Chapter 114: The Joys of Life

As the number of rogue cultivators he hunted grew, his cultivation base advanced rapidly. Soon, he broke through from the eighth level of Qi Refining to the ninth. Shortly thereafter, he continued to accumulate spiritual energy, successfully reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining.

And now, Meng Guan was preparing to attempt a breakthrough to the Foundation Establishment stage. He had chosen to do so within the final month before his sixtieth birthday.

Upon hearing Meng Guan’s account, He Song and Wei Fan exchanged glances, both seeing a trace of astonishment in the other's eyes. This old friend Meng had certainly not said this when they had communicated via sound transmissions before! If He Song recalled correctly, Meng Guan had never mentioned any "Daoist Soul-Breaker" during their previous exchanges. He had never spoken of how he had left a trail of dead rogue cultivators in his wake, nor had he ever detailed what he had truly endured over these years. In the paper cranes they had exchanged, Meng Guan had remained silent on such matters, mentioning only occasionally that his cultivation had made some progress.

He Song and Wei Fan had never lived in Qingyuan Immortal City, so they naturally had no idea what price Meng Guan had paid for these achievements. Only now did He Song realize what kind of "risking his life" Meng Guan had truly meant all those years ago. He looked at Meng Guan, a glimmer of admiration flashing in his eyes.

Daoist Soul-Breaker. If a Qi Refining cultivator possessed formidable strength, they would be granted the title of "Daoist." After reaching Foundation Establishment, they would be called "True Person." Although he had never heard this moniker in the Zhushan Immortal Market, he imagined that for Meng Guan to possess his own title, his strength must be widely acknowledged by many cultivators.

However, despite his shock at what Meng Guan described, a thread of suspicion remained in He Song’s heart. He had never investigated Meng Guan’s affairs in Qingyuan Immortal City and had only heard his side of the story. Fourteen years to go from the seventh level of Qi Refining to the Great Perfection. Such an exaggerated rate of cultivation, combined with the sheer luck that allowed Meng Guan to survive crisis after crisis, made He Song suspect that Meng Guan might still be hiding something.

But after some thought, He Song decided not to probe further. In the world of cultivation, everyone had their own secrets. Since Meng Guan kept them hidden, he clearly did not want others to know. If he were to investigate rashly, it might only lead to unnecessary trouble. Just like He Song himself—did he not also harbor secrets unknown to others?

With that thought, after hearing Meng Guan’s story, He Song picked up his teacup, looked at Meng Guan, and spoke.

"Setting aside other matters, today, I offer this tea in place of wine to congratulate old Meng on reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. From here on, Foundation Establishment is well within reach."

As He Song spoke, he raised his cup and drained it in one gulp. Beside him, seeing this, Wei Fan hurriedly raised his own cup. "Indeed, I also congratulate old Meng on reaching the Great Perfection of Qi Refining. May your Foundation Establishment be successful."

After both had finished their tea, Meng Guan raised his own cup, shaking his head with a faint smile. "Pure luck, nothing more. Haven’t you two fellow Daoists also made great strides in your own cultivation? Let us rejoice together."

As the three cups were set down, the atmosphere in the small courtyard became noticeably warmer. Three old friends who had not seen each other in a long time were gathered once more, naturally filled with endless topics to discuss and countless reflections to share. Although they had not met for over a decade, the frequent sound transmissions had prevented any sense of estrangement; instead, they cherished this hard-won reunion all the more. Furthermore, as Meng Guan had invited them with the intent of perhaps seeing them one last time, he was all the more welcoming.

The matter of Foundation Establishment was of grave importance. While the reputation of "Daoist Soul-Breaker" was loud in Qingyuan Immortal City, Meng Guan had offended many. Having two friends at the late stage of Qi Refining to stand guard would put his mind at ease. Although almost no one dared to act within Qingyuan Immortal City, which was presided over by several Foundation Establishment True Persons, one could never be too careful. If he were ambushed during his breakthrough, he would surely perish. Therefore, even though he had reached the Great Perfection of Qi Refining and was about to challenge the Foundation Establishment stage, Meng Guan showed no sign of neglect toward his two friends. On the contrary, because of their small, tight-knit circle, he felt even closer to He Song and Wei Fan.

After a long conversation, the three settled into Meng Guan’s small courtyard. There were now only twenty days left until Meng Guan’s sixtieth birthday. During this time, he needed to maintain himself at his peak state to ensure his path to Foundation Establishment was as smooth as possible. At the same time, he needed to choose an auspicious day within these twenty days to attempt the breakthrough. With He Song and Wei Fan’s arrival, Meng Guan was finally able to settle his heart and focus on maintaining his peak condition.

As the days passed, the time for Meng Guan’s breakthrough drew ever closer. During this interval, He Song and Wei Fan took turns going out to explore Qingyuan Immortal City, familiarizing themselves with its layout and various attractions.

Qingyuan Immortal City was divided into four districts: East, West, South, and North. Each district gathered a different type of population.

The East District was home to the vast majority of cultivators with specialized skills; those who lived there were generally quite wealthy. The West District was inhabited by a large number of cultivators or mortals with deep ties to the Thick Earth Sect; as a member of the Immortal City’s Law Enforcement Team, Meng Guan lived here. The South District was where most itinerant cultivators without special skills resided—it was synonymous with poverty and was the most chaotic of the four, a place where all sorts of people mingled. The North District had thin spiritual energy and was inhabited mostly by mortals—descendants of cultivators who maintained complex ties with others in the city.

Because of the different demographics of these four areas, the city was summarized by an eight-character saying: "East is rich, West is noble, South is poor, and North is lowly."

This was easy to understand. The East was wealthy, the West was prestigious, the South was poor, and the North, being a residential area for mortals who mostly performed the low-status jobs that cultivators refused to do, naturally earned the label of "lowly."

The small courtyard where Meng Guan lived in the West District was surrounded by other cultivators who were closely associated with the Thick Earth Sect. There were members of the Law Enforcement Team, staff from the city’s shops, and disciples stationed by the Thick Earth Sect. There were even two Foundation Establishment True Persons from the sect living nearby.

After exploring all four districts, He Song developed a fondness for the North District. It was a place where mortals gathered, but it was also the most entertaining part of the city. Whether it was listening to music in the pavilions, burning incense in the elegant towers, or discussing the Dao with friends—all the joys of life could be found there.