96: Born a waste

[Soon after, you revealed your strength in the Perfected Innate Realm, shocking your parents and sister.]

[The joy on your mother's face was replaced by deep worry. She tightly grasped your hand: “Chen’er, the path of martial arts is too perilous. The tree that stands out in the forest will surely be destroyed by the wind. Your mother only wishes for your safety...”]

[However, a trace of imperceptible relief and a faint smile flashed in your sister Qin Yu’s eyes, as if saying, “You finally stopped hiding?”]

[Immediately afterward, you inexplicably used swift, decisive methods to wipe out the Water Snake Gang, which had repeatedly opposed the Qin Family. Ji Yang and his father Ji Wuming were both slain by you, causing Longyang Town to shake.]

[But this was only the beginning.]

[Six days later, you personally went to Nanjiang City and, using your terrifying Heavenly Human Realm strength and reasons incomprehensible to the world, brazenly annihilated the Three Great Factions—the Xiong Family, the Jin Family, and the Dragon Family—that had occupied Nanjiang for many years, leaving no one alive!]

[The Nanjiang City Lord's Mansion fell silent with fear, and all major powers lost their voice.]

[However, just as you were at your peak, a sudden change occurred!]

[Liu Ruyan, the Favored Daughter of Heaven from the Liu Clan Immortal Family, suddenly descended. Her Cultivation base was unfathomable, and she subdued you with a flick of her hand.]

[She did not kill you, but instead imprisoned you by her side for several decades.]

[During these decades, your Cultivation stagnated, your sharp edge completely vanished, and you became very docile, like a gentle sheep.]

[When you were seventy years old—]

[Liu Ruyan brought you to the Canglan Holy Land.]

[Perhaps resentment arose from being imprisoned for too long, or perhaps your Playboy Nature resurfaced, but you dared to impersonate Xuanyuan Yao to cheat people out of Spirit Stones.]

[Not only that, but you also openly violated Holy Land rules by stepping onto the enlightenment fruit.]

[Next, you were brought to the Elder Hall by Sacred Land Saint Son, where eighteen Elders discussed how to deal with you...]

[The scene projected by the Magic Treasure, the “time dial,” ended here.]

[After the Elders finished watching, they began to discuss:]

[“This child is too bloodthirsty, his Heart-Nature is unstable, and he kills arbitrarily. He cannot be kept,” Second Elder said lightly.]

[“That depends on who he killed. If they were unforgivable villains, I would consider it good,” Fifth Elder said.]

[“Good and evil are not excuses for arbitrary killing. Those people did not offend him; he killed them without reason. This is evil,” Second Elder continued to refute.]

[“I don't think Second Elder is right. Who among us here doesn't have blood on their hands? Wouldn't that make all of us villains?” Ninth Elder said.]

[“Exactly. We also committed unforgivable sins, but in the end, the Holy Land took us in because they saw we still had a conscience, which is why we achieved what we have today,” Eighth Elder nodded.]

[The Grand Elder waved his hand, interrupting the argument: “Enough. He was only eighteen at the time, after all. Who among us didn't make mistakes when we were young? If this child can recognize his mistakes and correct them, he might still become like us.”]

[“Grand Elder is right. For him to Cultivate to such a Realm at this age, he must have some Great Destiny. Why don't we look at his future and see if he can be taught?” Ninth Elder also agreed.]

[Hearing this, the Elders nodded one after another.]

[Next, the Grand Elder recited an Incantation, outlining an inscription and striking it into the “time dial”—]

[The dial was seen spinning rapidly, but this time, it was rotating forward.]

[In an instant, a beam of light shone above your head, and the scene continued to appear in mid-air:]

[In the scene, the Holy Land Elders discussed and voted on whether to pardon you, resulting in ten votes in favor, two against, and six abstentions.]

[Based on the voting results, the Elder Council decided to give you a chance and take you in as an Outer Sect Disciple of the Holy Land to observe future conduct.]

[After becoming a Holy Land Disciple, all your Karma was taken on by the Holy Land—]

[For example, the more than one million Spirit Stones you cheated Yan Feng out of were repaid by the Holy Land, which sent Sacred Land Saint Son to help you.]

[As for the matter with Liu Ruyan, the Holy Land's Ninth Elder found the Liu Clan Chief and exchanged a Magic Treasure for your freedom—because you were born in the Tianhuang Secret Realm and belonged to the private property of the Liu Clan Immortal Family.]

[You, too, became very honest, content to be an Outer Sect Disciple of the Holy Land, dedicating yourself to Cultivation every day and ignoring worldly affairs.]

[When you were eighty years old—]

[The days of Cultivating were truly too boring, so you shamelessly sought out the Sixth Elder and invited him to Languifang to relax.]

[Three days later, you and the Sixth Elder emerged from Languifang, both sporting dark circles under your eyes and looking thin, yet beaming with smiles.]

[You walked arm-in-arm, like good brothers separated for many years.]

[The Sixth Elder patted your shoulder: “That's right, you kid are sensible! From now on, I'm your Sixth Brother.”]

[You forced a smile and nodded: “Thank you, Sixth Elder, for interceding back then. I have nothing to repay you with, so these few Spirit Stones are nothing.”]

[“Not bad, not bad, you kid know the ropes,” the Sixth Elder smiled contentedly.]

[Only after going to Languifang this time did you realize that all the Sixth Elder's Debts accumulated over the years had been charged to you—]

[You are now still a Debtor, owing Languifang a considerable amount of Spirit Stones.]

[But even so, you still felt very happy.]

[Seeing the scene in the picture, the Sixth Elder on the dais nodded with a smile.]

[“Not bad, the youth is teachable! I knew it, human nature is fundamentally good; this kid isn't bad at heart,” the Sixth Elder said, beaming, though no one knew what he was plotting.]

[The other Elders looked at him, shaking their heads speechlessly.]

[When you were ninety years old—]

[The Seventh Elder came to borrow Spirit Stones from you, and without a second thought, you gave him all your possessions.]

[You actually knew that the Seventh Elder had borrowed from everyone in the entire Holy Land, and whoever saw him avoided him.]

[But you didn't care—the fact that the Seventh Elder was willing to borrow from you showed that he held you in his heart.]

[The Seventh Elder saw this scene and also nodded, beaming.]

[“Not bad, the Sixth Elder and I share the same vision; this child is greatly benevolent,” the Seventh Elder said with a laugh.]

[When you were one hundred years old—]

[Third Elder dragged you to a Gambling House, and in the end, you lost everything down to your underwear and were kicked out.]

[You looked at each other's sorry states and smiled.]

[“Kid, in a Casino, you lose nine out of ten times. Don't get involved again in the future,” Third Elder lectured you, hands clasped behind his back, looking quite proper.]

[You smiled and nodded: “When I was a playboy before, I also indulged in feasting, drinking, whoring, and gambling, but I've never lost as thoroughly and exhilaratingly as I did today.”]

[Third Elder laughed heartily and slapped your shoulder: “Haha! You kid understands me! I love this feeling of losing thoroughly and being penniless!”]

[“Third Elder is truly a great talent. To be so utterly obsessed with one thing is beyond the comparison of ordinary people,” you praised again.]

[The Third Elder watching the scene couldn't help but smile.]

[“Not bad, not bad! Sure enough, the thoughts of us Geniuses are all the same, and the Comprehension Ability is extremely, extremely high!”]

[Everyone looked at the Third Elder, casting glances of contempt.]

[When you were one hundred and ten years old—]

[In the scene, you finally reached the third layer of the Golden Core.]

[When you were one hundred and fifty years old—]

[In the scene, you finally broke through to the fourth layer of the Golden Core, which is the Middle Stage of the Golden Core Stage.]

[But seeing that it took you decades to Breakthrough a single layer, all eighteen Elders expressed surprise—]

[“Strange, logically this child's Talent should be extraordinary, so why does it take decades to Breakthrough a single layer of the Golden Core Stage?” Fifth Elder wondered.]

[“Logically, Cultivating with Immortal Spirit Qi in our Holy Land should be faster than outside, yet Immortal Spirit Qi seems useless to him?” Eighth Elder frowned.]

[“Did you forget that when he was five, the Heavenly Meridian Spirit Pearl detected his Aptitude as—blocked Meridians, weak body, a Born Waste? With such Aptitude, he probably cannot enjoy the benefits of the Holy Land's Immortal Spirit Qi,” Second Elder said with a laugh.]

[“Let's wait and see. Perhaps he just settled down and still needs time to accumulate,” Ninth Elder said.]

[“I believe that whether waste or Genius, our Holy Land should treat everyone equally,” Sixth Elder stated.]