Inside the letter was a jade pendant.
“Why is there just a jade pendant? What’s this pendant for?”
Lin Yun muttered as he took it out.
The moment Lin Yun grasped the pendant, a surge of information flooded into his mind.
“They call me the Scruffy Old Man, I’ve taken quite a liking to you, I’d like to take you as my disciple, if you’re willing to join me, refine this jade pendant, it’ll guide you to me when the time comes, the pendant’s effective for refining within six months.”
The message was simple, yet it covered everything necessary.
“So that’s what this pendant does,” Lin Yun realised with a start.
He placed the pendant back into the letter, tucked it away, then opened the second one.
The second letter also contained a jade pendant.
With the prior experience, Lin Yun gripped it directly.
Another wave of information poured into his mind.
“I’m known as Li Ba, I wish to take you as my disciple, I’m a straightforward man, so I’ll be blunt, I quite like you, lad, if you join me, I’ll ensure you’re trained into a fine talent, anyone who dares trouble you, I’ll sort them out for you, my resources will be yours without hesitation.”
This content surprised Lin Yun, it was more detailed than what the first Immortal, ‘Scruffy Old Man’, had said, even spelling out the benefits of joining him.
Though Scruffy Old Man had expressed admiration for Lin Yun, he hadn’t elaborated further.
Most of the time, did Immortals need to say much when taking disciples? Being accepted by an Immortal was a blessing earned over eight lifetimes, the title ‘Immortal’ alone was a golden ticket, countless geniuses dreamed of such an opportunity.
Yet Li Ba’s invitation carried a greater sense of sincerity, which struck Lin Yun.
“I’ll finish reading them first,” Lin Yun opened the third letter.
Inside was another jade pendant, Lin Yun gripped it, and the information immediately flooded his mind.
“I’m Zhuang Song, I’d like to take you as my disciple, I’m a sword practitioner myself, I’ve studied swordsmanship for over ten thousand years, I can offer you significant guidance in the art, Li Ba wants you too, and he’s richer than me, but he’s got plenty of enemies, so think carefully if you want to join him, as for Scruffy Old Man and the others, joining them is fine, but they can’t compare to me in swordsmanship, of course, who you choose as your master is entirely up to you, if you’re willing to join me, refine the pendant inside this letter, it’ll guide you, the pendant’s effective for refining within six months.”
This Immortal, Zhuang Song, was the refined one at the front, holding a folding fan, dressed impeccably, exuding elegance, a stark contrast to Scruffy Old Man.
If Lin Yun recalled correctly, Zhuang Song had sent two letters, one to him and one to the dark horse, Wang Luo.
Hearing this, Lin Yun was taken aback.
Without a doubt, Zhuang Song’s message was the most detailed of all the Immortals, even outlining the pros and cons of joining the others.
“Let’s see the last one,” Lin Yun opened the final letter, finding yet another jade pendant, he gripped it, and the contents surged into his mind.
“I’m Cao Jun, I wish to take you as my disciple, if you’re willing to join me, refine this jade pendant, it’ll guide you to me when the time comes, the pendant’s effective for refining within six months.”
Lin Yun noticed this message was very similar to Scruffy Old Man’s, simple and straightforward, stating the intent to take him as a disciple, even briefer than Scruffy Old Man’s, lacking any words of admiration.
As the saying goes, Immortals didn’t need to elaborate when taking disciples, did they have to grovel to them? Sending a letter already showed they valued you.
After reading all four letters, Lin Yun had a preliminary sense of things.
“So, Lin Yun, any thoughts after reading them?” the Heavenly Sword Sect Leader asked.
“No rush, as you suggested earlier, Sect Leader, I’ll buy some information on these seniors later and decide then,” Lin Yun replied.
The jade pendants in the letters were tokens of discipleship, since they were effective for refining within six months, it meant these Immortals were giving Lin Yun ample time to consider.
“Hmm.”
The Sect Leader nodded, then continued, “Of the four Immortals who invited you, I’ve only heard of Li Ba and Scruffy Old Man’s reputations, the other two, I’ve never come across.”
“How’s that possible?” Lin Yun asked, surprised.
Lin Yun, coming from the Three Thousand Lesser Worlds, hadn’t been in this realm long, so his ignorance was understandable, but the Sect Leader had lived here for over a millennium.
“It’s quite normal, these Immortals typically create their own microcosms as homes, spaces that belong solely to them, so they rarely interact with cultivators of our level,” the Sect Leader explained.
He went on, “Plus, Immortals have infinite lifespans, but their kin and loved ones don’t, even if they do everything to help their closest relatives or partners reach the Tribulation Realm, they’ll still only live a few thousand years before dying, as for becoming an Immortal, that’s not something they can just make happen.”
“So these Immortals, who’ve lived for tens of thousands of years, are mostly alone, their relatives and loved ones passed away countless years ago, they know that even if they have more children, they’ll face the pain of parting again, unwilling to endure that suffering, many choose not to have more offspring, living on without family, even if they have clans left, those clans have gone through many generations, and there’s little emotional bond left.”
“Of course, someone like Senior Scruffy Old Man rose from humble beginnings, an orphan and beggar in his youth, he never had a family to begin with, he lives alone in the world, free and unrestrained.”
“Take the Xingwu Emperor, since he must sustain the entire empire, he works hard to maintain the royal family’s prosperity, always having descendants alive.”
“As for Senior Li Ba, he has a vast family, those super-families are nothing compared to his, like the heavens to the earth, but it’s said he’s got a fiery temper and plenty of enemies, so his entire family lives in the microcosm he created, we don’t usually encounter them.”
The Sect Leader’s explanation left Lin Yun somewhat awestruck.
“So Immortals are this lonely,” Lin Yun sighed.
He could imagine how these Immortals must feel, sending off their loved ones one by one, until only they remained.
