Encountering Cultivators
The annual festival for the foundation of the Cloud Wind City started on this day. Many people are walking around and having merry. The City Lord has announced an event for visiting cultivators to have a bout in the middle of the plaza with a promise of a reward from his family's treasury.
While all of that is happening, Zhou Lin is simply walking around the streets and browsing the stalls around. He didn't have work today. Old Wang told them to have fun on the festival for this day, so he can't really refuse his sincerity.
He decided to work more harder after this festival.
This festival will last for a whole week. That means he will be free for that time.
He have decided to spend the first day of his free time browsing the shops on the city on this festival. He might find something useful if he does so.
"Hm?" He got curious when he heard the sounds of amazement from the gathering of crowd on the main street.
He walks to that side to see what is the commotion and saw that all the crowd are standing on the side of the road. They are looking at the people on the middle who wears a variety of colorful dresses or robes.
'Cultivators!' Just by taking a glance at them, he instinctively knows that they are cultivators.
Through his Appraisal, Divine Sense, and mastery of Qi Manipulation, he can easily see the way they control their internal Qi with each of their steps. All the subtle changes from their breathing, and even their innate elements within their body.
'I see... so this is how they control their Qi huh...' Looking at them, he almost felt disappointed.
If he was ask to give an opinion how to use their Qi, he can only say it is wasteful or amateurish. With his eyes, he can see the minute flows of Qi leaking out of their body like a waste. It's honestly baffling how they can even call themselves as a cultivator if they don't even know how to store the Qi within their body and control it as if it's a part of their body.
He has been looking forward to meet a Cultivator too. He wanted to see how he compares to the real deal.
'By the feeling alone.... I have more Qi than them. I can also see that each of them didn't have enough strength and are using Qi just to look strong.' He shakes his head and then sighs. 'I thought they are more stronger...'
He has been very cautious since he learned about his abilities. He didn't want to be arrogant because he knows there is someone who is stronger than him. It will lead to his early death if he tries to boast about his meager strength.
'I only became a Cultivator the other day. I have a lot of time to strengthen myself!' He thought to himself.
He silently stands on the back of the gathering line of the crowds while listening to them.
"Is that a Cultivator? They look so handsome and beautiful!"
"Isn't that the little princess of Zhu? She is really pretty!"
"That's the son of the Bi Patriarch, Bi Zhang'an! I heard he already reached the 7th Stage of the Human Realm!"
"How strong is that?"
"It's at the level of a genius! Normally, an average cultivator at their age only reaches the fourth or the fifth stage of the Human Realm. Only those age of twenty can reach that stage!"
"I heard that Zhu Lingli is at the Sixth Stage of Human Realm. I heard rumors that she manages to defeat a group of cultivators by her lonesome. Your saying that she is weaker than the son of the Bi Patriarch?"
"Listen, in the world of Cultivation, a difference of a single stage is already a huge gap. No matter how skillful you are, if someone have a single lead of cultivation stage than you, then you are dead!"
He got interested at the two people they are talking about. He glances at them to see how strong they are.
'.... These two are the prodigies of this city?' He thought with a frown.
The two who were mostly being talked about, Zhu Lingli and Bi Zhang'an are both beautiful and handsome. One is a jade beauty and the other looks so manly as if he was a sword hero from a novel.
The two are only at the Human Realm, and from his eyes they are actually very wasteful at their control of Qi.
They look like they are near his age. In this world, his body is already 17 this year. The two also looks like it. They just look so immaculate and perfect that he can confidently say they are more good looking than the models and celebrities from his past world.
'So that's the appearance of a Cultivator... there is barely any imperfections on their body... just like a deity.' He nodded to himself in understanding.
Actually, even his body acquires drastic changes. All of the imperfections from his skin and his appearance were gone, and he looks so youthful now. He just don't know about it, and Old Wang wasn't saying anything so he thought that nothing changed.
He also wasn't really taking care of his appearance, so even if his appearance changes, no one can notice as he is always dress in drabs and his hair always obscures his face.
"Hey, can I ask where they are going?" He asks the person nearest to him in wonder.
"Oh, never heard of the annual festival?"
"I know about it." He felt a bit insulted at that. He has been living on this city for five years, so he knows about this festival.
"Then, obviously they are going to the central plaza for the annual tournament!"
His eyes lit up in interest at that little bit of info.
"Please tell me more..."
The guy seems to not mind as he explained to him about the tournament. It seems like whenever the festival occurs, the City Lord will always host an event for Cultivators to fight each other. The winner for the tournament will win a prize from the City Lord's treasury.
He didn't know about the tournament. He is usually busy from his own life and his work to even think about watching a fight between cultivators. The old owner of this body was killed along with his family by a cultivator, so it will look odd if he suddenly become interested in them.
'I want to see it...!' He thought to himself with a great interest in his mind.
He have no plans to join the bout. He only wanted to watch the battle. He hopes that he learns more about the cultivators, and also acquire some sort of ability from watching them.