Chapter 2: Chapter 2: Embracing the Life of a Celebrity Cultivator
The island's warm sunlight filtered through the thin canopy as Lu Fan strolled down a familiar path, heading toward the boundary formations he was responsible for maintaining. Around him, the island buzzed with activity: farmers tending to crops, children playing along the narrow dirt paths, and elderly clansmen nodding respectfully as he passed. For the people of this island, Lu Fan was their guardian, their only cultivator, and they treated him as such.
The formations surrounding the island acted as a barrier against the occasional spirit beast wandering from the outer seas. While the island was generally peaceful, every year or so, a creature would appear, attracted by the lingering qi that saturated the air. The formation stones and spirit channels were not sophisticated by mainland standards, but they created a strong enough barrier to keep the beasts out and served as an alarm system for the island.
As Lu Fan finished inspecting one of the formation stones, he smiled with satisfaction. The spiritual veins that pulsed through the island's core were stable, and the formations were holding strong. The islanders had nothing to worry about—he had taken good care of their defenses.
With his task completed, Lu Fan made his way back up the mountain, where a small, one-acre plot of spiritual land lay nestled in a secluded glen. The plot was modest but sufficient for a single mid-level Qi cultivator like him, thanks to the pseudo-spiritual vein running through the mountain. Here, he cultivated a variety of low-grade spiritual herbs, which he sold to merchants from the mainland, providing him a decent income for his role as the island's protector.
As he approached the wooden shed that served as his residence, Lu Fan found himself studying the fields and the mountainside with a newfound sense of purpose. The original Lu Fan's ambition had been simple: survive and cultivate. But with his memories and knowledge from a world beyond, he knew there could be more to life here. Living in isolation and toiling in the fields, however peaceful, no longer satisfied him.
After some reflection, he made a decision. If he was to make this island his home, he'd embrace it fully—and that included starting a family. He would find a wife, someone from the island who would not only add companionship to his life but, hopefully, produce children who could inherit his spiritual roots. For cultivators like him, family was more than a tradition; it was a practical way to pass on their legacy and perhaps even cultivate talent within future generations.
He called for a gathering of the island's elders that evening, explaining his intentions. They were overjoyed at his decision, seeing it as both a privilege and an opportunity to strengthen the island's lineage. Within days, they began bringing young women to him, each introduced with reverence and respect, their backgrounds presented like offerings.
Lu Fan knew exactly what he wanted, though. While each young woman was polite and charming, one caught his eye—a woman named Yan Mei, with lustrous, dark hair and a captivating figure that made her stand out from the others. Her beauty was undeniably alluring, her presence confident yet soft. While he knew he was being somewhat superficial, Lu Fan felt no shame in his choice; this was his life to live as he pleased.
The wedding ceremony was simple, held under the setting sun in the presence of their island family. Yan Mei was dressed in a traditional red robe, adorned with a modest jade pendant around her neck. Her beauty captivated him anew, and as they exchanged vows, he felt a rare warmth he hadn't expected.
That evening, under the soft glow of moonlight in his wooden shed, Lu Fan let himself indulge in the pleasure of Yan Mei's company. They celebrated their union in the quiet privacy of the mountainside, leaving behind the simple life he had once envisioned in favor of something fuller and more fulfilling.
As the night wore on, Lu Fan realized that his life on the island had truly begun. With a family of his own, new responsibilities, and the respect of his fellow clansmen, he felt more at peace with this second life. While cultivation no longer consumed his every thought, he sensed a quiet strength growing within him, born not from spiritual roots or techniques but from the choices he made as he embraced his role in this world.
Weekly Power Status
-- Power
Ranking 
-- Power
stone