"He tried to kill me, so I defended myself" - I said, shoving the privileged brat aside. He fell face-first into the dust.

"Tried to kill you?" - The guard looked skeptical. - "That scrawny kid?"

"He shouted 'I'll kill you.' You must have heard it yourself. And he's at the fourth level of Qi Condensation—he could kill me with a single strike. Naturally, I couldn't let him land the blow."

"Let's go to the overseer; he'll sort this out" - the guard said, grabbing me by the arm.

I began sizing him up, considering how to take him down with a single strike. He was at the seventh level of Qi Condensation, so the blow would have to be both unexpected and lethal. But for now, I decided to try resolving the issue peacefully.

"Then this brat comes with us" - I said, grabbing the attacker by the neck. The kid had just managed to stand up and was cradling his broken arm, attempting to twist it back into place without screaming in pain.

"Aaaah! Let me be!" - he screamed. But the pain wracking his body prevented him from concentrating enough to strengthen himself with Qi. Without it, he was just a feeble boy with an unjustifiably high opinion of himself.

"I'll throw you into a pit of snakes" - I whispered into his ear - "after breaking your other arm. Now walk!"

The threat worked, and the brat stopped struggling.

"Well, then?" - I glared grimly at the guard.

"To the overseer" - he grunted, trying hard to project the aura of someone at the seventh level of Qi Condensation. But his posturing had no effect on me, so fear wasn’t even on the table.

We walked along a path to a small but charming stone house, resembling the modest huts the students lived in. However, when we stepped inside, we found ourselves in a richly decorated room furnished with carved redwood furniture. At a desk sat a man of indeterminate age, who looked up from his book as we entered.

"What now?" - he asked irritably, casting a glance at us.

"He tried to kill me" - I declared before the guard could say anything.

"Silence!" - the guard barked, but immediately quieted down at the overseer's commanding wave.

"Who tried to kill you?" - the overseer asked with a faint smile that boded ill.

"This one" - I said, pushing the culprit forward. - "He suddenly yelled 'I'll kill you' and attempted to strike me in the back. Apparently, he was afraid to face me directly."

"That's not true!" - the brat tried to object.

"It is true" - I countered firmly. - "Everyone nearby heard your shout and saw you attack me first."

"What's your name?" - the overseer asked me.

"Tan Ji Tao."

"So, you attacked a senior student and broke his arm" - the overseer said, now addressing the brat.

"Who’s senior? This brat?" - I protested. - "I'm stronger, older, taller, heavier, and, most importantly, much smarter than him. In no way does he qualify as my senior."

"He possesses a rare talent" - the overseer said. - "At barely thirteen years old, he’s already at the fourth level of Qi Condensation. Meanwhile, you're still at the first."

"I achieved my first level in just one month of training—not from cultivating since birth. Moreover, talent isn't about raw strength but the ability to use it effectively. This kid has no idea when, where, or why to use his power."

The overseer smiled, seemingly agreeing with my assessment.

"Even so, he has the potential to become a talented cultivator. But with a broken arm, his path ends in the ravine."

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The brat trembled in terror and collapsed to his knees, too afraid to scream or beg for mercy.

"If he’s so valuable, his arm can be healed" - I said. - "Even a regular person could use it again in a year. If he’s not worth even the simplest help from a healer, then what kind of talent are we even talking about?"

"And what about you?" - The overseer’s gaze bored into me. - "Are you worthy of the resources spent on you?"

"So far, I haven’t seen any resources spent on me except for a couple of bowls of food. As for whether I’m worthy, the answer is absolutely yes. After all, I care about my own development far more than anyone else does. To you, I’m just another student. To myself, I’m a unique and unmatched genius of cultivation."

"A genius, huh?" - The overseer smirked.

"Absolutely" - I confirmed.

"Very well. Defeating an opponent at the fourth level of Qi Condensation while being at the first level is an impressive feat. But don’t think that means you can maim anyone you like."

"As long as no one attacks me or interferes with my cultivation, I won’t kill, rob, or harm anyone. However, if someone dares to stand in my way, a broken arm will feel like a merciful outcome."

"I like your attitude" - the overseer nodded. - "You may go."

"Yes, sir" - I said, bowing.

"As for him..." - The overseer turned his gaze to the panicked, injured brat. - "Take him to... " – he made dramatical pause - "to the alchemy master. Let him examine the arm."

"Understood" - the guard said, grabbing the boy by his uninjured arm and dragging him outside.

Outside, I bowed to the guard and stepped aside, following him at a distance of about five meters. The brat, who had seemed ready to accept his fate moments ago, perked up slightly. But when he turned back and saw me following closely, his face turned pale with terror. In response to his frightened look, I smiled—a kind, maniacal smile.

"Aaaaaaa! He's following us!" - the boy shouted, pointing at me to the guard.

"Dude, do you need something from me?" - the guard asked, glaring at me irritably.

"Yes. I've never been to the alchemists' area before, so I wanted to follow you and check it out."

"But no one will let you into the inner courtyard."

"No problem."

The guard nodded and dragged his charge forward, not caring about the boy’s well-being in the slightest. When the brat glanced back at me again, I clenched my fist and ran my thumb across my throat in a mock execution gesture. His eyes widened in fear, but instead of complaining, he seemed to shrink in on himself, trying to appear pitiful and invisible.

We followed the path, passed through an open gate, and entered a garden. It was filled with various plots and patches where magical hemp and other plants grew. Even a quick glance revealed that these plants were absorbing Qi, though the energy content in them wasn’t particularly impressive.

I waited until the guard and the injured boy passed through another gate flanked by two guards before approaching.

"What do you want?" - a young man, about eighteen, asked gruffly.

"This is my first time here. Where are the alchemy lectures held, and how can I get involved in growing plants?"

"The lecture hall is over there. Classes start in half an hour. You can ask the teacher about practical work after the lecture."

"Thank you" - I nodded and headed toward the building he had pointed out.

"And don’t you dare pick anything" - the guard called after me. - "Even one plucked leaf could land you in the snake pit."

"Understood" - I waved dismissively without turning around.

The local botanical garden was interesting, though it took up far more space than the rest of the camp. I spent the next thirty minutes exploring the unusual and beautiful plants. However, there weren’t many varieties—barely a dozen—so the garden didn’t hold my attention for long.

The lecture was conducted by a dignified old man with a white beard. He passionately explained to the young novices the vital role of alchemy in a cultivator's development. According to him, achieving nirvana was impossible without the pills and elixirs he crafted. And with enough "alchemy," one could practically become a god in just half an hour.

In short, it was the usual sales pitch aimed at impressionable kids. Still, I made a mental note to study this field—not so much to start "crafting" but to understand how it all worked.

"Master Chu Zhu Zhu" - I addressed the teacher after the lecture - "I’d like to study plant cultivation techniques. Is there a way to get a plot of land for that?"

"Ho-ho, another young talent" - the old man chuckled, looking at me. - "Find Liu Kang. He handles the organizational matters. You’re planning to attend my lectures, I assume?"

"Yes, of course. Though I’d be more interested in hearing more about alchemy and plants rather than endless talk about becoming great by devouring pills in bulk."

"Haha, we’ll cover that next week. Good luck."

"Thank you, sir," I said and bowed.

My interest in agriculture wasn’t so much about growing magical hemp as it was about cultivating my own food and conducting a few experiments. From what I could tell, the camp fed its students rather modestly. For someone like me, who needed proper nutrition to maintain physical strength, this was far from ideal.

While Qi helped reduce dependence on food, it wasn’t enough. Besides, the locals mostly relied on rice, whereas I, Tan Ji Tao, had grown into a young bull by eating primarily beans. Since my body was in a phase of accelerated growth, I needed to ensure I maintained my health and appearance. I planned to live for the next hundred years, and it was best to avoid health problems from the start.

With a handful of seeds and a plot of land in the most overgrown corner of the garden, I headed back to the camp to meditate. But before that, I decided to grab a bite to eat, as it was dinnertime. However, as I entered the dining hall, I was unexpectedly intercepted by Liu Qiang, who was clearly waiting for me.