51: If you don't practice cultivation, you will be at the mercy of others.

Watermelon Prince was wearing a martial arts uniform, looking clean and agile.

He didn't use a rope but gathered Spiritual Qi under his feet, walking vertically down the cliff.

Beside him, Ge Xuanqing and Zhen Xingshan, still Mortals, were carefully climbing down inch by inch, tied with ropes.

The wind around them was strong, whistling constantly.

Watermelon Prince proactively walked in front, shielding them from the wind.

He asked curiously, "Senior Zhen, why did you become a mercenary?"

Being a mercenary was a tough life, constantly risking one's life, and very few people truly wanted to do it.

Zhen Xingshan showed a reminiscent expression: "When I was young, I learned martial arts in a martial arts hall.

My Aptitude was quite good, and the Old Master thought highly of me, even recommending me to Cultivate in Duan Kong Cave.

I still remember my high spirits back then, as if I were the protagonist of the world."

Ge Xuanqing was curious: "You've also been to Duan Kong Cave?"

Zhen Xingshan gave a bitter smile: "My Aptitude was poor, and I couldn't channel Qi into my body for a long time.

In the second month, my treatment was downgraded, and later I became a handyman, suffering humiliation in that Sect's outer Sect.

My family barely managed to gather enough money to redeem me, sigh."

Watermelon Prince was shocked: "You went to Duan Kong Cave to Cultivate, wasn't that to be a student, a Disciple?

Why did your family need to pay money to redeem you?"

A Disciple, if not treated like a son, should at least be treated like a normal person, right?

"Disciple?"

Zhen Xingshan gave a tragic smile: "Those with good Aptitude who can channel Qi into their bodies become true Qi Refining Cultivators.

Naturally, a Master would come to take them as Disciples, and they could claim to be Duan Kong Cave Disciples, no longer Mortals.

But for someone like me, with dull Aptitude, I was considered Duan Kong Cave's private property, forced to work for them.

There's no other way; Qi Refining Lords also need to eat and wear clothes."

Ge Xuanqing also interjected: "Actually, this is still considered good.

Some female Disciples who go to a Sect, if they don't have Aptitude, will become other people's servants, sometimes even having to serve several Cultivators at once.

Heh, the strength of Qi Refining Cultivators is not something Mortals can compare to.

After such torment, they wouldn't live for more than a few days."

Watermelon Prince's mind immediately conjured up a Cultivation Sect with strict Ranks and numerous rules, which was very different from what he imagined.

"So, you still haven't said why you became a mercenary."

Watermelon Prince was still curious.

Since Zhen Xingshan suffered a lot in Duan Kong Cave, shouldn't he have enjoyed himself after returning?

"Didn't I just say?

To get me out of that bitter sea, my family spent a lot of money to redeem me."

Zhen Xingshan gave a bitter smile: "My wife worked day and night to save money, going to the fields in the morning, weaving in the afternoon, and to the brothel at night.

But we still had to borrow money, and only then could I be redeemed."

Many people in the mercenary group had similar experiences, deeply in debt, forced to risk their lives.

Ge Xuanqing added: "Every year, we also have to pay taxes to Duan Kong Cave, even higher than the imperial court's taxes."

Watermelon Prince exclaimed, "Good heavens!"

It turned out that the people of Qinghe Town paid triple taxes: one to the wealthy landlords, one to the imperial officials, and the third to Duan Kong Cave.

After these three layers, they barely had enough for daily food and expenses.

Wanting to practice martial arts or Cultivate?

That was simply impossible.

Those with Spiritual Root would be favored by a Sect and taken into the outer Sect.

Indeed, some would rise to prominence, but more would end up like Zhen Xingshan, deeply in debt due to Cultivation, henceforth living the hardest, most exhausting lives.

"What about Senior Ge?

You're a Herbalist, and an Elder from Duan Kong Cave appreciates you.

You should be doing quite well, right?"

Watermelon Prince looked curiously at Ge Xuanqing.

Ge Xuanqing looked melancholic: "I'm all alone, so I don't have to worry about family matters."

Watermelon Prince nodded; not having to consider family meant a different way of life.

"Watermelon Prince, I am very grateful that you taught me the Heaven Void Profoundless Art.

I swear to the Heavenly Dao that I will never do anything to harm you."

The sincerity on Ge Xuanqing's face didn't seem fake: "I am a Mortal without a Spiritual Root, destined to be without Cultivation from birth.

The reason I risked coming to Efeng Mountain Range was to find an immortal medicine, to defy fate, and forcefully step onto the path of Cultivation.

But after so many years, I still haven't found it."

Watermelon Prince was silent for a moment: "Why do you all want to Cultivate?

Senior Zhen, if you hadn't gone to Duan Kong Cave back then, you and your family should have been better off, right?

Senior Ge, with so many tragic situations before you, why are you still so obsessed with Cultivation?"

Zhen Xingshan sighed: "Better off?

That's not necessarily true."

Watermelon Prince still couldn't quite understand when he heard Ge Xuanqing explain:

"I once had a family too.

I had kind parents above, a gentle wife beside me, and innocent children at my knees.

At that time, I didn't want to Cultivate.

I just bought a piece of land outside Qinghe Town, planted some mulberry trees, and after paying taxes each year, we could still manage to live.

That was already considered happiness.

But..."

Ge Xuanqing's fingers dug into his palm, his whole body trembling with anger.

"That year, Duan Kong Cave fought with evil Cultivators and lost many handymen, so they started grabbing people everywhere.

My wife, children, and old father and mother were all taken that year.

Even I was forced to go to Efeng Mountain Range to gather herbs.

"At first, I still thought about redeeming them, but I was just a useless person without a Spiritual Root..."

Ge Xuanqing looked at Zhen Xingshan and gave a bitter smile: "As long as you have a Spiritual Root, there's hope, and you'll still be treated as a human.

But someone like me is treated completely like livestock."

Ge Xuanqing gathered herbs for many years, first receiving news of his parents' deaths, then his wife's, and later his children's.

A happy three-generation family was ultimately left with only him.

"Every night, I dream that I find an immortal medicine, soar to the sky, and with a casual palm strike, shatter Duan Kong Cave into pieces... But that's just a dream."

Ge Xuanqing gritted his teeth.

Watermelon Prince fell silent.

He looked at the camera and said: "Do you feel that the entire Xuanhuan World has a heavy pressure, suffocating everyone, and there is only one way to break this pressure: Cultivation."

The audience in the live stream was also uncharacteristically silent.

In modern society, as long as one is willing to work, one will not starve to death.

Even if one lives a miserable and humble life, a person is at least free.

It's not like someone can take away all your family as servants and then casually kill them.

I finally understand why they are so obsessed with Cultivation.

In such a world, without Cultivation, there is no power, and without power, you cannot protect your family.

I also finally understand why players are so out of place in this world.

Players don't have anything they want to protect, so naturally, they don't have that fanatical heart for Cultivation.

Seeing the bullet comments, Watermelon Prince also felt a myriad of emotions: "Yes, after all, we are just players, and we don't really get into the story, so naturally, we don't have anything we want to protect.

To become as crazy as them for Cultivation, to lose humanity for Cultivation, to trick people, to harm people... it's still impossible."

Midnight Gao Sou, who had been watching the live stream, also felt complicated.

Ge Xuanqing and Zhen Xingshan both had their hardships; they both wanted to possess power to save their families or to take revenge on those in power.

So, when they encountered players, they would react intensely, resorting to any means to kill players.

"Then, what about her..."

Midnight Gao Sou had just thought of this when he slapped himself: "I don't care what her hardships are; I'm going to kill her in the next run."

At this moment, Watermelon Prince and the other two had already arrived at the bottom of Broken Wood Cliff.

Indeed, there was a stone door adorned with various Talismans, quietly embedded at the base of Broken Wood Cliff.

"Oh no!"

Suddenly, Zhen Xingshan exclaimed in surprise.

Beside the Secret Realm stone door, there was actually a second toad Demonic Beast, its eyes narrowed, leisurely flicking out its tongue, eating bird Demonic Beasts one after another.