"You were born with damaged meridians and a fragile foundation," Li Shen's superior once told him. "Only by reaching the Seventh Stage of Spirit Awakening can a cultivator reshape their mortal body and rebuild their life force. That is the only way you might overcome your condition."
Li Shen looked up and asked calmly, "Is it very difficult?"
His superior gave a dry laugh.
"In the two hundred years since the Azure Empire was founded, no one has reached the Seventh Stage before the age of thirty."
Li Shen remained silent for a moment.
Then a bright smile appeared on his face.
"No one before… doesn't mean no one after."
His eyes shone with determination.
"I want to try."
His superior stared at him for a long moment before sighing.
"Kid, your comprehension really is exceptional. But cultivation depends on more than talent. It requires time… and resources."
He shook his head.
"Look at the strongest cultivators in the empire today. The Grand Protector, the Heavenly Scholars, the leaders of the great sects—every one of them was born into powerful families and trained for decades."
"I know the odds are small," Li Shen replied.
"But I don't want to die young."
He shrugged slightly.
"If I succeed, I live. If I fail… nothing changes."
"Isn't that worth trying?"
His superior said nothing more.
But the expression in his eyes carried a trace of pity.
---
From that day onward, Li Shen devoted nearly every moment to cultivation.
When others ate, he cultivated.
When others slept, he cultivated.
When others relaxed and visited taverns, he cultivated.
At the same time, he volunteered for more spirit-hunting missions than anyone else in the Spirit Warden Office.
Every mission earned merit credits.
And those credits could be exchanged for resources:
spirit pills
magical talismans
cultivation manuals
or enchanted artifacts.
Li Shen had no powerful family to support him.
Merit credits were the only way he could obtain the resources necessary to grow stronger.
Thirteen years was not much time.
And the Seventh Stage of cultivation was unimaginably distant.
He had to make use of every moment.
---
Dong… Dong… Dong…
The deep sound of the midnight bell echoed across the city.
At this hour, Blackwater City was already asleep.
The only people still awake were the night watchmen.
They walked the streets carrying lanterns, striking wooden clappers and shouting warnings into the darkness.
"Close your doors!"
"Do not wander outside after midnight!"
Li Shen followed the uneven stone road through several narrow alleys before arriving at a wide avenue.
This road was called Guardian Street, the central road of Blackwater City.
Two large government compounds stood opposite each other across the street.
On the eastern side was the City Magistrate's Office, where ordinary legal matters were handled.
On the western side stood the headquarters of the Spirit Warden Office.
Outside the magistrate's building stood two massive statues of mythical beasts representing justice and law.
Outside the Spirit Warden compound stood two towering stone lions.
Their open jaws and fierce expressions symbolized courage and protection.
Even restless spirits were said to fear passing between them.
The arrangement of the two buildings made something very clear.
In the Azure Empire, the Spirit Warden Office held immense authority.
Its agents dealt with supernatural threats—matters beyond the reach of ordinary officials.
And they answered directly to the imperial court.
Li Shen walked between the stone lions and climbed the steps into the compound.
Inside, a dim oil lamp burned quietly.
A lone man sat at a wooden desk reviewing documents.
The man was thin and wore a dark official robe embroidered with small patterns of stars.
He was Li Shen's direct superior.
Master Yan Rui, the chief administrator of the Blackwater City Spirit Warden Office.
The position of administrator corresponded roughly to a seventh-rank official within the empire's hierarchy.
His responsibility was simple in theory but difficult in practice:
Oversee all supernatural incidents within the city and surrounding region.
In modern terms, he was essentially the director of the Spirit Warden branch stationed in Blackwater City.
Li Shen stepped forward and bowed respectfully.
"Sir Yan, I've returned."
Yan Rui didn't immediately look up from the documents.
"Mission completed?"
"Yes."
Li Shen removed a small jade pendant from his waist and placed it on the desk.
With two light taps of his finger, the pendant began to glow.
A faint projection appeared above it.
The recording replayed Li Shen's earlier encounter with the Grave Wraiths in the alley.
Every Spirit Warden carried such a pendant.
It served two important purposes.
First, it recorded the details of each mission to prevent false claims of achievements.
Second, the recordings provided valuable information for the Office's research into supernatural entities.
Yan Rui watched the recording from the corner of his eye while continuing to write.
A moment later, the projection ended.
He frowned.
"That's all?"
"That's all," Li Shen replied.
"They were destroyed too quickly."
Yan Rui raised an eyebrow.
"You're not exactly humble, are you?"
"I'm simply describing the situation."
"Hmph. Play it again."
Li Shen activated the pendant once more.
This time, Yan Rui set down his brush and watched carefully.
As the recording progressed, his expression slowly changed.
"What talisman was that?"
"The Starfire Spirit-Sealing Talisman," Li Shen replied.
"You taught me the basic formula last month."
Yan Rui snorted.
"I certainly didn't teach you a version that powerful."
Li Shen smiled.
"I made a few adjustments."
"A few adjustments?" Yan Rui repeated skeptically.
Li Shen didn't argue.
In this world, talisman crafting was sometimes called the written language of heaven.
Through symbols and spiritual patterns, cultivators could communicate with the natural forces of the world.
But the study of talismans was extremely difficult.
Their patterns were complex, their meanings layered and mysterious.
Mastering them required immense patience and extraordinary comprehension.
Because of this, many cultivators avoided the discipline entirely.
Some even mocked talisman users.
They claimed that true warriors should wield blades and charge directly into battle.
Only cowards hid behind paper charms.
Of course, those words were usually spoken by people who lacked the talent to understand talisman arts.
The imperial court's own Celestial Adviser was said to be a master of talismans.
Legend claimed he once used spiritual energy as ink and the sky itself as paper to seal a monstrous spirit across an entire mountain range.
Naturally, no one dared call him a coward.
Since Li Shen's body was too frail to wield heavy weapons, Yan Rui had taught him basic talisman techniques for self-defense.
Yet in a single month, the student had already surpassed the teacher.
Yan Rui was primarily a spear cultivator.
His knowledge of talisman arts was limited.
But Li Shen's terrifying learning speed and creativity constantly surprised him.
Yan Rui sighed inwardly.
Such talent…
And yet such a short life.
If the boy had a stronger body…
If he had twenty or thirty more years…
Who knew how far he might go?
---
Yan Rui cleared his throat.
"Back to business."
"You eliminated four Grave Wraiths tonight."
"That earns you forty merit credits."
He checked the records on the desk.
"Your total is now three hundred and twenty credits."
He looked up.
"What do you want to exchange them for?"
"Same as usual," Li Shen replied.
"A bottle of Spirit-Calming Pills."
Yan Rui wrote the request on a slip of paper and handed it over.
"Take this to the storeroom and collect them."
"Thank you, sir."
Li Shen accepted the slip.
Just as he turned to leave, Yan Rui spoke again.
"Oh, and Li Shen."
He pointed toward a cabinet nearby.
"There's a box of dried fungus, some eggs, and medicinal herbs in there. My family sent them recently."
His gaze lingered on Li Shen's thin frame.
"You look like the wind could blow you over."
"Take them."
Li Shen hesitated.
"Sir, that really isn't necessary—"
"I said take them."
Li Shen sighed inwardly.
"Yes, sir."
---
Later that night, Li Shen recorded another note in his personal notebook.
Observation:
Having a strict superior has unexpected advantages.
For example—
I rarely have to pay for breakfast anymore.
After two months, I've already saved an entire string of coins.
Not bad at all.
---