Immortal Cultivation: Starting as a Fortune Cultivator - Chapter 12

Upon reaching their destination!

Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao stared at the empty mountaintop before them, exchanging bewildered looks, completely baffled.

In Ye Qingxuan’s mind, he had always imagined the Patriarch living in a luxurious palace. How could he possibly reside on such a small, unremarkable hill?
Besides, there were no signs of habitation anywhere on this hilltop!

Though confused, Ye Qingxuan didn’t voice his questions.
Now that they were inside the Xuantian Sect, it was better to be cautious. If his questions were overheard by their Patriarch, it might create a bad impression.

Ye Yuhong paid no mind to their silent exchange. After landing, he respectfully bowed towards the empty space.
Seeing this, Ye Qingxuan quickly nudged Ye Qingxiao, and they both bowed deeply in the same direction.

After bowing, Ye Yuhong took out a jade talisman, infused it with his magic power, and announced loudly:
“Patriarch! Ye Yuhong, current head of the Ye Family, has brought members of the younger generation to pay their respects!”

As soon as he finished speaking, the space not far in front of them rippled, and a grotto mansion suddenly materialized out of nowhere.
Simultaneously, a hearty voice boomed from within:
“Hahaha! Little Yuhong, no need for all that formality! Come on in!”

Hearing the Patriarch’s words, Ye Yuhong’s old face flushed slightly red. He gave a light cough, quickly regained his composure, and then calmly led the wide-eyed Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao into the grotto mansion.

Once inside, Ye Qingxuan realized it was a world of its own.
The interior space was vast, filled with numerous exotic flowers and rare herbs. A spiritual spring flowed through one part of the grotto.
The density of spiritual energy inside was also noticeably higher than outside.

Reaching the depths of the grotto, Ye Qingxuan finally saw a middle-aged man dressed in simple, ancient-style robes. His apparent age was similar to Ye Yuhong’s.

Ye Yuhong led Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao to a spot not far from the seated man and bowed deeply.
“Yuhong pays his respects to the Patriarch!”

Following his lead, Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao imitated the bow and said:
“Qingxuan (Qingxiao) pays respects to the Patriarch!”

This middle-aged man was precisely the Ye Family’s Patriarch cultivating within the Xuantian Sect—Ye Zhaoyang, a Nascent Soul stage cultivator, a figure from the Ye Family’s previous generation.

However, upon hearing their address, Ye Zhaoyang immediately waved his hand dismissively, looking displeased.
“Enough with this ‘Patriarch’ business! Back in the Ye Family, I’m the Patriarch, but here in the Xuantian Sect, I’m just an ordinary core disciple!
If my friends heard you calling me Patriarch like that, they’d laugh themselves to death!”

Seeing the Patriarch’s displeasure, Ye Yuhong could only try to persuade him helplessly:
“Patriarch, propriety cannot be discarded. Besides, you are our Patriarch.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhaoyang looked torn between laughter and tears. Finally, he relented:
“Fine, whatever. Just don’t call me that in front of my friends, alright?”

Then, Ye Zhaoyang turned his gaze to Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao behind Ye Yuhong, a hint of confusion in his eyes.
“I thought there was only one Blessing Cultivator slot? Why did you bring two people?”

Addressing his Patriarch’s confusion, Ye Yuhong gently pulled Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao forward and introduced them:
“Patriarch, this is Ye Qingxuan, the disciple chosen by the family for the Blessing Cultivator slot.
And this is Ye Qingxiao. He possesses a Five-Element Superior-grade Spiritual Root, the most talented clansman our Ye Family has produced in the last few hundred years. I hoped he could formally join the Xuantian Sect to cultivate.”

Hearing this, Ye Zhaoyang’s eyes skimmed over Ye Qingxuan and settled on Ye Qingxiao, his face lighting up with pleasure.
“Excellent! With your Five-Element spiritual root talent, and in a cultivation environment like the Xuantian Sect’s, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage is merely a matter of time. You might even have a chance to glimpse the Spirit Severation stage!”

“Thank you for your auspicious words, Patriarch! In the future, within the sect, I will need to rely on your support!”
Although Ye Qingxiao was usually boisterous and straightforward, he wasn’t foolish. He wouldn’t pass up such a good opportunity, especially since the other party was his own family’s Patriarch.
Having backing within the Xuantian Sect was far better than having none.
If nothing else, even a few resources his Patriarch no longer needed could significantly speed up his cultivation in the early stages.

Ye Zhaoyang burst into hearty laughter upon hearing Ye Qingxiao’s words:
“Hahaha!”
This time, he didn’t show any resistance to the title ‘Patriarch’.

Ye Zhaoyang himself only possessed a Five-Element spiritual root. For such a root, as long as one didn’t die young, breaking through to the Nascent Soul stage and becoming a core disciple in the Xuantian Sect wasn’t particularly difficult.

Therefore, between Ye Qingxuan and Ye Qingxiao, Ye Zhaoyang naturally valued Ye Qingxiao more.

After all, a Blessing Cultivator who was merely the master of a first-order Blessed Land was unlikely to provide him with many resources.
One could only say that Blessing Cultivators from small families simply had too low a potential.
The Ye Family didn’t have surplus resources to cultivate Ye Qingxuan into a high-level Blessing Cultivator. In Ye Zhaoyang’s eyes, a Blessing Cultivator was a bottomless pit—a pity to discard, but not worth the effort.

But a clansman with decent talent was different. A Nascent Soul cultivator could live up to 3,000 years. He had plenty of time to wait for Ye Qingxiao to grow up.
Once Ye Qingxiao broke through to the Nascent Soul stage, being from the same family, they could naturally support each other.
Whether exploring ancient ruins or undertaking sect missions, their safety and chances of obtaining resources would be much greater.

The Xuantian Sect was large and prosperous, but it didn’t support idlers. The higher the grade of the resource, the steeper the requirements to exchange for it.
Core disciples with average talent like Ye Zhaoyang were a dime a dozen in the Xuantian Sect.
For ordinary disciples like them with limited prospects, wanting to obtain high-grade resources to accelerate their cultivation meant either diligently completing sect missions or venturing out to seek their own opportunities.
But regardless of the choice, going alone significantly increased the danger.
Although Ye Zhaoyang had some old friends within the sect, those friends were all shrewd and calculating. How could they compare to a clansman he had nurtured himself?

After looking over Ye Qingxiao with satisfaction, Ye Zhaoyang finally turned his gaze to Ye Qingxuan.
“Ye Qingxuan? Are you certain you wish to become a Blessing Cultivator?”

Seeing Ye Zhaoyang’s now neutral expression, Ye Qingxuan felt no indignation at the unfair treatment. Instead, he responded respectfully:
“I reply to the Patriarch, my mind is made up. I am willing to become a Blessing Cultivator.”

How others treat you depends on the benefits you can bring them.
Although Ye Zhaoyang was his Patriarch, he wasn’t his parent. The fact that he even asked for his opinion was something Ye Qingxuan was grateful for.
It’s important to know one’s place. In his current state, he couldn’t offer any visible prospects.
Thus, Ye Qingxuan’s heart was perfectly calm, without any resentment. After all, the Ye Family had already done more than enough for him.

Hearing Ye Qingxuan’s reply and observing his calm demeanor, Ye Zhaoyang thought to himself:
“Not bad mental fortitude for a youngster. I just wonder how long he’ll last, facing the torment of being confined to one place after becoming a Blessing Cultivator.”

Seeing that Ye Qingxuan was willing, Ye Zhaoyang said no more. He took out a contract and handed it to Ye Qingxuan.
“Since you’re willing, then sign this contract.
According to the prior agreement, aside from the sect’s mandatory planting tasks, the remaining extra income from the Blessed Land is split as follows: the family takes thirty percent, I take thirty percent, and the remaining forty percent is yours.
The family needs resources to develop, so its thirty percent share remains unchanged. As for my thirty percent share… consider it waived. Consider it support from both the Ye Family and myself.
If you have no objections, sign it.”

To be honest, Ye Zhaoyang genuinely looked down on the meager low-grade resources a first-order Blessed Land could produce, so he gave them to Ye Qingxuan as a favor.

Ye Qingxuan didn’t pretend to refuse his Patriarch’s kindness. A pleased expression appeared on his face, and he bowed gratefully.
“Qingxuan thanks the Patriarch for his support!”

He then glanced over the contract, confirmed everything was correct, and signed it.
His Patriarch might look down on those thirty percent of resources, but for Ye Qingxuan himself, that share represented significant assistance in the early stages, capable of considerably speeding up his growth.

As for the family and the Patriarch, Ye Qingxuan could only look for opportunities to repay them in the future.