Bai Jue's home was in a residential complex in the western district of Tiankui City.
After returning home, the first thing he did was take out the cultivation method given to him by the school and begin reading.
The technique was called Yin Soul Art, a cultivation method specifically suited for Festival Adepts who had awakened Ghost Festivals.
For Festival Adepts, cultivation was important—but comprehension of the festival itself was just as critical.
This directly determined whether one could gain the festival's recognition.
What did that mean?
After the great cosmic fluctuation swept across the universe, every festival seemed to gain a faint form of consciousness. That was why festivals could be awakened as powers and wielded by humans.
Only by earning the recognition of the festival awakened during the first awakening could a Festival Adept hope to awaken a second festival.
But this was extremely difficult.
As far as records showed, the highest number of festivals ever awakened by a single person was three.
Most Festival Adepts only ever awakened two.
"Zhongyuan Festival is the Taoist name. It falls on the fourteenth day of the seventh lunar month. In Buddhism, it's known as the Ullambana Festival."
Bai Jue recalled everything he knew about Zhongyuan as he thought to himself.
"The customs include ancestor worship, floating river lanterns, honoring the dead, burning paper offerings, and land rituals. If I want to comprehend Zhongyuan and earn its recognition, I should probably start from these aspects."
"Reading Taoist and Buddhist texts related to Zhongyuan would also help deepen my understanding and increase the chances of recognition."
"But for now…"
"Cultivation comes first."
Taking a deep breath, Bai Jue opened the Yin Soul Art and began studying it seriously.
Festival energy—Qili—was a force discovered by ancient predecessors. It might have existed since prehistoric times, perhaps even since the first humans prayed to the gods or celebrated their earliest festivals.
It had always been there—only remaining undiscovered until a century ago.
Thus, it came to be called Qili.
Cultivating Qili itself wasn't difficult, as long as one had a proper cultivation method.
By following the circulation routes described in the technique, one would guide the Qili born during awakening to circulate through the body, using special methods to draw in ambient Qili from the world.
This external Qili would then be refined and converted into one's own.
Otherwise, it would simply dissipate from the body.
Sitting cross-legged, Bai Jue closed his eyes and began cultivating.
As the technique circulated, he gradually sensed radiant, seven-colored energy drifting throughout the surrounding world.
This was the most primitive form of Qili.
Because Bai Jue had awakened Zhongyuan, once this energy entered his body and was refined, it transformed into black, yin-like Qili.
Different festivals refined Qili into different forms.
That was something to explore later.
With his breathing steady and calm, Qili continuously flowed into Bai Jue's body, undergoing constant refinement.
Gradually, within his dantian, a small vortex began to form.
The vortex stabilized, hovering above the dantian as refined Qili circulated endlessly within it.
[Notice: You have begun cultivating. Qili has slightly increased.]
[Notice: You have begun cultivating. Qili has slightly increased.]
[Notice: You have begun cultivating. Qili has slightly increased.]
[Notice: You have begun cultivating. Qili has slightly increased.]
[Notice: You have gained insight through cultivation. Comprehension +1.]
The system prompts rang out repeatedly.
Then—
A surge of momentum erupted from Bai Jue's body.
He broke through.
And it was effortless.
"Apprentice—Early Stage. That was surprisingly easy."
Bai Jue opened his eyes, delight clear on his face.
At the moment of breakthrough, Qili surged through his limbs and bones, tempering his physical body. His strength rose sharply.
If he were to lift his shirt now, the results would be obvious—even his muscles were visibly forming.
"Feels great."
Feeling the changes in his body, Bai Jue grinned in excitement and threw a punch into the air.
Whoosh!
The air cracked.
Only then did Bai Jue truly feel the power of being a Festival Adept.
His stomach suddenly growled.
"Perfect timing. I'll grab lunch, then go take care of my Festival Adept certification. Maybe I can even enter a spatial gate this afternoon."
Muttering to himself, Bai Jue grabbed his wallet and headed out.
In this world, he was an orphan.
Just like countless transmigrators in novels—an orphan start.
Unfortunately, no younger sister. No older sister. No hidden inheritance left behind by his parents.
Outside the residential complex, Bai Jue entered a typical roadside eatery and ordered fried rice along with a plate of stir-fried pork and green peppers.
As he waited, he glanced at the news playing on the television mounted on the wall.
[Attention, citizens of Tiankui City. A dangerous criminal from Tiangang City has recently infiltrated the area. This individual murdered a family of three in public and is extremely vicious, showing complete disregard for human life. He is suspected to be a Festival Adept. The Tiankui City authorities are conducting a full-scale manhunt. Citizens are advised to avoid going out at night for the next week.]
"A criminal?"
Bai Jue shook his head.
"Sounds like a Festival Adept."
These days, if you weren't a Festival Adept, hardly anyone dared commit crimes. They were far too easy to capture.
After all, the authorities themselves had Festival Adepts.
Ordinary people couldn't escape their grasp.
Soon, the food arrived.
Bai Jue ate heartily.
Perhaps because of his recent breakthrough, the amount that used to fill him up now barely left him half-full. Gritting his teeth, he painfully ordered an extra plate of barbecue.
After all, he hadn't received his Festival Adept benefits yet.
He was still poor.
While Bai Jue was eating—
Elsewhere.
Tiangang City.
Inside a spatial gate.
This place was a vast primeval forest, lush and beautiful.
But at this very moment—
War raged.
"Kill them!"
"Wipe out these bastards!"
"Damn it, trying to invade our world again—kill every last one of them! Don't let a single one escape!"
A middle-aged man roared, gripping a long alloy blade, killing intent surging from his body.
At his command, Festival Adepts charged forward without hesitation.
Their enemies were grotesque, monstrous creatures—beast-like forms with eight limbs, bull horns, and the ability to spit silk.
Their massive bodies rivaled elephants.
This was a race known as Spider Beasts, intelligent creatures no weaker than humans.
The battlefield erupted.
Blood quickly soaked the land.
Festival Adepts fell.
Spider Beasts died.
The middle-aged man swung his blade, eyes blazing with ferocity. With a single slash, he cleaved an attacking Spider Beast clean in half, blood spraying and nearly dyeing his body red.
He didn't care.
Instead, he grinned—a savage, bloodthirsty smile.
"These damn things think about invading our world every single day. One day, I'll wipe your entire race out. Tch!"
Just then—
"Boss! Boss!!"
A young man rushed through the spatial gate, his expression urgent.
"Xiao Li? What is it?"
The middle-aged man turned, frowning.
"Did something go wrong at another gate?"
"N-No!"
Xiao Li shook his head, shock written all over his face.
"It's Tiankui City! There was a high school awakening test today—someone awakened Zhongyuan Festival!"
"…What festival?"
"Z-Zhongyuan Festival."
The moment he heard it—
The middle-aged man's eyes widened. He grabbed Xiao Li by the shoulders.
"You're sure? You're telling me it was Zhongyuan?"
"Yes! Zhongyuan Festival—the one that, once fully developed, can single-handedly suppress an entire spatial gate!"
"Hahahaha—good! Good! Hahahaha!"
The man burst into laughter, sheathing his blade and striding toward the spatial gate.
"Boss! Where are you going?! We're still in the middle of a fight!" Xiao Li shouted.
"Where am I going?" the man barked back without turning around.
"I'm going to steal him, of course! Zhongyuan Festival! As long as we get him and nurture him properly in Tiangang City, these damn Spider Beasts will be nothing but trash!!"
With a single step—
His figure vanished into the spatial gate.
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