A Mortal's Journey to Immortality

Jin Jingtian looked at the composed and reserved young man in front of him, a hint of regret flashing across his face.

If this child were his, how wonderful that would be... Not only would it save him a lot of scheming, but he probably wouldn't have taken the risk of choosing that path.

Given the current situation, it's too late to say anything...

"I see that you have laid a solid foundation for the third level. If nothing unexpected happens, you will be able to break through to the fourth level in at most another year."

Jin Jingtian took a sip of tea and said in a calm tone.

Zhou Ping sighed inwardly, for Jin Jingtian's calculations were almost exactly the same as his own predictions.

As expected of someone capable of leading a clan, the more times he probed, the more accurate the other party's perception of his cultivation progress became.

"Reporting to the clan leader, my judgment is exactly the same as yours, but..."

Zhou Ping hesitated for a moment, then looked at Jin Jingtian with some hesitation.

"Please feel free to speak."

Jin Jingtian's face showed no change in expression as he spoke directly.

"But I'm worried that the mature medicinal herbs in the Pharmacist Hall might not be enough to last a year."

After Zhou Ping finished speaking, he fell silent and waited quietly with his head down.

Recently, he discovered that some of the medicinal herbs provided by the Pharmacist Hall have started to be of insufficient age and have become substitutes.

After a long period of depletion, the medicinal herb reserves of the Jin Clan and the Pharmacist Hall finally began to run out.

Inside the main hall, Jin Jingtian silently gazed at the distant mountain peaks, rhythmically tapping the teacup in his hand with one finger.

After a moment's hesitation, he downed the tea in his cup and looked at Zhou Ping with a serious expression.

"If that's the case, how much longer will it take to break through to the fourth level?"

"I estimate it will take at least three to four months longer. The cultivation of Qingyuan Gong is extremely dependent on drugs. If I were to stop using them, my cultivation would hardly make any progress."

Zhou Ping honestly shared his thoughts without holding anything back.

After all, it concerned his own cultivation, and to be on the safe side, he didn't want Jin Jingtian to make any wrong judgments.

Jin Jingtian listened to his answer, and although his expression didn't show anything unusual, he was quite speechless inside.

Although this child has mastered the Qingyuan Technique, his spiritual root aptitude is really not impressive. Even with such a huge amount of medicine provided by the Jin Clan, he has only barely reached the threshold of the fourth level, which is far from the cultivation speed described in the experience of his great-uncle.

"You can focus on your cultivation; don't worry about the medicinal herbs."

Jin Jingtian stood up, patted Zhou Ping on the shoulder, and comforted him.

"Yes! This disciple will certainly strive to cultivate diligently!"

Zhou Ping solemnly assured him.

Jin Jingtian strolled to the entrance of the main hall, his back to Zhou Ping, and suddenly changed the subject.

"You're about to turn 18, do you have a girl you like?"

"If so, my Jin clan can step in and help you make a match."

Zhou Ping raised an eyebrow, looking surprised. He was completely baffled by Jin Jingtian's question.

"I joined the Green Bamboo Sect at the age of twelve and devoted myself entirely to cultivation. I knew nothing about matters between men and women, let alone the person I admired."

"Please, clan leader, make the judgment."

Zhou Ping thought the other party was questioning whether he hadn't focused on his cultivation and had instead been preoccupied with other things, so he quickly explained.

"Don't be nervous, it's just a simple inquiry."

Seeing his panicked expression, Jin Jingtian immediately realized that the other party had misunderstood, and his expression softened considerably.

"Since there isn't one, that makes things easier."

"There are many outstanding women in my Jin clan, and there are quite a few descendants of your age in the three branches. If there is one you like, you may speak up."

"I can act as a matchmaker and help you find your perfect match!"

Upon hearing this, Zhou Ping realized that the other party was actually considering his marriage, and his tense expression relaxed somewhat.

Upon closer listening, he realized that the other party intended to marry him off to a young lady from the Jin family, which gave him a sense of absurdity.

Zhou Ping's status as a formal disciple was already extremely impressive in the eyes of outsiders, but he understood that in the eyes of the Jin family's young lady, there were plenty of formal disciples, and he had no reason to be proud.

For the many young ladies of the Jin clan, a formal disciple of the Green Bamboo Sect was at best a slightly more capable bodyguard.

"Clan leader, please don't joke with your disciple. Zhou Ping comes from a humble background and comes from a poor family. How could he dare to aspire to marry the daughter of the Jin clan?"

Zhou Ping replied with a self-deprecating laugh.

"Your background is indeed rather humble..."

Jin Jingtian sized up Zhou Ping, pausing slightly before speaking.

"But once you've mastered the Azure Origin Technique, in the eyes of my Golden Clan, your background is no longer a consideration."

Jin Jingtian's words made Zhou Ping's heart tighten. The fact that the other party mentioned Qingyuan Gong at this time undoubtedly made him think of a certain possibility.

A bold guess gradually emerged in his mind.

Zhou Ping kept his head slightly lowered, remaining calm and composed. He knew that what the other person was about to say was the key point of the conversation.

As expected, seeing that Zhou Ping remained silent and seemed to be listening attentively, Jin Jingtian continued.

"Although you don't know what the Azure Origin Technique means to my Golden Clan, you must have vaguely sensed its unusual nature."

"Let me put it this way: the Azure Origin Technique is the future hope of the entire Jin Clan, and you, who have mastered the Azure Origin Technique, are the seed of that hope!"

Jin Jingtian spoke in a low voice, a slight ripple appearing on his face. He looked at the dumbfounded Zhou Ping and said, word by word,

"The Jin Clan needs your bloodline to ensure the birth of descendants capable of cultivating the Azure Origin Technique!"

"So... I hope you can become the son-in-law of the Jin clan and marry into our clan."

"However, any offspring born can only be descendants of my Jin clan, and have nothing to do with your Zhou family."

After saying this, Jin Jingtian turned around and sat back down, personally poured himself a cup of tea, and quietly watched Zhou Ping, who was still in shock.

After a long while, Zhou Ping finally came to his senses from the other party's astonishing words. He stared blankly at Jin Jingtian in the main seat, unsure how to describe his feelings at that moment.

Marry into the Jin family? Become a son-in-law of the Jin family? Is this what the Jin family has been plotting against me all along?

Zhou Ping suddenly remembered his conversation with Jin Yan.

"If you are willing to cooperate, it might be a good thing for you."

The happy event Jin Yan mentioned was actually referring to becoming a son-in-law of the Jin family...

Faced with Jin Jingtian's frank and open scheme, Zhou Ping realized that it wasn't so unacceptable after all.

Given his background, it's not shameful for him to become a son-in-law of the Jin family.

On the contrary, it could be said that he was lucky to be associated with the Jin family, and many people are probably too envious to even think about it!

In the eyes of those from impoverished families, it is always better for their children to marry into a wealthy family than to end up on the streets, starving and suffering.

But there were a few questions Zhou Ping really wanted to figure out...

What exactly is the Qingyuan Gong?

Why is it that my bloodline can cultivate the Qingyuan Technique just like his?