The streets were quieter than usual, most families already gathered inside for their evening meals.
Smoke rose from chimneys, carrying the scent of rice and simple vegetables.
Children's laughter drifted from behind closed doors.
I passed by Old Chen's field, where he was still working despite the fading light.
He straightened when he saw me, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Little Shen," he called out. "I heard the chief got spirit root tester, How did the testing go?"
I paused briefly.
"Five roots," I said simply.
His expression flickered, sympathy and understanding mixing together.
"Ah..." He nodded slowly. "That's... well, at least you can still cultivate, right?"
"Yes," I replied. "At least that."
He hesitated, as if wanting to say more, then simply patted my shoulder.
"Your grandfather will be proud you didn't give up," he said. "That's what matters."
I nodded and continued walking.
Proud.
Perhaps.
But I knew the truth.
My grandfather would worry. He would hide it behind practical words and steady hands, but he would worry.
Because in this world, five roots meant a ceiling.
A wall that few ever climbed.
When I reached home, the courtyard was empty.
The door stood slightly ajar, warm light spilling out from inside.
I pushed it open quietly and saw my grandfather pacing back and forth.
His back was slightly hunched, his steps uneven, his brows tightly knitted with worry.
The moment he noticed me, he stopped.
"You're back," he said, forcing a calm tone that failed to hide the anxiety beneath it. "Why did it take so long today?"
"I went to the village chief's residence," I replied. "To submit the harvest tax."
His shoulders relaxed slightly then stiffened again as I continued.
"The chief said he got a spirit root tester artifact and suggested me to take a spiritual aptitude test."
For a brief instant, hope flickered in his eyes.
Then fear crept in.
"…And?" he asked quietly.
"I possess five elemental spirit roots," I said calmly. "Seeing my situation, the chief gave me a vitality breathing technique. It prolongs lifespan and keeps the body healthy."
The light in his eyes shattered.
Colour drained from his face as though all the blood had been sucked away. His lips trembled, and his legs suddenly gave out beneath him.
"Grandfather!"
I rushed forward and caught him just in time. He was frighteningly light as I helped him sit on the wooden chair beside the courtyard wall.
"Oh heavens…WHY?" he cried hoarsely, gripping his robe with shaking hands. "First you took his parents away from him… and now even his chance at immortality. What sin has my child committed? Why must my Yuan'er suffer like this?"
His voice cracked, raw and broken with sadness.
I knelt in front of him, holding his trembling hands.
In my previous life, I had faced failure, death, and despair alone. No one had mourned my lost future. No one had cursed the heavens on my behalf.
Yet now, someone was grieving for me.
"Grandfather," I said softly, meeting his tear-filled eyes, "I'm still here and alive. I can still walk my own path."
He shook his head weakly.
"Five elements… five elements…" he muttered. "Even entering a sect is difficult. How can you live well in this cruel world?"
"I know," I replied gently. "But as long as I'm alive, there's still hope."
I stayed with him, speaking quietly and steadily, until his breathing finally calmed. The deep sorrow on his face gradually faded into exhaustion.
"Rest here," I said. "I'll prepare dinner."
That night's meal was simple: vegetable soup, freshly cooked jade spirit rice, and a few preserved side dishes. The oil lamp flickered softly between us.
Neither of us spoke much.
After clearing the bowls, I stood.
"Grandfather," I said, "I'm going to cultivate the technique the chief gave me tonight. If anything happens, call me immediately. Don't worry about disturbing me."
He nodded slowly.
"Alright. The technique the chief gave you is gentle," he said. "It focuses on vitality. It won't harm you, but still be careful during cultivation."
I nodded, closed my door, and sat cross-legged on the bed.
I took out a low-grade spirit stone from my inventory.
Holding it in my palm, I followed the Longevity Breathing Technique. My breathing gradually slowed, and my thoughts became clear and tranquil.
Wisps of spiritual qi flowed from the stone, entered my body through my palm, traveled along my meridians, gathered within my dantian.
Then passed through the acupoints in my limbs, torso, and head, finally returning to the dantian, forming a complete circulation cycle.
Time passed quietly.
When the spirit stone finally crumbled into fine dust, I opened my eyes.
A translucent screen appeared before me.
[Congratulations, Host. You have officially stepped onto the path of cultivation. Current Realm: Qi Refining Stage-Layer One, System Status Panel unlocked.]
My heart stirred.
Status, I called silently.
A blue panel unfolded before my eyes.
-------------
Name: Shen Yuan
Age: 18 / 76
Cultivation: Qi Refining, Layer 1
Spirit Roots: Five Elements (Low Grade)
Spirit Cultivation Techniques: Longevity Spirit Breathing Technique - Initiation.
Legacy: Spiritual Farmer (Tier 1)
Spells: None
Rewards:
-Verdant Dew (White) ×3
-Rapid Growth (Green) ×1
-------------
After checking the attributes, my gaze fixed on the rewards section.
The options pulsed faintly with light.
My eyes landed on Verdant Dew.
Without hesitation, I selected it.
Instantly, a vast torrent of pure spiritual energy poured into my body from the void. I hurriedly guided it through my meridians, circulating it according to the Longevity Breathing Technique and compressing it within my dantian.
My cultivation surged rapidly.
The boundary of my dantian bulged slightly.
Soon I had reached Qi Refining Layer One, Peak.
The sensation was overwhelming, intoxicating, almost frightening.
Before it faded, I used another reward.
Another torrent of spiritual energy rushed in.
Crack.
The invisible shackles restraining the dantian boundary shattered effortlessly.
I broke through.
Qi Refining, Layer Two.
My dantian expanded from one meter to nearly 1.3 meters in diameter.
The breakthrough felt incredible, as though my strength had multiplied several times over. But I quickly calmed myself—this sense of power was partly an illusion.
The system panel updated instantly.
A foul odor suddenly rose from my body.
Checking myself, I realized impurities had been expelled during the breakthrough.
I immediately activated the robe's cleaning function.
The fabric shimmered lightly, evaporating the impurities into thin air and leaving my body refreshed and cool.
I exhaled slowly, stabilizing my cultivation.
Only one Verdant Dew reward remained.
After brief hesitation, I decided to save it as an emergency backup.
I took out another spirit stone from the inventory and resumed cultivation, but compared to the system's reward assistance, the progress was painfully slow.
Frustration crept in.
Sensing the instability of my mind, I forced myself to calm down, stopped cultivating, and lay down to sleep.
The next morning, a knock sounded at my door.
I woke up feeling refreshed. After activating the cleaning option, I opened the door.
"Yuan'er," my grandfather was waiting outside, "how is your cultivation? Any problems?"
"No problems," I replied. "It was simple. Don't worry, I won't harm myself."
After a moment of silence.
Then he sighed.
"Your parents..." He stopped, shaking his head. "They would have been disappointed."
The words hung heavy in the air.
"But," he continued, his voice firming, "they would also want you to survive. To live well, even if the path is harder."
He looked at me directly.
"Five roots is not the end," he said. "It's just... a different beginning."
I nodded and considered his question seriously.
What do I want?
Safety? Power? Immortality?
The truth was simpler than any of those grand goals.
"I want to choose my own path," I said finally. "Not have it chosen for me by my spirit roots."
My grandfather's expression softened.
"Good answer," he said quietly.
He took out a small cloth pouch from the inner pocket beneath his robe.
He took a deep breath, then slowly pulled out a worn book, a jade slip, and a pendant from it. He stared at me for a long moment before finally speaking.
"Shen Yuan… forgive this old man for being incompetent, for becoming a burden to you," he said softly. "I don't have powerful techniques to give you. But your parents left these behind before leaving you to me."
"They told me to give them to you once you stepped onto the cultivation path. Use them only in emergencies, and never expose them to others, even by mistake."
"These were their final words."
He handed me the items.
"This book contains a body cultivation technique," he said. "The jade slip is a soul technique. And this pendant… it belonged to your mother."
I don't know why, but I felt emotional seeing the pendant even though I didn't have much interaction with my parents before I got my past life memories.
Still, I accepted them with both hands and bowed deeply.
"Thank you, Grandfather. I will cherish them."
He warned. "I've kept it hidden because I didn't want you attempting it without proper preparation and resources. Now you have to make decision yourself."
Before leaving, he added, "Don't rush into cultivation. Examine them carefully first."
I nodded, sent him off, and closed the door.
Then I placed the pendant around my neck.
The moment it touched my skin, a cooling sensation spread through my mind, calming my thoughts and sharpening my focus.
Then I picked up the body cultivation book.
It was empty.
I checked it several times. Still nothing.
Confusion and frustration rose, but the pendant pulsed faintly, clearing my cluttered thoughts.
Remembering the dramas and novels, I used to watch during breaks in my previous life, an idea struck me.
I pricked my index finger. Blood oozed out, and I poured a single drop onto the book's cover.
It was absorbed instantly. The ordinary book began to shine, light spilling across its surface before slowly fading away.
When the glow vanished, the book had changed, it now looked ancient, as though it carried the weight of history itself, a faint power quietly radiating from it.
Slowly, words began to appear upon the pages.
Primordial Star Refining Body Cultivation Art
The name alone radiated an overwhelming sense of dominance and an awe-inspiring, ancient fighting spirit, as though it looked down upon all things beneath the heavens, perhaps even the heavens themselves.
I began reading it. Although the script looked unfamiliar, something I couldn't recognize. But somehow I was able to understand every word.
At its peak, according to the description, a cultivator's body could be tempered to rival celestial bodies, allowing them to shatter stars and traverse dimensions through sheer power alone.
The art contained three complete stages, corresponding to Qi Refining, Foundation Establishment, and Golden Core.
The higher portions were blurred or removed intentionally.
Even so, this incomplete version was terrifying.
It is said in the book for now only contained the Stage 1 portion.
To unlock the next part, I would need to complete this stage and provide it a drop of my blood as the key that meets its requirement for accessing Stage 2.
Looks like this book is an inheritance artifact that was used by the cultivators to avoid setbacks in cultivation.
For their descendants who rush in cultivation without stabilising their realms.
After thinking I started to read the stage one, I realized I remembered every word perfectly.
The system panel updated, new column appeared.
[Body Cultivation: Primordial Star Refining Body Art, Stage: 1 (0%)]
Once again, the system confirmed that any comprehended technique could be permanently retained.
But the pendant's role was still undeniable. It calmed my mind and allowed me to perceive what ordinary senses could not.
It was definitely a high-level treasure.
So I hid it beneath my farmer robes to avoid spiritual detection and unnecessary trouble by placing it in plain sight.
As for the soul cultivation art, I didn't have the spiritual sense to read the jade slip. I would have to wait until I broke through to Qi Refining late-stage to develop spiritual sense.
So for now, I would keep it aside. To ensure their safety, I had to keep them in inventory, but it would occupy two slots.
To save inventory space, I got an idea. I placed the book and jade slip into the leather pouch and tried to store it, to see if the system treated them as a single item.
Yes, the leather pouch disappeared from my sight, and I could see it in the system inventory slot.
This could help me store more resources in the future.
Otherwise, the slots would be filled in no time if I stored everything separately.
After sorting my thoughts, I went outside.
But my grandfather was already waiting for me at the table.
Before I could speak, he reminded me, "Don't tell anyone about these techniques, not even me. Remember a gentleman carrying jade without strength invites disaster."
"I will follow your advice," I replied.
Then I informed him that I was heading to the City market to sell spirit rice and purchase some cultivation resources.