Chapter 101

Chapter 101

Immortal Cultivation?

You Nan was bewildered. He pointed at himself, his voice laced with confusion, "Me?"

He was just an ordinary commoner—could he really cultivate?

The little immortal sensed You Nan's unease and lack of confidence.

He stepped in front of his dad, his voice sweet and cheerful, "Don't worry, Dad! I always keep my promises!"

The little immortal was busy calculating in his mind.

His current abilities were still too weak; he needed to cultivate talent! And in his heart, his father was a rare treasure, perfect for him to nurture!

Besides, mortals don't live long. If his father cultivated, his lifespan would be greatly extended. As long as he kept progressing, his father might even be able to stay with him forever!

The thought made the little immortal's heart swell with joy—he was utterly delighted.

You Nan felt a tug on his clothes as the child gently shook him. He snapped back to reality, crouched down, and met the child's gaze.

You Nan's heart was stirred by the child's words. Unconsciously, he gripped his sleeve, leaving deep wrinkles in the fabric. "Can I truly cultivate?"

No one would believe it if word got out. It sounded like a myth.

The child patted his chest confidently, "Of course you can!"

You Nan asked again, "Can other people cultivate too?"

The little immortal felt a pang of guilt. His eyes darted left and right before he pouted and whispered, "Well, cultivation depends on one's innate talent. Not everyone can do it."

He was lying.

In truth, it had nothing to do with innate talent. Even a block of wood could embark on this path.

It actually depended on his own strength.

He was still too weak. Right now, he could only help his father clear his meridians. Even so, the process was still a bit of a hassle.

Once he became stronger, he would be able to easily clear many people's meridians, and everyone could cultivate together!

You Nan didn't know what the child was thinking—he was oblivious to all this.

There were cultivators in this part of the world, but they were extremely rare. In comparison, ordinary mortals far outnumbered them. Perhaps only one or two out of ten thousand people could embark on the path of cultivation.

All books and biographies related to cultivation were controlled by cultivators.

In fact, many ordinary people lived their entire lives without ever knowing that cultivators existed.

To them, cultivation was nothing more than a fantasy, a pipe dream.

You Nan didn't hesitate for long. After thinking for a couple of breaths, he firmly agreed, "Alright, I want to give it a try."

You Nan had taken a liking to the little immortal from the very first moment he saw him. Deep down, he wanted to stay by the little immortal's side forever.

But the little immortal was powerful, always fighting evil and doing good. You Nan knew he had to grow stronger quickly so he wouldn't become a burden to the little immortal.

Becoming a cultivator was a precious opportunity for him to boost his own power.

Suddenly, You Nan asked, "Why do you always call me Daddy?"

Hearing You Nan's question, the little immortal's fingers, which had been forming hand signs to clear You Nan's meridians, paused.

His eyes darted around, looking everywhere except at You Nan.

"Ah, well..."

No way he could say that he and his father had been father and son for lifetimes—that would scare his dad.

The little immortal's mind raced, and he quickly changed the subject, "Because I am your child! Alright, alright, no more talking. Focus! I'm starting now!"

The child put on a sweet voice, deliberately speaking in a teasing tone to dodge any more questions.

You Nan knew he wouldn't get an answer and closed his eyes.

He trusted the little immortal completely. He had a feeling the child would never harm him.

You Nan centered himself. A soft little hand rested on his head, and gradually, a warm energy enveloped his body.

He couldn't see it, but golden spiritual energy was entering his body, circulating through his meridians, and absorbing the energy of heaven and earth to fortify his physical form.

The little immortal took it slow and steady.

His father didn't recognize him in this lifetime—just like in previous lives, he had forgotten his existence.

The little immortal felt sad, but he didn't blame his father.

He knew it wasn't his father's fault. Someone had deliberately altered his memories!

How awful!

The little immortal's inky black eyes had unknowingly turned golden.

In his vision, all of You Nan's meridians were clearly visible.

You Nan's body was in terrible condition—devoid of any cultivation potential, just an ordinary mortal.

His meridians were full of impurities. From a cultivator's perspective, there was no possibility of him cultivating at all.

But the little immortal wouldn’t take no for an answer!

This was his father. He wanted his father to stay with him forever!

You Nan grimaced, a layer of cold sweat forming on his forehead.

The spiritual energy inside his body encountered blockages in his meridians and was carefully working to break through.

Each cleansing was a torment of both itchiness and pain for You Nan.

The little immortal was afraid of hurting his father. He knew his father was suffering, so with every breakthrough, he kept a close watch on You Nan's expression.

If You Nan seemed to be in pain, he would immediately ease up and slow down to prevent his father from feeling too uncomfortable.

"You don't have to do this. You can just power through it," You Nan said, unable to sit still any longer as he slid to the ground.

He couldn't sit up at all now—his body was wiped out. Fortunately, the little immortal supported him, helping him maintain a sitting posture.

You Nan took the little immortal's hand, and a continuous stream of golden spiritual energy transferred through their joined hands into his body.

You Nan clenched his teeth. "A quick pain is better than a long one."

Seeing his father's pale face, the little immortal braced himself, picking up speed and pressure. With a pop, one blockage was cleared.

You Nan clenched his lips tightly, without making a sound.

He didn’t want the little immortal to worry about him, nor did he want to break his concentration.

Although the little immortal hadn’t said it explicitly, You Nan had guessed that the reason the little immortal couldn’t perform a marrow cleansing for others might be because his strength wasn’t sufficient.

Otherwise, it wouldn’t have taken so long for him to undergo his own cleansing and refining.

You Nan knew how much the little immortal cared for him, and he treasured the effort the little immortal was making.

He didn’t want the little immortal to squander his energy on him.

So he could only do his best to make sure it wasn’t a waste.

You Nan ground his teeth, shaking from the agony, but he never uttered a word of complaint.

With You Nan’s cooperation, the little immortal’s technique gradually went from awkward to adept, and the speed of unblocking the meridians increased significantly.

By the time they finally stopped, You Nan was soaked with sweat and slumped to the ground, exhausted.

His forehead and body were covered in sweat, and there was a foul smell coming from him.

You Nan managed to raise his hand and saw a thick, black sludge suddenly appear on his arm.

He felt sticky all over, and even without looking, he knew his entire body must be covered in such filth.

"This is the dirt expelled from unblocking your meridians, Father. You just need to wash it off."

The little immortal came closer, carefully circulating spiritual energy through his father’s meridians one more time to check on You Nan. Only after confirming that everything was complete did he finally relax.

You Nan caught his breath and then stood up.

Though his face was pale, he forced himself to bow to the little immortal. "You Nan thanks little immortal."

The little immortal swung his legs while sitting on a chair, torn between happiness and disappointment.

He liked it when his father thanked him, but he didn’t like the formality between them.

"No need for formalities, Father! You don’t have to thank me! We’re family!" The little immortal reached out to steady You Nan, saying worriedly, "Let’s go rest for a while."

You Nan, seeing his soiled clothes, nodded. "Alright, I’ll go now."

After bathing and changing into clean clothes, You Nan was granted two cultivation techniques by the little immortal, who had been waiting for him.

One was for strengthening the body, and the other was for attack.

You Nan knew at first glance that these were precious gifts and immediately thanked the little immortal. "Thank you, little immortal."

The little immortal nodded. "Father, from now on, practice your cultivation here with me! With me protecting you, no one will disturb you."

You Nan’s lips curved into a smile, grateful for the little immortal’s closeness. His heart felt even more fondness toward the little immortal. "Little immortal is so kind to me. You Nan is at a loss for how to repay you."

The little immortal lifted his head, looking both happy and proud. "I told you, you’re my father! From now on, Father, just call me Mao Mao!"

"Mao Mao?" These two words sounded oddly familiar to You Nan, making him furrow his brow immediately.

He pressed a hand to his chest. "Why does it feel so familiar?"

The little immortal’s eyes lit up instantly. He was about to speak of his past lives with his father, but though his lips moved, no words came out.

The little immortal’s expression changed abruptly.

What’s going on!

He looked up at the sky outside, sensing something. The once sunny sky had suddenly turned gloomy, with faint blue lightning flickering within.

The little immortal’s heart tightened. He realized immediately that this was directed at him!

The Heavenly Dao barred him from revealing the situation to his father.

The little immortal’s eyes darkened. He bit his lip, staring at the sky, deep in thought.

He patted You Nan’s chest, soothing his father’s palpitations. "This just means that you and I are truly fated to be together!"

You Nan nodded, half-convinced, and accepted the little immortal’s explanation.

.

From that day on, You Nan followed the little immortal every day, diligently training and refining his body-strengthening techniques and attack spells.

Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, the little immortal would step in to explain. With the little immortal’s help, You Nan’s progress was astonishingly quick.

He had officially stepped into the threshold of cultivation.

You Nan didn’t tell his family about his cultivation. Mao Mao wanted him to keep it a secret, fearing that others might become jealous of his father if they found out.

You Nan obeyed him without question.

However, through daily interactions with You Nan, his family began to notice changes in him.

They observed a significant transformation in You Nan, especially in his demeanor, which now carried an ethereal, refined aura.

But they simply assumed it was the influence of the little immortal and didn’t think much of it.

Now that they had all been awakened by the little immortal, they felt deeply grateful to him.

Seeing their son able to meet the little immortal every day filled them with joy.

"Father, Mother, I’d like to ask about that plaque of mine."

During a meal one day, You Nan finally voiced the question that had puzzled him for so long.

The little immortal had emerged from his plaque, something everyone in the village knew.

Curious villagers had privately asked him and his parents about the origin of the small plaque.

But You Nan’s parents remained tight-lipped. If pressed too hard, they would only say that the little immortal had allowed it.

This excuse usually made people stop asking.

Hearing You Nan’s question, his parents exchanged glances, their eyes filled with helplessness.

You Nan grew curious and looked at his older brother beside him. Usually optimistic, his brother had somehow become tight-lipped like a sealed gourd.

"It’s like this," You Nan’s mother began.

"She began, 'Actually, you're not our biological child.'"

As soon as You Nan's mother spoke, You Nan froze. He listened as his mother continued, "Your father found you when he went into the mountains to gather firewood one winter."

"You were lying alone beside a snowdrift, a pitiful sight. Your father said that when he discovered you, you were surrounded by a glow, as if a white light was enveloping you. From a distance, he thought it was some kind of treasure and went for a closer look, only to find a child. And that medallion was already hanging around your neck at the time."

.

Seeing her husband come down the mountain suddenly holding an unfamiliar child, the new mother, who'd recently had a baby, was flustered. "Whose child is this?"

Her husband shook his head, also very nervous. "I don't know. Maybe it was abandoned by someone from another village?"

The new mother noticed the child’s purplish complexion, realizing he was freezing, and quickly swaddled him in their bed, placing him beside her own son.

"How pitiful. Why did it have to be on such a snowy day?"

Her own new motherhood made her heart soft, and she couldn’t bear to see any child suffer.

After thinking for a while, her husband hesitantly told his wife about the strange light he'd seen.

His wife was startled and looked at the child sleeping with closed eyes on the bed with suspicion. "Is... is this child even human?"

Though she had never seen a monster before, she had heard from elders that the mountains were full of spirits, often shapeshifting to lure people away and devour them.

Her husband didn’t know either. Thinking it over, he started to have second thoughts and thought about sending the child away. But his frightened wife held onto his arm.

"Never mind. Such a small child, even if it is a monster, must be just a small one. Probably doesn't even eat people."

She bit her lip, her heart full of doubt.

She looked down at the child, whose skin tone was clearly different from her own son’s.

Her son took after them—fair as a baby but his skin became more sallow as he grew. This child, however, was fair and tender, like a peeled boiled egg—a rare treat for them.

The woman looked at her own son, then at the other child.

A surge of maternal instinct made her beg her husband to let the child stay.

To be safe—in case they'd taken someone else's child—they later asked around, but everyone said no child was missing.

No one recognized the child, so he stayed with their family.

When they bathed the child, they noticed the conspicuous black medallion around his neck.

The medallion was quite large, the size of an adult’s palm, and looked huge on the little child.

They tried to remove it, but every time they touched it, the child would cry, clutching it tightly with his small hands. No matter how hard they tried, they couldn’t get it off.

Afraid the child would make himself sick crying and unable to force the issue, they stopped trying.

It wasn’t until the child was a little older and understood more that he would remove it himself, but even then, he kept a tight grip on it and wouldn't let anyone else touch it.

Over time, they realized how important the medallion was to the child and stopped touching it altogether.

However, You Nan had no memory of any of this.

You Nan’s older brother, since he was older, remembered some things from his brother’s childhood.

After finishing her story, You Nan’s mother looked at her child with a gentle, reluctant look in her eyes.

She had always known this child was not her own and would leave one day, so she didn't want to live with regrets. She treated You Nan just as she treated her biological son.

Fortunately, she had kept the child back then; otherwise, the entire village might have perished.

And the fact that there was a 'little immortal' inside You Nan’s medallion proved that the child was not a monster in disguise.

He was meant for great things.

Thinking of this, You Nan’s parents and brother finally felt at ease.

Hearing their words, You Nan’s mind was foggy—he had no memory of his early childhood.

But one thing was true: from the time he could remember, the medallion had always been with him.

He cherished it deeply; it meant more to him than his own life.

If he couldn’t see it, he'd grow anxious and unsettled.

"So that’s how it was," You Nan said, sensing his family’s tension and their fear that he might leave.

You Nan smiled at them. His parents and brother had been so good to him—how could he ever abandon them? "Thank you for your love and care, Father, Mother, and Brother. I will always remember it. I will forever be filial to you."

"Yes!" You Nan’s parents responded, secretly wiping away tears where he couldn’t see.

Raising this child was truly worth it.

But plans often change faster than expected. Before two days had passed since You Nan’s words, on the third day, a large, imposing group on horseback and in carts arrived in their village.

"We are a monster-hunting team from the city, here specifically to slay demons and monsters. We’ve heard rumors of a little immortal descending here—is it true?" the leader asked them.

The entire village was gathered together.

You Nan, standing in the front row, looked up and saw that these visitors from afar were well-dressed, arrogant, and looked down on the villagers with cold disdain.

Even when mentioning the term "little immortal," their faces were full of disbelief.

You Nan’s heart sank. He knew this group was likely up to no good—perhaps they had come specifically for the little immortal.