Chapter 453: Young Man, You and I Are Fated! Number One of Jinmen

Xu family youth, Xu Jiuliou.

Though cultivating the Dao on a famed mountain, he’s a worthless bottom-tier failure.

In the past, lowly names were thought to help children thrive, yet bearing this name felt as if fate itself had sealed his destiny.

In Lin Haitang’s words, this youth, amidst the Xu family’s countless talents, was useless at everything, ate everything but left nothing behind, born without the destiny to cultivate—the very fact he bore the Xu surname disgraced his ancestors and shamed his forebears.

Precisely because of this, Xu Jiuliou had come to Xiling Mountain to cultivate his spirit and temper his nature.

After all, this was where Xu Zu had ascended to immortality; perhaps his family hoped that, if their ancestor’s spirit watched from above, it might awaken this dullard’s mind.

“Is he really that bad?”

Zhang Fan stared at the nearly frantic youth, whose demeanor mirrored a failing student raging helplessly over unsolvable homework.

“Even Xu Zu would jump down from heaven to see him,” Lin Haitang couldn’t help saying.

The relationship between Xiling Mountain and the Xu family was no ordinary matter; every year, the Xu family sent many clan disciples here for quiet cultivation, like a Daoist summer camp.

Over the years, Lin Haitang had seen many Xu disciples, and in terms of sheer lack of talent, none could compare to this Xu Jiuliou.

“The Xu family’s ancestral technique is the [Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method], a profound and vast art…” Lin Haitang said solemnly.

The Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method is a pure yang, boundless technique; after entering, one advances step by step, ascending one level after another until reaching perfection.

When truly mastered, it rivals the pure yang, boundless arts.

For most Xu disciples, entering the method is not difficult, and becoming proficient merely requires hard work; mastery demands talent, and achieving minor success is one in ten thousand…

“The entrance technique of the Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method is not complex: one visualizes and contemplates the image of [Xu Zu’s Sword], guiding the spirit to form a seed of sword qi within the body,” Lin Haitang explained.

Though she herself could not practice the [Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method], she had heard of this entrance technique.

Once the [sword qi seed] is formed, foundation establishment is complete, and all future cultivation rests upon it.

The true Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method has nineteen cultivation paths, all Xu family secrets; each person chooses a different path, even gains different insights, and thus cultivates a unique [Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method].

This is what is meant by: the Dao has no fixed form, techniques give rise to myriad forms.

One seed gives rise to one method, one method gives rise to countless methods—each unique to the individual—that is the supreme inheritance.

But all of this must be built upon successfully establishing foundation and condensing the [sword qi seed].

“This kid can’t even establish foundation?” Zhang Fan couldn’t help saying.

“It’s not just that he can’t establish foundation,” Lin Haitang shook her head.

She’d heard that an elder in the Xu family once performed crown transmission on him—forcing the formation of a sword qi seed directly within his body, like feeding him with a spoon.

Yet, barely three days after the seed formed, it…

“Dissolved!” Lin Haitang sighed.

“Dissolved!?” Zhang Fan exclaimed.

Even Zhu Yumian couldn’t help but show a startled expression.

“It’s an utter disgrace to the ancestor,” Lin Haitang lamented. “Xu disciples who can’t forge a sword, yet can’t even withstand their elders’ crown transmission…”

This was beyond help—no matter how hard you tried, you couldn’t lift him up.

“No wonder,” Zhang Fan realized.

Back then, Xu Changshou, no matter how unsuccessful, had at least established foundation and condensed a sword qi seed; he merely chose the wrong path among the nineteen methods, and once chosen, there was no turning back.

After years of such turmoil, his Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method made no further progress, and he grew disheartened, leaving the Xu family and eventually wandering to Fujiao Mountain, where he unexpectedly gained an opportunity and discovered the true intent left behind by Xu Zu when he slew the dragon serpent.

That allowed his [Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method] to break through, forging an entirely unique path.

By comparison, this youth named Xu Jiuliou was truly a waste—he couldn’t even establish foundation; calling him the least talented was entirely fitting.

“I cultivate, cultivate, cultivate… I cultivate your damn stinking foot…”

Suddenly, beneath the tree, the youth grew frantic again; he sat cross-legged, his body riddled with flaws, his consciousness agitated, the three corpses leaping wildly, demonic fire erupting in his spirit, nearly burning through every limb and vein.

Clearly, this boy was no material for cultivation.

“Young man, if you keep screaming like this, you’ll fall into demonic madness.”

Zhang Fan watched Xu Jiuliou like a monkey robbed of its banana and couldn’t help teasing him.

“Who the hell dares to tell me what to do…”

Xu Jiuliou roared, suddenly lifting his head—and saw Zhang Fan standing afar.

At just one glance, his face changed drastically; he toppled backward, crashing hard against the tree.

“You… you…”

Xu Jiuliou stared at Zhang Fan, pointing at him, voice trembling, face filled with shock.

“What’s wrong, little Jiuliou? Still misbehaving after two months here?”

Lin Haitang stepped forward, her beautiful eyes narrowing with the authority of an elder sister.

Xu Jiuliou didn’t recognize Zhang Fan, but he knew Lin Haitang.

Yet now, he didn’t even look at her—his gaze locked entirely on Zhang Fan.

“He… he…”

“What about him?” Lin Haitang asked, puzzled by Xu Jiuliou’s expression.

The boy looked like he’d seen a ghost.

“I just saw him…” Xu Jiuliou hesitated, unable to finish.

“Saw what about him?” Zhang Fan, equally confused, asked.

Why was this kid reacting like this to him!?

“I saw a dragon coiled above your head, and a tiger lying beneath your feet…” Xu Jiuliou exclaimed.

“It was there just now, gone now.”

At these words, Zhu Yumian and Lin Haitang’s expressions shifted slightly; they turned to look at Zhang Fan.

“Hm!?”

Zhang Fan raised an eyebrow, studying Xu Jiuliou, his gaze turning peculiar.

Strange beings manifest strange signs—how could such things be ordinary?

It felt as if fate itself had ordained it.

“Little Jiuliou, I told you before: cultivation begins with cultivating the heart. You’re nearly falling into demonic madness,” Lin Haitang couldn’t help saying.

She stepped forward, helping him up; upon hearing her, he glanced again at Zhang Fan, then sighed in relief.

“Guess I’ll just be a good-for-nothing playboy who eats and waits to die,” Xu Jiuliou said helplessly.

Xu Zu’s divine powers, the Xu family’s glory, the mystery of Dao arts, the hope of immortality… these seemed utterly unrelated to his life.

“Young man, you and I are fated.”

At that moment, Zhang Fan stepped forward.

“Hm!? Who are you?” Xu Jiuliou asked, staring at Zhang Fan.

“I’m Zhao Jiexuan,” Zhang Fan said softly.

He studied Xu Jiuliou: eighteen or nineteen years old, five or six years younger than Zhang Fan, standing one meter seventy-eight tall, not particularly handsome but with distinct features, highly recognizable, and his body was sturdy.

“He’s a skilled expert,” Lin Haitang warned.

No matter how much she explained about the Xijiang region, this kid wouldn’t understand.

“Brother Zhao.”

Xu Jiuliou showed none of the arrogance of a pure yang clan scion—he was remarkably well-behaved.

“Your Slaying the Dragon Serpent Method isn’t even close to complete,” Zhang Fan murmured.

“Not even close? I’d like to curse his whole damn lineage…” Xu Jiuliou blurted out angrily.

The words died on his lips; he glanced around and offered a sheepish smile.

“I haven’t even found the door yet,” Xu Jiuliou said helplessly.