Old Friends

Lin Tian's eyes narrowed slightly. He wasn't expecting anyone to come. Upon closer inspection, he let out a sigh of relief. He knew them.

The young man had a tall and lean figure. He had sharp and chiseled facial features with piercing blue eyes that seemed to stare right through you. His hair was jet black and styled in a messy yet stylish manner. He wore a simple yet elegant black and white outfit that accentuated his toned physique.

The old man, on the other hand, was much bulkier and had a heavily muscular build. He had a fierce expression with deep-set eyes that seemed to have seen many battles. His hair was silver and styled in a traditional warrior's topknot. Despite his age, he still exuded an intimidating aura.

They are Brother Wang and Elder Shang, the two of them came from the Mist village. Due to their talent, they managed to join the High Cloud Sect

Upon seeing Lin Tian's arrival, the two of them smiled. Brother Wang let out a laugh, "To think that a brat like you would leave the village so early."

Elder Shang, on the other hand, smiled, "It's good to see you again, brat. Where is the old man Jiang?"

Lin Tian's eyes flashed with sadness as he shook his head, "He is not here anymore."

Elder Shang's eyes frowned slightly, "Then where did he go?"

Lin Tian took a deep breath before telling them everything that happened on the road to the city.

Brother Wang let out a heavy sigh, "Life is indeed unpredictable, to think he would die at such a time."

Elder Shang shook his head, "It's karma indeed, but at least he could rest in peace."

Lin Tian's eyes flashed with confusion, "Brother Wang, what are the two of you talking about?"

Just as Brother Wang was about to answer, Elder Shang replied first, "Jiang was poisoned by a traitorous person a few years ago, leading to his cultivation regression. Despite going to many physicians and alchemists, no one was able to find a cure. Since then, he decided to stay and die in the village, but who would think that a few days ago, news would come to us that the person who poisoned him was killed. So we came to congratulate him."

Lin Tian took another deep breath and remained silent.

Wang patted his shoulder, "You don't have to worry about the past. Just be happy that his wish was fulfilled and the person who harmed him is already dead."

Lin Tian nodded, and Elder Shang changed the subject, "Have you had anyone test your talent yet?"

He shook his head dismissively, and Elder Shang extended his hand and placed it on Lin Tian's shoulder. "I am going to inspect your talent. Just relax."

Lin Tian's heart started racing as he watched Elder Shang's eyes glow with a bright green light. He felt a surge of energy flow through his body, and he closed his eyes as he focused on the sensations coursing through him.

After a few moments, Elder Shang removed his hand and shook his head. Brother Wang's eyes widened in surprise, and he looked at Lin Tian with sympathy.

"What is it, Elder Shang?" Lin Tian asked, feeling a sense of dread in the pit of his stomach.

Elder Shang let out a heavy sigh before answering. "I'm sorry, Lin Tian. Your talent is extremely average. It's not bad, but it's not exceptional either."

Lin Tian felt his heart sink. He had been hoping for the best, but now he felt like his dreams of becoming a powerful cultivator were shattered. "What does that mean for me?" he asked, feeling lost.

Elder Shang replied, "It means that you wouldn't be able to join the High Cloud Sect."

Lin Tian took a deep breath and asked, "Could you explain more?"

Elder Shang nodded, "The cultivation path starts with the body refining realm, followed by the spirit awakening realm. The first one depends on the grade of your physique, which is divided into mortal, spirit, earth, heaven, and saint, as far as I know."

He continued, "You have the lowest one, a mortal physique. Your advancement through the body refining realm would be very slow, and even if you passed it and reached the spirit awakening, you would be the weakest type, a mortal awakener. That's not even the main obstacle, though. The problem is you also have a mortal spirit root. A person with a mortal spirit root would spend their whole life in the spirit awakening realm."

Brother Wang stepped forward and placed a hand on Lin Tian's shoulder. "You don't need to be that discouraged, Little Tian. You will just have to work harder than others, but it doesn't mean that you can't achieve greatness. Talent is only one aspect of cultivation; hard work and perseverance are just as important."

Elder Shang nodded in agreement and took out a jade piece from his space ring, handing it to Lin Tian. "You don't have to be discouraged, like Little Wang said. In the future, if you need anything, just press tightly on this jade piece, and either me or Little Wang will come."

"Thank you, Elder Shang and Brother Wang," Lin Tian said, capping his hand.

After saying their goodbyes, the two of them left silently.

Lin Tian watched them disappear into the distance, feeling a mix of emotions. He was grateful for their words of encouragement and their gift, but he couldn't help feeling disappointed about his talent. He had dreamed of joining the High Cloud Sect since he was a child, and now that dream was shattered.

He opened the door and entered the house. He boiled some water before taking a hot shower, and after wearing a new set of clothes, he sat on the couch, lost in thought.

After what felt like hours, Lin Tian shook his head and stood up. He knew he couldn't dwell on his disappointment forever. He had to find a way to make the most of what he had and work harder than anyone else to achieve his goals.

He retrieved The Wind Blade Body Technique manual from his space ring and started to inspect its details slowly.