Journey of true Cultivation

An old man stood before him, clad in heavy armor, his short white hair contrasting against his dark green eyes.

Just by looking at the knight, Yuan's mind stirred, pulling forth memories of mortals from Basilisk's knowledge.

From what he recalled, mortals who could not walk the path of the Great Dao had instead learned how to resist low level cultivators.

If his memories were correct, it was said that the strongest martial artists among mortals could even fight against a weak Meridian Cultivator,a feat that, while impressive, held little importance to Basilisk.

After all, as the only Basilisk of the Azure Dragon Clan, he had been too preoccupied scheming against countless factions to concern himself with mortal affairs.

Yet, with the knowledge of a Soul Fusion Stage cultivator, Yuan could somewhat understand how mortals used martial arts. It wasn't as profound as runic formations, divine spells, or even ancient languages, but it had its own place in the world.

Still, even if a Meridian Cultivator were to fight him, Yuan was confident he could fight him,even if he were pursued by a Bone Refinement Stage cultivator he could safely escape.

There was nothing to fear.

So, he simply continued playing the role of a traumatized child.

Opening the wooden door, the old knight stepped inside, his gaze settling on the young boy before him.

The child appeared to be eleven or twelve years old,black hair, an azure robe that the knight had only seen a few times before. But the most unusual thing about him

His eyes.

Black… but with a hue of azure?

That was rare. Something he had never seen before.

For a brief moment, he was surprised,but that surprise quickly faded.

After all, the world was vast, and nothing was truly impossible. He had already witnessed many strange things in his lifetime.

There was no need to dwell on it.

Instead, his focus shifted to why the Young Master had called for him in the first place.

A group of thieves had attacked a mercenary caravan, killed them for their goods, and the boy barely escaped because his uncle and father had bought time for him.

A common occurrence in the current state of the kingdom.

What mattered now was who this boy truly was.

Was he a noble? Or perhaps the child of a wealthy mercenary?

But as he observed the young boy sitting there, drinking water with unfocused, blurry eyes, a different emotion surfaced.

Pity.

After all… who would want to see an innocent child experience something like this?

"Hello, young child. I am an elder knight of Baron Icen. Do you know who that is? And where is your family?"

Hearing the elder knight's question, Yuan's expression darkened at the mention of "family." His voice trembled slightly as he spoke.

"I-I don't know where my family is… I just know it's a big city. And Baron Icen? Excuse me for my impudence, but I don't know who that is."

The elder knight nodded in understanding.

"That is fine, young one. Nothing will happen to you. The baron is a kind man,he does not care much for reputation, so it is not uncommon even for nobles not to know his name."

Pausing for a moment, he then asked, "By 'big city,' do you mean Count Sword's Tiger Forest City or Blue Duke's Mountain Heavens City? Or do you know neither?"

Now this was a problem.

Yuan didn't recognize either of those names. But if he stayed silent, it would be suspicious.

Choosing at random wasn't an option.

However, the title of 'Duke' sounded higher than 'Count,' so nodding at the Duke's city seemed like the safest bet.

And so, he nodded.

Watching the boy's reaction, the old knight's gaze sharpened.

The moment Yuan reacted to the name Blue Duke, the elder knight became certain,this boy was from Mountain Heavens City.

But at the thought of that city, he could only sigh in frustration.

Leaving Mountain Heavens City? Easy.

Entering it?

Impossible,unless you were a count or carried an official allowance letter from the Blue Duke's officers.

Neither he nor the baron had such a letter.

That meant one thing.

This attack had been planned.

These weren't just random bandits or ordinary thieves.

With a heavy sigh, the old knight looked at the boy and spoke, his voice laced with solemnity.

"If you truly are from Mountain Heavens City, then I have bad news for you."

His green eyes bore into Yuan's own, filled with reluctant sympathy.

"You cannot return there. Not even with my help. Not even with the baron's influence. The baron himself cannot enter that city without permission from the Blue Duke's officers."

The knight shook his head.

"So, for now… you can live here in this village."

Hearing the knight's solemn words, Yuan visibly trembled, his expression one of utter shock.

But deep inside… he was celebrating.

Jackpot.

He had chosen the right city!

Of course, the bad news didn't actually concern him,he had never planned to go there in the first place.

But this? This was perfect.

Now, his persona,a lone boy who had suffered misfortune and could not return home,would be even more convincing.

Besides, he needed a peaceful location before seeking out a sect.

More importantly,he needed food and water!

If he had enough food, he could go into seclusion and break through to the Blood Purification Stage in peace.

And now, with this new fabricated identity, he could ensure he had all the supplies he needed.

Still, he had to sell the act.

After pausing for a moment, Yuan slowly nodded his head, his eyes growing even sadder, his body seemingly weighed down by sorrow.

The picture of a child who had lost everything.

Seeing Yuan's increasing sadness, the old knight hesitated, unsure of what to do.

After all, he was just a knight,a man who had served under Baron Icen since the days of the first war. He had fought alongside the baron, witnessed battles, endured hardships.

But this?

Comforting a grieving child?

That was beyond him.

With a heavy sigh, he finally spoke.

"Say, boy, since we'll be seeing each other more often, would you like to tell me your name?"

Hearing the elder knight's question, Yuan slowly nodded, his voice deliberately shaky.

"M-my name is Yuan."

The old knight nodded in acknowledgment, then turned to Lucas.

"Lucas, take him to Viktor. He will take care of him."

Hearing the name Viktor, Lucas's expression brightened,he approved of this decision. He then turned to Yuan with a warm smile.

"Little brother Yuan, come with me! I'll take you to Old Man Viktor. He's a kind old man,he'll take good care of you from now on!"

With that, Lucas gently took Yuan's hand and led him out of the wooden hut, giving the old knight one final nod before they departed.

Now that Yuan had some time and energy, he finally took a good look at the village.

It was ordinary.

Wooden and stone houses stood scattered throughout, the streets paved with asphalt. The village radiated a peaceful, quiet atmosphere, a place untouched by war or strife.

As they walked toward Old Man Viktor's house, they passed many villagers,all of whom greeted Lucas with respect and warmth.

Or rather,they greeted him as 'Young Master Lucas.'

Hearing this, Yuan's suspicions were confirmed.

Lucas was the baron's son.

Or at the very least, he belonged to the baron's family.

After all, in a small village like this, who else other than the baron's heir would have any real authority?

Children ran freely through the barony, their laughter echoing in the distance. The adults talked, worked, and went about their daily lives, untouched by the struggles of the outside world.

A true place of peace.

But…

Was it really?

Yuan didn't know.

And more importantly,he didn't care.

He was already powerful enough to ignore mortal problems.

With that thought, he cast an indifferent glance at the scene before him and walked on.

But more than that, Young Master Lucas continued to talk to Yuan about various uninteresting things,things like his father's achievements for the kingdom.

Although Yuan found it boring, it was still important to understand the current state of the kingdom.

Even though Lucas didn't go into much detail, he did mention one key event,his father had fought against the neighboring kingdom, even killing a general. For a short time, he had become an outstanding general himself, but after suffering a serious injury, he had retired from the army.

However, by the time he was injured, the war had already ended.

The two kingdoms had reached an agreement,a peace treaty that prevented them from attacking each other.

But what exactly was written in that agreement?

No one knew.

Only the royal family had access to that information.

That was the most important thing Lucas had mentioned.

Aside from that, Young Master Lucas began rambling about the sweets sold in the village, the toys everyone could buy, the playground for children, and many more meaningless things that Yuan had no interest in.

Still, he pretended to be interested.

After all, what kind of child didn't like sweets?

After what felt like an endless amount of annoying small talk, they finally arrived at a house.

It looked a bit old, but it was stable,its wood and stone construction matching the other houses in the village.

However, this house was much larger than the others.

According to Young Master Lucas, the only house bigger than this one was the baron's mansion.

That must be true.

After all, who would lie about something so insignificant?

Now standing before the wooden door, Young Master Lucas knocked confidently, his voice loud and clear.

"Old man, I'm here! Come out!"

A muffled voice came from inside, followed by the creaking of wood as slow, deliberate footsteps approached.

Then, the door opened.

An old man stood in the doorway.

He had black eyes and black hair streaked with silver, his features carrying the weight of age and wisdom.

Dressed in a simple black t-shirt and a pair of pants, he wore the same modest fashion as the other villagers.

But Yuan noticed something unusual,something that wasn't normal for a mortal.

Spiritual essence.

The energy around the old man didn't behave as it normally would,it didn't ignore him like it did most mortals.

No.

It moved around his body, flowing in a controlled manner, as if a protective treasure was in use.

However, since Yuan's cultivation wasn't yet strong enough to see through such things, he could only guess whether this truly was a treasure or something else.

But one thing was certain.

This old man was not ordinary.

He was, without a doubt, a cultivator!

Yuan was sure that this old man was at least at the Blood Purification Stage!

Yet, despite his shock, his expression remained neutral.

He showed no visible reaction, continuing to act nervous, just as a child in his situation would.

As Old Man Viktor laid eyes on Young Master Lucas and the unfamiliar child, he raised an eyebrow in curiosity.

"Little Lucas, who is this brat?"

With that, Lucas began to explain Yuan's situation,his voice filled with sympathy as if the heavens had collapsed, leaving the boy completely lost, alone, and without a home.

Old Man Viktor listened patiently, and once Lucas had finished, he let out a long sigh, his gaze settling on Yuan.

"Brat, I understand your situation now.

"Although I wouldn't normally do something like this… since Little Lucas and Young Eric insisted you come to me, I'll do them a favor and take you in.

"So don't worry,I'll take care of you."

Hearing this, Yuan respectfully bowed his head, pressing his hands together in salute.

"Thank you, Elder! This one is deeply grateful for your generosity!"

With that, Elder Viktor stepped aside, inviting both Yuan and Young Master Lucas inside.

However, Lucas politely declined, shaking his head.

"I appreciate it, but I must return to my duty. Old Knight Eric is only temporarily filling in for me, so I need to get back."

With those words, Lucas turned and left, disappearing down the road.

With Young Master Lucas now gone, the elder's expression hardened.

His once casual demeanor vanished, replaced by a cold, piercing gaze, completely devoid of the kindness he had shown before.

Then, his voice rang out,sharp and unwavering.

"Are you a cultivator or not? And don't say you don't know what a cultivator is."

Hearing this, Yuan remained calm,he had already anticipated the elder's suspicion.

After all, only cultivators wore robes.

Even if he were a mortal, wearing such clothing would mean one of two things:

He came from a cultivation region that governed mortal kingdoms.

He was hiding in the mortal world, attempting to blend in.

There was no third possibility.

If a mortal lived in a kingdom ruled by cultivators, they would either serve cultivators directly or live in cities where cultivators and mortals coexisted.

Yet, Yuan stood here, dressed in a plain azure robe,something a mere mortal wouldn't wear in a place like this.

That alone was enough to raise suspicion.

But Yuan had already prepared an explanation.

The moment he realized that the old man was a cultivator himself, he knew

He had to be careful with his words.