Chapter 35: A Grand Dream

The two of them led their spirit steeds and turned abruptly.

A man with a weathered face rose from a tavern by the street and came forward to meet them.

Though he wore brocade robes, they were clearly ill-fitting, and most notably, his right arm hung empty at his side.

“Jiangling!”

“Brother Dong! Your arm—”

Li Ji'an and Zhang Tiezhu approached the tavern and, seeing his right arm, Zhang Tiezhu cried out in shock.

“This… it’s a long story. Come, let’s sit first!” With his single hand, Dong Jiangling ushered them inside.

As the two sized up Dong Jiangling, he too was scrutinizing them.

It had been ten years since they parted, and Dong Jiangling had never sent a single letter home. Previously, Zhang Tiezhu had grumbled to Li Ji'an that Dong Jiangling had forgotten them after entering the world of cultivation—a thankless friend.

The five who had survived the trials of the Immortal Dynasty and arrived here ought, in theory, to be the closest and most understanding of each other in the entire cultivation world. They should have banded together for mutual support, as most would.

Yet, these five were unlike others, each a prodigy of the Immortal Dynasty.

Besides their outstanding physique and talent for body cultivation, their temperament and insight were exceptional, and each had strong opinions of their own.

So even when faced with the unknowns of the cultivation world, they remained full of fighting spirit.

Li Ji'an still remembered Dong Jiangling's attitude upon leaving—somewhat proud, not optimistic about him, yet consoling him nonetheless.

It was only human, and realistic; after all, his spiritual roots were truly poor.

“Brother Li, Tiezhu, ten years have passed—how have you fared?” There was a hint of bitterness on Dong Jiangling’s face, especially after confirming that the spirit steed Li Ji'an rode was one he himself could not afford.

“Let’s not talk about us—what about you? Why didn’t you write for ten years, and what happened to your arm?” Zhang Tiezhu pressed anxiously.

Dong Jiangling bit his lip, forced a smile, and lowered his head. “It’s all my fault. At first, I thought I’d contact you when I had achieved something. But then…”

Simply put, after leaving the settlement, Dong Jiangling went to the United Market. There, it didn’t take long for him to realize the plight of unattached cultivators: not only was cultivation difficult, surviving was nearly impossible, with no hope in sight.

At the time, his spirits were high, so he decided to head north to seek opportunities.

As a former prodigy, he couldn’t accept a life as an ordinary person.

On the day he left the market, he looked back deeply at the place, vowing to himself that he would not return unless he made a name for himself.

But the northbound journey was fraught with peril. He was ambushed by bandits, barely escaping with his body cultivation skills.

That deadly encounter on the sandstorm road, where he witnessed Li Ji'an slay a cultivator, made him realize he was not as exceptional as he’d thought. He became cautious, surviving in a larger northern market.

But aside from slightly better cultivation resources, nothing changed for him.

He faced a choice: either use his body cultivation to join a family from the bottom, or work as a guard or laborer for a merchant house.

However, his background as a scion of the Immortal Dynasty—and the influence of his eunuch grandfather—had left its mark. Despite his famous name, he had suffered ridicule and contempt behind his back. Once he discovered his martial talent, he swore never to be anyone's lackey again.

Because of this resolve, he chose the hardest path: remaining a lone cultivator.

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Being an unattached cultivator was no easy life. Relying solely on legitimate work meant a lifetime of servitude.

Yet his pride would not let him become a petty robber.

During a monster hunt, he overheard stories about children of fate from fellow cultivators. From then on, he began to take risks.

Cliffs, rapids, wild graveyards—any place few dared to go, he ventured.

Through this, he met several other ambitious, courageous companions.

He did gain some opportunities, managing to progress in qi training, but mostly faced countless dangers.

Four years ago, an ancient ruin appeared in the north. He ventured inside, only to have his arm torn off by a bizarre creature within.

Had it not been for a female cultivator companion, he would have died there.

That ordeal broke his spirit. With poor spiritual roots and now a damaged body, he knew advancement was hopeless.

He even contemplated death, preparing to end his days.

But the woman who rescued him cared for him for a year, making him reflect on his life and finally realize the truth.

The pursuit of immortality he’d chased since youth was a mirage—he’d missed out on the joys of his younger days.

His quest for immortality in this world was a rebellion against fate, a baseless fantasy that had blinded him to the journey’s beauty.

His entire early life—a grand dream!

Fortunately, the dream eventually ended.

Three years ago, he married the woman and settled in a nearby settlement.

He gave up the path of magical cultivation, supporting his family by hunting monsters, while continuing to hone his body cultivation.

Now, as a mid-level first tier body cultivator, he held a status in that settlement akin to what Chen Zhaohu once had here.

Two years ago, his wife bore him a daughter, and their life was now harmonious.

His wish for the rest of his days was to provide his daughter with a good environment for cultivation, to make up for the regrets he and his wife had.

“You’ll laugh at me—the robe I’m wearing was found by my wife years ago in an elder’s tomb. She learned I was coming to meet old friends… Haha, I’m embarrassed.” With that, Dong Jiangling removed the first-tier robe and stored it in his bag.

After hearing his ten-year story, Zhang Tiezhu was heavy-hearted. He glanced at Li Ji'an, hoping to find a similar emotion.

But he was disappointed.

Li Ji'an was not surprised by Dong Jiangling’s journey. His own six strands of gold spiritual root were also low-grade, and at that time he was twenty-three—about the same age.

His potential was small.

Still, Dong Jiangling had chosen a path where miracles could happen.

But… how many children of fate truly exist?

He was relatively lucky—not ending up as a forgotten corpse in the wild.

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And he still had the chance to face reality.

Zhang Tiezhu felt uneasy.

He was a bit more timid, so ten years ago he made a safer choice, seeking the protection of a family.

During the years of family war, he spent most of his time scheming and relying on his martial strength to bully the weak and avoid the strong.

He often encouraged Li Ji'an to take risks, but never dared to brave dangers like Dong Jiangling.

He always held on to hope and longing.

He even fantasized that if his cultivation improved, he might enter ruins like Dong Jiangling and perhaps achieve immortality.

But now, Dong Jiangling’s experiences and outcome made such hopes suddenly feel illusory.

He was somewhat panicked.

“Brother Li, Tiezhu, it seems you have truly embarked on the path of cultivation. Congratulations!” Dong Jiangling was calm and sincere today.

Li Ji'an smiled and shook his head. “Cultivation is difficult. Whether I can cross the threshold of mid-level qi training is uncertain—perhaps this is the end of my journey.”

Dong Jiangling was surprised, given that Li Ji'an’s spirit steed was of superior quality, but then understood.

He had come today to reunite, his wife had dressed him up in the robe, and perhaps Li Ji'an was similarly putting on appearances.

He did not offer any motivational words, simply nodded quietly.

Zhang Tiezhu had felt some superiority on the way here. He believed he had gone the furthest among the five.

He was the youngest, his spiritual root relatively good, and most importantly, he had chosen the right path: joining the Yan family, receiving a breakthrough pill. At twenty-eight, he was at the fifth stage of qi training, even surpassing some peers in the Yan family with similar spiritual roots.

But upon hearing Dong Jiangling’s story, he too felt discouraged.

What did the fifth stage of qi training matter?

What difference did it make to have advanced a few more steps than Dong Jiangling and Li Ji'an?

“Sigh, Brother Li is right—we are all the same!” In the end, any sense of superiority vanished, and he sighed deeply.

Then Zhang Tiezhu and Li Ji'an shared their own ten-year stories.

Compared to Dong Jiangling, their experiences were ordinary, except for Li Ji'an being favored by the Yan family’s eldest daughter, which surprised Dong Jiangling.

But that was Zhang Tiezhu’s claim; Li Ji'an firmly denied it, giving no explanation.

“I wonder if Sister Zhao and Linxian will come?” After a few drinks, Zhang Tiezhu regained some spirit, thinking that Dong Jiangling’s failure didn’t mean everyone would fail—perhaps Zhu Linxian had succeeded.

This made him hopeful again.

“Linxian… she’s probably extraordinary now!” Dong Jiangling mused.

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