Chapter 27

Jerry then placed his hand on his chin in thought and answered," I know you're going to say my answer is wrong but let me try anyway. A mortal is essentially a natural born creature that doesn't cultivate itself and lives to its end according to its destiny"

The mysterious expression on Shang's face stiffened a little and it was replaced by a slight shock.

"I didn't think you would answer like that but that's also correct. I thought you would answer something like they can't wield powers of heavens and can't fly on swords. Although you might be right, you must also think. You must have heard of ancient dragons and phoenixes that lived for thousands of years or achieved immortality after eras of training. You know what I'm talking about, I've seen you on the second floor of the manor's library. Mortals aren't able to cultivate because they don't have spiritual roots or they may have them but don't know how to intake Qi into their bodies. Of course, that's not what you came for."

"I already know all that. What I want to know is how I can I embark onto the road of cultivation and shed my mortal coil?"

"It sounds creepy when you say it like that but the only way to do so is to use a cultivation technique to run the Qi in the body but that's not for mortals to start with. The best thing is to start by training your body and pushing it to its limits, then drinking all kinds of body refining elixirs until you step into the Qi refining stage. It's almost impossible to embark onto the road of cultivation without the talent, roots, bloodline or resources needed. Of course, what I said is not helpful to you because I see that you have tried to cultivate before and somehow shattered your roots and most of your meridians. There is no hope for you on the path of cultivation. If it was me, I think I would have committed suicide but you have already come to terms with that, I admire that about you."

A forced smile appeared on Jerry's face when his old wounds were touched. He knew Shang didn't mean it but he still glared at him for an instant then shook him head deprecatedly.

"From what I inferred, what you want to know is what makes cultivators and mortals different. Let's start with the perspective of mortals. Cultivators are people who pursue the way of heavens and are sometimes like heroes, demons, or gods depending on their reputation. From a cultivator 's perspective, a mortal is a weakling That can't even use Qi and will die off while returning to the soil like the heavens premeditated while they as cultivators struggle against the heavens and fighting for immortality using unimaginable strength. Currently the subdivisions of power have changed overtime depending on area and concentration of Qi in the atmosphere but currently there's new path seeker, student path seeker, veteran path seeker, martial seeker then finally stepping into QI refining. Those categories are more subdivided from bronze to adamantine. Those are namely copper, bronze, silver, gold, diamond, platinum,adamantine. Path seekers are merely great martial artists while those that have stepped into Qi refining stage are those who found their dao path. Only those are qualified to be beyond mortals."

At this time, Jerry was kind of disappointed. Whatever the old man just said, he already figured it out but being a grateful person he thanked old Shang and excused himself.

He got out of that house and followed a small path that had grown weeds on the sides while the middle part looked like it's always swept by hardworking broom workers. The slightly shabby growing grass on either side of the paths gave him a nostalgic feeling as if he had returned to the country side back on Earth. However this mood didn't last long before he was interrupted by a group of young fellow workers coming towards him. He had guessed so seeing all it's almost all the young men he had scammed the last few days. It seems they got together to teach him a lesson.

"Hey, there he is. Let's get him."

"Wait,Wait, Wait. I heard he has a deep background and we cannot afford to offend him. If we kill him, I don't know if we will survive."

"You bloodthirsty fool, who told you we came to kill him. Matter of fact, who brought you here. Go away, I don't want you accidentally killing him and dragging us in the same pot."

Before long, the young man who had been grinning maniacally and then turned cautious was thrown out of the group and a few stares from his fellow members made him stand up and ran away from the direction they came from. With that issue out of the way, they turned to the slightly surprised Jerry.

"We are mobs, not savages. Anyway hand us all our belongings and we will be on our way, or else you will be in a world of pain."

The guy who seemed macho and was in the front line spoke out. Everyone else seemed to nod their heads while some fisted their hands in anticipation. For the first time, Jerry felt his adrenal glands working overtime, just like the time he escaped that dreaded forest and entered civilization. He felt that if he was a predator, he would be seeing red at the moment. He concentrated his emotions that instant and put his leg forward while his arms were crouched in his chest but the fists were clenched. He then shouted to the group.

"You want a fight, I will give you a fight. Come on. Let's see what you got."

He said this confidently knowing that no one will cringe at his words and showed a demeanor of a fighter. The others stared at him in puzzlement and the macho man spoke out again.

"Ok, you asked for it."

Without any hesitation, they ran towards him.