“These things mean nothing to me. I just want to stay in the Falling Snow Sect.” Ian Quinn let out a sigh. Though his voice was low, his expression was resolutely firm.

“Junior Brother Quinn, why must you be so stubborn?” Perhaps out of appreciation for talent, the white-robed immortal envoy’s tone softened considerably. “What use is there for you to stay? The Spirit Awakening Pill is already gone, and you should know that to obtain a spiritual root, you must awaken your spirit before the age of eighteen. How old are you now? You were born in the first month, right? In this short half year, it’s impossible for you to get another Spirit Awakening Pill.”

“Once missed, it’s missed. Take my advice: even if we mortals set foot on the path of cultivation, the difficulties we face are beyond your imagination. Why not be content, become a wealthy man, or go learn some peerless martial arts…”

Chapter 11: Elder of the Immortal Sect

“I understand, but I am unwilling, Senior Brother. If the Immortal Sect truly wishes to compensate me, just let me stay.” Ian Quinn’s expression was as stubborn as ever. “I don’t want the Spirit Awakening Pill. Just let me remain in the sect, and that’s enough.”

“Why put yourself through this? Without spirit awakening, what future or meaning is there in staying?” The white-robed immortal envoy sighed.

“Perhaps so, but I know that if I want to walk the path of cultivation, even if the prospects are bleak, as long as I stay here, there’s still a sliver of hope. If I leave, then that last bit of chance is as good as given up.”

“Where is there still hope?” The white-robed immortal envoy wanted to argue, but seeing Ian Quinn’s earnest expression and stubborn look, he couldn’t bring himself to say more. He could only sigh, “This matter is not for me to decide.”

Ian Quinn fell silent. At last, he bowed deeply in salute. “Ian Quinn does not want gold or silver, nor does he wish to learn martial arts. I only ask Senior Brother to convey my intentions to the elders of the Immortal Sect. I have no other requests—just to stay is enough to fulfill my wish.”

“You…”

The white-robed man didn’t know how to persuade him. A trace of difficulty appeared on his face. To be honest, he greatly admired Ian Quinn’s steadfast character, but he did not approve of his choice.

As the saying goes, human strength has its limits; rebelling against fate is not so easy.

He had only half a year left before turning eighteen. In this situation, it was impossible to obtain another Spirit Awakening Pill. The white-robed man truly couldn’t imagine what chance he had left to turn things around.

To set foot on the immortal path was nothing short of a fantasy.

Yet the other party refused to give up, even rejecting the compensation offered by the Immortal Sect without hesitation. Gold and silver, or peerless martial arts—though they couldn’t put him on the path of immortality, they could allow him, as a mortal, to command the winds and clouds and live a carefree life.

But the other party discarded them like worn-out shoes. Such behavior seemed utterly foolish to outsiders, but didn’t it also prove the firmness of his resolve?

The white-robed man sighed again, wanting to persuade further. However, at that moment, a cold voice suddenly reached his ears: “Why be so stubborn? Do you think cultivation is so easy? Not to mention you’ve already been stripped of your qualification by the Immortal Sect—even if you still had a chance to awaken your spirit, how far could you go? Most likely, you wouldn’t even reach Foundation Establishment. After a hundred years, you’d still be a handful of yellow earth. Wouldn’t it be better to live happily as a wealthy mortal?”

The voice came abruptly, icy to the bone, yet incomparably melodious. Ian Quinn and the white-robed immortal envoy were both stunned. When had a third person entered this place? They hurriedly turned toward the voice, and a peerless woman appeared before their eyes.

She was slender and graceful, standing tall and elegant. Her emerald green attire set off her icy, flawless skin, making her beauty incomparable, yet her bearing was pure and transcendent.

In all his life, Ian Quinn had never seen such a beautiful woman. Her radiance was truly hard to look at directly, and he quickly lowered his head. The white-robed man behind him, however, was shocked, bowing deeply to the ground, his expression filled with utmost respect. “Disciple Sean Thomas greets Elder Murray. Elder, what brings you here today?”

“I was passing by Treasure Vault Peak and heard an argument, so I came in to take a look.” With that, she turned to the young man beside her. “You are Ian Quinn?”

“Yes, junior is indeed.”

Ian Quinn hurriedly bowed deeply as well. Though he had never met this woman, he had heard the white-robed immortal envoy’s words clearly.

Elder Murray—that title almost made him doubt his ears. In the Falling Snow Sect, aside from the sect master, the most respected positions belonged to the ten inner sect elders.

Legend had it that all ten were blessed with great fortune, having already surpassed Foundation Establishment and achieved mastery of the Golden Core. In Ian Quinn’s imagination, even if they weren’t white-haired and wrinkled, they should at least be old and frail. He never dreamed he would see such a stunningly beautiful young woman.

But he quickly recalled a book he had read, which described the relationship between a cultivator’s age and appearance. It was said that a cultivator’s realm was directly proportional to their lifespan.

Qi Refining cultivators were still within the bounds of mortals, so they could live at most about a hundred years. But once Foundation Establishment was achieved, lifespan could more than double, and living two hundred years was not a problem. If one had the chance to go further and become an enviable Golden Core ancestor, as long as they didn’t fall in battle or suffer a cultivation mishap, congratulations—one might very well celebrate their five-hundredth birthday in this lifetime.