Proposition 2

Liming Long took off the dark suit he was wearing while Varian watched in disbelief with various thoughts running through his head, thoughts like [Why did he suddenly attack me? Did I do something wrong? And why is he dressed like that?]

Just a he finished thinking, Liming Long took out a milk white container out of his robes and took out a familiar looking pill and offered it to him.

Varian said, " I don't need that anymore." which greatly shocked Liming Long. To say he was not dumbfounded would be a lie.

"You.... When did you learn our language?" He asked in a shocked voice that somehow confused Varian a little. Wasn't he the one who told Han Hua to teach him their language? Why is he so surprised?However he soon realized that what he did was not normal as no normal human would be able to learn a language and speak it fluently in just a couple hours. He thought it was due to his increased functioning and processing ability that his brain got after rebuilding his body.

Liming Long looked at his with a complicated expression before letting out a small sigh. He continued, " I have heard from Saintess Han that you have a talent for martial arts so I have come here today with the intention of giving you a proposal."

Liming Long was never a person to beat around the bushes so he got straight to the point and told Varian the truth of why he came.

Varian secretly took a sigh of relief when he heard those words. He thought that he had somehow done something that they didn't like, and seeing that they practically had his life in their hands he was secretly cold sweating.

Managing to calm down Varian spoke, " And what would that be? I doubt that there are things that you guys can't handle by yourselves, so it must me something else that you came here."

Liming Long was secretly pleased with Varian's observation abilities. Smart people were the type of people he found easiest to deal with as an ally however as an enemy he found them troublesome as they often relied on underhanded and sneaky tactics.

Taking on a stern expression and a serious tone Liming Long said, " How do you feel about joining the Misty Peak Sect? Here you can practice cultivation and pursue the grand Dao. People who pursue the Dao are called cultivators, the strongest being able to smash mountains and cause storms with a wave of their hands. However the path of cultivation is a very dangerous one and not just any mortal can embark on this journey.

Cultivation is the act of going against the heavens meaning the power you get is not something you should possess as it normally breaks the balance of the world. The journey of cultivation is also followed by the constant pressure of death meaning that it is not for the weak of heart and mind. Therefore embarking on this path usually leads to a tragic end for those who are weaker, and naturally the strong are always right. So, would you like to join our sect and start a journey on cultivation?"

" ... "

Taking a minute to digest the information given to him Varian started to ponder his answer while Liming Long gave him a somewhat apprehensive look.

"... I appreciate the offer and I would join the sect if I could but unfortunately I know nothing about the thing you refer to as 'Dao'." Said Varian with a calm tone.

Liming Long looked at him with wide eyes, he wondered how this kid could be so weird, first he didn't understand a language spoken globally now he doesn't even know what 'Dao' is. Even backwater villages know more about it than him. He secretly wondered where he came from.

With a long sigh Liming Long looked at Varian and started to explain what the Dao is. He said; " The Dao is a great truth that all cultivators pursue. It is the way of life that an individual chooses to follow whether it be politics or a tradition. It is held equally necessary and well regarded as De which is virtue and Ren which is humanity. Therefore all human cultivators pursue the humanistic Dao by following their own way of life whether it is good or evil. Do you understand now?"

Varian stared at him as if he had grown a second head on his body then released a long sigh while shaking his head. " I kinda understand it but you make it sound as if a person can only follow one way of life forever."

"No that is not the case, there are thousands of ways towards the 'Great Dao' for example the method that most people in the world use is to gather and refine Qi within their body which gives them a longer lifespan and having extraordinary combat prowess and then there's the people who refine their bodies. While this method is not commonly practiced because for every 100 steps a Qi refiner takes a body refiner only takes 10. However a body refiner, if they fought a Qi refiner in close quarters, depending on the Qi refiner's capability in close quarters a body refiner even 2 major realms below them can overpower them. Body cultivation is extremely harsh and only those who have strong will normally choose this path or unless they have no talent in Qi cultivation and are forced to refine their bodies as a last resort."

Varian once again stood there in a daze as he digests the information. He thought that what he read in novels were almost similar to what he was learning at this moment. He often read about people cutting through the sky with a single slash of their swords or others punching holes in mountain with seemingly zero effort. He suddenly decided to ask something he was curious about.

" What about sword cultivators? Are they very powerful? Have you ever seen one in person?"

Liming Long shook his head and said, " Kid, you think sword cultivators are dirt? They are one of if not the rarest cultivators in the world as they tend to wander around the place like nomads and train with their sword. They are in a simple term fanatics, however no matter how you describe them only one in ten million people are normally born with the talent for sword cultivation."

"Than what about Han Hua? I say her flying on a sword for a brief moment the other day, does that mean she's a sword cultivator?"

Liming Long shook his head and said, "Although Saintess Han uses a sword, that doesn't make her a sword cultivator, most cultivators normally use weapons that they feel comfortable using such as spears and daggers. However most people use the sword. The path of the sword is very profound and deep which is why people without talent normally give up before even trying to use a sword and normally pick a different weapon."

For another 10 minutes Varian asked Liming Long some questions regarding the cultivation world until he suddenly asked : " You said that there are realms in cultivation right? What are they?" This was a question he was curious about since they had started talking about cultivation.

After a moment of thinking Liming Long said: "From lowest to highest you have the Body Quenching realm which is the realm that every mortal has to enter as in this realm it prepares the body for the refining of Qi. Qi Refining realm is second followed by the Foundation Establishment realm and Core Transformation realm, after that there is the Soul Merging realm, this is the realm where you are called a master however after that there is the Truth Seeking realm and finally the Heaven Divination realm which is the absolute peak in this continent. Each realm is split into nine minor realms and someone who is really talented might be able to defeat someone of a higher minor realm than themselves, while sword cultivators can possibly fight someone a whole major realm above themselves."

Varian looked in a daze as he forced himself to remember these realms however it didn't take much effort to remember as his increased brain capacity and functioning made it easier to remember and store information.

Liming Long then said with a hurried tone, " So? Are you going to join our sect? I'm sure that with your talent you would at least be able to leave your name somewhere in history. How about it?"

Without hesitation Varian nodded with a slight smile. He didn't accept because of curiosity but because of what Liming Long said that somehow gave him the hope of returning home. When he said that there were people capable of causing natural phenomena with a mere wave of his hand, he didn't know if it was true or not but he deemed that if he worked hard enough he might find a way back to Earth where his two friends were probably looking for him. So with unwavering determination he swore once again to become strong enough to find a way back to Earth.

* * *

After speaking with Varian Liming Long approached the hall where Zhu Hong and Han Hua were waiting for him. It was already late in the night yet they were still up, after all they were cultivators and didn't need sleep as the Qi in their body constantly nourished them.

Once he stepped into the room he started cold sweating and soaking the back of his robes. The other two noticed this and started wondering what he'd seen to make him sweat like that, though the knew he would tell them later.

[Realm: Body Quenching 5th layer]

[State: Determined]