Despite Li Zhen's peaceful meditation, he did not, in fact, enjoyed it for long.

After a cursory exploration of the dimly lit surroundings, the novelty wore off, and the oppressive silence only heightened his sense of boredom. His hyperactive mind forced him to do something. And the only thing he could do was practice his refinement method.

He settled into the center of the circle, closed his eyes, took a deep breath, and sensed the qi in the cave reacting. Just as he felt a flicker of calm, a sudden flash of light burst forth, shattering the cave's dim monotony.

Zhen's heart leaped into his throat, and he scrambled backward, his thoughts racing. His mind raced with scenarios of attacks, ambushes, assassins, and other threats. Being in a cave was not reassuring at all.

But no attack came. As quickly as it had appeared, the light faded, leaving behind a single, tattered parchment on the ground. Zhen's eyes widened in disbelief after the mystical transfer as he cautiously approached the object, his heart still pounding in his chest.

He reached out and picked up the parchment, feeling the rough, uneven texture beneath his fingers. The paper was not at all like the smooth surface he was accustomed to. He carefully unrolled the parchment, revealing a series of hurried scribbles.

His eyes scanned the letter, the memories helping him to understand the words.

Disciple Li Zhen,

You have gone above the allotted qi for your ninth realm Qi Condensation breakthrough. Additional fines have been levied for not providing prior notice, and the next usage of qi will be charged at double the rate.

Fine - 200 Qi Condensation Spirit Stones

Additional Qi Cost: 2x

You could also end your cultivation early.

Total Dues: 211

Nominal Area Qi Gathering Cave

Disciple Feng Ling

His heart sank. Just the word fine was enough to introduce stress in his inner mind. It had not even been a day since he had come to terms with the fact that he was indeed in a cultivation world. Yet, this simple parchment grounded him in the harsh reality that even here, bureaucracy thrived.

His mouth fell open in disbelief at the exorbitant dues that he accrued. For a moment, he was raging to go flying to lodge a complaint. But he controlled himself. The Seventh realm Qi Condensation Li Zhen might have been barely strong enough to demand an answer, but with his current first realm cultivation, he would be lucky to avoid enslavement, let alone demand answers.

The cave is not a treasure at all. It's a damn money pit.

He sighed, contemplating his situation. There was no way he could leave without at least regaining his former strength. To do so would be suicidal so leaving early was not an option.

All the excitement he felt earlier dissipated, replaced by a sinking realization of his strength. It was just a small dose of what personal strength meant in a world ruled by the laws of the jungle.

With great powers, comes great debt.

There was nothing he could do. Strength ruled all, and he had become a broken cultivator, fallen to the First Realm of Qi Condensation. He would have to dig himself out of this hole, one painstaking step at a time in just nine days.

Before practicing, he started to go over Li Zhen's memory. There should be something there he could use. He saved a hundred spirit stones for his breakthrough and was penniless. Now he was even not penniless but beyond it.

Surprisingly, he retained all the memories of the previous Li Zhen except for his personal cultivation, Any enlightenment, progress, or insights he might have gained during his cultivation were missing. He wasn't sure what to make of it.

You could be reading stolen content. Head to the original site for the genuine story.

Even the fact that he was once an Eighth realm Qi Condensation Cultivator was because the previous Li Zhen had booked this cave to break through to the ninth realm.

During this time, he dedicated himself to adjusting his mindset and familiarizing himself with his new environment. One of his primary focuses was delving into the depths of his acquired memories, gaining a more comprehensive understanding of the body he now inhabited.

This process proved to be immensely beneficial for him. As he delved deeper into the recesses of his mind, he unearthed a wealth of knowledge that shed light on his newfound capabilities.

When comparing this new body to his previous one, he found that he possessed greater strength, agility, and overall prowess. The memories he accessed revealed that the previous Li Zhen had diligently practiced martial arts from a young age, and for that, he would like to thank his sect.

After that, he checked his supposed ability. Testing the idea of having a system, he playfully uttered commands like "System," "Panel," "Properties," and "Status."

When no response came, he felt a mix of frustration and amusement. Perhaps he was missing something, or perhaps there was no system at all. Either way, he knew he couldn't rely on it.

With no other options, he gritted his teeth and resumed his cultivation, fully aware of the exorbitant costs involved. Burning four times the money for half the result.

Sitting cross-legged, he took a deep breath and centered himself, entering a state of tranquil rhythm with his breathing. The dim glow of the cave's blue circle flickered softly around him as the qi began to respond to his call. Slowly but surely, he felt the ethereal energy start to flow toward him, a gentle yet persistent current that enveloped his body and seeped through the pores.

The rush of energy made him temporarily forget about his pain as he started to go through the stages of the Hundred Stars Refinement.

The initial rush of energy was a soothing balm that momentarily made him forget the harsh realities of troubles as he navigated the stages of the Hundred Stars Refinement.

As he focused, the qi coalesced within his acupoints, swirling and condensing with increasing intensity. The sensation was both exhilarating and challenging, requiring him to maintain precise control over the influx of power.

The qi started being rapidly absorbed by the star rotating in his acupoints. He wasn't sure why, but the formation of the star was easier than the previous one. Achieving a second star in his acupoint brought a sense of accomplishment, though it quickly depleted the qi in the chambers.

The rapid replenishment of the qi only added to his frustration, as it felt like a deliberate ploy to drain him dry. They sure as hell couldn't wait for him to use more of the qi. He realized it was just muttering of his poor mindset, but cursing helped lessen his blood pressure.

There was also something else. This time, Zhen noticed something peculiar about the qi he was absorbing. He was not sure, but he felt the qi he was absorbing contained some traces of starlight or something that would accumulate in his acupoint before converting to a star. This discovery intrigued him, adding a layer of mystery to his cultivation process. Was it due to his increasing realm that he started noticing the subtleties of qi?

He checked the golden words trying to get a sense of time passed.

Sage’s Daily Scroll of Heavenly, Earthly, and Mortal Insights.

Target: 00:30:47

After achieving the second star in under five hours, he felt a slight release of the tension that had been building within him. His body was brimming with energy, and he felt stronger. Clenching his fist, he felt the muscles tensing and the air vibrating around him. The sensation was exhilarating, a reminder of the power he sought to reclaim.

Rather than rushing to the third realm, he decided to wait for the golden words. That was the only thing that might help him breakthrough, because he was certain he wouldn't be able to rush to the ninth realm of Qi Condensation even with the money pit cave.

The first word, Sage, might refer to someone, perhaps the owner of whatever artifact or power he had stumbled upon. Or it could simply be a title or a name. Sage could describe a vast number of cultivators, so for his peace of mind, he started believing it referred to a general class of people rather than someone specific.

But what if it's not? What if it's someone incredibly powerful watching my every move? He shook his head. No, no, that's just paranoia talking. Focus on what you can control.

Daily Scroll, was also easy to understand, possibly indicating the frequency he might be able to use this skill. As for the Scroll, he wondered if it was only possible to target scrolls or if it could also be used to target different things.

As for Heavenly, and Earthly, he just termed it as cultivation jargon refer to all things. Probably just fancy words for the big stuff and the little stuff, he mused.

What he was interested in was about Mortal Insights.

Now, this sounds like something I can actually use. Maybe it means he could learn more about himself, his own potential or his situation. That could be the key to rapid advancement.

Sage’s Daily Scroll of Heavenly, Earthly, and Mortal Insights.

Target: 00:00:47