Fang Bubai's weary steps echoed in the dimly lit inn room, its wooden floor creaking beneath the weight of his exhausted body. The room was suffused with a hushed stillness, interrupted only by the hum of the city's boisterous streets seeping in through the shabby windows.

As he set down his travel-worn belongings on the scarred wooden table, Bubai's gaze was drawn towards the open window.

Advancing forward, his senses were tickled by a waft of warm city air mingled with the scent of incense.

Peering down at the labyrinthine streets, the lively city of cultivators sprawled before him, bustling with mortals and cultivators alike.

"After a rough journey, I finally safely made it to Ling City…" The soft murmur was lost in the mixed city sounds, highlighting his insignificance, yet his eyes, still alight with a hint of anticipation, scanned the panorama before him.

In the distance, a hill rose, crowned by the mansion of the city owner, a foundation establishment cultivator.

Surrounding it were the mountain caves rented to other casual cultivators.

This was Ling City, a haven mainly geared towards casual cultivators.

Though it only stood in the shadow of the Cloud Sword Sect, it was rumored there was a Golden Core casual cultivator in charge here… Well, it wasn’t something a mortal like Fang Bubai could confirm.

Bubai only knew this place embraced both mortals and cultivators, a melting pot where their destinies intertwined. This was normal because many cultivators still enjoy the servitude of mortals.

Mixed within these mortals, there were those seeking the immortal path, merchants, nobles, and even martial artists mingling with the everyday hustle of the city. This was a place filled with hidden dragons and crouching tigers.

With a sigh, Bubai closed the window, shutting out the vibrant cityscape. The room plunged into semi-darkness, illuminated only by the feeble sunlight filtering through worn paper window screens.

With a heavy weariness hung on his shoulders, he moved towards the table.

In the dimness, Bubai carefully unwrapped his worn travel bundle, revealing an extra set of shabby, yet clean handymen disciple clothes, each fold bearing the marks of his journey, evidence of the hardships faced along the way.

Unfolding the final layer of clothes, the faint sunlight painted a gentle glow on the fabric, allowing Bubai to count the remnants of his belongings – a pair of tattered shoes, a small portion of mortal silver ingots and copper coins sitting quietly, a half-eaten steam bun, and…

Tearing open the hidden pocket sewed into the inner fabric of the outfit, a handful of grains, slightly glimmering like precious gems, spilled forth. This was Spirit Rice, the currency and staple food for low-level cultivators.

"Pathetic! Even after scrimping and saving all these years, this is all that remained! Had I not purchased that spirit stone to pay to be escorted out from the dangerous forest..." Bubai's voice held a bitter edge, the weight of his impoverished state settling in his chest like a leaden anchor.

Over the years, he had diligently allocated a good portion of his resources to cultivation, while still cleverly amassing a modest savings despite the many layers of exploitation.

However, the visible depletion of his belongings spoke of the recent sacrifice.

Right before leaving the Cloud Sword Sect, he had succumbed to paying an exorbitant price in exchange for a spirit stone, despite knowing the price screamed that it was a blatant rip-off.

The transaction had drained a significant portion of his Spirit Rice stash, a precious resource for new cultivators.

Yet, he knew the expense was a necessary evil.

The perilous Forest of Death surrounding the sect was unforgiving.

Without an escort, even Qi-refinement cultivators could fall prey to the savage beasts, let alone a mortal like him.

Thus, paying for an escort was not just a luxury but a lifeline.

Stolen novel; please report.

Disciples expelled from the Cloud Sword Sect were deemed a shame, and those without the wit to pay their way out had a high possibility of becoming fertilizer or beast chow.

"As for the ones who could, they were certainly smart enough to not flaunt the fact that they were once a part of the sect." Bubai sighed, his eyes distant as he recalled the unspoken rules of survival.

Trekking barefoot in his dirt-streaked, tattered handymen clothes, he had successfully blended into the landscape of destitution, an intentional beggar disguise that had proved to be his salvation on his journey towards Ling City.

With his appearance, even bandits, discerning the lack of cultivation in him, disdained to rob him, let alone cultivators.

His lack of cultivation rendered him inconspicuous and became a shield against unwanted attention.

Had he entered the early stage of Qi refining, he would have been targeted because others would expect his bundle to carry at least some sort of cultivation resource. If that were the case, he wouldn’t even have the strength to fight back.

"Being a mortal had a mortal’s benefit, but that benefit only lasted till here…" Fang Bubai's fists clenched, grasping the final handful of Spirit Rice.

Had he chosen a mortal city, his intellect might have secured him a stable position, with a high possibility of living a relatively safe life… but he still chose to come to the city of cultivators.

In a world of cultivators, where strength often dictated one's fate, the disparity between mortals and cultivators was a chasm impossible to bridge. From all the novels he read, Bubai knew that mortals can never be truly safe in a cultivation world.

Only when he had strength could he lead an idle, carefree life.

So, he came to the nearest city of loose cultivators.

Here, the truth was presented: a mortal had no voice, and the prospect of being randomly killed on the streets was a cruel reality he had to accept. The city's hierarchy was dictated by strength, and a cultivator's actions against a mortal were often unchecked, the consequences minimal.

Of course, cultivators wouldn’t abuse mortals for no reason. After all, many mortals in this city had ties with cultivators, and it would be truly unlucky to offend a powerful cultivator through a mere conflict with a mortal.

There’s a saying: hitting a dog also had to depend on its owner.

"Alas, I am truly a rootless duckweed. So, I will have to be cautious with every step I take from now on. But I won’t give up." Fang Bubai's eyes glinted with determination.

His fate with immortality had ended? No! How could he give up so easily! He had endured eight years of toiling, and being kicked out of a sect wasn’t going to damper his resolve to pursue immortality.

“And, I’m not without hope…”

Plopping himself on the hard wooden bed in the modest room, Fang Bubai glanced down at the last handful of spirit rice in his palm, serving as a reminder of both his meager resources and desperate situation.

He closed his eyes, shutting out the dim room, his breathing methodically changing.

In the darkness, he sensed the subtle presence of Qi, the energy that coursed through the cultivation world.

Breathing in, he grasped onto a thin nearby wisp, attempting to draw it into his so-called “dantian” according to the basic Qi refining technique learned in the Cloud Sword Sect.

However, just as he completed a breathing cycle, the wisp of Qi vanished!

With the sudden disappearance, Bubai’s senses followed the subtle connection to an unknown space that had formed a mysterious connection with him over the years.

In the darkness of the unknown space, the faint glow from the absorbed Qi unveiled the peculiar texture of an obscure seed, dull and unassuming.

The wisps of Qi flowed through the darkness, entering the seed and triggering intricate patterns of glowing light...

Alas… the seed only pulsed with a subtle energy for a moment before retreating into the shadows, concealing its secrets once more with its dull appearance and returning the space to its previous darkness, cutting off Fang Bubai’s senses from it.

"I can feel it, soon…" Bubai’s eyes reflected a mixture of uncertainty and hope.

It was this seed that had absorbed every wisp of his gathered Qi all these years, hindering his ascent to the first stage of Qi Refining!

Yet, Fang Bubai didn’t let doubt cloud his resolve. He remained patient, waiting for the day of its awakening.

Although the exact nature of the forthcoming transformation was unknown, after eight years of being an unwitting host to the seed's draining influence, he was convinced it was the ticket to his rise - a golden finger, as many transmigrators would call it.

"How could people of my handsome stature not have a cheat? I was just a late bloomer." Fang Bubai's grin mirrored his anticipation in unlocking the hidden power within himself.

Glancing down at the final grains of spirit rice in his palm, he furrowed his brows.

A firm decision soon took root in his mind: "Cook it. Rather than keeping it on me, risking discovery by other cultivators and being taken away. If I can coax it to bloom a day earlier, all the better."

As for how to live the days to come in this cultivator city with no cultivator currency, he’ll figure it out when the time comes. Unlocking his cheat was the key…

As the flames danced in the small, makeshift fire he had kindled from the wood, paper, and foot-washing pan scavenged from the inn room, Fang Bubai squatted on the ground besides it.

The pot, not much larger than a tea cup, held water and the last grains of spirit rice. Closing the lid, he stoked the fire, his eyes fixed on the pot as if it held the answers to his uncertain future.

"I'm sure the inn owner wouldn't mind that I borrowed some parts of his inn…" Briefly sweeping his gaze over the new holes in the windows, a sly smile played on Fang Bubai’s lips.

In the world of cultivators, rules bent like bamboo in the wind, and resourcefulness was a prized quality.

Staring at the teapot, Fang Bubai licked his lips. "Soon… soon…" The anticipation in his voice resonated with the flickering flames.

The wisps of smoke wafting upwards seemed to speak of the storms brewing.

What will the birth of the mysterious entity bring to this world?

A story that could be enjoyed over a good cup of tea… or the flames of destruction?