Cultivation Starting from Full Talent

Chapter 140: Chapter 138 Zhou Qingshan

Big Stupid Deer gently nudged Ning Daoran’s shoulder, understanding his feelings all too well.

“Let’s go, we have to meet them.”

Ning Daoran sighed, put away his flying artifact, and walked into the village with Big Stupid Deer.

“Oh!”

At the entrance to the village, a child with his bare buttocks held up a lotus leaf to shield himself from the rain, pointing at them with a tree branch and exclaimed, “You’re not from our village, who are you? What brings you to Dragon Flying Village?”

Ning Daoran just smiled and remained silent.

Big Stupid Deer gently bleated at the child.

“Hmph, ignoring me!” The child stomped his foot in anger.

…

Red Lotus Martial Arts Academy.

In the rain, some young boys were still practicing with spears inside the academy, practicing the Silver Dragon Spear Technique that Ning Daoran once taught.

The boys practiced very diligently, one of them having almost reached Small Accomplishment in Silver Dragon Spear Technique.

“Young master.”

One of the boys put away his spear and asked, “May I help you with something?”

“Is Master Zhou here?” Ning Daoran asked.

“Yes, yes.”

The boy turned and shouted, “Master, someone is looking for you!”

Soon, a man lifted the curtain and came out, a plain-looking man in his forties.

He looked somewhat familiar but was not Zhou Tiezhu.

“Young master, you are…”

The man gazed at Ning Daoran blankly, then glanced at White Deer, and suddenly, as if struck by lightning, exclaimed, “Are… Are you Ancestor Ning from the Zhou Family?”

“Who are you?”

Ning Daoran felt uneasy, “Where is Zhou Tiezhu?”

“I…”

The man quickly cupped his fists and said, “Zhou Tiezhu was my grandfather, he passed away ten years ago due to an old injury…”

“Ah?”

Both Ning Daoran and White Deer were startled.

“What about Little Hehua?”

“She lives in the back courtyard, please follow me!”

Two young boys held umbrellas, shielding Ning Daoran and White Deer from the rain.

In an elegantly simple small courtyard behind the academy.

A female martial artist in a short blue robe came out—it was Little Hehua.

“Brother Ning!”

Her voice and appearance hadn’t changed much from the past, only a few more wrinkles at the corners of her eyes.

Logically, Little Hehua was nearly eighty this year, and as a Blood Qi Martial Artist, even though she had taken Solid Color Pills, her appearance would still be somewhat affected by age.

She immediately grabbed Ning Daoran’s hand without speaking, and soon her eyes filled with tears.

At this moment, words were unnecessary, as Ning Daoran knew Little Hehua’s mental state.

Separated for fifty years, she had almost thought she would never see Ning Daoran again in this lifetime.

“Please sit, Brother Ning.”

Little Hehua pulled Ning Daoran into the living room and gently said, “Regrettably, Zhou Tiezhu left us ten years ago.”

“How did he pass?”

“Blood Qi Martial Artists, the path to survival is continuously climbing higher.”

Little Hehua softly explained, “To maintain his position as the head of this martial arts academy, Zhou Tiezhu diligently practiced the Silver Dragon Spear Technique, achieving Great Success, and became well-known in several nearby villages. Unfortunately, he over-practiced, depleting too much Blood Qi.

Moreover, after being injured while hunting in the mountains, he couldn’t overcome the ordeal…”

She glanced at Ning Daoran and continued, “Originally, I was supposed to take over as the head of the martial arts academy, but… I didn’t want to be entangled in affairs of the academy, so I passed it on to Zhou Tiezhu’s grandson, the man you saw.

Over these years, I’ve lived here alone, quite peacefully.”

“Little Hehua…”

Ning Daoran gazed at the wrinkles at the corners of her eyes, feeling a pang of heartache, “Over these years, have you really not married?”

“Brother Ning…”

Little Hehua’s beautiful eyes looked at him as she softly said, “Did you think the words I spoke when I was young were mere jest? Besides, after seeing you, Brother Ning, do you think I could have eyes for any other man?”

Ning Daoran was silent.

“Aow~~”

Big Stupid Deer bleated, sensing the strange atmosphere.

“Brother Ning!”

Little Hehua stood up, smiling, “After the rain eases, I will take the children of the academy to the pond to catch fish, and I’ll make your favorite braised mixed fish for dinner!”

“Okay, I’ll join you.”

“Mm!”

In the evening, a warm dinner.

Little Hehua ate very slowly, as if fearing that this meal would soon pass.

…

The next day, they all went to pay respects to Zhou Tiezhu.

The autumn rain persisted, and within a modest little mound lay the man once called ‘little fighting cock’.

Suddenly, Ning Daoran felt like crying.

“Aow~~”

Big Stupid Deer nudged him, signaling there was no need to be too saddened.

Then, they returned to the martial arts academy.

“Little Hehua.”

Inside the room, Ning Daoran laid down several prohibitions with a wave of his hand, then took several elixir pills from his bosom, “These are for replenishing Blood Qi and healing old wounds, and some for restoring Essence Qi, but this bottle is the critical one.”

He picked up the Lifespan Extension Pill and continued, “This is the Lifespan Extension Pill, it can prolong life. There are three pills in total, take one every three days, and remember, do not consume them all at once.”

“Thank you, Brother Ning!”

Little Hehua happily accepted the elixir pills.

“By the way.”

Ning Daoran said, “In the afternoon, have all the children from the village come over, especially those under the age of twenty from the Zhou and Chen families, so that I can assess their Spirit Roots.”

“Yes, Brother Ning!”

Upon hearing this, Little Hehua was extremely happy.

In the afternoon, a large group of children gathered in the martial arts academy.

Ning Daoran, with his powerful Divine Sense, could directly see through Spirit Roots.

Ultimately, there was indeed a ten-year-old child with a Spirit Root, and it was a Sixth Grade Wood Fire Spirit Root, which was particularly suitable for cultivating the True Yang Furnace Technique.

“What is your name?” Ning Daoran asked.

The child was very nervous, “Reporting to my honorable grandfather, my name is… my name is Zhou Qingshan, my father is Zhou Youtian, my grandfather Zhou Jinshan, my great-grandfather Zhou Tiezhu…”

“Ah?”

Ning Daoran was surprised, it turned out to be Zhou Tiezhu’s descendant.

“Grandfather…”

The martial arts master said excitedly, “This child, Zhou Qingshan… has a Spirit Root?”

“Yes.”

Ning Daoran nodded, “Zhou Qingshan, would you like to follow me up the mountain to study magic and cultivate?”

“I…”

The surprise came so suddenly that the young boy was a bit overwhelmed, “Can I really cultivate?”

Ning Daoran smiled and nodded.

After that, Zhou Qingshan’s father and grandfather immediately made the child kowtow.

Little Hehua, however, wasn’t upset about it; she didn’t care much about family matters.

What she cared about most was that Brother Ning had come back specifically to see her.

…

Another night passed, and the next day, it drizzled.

Ning Daoran and Big Stupid Deer left.

“Brother Ning!”

At the entrance of the village, Little Hehua, in a light green short tunic and extremely beautiful, held an oiled paper umbrella in her hand.

She widened her beautiful eyes, trying her hardest to make out the figure in the distance.

However, as the rain grew heavier, it eventually obscured everything.

…

Chaotic Sect, True Yang Peak.

Atop the peak, outside the Cave Mansion of the Great Elder Gongyang Yan.

Ning Daoran and White Deer stood outside with a young boy who looked rather rustic.

Shortly after, a Golden Core Cultivator in a gray short tunic came out, it was the Great Elder.

“Salutations to my senior uncle.”

Ning Daoran greeted with a slight fist salute.

“My worthy nephew.”

The Great Elder glanced at Zhou Qingshan and said, “What is going on with this boy? Don’t tell me you brought me a disciple, I don’t lack disciples of this caliber.”

“Senior uncle really has divine insight, you guessed it right, impressive!” Ning Daoran exclaimed in surprise.

The Great Elder thought to himself, “Oh my god.”

“Senior uncle, hear me out!”

Ning Daoran said, “This child’s name is Zhou Qingshan, he’s the descendant of an old friend of mine, and as you have seen, he has a Sixth Grade Wood Fire Spirit Root, and he’s still a virgin boy, a perfect candidate for True Yang Furnace Technique.”

“Merely Sixth Grade and you say he’s a good candidate?” Gongyang Yan looked displeased.

“Senior uncle,” Ning Daoran said, “My mere Ninth Grade Spirit Root also became a pillar of our Chaotic Sect, didn’t it?”

Gongyang Yan was still displeased: “Fine, I’ll take him as a registered disciple for your sake, Ning, but I’m not spending extra effort to cultivate him.”

“Absolutely not!”

Ning Daoran said, “Senior uncle, you have a hundred and eighty registered disciples, do you even remember them all? This boy must be a direct disciple, otherwise I won’t agree!”

“Hey, you rascal!”

“Senior uncle, take a look at this!”

Ning Daoran quickly took a thick handbook from his bosom, sending a message, “Recently, I have perfected the True Yang Furnace Technique.

However, as I accomplished it, I seemed to glimpse some clues about the Transformation Realm of the True Yang Furnace Technique, these are insights into the Transformation Realm, please accept them if you don’t mind.”

“Really?”

Gongyang Yan was astounded and eagerly took the handbook, concealing it in his bosom as if it were a treasure. If he could cultivate the True Yang Furnace Technique to the Transformation Realm, with his foundation as Gongyang Yan, he might have a chance to advance to the Mid-Stage Golden Core!

“You are Zhou Qingshan, right?”

He looked at the boy, who looked as simple as a bumpkin: “From now on, you are Gongyang Yan’s fourteenth direct disciple. I will have your senior brother come over immediately to help with your registration and initiation procedures. You have no foundation in cultivation, so you must be diligent and not disgrace my name!”

“Yes, master!”

Zhou Qingshan knelt down with a thud, his voice resounding.

All of this was taught by Ning Daoran; otherwise, how could a boy from the countryside possess such an air?

Shortly afterwards, Zhou Qingshan settled down on True Yang Peak and became Gongyang Yan’s direct disciple.

Moreover, he even lived in a Cave Mansion surrounded by a Second Order High-Grade Spiritual Vein, a treatment millions of times better than what Lin Sheng initially received.

Ning Daoran originally wanted to give Zhou Qingshan some Qi Refinement Realm Elixir Pills, but Gongyang Yan glared him away.

Did Gongyang Yan’s disciples need outsiders to take care of them? Was his True Yang Peak’s foundation being underestimated?

Lin Sheng was very fond of Zhou Qingshan, this new junior brother.

Since he was a descendant of an old friend of Ning Daoran, his Foundation Establishment senior brother naturally took extra care of him.

Thus, Zhou Qingshan naturally wouldn’t be bullied at True Yang Peak or even within the entire sect.

…

Qiongbi Peak.

Ning Daoran, meticulously cultivating alongside Old Lu, avoided the mundanity of the everyday.

Time flew by.

In the blink of an eye, three years had passed.

One day, a figure appeared outside the Small Cloud Mist Array.

“Is Junior Brother Ning at home?”

The speaker was Zhao Lichen.

Ning Daoran dispersed the Array and saw Zhao Lichen clothed in a brand-new set of Foundation Establishment Elder robes, with a Magic Sword on his back and several Storage Bags around his waist, apparently about to embark on a long journey.