Life of a cultivator.

All four of them were staring intently at the pool.

The pool of Celestial Star Essence disappeared. In its place there was a dark cloud with bright spots scattered inside it. A few crackles of white thunder could also be seen.

Emperor Yan had a sad look on his face while Feng Yu beamed with a smile. Even though Emperor Yan's attribute was very strong, it was still slightly weaker than Feng Yu's. She had a wide spectrum of techniques up her sleeve.

Realising that her son also had similar attributes made her overflow with happiness.

After a few breaths of time the dark cloud fell into the pool and it turned back into the Celestial Star Essence.

"Stop grinning." Emperor Yan said to his wife.

"So what is my attribute?" Wei Ren was still not sure.

"Your most dominant attributes are lightning and clouds. I don't know what those bright spots are but when you get stronger you will find all the answers yourself." Feng Yu explained with excitement.

"That means I can cast powerful spells like you?"

"Absolutely, I will teach you all of my techniques and spells." Feng Yu emphasized on the last two words and looked at Emperor Yan while saying them.

He shot her an annoyed look.

"Let's leave. Our work here is done. Li Jian, report everything to your master. He will know what to do." Emperor Yan told Li Jian and walked out of the temple. Wei Ren and Feng Yu followed after him.

Li Jian escorted them back to the exit and bid his farewell. After they left, he went flying to his master. An alchemy prodigy had appeared in their sect and his master must be notified at once.

On their journey back to the royal palace, Emperor Yan barely spoke a word. Feng Yu and Wei Ren chatted all the way. She told him about myriad things she could do and exaggerated all her words. By the time they reached their palace, Emperor Yan almost exploded with frustration.

"Take him to father's courtyard and start his training right now. I will get him a few necessary items and a good quality void ring." Emperor Yan plainly told Feng Yu and left.

"Do you think he will be okay?" Wei Ren asked his mother.

"He will be fine. Just give him some time. In his heart, he also knows that this attribute is the best for you." Feng Yu smiled.

Emperor's Courtyard.

Mother and son duo were sitting in the wooden cabin.

"This technique is called Arcane Climate Art. It's a very powerful cultivation technique passed down only in my clan. Your maternal grandfather is one of the people who fully mastered this technique. The main requirement to learn this technique is to have cloud attribute. So it is tailor made for cultivators like us. An ancient cultivator devised this art. Although we don't know who that cultivator was, a masterpiece like this can only be made by a supreme being. It is very precious. Don't reveal its contents to anyone."

This was the first time Feng Yu has mentioned anything about Wei Ren's maternal grandfather. He had learned from early childhood that he was not supposed to ask his mother anything about her clan. Apparently it was a taboo to mention her clan. But today she spoke about it for the first time.

"Maternal grandfather?" He said in a soft voice.

Feng Yu looked at him but didn't give him an answer. She just continued to explain the Arcane Climate Art.

"Memorize the breathing exercises and start cultivating from today. Keep one thing in mind that this is not only a cultivation technique but it also has fighting spells. The first spell of Arcane Climate Art focuses on creating a cloud and controlling it. In total there are six spells. Mastery over these six spells can allow you to stand right under the rank of Earth Immortals. After successfully mastering each level you can add new things to your cloud."

Feng Yu explained and looked at Wei Ren's childish amazement.

"But don't be too ambitious. Only two people have ever managed to master all the six spells." She knew that she had to keep his mind restrained.

"I have reached the Soul Spirit Formation stage and I have mastered only three spells. My cultivation has advanced but I still can't cast the fourth spell. I have yet to master the rest of the three spells."

"Is it really that difficult?" He asked with the same fanatical look.

"Yes. But don't worry. If you ever get stuck in your training, feel free to ask me anything you want. Keep these jade slips with you. Once you master the first two spells, I will give you the rest of the Arcane Climate Art."

"Hmm." He nodded several times.

"Next. You also need an evasive technique. Since you have the lightning attribute, you are very lucky. I have an amazing technique for you. Learn this footwork technique. It is called Thunder Walk. It is also quite difficult to master. But as long as you can gain a basic control over your footwork, your life will be a hundred times easier."

She lectured him for two whole hours. There were so many things he didn't know about. He learned about the currency that cultivators use, Qi stones. There are four grades of Qi stones. Low grade, mid grade, high grade and top grade. The pills he bought were only tier one pills. So he was able to buy them with gold. But rare treasures and pills can only be bought with Qi stones.

She also taught him how to read jade slips and how to write inside them, to store his cultivation research.

By the time they finished, Emperor Yan came. He flung the door open and sat down beside them. It looked like his anger had subsided.

He reached into his robe and pulled a small pouch. From the small pouch he grabbed two things. One was a brown ring with black spots on it and the other was a small jade box.

"Dear husband, how are you feeling?" Feng Yu asked with a cheeky smile.

Emperor Yan didn't say anything, he handed the brown ring to Wei Ren.

"Bind it. This is a high grade void ring. You can even store medicinal plants in it. Normal void rings can't store food and plants. They die after some time. But this ring is made from Earthwood. It is a material used to make boxes for storing plants. Since you're going to become an alchemist, I bought the best one for you."

Wei Ren looked at the weird ring in his hand. He bound it with his qi. When he looked inside the ring his jaw dropped in shock.

"It has enough capacity to hold an entire palace inside it! This must have been expensive?" He asked his father.

"Not at all. My ring can store an entire mountain." Emperor Yan showed off and laughed. He didn't tell Wei Ren that even though this ring had a smaller storage area than his ring, it is still very precious. Just the material required to make it is enough to buy a hundred low grade rings."

"What is in the jade box?" Feng Yu asked him.

"Ha…it is even better than the ring." Emperor Yan gently caressed the jade box and then handed it to Feng Yu.

She slid the lid off.

When she looked inside the box, surprise covered her face.

"A cicada silk glove!! This is a very good weapon for him." She looked at Emperor Yan and nodded.

A smile appeared on his face. Even though he couldn't teach his son his techniques, just making sure that he has the best tools for his use was enough for him.

Feng Yu handed the box to Wei Ren. He pulled a thin yellow glove out of it. There was only one glove.

He looked at his parents.

"What are you waiting for? Put it on." Emperor Yan said.

"Uhh…"

He immediately put the glove on his right hand. When he bound it with his qi, it melted into his hand and disappeared. He didn't even feel it anymore. It became a part of his hand.

"What is this glove?"

"It is made of cicada silk. It is very rare and has a unique property. It can conduct lightning and thunder. Your lightning attack spells will be enhanced when you use this glove." Feng Yu explained to him the usage of the glove

Right now this glove is useless for him. But after he learns some of the spells from Arcane Climate Art, his battle prowess will increase exponentially.

"Inside your new void ring, there are a few defensive talismans that I bought. Your mother must've taught you how to use them. Keep it in your mind that these defensive treasures are to be used only when your life is in danger. Don't be a coward and waste them away." Emperor Yan reminded him.

"We didn't raise a coward. Plus he has spent time on the battlefield. He is much better compared to those silverpants in the capital." Feng Yu assured Emperor Yan.

"Well, he is fully armed. When do we send him off?" Emperor Yan asked Feng Yu.

"Send me off? Who is going to teach me all these techniques? And send me off to where?" Wei Ren asked with surprise. He had just returned after so many years and he was already getting shipped to someplace.

"To the Serpent Valley Sect. Where else? You must not waste your talent for alchemy. Learn the Arcane Climate Art and alchemy. At higher levels of cultivation, you will know the benefits of being an alchemist. If in the future, you think that your fighting skills are lacking, you can join the Hell Raven Sect. But for now, join the Serpent Valley Sect. I have already talked with the Sect master. He has arranged for you to become an honorary inner sect disciple. Your cultivation is too low right now. You are practically a mortal. Once you stabilise your cultivation base, you will be awarded with the title of a core disciple."

"All the arrangements have already been done." Wei Ren thought in his heart.

"I guess I have no other choice. Even if I had stayed with them, I would have spent most of my time cultivating." Leaving immediately made sense. He remembered his bet with Wei Yu. Six months is not a long time.

"One more thing. I have kept everything a secret. No one knows that you can cultivate now. Keep a low profile while cultivating in the sect. Use a fake name when other disciples ask any questions." Emperor Yan added.

"Okay. When do I leave?"

"Tomorrow. I will drop you at the sect. Your cultivation is officially going to start. I want to say a few things before you leave."

Wei Ren listened carefully.

"Why do you want to become a cultivator?"

"Huh?" Wei Ren was caught off-guard.

"To become powerful enough to become the Emperor and serve the kingdom" He said the first thing that came to his mind.

"Haha. No child wants to have such a boring life. Serving the kingdom is noble but it is not your true goal. Son, the world of cultivation is not what you think it is. There are people who are so cruel that they don't listen to reason. They kill, rape, kidnap and rob everything in their sight. Even though you couldn't cultivate when you were a child. I was still happy. A mortal's life is much simpler. I was happy that you would not have to go through all the suffering of an immortal cultivator." Emperor Yan said with a solemn voice.

"But I have wanted to cultivate since I was young. I don't have a goal right now. But I am sure that I will find it." Wei Ren said with a determined face.

"I hope the same thing for you. But do you know the main reason we cultivate?"

Wei Ren didn't know the answer.

"It's immortality. That is the sole purpose of our existence. There are eight stages of cultivation. Qi Streams, River Formation, River Expansion, Soul Spirit Formation, Soul Spirit Transformation, Earth Immortal, Heaven Immortal and Mortal Dust Immortal. At each stage, a person's lifespan increases. Qi Streams experts can live upto 150. River Formation experts live upto 200. A Soul Spirit Formation expert can live for 800 years and a Soul Spirit Transformation expert can live for a thousand years." Emperor Yan finished and looked at Wei Ren's face.

"A thousand years…" Wei Ren repeated softly. This was the first time he had understood the gravity of this matter.

"But that is not all. An Earth Immortal…can live for ten thousand years!"

Emperor Yan's words were like thunder falling on his head.

"As you get stronger, your lifespan increases. But that is only for you. Other people you know won't live as long as you. You will watch them die one by one and there will be nothing you could do for them. Cultivation is a lonely path. Long days of just sitting in a room, cultivating, is very hard on a person's mind. I just wanted to warn you about the consequences of treading on this path. Now, whatever you decide is up to you." Emperor Yan looked at his son's young face with love.

Wei Ren stared silently at them.

"I...don't care about becoming an immortal. I know it is just wishful thinking that I would become an Earth Immortal. But if I had to choose, I would choose a small life over a long lifespan. But I can't just give up now. I want to live in the world of cultivation for a while. In the future, if I don't want to continue, I will start living as a mortal." His words sounded solid and confident.

Smiles appeared on his parents' faces.

"That's my son. Now go back to your room. Start packing. You leave tomorrow at sunrise." Emperor Yan said with a voice he used while giving orders.

"Yes sir." Wei Ren respectfully kowtowed to his parents and left.

Husband and wife were left in the cabin.

"I hope nothing bad happens to him in the Serpent Valley Sect."

"Don't worry, my dear wife. I will protect him no matter what. Now come and give your hubby a kiss." Emperor Yan flailed his arms like a child and pulled Feng Yu into his arms.

This scene would've made Wei Ren vomit blood. Fortunately he was not here.

He walked out of the courtyard and went straight to his room.