Fu Qinglan's doubts had nothing to do with looking down on rogue cultivators. Anyone who could make a name for themselves without the support of a sect or cultivation family clearly possessed abilities of their own. The problem was that the Mirage Dragon Pocket World imposed a strict requirement: Only those who had formed their Nascent Soul within the past hundred years qualified to be Dao Protectors. For most newly minted Sages, a century was barely enough time to stabilize their cultivation and begin finding their way forward. 

Those with a proper inheritance naturally had it much easier, as everything from techniques and enchanted treasures to cultivation resources had long since been planned out for them. Hence, they could devote far more time to strengthening themselves. Yu Xu's Dao Protector was a perfect example—whatever circumstances had forced Heavengazer to leave the Southern Frontier and join the Dao Sect, he had once been the leader of the Heavengazer Sect. Years at the head of an upper sect had given him both a solid inheritance and extensive combat experience.

But a rogue cultivator? They faced an entirely different struggle. For many of them, simply forming a Nascent Soul was already an incredible stroke of fortune, let alone making further progress afterward. Out of a hundred years, most of their time would probably be spent stabilizing their cultivation, while the rest would go toward searching for suitable cultivation grounds, resources, and perhaps even new cultivation techniques. With all that, where would they find the time to nurture powerful enchanted treasures and hone their combat ability? 

That was precisely what...