"Li Dage, from now on, you'll have to live with me in the shantytown.
Don't look down on the environment here; it costs one Spirit Stone every month. If you don't have Spirit Stones, you don't even qualify to live in the shantytown."
Han Mao led Li Chen to the edge of Yin Mountain Market, where many low, simple houses were built.
Those who live in the shantytown are Low Grade Cultivators. Truly powerful figures live in Immortal Caves opened up in the market.
Those Immortal Caves are located on Spiritual Veins. Cultivating in an Immortal Cave is different from Cultivating in a shantytown.
Little Fatty talked a lot.
Li Chen nodded slightly in understanding.
No matter where, the law of the jungle prevails; a very small number of strong individuals always occupy the best resources.
Cultivation requires Spiritual Qi.
Spiritual Qi is emitted from Spiritual Veins. A place with a Spiritual Vein can be understood as a blessed land.
As far as Li Chen knew, every place with a Spiritual Vein was occupied.
Purple Void Sect is the largest Cultivation force in Yan Country, occupying the best Spiritual Vein in Yan Country.
The other Spiritual Vein locations were also occupied by various Cultivation forces, big and small.
Under Little Fatty's guidance, Li Chen met the steward managing the shantytown, paid a Spirit Stone, and obtained the right to live in a room for one month.
Li Chen's room was built with adobe, the roof covered with thatch, and besides a hard wooden plank bed, there was nothing else in the room.
"A new neighbor has arrived."
"A Mortal?"
A voluptuous female Cultivator with a charming face walked out of the adjacent room, went directly into Li Chen's room, and eyed him suspiciously.
"Sister Chan, don't look at Li Dage as just a Mortal."
"Li Dage was personally brought into Yin Mountain Market by Linglong Fairy and recommended to be an apprentice under Alchemist Chen. His future is bound to be boundless."
Han Mao's eyes visibly brightened several shades, and a humble smile appeared on his plump face as he carefully explained to the female Cultivator beside him.
The charming female Cultivator raised her eyebrows, her eyes becoming a bit more serious, and her attitude a bit more enthusiastic. "Li Dage has a connection with Linglong Fairy?"
Li Chen shook his head. "No connection. Linglong Fairy was simply kind and guided me onto the Immortal Path."
The female Cultivator's eyes shifted, and she probed, "Then Li Dage must have extraordinary Aptitude, otherwise how could Linglong Fairy treat him differently?"
Li Chen smiled without speaking.
Li Chen knew his own Spiritual Root; it was probably inferior to Han Mao's and this female Cultivator's, as there was no Aptitude worse than a Nine-Rank Spiritual Root in the Cultivation World.
After some conversation, Li Chen learned that his female neighbor next door was named Shu Chan. She was a Qi Refining (4th level) Cultivator who usually earned Spirit Stones by washing and making spiritual paper for the Lingfu Shop to stay and Cultivate in the shantytown.
As for Han Mao, he was a shop assistant at Divine Pill Pavilion who greeted guests, with a Qi Refining (3rd level) Cultivation.
After Shu Chan learned of Li Chen's background, her enthusiastic attitude diminished significantly. After a greeting, she returned to her room.
Han Mao's attitude towards Li Chen, however, did not change. He said with a chuckle, "Li Dage, tell me if you need anything, and I'll take care of it for you."
"Thank you, Brother Han."
"I don't need anything."
Li Chen didn't want to trouble Han Mao further. Besides, he truly didn't need anything. Right now, he only wanted to read the Scarlet Flame Art given by Steward Fu, hoping to quickly guide Qi into the Dao and become a Cultivator.
Han Mao seemed to have seen through Li Chen's thoughts, his smile undiminished. "Li Dage, then I won't disturb you anymore."
"Don't rush to Cultivate. If there's anything in the Scarlet Flame Art you don't understand, just ask me."
Li Chen nodded, seeing Han Mao off.
Han Mao was a good person. His enthusiasm for Li Chen contained some self-interest, mostly due to Linglong Fairy, which Li Chen was well aware of.
But what connection did Li Chen have with Linglong Fairy?
In the simple room, Li Chen sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, adjusted his mindset, and began to read the Scarlet Flame Art.
The Scarlet Flame Art was not some profound Cultivation Technique; on the contrary, it was very common. A copy could be bought for two Spirit Stones in the market, making it a widespread Cultivation Technique.
Li Chen had no right to choose.
Profound Cultivation Techniques were all controlled by the major Cultivation forces, and the Cultivation Techniques circulating on the market could not be very powerful.
However, a Cultivation Technique like the Scarlet Flame Art also had its advantages.
The book had detailed annotations, so even a Mortal like Li Chen, who had not yet stepped onto the Immortal Path, could understand the content of the Spell.
The Scarlet Flame Art was the most popular fire-attribute Cultivation Technique in the Cultivation World. It reached its peak at Qi Refining (10th level) with no subsequent Cultivation content.
It included only a few Spells such as Fire Crow Spell, Fire Arrow Spell, and Fire Curtain Spell.
The Cultivator who had ambushed Li Chen earlier had also Cultivated the Scarlet Flame Art.
It was late at night.
Li Chen closed the book, sat cross-legged on the wooden bed, closed his eyes, and began to meditate with the Heaven and Earth, sensing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi according to the method described in the book.
One night passed, and Li Chen opened his eyes, his face looking very bad.
He had sensed the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, but the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi simply ignored him, let alone guiding the Spiritual Qi into his body to refine it into magical power.
Is this the worst Nine-Rank Spiritual Root?
Li Chen suddenly understood that his Cultivation Aptitude was probably worse than he had imagined.
"Li Dage, are you awake?"
"We should go to Divine Pill Pavilion for work."
Han Mao's familiar voice came from outside the house. Li Chen tidied his clothes, opened the door, and went with Han Mao to Divine Pill Pavilion.
At Divine Pill Pavilion, Li Chen did not see Linglong Fairy, nor did he see Steward Fu.
Alchemist Chen's attitude towards Li Chen was neither cold nor warm. He merely instructed Li Chen to go chop wood.
The wood Li Chen chopped was called iron heart wood, a type of fuel commonly used by Alchemists for Alchemy.
iron heart wood was extremely hard. Even Li Chen, a Grandmaster-level expert in the secular Martial Forest, developed blood blisters on his palms after a day of chopping firewood.
This was even with Li Chen having Cultivated the Golden Bell Cover to Major Achievement.
Li Chen even suspected that ordinary Innate experts in the secular Martial Forest couldn't split iron heart wood.
At the end of the day's labor, Li Chen dragged his tired body back to the shantytown with Han Mao, continuing to meditate with the Heaven and Earth and sense the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi.
Days passed like this, one by one.
Li Chen chopped wood at Divine Pill Pavilion for half a year. During this time, he never saw Linglong Fairy again and rarely saw Alchemist Chen. Only Steward Fu would pay him two Spirit Stones and a bottle of Pigu Pill as wages each month.
Every month when it was time for wages, Little Fatty Han Mao would always grumble.
He worked as an assistant at Divine Pill Pavilion, serving tea and water to guests, and only received two Low-Grade Spirit Stones each month, which was not as good as Li Chen.
At least Li Chen received one more bottle of Pigu Pill than Han Mao each month; Little Fatty couldn't even eat Pigu Pills.
Li Chen also knew that Steward Fu was taking special care of him.
However, what Li Chen couldn't understand was why Steward Fu would take such special care of a Mortal like him?
Today, Li Chen meditated with the Heaven and Earth as usual, sensing the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi, trying to guide the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi into his body, taking the first step on the path of Cultivation by guiding Qi into the Dao.
On the hard wooden bed, Li Chen furrowed his brows tightly.
In his perception, colorful light spots floated in the Heaven and Earth.
Those light spots of various colors were Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi of different attributes.
He tried hard to guide the reddish-orange light spots closer to him. After persistent efforts, the reddish-orange light spots finally gathered in front of him and entered his body through the pores all over his body.
"It's done!"
Li Chen suddenly opened his eyes, his face full of joy.
He had persevered for half a year, and Today he finally guided Qi into the Dao, taking the first step on the path of Cultivation!
"Ding!"
"Detecting that the host has embarked on the Immortal Path, the System is activating."
Just as Li Chen was immersed in joy, an even greater surprise struck him.
Li Chen trembled all over, stood up nervously, his lips trembling uncontrollably, and his heart pounding wildly.
System!
It turned out he also had a System, and after waiting for almost twenty years, it finally activated Today!
Read 50 CHAPTERS ahead
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