nownovels Chapter 421: Kang Zongdan's Judgment
Chapter 421: Kang Zongdan's Judgment
An immortal cultivator.
Kang Zongdan was absolutely certain that his judgment could not be wrong. The aura radiating from the young man before him could only be found in two types of people.
One was a hermit who had weathered life's storms, experienced great rises and falls, and seen through the warmth and cold of the human world.
The other was an immortal cultivator, detached from the mortal realm, ethereal and otherworldly.
Clearly, judging by the apparent age of this young man, he could not possibly be a hermit who had experienced such dramatic ups and downs.
Therefore, he could only be an immortal cultivator.
Kang Zongdan would never forget that year when he was thirty years old, traveling alone through various nations as a Martial Master.
As the master of the main branch, the fourth son of Kang Minxi, from the day he was born, Kang Zongdan had never been considered a candidate for the next head of the Kang Family.
That was until he met that great senior, clad in deep green daoist robes.
That great senior had been severely wounded at the time and needed to recuperate. He had been staying in a dilapidated temple in the mountains, unable to move about freely.And Kang Zongdan, who happened to be hunting wild boars in the mountains back then, stumbled into that rundown temple and encountered that gravely wounded immortal cultivator.
That great senior in the deep green daoist robes told Kang Zongdan about the characteristics of certain spiritual herbs that could occasionally be found even in the mortal world—herbs he himself needed—and asked Kang Zongdan to help him search for these rare plants.
As a direct descendant of the Kang Family, Kang Zongdan was well-traveled and had made friends with many heroes and talents from various places.
But he had never seen the kind of aura emanating from that middle-aged man in deep green robes, sitting in that dilapidated temple.
So Kang Zongdan readily agreed to the great senior's request and immediately used his connections and wealth to gather the few spiritual herbs that middle-aged man was seeking.
It took Kang Zongdan about two months to collect all those spiritual herbs.
Then that immortal cultivator began using those herbal medicines to treat and recover from his severe injuries.
During this time, Kang Zongdan also witnessed just a fraction of that immortal cultivator's extraordinary abilities.
As repayment, that great senior in deep green daoist robes decided to take Kang Zongdan as his disciple.
This great senior knew that Kang Zongdan's talent for cultivation was very poor.
And in truth, it was even worse than he had imagined.
With Kang Zongdan's talent, forget about being taken as a disciple—he couldn't even step foot through the threshold of the sect's outer court.
At that time, this immortal cultivator was merely a mid-stage Qi Sea Realm cultivator. Due to certain reasons, he had been attacked and barely escaped with his life. Within his sect, he was just an Inner Court Protector with little real influence.
So all he could promise Kang Zongdan was that in sixty years, he would send someone to choose disciples from among his descendants.
Kang Zongdan had been deeply disappointed at first, but he quickly came to terms with it.
After all, who could he blame? His talent only went this far. What could he do about it?
He agreed to the great senior's terms, then returned to the Kang Mansion in Jiangdu Prefecture.
By this time, Kang Zongdan's physique had already undergone a certain degree of tempering. He was a cultivator who had just entered the early stage of Body Forging Realm.
For the ordinary Martial Masters in the mansion back then, Kang Zongdan, even at the Body Forging Realm, was a complete and utter game-changer.
Soon enough, Kang Zongdan's rise attracted the attention of the then-current Kang Family head, Kang Minxi, and many of the clan elders.
The position of family head was to be inherited by the eldest legitimate son, unless the eldest was utterly incompetent or had committed some irredeemable mistake, in which case the succession would move down the line.
That was the rule.
But Kang Zongdan's appearance shattered this rule.
Because he was far too brilliant—so brilliant that, in the entire two-hundred-plus-year history of the Kang Family, everyone's martial arts level, including the few Martial Arts Grandmasters, was left far, far behind by Kang Zongdan.
To the point where Kang Zongdan's elder brother willingly gave up his right to inherit the position of family head and passed it to Kang Zongdan instead.
Now, several decades had passed.
When he saw that young man standing in the hall, Kang Zongdan couldn't help but recall the great senior in deep green daoist robes he had encountered all those years ago.
That great senior had told him that he came from a colossal existence that the vast majority of immortal cultivators in this world could only look up to.
Mirage Palace.
At this moment, there were a total of nine people in the hall.
They were Kang Zongdan and his six sons.
Along with Chen Yan and Su Hongzhen.
Hearing what Kang Keyang had just said, the other brothers were clearly wavering somewhat.
This kid's swordsmanship could surpass Second Brother's?
Absolute nonsense!
But no one spoke, because only Kang Zongdan had the right to speak now.
Kang Zongdan's gaze fell on Chen Yan. He was silent for two breaths, then slowly spoke:
"Fellow Daoist, you are too kind."
Chen Yan, standing in the hall, just smiled without saying a word.
Fellow Daoist?
Hearing their father's address to that young man, everyone was stunned, including Su Hongzhen, who wore a bewildered expression.
"Keyang! Hurry up and offer seats to our two honored guests!"
Kang Zongdan said sternly in Kang Keyang's direction.
"Yes!"
Kang Keyang, still kneeling, scrambled to his feet. He pulled over two chairs and placed them behind Chen Yan and Su Hongzhen, then said:
"Please, have a seat, both of you!"
Chen Yan nodded and sat down.
Su Hongzhen, standing beside Chen Yan, followed suit.
"May I ask, Fellow Daoist, which sect do you hail from?"
Kang Zongdan asked Chen Yan.
"I am but a humble Rogue Cultivator, with no sect or master to claim."
Chen Yan answered with a light smile.
"I see."
Kang Zongdan nodded, then continued:
"Might I inquire, Fellow Daoist, as to the purpose of your visit to my humble abode...?"
He didn't finish the question, instead waiting for Chen Yan to answer.
"The Great Yu is currently in chaos with war, and the situation in Liaolong is hardly optimistic. I simply wish to find a relatively peaceful place to rest for a few days."
Chen Yan said.
"I see."
Kang Zongdan said:
"I, this old man, would be happy to provide you, Fellow Daoist, with a secluded residence here in Jiangdu Prefecture. If you don't find it too beneath your notice..."
Fellow Daoist? Honored guest? A secluded residence?
The words coming from Kang Zongdan's mouth exploded like thunderclaps in the hearts of his sons.
Aside from Kang Keyang, the other five already knew something of the matter.
Immortal cultivators.
Kang Zongdan had long told them and the other clan elders that before long, an immortal sect would come to the Kang Mansion to select disciples.
And immortal cultivators were beings that they, as mere martial artists, could only look up to.
Just a while ago, the scene of their father casually crushing the iron balls in his hand with sheer grip strength was still fresh in their memories.