Jason Reed and William Thompson stepped forward to pay their respects. Elder Grant smiled at Jason Reed: “A divine object hides its brilliance, its sharpness concealed—truly a top-tier talent.”

His tone was gentle and warm, giving Jason Reed the same feeling he’d had when reading the letter before.

Elder Grant then looked to Emily Grant at the side: “Emily Shizhi, you have a good eye.”

Emily Grant: “I didn’t pay attention to his talent at the time.”

Jason Reed: “……”

William Thompson: “……”

Elder Grant’s smile didn’t fade: “Then why did you bring him back to the mountain back then?”

Emily Grant: “...Though I hate to admit it, I just found him rather agreeable at first sight.”

The woman in the purple robe, always calm and even indifferent, showed a change in expression for the first time. Her brows furrowed as she looked Jason Reed up and down again, her expression not at all like someone seeing a person they found agreeable.

It wasn’t directed at Jason Reed in particular.

She simply disliked such feelings with anyone she interacted with.

Jason Reed: “When I first saw you, Senior Sister, I also felt a sense of closeness.”

Emily Grant: “Cut it out.”

Thankful for the first fortune slip after arriving in this world... Jason Reed smiled.

Elder Grant and his disciple didn’t seem surprised by Emily Grant’s demeanor.

William Thompson sighed, “To be honest, I was worried before that Junior Brother Reed started too late, but looking at him now, I was overthinking it.”

He wasn’t the first to remark that Jason Reed had entered late and started cultivating at an older age.

Jason Reed could understand.

After all, in this world, a cultivator’s level isn’t just tied to talent, willpower, and strength, but is also closely related to lifespan and physical condition.

As one’s cultivation level rises, a cultivator’s life state does indeed become different from ordinary people.

But, just like the sun, moon, and stars, which seem eternal but actually have their own lifespans, they too will age and die.

Cultivators here also have a vigorous youth, a prime of life where growth slows and mostly maintains, and then an old age where decline begins, ending in a rapid, steep deterioration in their twilight years.

For first-level Qi Refining cultivators, time is especially tight—their lifespan is similar to ordinary people, rarely exceeding a hundred years.

If they want to extend their life, their best hope is to break through to the second level, Foundation Establishment.

Succeeding in Foundation Establishment allows one to live up to two hundred years.

But there isn’t much time for Qi Refining cultivators to improve.

The optimal window for cultivation is actually only about the first quarter of one’s life.

That is, before about twenty to twenty-five years old.

After twenty-five, the speed of cultivation improvement slows dramatically.

Qi Refining cultivators over twenty-five can try refining magical tools, practice combat techniques, and accumulate more experience to boost their combat power.

But the pace of cultivation progress becomes much less efficient.

From twenty-five to about fifty is the prime of life, the peak of a Qi Refining cultivator’s combat ability, but in terms of cultivation level, it’s more like a plateau.

Still, there’s some hope—the chance to keep advancing drops sharply, but it’s not completely gone.

However, if you haven’t reached Foundation Establishment by fifty, congratulations, you’ll remain at the Qi Refining stage for life, with the hundred-year limit waiting for you.

And your personal condition will start to decline around fifty.

At about seventy-five, you enter your twilight years, and everything goes downhill rapidly.

Some of the stewards and managers met earlier at Qingyun Ford had also once been Daoist acolytes of the Celestial Master’s Mansion.

The reason they left Longhu Mountain and stopped studying the Dao, being reassigned by the mansion, was because as they aged and their cultivation stalled, they ultimately had to give up the path.

Jason Reed only came to the Celestial Master’s Mansion on Longhu Mountain with Emily Grant at eighteen, but fortunately, in the year or so since joining, his cultivation has advanced rapidly, surpassing many acolytes.

William Thompson sighed, “No matter what, Junior Brother Reed has great perception and admirable resolve, and now his innate talent is finally showing—his future is bright.”

He smiled slightly: “If the latent dragon spiritual body can continue to evolve, there’s still the soaring dragon sacred body and the legendary imperial dragon immortal body.

Of course, if Junior Brother Reed has other opportunities, the latent dragon spiritual body might even transform into some other, even more outstanding cultivation physique.”

Jason Reed: “I don’t dare hope for too much, but thank you for your kind words, Senior Brother Wang.”

Emily Grant: “Less than two months remain until the ordination ceremony, and Master still hasn’t emerged from seclusion.”

Elder Grant: “The sect leader previously issued a decree—he will come out for the New Year this time. Be patient.”

Emily Grant nodded, then looked at Jason Reed:

“Since we’re waiting for Master to come out, do you want to give it a try?

Now that you’ve awakened the latent dragon spiritual body, your chances are better.”

In other words, without the latent dragon spiritual body, the chances would be very slim... Jason Reed wasn’t surprised by this conclusion.

The slim chance before was all thanks to Emily Grant’s reputation and the Celestial Master’s own intentions.

To be a direct disciple of the Celestial Master is a different matter altogether.

Not to mention that the Celestial Master himself is the top expert of Longhu Mountain, one of the greatest figures in the Daoist world, and being personally taught by him is incomparable to any other elder.

In every other respect, the treatment is also far beyond what ordinary disciples can expect.