(Dining Hall, Chen Family Leader's Mansion)

(Bu Cai POV)

...

At this moment of time I can say with absolute confidence... that I am in bliss.

Shoveling down mouthfuls of unimaginably scrumptious food, over and over again is something that will forever be a pleasure to me- Those ancient cultivation gurus must be devoid of any sliver of humanity, if they are able forego such a fantastic mortal pleasure in order to receive a few more minutes of 'precious' Qi circulation.

I already knew that this was definitely a shameful image to portray in front of the clan leader and his family but...

...Would I able to derive this level of satisfaction from putting on airs of civility and refinedness to maintain face?

Of course not!

So away with such needless politeness, and welcome primitiveness!

... Now you may be thinking, 'All this fuss and commotion over some food?'

'Aren't you just being childish and over exaggerating a bit to much?'

...And to that I say, in the nicest way possible, YOU ARE WRONG AND IGNORANT!

If I were to translate my response in Xianxia terminology, then I would say,

'You truly do not know the immensity of Heaven and Earth!'

As although it may look like mere words on a page for you. This food is in fact so flavourful, that calling it 'food' feels insulting...

The huge variety in the spirit meats served go from, plump birds that have been raised in amazing conditions so that they are great for consumption, all the way to grade A beef that, when made by the highly skilled chefs here, melt in your mouth like butter. They have all also been seasoned to perfection with a multitude of different spices which add beautifully with the chewy and soft texture.

The salads are packed with a variety of fresh and delicious fruits and vegetables that compliment the hearty and flavorful meat impeccably.

Having this exquisite meal alongside a bit of wine or another beverage makes you feel something akin to being on heaven in earth.

The chopsticks provided also are made from some incredible feeling and high quality wood as it...

*Cough* *Cough*

I'll stop and move on now, as this should now give you a brief insight into just how unjust it is for you to demean it with a term as vulgar and simplistic as 'food'.

So as you probably know, I am having dinner with the Clan leader Chen Long and his family- Chen Fei and Chen Ru.

Me going around to their's to enjoy a meal together has been a very common occurrence after the spirit root ceremony, and especially after I became great friends with Chen Fei.

At first I felt relatively like I was just being a nuisance and that I was out of place, however that feeling soon vanished into thin air after I got to know Chen Long and Chen Ru, and spent more time around them...

Now I just abruptly show up to meals, sit down, and devour as much as I can fit in me.

I really enjoyed doing this, as it brought back the nostalgia of eating with my parents back at the sect, which was something I hadn't experienced in a long time.

Before the my spirit root reveal, I had been eating alone since everyone despised a commoner and outsider like me- Not that I directly blame them, as most of those children had been brainwashed to think of 'peasants' as lesser, and therefore they subconsciously rejected me.

Of course after my huge reveal, many had suddenly saw the value of becoming all buddy-buddy with me and wanted to share a meal with me- especially the older disciples- whilst getting to know each other more.

Though I knew better than to trust those opportunistic bastards.

But after getting to know how the real face of Chen Clan leader whilst spending time with Chen Fei, I felt no issues with eating meals together with him and his family.

This was because he was the complete opposite of the the stereotypical young master's father as...

-He is neither arrogant or hypocritical.

-He doesn't look down on me at all due to my 'peasant' origins or puts on any airs at all.

...

In all honesty, he is a completely down to earth guy who loves spending time with his children, and as long as you don't purposefully try to piss him off, he will be polite to you as well.

Though this is only when in a private setting.

As once he is in the public eye or executing his responsibilities then he is very rigid and strict- no matter whether he is in front of Clan Elders, Clansmen or branch family members as it's all the same.

So due to his ability to spend time with his family and have fun alongside being a genuine person, I respect him.

He is a much greater person than the usual Cultivators who once they obtain power and authority, are controlled by it and become corrupted and selfish.

...

After that wonderful dinner, I said farewell to everyone and headed back home whilst feeling very gratified with this day off.

However I knew that this leisure would probably end from tomorrow.

I was aware that these next couple weeks would determine whether I could set myself up in an advantageous position or not- and whether all my struggles would bear fruit.

This tournament begins in two weeks, and it would take around twelve days of travel to arrive in the capital. Therefore I would technically have two full days to prepare myself for this competition.

And I have a variety of goals to achieve during my time in the capital such as:

-Solidifying all the connections I've built over the years through spending some time with them.

-Meeting up with Xie Xinyi again, as she is very talented and part of a major force -therefore a great connection to have- and I am also certain the icey girl from back then hasn't forgotten her first friend of sorts, hence it will be fun to catch up.

-Most importantly, I had to ensure that I would keep Song Ju's interest...

The last one was definitely going to be the hardest one to achieve out of all the tasks, and I've been brainstorming ideas on this for a while now.

This is because, I am 100% sure that she has God-Grade Spirit roots which combined with her instant comprehension hacks would make her a force to be reckoned with. Therefore reenacting what I had accomplished eight years ago would be nothing short of a miracle...

...However I HAVE to do it one way or another.

But these are all the things, amongst a few others, that I have to find or create opportunities for.

However a foreboding feeling of uneasiness has been dawning over me.

This is because I am unsure of one thing... whether Long Tian will appear or not.

And this worries me... a lot.

He has an accumulation of experiences. courtesy of his previous life, as a revered Godking, alongside being handed the chance to focus on raising his strength, but this time under the tutelage of a powerful immortal master...

I am also in the dark on how powerful him and his companions are now...

Nascent soul possibly?

Maybe something more absurd?

I just didn't know, and it was bugging me- pun intended.

Haaaaaaa...

I decided to just forget about it for now, as I knew nitpicking and stressing over something I could not control was simply stupid.

I soon got way home, had my usual bathing session, then laid down on my bed ready for sleep.

As I drifted off to sleep, I was looking forward to the trip tomorrow.

...

(Next day at the crack of dawn)

...

...UGHHHH.

I curse having to wake up early...

Since I had known I needed to get everything done and dusted before heading out on the 'fantastical' journey towards the capital, I was required to awake from my slumber very early in the morning.

I reluctantly drag myself out of the comfortable embrace of my bed and head towards the bathroom and do my routine...

-Bathe.

-Brush teeth with herbal concoction made by, the one and only, me.

-Get myself dressed and freshened up.

Then after all that, I stick all my essentials into my storage ring which can hold a truckload of items- literally a truckload.

But what nobody actually knows is that I don't keep all my eggs in one basket, and rather have three more spacial rings which I have hiding spots for- each one contain some of my valuables.

And like that, I make my way outside and onwards to the core area's airpor- spirit boat station, which is conveniently at the other side of the fucking planet from me.

The cold and refreshing morning breeze sweeps over me as I zoom across the sky at what feels like the speed of sound-I have no actual clue how speedy to be honest, but I am definitely not going at recommended speed limits as I am barley able to hold on to the sword.

However, what other way would you use a flying sword if not to go at dangerously high speeds?

I eventually get to the meeting location- just in time actually- and see my three other travel partners, namely,

Chen Ru.

Chen Fei.

And someone I hadn't seen in a very long time...

Chen Guanting.

I soon greet everyone, and without further ado we board a classy looking wooden boat...

...And this boat in front of me is called a spirit boat- very original name, I know.

It looks almost like a pirate ship from the outside- just fancier.

It was relatively small in such a way that it could probably only squeeze thirty or so people on it comfortably- which is small for Xianxia standards.

However, whatever was lost in size was well made up for, in the style and looks departement-

It was mostly made of a lighter oak coloured wood that was definitely some incredibly rare and strong spirit wood.

It had a small flag at the front, indicating that it was the Chen Family's property.

Once we got onto it by walking up the activated stairs that fell down from the sides of the boat, which was activated by a simple injection of Qi into a remote control thing that Chen Guanting had- It could also be controlled to retract.

And inside was a whole new world, It contained a number of couches which one could sit on and multiple tables. It also had compartments to put away anything if needed.

It had a fire place and lighting. However what was the most peculiar about this was that, all this was covered by an invisible barrier which could be made transparent and allow you to get some sunlight or feel the breeze, or it could be closed and it would make a rooftop for you to be under when there is any rain.

It was awesome!

My mood instantly went from down in the dumps to complete excitement!

However as I sat down, my mood soured again after realising that Chen Ru sat down right next to me...

...Can't you leave me alone for a bit woman?!

I look towards Chen Fei for any sort of back up, but he seemed to have turned deaf and blind as he completely ignored me...

*Sigh* Please have mercy on my soul!

...

After several days of traversing the Chen Clan territory and exiting the Outer area, which consisted of mortal villages and cities and smaller-medium sized sects, we had to travel across the wilderness.

Since we all had well more than enough food to last us, and Chen Guanting didn't even need to eat, there was no reason to really stop at all.

So it went from me being able to view all the small looking cities and areas from above like a king to...

Forest, forest, forest, and you guessed it, MORE FOREST!

WOOOOOOOOO!

As a diehard environmentalist and pro-tree advocate like myself, this is akin to my motherland!!!

...As if.

Boredom and annoyance now filled my days on here as Chen Ru was still clinging onto me like I was her lifeline, and now I couldn't even separate from her and get some time alone by requesting a short pause in the journey and checking out some villages.

And of course I couldn't just tell her to piss off as although she was a demonic junior sister, she was still someone I treated with respect and care as she was my best friend's little sister and someone I had known for a while.

Note, neither one of the guys tried to help me once and rather just lazed around, cultivated, or played go... fucking bastards.

But I did get in some chat with Chen Guanting, and got to find out that he is a long term friend of Chen Long, and was living life well with a promotion which came through due to me...

...

Finally we were approximately a day of travel away, and were actually a bit earlier than expected. So naturally I was... ecstatic!

Finally the clingyness will soon stop and I'll be able to stay on the ground for more than a few hours!

After having swiftly gotten through the wilderness in a few days... which is incredibly fast and would be absolutely impossible for low leveled cultivators like us without the spirit boat!

However we all decided to have a stop in one of the villages and take one final break before completing the trip, so we stopped at a nearby mortal village...

...

Bright Willow Village- that's what this humble mortal village was called.

Finally getting some peace to myself, I decided to sit under a tree that was just at the outskirts of this small village, on the fresh green grass whilst leaning my back on it's bark.

As the mild wind blew on my face... I felt calm and serene.

I looked around the this grassy meadow area, what caught my attention was a group of 10-12 village kids kicking a ragged and deflated leather ball about.

They obviously didn't know what they were doing and just played randomly.

Suddenly, one small boy kicked it without aiming accurately and it hit another scrawny boy's face.

Then after seeing the boy being hit on the face, all of them burst out laughing as if they had just heard the best joke ever.

I couldn't help but have a slight smile on my face after seeing their antics.

Suddenly though, the boys all stopped playing and huddled together. They then enacted some scuffed version of rock, paper, scissors.

The final loser, which I knew from seeing his defeated expression, was some thin, brown haired kid with a dirty face and ragged clothes that looked to be handmade- obviously he had been rolling around on the ground a bit too much.

He looked nervous and hesitant after his loss, however the other kids whispered to him about something and he instantly built up courage and motivation to...

...Head straight towards me!

I was curious on what was about to happen, and waited for him to get here.

As he arrived he said,

"B-Big Brother!"

"I-I-Can I ask you something?!"

I was a bit amused and decided to mess with this kid, so I replied,

"What if I don't want asked something?"

He froze on the spot, and was obviously not expecting this reply...

He once again muttered,

"B-But I need to ask you something!"

He looked to be on the verge of having a nervous breakdown, so I held back my laughter and said,

"Alright kid, go on and tell me what you want to say."

He gulped, then said in his squeaky voice,

"Make a bet with me!"

"I-It's obvious that you are a wealthy farmer with lots of grains since I can see you have nice clothes, so you shouldn't be stingy!"

"D-Do you dare to do it!"

...

Have I just been called a farmer and stingy in one sentence?

Pfffft... It's obvious though that this kid is clueless about any wealthy people!

And he taunted me to make a bet?

A bet with a cultivator like me?

HAHAHAHA!

I reply with a large smile,

"Your right, I am the wealthiest of farmers in these lands!"

"So naturally, as you say, I shouldn't be stingy!"

"Very well, I'll dare to accept your bet!"

...

"So what do you want to bet on?"

His face quickly brightens after hearing this and confidence builds up in him as he says,

"It's really simple mister. Me and my friends are saving up metal circles to buy ourselves the newest beast figures!"

"So the bet will have me and my friends' savings and the same amount of money from your end!"

"The competition will be about all of us vs you, since you are bigger, in whether we will be able to take the ball from you or not."

"Winner takes all, no hard feelings!"

This is hilarious and I'm definitely doing this, but what are... metal circles?

"Hey kid, I'l do it. But what are the metal circles you are talking about?"

After hearing my words he looked at me as if I was a dumbass and said,

"You don't know what metal circles are?!"

He then pulled out an old and rusty iron coin and said,

"If you don't have metal circles then you are definitely not rich!"

...It's an iron coin.

Fuck.

Not meaning to flex on village kids, but I don't carry iron coins with me. Hell, I don't even know if I have some bronze coins on me!

I decide to pull out a silver coin that looks somewhat like it, and say,

"This is what you mean right?!"

His eyes light up as he exclaims,

"Yes, yes. That's the one!"

"Just take out twenty more and you'll be able to match it!"

...I know for a fact he genuinely takes this silver coin as an iron coin, but... THE FUCK DO YOU MEAN 'THAT'S THE ONE'?

One of these bad boys here is enough to make you a baller around these parts!

And you want be to fork over more?!

But since I wasn't particularly poor, and wanted to do this...I took out nineteen more.

After that I gave the 'metal circles' to him and both of us made our way to the rest of the group.

Soon the brown haired kid, whose name was Lin, told the others about it and showed them the money and they all became serious.

They all turned to me after talking for a bit, and a skin blond brat said,

"You better stick to the rules on 'no hard feelings' as not to brag or anything, but we are renowned in the village for being the skillful and have gotten the nickname of Bright Willow Ball Gods!"

...Am I getting taunted by these brats who are wet behind the ears... again?

My eyebrows twitch, but I reply amicably by saying,

"Of course, Of course, I am not someone who goes back on his words therefore I can assure you that there will be no 'hard feelings'.

They soon pass me the ball- though I'm not sure this could really be called one- then they charge at me.

...

And so began me humbling these brats, by repeatedly dodging their clumsy attempts over and over again.

These sneaky brats also tried using each other as a projectile to make an opportunity for another to get the ball...

...Though nothing worked.

...

Did you honestly think I was going to let myself lose just because they are kids... Fuck no!

Call me petty all you want, but I won't be able to hear you over my mountain of metal circles that I have acquired...Hehehe.

...

Soon all of them were completely exhausted on the ground, and panting for their dear lives. I realised that it was time for me to head, so I took their metal circles and left my measly silver coins with them and shouted,

"Close match everyone!"

"However it seems like I've come out victorious!"

"So thank you for your kind donation of metal circles and my new title of Bright Willow's ball god!"

"And remember... NO HARD FEELINGS!"

Hehehe, that'll teach them to never undermine someone as handsome as me!

...

As I fly back to the boat with my sword and get on, I sit down and lo and behold, Chen Ru sits down next to me instantly.

However the first thing she said to me wasn't a greeting or anything but...

"What were you doing out there Big Brother Bu?"

"Your white robes are all stained and your face has dirt all over it!"

Both Chen Guanting and Chen Fei, who were in the middle of a game of Go, turned around and looked at me with curiosity as well...

I rubbed my nose and proudly declared,

"Although you simpletons wouldn't understand, I just made a profitable bet and became the one and only..."

"...Bright Willow's Ball God."

...

"..."

-------------------------------------------------------------

(Grand Sword City, Chen Manor)

After getting through the gates and making our way to the huge main mansion of the Chen Family, I instantly chose the guest room that felt the most comfortable in.

I then had a quick bath, then flopped onto the soft bed mattress and let myself sink into it's embrace.

...

I can't sleep.

Well shit.

May as well start reminiscing over some funny things...

...

Firstly, you may be wondering as to what happened to all those blood supremacy bastards?

Well they are now just a bunch of headless chickens who don't dare to do anything to me anymore.

As although me awakening king-grade roots was definitely something that left a bad taste in their mouths, they couldn't do anything about it.

So they could only grit their teeth with anger.

Especially when the violet was just revealed and shining on their faces...

I hadn't ever even imagined that so many people's faces could turn so ugly at one time.

Not only were they on the verge of bursting a blood vessel from rage due to this happening, they also had to come up to me and congratulate me for my great talents- It was like I had just spit on their faces and they had to say thank you for it.

Needless to say, I had a great laugh when I got home.

...

However, suddenly I was dragged out my thoughts as they were interrupted by a knock on the door.

I was feeling a bit annoyed as after the long trip I just wanted some alone time, so I was really curious as to which bastard was looking for me?!

I walked over and prayed to the heavens that it wasn't Chen Ru, as I'm was not mentally prepared to deal with her again and may just slap her across the face if I see her.

As I approach the door and unlock it, I see...

...No one.

What?!

Is this a prank?

...

I look down a bit after a while, and get to see the short perpetrator.

...

It was a small boy who looks no older than ten.

He currently directing a gaze filled with fury whilst looking up at me, and the large frown on his small face doesn't hide his emotions at all.

I honestly didn't know who this was and was quite confused.

I was also curious on why he was so angry.

Did someone shit in his bowl of cereal this morning?

Taking a closer look of this boy, he honestly looked quite cute. He had long golden hair, was clothed in a glamorous golden robe, and his eyes were mixture of blue and green in colour.

Inspecting his robe closer, I see characters on it which instantly make my eyes widen...

'WU' was engraved on it in bold...

...Royalty!?

...

Isn't my plate not already full with shit I have to deal with!?

So what is this now?!

...