Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

The Magic Technique class had just ended, and the lecture hall was already empty, leaving behind only a few lingering fluctuations of Spiritual Power.

In the instructors’ lounge, a plume of blue smoke drifted languidly from a censer of Concentration Incense.

Jii Yu gracefully brushed the sleeve of her lavender palace-style dress and sat down by the tea table. Her gaze, however, traveled past the table to Zhou Changkong, who was organizing the roster for the new class of students.

"Senior Brother Zhou, it seems your Class Three is hiding quite a remarkable little fellow this year."

Jii Yu picked up the Spirit Tea before her and took a small sip, her tone a mixture of lingering curiosity and amazement.

Zhou Changkong’s hands, busy organizing the files, paused for a moment. A rare, meaningful smile touched his usually stern and resolute face. Without turning, he simply said, "Is Junior Sister Jii referring to that boy, Chu Bai?"

"Who else could it be?"

Jii Yu set down her teacup, her beautiful eyes shifting slightly. "During the Magic Technique class just now, I was performing a routine check on everyone’s foundations.

"When that boy circulated the Small Qi Gathering Technique, the sheer fluency and perfection of his execution showed that he has already reached the Mastery Realm.

"Not only that, but his Magical Foundation is frighteningly solid. It’s balanced and tranquil, yet imbued with a certain liveliness. He has clearly and perfectly integrated an extremely rare, wild strain of Water Attribute Spiritual Energy."

At this point, she leaned forward slightly, her tone laced with confusion. "If he had a family legacy, with elders protecting him since childhood, integrating an Exotic Spirit Energy wouldn’t be all that strange.

"But from what I can see, this boy’s methods are completely untamed. Both his casting habits and his tenacious spirit suggest he clawed his way up from the mud all by himself. For such talent and comprehension to be in a remote place like Anping County... it’s truly a case of a bright pearl gathering dust."

"Senior Brother Zhou, be honest with me. How did this boy actually perform during the County Examination? Don’t tell me you already knew about his foundation and deliberately kept him in Class Three?"

Hearing this, Zhou Changkong finally turned around.

He picked up his own teacup, gently blowing away the froth, and then slowly dropped the piece of news that would be enough to make Jii Yu lose her composure. "Deliberately keeping him wasn’t an option. Class assignments are determined by the school’s rules, based entirely on Destiny. However... that boy did receive a particular evaluation in the first stage of the County Examination, ’Nascent Spirit’."

"What evaluation?"

"Grade A-Plus."

"PFFT—"

Jii Yu’s hand, holding the teacup, trembled violently. She nearly spat out the mouthful of Spirit Tea she had just swallowed, almost losing her usual dignified composure.

Her eyes widened as she stared at Zhou Changkong. "Grade... Grade A-Plus?! Are you pulling my leg?"

As a senior Instructor at the Daoist School, Jii Yu knew all too well the weight behind that rating.

The Daoist School’s selection process had four grades: A, B, C, and D.

Normally, receiving a "Grade A-Minus" was enough to make someone a seeded contestant fought over by every County. A "Grade A" was a treatment reserved for the Noble Family’s Direct Lineage in the Prefecture City.

As for Grade A-Plus... that meant one had reached the absolute peak in a certain domain!

Even the direct descendants of major clans in the Prefecture City—those who were soaked in medicinal baths from a young age and had even consumed Bone Marrow Cleansing Pills before their Qi Introduction—wouldn’t necessarily receive such an evaluation in the basic Nascent Spirit stage.

"No wonder..."

Jii Yu took a deep breath to calm her turbulent emotions. Recalling Chu Bai’s unruffled demeanor in class, a hint of envy appeared in her eyes. "No wonder he could cultivate the Small Qi Gathering Technique to the Mastery Realm. With that kind of affinity for and control over Spiritual Qi, it’s like the heavens are chasing after him to shove food in his mouth."

She glanced at Zhou Changkong, teasing him with a sour tone, "You old coot, you sure got lucky. A random class assignment and you ended up with a treasure like this. It looks like your Class Three is going to steal the show in this year’s grand examination."

Zhou Changkong laughed heartily and set down his teacup. "Luck is a form of strength, you know. But the boy is calm and composed, neither arrogant nor rash. He’s good material for Cultivation. In his future Magic Technique training, I’ll have to trouble Junior Sister to guide him more, to ensure he doesn’t go down the wrong path."

"Do you even need to say that?" Jii Yu shot him a look, then added thoughtfully, "It’s just that his main field of study is still difficult to determine at this point."

...

Meanwhile, the square in front of the Daoist School’s Scripture Pavilion was already a sea of people, buzzing with clamor and excitement.

The new students, just let out of class, swarmed in from every lecture hall like bees returning to their hive.

A long line snaked from the pavilion’s ancient, heavy doors all the way to the edge of the square, every face beaming with the excitement and anticipation of obtaining a new Cultivation Technique.

For the vast majority of students from humble families, this was the first step toward rewriting their destinies.

Chu Bai, along with Jiang Kuo, Zhou Tong, and Chen Shi, was currently waiting in the middle of the line.

"Hey, look at that guy up front. He’s so excited his legs are shaking."

Zhou Tong craned his neck, looking around like an agile monkey, his mouth never idle. "But you can’t blame him. We’re talking about an Entry-level Cultivation Technique! I’ve been practicing the Small Qi Gathering Technique for half a year, and it feels like I’m trying to carve meat with a dull knife. It’s such a struggle.

"Once I get a new Cultivation Technique, I’ll finally get to experience the thrill of advancing a thousand miles in a single day!"

Chen Shi, standing to the side, didn’t say a word, but his hands gripping his Identity Token tightly and the slight redness in his eyes betrayed his inner excitement.

Jiang Kuo, on the other hand, appeared much calmer.

The young master of the Jiang Family fanned himself lightly with a folding fan, striking the pose of a refined scholar. He turned to Chu Bai, his tone laced with concern. "Brother Chu, although Instructor Jii recommended the Guiyuan Technique in class, I’ve heard a little about it myself.

"It’s hailed as being all-encompassing, the foundation of ten thousand skills, but because of that, it’s a jack of all trades and master of none. Progress is notoriously slow when cultivating it."

"Besides, because it can absorb all Five Elements, you must constantly maintain their balance. One small slip-up and you’ll become mediocre in everything, ultimately ending up completely unremarkable.

"In contrast, the Clear Stream Qi Cultivation Scripture is a genuine Water Element True Method, strong in both offense and defense. Are you... really not going to reconsider?"

Although Jiang Kuo’s words had a slightly preachy tone, Chu Bai could hear the well-intentioned warning behind them.

For a Cultivator, the pursuit of efficiency and combat power was often the top priority. Choosing a ’cure-all’ technique did seem rather unwise.

"Thank you for the advice, Brother Jiang."

Chu Bai’s expression was calm. Meeting Jiang Kuo’s gaze, his voice held an unshakeable resolve. "But my mind is made up. The all-encompassing nature of this Guiyuan Technique is exactly what I’m looking for. If there’s one thing I have, it’s patience."

Seeing Chu Bai’s firm resolve, Jiang Kuo didn’t press the matter further, simply nodding in approval. "In that case, I wish Brother Chu an early success in mastering this Divine Skill. If you run into anything you don’t understand, we can discuss it back in the dorm."

The group chatted idly as the line slowly shuffled forward.

Chu Bai’s gaze swept casually across the noisy crowd, and he suddenly spotted a familiar figure in another line not far away.

It was the line for Class Two.

Li Han was standing among them, though his situation at the moment seemed a bit delicate.

Surrounding him were several haughty-looking youths in lavish clothing. Judging by the patterns on their garments, they were all Noble Family Descendants from well-known families in the Prefecture City.

Li Han stood beside them, his posture somewhat stiff, a sycophantic smile on his face. He nodded along from time to time, looking like a fringe member of their small circle, or perhaps even... a lackey.

As if sensing Chu Bai’s gaze, Li Han, who was in the middle of forcing a smile, subconsciously turned his head.

Their eyes met.

Chu Bai’s expression remained unchanged. He gave a slight nod in acknowledgment, a silent greeting.

Li Han’s reaction, however, was rather telling.

He reacted as if he’d been burned. A flash of obvious panic and embarrassment crossed his eyes before he quickly averted his gaze. He even shrank back behind the young Noble Family Descendants, pretending to be engaged in conversation with someone else, refusing to look in Chu Bai’s direction again.

Chu Bai withdrew his gaze and sighed inwardly.

It seemed his recently-met acquaintance from back home hadn’t quite managed to integrate into this new circle. Or perhaps his luck was just poor.

After the time it takes for an incense stick to burn, it was finally Chu Bai’s group’s turn.

"Present your Gray Talisman."

The Library Steward stood expressionlessly at the entrance, as immovable as an iron tower.

Chu Bai stepped forward. A gray light flashed between his eyebrows, and his verification was complete.

Stepping onto the first floor of the Scripture Pavilion, the clamor from outside was instantly cut off.

An aroma blending the scent of ink and old books with the faint smell of stale Spiritual Qi washed over him, instantly calming the mind.

Row upon row of massive sandalwood shelves were arranged in an orderly fashion, with countless Jade Scrolls hovering above them, glimmering faintly like a miniature galaxy.

Chu Bai didn’t linger in the dazzling Magic Area, but walked straight toward the Cultivation Technique Area.

Following the earlier directions, he found the original Jade Scroll inscribed with the Guiyuan Technique in a corner.

The Jade Scroll was a dull, grayish-white, its light contained within, looking completely unremarkable.

’This is the one.’

Chu Bai reached out and took it down. The smooth, warm sensation on his fingertips settled his heart.

Afterward, he went to the Steward’s desk to complete the copying process.

Holding his very own new Cultivation Technique Jade Scroll, Chu Bai felt as though a great weight had been lifted from his heart.

’Once I get back, I’ll start switching over immediately... From now on, my cultivation efficiency should increase quite a bit.’