It was morning.
Cold air flowed through the courtyard.
Li Tian took a deep breath—
then tried to circulate Qi.
Nothing.
He tried again.
Once more… emptiness.
---
Cultivation Failure
The manual was correct.
Posture perfect.
Breathing controlled.
Yet not a single drop of Qi moved in his dantian.
The leader of Shadow Veil stood nearby.
"Your body… is empty,"
he said bluntly.
"It's as if your Qi channels are sealed."
Li Tian sat with his eyes closed.
"What does that mean?"
he asked.
"Either from birth, or due to some defect,"
the leader replied.
"You cannot begin cultivation…
unless the body is first awakened."
---
Medical Analysis – A Logical Conclusion
Li Tian's mind activated instantly.
Qi = life energy
Channels = pathways
Blockage = deficiency
"What's the most common solution in this world?"
he asked.
"A high-grade spirit herb,"
came the answer.
"Like… a 1,000-year-old ginseng."
---
Reality – Rare & Expensive
A 1,000-year-old ginseng—
Found only in the Central Plane
An auction item
Price: absurd
Even normal cultivators can only dream of it.
Li Tian calculated.
> Profits could be earned again.
But if this chance is missed…
cultivation may never begin.
The decision was instant.
---
The Decision to Journey
A meeting was held in the Merchant Guild hall.
Mu Zhengyuan said,
"The Central Plane is dangerous.
Powerful sects, aristocrats, monsters."
Li Tian spoke only one line—
"I want to stay alive."
---
Shadow Escort
Shadow Veil's elite assassins were mobilized.
Scout units moved ahead
Concealment formations activated
No banners
No merchant identity
Li Tian hid his name.
On this journey, he was no merchant—
just a man fighting for his own body.
---
Departure – Manhua Panel
The caravan leaves the city under cover of night.
The snow has melted,
and the road ahead is filled with stone and blood.
Inside his cloak, Li Tian clenches his hands.
"For the first time,"
he thinks,
"my goal isn't money…
it's my life."
---
End Caption
"A man without Qi has only two choices—
surrender, or take the risk."
Next chapter: The first step into the Central Plane — the gates of Auction City.