activa-t Chapter 3 Becoming an Apprentice
Chapter 3 Becoming an Apprentice
I examined the body and found that the person was thinner than ten years old, looking only seven or eight years old. Apart from an injury on the arm, there were no other problems.
In the past, when I watched TV shows and read novels, they always said that time travelers had cheat codes and golden fingers, which was the fate of the male and female protagonists. I checked more than ten times before I gave up and realized that I didn't have any of those things. It seems that I can only rely on myself to survive in this strange world.
"Gurgle...gurgle," my stomach started growling. I touched my flat stomach and was just about to go out to see if there was anything to eat when I saw the old man from my memory coming back with a basket on his back.
"Girl, you're awake! It seems you're not meant to die." Although the old man's hair and beard were white, he was full of energy and spirit.
"Thank you for saving me. I will repay you in the future." Seeing how old the old man was, Xu Xiaoxiao decided to take care of him until his death.
"You don't need to repay me. I saved you just out of the ordinary. If I hadn't been gathering a medicinal herb over there, I wouldn't have been able to save you either," the old man said, stroking his goat-like beard.
"Here, have this to tide you over. I'll take you into town later." He handed the bag of red fruit to Xu Xiaoxiao.
This fruit looks like both an apple and a plum. It tastes sweet and delicious, unlike anything I've ever seen in that world. I ate a few and felt a bit full before I stopped.
Watching the old man carefully pick out the herbs he had gathered and pack them up separately, I could see him working with them meticulously.
"Grandpa, my name is Xu Xiaoxiao. Can I call you Grandpa from now on? I can do a lot of things. Can I follow you around?"
Xu Xiaoxiao decided to find someone to take care of her in this unfamiliar world. After all, this body was only ten years old and malnourished. She didn't know where to go on her own. Seeing that the old man knew about pharmacology, he must be a doctor. He had just saved her life. She could take care of him and repay his life-saving kindness.
"My surname is Li. Do I look that old?" Li Changchun continued tidying up the medicinal herbs without stopping, and glanced at the somewhat reserved girl.
He looked to be in his seventies or eighties, with white hair and beard. Calling him "Grandpa" wouldn't be an exaggeration. Xu Xiaoxiao didn't dare to say it, but after thinking about it, she realized that finding a different way to address him would be easy.
"Uncle Li, you don't look old at all, you're in great spirits, some young men aren't as good as you..." Although it was a bit exaggerated, it was also quite sincere.
Looking into her sincere eyes, Li Changchun put down what he was holding and smiled, "You little girl are really adaptable. You can become my disciple and call me Master. I'm not from around here; I'll be leaving sooner or later."
"You mean you want me to learn medicine?" Xu Xiaoxiao looked at the herbs, not recognizing a single one, and didn't think she had the talent for it.
"I know a lot, and I've even made some progress in the art of immortal cultivation. I also have two outstanding disciples who will become your senior brothers in the future. You'll see when you meet them..." Li Changchun stroked his beard and proudly spoke of how excellent his two disciples were.
Xu Xiaoxiao was stunned by the phrase "cultivating immortality." What kind of world had she transmigrated to? Wasn't that something that only happened in novels and TV shows? Or was this old man just talking nonsense?
Seeing her looking at him with a blank and disbelieving expression, Li Changchun patiently explained to her, "Girl, it's normal that you're in the mortal realm and haven't heard of the cultivation world. For mortals, without the right opportunity, cultivation is just a pile of bones after a hundred years. Cultivation is just a legend to them. True cultivators gain different lifespans and powers with each stage of advancement."
The cultivation levels are usually divided into three major stages: the lower realm, the middle realm, and the upper realm, with each stage containing several minor realms.
The next stage, Qi Refining: There are thirteen levels in total. It requires the use of spiritual roots to absorb spiritual energy, improve physical constitution, and finally reach the critical point to take Foundation Establishment Pills to enter the Foundation Establishment stage.
Foundation Establishment Stage: Can use innate true fire to refine pills and craft artifacts, with a lifespan of two hundred years, and the main goal is to condense the golden core.
Core Formation Stage: The liquid solidifies and forms a golden elixir, with a lifespan of five hundred years. One can refine one's natal magic weapon.
Nascent Soul Stage: The Golden Core transforms into a Nascent Soul, whose lifespan can reach a thousand years, whose cultivation speed accelerates, and who can fly on a sword.
Nascent Soul Stage: The nascent soul transforms into divine consciousness, with a lifespan of up to two thousand years, faster cultivation speed, and the ability to manipulate the primordial energy of heaven and earth.
Mid-stage Refinement Realm: Possesses powerful divine sense, can manipulate the primordial energy of heaven and earth to launch large-scale attacks, and has a lifespan of up to five thousand years.
Integration Stage: Multiple clones or primordial spirits merge into one body, lifespan can reach ten thousand years, and cultivation speed is extremely fast.
Mahayana stage: Almost achieves immortality, with a lifespan of up to 100,000 years, and the speed of cultivation is extremely fast.
The highest realm, True Immortal Realm: Immortality, an indestructible physical body, an indestructible primordial spirit, and a lifespan of up to a million years.
Golden Immortal Realm: Possesses immense power, capable of influencing space and time within a small area.
Taiyi Realm: Extremely powerful, capable of significantly influencing space and time.
The Great Luo Realm: Almost reaching eternity, with power virtually unrestricted.
Dao Ancestor Realm: Reaching the pinnacle of the Dao, one becomes virtually omnipotent.
"This is the art of cultivating immortality! It's amazing! I don't have spiritual roots, can I still learn it? I also want to live forever!" Xu Xiaoxiao looked at Li Changchun with her big, bright eyes full of admiration.
"You have a spiritual root, a water spiritual root. If you cultivate diligently in the future, it's not impossible for you to achieve immortality." When Li Changchun saved Xu Xiaoxiao, he cast a divination for her, which indicated an early death. Why did the divination change so drastically a few days later? Not only did she have a rare single spiritual root, but her future was also a vast expanse of white with no end in sight. Since he couldn't explain it, he decided to let nature take its course. The Great Dao has its own arrangements.
Xu Xiaoxiao quickly knelt down and performed the apprenticeship ceremony, kowtowing three times to Li Changchun. "Master, your disciple Xu Xiaoxiao greets you. I will definitely cultivate diligently under your guidance and will also serve you with utmost respect."
"Alright, get up. Go pack your things. We'll head back to the city now and have a good meal to celebrate our master-disciple relationship. The apprenticeship gift will be given to you after we return to the peak." Li Changchun was also very happy. He thought he would only have two rascal disciples in his life, but he didn't expect to have an unexpected master-disciple relationship after going out for training. This trip was not a loss.
We've followed our master across two hills, and the sun is gradually setting, but we still haven't seen a town. I can't help but wonder if our master has remembered the wrong direction.
"Master, how much longer until we arrive? I heard from storytellers that cultivators can fly and travel to the heavens and the earth. Master, can you fly?" Xu Xiaoxiao leaned against a tree, panting. Perhaps because she was physically weak, her limbs were starting to feel weak.
Li Changchun looked at the short and thin girl, who had been walking for almost two hours, and felt that it must have been a bit difficult for her.
"It's not that Master doesn't want to fly, it's just that there's a suppression in this mortal realm that prevents the use of any spells containing spiritual energy. Just hang in there a little longer, we'll be there soon."
Xu Xiaoxiao gritted her teeth, ate another fruit, and quickly caught up with her master.