I died young at the start, but I'm reincarnated with unlimited skill points!

Thirty years of seclusion feel like a lifetime ago.

Su Yu walked along the mountain path inside the gate, looking at the scenery along the way, feeling both familiar and unfamiliar.

In the past thirty years, Cangxuan Sect has recruited three more batches of new disciples.

Along the mountain path, small groups of young faces strolled about, discussing the major events that had recently occurred within the sect.

Su Yu didn't listen attentively, but his Golden Core stage divine sense naturally picked up on their conversation.

"Have you heard? Among this year's new disciples, the one with the best aptitude is a second-grade spiritual root."

"A second-rank is already quite remarkable. The previous session didn't even have a single second-rank candidate; they relied entirely on a few third-rank candidates to make up the numbers."

Hearing these comments, Su Yu paused slightly.

The strongest is only second rank?

There is no earth spirit root, nor a first-grade spirit root.

This really is the worst class of geniuses ever; they're nowhere near as good as their predecessors.

Su Yu shook his head, not dwelling on it, and continued walking forward.

Instead of returning to his own cave, he went straight to the elegant villa on Welcoming Guest Peak.

Push open the courtyard gate.

A person was sitting at the stone table.

He was still very tall and imposing, with a heavy black iron sword leaning against him.

It was a war of iron.

However, when Su Yu's gaze fell on Tie Zhan, he clearly noticed the changes in the other party.

Tie Zhan's appearance remained the same, but the fluctuations of his magical power remained at the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment.

Tie Zhan is older than Su Yu, and is now almost 110 years old.

For cultivators who have reached the Foundation Establishment stage, turning one hundred years old is like an ordinary person turning twenty-five.

Although the body's functions have not declined, the most energetic peak period has quietly passed.

Once one's vital energy and spirit show signs of decline, the difficulty of forcibly compressing true essence and breaking through to the Golden Core will increase exponentially.

This is why the cultivation world generally agrees that the best time to break through to the Golden Core stage was a hundred years ago.

At this moment, Tie Zhan had clearly seen Su Yu push the door open and enter.

When he sensed the undisguised spiritual pressure emanating from Su Yu, which belonged to a Golden Core cultivator.

Tie Zhan's burly body suddenly stiffened.

He stood up and rubbed his palms very hastily on the hem of his clothes twice.

His lips moved, as if he habitually wanted to call out "Junior Brother Su".

But the words stuck in his throat.

Tie Zhan took a half step back, clasped his hands together, and bowed deeply, his tone revealing an extremely obvious restraint and awe.

"I have met... Master Su."

This address of "Master Su" was extremely distant, instantly creating an insurmountable chasm between the two.

In the cultivation world, those who have attained high levels of cultivation are teachers, and the hierarchy is very strict.

In the presence of a Golden Core cultivator, a Foundation Establishment cultivator can only consider themselves inferior.

Seeing Tie Zhan's state, Su Yu sighed helplessly in his heart.

Once upon a time, Tie Zhan would slap his thigh and grumble about how difficult it was to learn magic, dragging him along to kill monsters and refine his body.

Brothers who once shared the same fate now dare not even utter a word of address as equals.

This sense of estrangement, where things have changed and people are no longer the same, is truly heartbreaking.

However, Su Yu did not correct Tie Zhan's title, nor did he try to appear approachable.

Because he knew very well that this was the rule of the cultivation world.

Once a class divide is formed, forcing a brotherhood will not only fail to restore the old friendship, but will also make the other party feel more fearful and uneasy.

"Please sit down."

Su Yu walked to the stone table and sat down, speaking calmly.

Only then did Tie Zhan dare to sit down on the stone bench opposite him, but he only sat on one side, keeping his back ramrod straight.

Su Yu looked at his slightly sluggish breathing and made a guess.

Tie Zhan possesses a second-grade spiritual root and had already cultivated to the Great Perfection of Foundation Establishment at a young age, so he has no shortage of resources.

There is only one reason why he did not achieve the Golden Core stage.

He didn't try.

Or rather, they dare not try.

"Do you regret it?" Su Yu looked at him and asked directly.

Tie Zhan was stunned for a moment, then realized what Su Yu was asking.

He poured himself a cup of tea, took a sip, and forced a bitter smile onto his face.

"There's nothing to regret."

Tie Zhan's voice was somewhat hoarse, and he accepted his fate with extreme composure.

"I know my own worth best."

"Although a second-grade spiritual root is not bad, my mind simply cannot comprehend those profound and mysterious laws."

"After witnessing firsthand how those two senior sisters from the Transmission Hall were blown to bits in their secluded cultivation room in their quest for a Golden Core, I became afraid."

Tie Zhan shook his head, put down his teacup, and his tone revealed a deep sense of compromise and helplessness.

"Without that comprehension, forcibly compressing true essence is tantamount to courting death."

"I know that as long as one forms a Golden Core, even the lowest grade nine can gain an extra thousand years of lifespan."

"But four hundred years of lifespan for this foundational cultivation in the underground passage is long enough for me."

Faced with life and death, retreating is the instinct of the vast majority of people.

Su Yu nodded slightly, indicating her understanding.

On the path of cultivation, spiritual root aptitude is indeed the key to unlocking the gates of immortality, determining the speed and lower limit of cultivation.

But mindset also determines how far a person can go.

The path to immortality is like walking a tightrope on a cliff; only those with the courage to risk their lives can overcome the insurmountable barriers of life and death.

Ironclad's fighting spirit had been completely extinguished by the fear of death and the comfort of a four-hundred-year lifespan.

Not everyone can be like him, gambling with their life as a bargaining chip.

"Now that you've given up on forming your core, what are your plans for the future?" Su Yu asked.

"Getting ready to go back to my hometown."

Tie Zhan's tone revealed a hint of relief, "I also came from a small family, and now in the Cangxuan Sect, I can be considered to have reached the top."

"Go back to be the ancestor of the family, enjoy a peaceful life for hundreds of years, and raise more descendants for the family. That would make my life worthwhile."

Su Yu did not try to stop him.

Staying in the sect is definitely not as enjoyable as returning to your family and becoming a local tyrant.

this is the truth.

Of the ten top geniuses who entered the sect at the same time, only Chu Tiankuo and Lin Wan'er are still in seclusion, trying to break through to the third-grade Golden Core stage.

The remaining people have basically all stopped here.

"Back in the inner sect, we practiced body techniques together and became friends."

Su Yu stood up, looked at Tie Zhan, and solemnly made a promise.

"If you encounter any insurmountable obstacles after returning to your family, or if there is any situation where I need to step in."

"Send me a message, and I'll help you unconditionally this once."

Upon hearing this, Tie Zhan shuddered and abruptly raised his head.

In the dog-eat-dog world of cultivation, an unconditional promise from a Golden Core cultivator is worth more than a top-grade magic weapon.

With this statement, his family in the area had an absolute get-out-of-jail-free card.

"Thank you... thank you so much, Master!"

Tie Zhan's eyes reddened, and he stood up again, clasping his hands in a deep salute.

Su Yu nodded slightly, turned around and walked out of the courtyard.

As Su Yu walked down the stone steps, his expression remained calm and serene.

It wasn't just Tie Zhan; most of the other disciples from the same period were in similar situations.

They remained at the Foundation Establishment stage and began to use the friendships they had formed at Welcoming Peak to pave the way for their families or their future within the sect.

The gathering of geniuses in the cultivation world is not simply a discussion of the Dao.

Building relationships early on is all for the sake of the day when one of your peers truly soars to great heights.

The remaining people will have someone to rely on.

This is the most authentic survival rule for cultivators at the bottom and even disciples of sects.