16 Granting An Opportunity - Two (1/2)

The Elder was taken aback, surprise written all over his face.

To change his destiny? Him, stuck at the peak of the ninth layer for years? Untalented, unable to breakthrough?

A chance for the forest clan to rise, to stand proud? The same as those high-ranked influences, the same as that overbearing overlord?

Could this youth really provide him with this opportunity?

On the surface, Ming Ren was merely a youth at the peak of the fifth layer of the Body Tempering Realm. By all means, he would be deemed untalented. But this same youth that was said to be in a deep slumber for ten years somehow woke up and escaped from the Cloud Clan's custody.

The simplest explanation was that he had help, but everyone that had any information about the matter of the Bright Clan knew the only reason he was taken to the Cloud Clan in the first place was his friendship to the young mistress of the clan, a true peerless talent, capable of moving even the Royal Family.

There were also rumors floating around that this lady was in love with the youth, so the Cloud Clan was in distress because of this. One capable of reaching the heavens, the other a progeny of a fallen clan stuck at the fourth layer for many years. No one in their right minds would think this was a good match!

To make things worse, there were also rumors that someone from the Royal Family wanted to take her as one of his wives, only to be met with rejection.

In that scenario, even if they didn't take any extreme measures, it was unlikely they would just let him go. Also, if he didn't escape, why would he be hiding in this dangerous forest? He had nowhere else to go, all assets of the Bright Clan were gone since long ago.

Since Little Fu's mother was also from the Bright Clan, he knew there was some sort of treasure there and that the coma was related to it. The situation surrounding the clan was also in part because of it. Putting everything together, couldn't his mysteriousness also be?

But the greatest factor that left the Elder pondering was this youth's bearing and former display. To be able to hunt and kill the Green Scaled Beast, no ordinary fourth layer cultivator would be able to do so. To be able to roam free in these woods alone, to display such cooking prowess, and peerless sword skill, even if he tried to hide it, this all pointed to an extremely talented young man.

He was unafraid and composed. He showed no signs of lying when he offered this opportunity.

This Elder's name was Lin Dong and he was called East Elder in the clan. His position was low because of his cultivation base, but the Patriarch still held him in high regard. Nevertheless, he was still powerless.

What did he even have to lose? Face? He didn't even have much in the first place!

The Elder hesitated, but Ming Ren didn't blame him at all. This was a heavy decision to make considering everything.

The Elder's eye shone decisively, and he clasped his hands together, ”If your words are true, this Elder is willing to trust the Young Lord, and walk through fire and water!”

Ming Ren smiled, ”Good! First, circulate your Cultivation Law.”

This time the Elder didn't hesitate. He sat cross-legged and circulated the Qi inside his body, revolving the Forest Clan's Cultivation Law, [One With the Wood]. He already decided to trust this young man, and being from the Bright Clan, how could the poor Law of the Forest Clan be of any worth to him?

Ming Ren's eyes didn't show any change but in truth the Bright Eyes technique activated silently, fully scanning the Elder's body. Ming Ren noticed he had before several problems in his meridians and channels, lowering the amount of spirit energy that could pass through.

His Spirit Energy, although at the peak of the Body Tempering Realm, didn't show any signs of being different than a normal cultivator with an incomplete Spirit Sea.

This last step, consolidating Spirit Sea, he was never able to cross, but Ming Ren knew that after his cooking his chances improved immensely. Lin Dong also didn't show any affinity to rare energies, but surprisingly he had a True Element, the Wood element.

Unfortunately, the cultivation law of the Forest Clan didn't any special qualities, and its base was only at the Body Tempering Realm, making progress difficult at the Spirit Realm and so forth.

Ming Ren was unable currently to enhance Laws of the Spirit Realm, but even a Body Tempering Heaven-grade Law was an amazing asset.

”Your meridians and channels were naturally thin, and some even damaged. It's no wonder you couldn't form a complete Spirit Sea before. However, they have started to improve since you ate the Bloody Stew,” Ming Ren told him truthfully.

”... Is that… true? Will I be able to break through?” Lin Dong asked full of hope.

”Yes. And not only that, as your body is attuned to the Wood Element!”

Now Lin Dong was startled. Being attuned with the Wood Element meant he was no longer a common cultivator and entered the realm of the blessed ones! But why didn't he feel it before?

Ming Ren knew what he was thinking about, ”Since you were unable to form a Spirit Sea, of course you were also unable to reach the half-step required to feel your inner element. It's nothing surprising.”

The Elder clenched his fists. He truly wanted to believe this young man's words.

Seeing that all the problems in his body were easily solved by properly tempering and cleansing impurities before breaking through, Ming Ren moved to the next step, ”Teach me your Cultivation Law.”

Even the lowest Law needed to be consolidated by the Rule of Heaven, therefore even if Ming Ren understood them completely he was unable to form the True Law.

The Elder recited the Law's formula, and Ming Ren nodded. He started to cultivate the law and circulated it inside his body. [One With the Wood] was a low-grade human realm cultivation law, full of flaws. Low-grade Qi Gathering Speed, low-grade Qi Might, low-grade Body Strengthening, low-grade Qi Distribution.

Truly a Law from a sixth-ranked influence!

However, like the One Breath Luminescence art, it also had a smaller innate connection to the True Element of Wood. The connection was feeble and almost non-existent but was still there nonetheless.

Ming Ren once again breathed through the technique, correcting the mistakes and improving wherever he could.

Qi Gathering, Perfection Stage!