Let’s set aside the standards for equipment assembly and cultivation techniques for now. Strength determines base attack power, speed determines base movement and evasion, while spirit and endurance determine base cultivation and health, all at a ratio of 1:10.

Of course, there are some finer distinctions within these. For example, spirit affects willpower, judgment, and comprehension, while endurance influences defense and stamina, and also interacts with cultivation skills.

As for charm, it’s not the same as looks; it affects interactions with NPCs and plays a significant role within factions.

Of course, if someone is so handsome that it’s earth-shattering—so handsome that everyone ignores all other factors and equates looks with charm—Brian Clark would have nothing to say about that.

Now, let’s talk about luck. Brian Clark never understood this stat. Take the simplest example: with the same account, doing the same quest, everything else being equal, his chances of getting good equipment drops are just higher than his boss’s.

What does this mean?

Is his boss just unlucky?

On one hand, yes, but on the other, what equipment drops is ultimately up to the official explanation.

After looking over 233333’s stats, Brian Clark glanced at level, experience, and cultivation. It’s not surprising that it doesn’t start from zero. The official forum once explained that the world of Jiuzhou is rich in spiritual energy—if you can breathe, even a pig will develop cultivation over time.

If you’re lucky, you might even gain sentience and become a monster.

But here’s the thing: having cultivation is just a result of spiritual energy naturally settling in the body. Without systematic training, a pig with cultivation is just tastier, that’s all.

This also explains why Brian Clark has cultivation but can’t open the Qiankun Bag. At this point, compared to a pig, he might not even taste as good.

“Main profession: none for now. I need a guide, and unless something unexpected happens, that person will be my senior sister.”

A moment later, Brian Clark opened his eyes, casually plucked a foxtail grass and stuck it in his mouth. “I wonder what senior sister’s main profession is. Lingxiao Sword Sect—it sounds like Daoist cultivation, but not necessarily. Plenty of demon cultivators practice swordsmanship too… Huh, this grass tastes pretty good. Is it because of the spiritual energy?”

……

By noon, the blazing sun was high, and the cool mountain breeze carried a hint of dryness.

After chewing foxtail grass for a while, Brian Clark’s health had somewhat recovered. He marveled at the wonders of the world—having spiritual energy really lets you do whatever you want. Since he didn’t know when this so-called senior sister would arrive, or even if she would come at all, he decided to take advantage of the early hour and try heading down the mountain.

Whether he succeeded or not didn’t matter; scouting the path was good enough.

He had just reached what might have been the main gate or perhaps the courtyard wall, with ancient pines welcoming guests and forest birds suddenly chirping, when Brian Clark heard the sound of wind behind him and turned to look.

In his line of sight was a young woman dressed in a white, cinched-waist immortal’s dress, a light blue silk sash at her waist, her black hair cascading down to her waist, with no hair ornaments—just a simple white ribbon.

Her skin was fair, her features bright and beautiful, her face exquisitely delicate, like a painting.

A fox spirit? That fast?

Brian Clark frowned and took half a step back.

To be fair, the girl in front of him looked even younger than he did. If this was really the Senior Sister White who, according to Henry Grant, had won the title of first disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect thirty years ago, then…

He was definitely going to cultivate immortality!

No one could stop him!

Noticing Brian Clark’s wariness, the girl’s cold expression softened slightly as she introduced herself: “James White, here at the summons of Uncle Grant. Are you the junior brother?”

“So you’re senior sister. Senior sister, you’re so fair—I’m Brian Clark.”

“What?”

“I mean… greetings, Senior Sister White. I’m Brian Clark.”

After a brief exchange, confirming that the person in front of him was indeed his senior sister and not a fox spirit, Brian Clark shook his head awkwardly. Even though he’d personally experienced that in the world of Jiuzhou, spiritual energy lets you do whatever you want, he still couldn’t shake his ingrained impressions.

Looks like it’ll take some time to fully adapt.

Inside the house, James White stared silently at the wooden box on the table for a long time before finally saying, “Junior Brother Clark, Uncle Grant sent his message in a hurry. Did he leave any last words for you to pass on to me?”

“Mas— He said that regarding my cultivation, I’ll have to trouble you, senior sister.” Brian Clark thought for a moment and replied.

“Nothing else?”

“Anything else?”

Brian Clark’s expression didn’t change, but he silently reminded himself to stay cautious and changed the subject: “He left so quickly, he didn’t even have time to say ‘I’ll pass all my skills to you.’ That’s really all there was.”

James White fell silent. Brian Clark’s personality was much more lively than she’d expected. His cultivation journey would probably be much harder than others’. And then there was Henry Grant…

“Junior Brother Clark, tell me honestly—did Uncle Grant, at the end… mention my master?”

“???”

Looking at James White’s sincere, delicate face, a string of question marks floated through Brian Clark’s mind. He probed, “He did mention the Lingxiao Sword Sect, but only said that if he hadn’t accidentally gravely injured the sect leader back then, he would have definitely returned for a last look before he died.”

“I see, so he did mention it.” James White nodded, then shook her head.

“Senior Sister White, I have a question, but I’m not sure if I should ask.” Suddenly thinking of a possibility, Brian Clark felt a lot of pressure.

“Go ahead.”

Senior sister was already the first disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect thirty years ago, so now you must be… how old are you, and how many years have you been cultivating?