I gradually understood everything

"Are you... really not considering cultivation? Just come with me, I'll bring you to join a sect," the woman couldn't help but ask again.

Chen Xia dropped the tiger's head on the ground. His mind rarely engaged in thought, but perhaps hearing the woman's earlier mention of being able to eat one's fill, he nodded in agreement.

"Alright."

The woman chuckled lightly, her eyes twinkling as she shook her head and said, "My name is Zhou Jia. From now on, I'll likely be your senior sister. Remember that."

"Mm." Chen Xia nodded again, his small, thin frame staring blankly at the moon in the sky.

There were many things in his mind, but he just couldn't recall them. This had become a very troubling issue for him.

The ruins at the edge of the small town were no longer Chen Xia's home. The old tree had finally withered, the stream had dried up, and the crow had died this winter.

Wildflowers sprouted from the roadside, pushing out new buds.

A frail young boy now accompanied Zhou Jia. He usually didn't say a word, just blankly thinking about his own affairs, appearing quite foolish, with a kind of pure innocence about him.

Fortunately, due to Zhou Jia's presence, others didn't dare to gossip about Chen Xia.

Zhou Jia didn't linger in the small town for long. She only dealt with some trivial matters, chatted briefly with cultivators from other sects, and then prepared to leave with Chen Xia.

She bought Chen Xia a set of clothes. They didn't fit perfectly, but they were warm to wear.

Chen Xia wore them crookedly, looking like a street hooligan. One could only say he had his own sense of style.

Zhou Jia couldn't help but smile at the sight. She stepped forward to help Chen Xia straighten his clothes, but they were still a bit disheveled. It would have to do.

"Today we're preparing to return to the sect. Is there anything you need to pack, or any last things you want to do?"

Chen Xia nodded and walked towards the back alley. Before leaving, he gave the stray dog a kick.

This was the last thing he did in the small town.

The stray dog barked "woof woof" behind him, as if bidding him farewell.

Zhou Jia took him away that day, first walking for twenty miles, then using a flying shuttle to travel. By dusk, they arrived at the foot of a tall mountain.

"This is our sect, the Cloud-top Sword Sect. It was once a flourishing sword cultivation sect, but unfortunately, it has declined now, losing its former glory," Zhou Jia introduced to Chen Xia.

Chen Xia didn't understand these things, just nodding as if he comprehended.

The two didn't linger at the mountain's foot for long. With a flash of the flying shuttle, they quickly reached the summit, arriving directly at the main gate.

There were no guards, so they entered smoothly.

"Senior Sister," cultivators who saw Zhou Jia along the way bowed respectfully, then curiously glanced at Chen Xia, guessing his identity.

The two went straight ahead, directly to the largest main hall.

Zhou Jia's status in the Cloud-top Sword Sect seemed extremely high. Even some fierce-looking elders were very respectful to her.

When Zhou Jia reached the great hall, even those supreme elders sitting in high positions had to stand up.

"After two years of travel, I've found a good seedling for the Cloud-top Sword Sect. Let him join my Floating Sword lineage as my junior brother," Zhou Jia calmly addressed everyone.

In the main hall, even those of the lowest status were elders, yet no one dared to contradict the woman's words. They just looked at each other.

Unable to object, yet unwilling to agree, the scene became awkward.

"What are you hesitating about? Feel free to speak," Zhou Jia said with a calm expression.

A supreme elder stood up and cupped his hands, saying, "There's something that must be said. The Cloud-top Sword Sect has always required examinations for accepting disciples. This is a rule passed down from our ancestors. Now, you want to bring him in with just a word. This seems to go against the rules..."

Zhou Jia smiled lightly and replied, "I said he's a good seedling, which means he has passed my examination. With me here as a guarantee, what are you worried about?"

"This... but..." The supreme elder stammered, clearly not daring to offend Zhou Jia, and could only nod and say, "Then let's do as you say."

The other elders remained silent.

Today in the main hall, Chen Xia entered the Cloud-top Sword Sect with zero votes, clearly breaking a record.

But soon another problem arose.

Chen Xia didn't know how to use a sword at all. He didn't even seem to know what a sword was.

He pointed at a kitchen knife and called it a sword, saying anything that could kill was a sword.

This wasn't right. Even if he couldn't use a sword, he should at least be able to recognize one.

So Chen Xia's disciple status was lowered one level, making him a probationary disciple.

This seemed more reasonable.

But he soon displayed other unreasonable behaviors. He never cultivated, and when he had free time, he just zoned out.

He never listened to the cultivation methods taught by the sect. He even lost the sword he was given, saying the sword ran away on its own.

This infuriated the elders. They thought, why don't you run away yourself?

Because Zhou Jia was backing Chen Xia, the many elders couldn't directly expel him from the sect. They could only criticize Chen Xia.

But Chen Xia wasn't afraid of criticism, not even of physical punishment.

The many elders couldn't see how he was a good seedling, and Zhou Jia showed no intention of disciplining him. Gradually, the elders gave up on him.

They just treated him as an idle person the Cloud-top Sword Sect kept to please Zhou Jia.

This was Chen Xia's first year in the Cloud-top Sword Sect. He spent it in a daze, and suddenly some things appeared in his mind, some very hazy things.

He seemed to remember a little bit about himself.

Something about Weixi Town, something about being a patrolman...

But what he remembered was still very little and chaotic. He couldn't piece it together, so his mind remained muddled.

Cultivation in the Cloud-top Sword Sect was very monotonous. For Chen Xia, apart from zoning out, there was only more zoning out. No one managed him, only Zhou Jia would occasionally come to say a few words to him, praising him as definitely being a good seedling, just not yet at the point of rising up.

Chen Xia also felt this was indeed the case.

Several more years passed.

Chen Xia was no longer a child, but had become a youth. His body was no longer so frail, but he still loved to zone out, thinking about vague things.

Now he remembered more, but his mind was still unclear.

Some cultivators would curiously ask him what he thought about all day.

Chen Xia just patted his head and chuckled, replying, "Shh, I'm growing a brain."

"Strange," the cultivators all shook their heads, not understanding or comprehending, just feeling that Senior Sister Zhou's junior brother was truly peculiar.

And Chen Xia soon displayed other strange phenomena.

For example, he stopped growing, always maintaining the appearance of a youth.

It was as if time had no effect on him. Even his facial features showed not the slightest change.

Many cultivators found this strange, and Zhou Jia came to inquire.

Chen Xia only replied, "I'm starting to gradually understand everything."

At this moment, four words appeared in his mind:

Blue Sky Sword Sea.