away from Elder Wang’s dao cave.
Traveling through the ground and deep soil. Zhou Yan heard a voice in his head.
“Come back towards me once you become a Qi Apprentice.”
With that Zhou Yan’s eyes met the sunlight as he stared at a tall mountain in front of him. The mountain had countless man-made stairs leading towards the peak. If he didn’t guess wrong, then Elder Wang used a spell that sent him outside the mountain.
This mountain was probably where his Dao cave was located. And he was probably still in the Yellow Orchid Sect. As if on queue, a cultivator that was flying in the sky landed next to Zhou Yan.
Startled Zhou Yan greeted this mysterious cultivator.
“Greetings senior.”
“Haha, no need to be surprised, junior disciple.”
“Elder Wang, contacted me to guide you through the sect.”
“Many thanks, senior.”
“Just call me Liang.”
“Okay, senior Liang.”
This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it
Liang took Zhou Yan toward many parts of the sect. The cultivation area, where the Qi in the area was higher, allowed for increased cultivation speed. The trading area, this area hosted many businesses that sold various products.
Not only that the trading area was where disciples could trade with each other. There was also the law enforcement area, many rulebreakers would pop out in the sect. So the sect had to make sure they would be able to punish them.
There were many areas in the sect. Even a brothel, Zhou Yan, had already realized what made this sect special. The fact that it was run by 3 sect leaders. Who split power in the sect in 3 ways. Each sect leader was backed by one of the elders.
Not only that it wasn’t those sects that were run by a certain family name. So not only did it provide a certain degree of mobility but it had a lot of diversity. This was both good and bad for him.
Good because he could easily rise higher in the sect and bad because it would be harder for him to take control of the sect since power was so split.
“Junior brother, this is where you will be living and cultivating.”
“Many thanks, senior brother Liang.”
“No need to thank me, I’m just doing what Elder Wang told me to do.”
Zhou Yan had already befriended Liang, it wasn’t hard. Not only was Zhou Yan a talent that Liang wanted to invest in, but Zhou Yan didn’t have a low eq. It wasn’t hard for him to make friends with others.
The only reason he didn’t have much help when he was being sieged was that his opponents were simply just too strong. Immortals were just too weak in the face of true Deities.
Back to the present, Zhou Yan’s house was just a manor. It had 8 rooms with only 2 of the rooms that he took notice of. One was a cultivation room, where there were arrays that would pump Qi into the room.
The other was an encased area where it could handle his spells and techniques. A practice room, considering the materials that made it. Not only was the manor large there were countless maids in it.
He, Zhou Yan, had already become a pampered young master. Senior brother Liang had already left Zhou Yan, as he had other business to attend to. After he finished teasing the maids, Zhou Yan walked into the cultivation room.
He had already read the book. It was a pretty simple cultivation technique. The technique was a way to attract the Qi around the cultivator, into their body. Once the Qi was absorbed in the cultivator’s body it would be used as fuel to ignite the first Life Orb located in the heart.
Life Orbs were what Qi Apprentice cultivated. There were 6 of them each corresponding to a part in the body. Which meant there were 6 stages in the Qi Apprentice stage. The problem was just trying to attract Qi into the body, and the fact that with each Life Orb a cultivator ignites, it requires more fuel for the next one.
This is where talent comes in. With a higher talent, it would be easier to manipulate Qi into the Life Orbs. This wasn’t the only thing that talent played in though, higher talent would allow for easier comprehension and enlightenment opportunities.
Others would probably take a long time to attract their first Qi into the Life Orb but for Zhou Yan. A wave of Qi rushed towards his heart. Not only was this backed by his monstrous talent, but it was also because this room was filled with Qi.
This was something that many wouldn’t be able to use so freely.
It didn’t even take a minute for the first Life Orb to ignite. A huge spark ignited inside the Life Orb, making the orb shine a purple radiance. With the first ignition of the Life Orb. Zhou Yan’s body felt lighter, as a black ooze secreted from his pores.
The lighting of the first Life Orb would physically improve one’s body while cleansing the impurities of their mortal body. If he had to test his strength, Zhou Yan could probably destroy a small rock with a single punch.
“A rat has sneaked into the manor.”
Although Zhou Yan has stepped back into the Qi Apprentice stage that didn’t mean his senses had weakened. A soul signal that he didn’t recognize had sneaked inside the manor. It wasn’t from the maids, and it wasn’t from anyone he had already met before.
Stepping outside the cultivation room, a dagger flashed toward Zhou Yan’s head. It was inhumanely fast, his assailant was masked in the shadows. Zhou Yan stood still as his eyes never glanced at the dagger but towards the assassin masked in the shadows.