"The senior speaks with reason."
After a short pause to weigh his options, Chen Sanshi agreed decisively. Judging from what had happened earlier, there was no guarantee he could have survived that man's hand, and the other cultivators didn't seem likely to save him either.
Most importantly—he truly bore no grudge against this person.
The title "demon" was nothing more than a label used during the fight for the spiritual vein.
That was the key point. He had no right, nor intention, to take part in such a contest.
So, he didn't care who owned the spiritual vein.
"That's better."
The voice inside the cabin grew noticeably calmer. "I've never liked killing. They forced my hand. Don't let that 'demon' title frighten you."
"I understand, I understand," Chen Sanshi replied casually, intending to leave.
"Why so hasty?"
The old voice chuckled. "It's been a dull journey. At last, I've made a friend. Why not come in and chat with this old man for a while?"
Chen Sanshi didn't move immediately.
Behind him, Ningxiang's pupils glowed faintly with pink spiritual light.
"Call off your companion," the old voice warned, "or must you really force my hand?"
Chen Sanshi motioned for Ningxiang and the others to back off.
He could tell the man wasn't hostile—if he meant to kill him, there'd be no need for so much talking. Still, Chen Sanshi stayed alert as he stepped through the cabin door.
Inside sat an old man with white hair, resting comfortably.
Beside him lay a cultivator sleeping peacefully.
The old man removed his mask, revealing a rather ordinary face. "Come, sit."
"I'm Zhang Laizi. Greetings, Senior."
Chen Sanshi sat nearby.
"Mm. I'm Gui Qi."
Gui Qi studied him. "You're new. A rogue cultivator? Or a mortal seeking the Dao?"
"A seeker," Chen Sanshi replied, speaking in a clean Southern Xu accent. "I come from Great Xu."
"Ah, a man of Xu Kingdom." Gui Qi nodded faintly. "I'm from Daze Market myself."
"This ship will take ten days to reach its destination," he added softly. "So, wait patiently."
When he finished speaking, silence fell.
Gui Qi began rummaging through the corpses of the fallen cultivators. After a long while, he found nothing and cursed under his breath. "Greedy bastards. They must've left all their treasures back in the cultivation realm. Fighting them was a waste of effort."
Chen Sanshi didn't know how to respond.
Apparently bored, Gui Qi tossed the body overboard, pulled out a line with a hook tied to the end of the hammer he'd seized the night before, and started fishing through the cabin window.
The ship had long set sail. Strangely, Chen Sanshi hadn't even felt it move—he only realized they'd left when he could no longer see the dock. By now, they were deep in the endless sea.
On the vast walnut-wood ship, no one spoke.
All the cultivators sat quietly, eyes closed in meditation.
Chen Sanshi, afraid of attracting greed, dared not show a single mid-grade spirit stone. He spent four or five days locked in a silent staring contest with Gui Qi, watching as the old man grew more and more irritable—because not a single fish had bitten.
A few times, when a huge fish leapt from the water, Gui Qi almost jumped overboard after it.
'So fishing drives even old cultivators mad?' Chen Sanshi thought.
Finally, on the sixth day, Gui Qi caught one—a red sea fish as long as his forearm. "Here, share a bite."
The spiritual energy within it felt about the same as the fish Chen Sanshi had seen at the inn before—rare and precious. Without being polite, he ate half, then sat down to cultivate using the faint spiritual qi he absorbed.
By now, the ship was deep in a thick sea fog, visibility down to near nothing—the deck so dim one could hardly see a hand in front of the face.
As it sailed, golden light would flicker over the hull from time to time. Strange runes flowed across the shimmering barrier, clashing with the white mist and producing sharp, grating sounds.
No wonder ordinary folk couldn't travel far by sea. Without such protections, the fog itself was as deadly as any beast.
"Laizi, my friend," Gui Qi said as he leaned back in his seat, "I can tell your Martial Dao has reached Profound Manifestation. Even in the mortal world, you'd be a man of high status. Why risk your life traveling thousands of li to the Edge of the World?"
Chen Sanshi didn't answer directly.
Instead, he said, "Senior shouldn't question me. With your strength, you'd be invincible in the mortal world too. Yet here you are, fighting a ship full of cultivators for a single spiritual vein."
"Fighting for a vein?"
Gui Qi chuckled twice. "Did I ever say I wanted to monopolize it? That's what they assumed. And besides, once a spiritual vein revives, it covers an entire mountain range. How could one man guard that alone?"
Chen Sanshi's curiosity stirred. If not for hoarding it, then what was the old man's goal?
But since they weren't familiar, he chose not to pry.
Unexpectedly, Gui Qi spoke on his own, saying something shocking: "I seek the spiritual vein to uproot it completely—destroy it, so it never brings disaster again."
"What did Senior just say?"
Chen Sanshi frowned. "Why destroy a perfectly good spiritual vein?"
According to Old Mo's teachings, a spiritual vein's revival was an extraordinary blessing. It gave cultivators new ground to train on. If such a vein were destroyed, wouldn't this world remain forever cut off?
Gui Qi didn't answer that.
Instead, he asked, "Laizi, would you like to stay and help me? If things go well, there will be rewards."
"Senior jests."
Chen Sanshi refused at once. "My cultivation is shallow. I'm not qualified for something like this. Even if I wished to help, I simply lack the strength."
He thought to himself—spiritual veins were creations of Heaven and Earth. Not just anyone could destroy one.
Gui Qi smiled faintly. "So be it. Most people long for the road to immortality. I once did too. But now…"
Gui Qi paused for a moment, then asked, "Laizi, my friend, may I ask about your background?"
"Quite good," Chen Sanshi blurted out. "Otherwise, how would I have such skill in martial arts?"
Yet deep down, he knew the truth—he was nothing more than a mountain hunter. Even counting his previous life, he had always been one of the countless ordinary people of the world.
"So that's how it is. No wonder."
Gui Qi sighed. "Those born in high places rarely understand the hearts of common men. You and I are not the same kind of people. Let us part ways here."
As they spoke, Xu Youliang's voice came from outside.
"Fellow Daoists, prepare to disembark!"
Before they realized it, the core ship had sailed out of the thick mist.
Through the cabin window, Chen Sanshi could see clearly—a vast island was rising from the endless ocean. By the shore stood a massive stone stele, towering more than thirty zhang high, engraved with four large words: "Tianya Haijiao"—the Edge of the World.
The ship slowed down.
Gui Qi had vanished without a trace.
Chen Sanshi hurried back to his own cabin.
When Ningxiang saw he was safe, she exhaled deeply in relief. "That man… could he have been—"
Chen Sanshi nodded, confirming her guess.
"That demon is terrifying," Ningxiang said cautiously. "Just earlier, when I tried to cast a spell through the cabin, he sensed it in advance. And somehow, he slipped onto a ship full of cultivators without being noticed, and disappeared just as easily."
"Indeed."
Chen Sanshi agreed—the man's power was unfathomable.
And to think he planned to destroy a spiritual vein…
No matter how he looked at it, that didn't sound like something a sane person would do.
The ship came to a stop.
The cultivators disembarked one after another, no one even noticing that one person was missing.
At the island's edge, many people had already gathered.
When Chen Sanshi looked around, he saw both martial artists and cultivators among them—but most of their cultivation levels were low, and quite a few hadn't even begun cultivating.
They crowded eagerly toward the ship.
"Immortal!"
"Immortal Master!"
"Please, give us a chance!"
"Honored Immortal, will you take me as your disciple?"
"I'm just a farmer—why take me as a disciple?"
"No disciples! I'm a rogue cultivator—where would I find the resources to share?"
Everyone gathered here came from the Nine Provinces Continent, all seeking immortality.
But the real cultivators ignored them completely. Many took to the air and left right away, flying off into the distance.
Still, some stayed behind—but not out of kindness.
They demanded payment.
For example, Old Mo Zhu was leading his donkey and said, "Two spirit stones, and this old man will point you toward the right path…"
Chen Sanshi figured the old man was making quite a profit on this trip.
Moreover, Mo Zhu seemed to know the bearded man nearby—the two exchanged glances, whispering about something.
Chen Sanshi had never offended either of them.
Back when that fish had appeared, he'd wisely let them have it, so there shouldn't be any trouble.
"Spirit stones? What are those?"
Some of the newcomers didn't even know what spirit stones were. They also had no idea about the ranks of cultivation—they had simply wandered here by luck, all because of the words "seeking immortality."
"Spirit stones? Is this what you mean by spirit stones? I have some!"
Suddenly, a young boy opened his travel bag, revealing a pile of brightly colored stones inside.
The sight stunned all the cultivators present.
"You, boy, pass!"
Xu Youliang was the first to move. He grabbed the boy's arm and sent a strand of spiritual qi into him. "A lower-grade triple spiritual root. Not bad. Come with me. From now on, you're my disciple. These spirit stones will serve as your apprenticeship fee—no objections, right?"
Overjoyed, the boy handed over all his spirit stones and knelt to kowtow, formally acknowledging his master.
The other cultivators watched, filled with envy and jealousy, but no one dared challenge Xu Youliang. They could only sigh and step back reluctantly.
"Rise."
Xu Youliang formed a hand seal, summoning a flying sword beneath his feet. He took the boy and soared into the sky.
The boy shouted with excitement, "I have an immortal master now!"
"What a fool," Ningxiang muttered in surprise. "Didn't think someone that clueless could actually find his way here."
Most people didn't even understand how valuable spirit stones were. Instead, they looked at the boy with envy, regretting that they didn't own such glowing rocks.
"Fellow Daoist Mo," Chen Sanshi approached the old man and asked, "Since you people can travel freely between worlds, why not bring some others back to the cultivation realm?"
"Ah, that."
Mo Zhu didn't mind explaining. "We talked about this before. This world is sealed. It's true that we can pass through freely, but only via teleportation arrays. Each use forces open a narrow link between Heaven and Earth—and each time, only one person can go through. It also consumes an enormous amount of spirit stones.
"This time, the teleportation array was activated by several major families of the Daze Market. They spent heavily to search for spiritual veins. Even we only get one free pass each.
"As for mortal cultivators—there's no way they could afford it.
"Twelve spirit stones, and I'll bring you across myself. How about it?"
"I really don't have that many," Chen Sanshi said truthfully, then asked, "Is there any other way?"
"Only one."
Mo Zhu stroked his beard. "You can rely on jade tokens. They can guide you to ancient teleportation arrays. Those arrays can only be used with jade tokens together. I've heard those tokens fetch quite a few spirit stones in the market. Do you have one?"
Chen Sanshi shook his head and sighed. "No spirit stones, no jade token. Looks like I've made this trip for nothing."
"Not necessarily."
Mo Zhu smiled. "Every fifty years, when an ancient teleportation array activates, some sects from the cultivation realm come out to recruit disciples or search for talents. For the former, they want geniuses. For the latter, they want mortal Martial Saints."
He cupped his hands. "That's all I can tell you. If you don't have spirit stones to buy a passage slot, then this old man must be on his way."
With that, he mounted his donkey and rode off, quickly disappearing from sight.
"Old Mo!" Chen Sanshi called after him.
The bearded man caught up and asked, "So? Did that mortal rogue cultivator have a jade token? A single jade token can be traded for a top-grade first-tier cave dwelling!"
"Already asked. He doesn't have one."
Mo Zhu took a long gulp of wine. "Li Huzi, why are you always scheming like this whenever you leave the market?"
"Because I'm broke!" Li Huzi cursed under his breath. "I still need a few more spirit stones to buy the pill that'll help me break through my bottleneck. What else can I do but come out and scavenge for something?"
He spat and continued, "That damned Xu Youliang's luck is ridiculous. He found some idiot and just like that—two hundred spirit stones landed in his hands! No way I'm letting that happen again. I'll wait near the teleportation array. Maybe I'll catch someone carrying a jade token."
"Daoist Li, you're planning to rob cultivators now?"
Mo Zhu sighed and said patiently, "Plenty of people have lost their lives because of greed."
"I'm only robbing mortal cultivators," Li Huzi said shamelessly. "No one's going to hunt me down for that. Besides, isn't our path of cultivation all about seizing Heaven and Earth's fortune? You agree, don't you, Old Mo?"
Before he could finish, he suddenly swung both fists down toward the old man riding the donkey. His hands blazed with roaring flames that could burn the sky itself.
"Boom—!"
The ground exploded, leaving a massive pit.
But Mo Zhu had already retreated several dozen zhang away, holding a dim talisman between his fingers. "Li Huzi, what do you think you're doing?"
Having missed his strike, Li Huzi didn't chase him. He laughed thick-skinned, saying, "Just a joke, Daoist Mo. Don't get angry."
"Li Huzi, that's not a joke you can make!"
Mo Zhu pointed his wine gourd at him, glaring. "That escape talisman cost five spirit stones, and now it's wasted because of your 'joke.' I ought to report you to the market authority!"
"I'll pay! I'll pay, alright?" Li Huzi squinted his eyes. "Besides, whatever happens here in the mortal world, the market won't interfere. Even if you complain, no one will care. Better to stay friendly, eh?"
Mo Zhu snorted coldly and vanished into thin air.
'So jade tokens are that valuable,' Chen Sanshi thought.
He turned back and rejoined Ningxiang and the others.
"Chen Sanshi!"
Zhaozhao came running toward him, carrying a weapon chest taller than she was, panting slightly. "I found a bunch of people over there! They said some sects are recruiting disciples. My master told me to come get you!"
"Alright," Chen Sanshi said and motioned for her to lead the way.
"Hey! Can't you carry your own stuff for once?" Zhaozhao complained, puffing. "You really think I'm your servant? I've been hauling this thing the whole way!"
Chen Sanshi ignored her and followed.
Soon they arrived where Ningxiang was waiting.
Surprisingly, this barren island had a Daoist arena.
On the platform stood several cultivators, most of them at late or perfection stage of Qi Refining. Dozens of mortals had lined up before them, waiting to be inspected one by one.
"Brother," Chen Sanshi called to someone nearby. "Who are those people recruiting disciples up there?"
"I heard they're from major sects of the cultivation realm!" the man said excitedly. "If we can join them, we'll soar straight to the heavens!"
He pushed forward eagerly, eyes shining with hope.
"Master," Zhaozhao said eagerly, "should we try too? I read that joining a great sect in the cultivation realm helps avoid a lot of detours."
"Fool," Ningxiang said calmly. "Just because they call themselves righteous sects, you believe them? You might end up sold off without even knowing it."
Chen Sanshi shared her view.
They had just arrived here—strangers in a strange land. It wasn't wise to approach any faction hastily. Even if they had to someday, it would be better after understanding how the cultivation realm worked.
Besides, after some observation, this sect seemed extremely picky about "aptitude."
With his inferior Five Elemental Mixed Root, Chen Sanshi decided it was best not to embarrass himself.
There was more than one sect recruiting.
"Metal, Wood, Water, Fire, and Earth—an inferior mixed root! Go back to farming in the mortal world!"
A young man, crushed by the words, collapsed on the ground, too stunned to move.
Chen Sanshi couldn't help but feel like that insult was aimed at him.
The tests continued for about two hours. Out of over a hundred hopefuls from all corners of the Nine Provinces, not one passed—except for a single young woman who was accepted as a disciple. The rest could only stand there helplessly as the immortals soared into the sky and vanished from sight.
"Ningxiang," Chen Sanshi asked, "what about you? What kind of spiritual root do you have?"
"Me? Mine's… a bit special," she said playfully. "You'll find out in time."
Chen Sanshi didn't press further. Instead, he asked, "What about the ancient teleportation array—did you find its location?"
"The path's clear," Ningxiang replied. "Follow me."
They headed east from their current position for about twenty li, until they came upon an ancient trail leading deep into the island's mountains. At a fork in the road stood seven or eight people—some were cultivators, some pure martial artists, and two among them were Martial Saints.
"Brother," said a young man with a sword strapped to his back, noticing Chen Sanshi's group. "You're here for the ancient teleportation array too, right? If you have a jade token, why not travel together?"
Chen Sanshi didn't answer immediately.
A Martial Saint with a massive blade across his back stepped forward and explained, "No need to be cautious, brother. Here's the situation: jade tokens are worth a lot of spirit stones in the cultivation world. Some cultivators have been targeting those who carry them.
"The ancient teleportation array was activated ten days ago.
"Several seekers who went alone were attacked and killed.
"So I stayed here, waiting to gather a few jade-token holders. We can go together—safer that way."
He spoke while revealing his own jade token.
The others did the same, displaying their tokens openly to prove sincerity.
Using his Qi Observation Technique, Chen Sanshi confirmed they were all ordinary seekers like himself, and the tokens were genuine. After careful thought, he decided to trust them—for now—and agreed to join their group.
Chen Sanshi exchanged brief introductions with the others.
The Martial Saint was named Lu Boqin, hailing from the "Great Li" Dynasty, which, according to him, was located to the north of this island.
"Huh?"
Lu Boqin frowned slightly. "Zhang Daoist, why are you bringing two family members along?"
A man nearby kindly explained, "Zhang Daoist must not know—each jade token can only be bound to one person. You can't bring companions through the teleportation array."
That, Chen Sanshi really hadn't known.
"It's alright," said Ningxiang, who was wearing a veil and dressed in simple plain clothes. Her voice had changed again, calm and icy. "We're only escorting our cousin. Please, Brother Lu, allow us to accompany you."
"Fine, follow if you want," Lu Boqin replied after a pause. "But let me make this clear—if either of you dares harbor ill intent, we won't show mercy."
"Of course," Ningxiang answered steadily. "Once my cousin reaches safety, we'll take our leave."
After the discussion, the group—seven or eight people in total—set off together.
Their cultivation levels weren't especially high, but every one of them had at least reached the Profound Manifestation Realm in martial cultivation. Moving together, their presence alone was enough to deter most troublemakers. They traveled without incident all the way to their destination.
At the summit of a mountain deep within the island, above a sheer cliff thousands of zhang high, a massive circular stone platform came into view.
The ancient platform was weathered with age, its surface carved full of intricate runes. These runes glowed with bright blue light, flowing along mysterious paths as if alive. Even from several zhang away, one could feel the terrifying waves of spiritual energy radiating from it.
This was the ancient teleportation array connecting the Edge of the World to the cultivation realm.
Every fifty years, it would randomly open for ten to twenty days.
If one missed that window, it meant losing all chance of ever entering the cultivation world.
"Brother Lu!"
A few martial artists asked, "How do we activate this teleportation array?"
Chen Sanshi bent down, picked up a stone, and flicked it with his finger. The stone struck a hawk flying overhead, knocking it unconscious. Without hesitation, he tossed the bird onto the array.
With a deafening boom, violent spiritual energy exploded outward—the hawk was instantly reduced to a splatter of flesh and blood.
"Hiss…"
Everyone gasped, faces pale with fear.
Finally, the young man with the sword stepped forward and observed carefully. "Look closely. The entire stone platform is divided into twelve sections. Each has a groove on it—seems to fit perfectly with our jade tokens. My guess is that only those holding a jade token can safely stand there. Once you place it in the groove, the teleportation should activate."
His reasoning made sense—but everyone had just seen what happened to that poor hawk. Even when someone threw a few boulders onto the platform, they were instantly pulverized into dust. Nobody wanted to risk their life to test it.
"Brother Lu, what are you—?!"
Before anyone could react, Lu Boqin suddenly struck. His fist, wrapped in blazing true force shaped like a tiger's head, roared forward and smashed straight toward the young man who had been showing him nothing but respect.
The young man was caught completely off guard. His protective gang qi burst forth, and he used his sword sheath to block, but the impact still sent him flying backward. He soared through the violent spiritual currents and crashed hard onto the stone platform.
Blood sprayed from his mouth. Fortunately, the jade token on his person shone brightly, shielding him from harm. He wasn't obliterated like the hawk—proving the guess was correct: those with a jade token could safely enter.
"Brother Lu, how could you?!"
The young swordsman was furious. He had just been used as a test subject.
Lu Boqin's face remained calm. "Hehe, Brother Tang, don't be angry. The idea was yours, after all. Naturally, you should verify it. Besides, you're fine, aren't you? Everyone's happy."
The others clearly disapproved but said nothing. They were already here, and no one wanted to pick a fight with a Martial Saint over someone else's misfortune.
The young man named Tang clenched his jaw so hard it nearly cracked, swallowing his anger.
After all, Lu Boqin was a true Martial Saint. Even if he killed him outright, there'd be no consequence.
'This alliance sure is fragile,' Chen Sanshi thought to himself. He had stayed at the back of the group precisely because of situations like this.
"In that case," Lu Boqin said coldly, "what are we waiting for? The teleportation array's open time is uncertain. It could close at any moment."
With that, he stepped onto the array.
The rest followed one by one.
"You two stay here with Qianxun and wait somewhere safe," Chen Sanshi said, turning back.
"Go ahead, cousin," Ningxiang replied. "We'll take care of the horse."
Only then did Chen Sanshi step forward, mimicking the others as he placed his jade token into the groove beneath his feet.
Instantly, all eight of them were engulfed in blinding white light.
Ningxiang, Zhaozhao, and the White Swan horse had to shield their eyes from the glare.
When they finally opened their eyes again, the stone platform was empty.
The eight travelers had vanished—gone as if they'd never existed.
"Master," Zhaozhao sighed, "we came all this way, and just when the cultivation realm was right in front of us, we still can't enter."
"Don't be impatient," Ningxiang said softly. "There's something you might not have realized yet."
Zhaozhao sat on a rock, setting down her heavy weapon chest. "What do you mean?"
"If we had stayed in the Seeking Immortals Tower," Ningxiang said quietly, looking at the empty platform, "we'd probably have grown old and died in that brothel."
Her voice dropped to a murmur. "But now… maybe things will be different."
Zhaozhao still didn't understand.
She rested for a bit, then decided that since Chen wasn't around, she might as well ride the horse back.
But just then, the White Swan horse suddenly reared up and charged straight toward the stone platform.
"Eh?!"
Ningxiang didn't even have time to cast a spell to stop it. She could only watch helplessly as the White Swan horse charged straight into the teleportation array.
Unexpectedly, the horse wasn't harmed at all. Instead, it triggered the array once more and vanished in a flash of white light.
"Boom—!"
Chen Sanshi felt his entire body plunge into an endless abyss. His vision spun wildly, everything blurring into a swirl of dazzling, multicolored spiritual light. His stomach twisted from the dizziness and nausea.
That strange sensation lasted for about ten breaths.
When he finally regained consciousness, he realized he was still standing on the same stone platform—so were the other eight people. Their jade tokens remained embedded in the grooves beneath their feet. But the world around them had completely changed.
This place...
It looked like a vast forest.
Using his Qi Observation Technique, Chen Sanshi swept his gaze around. He sensed no spiritual qi nearby at all. It seemed the so-called Great Ancient War had devastated much of the world. Though the spiritual energy here was faint, the chaotic foul qi of heaven and earth was far weaker too.
"Phew…"
He exhaled slowly, calming his breath, and removed the jade token from the groove before standing upright.
The moment the eight of them stepped off the stone platform, the teleportation array faded from sight entirely.
"Just as I thought!"
Tang Ao said, "The ancient records were right. The location of an ancient teleportation array shifts within a certain range. This means no cultivators will be lying in ambush for us here."
"In that case," Lu Boqin said, "let's stay together and find a place suitable for cultivation."
The seven others began walking ahead.
Chen Sanshi, seeing his chance, quietly slipped into the forest while they weren't looking.
Only a fool would continue following them.
Before, he hadn't had a choice—traveling alone would've made him easy prey for wandering cultivators. But now… those two Martial Saints were the biggest danger of all.
If something happened again, they'd surely use someone as a shield.
Chen Sanshi wiped his face, restoring his true appearance. Then he flipped his inner and outer robes, changing his look entirely before heading deeper into the woods.
"Qianxun?"
A faint pulse stirred in his heart.
Not long after, the White Swan horse appeared at the edge of his vision.
Earlier, many cultivators had seen it, yet none had paid attention to the animal—clearly, it didn't appear extraordinary on the surface. No one coveted it. So letting it follow him here wasn't a problem.
He had left it behind on the island only because he wasn't sure whether the jade token could protect a mount.
Who would've thought Qianxun would somehow follow him anyway?
It had no jade token—so how did it make it through?
Chen Sanshi asked aloud, "Could you activate the teleportation array without a jade token?"
The answer was no.
"Alright then," Chen Sanshi muttered, swinging himself onto the horse's back.
No matter where he was, not having to walk was always a blessing.
[Skill: Beast-Taming (Uninitiated)]
[Progress: 0/100]
[Effect: None]
The panel flashed briefly before his eyes.
So that meant—Qianxun had truly evolved into a spirit beast.
Chen Sanshi wasn't particularly surprised. Riding Qianxun, he set off again, eager to see what this "cultivation realm" really looked like.
In his imagination, cultivators should have been free and unrestrained, living lives of ease and freedom.
But from what he'd heard from Mister Mei, and from what he'd seen so far, reality was far from that dream.
Especially the use of spirit stones as currency—it showed that cultivators also worked, traded, and fought over resources.
"Smoke from chimneys?"
Chen Sanshi looked toward the southern sky and saw several thin streams of smoke rising above the treeline. He immediately urged Qianxun to speed up. After about half an hour, they reached the source.
It was a mountain village.
Yes—just a simple, rustic little village.
Brick-and-tile houses stood in rows, villagers bustled about, children played and chased each other, and a few yellow dogs barked happily at their feet. Everything looked peaceful and mundane—no different from any ordinary mortal settlement.
For a moment, Chen Sanshi almost thought he'd returned to Swallow-Edge Village, fresh from a hunt and heading home.
"Spiritual grain?"
As his view opened up, he noticed vast fields stretching across the landscape.
The main crop was rice, but nearly 40% of each field was planted with spiritual grain. In some areas, nearly half the fields were filled with it.
"Ha!"
"Heh—ha!"
Under a large locust tree at the village entrance, a boy of about six or seven was swinging a wooden sword wildly, without any technique at all.
"Hey there, little one."
Chen Sanshi stopped beside him. "What place is this?"
The boy ignored him and kept practicing.
Chen Sanshi dismounted and asked, "You're so young—why are you practicing swordsmanship?"
"To kill immortals!" the boy said flatly, without even looking up.
"Oh?"
Chen Sanshi asked again, "And why do you want to kill immortals?"
"Because if I kill them, my mom won't have to plant poison grass anymore. Then she won't starve to death. And my dad will have money to get medicine!"
The boy's words were heavy, and even his random wooden sword swings carried a faint trace of killing intent.
Chen Sanshi bent down slightly. "If I teach you swordsmanship, will you learn?"
"Who are you?"
The boy finally stopped, glaring at the stranger with open hostility. "Are you one of those immortals?! I won't learn the sword of an immortal!"
"I'm not an immortal," Chen Sanshi replied calmly. "I'm just a regular person, the same as you. So I'll ask once more—if I teach you swordsmanship, will you learn or not?"
Hearing that the man wasn't an immortal, the boy's tone softened a little, but his next question was sharp and contradictory. "But if you're not an immortal, can the sword you teach me kill immortals?"
"That…" Chen Sanshi paused, then said slowly, "depends on how good you are."
"Alright, I'll learn!"
The boy nodded hard, then knelt down abruptly. "Master above, please accept your disciple's bow!"
The sudden move caught Chen Sanshi off guard. He hurriedly helped the boy back up.
The best sword technique he knew was the Dian Cang Sword Art, a style that could be trained all the way to the Martial Saint Realm. So he decided to start by teaching the boy two basic stance exercises.
Once they began, Chen Sanshi quickly noticed something.
Because the chaotic qi in this world contained much less "impure air," cultivating here placed far less strain on the body. That meant people could safely start training from a young age.
And surprisingly, this boy managed to memorize both the stances and the breathing method after hearing them only once.
"A Martial Saint's physique."
Chen Sanshi touched the boy's wrist lightly, sensing his bone structure and realizing it was extraordinary.
What a coincidence—he had just arrived in this world, randomly wandered into a rural village, and somehow picked up a disciple born with a Martial Saint's innate body. That had to be fate.
Since he had no urgent matters at hand, Chen Sanshi decided to stay a bit longer and teach him more.
But before he could continue, an old man came rushing over. He swung a branch and struck the boy's back. "Ping'an! Didn't I tell you to take the cattle out to graze? What are you doing here again?!"
"Grandpa, I learned swordsmanship!"
Li Ping'an didn't even dodge. "Now I can kill immortals!"
"Oh heavens, my little ancestor!"
The old man panicked, covering the boy's mouth. "Do you want to get the whole village killed?! Go home right now!"
"Wait, old sir," Chen Sanshi said. "Could you tell me where this place is?"
"An outsider?" The old man looked at him warily.
"Don't worry," Chen Sanshi quickly assured him. "I'm not an immortal."
Only then did the old man relax a little. "This is Heavenly Water Isle, under the jurisdiction of the Nine Heavens Sect. Our village is called Small Stone Village. Wait a minute—don't tell me you don't even know that? You're not from this world, are you?"
Chen Sanshi didn't deny it. "But I truly am not an immortal."
"Well…" The old man hesitated, glanced around nervously, then said, "Come with me."
Chen Sanshi followed the grandfather and grandson to the edge of the village, where they entered a small fenced courtyard.
Inside stood a donkey tied to a post and several large bundles of firewood stacked neatly.
"Ping'an," Chen Sanshi said conversationally, "where's your family's ox?"
"Master, we don't have one."
"But didn't you say you were supposed to herd the cattle?"
"That's Old Master Huang's ox," the boy replied.
Chen Sanshi froze for a moment, suddenly realizing something.
He'd been living as a "wealthy master" for so long that he had almost forgotten—poor villagers didn't all own cattle. Many had to plow fields with their own hands or rent livestock from landlords when needed.
"Please, sit."
The old man motioned for Chen Sanshi to sit on a long wooden stool.
An elderly woman, trembling with age, came out holding a chipped clay bowl filled with warm water.
Among ordinary folk, offering hot water was already a sign of respect for a guest. Firewood was precious, after all.
But still… wasn't this supposed to be the cultivation realm?
"Old sir, are you a hunter?" Chen Sanshi asked, noticing the curved bow hanging on the wall.
"I'm too old to hunt. That bow belonged to my son. He died… couldn't afford medicine."
After chatting for roughly a cup of tea's time, Chen Sanshi gained a much deeper understanding of this world.
He hadn't come to the wrong place—this was indeed the cultivation realm.
It's just that immortals only lived in certain regions and rarely came to the mortal lands.
The system of rule here was also completely different.
The dynasties were nothing more than puppets.
The real masters of the world were the great immortal sects.
The spiritual grain grown in the fields was the tax paid to those sects.
'So spiritual grain is a controlled resource in the cultivation realm,' Chen Sanshi thought.
Then he remembered the Great Sheng Dynasty.
Even the emperor paid tributes of spiritual grain… Could it be that they were sent here—to this realm?
Had the emperor already established contact with immortals or even the sects themselves?
"You're a seeker of immortality, aren't you?" the old man said knowingly.
He pointed southeast. "If you head that way for five hundred li, you'll find Daze Market—the nearest place where immortals reside."
"Master, didn't you say you weren't an immortal?!" Li Ping'an asked, looking betrayed.
"I really am not," Chen Sanshi said helplessly. "Can't you see? I can't even fly. I'm just going there to take a look."
He finished the bowl of hot water and took a few silver ingots from his robe.
"Thank you, Old Li, for your hospitality. I won't trouble you further."
"Qianxun!"
Chen Sanshi mounted his horse.
"Wait!" Li Ping'an clutched his wooden sword and ran after him. "Will you still teach me swordsmanship?"
"Of course," Chen Sanshi said with a faint smile. "I'll teach you."