Longevity: Starting with an infant's innate growth potential

Chapter 74 Xuan Ting Si (Please subscribe)
Lingxia Immortal City, Four Seasons Pavilion.

He Zijian treated Zhou Ling and the others to a spiritual feast, where they ate and chatted in a private room.

Various dishes, spiritual fruits and vegetables were laid out on the table.

The interior is warm and cozy, and the entire restaurant is decorated with a "spring-like" magic array, ensuring warmth in winter and coolness in summer throughout the year.

Zhou Ling had never been to such a high-class place before.

Looking at the menu, just a few dishes would cost more than ten low-grade spirit stones.

This is more than a month's expenses for an ordinary family practicing Buddhism.

Since He Zijian was treating, Zhou Ling didn't stand on ceremony. It was a meal anyway, so why not take advantage of it?

This spiritual feast is worth over twenty spirit stones, and the ingredients are all the flesh and blood of demonic beasts, as well as spiritual vegetables and fruits.

"We were able to catch the Haoyang Bird last time thanks to Brother Zhou! Let's have a drink!"

He Zijian picked up his wine bowl and downed a drink with Zhou Ling.

"Hmm!" Zhou Ling picked up his wine bowl and clinked it against He Zijian's.

Wang Xin, He Lingyun, and Yuan Hu also picked up their wine bowls and drank some wine along with them.

Yuan Hu's cheeks were bulging. Seeing Zhou Ling's attitude, he knew there was no need to be polite. He ate in silence and didn't stop eating.

Wang Xin barely touched her chopsticks, her large, bright eyes occasionally glancing furtively at He Lingyun.

These spiritual dishes looked good and were rich in spiritual energy, but the taste was just average.

She felt it wasn't as good as the spirit cake she had just bought outside.

"Brother He, what brings you to Xicheng?"

After taking a sip of wine, Zhou Ling asked.

He wasn't particularly concerned about He Zijian's matter, but since the other party had kindly invited him to dinner, he felt he should at least find a topic to talk about.

He Zijian sipped the spirit wine with gusto and said with renewed energy, "The Xuan Ting Division has some missions going on recently, so I came to run errands!"

"Xuan Ting Si?"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling was taken aback and couldn't help but ask, "Brother He, are you a member of the Xuan Ting Guard?"

He Zijian took a big gulp of wine, nodded with some pride, and said, "I just became a first-rank Xuan Ting Guard this year."

"It really is a Xuan Ting Guard!" Zhou Ling's mouth dropped open, still somewhat incredulous, but he quickly exclaimed, "Brother He, you're amazing!"

It should be known that the Dao Alliance, which governs the Nine Realms Immortal City, is the largest force in the cultivation world.

The Dao Alliance also has a large number of directly affiliated institutions, such as the Six Dao Academy and the Xuan Ting Division.

The Dao Alliance is located in Tianxia Immortal City, one of the Nine Domains.

The Xuan Ting Si is a high-level organization of the Dao Alliance, responsible for coordinating and managing all cultivators in the Nine Realms Immortal City.

At his age, He Zijian was already a first-rank Xuan Ting Guard, which meant he had a secure job and would never lack cultivation resources in his life.

Zhou Ling thought that she and Yuan Hu, as well as He Zijian, were not much different in age, but now they all had to work hard to make a living for their families.

He Zijian, a scion of a prominent family, was already a first-rank Xuan Ting Guard of the Dao Alliance. The gap between them was simply too great, and he couldn't help but sigh with emotion.

It feels like living in two different worlds.

However, this is normal, after all, they are from a prominent family, and their ancestors have accumulated wealth over countless generations.

A good starting point naturally gives you an advantage!
"I am merely a Xuan Ting Guard of Lingxia Immortal City, not a true Xuan Ting Guard belonging to the Dao Alliance!"

Seeing the shocked expressions on Zhou Ling's and the others' faces, He Zijian stood tall and proud. Although he spoke modestly, his eyes gleamed with a hint of self-satisfaction.

For Zhou Ling and his fellow rogue cultivators, the Dao Alliance's Xuan Ting Guards were a supreme and unapproachable force.

Even just holding a position in the Xuan Ting Division of the Immortal City is something that a rogue cultivator can hardly achieve in a lifetime.

"Won't inviting us for drinks interfere with our business?" Zhou Ling asked.

He Zijian picked up his wine glass, took a sip, and laughed, "No, I'm just on a mission!"

Hearing this, Zhou Ling looked puzzled. What did inviting him to dinner have to do with the Xuan Ting Division's mission?

However, he was self-aware enough not to get involved in matters concerning the Xuan Ting Division.

To avoid getting into any unnecessary trouble. "Recently, there have been some evil cultivators appearing in the western part of the city, so things aren't very peaceful. You need to be careful."

Seeing Zhou Ling's expression, He Zijian's lips curled up slightly, and he switched to telepathy to speak to Zhou Ling.

"An evil cultivator!" Zhou Ling was startled and nodded.

Given the vastness of Lingxia Immortal City, it's perfectly normal for some evil cultivators and demonic cultivators to exist there.

"He Lingyun, how is the Haoyang Bird?"

When the matter involved evil cultivators and the Xuan Ting Division, Zhou Ling quickly changed the subject and asked He Lingyun, who was standing next to him.

Swallowing the food in her mouth, He Lingyun said happily, "I have tamed the Haoyang Bird and it has become my spirit beast. After next month, when I have almost finished training it, I can take it out!"

"Congratulations!" Zhou Ling said with envy on his face.

The Haoyang Bird possesses a Xuan-rank bloodline and has the potential to become a third-rank or even fourth-rank great demon.

Their combat power is astonishing!
Judging from this, He Lingyun's future achievements may even surpass those of He Zijian.

It can only be said that aristocratic families and independent cultivators are worlds apart!
However, none of this matters. Just do your best!
One step at a time.

I believe I have the talent to grow, and as long as I work hard, I won't be too bad off.

He Lingyun smiled and said, "It's all thanks to your help!"

"Brother Zhou, do you have a communication jade? Or could you tell me where you live? That way I can find you if I need to go into the mountains in the future!"

After drinking a few more glasses of wine, He Zijian asked Zhou Ling.

His successful capture of the Haoyang Bird during his last trip into the mountains left a deep impression on him.

With Zhou Ling around, it seems that Uchiyama is not in much danger!

"What are you going into the mountains for?" Zhou Ling asked curiously.

But he quickly shook his head, "I rarely go into the mountains!"

If it weren't for the search for the Condensing Essence Grass, he wouldn't have bothered venturing into the mountains, especially into the inner mountains.

Having the talent of "crisis response" seems to suggest that his risks are not high, but "crisis response" is also within a certain range.

But once inside the mountain, he felt like he was walking on thin ice every moment.

He wouldn't have taken such a risk if he hadn't been forced to!
However, out of politeness, he still gave He Zijian his home address.

As for the communication jade he mentioned, it is a communication tool used by cultivators.

It can maintain telepathic communication with other cultivators within a certain range.

The price isn't cheap either!

Zhou Ling doesn't usually need to contact anyone, so she doesn't have any on hand.

He Zijian looked helpless. "You see, being a member of the Xuan Ting Guard is quite prestigious, but it also comes with great risks."

"Sometimes we have to go into the mountains to patrol and find out if there are any unusual movements from the monsters, so as to prevent beast tides!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ling shook his head decisively, "Don't come to me with this kind of thing!"

He Zijian smiled and didn't say much. In his eyes, Zhou Ling was a greedy kid. He said he wouldn't go into the mountains, but if he gave him more spirit stones, he would definitely be tempted!

Before long, everyone had almost finished eating!
Basically, only Zhou Ling and Yuan Hu ate a lot.

Zhou Ling figured that since she had already ordered, she couldn't waste it.

A whole table full of spiritual food, and now every plate is completely empty.

Wang Xin was not familiar with the He siblings and seemed a bit reserved, so she didn't eat much.

After paying the bill, He Zijian patted Zhou Ling on the shoulder and said with a smile, "If you have any trouble in Lingxia Immortal City in the future, just come to me!"

"Yes!" Zhou Ling nodded with a smile.

Only then did he say goodbye to the He siblings.

After strolling around for a while, the three of them went back to their respective homes.

(End of this chapter)