Chapter Fifty: Ways of Survival

“I have many friends, but unfortunately, they are all dead.”

Liu Jiao’s expression was calm, showing no sign of sorrow. He smiled at Chen Xuan and the others, saying, “Now, you will also become my friends. I hope you live long and someday have the ability to repay me with some help.”

There was a subtle humor in his tone, but no one found it amusing.

Then, Liu Jiao took the book handed to him by the ancient scholar and pointed to several names, asking the group of Qi practitioners about the current status of those people.

Chen Xuan came from humble origins and was not qualified to know these names; most were completely unfamiliar to him.

Occasionally someone answered Liu Jiao’s questions, but more often there was silence.

Sometimes Liu Jiao sighed, “This one was quite close to me back then, should have reached the Dao’s Hidden Realm, but died early in a duel.”

Sometimes he laughed heartily, “I always suspected this Qing Ya Zi, once he reached the pinnacle of the Cauldron Furnace Realm, with no hope ahead, he would inevitably stray down a dark path... Lu Zhuan, who is this person? Why didn’t he come to see me when young? Could it be he reached the Dao’s Hidden Realm within twenty years and I missed it?”

At times he fell silent, “In these two or three hundred years, this peerless prodigy—did he succeed in surging through the mundane world? Is he dead or alive? Where is he? Now there’s not even a whisper of news.”

Sometimes he sneered coldly, “What a waste of my efforts; a hundred investments, not one bore fruit. What use are you people from the future?”

Liu Jiao’s inquiries mostly concerned notable figures from the past few hundred years.

He asked nothing about events older than that.

Chen Xuan listened eagerly, feeling his knowledge expand greatly. He had always enjoyed hearing such extraordinary tales.

After about half an hour, Liu Jiao finished his questioning.

“You lot who have appeared in the past twenty years are the worst quality batch I’ve ever seen.”

Liu Jiao stood up, like a teacher admonishing his disciples, and continued, “But some things used by my old friends I cannot use myself; I cannot let these treasures gather dust. Today, I gift them to you.”

“These things are not given away for free. If anyone ever threatens this secluded Peach Blossom Spring, you must lend a hand.”

Every Destiny Bearer has their own way of survival.

This was the survival method of the Immortal Seed... unable to cultivate, they must rely on the strong.

The crowd immediately stirred, each shouting, “Of course!” “I am naturally a person who knows gratitude!”

Those from clans with generations of benefits, like Wang Ling’er and Xie Cheng, were even more excited, “As long as our family lives, the Peach Blossom Spring will remain peaceful!”

Here it comes.

The Immortal Seed is giving out gifts!

Most present were not ungrateful. Since Liu Jiao held no direct control over them, when trouble came to the Peach Blossom Spring, they would naturally help if they could; if not, they would stand aside.

Soon, the ancient scholar led a group of clansmen to bring out a large chest filled with all kinds of old items.

“No need to rush, everyone will have their share.”

Among the forty or so Qi practitioners present, Chen Xuan was among the most gifted, so he quickly received an old item.

It was a jade bracelet, translucent and clear, seemingly ordinary at first glance.

“You have a trace of ancient appearance, your future is vast. Elder Liu Jiao says you have the potential of the Cauldron Furnace Realm, but hopes of 'Surging through the Mundane World' are slim; it’s best not to force it.”

The ancient scholar pointed to the jade bracelet and continued, “In ancient times, a celestial maiden from a foreign domain entered the Peach Blossom Spring as a child and once touched this item... Before she withdrew from the world, she founded a sect and nearly attained immortality. Today this item is given to you; Elder Liu Jiao hopes you burn the midnight oil and have a bright future.”

“Thank you for your kind words.”

Chen Xuan expressed his gratitude, fingers tracing the smooth jade bracelet, thinking, “This item looks ordinary but carries such a great legacy. It was touched by someone near immortality.”

When one attains the Dao, their whole family rises with them—this was no exaggeration.

In fact, ancient Qi practitioners’ divine aura soared beyond the heavens; anything connected to them was extraordinary. Even the path they walked on would become a path to immortality, leaving behind traces of the Great Dao that took ages to fade.

Chen Xuan also wondered if the items in the room he had stayed in last night had been sealed away.

If he were lucky enough to become an immortal someday, would these touched objects be passed down to destined people like him by Liu Jiao after a thousand millennia?

“This is a near-immortal item!”

Several Qi practitioners stared hotly at the jade bracelet in Chen Xuan’s hand.

Touched by a near-immortal from ancient times, after the passage of countless millennia and the lingering resonance of the Great Dao they left behind, it was unimaginable what kind of supreme treasure it could transform into!

“Though not a relic of a true ancient immortal sage, it’s still shockingly precious—a gift of the highest rank.”

One Qi practitioner envied him, as his own gift was only an ordinary old item touched by a high-level Qi cultivator due to his limited talent.

No one expected Liu Jiao to give out genuine relics of ancient immortal sages; such things were too rare.

“It’s said that all ancient sage relics in Liu Jiao’s possession were long given away. Now, the most precious items he has are these near-immortal objects. But times have changed, and these supreme items rarely appear in the world. Their numbers are extremely limited.”

Someone murmured, thinking Chen Xuan’s luck was extraordinary to receive such a treasure.

Liu Jiao was merely an immortal who could not cultivate. Though the Peach Blossom Spring attracted youthful geniuses, how many among them could truly succeed on the path to supreme immortality in thousands of years?

Indeed, Liu Jiao had known some ancient Qi practitioners in ancient times.

But those ancient Qi practitioners had long since vanished from the world.

Legend held that this Peach Blossom Spring was a fragment of an ancient mountain from the last ancient Qi practitioner Liu Jiao knew, a remembrance of their childhood ties, severed as he was about to perish.

Because of this, Liu Jiao could safely survive in the world without being captured by those with ulterior motives to study alchemy.

After that, Liu Jiao immediately compromised, giving away all ancient sage relics at once, forming many good karmic ties. Yet some speculated he secretly kept one or two.

“Sigh, yet another item for women,” Chen Xuan thought with a hint of helplessness. Though the item was fine, it was awkward for him to use. A warrior wearing a jade bracelet on his wrist—if seen by others, what would they think?

He had already felt a faint shame fighting with hairpins; now, with this as well...

Some quietly sized Chen Xuan up with unfriendly eyes. The near-immortal items given by Liu Jiao could be counted on one hand.

Those with power, like Yan Yushu or the Tiger Demon, naturally dared not harbor ill intentions. But Chen Xuan, alone and isolated, was clearly easier to deal with.

Most Qi practitioners were content but cautious. For example, Wang Ling’er, who had been sternly warned by her elders, left immediately.

She didn’t even wait for familiar people from Chiya City, hastily leaving the village and descending the mountain, eager to return to her family’s domain with the advanced cultivator relic in hand.

Soon, after the ancient scholar distributed the old items, many Qi practitioners left one after another.

Chen Xuan did not leave. He was waiting for everyone unrelated to his matter to clear out. He still had a very dangerous task to carry out.

But in the next moment, someone stepped forward before him.

A young man in black robes appeared, handsome with phoenix-like eyes and a somewhat gloomy aura. Smiling, he took a letter from his sleeve and approached the immortal seed Liu Jiao.

“Senior Liu, my family elders have one more matter to entrust to you.”

“...”

Chen Xuan, about to step forward, retracted his leg.