9. The First Rank

Looking at Johan's determination, Wu Tian smiled.

"Since you've made up your mind, I welcome you to the world of cultivation. First of all, I will introduce you to our faction."

Wu Tian paused for a moment. When he was about to continue, he saw Johan raising his hand.

"Anything you want to say?"

Johan groped his pocket and took his wallet, then he took a card from it.

"Can you please help me to find amulets for my mother and little sister? I'm a bit worried that my curse will affect them sooner than I expected. I don't have that much money, but on this card, I have some savings. Please!"

Johan asked while bowing and handed Wu Tian an atm card. Maybe what Johan did looked impolite, but he had no other choice. Something like a magical amulet must be expensive. He didn't know how much, but what he could do was pay with his savings.

Wu Tian glanced at the others, then Liu Mei stepped forward while patting Johan's shoulder.

"Yue Han, your words sound impolite! If we didn't know your circumstances, we might get mad, you know."

"I'm sorry! But I don't know what else I can say." Johan smiled bitterly. His words indeed sound rude.

Then, Liu Mei stretched her hand forward.

"You shouldn't say something like that next time! Here, the amulets. One is to increase one's luck, the other one is to prevent bad luck. You don't need to pay. Take it as a welcome gift!"

They were two necklaces with oval-shaped jade and red agate pendants. Since both amulets were in the form of pendant necklaces, this would make it easier for Johan to reason with his mother and younger sister.

Johan accepted the gift and thanked her.

"Thank you sis Liu Mei. You're not only beautiful, but you're also kind."

Because Johan felt that all women liked to be praised, he said with a smile that Liu Mei was beautiful. However, what Johan said also sounded like he was interested in Liu Mei. So, she said.

"Heh, glib tongue. Are you trying to hit me?"

Johan immediately waved his hand as a sign of denial.

"Eh, no, no, no! Why would I hit you?"

Hearing Johan's denial made Liu Mei scowl.

"Why not? Do I look unattractive to you?"

"..."

Johan was speechless.

"Yue Han, why didn't you say anything? Don't tell me you were lying when you said I'm beautiful?"

He didn't think what he said had such a big impact on her as if she was often dumped by men.

Suddenly someone covered her mouth and dragged her back. The one who dragged her back was a cool beauty with cyan hair who was none other than Xiao Lin.

"Sorry for the trouble."

After that, Johan could see Xiao Lin admonishing Liu Mei not to trouble others with her behavior.

Meanwhile, Lu Feng, Xiong Fei, and Southern Vermillion held back their laughs. Johan was new, so he didn't understand what Liu Mei's character was like. She would be a troublesome woman after getting praised like earlier. The cause was, of course, dumped by her fiance long ago.

Southern Vermillion got closer to Johan and whispered.

"Little Yue Han, don't praise her so easily unless you're interested in her! She's indeed a beauty, but she's too troublesome once you start to praise her."

Johan didn't know whether to laugh or cry. It was the first time he knew there was someone as unique in character as Liu Mei.

He looked at the pendants on his hand. Since he already got what he needed, he wanted to send these two pendants as soon as possible.

Johan glanced at the red-haired man.

"Vermillion big bro, how can I send one of these to the other country as fast as possible?"

With both his hands on his hips, Southern Vermillion answered.

"You asked the right person. I'm from Red Bird's express delivery service. If you want, I can send it on your behalf!"

Johan was a bit surprised. As it turned out, the workers of the express delivery service were cultivators. No wonder they are quite famous.

"Really? Then—"

Before Johan could finish his words, Southern Vermillion interrupted.

"Of course, it's not free."

"How much?"

"Depends on the distance."

Johan didn't know what the normal price was to send a package overseas. In addition, if he used a regular delivery service, it would take days. It would be best if he left it to Southern Vermillion to deliver a pendant necklace to his little sister.

Johan took his cell phone from his pocket and opened the map, then he showed Southern Vermillion the coordinates of the destination.

"100 RMB."

"Alright. Can you also send the others to Weifang Prefecture? How much should I pay?"

"You don't need to since I will give you a free delivery to Weifang."

"Thank you!"

Johan nodded, then gave Southern Vermillion cash. Even though it was painful for him to take out such an amount of money, keeping his mother and little sister safe was better. Immediately after, he looked at the other while cupping his fist. He suddenly transformed into a huge pheasant with a long scarlet neck. His body was covered with burning feathers that shrouded his body. There were 6 elongated tails. And those tails had eyespots like a peacock had. At that moment, Southern Vermillion flew over in his true form, sprinkling the glimmering red lights from the sky beautifully, illuminating the darkness of the night.

"How stunning," Johan murmured while looking at the sky.

— — — —

— — — —

Johan took a deep breath, and let it out slowly. He looked at his phone screen for a moment, then put it back in his pocket. He only hoped that his mother and sister would be convinced by his message so that they would wear those amulet pendants all the time.

After that, Wu Tian talked about the faction, which was called the Mount Tai faction.

"Our faction consists of 7 major sects, a Buddhist temple, a scholar faction, a royalty, and loose cultivators."

Then, he explained about those 7 sects, a temple, a scholar faction, and the royalty, what their names were, their rules, and their strengths. From Wudang sect, Tangmen sect, Wanderer Valley sect, Emei sect, Qigai sect, Divine Peak sect, Infinity Underworld sect, Shaolin Buddhist temple, scholar faction, and the royalty.

As for loose cultivators, he simply explained that those people were not affiliated with any sects, clans, or temples internally.

"Do you want to join a sect?"

Wu Tian asked Johan after explaining everything. Johan just shook his head.

"I still want to live here as usual."

Lu Feng who heard Johan immediately said.

"But, Yue Han, you will be in trouble if you don't want to join a sect since you need resources for your cultivation. You also need a cultivation technique, martial art, or movement art. Those three already cost a lot, you know! Are you planning on selling your kidney for those three?"

Johan twitched. He heard that Lu Feng was an annoying guy. But he didn't think that his mouth would be this crappy. Johan felt that Lu Feng's mouth needed service or maintenance, so he might stop talking ill to others.

Johan was troubled now. He wanted to know how loose cultivators got their cultivation resources. However, there was no loose cultivator out of the cultivators around him.

"If you need, I can help you to get a cultivation technique, a martial art, and resources for a beginner like you. But, you also need to help me!!"

Johan glanced to the side. The one who spoke was Qitian Dasheng who was known as a genius cultivator. But he didn't understand why Qitian Dasheng needed help from him. He couldn't help but ponder about their previous conversation as if they were from a different world. He didn't need to ask. He was sure they were not from Earth.

"Oh, that's great. We created a faction to help beginners, provided they help each other. This is a great opportunity for you, little Yue Han." Wu Tian tried to give Johan a suggestion. Even though Johan didn't know what to help him with, he agreed to help Qitian Dasheng.

"Then, let's go, little Yue Han!"

"Where do we go?"

"Your house, oh it's not. Apartment? Right, let's go to your apartment!"

Without waiting for Johan to speak, Qitian Dasheng grabbed his shoulder and disappeared.

— — — —

— — — —

Johan returned to his room. What just happened felt like a dream. But when he looked back there was a man holding his shoulder. It was clear that what just happened wasn't a dream.

"Qitian big bro, are you sure you need my help and I should be able to help you?"

"Yup. But for now. Let me help you first!"

Johan didn't ask any more questions because Qitian Dasheng said that he needed Johan's help.

"Do you understand the concept of Qi?"

"If that's the literal meaning, I more or less understand."

"So, you don't know how to feel it?"

Johan shook his head at Qitian Dasheng's question.

"Alright. Then, sit down in a meditation pose!"

Johan followed his instruction and sat cross-legged. He threw a pill in Johan's mouth and told him to swallow it. He didn't know what the pill was, but Johan obeyed Qitian Dasheng because he was more experienced. Suddenly, Qitian Dasheng touched the area below his navel which made him shudder. But then, he felt something warm around that area.

"Concentrate! That area is your lower dantian. I've made you feel the flow of Qi I sent. From now on, try purifying your essence in that area into Qi by yourself!"

"So, the warm thing is the Qi sent by him?" Johan said to himself, then he tried to concentrate.

5 minutes…

15 minutes…

30 minutes…

An hour…

After around an hour and a half. He began to feel the warmth in his lower dantian as his essence transformed into Qi. His Qi circulated in his lower dantian, then flowed throughout his body through his blood and vessels.

Just as he opened his eyes. He saw the man in front of him let out a smile.

"Congratulations, little friend! You have officially stepped into the Qi Condensation, the first of the cultivator rank."