The West Sea is difficult to enter.
These four words do not only refer to the West Sea Spirit Domain. As the largest Immortal Gate in the Mountain and Sea Realm, many cultivators try to enter the West Sea Sect like carps crossing the river, but the successful ones are always in the minority.
Wang Chen, having neither a powerful background nor outstanding talent and being an unidentifiable outsider loose cultivator,
used thirty thousand spirit stones to exchange for a chance to undergo the entrance assessment. To tell the truth, it wasn't a bad deal at all.
However, quite often, an opportunity does not necessarily represent a fortunate chance.
Having served as the village chief of Datian Village for five days, Wang Chen distinctly felt that blending in here was an extremely difficult task.
When Wang Chen appeared in the village, every villager was very respectful to him.
But the rejection emitted from their bones was something they couldn't hide.
Moreover, he had discovered that the villagers did not have much awe for him, even though he was a Purple Mansion cultivator.
Even though Wang Chen was the village chief, he was also the only Superior of the village.
This was a bit strange.
It was normal for villagers to reject an outsider becoming an official, but in the cultivation world where the strong are revered, it was simply inconceivable for a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator to not receive the respect he deserved in a remote village.
Another thing was that Wang Chen found very little to do after taking office.
The villagers seemed to have no interest in the change of those in power and nobody came to seek Wang Chen's help for justice, grievances, or assistance.
They lived their most accustomed lives day after day, year after year, like a set program.
Chen Anhe, on the other hand, came to the Village Head Residence daily to pay his respects and greet him.
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But Wang Chen felt this old fellow seemed more like he was coming to watch his own joke.
The biggest problem he faced was the inability to settle down; it was as if he had been placed on a high pedestal by someone!
In the study room, Wang Chen sat at the desk, flipping through the thick "Datian Records."
"Datian Records" were essentially the village records of Datian Village, documenting the major events that had occurred in the village since its establishment.
In the three years of Wang Chen's tenure as village chief, he was also expected to contribute to the subsequent entries of the "Datian Records."
But before that, he needed to understand more about Datian Village.
"Sir, please have some tea."
The pretty maid He, holding a steaming cup of tea carefully, placed it on the desk.
The emerald green tea was brewed just right, with the aroma of spiritual tea hitting the nose.
Wang Chen picked up the cup and took a sip.
He presented an invitation, "This is an invitation sent by Master Huang from the village. The person who brought it is still outside."
Wang Chen put down the teacup and took the invitation to open it.
The Huang surname was one of the three major surnames in Datian Village; over ninety percent of the villagers were part of these three major families. As far as Wang Chen knew, this Master Huang Deqi was indeed the head of the Huang Clan.
He would belong to the class of local gentry.
The content inside the invitation was simple: Huang Deqi was hosting a banquet at his home that evening to welcome and cleanse Wang Chen of the dust of his journey.
The words were extremely polite.
But something felt off.
A simple logic was that Wang Chen, as the new village chief, had been in Datian Village for five days, and only now did Master Huang, as if suddenly awakened from a dream, invite him to meet. It was impossible that it was due to a delay in the news.
Furthermore, as a dignified Purple Mansion cultivator, it was quite arrogant of the other party to merely send someone with an invitation and not to personally visit to extend the invite.
Without any backing, who would dare to do this?
Wang Chen, stroking his chin thoughtfully, said, "Convey my message that I will visit on time this evening."
He went out to relay the reply to the person sent by Huang Deqi.
When she returned to the study, before she could speak, Wang Chen asked, "He, how old are you this year?"
He's pretty face blushed faintly as she timidly answered, "This servant just turned fifteen this year."
Fifteen years old, huh.
Wang Chen's gaze flashed, "How long have you been stuck at the Shedding Mortality stage?"
With his current cultivation level, he could easily see that He had already reached the pinnacle of Shedding Mortality, just one step away from shedding her mortal body and establishing her Taoist Foundation to become a true Cultivator.
But countless people get stuck at this stage, unable to step across the threshold for their entire lives.
He bit her lips and replied in a low voice, "Two years."
Normally, the longer one is stuck at the Shedding Mortality stage, the lower the probability of a breakthrough in Qi Cultivation.
Although He wasn't old, two years without Qi Cultivation meant a bleak future in her spiritual journey.
This was perhaps the main reason why Chen Anhe had sent her to serve as Wang Chen's maidservant!
Wang Chen asked again, "Have you taken a Foundation Establishment Pill before?"
Shedding Mortality and Condensing the True Essence, Establishing the Foundation for Qi Cultivation, the Foundation Establishment Pill was precisely meant for breaking through bottlenecks.
Semi-Cultivators or Innate Martial Artists could all rely on the Foundation Establishment Pill to ascend and become Immortal!
Similar to the Aperture Opening Pill, but the value of the two could not be compared.
He shook her head, her eyes welling up with tears.
Wang Chen understood with a glance.
The Foundation Establishment Pill was not expensive, and her not having taken it despite being stuck for two years was likely due to her lack of favor within her family.
After some thought, Wang Chen took out a White Jade Vase from his Storage Bag.
"There are two Foundation Establishment Pills here, I am rewarding you with them."
Since his arrival in this world, Wang Chen had slain no small number of Cultivators, thus he had seized a significant amount of spoils of war.
Most of these items he had sold for Spirit Stones, exchanging them for resources needed for his own cultivation.
He also kept a small portion of the items.
This vase of Foundation Establishment Pills was one of them, Wang Chen couldn't even remember which unlucky fellow he had pilfered it from.
He was momentarily stunned, hardly believing her ears, "S-sir, you, you, you..."
She stuttered and floundered, not daring to accept the Foundation Establishment Pill that Wang Chen was handing over.
Wang Chen shook his head, took her small hand, and stuffed the vase into her palm.
Wang Chen noted that her hands were somewhat rough, clearly the result of long-term hard work.
He's ears turned beet red!
Wang Chen let go of her hand, smiling, "It's not anything precious, and it's no use to me. Take it and prepare well. Only by breaking through Qi Cultivation can you learn spells and better serve me."
Although they hadn't been together for long, he could tell that the girl before him had a simple nature, and was even somewhat timid.
Since she was a maidservant by his side, Wang Chen did not mind investing a bit in her development.
In exchange for her loyalty.
He immediately knelt down, "This humble servant is willing to die for my Lord!"
Two Foundation Establishment Pills, not even her closest parents had been so kind to her!
In fact, she had once had the opportunity to receive a Foundation Establishment Pill, but it had been given to someone else by her parents.
Contemplating the past, He's eyes finally filled with tears.
Wang Chen reached out to help her up, "I don't need you to die for me, just do your job well in the future."
He nodded vigorously.
Wang Chen said, "We'll take a trip to the county town and get you a new set of clothes."
A maidservant of the Purple Mansion, dressed in coarse clothes with not a single piece of jewelry, how disgraceful!
Change, she must change!
As for the invitation from Huang Deqi, Master Huang, he would certainly attend if he said he would.
Even if it was an extremely dangerous place, Wang Chen was going to take the challenge!
The second update is here.