Zhang Er Gou remained oblivious to the external changes.
He hadn't even heard the few thunderous booms.
However, Chen Gong, Li Yao, and Ling Feng'er had indeed been teleported away by his actions.
As Zhang Er Gou reached the end of the ninth阶 (jiē - step/tier), the expected surge of spiritual energy did not arrive.
Instead, an elder appeared before Zhang Er Gou.
"Young one, since the altar has chosen you, it signifies that you and this old man have a connection. Would you be willing to accept this seat's inheritance?"
Zhang Er Gou had previously harbored doubts about whether this mansion belonged to a powerful cultivator.
But when the elder before him appeared, all his doubts vanished.
"Hmm?" The elder nodded slightly. "Young one, your state of mind is excellent. You've already gained insight so quickly. Good, good."
Zhang Er Gou was somewhat bewildered by the elder's words.
He hadn't even spoken a word since seeing the elder, yet the elder had already passed judgment on him.
He wondered if the elder was being pretentious or if he truly possessed such abilities.
"Senior, may I ask who you are?"
Zhang Er Gou bowed to the elder and asked softly.
"Haha, who am I? Five hundred years ago, they called me Saint Qing Ya."
"Saint Qing Ya?" Zhang Er Gou frowned. He had never heard this title before. Of course, perhaps his understanding of the cultivation history of the Yin Zhou Continent was too limited.
Therefore, he didn't know much about this "Saint Qing Ya."
However, this didn't stop him from trying to get along with the elder.
"So, you are Senior Saint Qing Ya?" After a brief thought, Zhang Er Gou feigned surprise, as if he had just remembered something.
"What, young one, you've heard of this seat?" Saint Qing Ya's interest was piqued.
Zhang Er Gou had never heard of him, but he couldn't just offend the elder like that.
"Of course, I have. But it was a long time ago. I only heard that your cultivation was unparalleled on the continent. Many people assumed you had already ascended to the immortal realm!"
Zhang Er Gou's tone was certain, sounding as if he were speaking the truth.
Saint Qing Ya didn't dwell on this matter. When he heard Zhang Er Gou mention ascending to the immortal realm, his expression changed, revealing a wry smile.
"Heh heh, ascension." Zhang Er Gou clearly sensed a trace of melancholy from the elder before him.
However, Saint Qing Ya soon recovered from his despondent mood.
"Young one, those are merely the rumors of later generations. This venerable one doesn't know if my true body truly ascended or perished long ago."
Saint Qing Ya's words confused and surprised Zhang Er Gou.
"Senior, what do you mean by that?"
If he didn't understand, he should ask. As an eager cultivator, Zhang Er Gou embodied this spirit to the fullest.
"Since my true body left here five hundred years ago in search of an opportunity to break through and ascend, not long after, this seat lost contact with the true body."
It turned out that the person who appeared before Zhang Er Gou was merely a wisp of Saint Qing Ya's soul, not even a clone.
As time passed, the power of this wisp of soul grew weaker and weaker.
Its control over this place also gradually became feeble.
What Zhang Er Gou had said earlier was true; this Saint Qing Ya had indeed been a prominent figure on this continent five hundred years ago.
However, after reaching the Great Vehicle Perfection realm, he had traversed every corner of the continent.
In search of an opportunity for tribulation.
After searching for many years, the tribulation lightning never descended.
It was then that Saint Qing Ya realized something was wrong with this world, that someone was deliberately blocking the path for cultivators on this continent to ascend.
Therefore, he left behind a wisp of his soul to guard his cultivation mansion.
His true body then went to investigate why the path to ascension was blocked.
After Saint Qing Ya's true body departed, the wisp of soul initially maintained contact with the true body.
But as the true body traveled further and further away, it even felt as if the true body had left this continent.
Eventually, contact with the true body was completely severed.
As a result, the power of this wisp of soul grew increasingly weak.
"Senior, you mean there are other continents beyond our own?"
Zhang Er Gou seemed to have stumbled upon something of immense importance.
"Haha, young one, the world is far vaster than you can imagine. Beyond this continent lie even broader realms."
"Legend has it that those who attain enlightenment and become immortals can live as long as heaven and earth."
Saint Qing Ya's face revealed a yearning. It was clear that his lifelong pursuit was to ascend and become a true immortal.
"Then, Senior, do immortals truly exist in this world?"
Zhang Er Gou asked, puzzled. Having cultivated to his current level, he was merely a novice who had been cultivating for just over two years.
He was still half-informed about many matters in the cultivation world.
And this Saint Qing Ya, who was a powerful cultivator in the Great Vehicle realm five hundred years ago, must surely know many secrets he was unaware of.
Perhaps even secrets that the Old Man of Heavenly Dao and others did not know.
After all, based on Zhang Er Gou's current understanding, the strongest existence on the Yin Zhou Continent was the legendary pavilion master of the Black Xuan Pavilion, who was only at the Spirit Transformation realm.
He was still a long way from the Great Vehicle realm.
From Saint Qing Ya's words, Zhang Er Gou learned that after the Spirit Transformation realm came the Nascent Soul realm, followed by the Integration realm, and then the higher level, the Great Vehicle realm.
Only those in the Great Vehicle realm could be called top powerhouses on this continent.
The reason why Zhang Er Gou, and many others from the Misty Sect, had never heard of Great Vehicle realm cultivators existing on this continent
was simply because they were too weak to access that level.
Once Zhang Er Gou understood the subsequent cultivation realms, his previous pride vanished completely.
Earlier, Zhang Er Gou had thought that cultivating to the Golden Core realm in just two years was already very powerful.
He was no longer the person he once was.
Now, it seemed he hadn't even reached the threshold of the powerful cultivators on this continent.
However, he would not become discouraged by this. After all, Golden Core cultivators had significantly extended lifespans.
As long as he diligently cultivated, with his talent and perseverance, reaching higher realms was only a matter of time.
"Young one, among the dozens of people who came this time, this seat finds you the most pleasing." Su Dan Novel Network
While Zhang Er Gou was contemplating, the even more ethereal wisp of soul from Saint Qing Ya spoke again.
"In these past five hundred years, I have encountered many talented young individuals, all possessing great aptitude. However, I did not see a certain quality in them that you possess."
"What surprises me even more is that you, boy, are also a dual cultivator of both martial arts and magic. This is the first time in five hundred years."
Zhang Er Gou didn't know what the elder meant by these words, but it seemed as if he were making final arrangements.