2 Chapter 2: A Powerful Senior

Chapter 2 A Powerful Senior

The moment Xi fell asleep, he found himself standing in front of an endless blue sky. The sky was beautiful, resembling a cloudless summer sky that covered the world. Looking down, he noticed he was standing on water as if it were solid ground.

Xi thought to himself, "Did I drink from father's hidden wineskin again? I don't think so."

Still confused, the young boy began walking forward, enjoying the exotic environment around him. As he walked, he noticed three figures floating in the distance. Due to the distance or some other reason, he couldn't see them clearly. Each figure appeared to be a different color. The largest figure was in the middle, adorned in gold and green. The figure on the right was black, and the one on the left was brown.

Eager to see them more clearly, Xi quickened his pace. However, no matter how fast he walked, the distance between them didn't seem to shorten. Frustrated, he started running, but as always, he tripped and fell.

This time, however, there was no impact, no splash, and no sound at all.

Xi woke up from his strange dream even more confused than when he had found the three skulls.

"Where was I, and what were those things in the distance?" he wondered.

Xi tried to get up, but something was holding him back. As he fully regained consciousness, he looked around his room and was surprised to see his parents present.

His mother was sleeping, sitting on his bed with his head in her lap. She appeared exhausted, with bags under her closed eyes and a disheveled appearance. Xi then noticed his father, asleep while holding onto his right hand. His father also had bags under his eyes and was frowning even in his sleep.

Upon closer inspection, Xi realized that both of his parents had dried tears on their faces. He felt a sense of fear about what might have happened during the night. He looked at his parents and wished he could summon the strength to lift them and place them back onto their bed. Knowing it was impossible, he quietly left the room and headed to clean up and go to the farm.

It was a nice and warm day, but for some reason, the amount of work on the farm seemed to have tripled. The fields were overrun with weeds, the animals needed feeding, and the crops were ready for harvest. Xi knew that if he didn't start working, his father would surely call him an ingrate once he woke up.

Xi understood that the weeds needed to be removed first, as they would consume the nutrients needed by the crops. All farmers know that the enemy of man is not the horrible demon on the edges of the continent, it was these vermin that eat away at the soil. He headed to the shed where his father kept his tools and searched for his father's favorite tool, the plow. The plow was nearly his height, making Xi believe that it would be a struggle to drag it to the weeds. He decided to use his hands instead.

Returning to the field, Xi crouched in front of the first weed, determined to prove that he could remove them without the plow. To his surprise, he effortlessly pulled out the strong and resistant weed that his father usually removed with the plow.

With a smug face, he proudly exclaimed, "Haha, father was doing it wrong the whole time."

Xi continued pulling out each weed by its roots, as if he were plucking blades of grass. He didn't even feel tired after completing the task. As he stood up, he realized that not much time had passed, and the sun had barely risen.

If others were to hear about the time when young Xi woke up, they would surely mistake him for a privileged young master from a wealthy family. His parents had always spoiled him, even before they discovered his talent for cultivation. They would wake up well before dawn and begin their work on the farm, only waking him up when it was time for breakfast. Little Xi, at his tender age, was unaware of their kindness. To him, the act of waking someone up without offering them food seemed like a grave offense.

Now it was time to feed the animals in the pens, a task that was usually performed daily to ensure they never went hungry. As expected, the animals were running around restlessly in the pastures, becoming increasingly agitated with their hunger. However, something strange happened wherever Xi walked. As he approached, the animals would come to a halt and lower their heads, as if in reverence. This phenomenon occurred with the oxen, cows, sheep, and even the untamed horses.

Xi believed, with a touch of pride, "They recognize me, of course. They know that when I pass by, I will provide them with food."

With his tasks around the barn completed and all the food replenished, it was nearly time for breakfast. Xi looked surprised, realizing once again how efficiently he had finished his father's daily tasks, while his father often labored until sunset. Sighing to himself, Xi thought, "Father really needs to learn from me. I can complete his tasks before breakfast, whereas he can barely finish them by nightfall. I must teach him the proper way."

The Long family farm followed a seasonal pattern of planting peas in spring, corn in summer, and harvesting the crops in fall. It was currently the time for corn harvest, a process that would take several days to complete. The Long family farm spanned an impressive 500 acres of land, but with only three people managing the farm, including Xi's parents, who were stronger than the average farmer, they could handle a maximum of 100 acres of farmland.

Long set to work picking corn, finding it easier and more enjoyable than the other tasks. Xi had a particular fondness for corn.

As Xi worked diligently in the cornfield, his parents woke up from their slumber. The first to awaken was Xi's mother, who immediately searched for her son and called out to her husband.

"Shen Long, where is our boy?" she exclaimed with concern.

Startled by his wife's distress, Shen quickly snapped out of his daze. He looked around, noticing her empty lap, and realized he needed to reassure her first.

"Ling, think for a moment. Perhaps he has finally woken up after three days. Maybe he's in the bath or in the kitchen," Shen calmly suggested.

Assured by her husband's reasonable words, Ling got up and made her way to the kitchen. Shen followed her until they heard an unusual sound coming from outside. Stepping out, they were astounded to see Xi with one hand holding an cob of corn, while the other skillfully plucked corn from the stalks and threw them accurately into a large wheelbarrow. Their son had nearly emptied the entire cornfield.

After completing his task, Xi looked up at the sky and realized he was slightly late for breakfast. Thankfully, their family grew corn, as he would have been famished if they had grown broccoli.

As he was about to drag the wheelbarrow to where his father stored the crops for sale, he spotted his parents. Xi walked up to them with a smile and embraced their legs, inquiring, "What happened to mother and father? Are you both feeling well?"

Hearing their child's voice after three days of separation, they both fell to their knees, weeping tears of joy as they embraced their dear son.

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"Xi! It's time to eat!" his mother called out.

Xi snapped out of his daydream, hearing his mother's voice calling him back to the kitchen. He couldn't help but think, "Didn't she just tell me to come here and cultivate? She doesn't even want me to help set up the table. Sigh."

When Xi arrived in the kitchen, his father was already there, appearing refreshed as if he had just taken a bath.

Xi pondered to himself, "I must have spent too much time lost in my daydream. Maybe that means I've become stronger?"

He asked his father, "Father, you look rejuvenated. Are you done with your work for today?"

Shen replied, "Yes, I'm finished. Although it pains me to admit it, you've become too efficient at completing the farmword. I prefer to work in the mornings before breakfast, and afterward, you can handle the rest."

Xi sought clarification, "Do you mean finishing up that day's work or completing all the work that can be done in a day? Also, Father, why don't you just feed the animals? I can take care of everything else."

Shen's irritation grew with each word his son spoke. He retorted, "You damn ingrate! I am not old, okay? I'm not!"

Confused, Xi turned to his mother, silently questioning if they were still speaking the same language.

Ling chuckled at the interaction between father and son and explained to her middle-aged husband, "He's not calling you old, but yes, you old, Old Shen. You should relax and let our boy handle more physical work. He is also a cultivator, and we can hardly imagine his current strength."

Shen felt a pang of melancholy. He could put on a tough facade in front of his son, but when his younger wife referred to him as old, he couldn't help but feel dejected. Witnessing the interaction

between his parents, a smile crept onto Xi's face. He thought to himself, "Just a little longer, and I'll be able to give both of you the gift of cultivation. Then I can see these smiles forever."

Cultivation was the very act of surpassing one's limits and continually improving oneself. There were cultivators who could live for thousands of years, and that was Xi's goal. He wanted to spend thousands of years with his parents in this way, but to achieve that, he needed to become strong enough to create artificial spirit roots for them and guide their bodies and minds in cultivation. The thought reminded him of the cultivation levels. There were five known levels of qi cultivation, but for some reason, he felt there should be more beyond that. He wasn't sure why, but he mused, "Perhaps it's because I've been secretly sipping from my father's wine flask since I was a child."

The stages were called Qi Foundation, Qi Condensation, Foundation Establishment, Core Formation, and Nascent Soul Realm. Each stage comprised ten minor stages. Xi was unfamiliar with what the powers were beyond Foundation Establishment, as the strongest person he had encountered was only at the third level of that stage—a fat, ugly magistrate.

As Xi cursed the magistrate in his thoughts and enjoyed his breakfast, the sound of bells resonated through the air. Soon after, urgent knocks reverberated on their door. Xi approached the door and found the village chief standing there, accompanied by the guard captain.

The village chief, Ming Zhi, was a kind and righteous woman who had once been a powerful cultivator in the Foundation Establishment stage, possessing a divine root. However, she had been betrayed and attacked by her lover and his companions. In order to prevent such tragedies from befalling others, she had willingly burned her spirit root, temporarily increasing her cultivation level to Core Formation. With her newfound strength, she avenged herself by eliminating all her offenders but paid the price of losing her spiritual root in the process. Found half-dead near the village, she was rescued and nursed back to health, both physically and emotionally, by the previous village chief. They eventually married, but due to Ming Zhi's weakened body, they were unable to conceive children. The previous chief never blamed her, understanding her self-blame, and decided to bring back Xi's mother to the village.

When Xi saw his grandmother, he inquired, "Grandma, what's happening with the alarms?"

Upon seeing her mother, Ling immediately rose from her seat and escorted her to the dinner table, fetching her a cup of tea.

Still flushed, as if she had been running, Ming Zhi exclaimed, "Bandits, my boy! Bandits are attacking the village. Please protect the village. I cannot break the promise I made to your grandfather. I wish I had such strength today. I've never despised my powerlessness for decades, but today... today..."

Xi approached and hugged his grandmother, his voice calm as he reassured her, "Don't worry, Grandma. I've eaten well, and I will take care of the bandits for you. Just sit down and enjoy your tea. Before it gets cold, I'll be back."

Witnessing their interaction, everyone else in the room wore broad smiles. They believed he was comforting her by mentioning that he had eaten well, but little did they know...

"I had toast and eggs for breakfast. Moreover, I slept for a full twelve hours last night. I should be much stronger today than yesterday," Xi thought to himself.

Rising from his seat, he approached the guard captain, Hao Yu, and inquired, "Which direction should I go?"

With great fervor, Hao Yu replied, "They are coming from the west, young lord."

The villagers addressed Xi Long as "young lord" because he was the only grandson of Ming Zhi, and the Long family had originally founded the village many ages ago. Although Ming Zhi's husband's family had been entrusted with managing the village, everyone knew that it rightfully belonged to the Longs.

Nodding, Xi Long set off, walking faster and faster. It appeared as though all he had to do was take a step, and he would effortlessly cover hundreds of feet. Onlookers were left in awe and amazement.

However, Xi couldn't help but lament, "If only I didn't have these two left feet that trip me up every time I run, I could have approached the bandits by now."

Although Xi's body had grown, his intelligence had not increased much, and his clumsiness remained unchanged.

Finally, Xi Long arrived at the western edge of the village, where he spotted a group of rough-looking men on horseback rushing toward the village. They had the demeanor of predators who had found their unsuspecting prey, their swords gleaming in the morning light.

Despite being mere bandits attacking a small farming village, they possessed overwhelming power. Among them were several cultivators, and their leader, mounted on a rhino, exuded an intimidating aura. If one were able to sense qi, they would detect that he was a mere half-step away from reaching the Foundation Establishment stage.

Xi squinted his eyes at the approaching bandits,

the dust they raised causing discomfort in his eyes and nose. Since childhood, he had suffered from dust allergies. Unable to gauge their strength amidst the irritation, he closed his eyes and sneezed.

WHOOSH!

A powerful gust of wind suddenly swept through the area, dispersing the dust. As Xi wiped his nose on his sleeve and looked up, he realized that all the bandits had vanished.

"They must have sensed that I had a full stomach and fled," Xi Long mused to himself.

The western side of the village bordered a large lake, shared by Qingmei and its trade ally, the Hangzhou Empire. While many other countries also shared this expansive lake, Qingmei and the Hangzhou Empire, with their close proximity and active trade relations, benefited the most. However, even during times of secret invasions, this lake served as an advantage between the two nations.

In the lake, there were several men who appeared to be bandits, their bodies broken and their weapons scattered.

One of the men, whose fake tattoos had been partly washed away by the lake, asked a burly individual, "Captain, it seems that a powerful cultivator was sent here to protect this place from invaders."

The man addressed as captain nodded while rubbing his forehead. With a wry smile, he replied, "Not only that, this senior seemed to know our true origins and saw through us."

The second man was taken aback and glanced around, becoming even more astonished. He concluded, "No wonder none of us perished. I couldn't even sense the senior's presence or catch a glimpse of their figure, but we were all blown away and ended up in the lake from where we came."

Proud of his lieutenant's deduction skills, the captain nodded and gave an order, "We shall return home and inform our commander that it is now impossible for us to continue our espionage activities as before. The senior spared our lives, perhaps to maintain a favorable relationship between our nations. We must exercise caution and express our gratitude for the senior's mercy. Let's move out, men!"

"Yes, sir!" responded all the beaten and battered men.