8 Walking Out The Front Door (1/2)

While Yun Jie faced his inner demons, the other cultivators of the Cloud Clan struggled similarly inside the dreamland. Instead of opening the formation in a wide area, Ming Ren affected all of them one by one so as not to disturb those who should not be disturbed.

He was going to leave right away but needed one last stop.

Yun Shuqing sat cross-legged inside her own room cultivating, heart in turmoil. Her father prohibited any communication with her sister. How could she not tell something was wrong when they took Ming Ren away?

And yet she was also powerless. Unlike her elder sister, she didn't have any voice inside the clan.

The untalented daughter of the Patriarch. Pretty to look at, but completely useless. No one dared to utter anything in front of Yun Jie, but behind his back Shuqing was considered a waste of resources.

That's why, when Shufen brought Min Ren, she instantly empathized with him. Untalented, shadowed by his more talented siblings and friends, doomed never to amount to anything. That's also when her inner demons started to manifest at such a young age.

Ailments of the mind and soul might seem like nothing to cultivators but they are hardest to spot and cure. She had gotten many Spirit Herbs and Pills before, but they did nothing to help her break through this bottleneck.

When Ming Ren met Shuqing earlier, he knew there was nothing wrong with her body. Her physique and bloodline, although not as good as Shufen's, were still enough to reach the Spirit Gate Realm in this lifetime. So why would she be stuck at a mere 4th layer?

Ming Ren's plight was caused by the [Dragon Light Divine Body] and its special requirements, but Shuqing had nothing of the sort. Had she not met Ming Ren, unless some super expert came, she would never be able to break those shackles without the help of some heaven-defying treasure or encounter.

Because, in the Lower Realms, there was a fundamental lack of knowledge about Cultivation and the mysteries of the world.

Cultivators had two labels: talented and untalented.

Those with quick cultivation were called ”Talents”. Those with both talents and special characteristics, such as Bloodlines, True Elements, and Rare Energies, were called ”Heaven's Chosen” or ”Heaven Defying Talents”. Everyone else was trash.

Yet Ming Ren knew this was essentially wrong. Special physiques, powerful techniques, tyrannical bodies… they sometimes had huge requirements of energy to progress. While those at big sects and families could enjoy a smooth sailing because of their noble birth, everyone else would probably not be able to pass those obstacles.

Slower did not always mean worse. His physique would be slower to cultivate, but its might will shake the world someday.

While Shufen's talent was discovered since an early age, Shuqing was considered only a normal prospect. Yun Jie tried to dote on both of them equally, but even he couldn't help but give more attention to Shufen.

It only grew worse as they grew older. In fact, Shuqing's comprehension and dedication were not any lower than Shufen's, but her bloodline and physique were inferior. It would be impossible for her to exceed her elder sister, but everyone kept urging her so. They didn't give any freedom or considered her feelings.

For a clan that specialized in the mind like the Cloud Clan, they certainly neglected this aspect of cultivation. It was not that Shuqing had problems and couldn't break through…

…somewhere inside, she didn't want to. She didn't want to compete with her sister. She didn't want to live in this world of cultivation. She formed an inner demon at such a young age but all they looked for were physical problems. In a way, it was good that she didn't force a breakthrough. Qi deviation would be a certainty under those conditions.

**

Ming Ren silently brought Yun Shuqing's into the dreamland. If he was right in the head he'd already have bolted out of the Cloud Clan as fast as possible. But he also sympathized with her. With more time to consolidate his memories from the Bright Sculpture and reach the Spirit Realm, a more direct approach would be possible, but for now, the fastest method was just to take advantage of this dreamland to help her fight the inner demons.

Shuqing always thought she would be happier without cultivation. Why would she live forever anyway?

Beauty, possessions, strength, fame, status… she didn't want any. Immortality? Why? Why would she want to live forever in this kind of world?

While on the outside she was bright and forced herself to be lively, inside she hated this world and, sometimes, everything and everyone else. She didn't envy her sister's talent nor the attention she had.

The world of cultivation was boring and brutal. She might as well have been born a commoner.

Inside the dreamland, Shuqing lived the life of a mere mortal. She was extremely happy. No need to cultivate. No pain. She woke up, took care of the house, and lived by herself. She found work as an alchemist's assistant, but never immersed in cultivation.

Time passed, and nothing changed. Somehow, this path was also boring as hell. Shuqing frowned. She was just as unhappy as before. The life of a mortal was not really exciting.

She saw her sister and father struggle to fend off their foes. She saw her former clan and kin attacked several times.

Powerless.

Was she even happier?

Soon, the scenery of the world changed to many places, many different people and tales. The Upper Realms!

Ming Ren showed part of the memories he acquired in the Bright Sculpture. Beautiful sceneries that that could not be described with mere words. A waterfall where golden fishes swam upstream freely, a senior that flew through the skies on the top of his sword, and a rainbow scaled dragon.

This world might be boring, but couldn't there be a world out there that she wanted to see?

Suddenly, it was as if the shackles that bound her heart were undone. The world of cultivation was brutal and ruthless, but the mysteries of the world more than made up for it.

**

”Now, it depends on you, Little Shuqing,” Ming Ren smiled and walked out of the Cloud Clan from the front door. The servants bowed to him even though they didn't know who he was.