C20 Where Did This Bastard Come From?

In addition to their usual routine, Zhao Ji and Feng Ru never slept at the same time during their daily rests, ensuring that at least one of them was always awake. This subtle arrangement was an unspoken agreement between them.

Despite their caution around Chu Yan, Zhao Ji and Feng Ru took good care of him since their lives and fortunes were at stake. They shared with him essential information daily and answered his questions about the Immortal Feather Continent, the Yunao Kingdom, the Lin Family, and various topics on warriors, cultivators, martial arts, and cultivation techniques, as long as they had the knowledge.

Through these conversations, Chu Yan's horizons broadened, and he felt as though a door to a new world had opened before him. He learned from Zhao Ji and Feng Ru that the primary distinction between warriors and cultivators was their mastery over the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.

A practitioner who ascended from the fifth stage of the Genuine Force Stage to the Pulse Condensation Stage could not only sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth but also significantly extend their lifespan by a full sixty years!

Feng Ru was a Stage Four expert in the Genuine Force Stage, while Zhao Ji was a master at the fifth stage, just as Chu Yan had surmised. Zhao Ji explained that the step from the fifth stage to the Pulse Condensation Stage was so challenging that out of a thousand people, perhaps only two or three could achieve it. His own veins had solidified, and he had sustained severe injuries in the past while fulfilling his clan's mission. He believed that only with rare heavenly materials or treasures could he possibly cleanse his marrow and advance to the Pulse Condensation Stage, though the chances were slim.

In discussing realms, Zhao Ji brought up the Lin Family's current eldest daughter, Chu Yan's betrothed and the Lin Family's top prodigy—Lin Miaoran. Fifteen years old, just a year younger than Chu Yan, she was identified early on as having a Pure Jade Body physique, making her a cultivation genius who received the full support of her family.

When Zhao Ji and Feng Ru had left the Lin Family to journey to the central state, Lin Miaoran was already preparing to break through to the fifth level of the Genuine Force Stage. If all went well, they anticipated that by the time they returned to the Lin Family, Lin Miaoran would have already achieved her breakthrough.

When Zhao Ji brought up the subject, Chu Yan learned something new: the concept of innate constitutions existed in this world. Take Lin Miaoran, for example, who had the Pure Jade Body. Individuals with such a constitution could reach levels of spiritual concentration beyond what most could fathom, allowing them to cultivate at an incredible pace.

Zhao Ji offhandedly mentioned a few other unique constitutions to Chu Yan, like the Barbarian Cow Body, naturally endowed with enormous strength, or the Corrosive Body, with a toxic lineage.

Throughout their journey, the stories shared by Zhao Ji and Feng Ru significantly broadened Chu Yan's horizons. However, there were downsides as well.

Due to the vigilant oversight of Zhao Ji and Feng Ru, Chu Yan was unable to enter the Return to the Ruins Tower for cultivation during those four months. Consequently, his progress stalled at the third level of the Genuine Force Realm without any further breakthroughs.

Unable to advance in his realm, Chu Yan shifted his focus to physical conditioning. He remembered Zhao Ji explaining that the transition from the Genuine Force Stage to the Pulse Condensation Stage hinged on a deep understanding of the Spiritual Qi of Heaven and Earth.

The Great Whale-Swallowing Spirit Art was designed to help its practitioner assimilate the essence and spiritual energy from their sustenance. Chu Yan had a strong hunch that the treasures his mother placed on each level of the Return to the Ruins Tower were deliberate, either aiding the current level of cultivation or facilitating advancement to the next.

It seemed likely that the Whale-Swallowing Spirit Art was meant to prepare him for the eventual challenge of reaching the Pulse Condensation Stage. Having already stored the world's spiritual energy within his body and refined his flesh, Chu Yan possessed an edge that other martial artists could scarcely match.

Guided by this theory and his trust in his mother's wisdom, Chu Yan consistently employed the Whale-Swallowing Spirit Art at mealtimes.

As for Zhao Ji and Feng Ru, they were astonished by Chu Yan's enormous appetite but refrained from questioning it. Instead, they took turns—one keeping watch over Chu Yan, and the other hunting formidable beasts to provide for his consumption.

After four months had elapsed and the group finally crossed into the territory of the Yunao Kingdom, Chu Yan's physique had transformed dramatically. He stood taller, a half head above his height when he departed the Southern Yuan Kingdom, his body lean and devoid of any excess fat. Although he appeared somewhat slender, his muscles were well-defined and brimming with strength.

Previously, Chu Yan had sought martial arts guidance from Zhao Ji and Feng Ru as a pretext to spar with them. Even while holding back, Chu Yan, now at the third stage of Genuine Force, was only marginally less skilled than Feng Ru. According to Zhao Ji, Feng Ru's prowess was among the top tier within the Lin Family's peers. Chu Yan now had a general grasp of his current capabilities.

Another ten days passed, and the party finally reached the Lin Family's Evergreen Town. Chu Yan had learned from Zhao Ji that the Lin Family, situated near the fringe of the Yunao Kingdom, was a sizable clan of over three thousand, primarily sustained by mining in the nearby mountains, with some involvement in trade. The emergence of a prodigious cultivator like Lin Miaoran had not only solidified the Lin Family's standing in Evergreen Town but also hinted at a potential rise in status.

Returning to their homeland after several months, Zhao Ji and Feng Ru were visibly moved. They hurriedly escorted Chu Yan to the grand entrance of the Lin Family Mansion. While most of the Lin Family resided in the Lin Jia Stronghold outside of town, the mansion was home to two to three hundred family members, with the Patriarch and senior members conducting affairs there.

However, nearing midday, the bustling time, the Lin Family Mansion's imposing red lacquered gates were firmly closed, with Lin Family members standing guard, barring strangers from approaching. Zhao Ji and Feng Ru, suspecting an unexpected event, stepped forward to identify themselves. Promptly, a steward from the Lin Family emerged from a side entrance with several attendants.

Upon laying eyes on Chu Yan and his companions, the steward scoffed, tilting his head back arrogantly, "Right now, none of you are permitted to enter."

"Why?" Feng Ru was puzzled. "We were acting on the Old Master's command to bring back the young miss's betrothed from the central state. We're about to present him to the Old Master. On what grounds are you denying us entry?"

"The young miss's betrothed?" The steward scrutinized Chu Yan with a dismissive look and let out a derisive laugh. "The young miss's intended is inside the mansion right now, formally asking for her hand in marriage from the old master. Who is this imposter you've brought back?"