The Humpback Skate glided leisurely through the air. With a gentle flap of its bat-like wings, it could fly a great distance.
Facing the biting wind, Fang Qingyuan glanced at the shivering Zhan Zhi. He tapped his foot lightly, and the Humpback Skate slowed its pace.
At this, the little girl could no longer hold back her tears, letting them stream down her face. Cultivators have perceptive minds. Though young, she understood the gravity of her situation, unlike an ignorant mortal child.
Fang Qingyuan hesitated for a moment before offering a soft word of comfort:
"Just stay at the Villa for a few years. Once you're formally inducted into the sect, you can come back. By then, I'm sure the Wei Family wouldn't dare to trouble the Zhan Family again."
Zhan Zhi remained expressionless after hearing this. She was not an adult, after all, and didn't know how to hide her emotions.
Seeing her reaction, Fang Qingyuan sighed softly. 'The Wei Family's conscription is too harsh. The Zhan Family will be hard-pressed to survive this ordeal. I wonder how many familiar faces will be left by the time Zhan Zhi returns.'
'It's not just the Zhan Family. Many of the Cultivator Clans near Celestial Gate Mountain will probably struggle to endure this.'
After his sigh, Fang Qingyuan's expression turned serious as he asked:
"How are you related to Zhan Zhuangjian?"
Hearing his question, Zhan Zhi turned around, revealing her slightly swollen, red-rimmed eyes. She answered softly,
"He is my father."
'No wonder Zhan Zhuangjian acted that way.' Fang Qingyuan thought. 'Zhan Zhuangjian is already old; Zhan Zhi must be a daughter he had late in life. Of course he dotes on her endlessly.'
After that exchange, they traveled the rest of the way in silence. The Humpback Skate flew at a leisurely pace for an hour before finally reaching Tianshan Villa.
After entering the gates, Fang Qingyuan led Zhan Zhi to the Inheritance Hall. Staring at the entrance, he couldn't help but feel a sense of melancholy.
'In just over a month, only one of the three Hall Masters is left. How unbelievable.'
'I hope this Hall Master can live a while longer. Otherwise, Tianshan Villa might really grind to a complete halt.'
Stepping through the hall doors, Zhan Zhi hurried to stay close behind him, afraid of getting lost. In her eyes, Fang Qingyuan was the only familiar person she had, even though they had only met an hour ago.
"Senior Brother Lu, this is Zhan Zhi, a descendant of Senior Brother Zhan Yuan. I brought her here today. Could I trouble you to make the arrangements?"
Fang Qingyuan found Senior Brother Lu, who was in charge of these matters, and intended to leave Zhan Zhi in his care. Senior Brother Lu glanced at Zhan Zhi and said,
"Let's test her Spirit Root first."
....
A moment later, Senior Brother Lu's cold voice rang out:
"Water Spirit Root, low-grade, seventeen. Earth Spirit Root, low-grade, fifteen. Wood Spirit Root..."
Zhan Zhi gripped the Spirit Root testing Token, her fingers turning white. She looked at Fang Qingyuan in terror, like a frightened little animal.
Fang Qingyuan's brow furrowed slightly. 'I didn't expect her aptitude to be this poor. Even her best Spirit Root, the Water one, didn't reach medium-grade. She's even worse than He Yu from yesterday.'
'He Yu's Earth Spirit Root was a nineteen. Still, even though Zhan Zhi's aptitude is poor, she's Senior Brother Zhan Yuan's descendant, so her aptitude can be overlooked.'
'Senior Brother Zhan Yuan died for the Villa, so it's only right that we look after his descendants. On this point, there's no need to be strict about the aptitude requirements.'
'However, with poor aptitude, even if she's accepted, she won't receive many resources. Her path of cultivation will be difficult.'
These thoughts flashed through Fang Qingyuan's mind. Seeing Senior Brother Lu's indifferent expression, Fang Qingyuan understood that upon seeing Zhan Zhi's aptitude, he had lost any intention of showing her special care.
He recalled his own friendship with Senior Brother Zhan Yuan. When he first joined, Senior Brother Zhan Yuan had looked out for him. They had gone on missions together and fought side-by-side.
'This little girl, Zhan Zhi... her clan is currently being forcibly conscripted by the Wei Family, and who knows what will become of them. For Senior Brother Zhan Yuan's sake, I should help her however I can.'
So, Fang Qingyuan took out a few Spirit Stones and secretly pressed them into Senior Brother Lu's hand, saying in a placating tone,
"She is a descendant of Senior Brother Zhan Yuan's clan, after all. As her seniors, we should look after her a little, don't you think, Senior Brother?"
Upon receiving the Spirit Stones, Senior Brother Lu's expression softened. He nodded and said,
"You're right, she should be looked after. I was even in the same cohort as Senior Brother Zhan Yuan. How about this: Zhan Zhi will be assigned to Building B. She can start cultivating with the new disciples once they arrive from the entrance trials."
Hearing this, Fang Qingyuan secretly breathed a sigh of relief. 'As long as it's not the worst dormitory, it's fine. Senior Brother Zhan Yuan, I've done right by you.'
Then he turned to Zhan Zhi and said,
"You were able to enter the villa without an examination because of Senior Brother Zhan Yuan's grace. You must never forget that. Also, since your aptitude is poor, you must be even more diligent. If there's anything you don't understand, ask Senior Brother Lu."
After saying this, Fang Qingyuan saw that everything was settled and turned to leave. But Zhan Zhi tugged on the corner of his sleeve, her voice as faint as a buzzing mosquito:
"Then... can I come find you if I need help in the future?"
Seeing the hopeful look on her face, Fang Qingyuan found it difficult to refuse. After all, it had only been half a year since he'd awakened his past-life memories. He hadn't yet achieved a state of pure heart and severed emotions.
But Fang Qingyuan didn't give her a clear answer. He simply gave a slight nod before walking out of the hall, leaving Zhan Zhi to watch his retreating back.
.....
Outside the hall, Fang Qingyuan shook his head in self-reflection. 'To cultivate and seek the Dao, one needs a pure heart and nature. It's better to involve myself in less karma. I should try to do fewer of these "nice guy" acts in the future.'
After this internal reminder, Fang Qingyuan returned to his own courtyard. He picked some fruits and vegetables, cooked some Spirit Rice, and ate a fragrant meal.
After dinner, riding the wisps of Spiritual Qi emanating from the Spirit Rice in his belly, Fang Qingyuan sat cross-legged in his Quiet Chamber and began his daily cultivation.
The Cultivation Technique Fang Qingyuan practiced was the Cyan Wood Technique. It was peaceful and balanced, the gentlest among the five elements.
However, its cultivation progress was slow, and it was not well-suited for combat.
This technique lacked the domineering ferocity of fire-element techniques, the sharp offense of metal-element techniques, and the heavy resilience of earth-element techniques.
Fang Qingyuan had originally chosen this Cultivation Technique not only because his Wood Spirit Root aptitude was his highest, but also because practicing it could slightly extend his lifespan.
A Qi Cultivation Cultivator, if they died of old age, could live for a maximum of 120 years. If they reached Foundation Establishment, their lifespan would more than double, reaching 250 years.
Golden Core was 500 years, and Nascent Soul was 1,500. As for Divinity Transformation, aside from a minor tribulation every 500 years and a great worldly tribulation every 3,000 years, there were no other threats to their life.
However, each great worldly tribulation was more powerful than the last, leaving even Divinity Transformation Cultivators constantly scrambling to survive.
Returning to Fang Qingyuan's Wood Element Technique, if he could cultivate the Cyan Wood Technique to the stage of Qi Cultivation Perfection, he could add another seven or eight years to his lifespan.
Seven or eight years wasn't much—barely the length of a single seclusion for a Nascent Soul Cultivator. But in the eyes of a Qi Cultivation Cultivator, those extra seven or eight years meant a greater hope of reaching Foundation Establishment.
It was best for a Qi Cultivation Cultivator to reach Foundation Establishment before the age of seventy. Otherwise, with each passing year, the hope of doing so would grow dimmer.
If they reached one hundred years old, no matter how unwilling they were, they could only live out the remainder of their days in regret.
Furthermore, on the path of cultivation, who hadn't fought a few battles? The injuries sustained and the attachments that couldn't be severed would all transform into barriers on their journey.
If they failed to overcome one of those barriers, their progress would halt forever.
In the Quiet Chamber, Fang Qingyuan sat cross-legged. Beside him, incense burned silently, a medicinal candle flickered, and moonlight spilled through a skylight into a corner of the room.
Time trickled by. As the moonlight crept across the sky and passed its zenith, Fang Qingyuan's lightly closed eyes slowly opened.