Han Xuhan's heart bled as he handed the 120 spirit stones in total to the archive pavilion's treasurer and came out with two scrolls in his hands.

"I'm a tycoon, now, a tycoon! How can I let a meager 120 spirit stones make me feel the pinch..."

Muttering lines like these were how he consoled himself as he clutched both scrolls and hurried toward his hut in the black sheep mountain peak.

His first priority now was to cultivate one of the techniques and reach the first layer of the Physique Transformation realm.

Inside his hut, Han Xuhan sat on his small bed, feeling that this moment was perhaps the most important turning point of his life. He would turn into a cultivator from today forth; what a glorious fate! He had fantasized so much about this in his previous life...

"I'll try the skeleton monarch technique first to summon the skeletons. So what's the first step...Ah, there it is. Use your spirit qi to channel them in the way shown in the diagram below...Wait.

"How do I use spirit qi?

"In fact, what the hell is this spirit qi?

"I get that every cultivation novel has something like this as a source of their powers...but is this supposed to be common knowledge?

Even though I'm familiar with this trope, I don't even know what this qi actually is...

So how am I supposed to use it?"

With a huge pang of realization, Han Xuhan became aware that he didn't know the first thing about practical cultivation in this world. All his assumptions were based on the novels he had read in his previous life...which were turning out to be more and more unreliable.

Then he remembered a very important matter. He had a boss now who was supposedly a protagonist-level character.

"Hahah, can't I just ask boss?"

Bubbling with happiness, Xuhan ran to Mu Ran's hut.

His boss was sitting inside, calmly reading the scroll he had purchased from the archives. Seeing Xuhan, his eyes lit up.

"Ah, peasa-erm...martial brother! Have you come to a decision yet? Are you finally giving in? Heh, what I, Mu Ran, want, will eventually become mine!"

Han Xuhan blanched, staggering on his feet.

This guy...he couldn't be the protagonist of a yaoi novel, right?

Mu Ran seemed to have noticed his dubious phrasing. Coughing loudly, he explained himself.

"Don't misunderstand martial brother. I was just thinking about my childhood sweetheart, whom I haven't met in a long time. So I blurted out something strange."

Han Xuhan was dazed again. Heavens, this guy has a childhood sweetheart? Yet she had been separated from him!

How many more tropes was he going to dig out from this guy?

And exactly what had Mu Ran been thinking about at that moment where such phrases could be suitable...?

"Yes! I agree to become your underling, martial brother." he slapped his own chest and put on a strong pose after taking a deep breath.

"I'll definitely do my best in this job. That technique you gave me was so cool! The description verified that it was a super awesome technique made by a super genius cultivator! Thank you so much! I would have never found it without your guidance!"

An awkward smile appeared on Mu Ran's face as he listened to Han Xuhan boasting about that technique.

Ahh, this underling of his was so innocent! Why are people so easy to fool these days? Or is it that he, Mu Ran, was just too smart?

"Now that you've become my underling, I'll surely look after you in perilous situations, martial brother. As for your first duty as a lackey, go buy some delicious food for me from the sect's kitchen. Let's throw a celebratory feast!"

Eyes emotionless, Han Xuhan nodded solemnly and ran to perform his duty as if it was a mission from the gods. After forking out another two spirit stones, he bought one of the most expensive dishes from the kitchen. He would make this guy fork out his money's worth one way or another. The expense didn't bother him now.

Mu Ran's eyes widened at the sight of the dish. Nodded with appreciation, his tone took on a lukewarm guise as he praised Xuhan.

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"Martial brother sure knows how to celebrate!"

"Haha, this is our first feast together, so a bit of luxury is nothing!"

"Mmm...this dish is not bad! Martial brother, I'm very satisfied with your service. If you need anything right now, just tell me!"

"Ah, there IS something I needed to know boss. Could you teach me how to cultivate?"

"...You don't even know that?" Mu Ran looked aghast, like a teacher disappointed with his student for failing a basic test. Han Xuhan wanted to remind him that none of them were officially cultivators yet, and between the two of them, he at least had enough shame not to make up imaginary levels of cultivation like that zeroth layer Mu Ran had bragged about.

But this wasn't the appropriate time to make snide remarks. This was milking time! The milk producer must be treated gently now!

....wait, that sounded wrong for some reason. Anyway...

"Agh fine." Mu Ran relented finally. "I'll teach you after we finish the lunch.

In fact, you're my underling, so I'll even let you in on some secrets very few people know in this world about cultivation. You can put full trust in your boss!"

Looking at Mu Ran's satisfied expression as he feasted on the chicken wings, Han Xuhan nodded to himself. Indeed, these types of characters were too easy to scam. He's telling me incredible secrets over two spirit stones...

After licking their plates clean, both of them cleaned up and settled down inside Mu Ran's hut, a solemn, peaceful atmosphere draping over the surroundings.

"Martial brother, I won't hide it from you. There really is a zeroth layer of physique transformation realm." Mu Ran's opening sentence struck Han Xuhan like a bludgeon.

"If we were to count the number of people who understand the complexity of this secret layer, my dick would be enough to keep the count."

"...What?"

"Sigh...you're so slow, underling. It means only I know this secret! Wasn't it obvious? See, I've got only one di-"

"Yes, yes, of course. That much I understand, boss."

Xuhan imperiously interrupted the explanation of his analogy and sent him a dry chuckle.

"Yes. To most cultivators, the start of cultivation is a common point. They learn to sense and absorb qi from the world and cycle it throughout their meridians, thus slowly unlocking the door to the first layer of the Physique Transformation realm, except...there exists a different method to start cultivation, which is opening the door to the zeroth layer of physique transformation realm. "

Completely oblivious to Han Xuhan's look of distrust, Mu Ran lazily spoke at his own pace.

"For most cultivation techniques in the Crimson Snow sect, the cycling of qi has its own unique characteristic, separating them from other sects. All of the powerful, top-tier sects have their own uniqueness.

The cycles of spirit qi unlock the shackles inside our body to let us step out of the mortal boundary, guiding us to the door of the first layer of physique transformation when the cycle is repeated enough times, perfected and saturated, settling down with its mark on the practitioner's body. Every disciple of this sect starts out from there.

"However, the zeroth layer of physique transformation is a realm that completely deviates from this path. It is an extraordinary layer that can enhance your abilities to a very formidable degree.

It also removes the hidden problems and weaknesses of your dao foundation to some extent, thus taking your cultivation to the very peak of perfection. This layer forms a complete cycle with the other ten known layers of this realm, thus making one's dao foundation truly complete!

It gives you an absolute advantage over any cultivator in the same layer and even some above your cultivation base!"

After saying all this, Mu Ran smugly looked at Han Xuhan, expecting a stupified expression and amazed exclamations, only to find him staring back with the same expressionless face as before, as if he had been expecting Mu Ran to say these things already.

In fact, that wasn't far from the truth. Han Xuhan had just recalled that most xianxia novels had a unique cultivation system with a few extra levels and layers reserved solely for the main character.

So he wasn't particularly surprised by this revelation.

He was just taken aback at the fact that Mu Ran hadn't been making things up back when he had boasted about being at the zeroth layer.

This guy turned out to be reliable when the time came!

Seeing him unmoved, Mu Ran snorted and continued.

"Now comes the question, how do you reach the zeroth layer of the physique transformation realm?

"This is a diagram I made from my comprehension of this realm. According to my own experience, this should be the most ideal way to channel and cycle your spirit qi into guiding you to the zeroth layer."

Mu Ran took out a scroll and opened it to let Xuhan see the shockingly complex diagram with many letters and strangely shaped symbols that almost hurt his eyes.

"How did I know how to draw this- that question should have appeared in your mind, correct?

"That, however, is a big secret. So let's skip that part and assume that I'm just an average heaven-defying genius, nothing too serious.

"In short, if you absorb and cycle your qi like this, you'll definitely reach the zeroth layer like me and become a mighty, formidable cultivator."

"Erm... a question boss. What is spirit qi and how do I absorb that?" Han Xuhan said meekly.

"...My god! What backwater hovel are you from, underling Xuhan? How can you not even know what qi is?"

"Ah, not everyone can be as knowledgeable and wise as boss now, can they?" Han Xuhan laughed, trying his best to appear embarrassed.

"Haha, underling, you certainly know your place! I'll teach you, sure!

"Qi is the source of every cultivator's power. For beginners, the usual practice is to absorb it with the help of formations, precious treasures or with secret techniques. I assume you do not have any of those, yes?"

Seeing Xuhan nod minutely, Mu Ran was immensely satisfied.

"Well, go buy a pair from the Treasury. One for you, one for me..."

Han Xuhan was again reminded of the fact that Mu Ran was as much of a noob as he was when it came to real cultivation.

He considered his options for a second. What harm could there be in giving this guy's suggestion a shot?

If it worked out, he'd be striking a gold mine. If it didn't...he'd be striking Mu Ran's skull with the heaviest Blackvein boulder he could carry.

"Now, martial brother, as my underling, your next job is to help me clean up my toilet. It needs a thorough renovation."

Han Xuhan was forced to strongly reconsider his choice.