Chương 3: Farewell and Welcome

After he had informed them of their departure, Immortal Elder Dou recalled the Spirit Discerning Pearl. The following scene left the three of them with big, wide eyes, and the shock was visible on their faces. The spirit pearl traveled through the air towards the space between Dou Ling's eyebrows. It didn't stop, as the artifact flashed for a moment, turned into a spiritual form, and entered the Immortal Elder's head.

Lin Yi, knowing some Daoist knowledge, could only theorize that it entered the elder's mentioned Purple Mansion. For the trio, it was another wondrous supernatural scene they witnessed today and a small peek of the world of cultivation. Immortal Elder Dou waved his hand and shooed them away. They could only leave and say farewell to their families. As You Lei and Yang Mo went back to their families, Lin Yi looked around to find his.

It was not long before he spotted them and waddled toward them with his little legs. Uncle Wang welcomed him back first. He had the biggest grin on his face that Lin Yi had ever seen in his four years. Only the few times when the fields yielded a high amount did this smile compare.

"Good, good, good! Our family has born a future immortal, hahaha." Uncle Wang said in a boisterous tone, while he ruffled his hair again. Lin Yang, Lin Yu`er, and Aunt Mei all had happy expressions and congratulated him. Aunt Mei stepped forward and squatted down to his height. With her hands placed on his shoulders, she asked him.

"Were you already accepted by the immortal sect? When do you have to leave?" Everyone's happy expression dimmed a little bit at the topic of Lin Yi leaving. But everyone also knows that the opportunity for immortal cultivation does not come twice in life, and the moment Lin Yi's talent was discovered, it was only a matter of time. Be it the Charging Bull Sect or other minor forces, some would come and recruit Lin Yi.

"Immortal Elder Dou said that we leave in less than half an hour, and that we should pack everything we need. We will likely only be able to return home once we achieve something on the immortal path." Lin Yi answered. He didn't tell them anything about the stages of cultivation the Immortal Elder mentioned. He, himself, didn't understand them much, so his family wouldn't have use for the terms either way. But he told them a little about his Innate Spirituality.

"Though I was born with an advantage that will help me in the beginning of cultivation, called Innate Spirituality. This advantage is also the reason for my prescience and allowed me to awaken immortal talent." Aunt Mei nodded and smiled brightly.

"That is great, Yi. I will expect great things from you. Soon, you will return as a proper immortal." She continued.

"Do you need anything else, Yi? Some of your toys?" She said with a motherly smile.

"But I assume as a future immortal, children's toys are beneath you. Take good care of yourself, will you." Lin Yi nodded. It was probably the most emotional moment for Lin Yi in these past four years, since he reincarnated. Despite possessing consciousness and normal intelligence since birth and being somewhat distant from them, these people were still his family. Saying goodbye, for who knows how many years, was still not easy. Not to mention, his child body influencing him.

"I'm good, Aunt Mei. I only need my pendant, it will remind me of my home and of all of you." The mentioned pendant, though inherited from his mother, was not some great immortal artifact or hidden living place for an old grandpa, but just a normal wooden pendant. This story has been stolen from Royal Road. If you read it on Amazon, please report it It was carved by his mother before his birth from a fallen part of the town's giant pine tree, in the shape of a taiji symbol.

Some would also know it as a yin-yang symbol. The pine tree, at the center of the town, would occasionally drop some materials, and town members would then make various gadgets or memorials out of them. Though they had no real supernatural effects, they were used as lucky charms. From the townspeople's experience, they knew the immortal sect would give their disciples food, clothing, and basic stuff. Mortal money was also not usable in the immortal world, so they didn't have to prepare anything for Lin Yi.

For the rest of the short time together, they talked to each other, reminisced about the past, and said a proper goodbye to Lin Yi. The half an hour went past like a flash, and Lin Yi stood in front of his family, likely for the last time in years, and bowed. He hesitated for a moment and then said.

"Thank you for everything, thank you for raising me like your own son. I will miss you!" Lin Yi and his family had both wet eyes as tears built up behind them. They too said their last goodbye, as their youngest family member started his extraordinary journey. Lin Yi bowed once again before he turned around and walked towards the flying immortal ship. He quickly reached the place where Immortal Elder Dou was and greeted him.

"Immortal Elder." Elder Dou nodded, looked at him for a moment, and said.

"From now on, you can just call me Elder Dou. You are a disciple of the Charging Bull Sect and not an outsider."

"Enter the flying boat first. Liu Gang and Guang Hei, two senior brothers of yours, will instruct you."

"Yes, thank you, Elder Dou." Lin Yi answered and continued to the flying boat. After he entered it, he saw two men standing at the front, wearing similar robes. Likely, my two senior brothers. Lin Yi thought and shortly after confirmed. One of them stepped forward and greeted him with a smile.

"Hello, junior brother. I'm Liu Gang, and beside me is Guang Hei. He is a quiet one, but if you have a problem you can always bother him or me. You must be Lin Yi, right?"

"Yes, Senior Brother Liu. My name is Lin Yi." After being answered, Liu Gang continued with a nod.

"Good, you are very young and have even Innate Spirituality. Entering the late stage of Qi Condensation should be no problem for you, and you might even have the chance of entering the Inner Court of the sect. Don't forget us then, hahaha." Lin Yi didn't know how to answer that, and could only nod and smile wryly. Maybe seeing Lin Yi's slight discomfort, Liu Gang started on the next topic.

"Currently, there is not much to explain. You will join the other junior brothers and sisters we picked up today. After we visit a few other towns and villages, we will return to the capital of the Dang Prefecture, and from there you will be transported to the Outer Court branch of the prefecture. But not directly. You might need to wait a few days." During the first part of his explanation, he pointed at the back of the flying ship or boat.

There, around twenty young people could be seen, most in their teenage years. Senior Brother Liu Gang reached towards his waist, where a pouch hung. He inserted his hand and pulled out a transparent small bottle.

"Hand out and open, junior brother." A little confused, Lin Yi could only stretch his hand out and saw Liu Gang tilt the bottle over his hand, as a small, round blue-green pill fell into his hand.

"This, Junior Brother Lu, is an Essence Pill, a low-grade first-tier pill. Its usage is simple, one pill contains the daily nutrition for a grown man. And the best part is that it leaves no waste. As you likely have already eaten today or yesterday, once your current waste leaves your body, you no longer need to defecate." Liu Gang nodded proudly and continued explaining.

"It is truly a blessing for us cultivators of lower realms. Once you enter the Crimson Palace Stage, you no longer need to consume external resources to survive. But for disciples below this stage, the sect gives us these Essence Pills. Before you start cultivating, they are for free, and once you enter the Qi Condensation Realm, you need to exchange them with Sect Points, but they are not expensive." He shrugged his shoulders as he reached the next part.

"Of course, many brothers and sisters of the sect still eat mortal food for enjoyment, and even spirit food at its lower level, or if not made correctly, still produces waste in our body. Only the rarest disciples consume solely Essence Pills." Lin Yi looked in wonder at the pill lying on his palm. He knew from his cultivation novels that alchemy and wondrous pills exist. But he didn't know that he would come into contact with them so shortly, and that the sect would be so free with allocating pills.

Of course, stories are stories and real life is real life. He didn't know the exact price of these pills and what skill one needs to reach to create them. But it is still a difference from the countless stories where each pill needs to be paid with precious spirit stones.

"Thank you, Senior Brother. These Essence Pills are very helpful." Lin Yi thanked Liu Gang and bowed slightly.

"Hahaha, no need, Junior Brother Lin. These are normal standards. Just come every day to the caretaker in the capital or me, and they give you your daily pill." Senior Brother Liu Gang nodded and pointed him to the back.

"Welcome to the Charging Bull Sect, Junior Brother. Now, rest at the back of the boat. We will soon head off."

"Yes, Senior Brother." After a quick reply, Lin Yi ventured to the back of the ship. Not seeing Lang Mo or You Lei, and seeing that only a few people were talking to each other, he chose a spacious place and sat down like the rest. Once seated, he looked again at the pill in his palm and, without thinking too much, placed it into his mouth. Once the pill came into contact with his saliva, it directly dispersed into, how it felt to him, formless liquid.

He gulped by reflex, and the liquid seamlessly flowed down his throat and settled in his stomach. Slowly, he could roughly feel the liquid dispersing through his stomach and entering its designated places. Maybe, that too is a benefit of Innate Spirituality. Lin Yi thought, as he could sense the wondrous workings of his very first taken immortal pill. He awoke from sensing his own body when he felt himself being ascended into the air by the flying ship.

He stood up and looked over the railing of the boat, on his tiptoes. As Lin Yi looked into the distance, he could only see Old Pine Town vanish into the distance.