Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chapter 1: Chapter 1: Immortal Path

The Great Zhou Calendar, the four hundred and thirty-second year of Tianqi.

Qingzhou, Anping County, Cyan Cloud Academy.

The afternoon sun angled through the carved wooden window lattice, slicing into the lecture hall and casting shafts of light through the dust-filled air.

The lecture hall wasn’t noisy. On the contrary, it was so quiet that the only sound was the rise and fall of breathing.

Over thirty youths sat cross-legged on cattail mats. The oldest were no more than fifteen or sixteen, while the youngest were just boys.

At this moment, they all had their eyes closed in concentration, their expressions as solemn as clay statues in a temple.

”Inhale—three long counts.”

”Exhale—two short bursts.”

”Focus your mind on your Dantian. Let your Qi circulate through your entire body. Do not rush!”

The instructor, Master Liu, wore a faded blue scholar’s robe and held a disciplinary ruler. His hawk-like gaze swept over the rows of students.

In the oppressive atmosphere, the boys’ performances varied.

The few wealthy young masters in the front row, clad in silk, looked quite relaxed, even a bit nonchalant. Faint wisps of white mist were visible around their mouths and noses as they breathed.

Meanwhile, the lower-class youths in the back, dressed in coarse hemp clothing, were all red-faced, with veins bulging on their temples.

Chu Bai sat in a corner, wearing a simple tunic that had been washed to a faded gray.

Unlike the others who were straining until their faces turned red, he kept his eyes half-closed, his chest and abdomen rising and falling with a distinct rhythm in time with Master Liu’s commands.

When he inhaled, his abdomen swelled slightly, like a toad swallowing the moon. When he exhaled, his chest sank, like an old tortoise releasing its breath.

He was practicing the Small Qi Gathering Technique.

This was the foundation of all cultivation, and also the most basic Magic Technique in the Dao Meng Scripture, which was issued by the Great Zhou Celestial Court.

However, Chu Bai knew perfectly well that what he was doing was just going through the motions.

Without the corresponding Heart Method Mantra, this type of breathing could only strengthen one’s body.

DONG—DONG—DONG—

A bell outside the academy rang three times, its somber echo reverberating over Anping County.

”That will be all for today.” Master Liu put away his disciplinary ruler and said flatly, ”Class dismissed.”

The tense atmosphere in the lecture hall instantly dissipated. The boys didn’t even bother wiping their sweat; they quickly rose, bowed, and then streamed out the door in twos and threes.

Chu Bai rose with the crowd. He was about to lower his head and leave when the instructor’s voice called out from behind him.

”Chu Bai, you stay behind.”

Chu Bai stopped, his heart sinking slightly. By the time he turned around, a respectful expression was already on his face. ”Master, you called for me?”

Master Liu stood at the lectern, his gaze sweeping up and down, sizing up the slender boy before him.

”During the practice just now, I observed that your breathing is long and your rhythm is steady. Among this batch of students, you’re a promising prospect, the one least likely to suffer from Qi deviation.” Master Liu’s tone was level, betraying no emotion.

”It is all thanks to your excellent instruction, Master,” Chu Bai replied, lowering his head.

”You’ve been at the academy, learning to read and write, for two years now, haven’t you?” Master Liu changed the subject, walking to the window and gazing at the old pagoda tree outside. ”In another half a year, it will be the day of the County’s Daoist School selection.”

At the mention of the words ”Daoist School,” Chu Bai’s fingers, hidden inside his sleeves, couldn’t help but clench slightly.

In this world, all pursuits were considered inferior; only becoming an official was held in high esteem. And to become an official, the only way was to pass the Celestial Examination established by the Celestial Court.

The first step of the Celestial Examination was not a test of literary talent, but a test of one’s Cultivation.

For a Mortal to participate in the examination, they first had to be admitted to an officially recognized Daoist School and obtain a Daoist Record.

And the entrance requirement for the Daoist School was—Qi Cultivation.

”I... understand,” Chu Bai’s voice was a bit dry.

Master Liu turned around, a sharp glint flashing in his cloudy eyes. ”You have good aptitude, but it’s a pity your family has no Cultivation legacy. Relying solely on the generic methods taught here at the academy, you could practice for another ten years and still not achieve Qi Sensitivity.”

At this, the instructor paused, finally getting to the point.

”I have a spot for the academy’s special ’Inner Sect Study,’ which lasts for three months. Not only will you be taught the complete Heart Method Mantra for the Small Qi Gathering Technique, but you can also choose one Basic Technique to cultivate, such as the Spiritual Eye Technique or the Light Body Technique.”

”In just three months, I guarantee you’ll reach the First Layer of Qi Cultivation and get your ticket into the Daoist School.”

Chu Bai’s heart hammered in his chest.

’The complete mantra!’

’It’s the only key to unlocking the Immortal Gate.’

He raised his head, his Adam’s apple bobbing. ”Master, may I ask... what is the tuition fee?”

Master Liu extended one withered finger, his expression nonchalant, as if he were mentioning something utterly trivial.

”Ten taels.”

The lecture hall instantly fell into a dead silence.

The dust motes dancing in the air seemed to freeze.

The hopeful expression on Chu Bai’s face froze, and a bitter smile slowly spread across his lips.

Ten taels of silver.

Here in Anping County, a catty of fine pork cost no more than twenty cents. Ten taels of silver was enough for a family of five to live comfortably for three years.

”Ten taels...” Chu Bai repeated, murmuring the words.

Master Liu seemed long accustomed to this reaction. He didn’t press, merely stating calmly, ”That’s already a fair price, given your decent aptitude. At the other academies in the city, you couldn’t even get through the door for less than twelve taels.”

”Go home and discuss it with your parents. The path to immortality is long. If you can’t take this first step, then in a hundred years, you’ll be nothing more than a pile of dirt.”

Chu Bai took a deep breath and gave Master Liu a deep bow. ”Thank you for the guidance, Master. I... will consider it carefully when I return home.”

...

...

Stepping out of the gates of Cyan Cloud Academy, he was met with the noise and dust of the world outside.

The streets were filled with the endless cries of vendors. Hawkers carried goods on shoulder poles, farmers pushed single-wheeled carts, and government constables in Black Official Uniforms patrolled the streets, Standard Long Sabers hanging at their waists.

Chu Bai looked at those government constables, a trace of envy flashing in his eyes.

They were clerks who weren’t even considered Entry-Level. Although they lacked Official Status, they were at least on the Celestial Court’s payroll.

’Ten taels of silver...’

Chu Bai walked on the dirt road home, his steps a little heavy.

He had run the numbers in his head countless times.

The Chu Family had been farmers for generations. His father was the only able-bodied worker, and he had to support a sickly mother and younger siblings.

By the end of the year, after paying land taxes to the authorities and various other levies, the most the entire family could save was two taels of silver.

Ten taels. That was five years of life-or-death savings for his entire family, assuming they didn’t eat or drink.

’But what if I don’t pay?’

Chu Bai kicked a pebble on the side of the road.

’If I don’t pay, I don’t get the mantra.’

’Without the mantra, I can’t achieve Qi Introduction.’

’If I can’t achieve Qi Introduction, I can’t get into the Daoist School.’

’If I can’t get into the Daoist School, I’ll have no Daoist Record, no Official Seal, and no Cultivation Resources.’

’And then, for the rest of my life, I’ll be just like my father—toiling in the fields, back bent toward the sky, praying that the high-and-mighty masters of the Agricultural Department will deign to cast a Spring Breeze Rain Technique this year and grant us Mortals a bite to eat.’

’As for finding a private Instructor?’

Chu Bai shook his head. The Great Zhou Laws were strict, and privately teaching a Daoist Skill was a serious crime.

’Aside from officially registered places like the academy, any ”Wild Cultivator” who dared to take on students in private either charged exorbitant fees or was a desperate outlaw with a price on their head—not someone a farm boy like him could ever hope to meet.’

’It was a dead end.’

’It was also the first Dragon Gate the Celestial Court had set for Mortals.’

Before he knew it, the sun was beginning to set.

The blood-red setting sun stretched Chu Bai’s shadow long, casting it across the cracked earth of the rice paddies and making him seem especially solitary and frail.

In the distance, a few dilapidated thatched cottages came into view, with wisps of cooking smoke rising from their roofs.

Chu Bai stopped on a ridge between the fields, staring at the wisp of smoke, lost in thought for a long time.

”Ten taels of silver...”