"That''s right. A lot of cultivators knew about the secrets of the Nine Dragon Cauldrons. Some of them died while searching for the cauldrons, but the smart ones hid themselves and observed in the dark. They will steal it when someone obtains a cauldron, so the cauldron won''t belong to you even if you found it if you can''t fight against them."


    Wilbur fell into silence. There were a lot of cultivators, after all. Wilbur was powerful, but he knew that they were a lot of cultivators hiding in the dark. Although they did not challenge him, it did not mean that they were inferior to him. He feared that he would not be able to secure the eighth dragon cauldron if they decided to intervene.


    The old man said, "In this world, it''s the survival of the fittest, and humans can be greedy. You will be targeted if you have something they don''t. If you''re not powerful enough to protect what you own, it will eventually fall into the hands of others. You might even die in the process. So, you should be careful and act within your capabilities."


    Wilbur looked at the old man and asked, "Do you mean I should leave Gelsa, sir?"


    The old man replied, "It''s as you saw. I''m lonely here. You''re the first person who hase here in thirty years, so I''m very d to see you. Therefore, I won''t ask you to leave, but I won''t stop you if you want to leave. ording to the rules, you can''t ask about the eighth dragon cauldron once you walk out of Gelsa unless ten years have passed, which means you won''t have a shot within the next ten years."


    Wilbur took a deep breath and said, "I can''t wait another decade. If you give me a chance, I think I''m capable enough to find the eighth dragon cauldron, sir."


    "I''m giving you a chance right now, but you just don''t know it yet. Did you see the wood outside the cabin just now? From today onwards, you should chop wood every day. Remember that you can''t use spiritual energy and your unique powers. You can only use your physical strength. I''ll tell you where the eighth cauldron is when you can split the wood apart."


    "Chopping wood? Does it have anything to do with the eighth dragon cauldron?" "Shut up. Stay if you want to or leave."


    The old man ignored Wilbur and drank his soup, which troubled Wilbur a lot. Wilbur went to the back of the cabin in the afternoon. He picked up the axe and started to practice chopping wood.


    He discovered after a few tries that without using spiritual energy or powers, he could not chop the wood with just his physical strength. The wood was as sturdy as a rock, so it was hard to chop.


    "Phew."


    Wilbur panted and tossed the axe to the side. Then, he ran towards Lake Brant. He saw the old man fishing on the ice from afar. He walked towards him and asked, "Why are you ying tricks on me, sir? I came here to look for the eighth dragon cauldron, but you''re making me chop wood."


    The old man looked calm in the snow. He replied, "Stay if you want to, or leave. No one is stopping you."


    "Damn you! Fine, I''ll leave!"


    Wilbur felt fooled, so he angrily walked away. After he walked for a few steps, the old man said, "It''s such a pity. You''ll have to wait for another ten more years if you leave."