"Hahaha!"
A scruffy boy who looked about 15 years old, covered in dirt and wearing patched-up clothes, Qin Zhaoming, burst into hearty laughter.
He clenched his fist and shouted.
"I've finally entered the first level of the Qi Refinement stage!"
It had been three years since he woke up in this damn world of immortals.
After suffering like a dog, he had finally taken his first step.
He had stepped onto the path of cultivation, where one could ride a flying sword through the sky and live for ten thousand years.
At the same time as becoming a Qi Refinement practitioner—the stage where one transitions from an ordinary person to an immortal...
Another joy came to him.
"Supreme Great Power?"
He realized he had awakened a supernatural ability engraved in his soul.
Being an innate divine power, he could use it as naturally as moving his limbs.
Related information naturally arose in his mind, and his eyes widened as he understood its specific effects.
It was incredibly overpowered!
The Supreme Great Power was literally omnipotent.
A godlike supreme power that could achieve anything 'as long as there was enough energy'!
True to its grand name, it was an unbelievable great ability.
Perhaps only legendary True Immortals could command such supernatural powers. It was such an overwhelming ability.
It was a profound and majestic power containing all things in the universe.
"Ahaha...!"
The laughter wouldn't stop.
Because finally, a ray of hope had come to the life of a lowest-tier laborer who had been struggling day by day.
※※※
Going back a day earlier.
In Zeyang City, where cultivators who dream of becoming immortals live.
Qin Zhaoming woke up from his sleep.
"Ah."
His cracked voice echoed in the narrow room as he got up. Having habitually woken up at dawn, he pressed firmly between his eyebrows.
He wanted to sleep more but held back. Laziness was a privilege only allowed to those who had earned the right.
He lightly stretched to clear his foggy mind.
He sat cross-legged and circulated the 'Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique.'
Woong!
A subtle wind blew. With each breath, mysterious energy was absorbed and guided to his lower abdomen, the dantian.
It created a slight vortex with each breath.
How much time had passed?
"Haa."
Qin Zhaoming's expression darkened as he exhaled turbidly.
'...Failed again today.'
The Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique was a Daoist method that could make one an immortal if mastered.
Although it was a simple basic technique, it required qualification. Those without aptitude couldn't even begin.
Qin Zhaoming quietly muttered.
"Status window."
...
Of course, nothing happened. Only bitterness lingered in the quiet room.
After remaining silent for a while, Qin Zhaoming let out a chuckle.
It had been already three years since he awakened his memories of his past life.
This world, called the Cultivation World, was surprisingly a place where immortals actually existed.
Immortals were transcendent beings that ordinary people couldn't match.
'Literally gods.'
As one cultivates the Dao and reaches higher realms, their lifespan increases, and they can perform miracles like magic.
High-level immortals could move massive mountains and drain vast seas with a single gesture.
According to legend, True Immortals had incredible lifespans.
It was said they lived for hundreds of millions of years, lasting until the end of the world.
Godlike beings with eternal life! It truly sounded like a dream.
However, for an ordinary person to become an immortal, one needed a 'spirit root.'
A spirit root was like a foundation that absorbed 'spirit qi,' the source of immortals' power.
This was the minimum qualification—without a spirit root, one couldn't even begin cultivation!
Qin Zhaoming was lucky.
He possessed a spirit root, which only one in ten thousand people had. He had the minimum qualification to become an immortal.
However.
His luck ended there.
The spirit root was merely the minimum condition, and its grade varied according to talent.
Lowest grade, low grade, middle grade, high grade, earth grade, heaven grade, and so on.
The grade differed based on sensitivity to spirit qi and absorption efficiency, and his aptitude wasn't very good.
"...Haha."
Bursting into awkward laughter, Qin Zhaoming finally admitted it.
'My spirit root must be lowest grade or low grade... I didn't want to believe it, but I guess it's a trash spirit root after all.'
With good aptitude, one could enter the Qi Refinement stage with just the 'Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique.'
It meant one could become an immortal without any special resources.
But this wasn't allowed for him.
Despite practicing the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique countless times over the past three years, he always failed to break through the threshold and enter the stage.
Swallowing the bitterness lingering on his tongue, Qin Zhaoming smiled wryly.
"It doesn't matter."
He wouldn't give up just because his talent was lacking.
Even in his past life, he had been interested in mysterious and transcendent beings.
He had harbored a kind of longing since childhood. Although he naturally gave up on this impossible dream as an adult, this place was different.
Having luckily awakened memories of his past life and come to a world of immortals, he naturally had to try!
Moreover.
There was a way for even those with trash spirit roots to become immortals.
Spirit stones.
Mysterious stones formed when pure spirit qi from heaven and earth condenses into crystal-like solids.
If one could absorb the spirit qi contained in these spirit stones, even those with trash spirit roots could enter the Qi Refinement stage!
'If I can collect 110 spirit stone fragments, I can exchange them for a real spirit stone. If that happens...'
He could begin cultivating to become an immortal.
Someday, he would call down lightning with a gesture and soar through the nine heavens riding on clouds.
Just imagining it made his heart race.
'I cannot be satisfied with an ordinary life. I will definitely become an immortal and reach the Great Dao of Longevity.'
He reaffirmed his goal, which had never changed since awakening his past life.
Having come to the world he dreamed of, he had to risk his life to challenge it!
Clench!
He firmly resolved in his heart, tightly clenching his fist. After silently making his determination, he got up.
Having finished circulating the Five Elements Qi Refinement Technique, it was time to go earn money.
Swish.
He pulled out an old cloth pouch from a secret hole in the floor. He opened the pouch with careful movements.
Rustle!
Dozens of fingernail-sized blue crystals appeared.
"...Gulp."
His fingertips trembled finely as he looked at the jewels emitting a mystical light.
This was his entire fortune.
105 spirit stone fragments desperately collected over three years since awakening his past life!
To begin true cultivation, he needed a 'real spirit stone,' which required a total of 110 spirit stone fragments.
"Just 5 more to collect."
Suppressing his bubbling excitement, he took out 5 spirit stone fragments from the pouch.
He wanted to carry them all, but that wasn't a good idea.
If he encountered a robber, he would lose all the spirit stone fragments he had worked so hard to collect.
Yet he couldn't hide them all either.
Without bait to throw, he might get beaten into disability or even killed. This was common in this world with such terrible public security.
Just as he was putting 5 spirit stone fragments inside his chest...
Bang bang bang!
He frowned at the sound of someone roughly knocking on the door.
'At this hour?'
An uninvited guest at dawn? It wasn't a good sign.
With a darkened expression, he peeked outside through the crack in the door. In this harsh world, one always had to be careful.
'...Butler Fan. Why is that bastard here at this hour?'
Though it was a familiar face, he wasn't happy to see him at all. His expression became even more rigid.
For good reason—Butler Fan was a tax collector.
Butler Fan was a Qi Refinement practitioner who performed duties such as collecting rent in 'Zeyang City' where Qin Zhaoming lived, and maintaining public order.
He was a fearsome figure with great power to Qin Zhaoming, who was the lowest of the low.
'Sigh.'
He wanted to avoid him, knowing his notoriously nasty personality, but he had no choice. If left alone, he was the type who would break down the door to get in.
He quietly retreated and took a position on his bed as if he had just gotten up.
"Ahem... Who is it?"
"Qin Zhaoming! Open the door quickly! I know you're in there!"
Bang bang bang bang!
Butler Fan's patience seemed to have run out after waiting just a few seconds. The knocking sound became increasingly rough.
"J-just a moment please! I'll open it right away!"
Thump thump!
He deliberately jumped around the room. After making urgent noises, he carefully opened the door.
"Butler Fan? What brings you here at this hour..."
"Hmph! Of course I'm here to collect the rent. Why else would I look for someone like you!"
Qin Zhaoming's expression darkened at the contemptuous gaze that looked at him as if seeing something vulgar.
"...Rent?"
"Yes! Besides, you're always climbing the mountain every day, so if I come during the day, you're not here!"
While it was true that Butler Fan's duty was to collect shack rental fees from mountain gatherers living in the outer city, something felt off.
Usually, Butler Fan was known for being arrogant and lazy.
Normally, he would just sit idly in the Butler's Office in the inner city, waiting for mountain gatherers to come pay their rent.
He had never personally visited to collect rent like this before.
Moreover...
"Butler Fan. There seems to be some misunderstanding. I paid three months' rent all at once last time. I still have one month left on my lease."
"Hmm?"
Butler Fan, who had been frowning deeply, snorted.
"Hmph. It doesn't matter. I'm going to be in closed-door cultivation for the next year, so I won't have time to collect rent. Therefore, pay a year's rent in advance. That's 60 spirit stone fragments in total!"
"What? 60 fragments?"
His eyes nearly popped out at this crazy nonsense.
Extorting 60 spirit stone fragments with just a few words! 60 fragments was nearly half of his entire fortune.
Rage welled up at this outrageous tyranny, but he suppressed it.
He spoke in the most courteous tone he could manage.
"Butler Fan. How could someone like me have so many spirit stone fragments? I only have 5 spirit stone fragments."
"What did you say?"
"I'll pay one month in advance with these 5, and for the rest, I'll go to the Butler's Office myself later and pay to another butler."
"..."
Silently frowning, Butler Fan suddenly reached out his hand.
Woong!
Spirit qi gathered from all directions and bound Qin Zhaoming's entire body. It pressed down so he couldn't move even a fingertip.
"Only 5 fragments, you say? Hmph! You'll be in big trouble if you're lying!"
Swish!
Butler Fan approached unhesitatingly and took the pouch from inside his clothing.
Qin Zhaoming could only watch as he was bound by the man's spell.
'Damn it! And this guy calls himself a butler, pulling this kind of crap!'
Butlers were similar to police officers or law enforcement in modern terms, but his behavior was no different from that of a thug gangster.
Butler Fan, who had been searching the pouch, clicked his tongue. He shot a contemptuous glance at Qin Zhaoming.
"You really only have 5 fragments? Tsk. I've just wasted my time because of a poor wretch!"
He had the nerve to curse after taking money as he pleased. Anger surged, making the back of Qin Zhaoming's neck tingle.
Perhaps even a mosquito's leg counts as meat. The man who had taken all 5 spirit stone fragments snorted and left without another word.
Bang bang bang!
Butler Fan went to the neighboring house to repeat the same behavior. Watching this, Qin Zhaoming gritted his teeth.
'You dog. Someday I'll definitely make you regret this!'
He pressed down his malice and kept it deep in his heart. For now, he had no power, so he had to endure.
He returned inside and took deep breaths to calm himself.
"Stay calm."
Such things had happened countless times over the past three years. If he got upset each time, he would only die of stress.
He forcibly closed his eyes and meditated for about a minute to regain his composure.
'Haa! I had finally collected 105 spirit stone fragments, and now I've lost 5 again. To get a spirit stone, I need to collect 10 more.'
He quietly walked to the corner of his bed. He took out 5 spirit stone fragments from the 'real pouch' he had hidden.
If he hadn't given Butler Fan those 5 spirit stone fragments, things wouldn't have ended so peacefully.
'He probably would have broken something. He might have given me internal injuries under the pretext of searching my body.'
The behavior of those damn gangsters was always the same. If not appeased with bait, they would take out their frustrations before leaving.
"Fine. I'll just think of it as paying a month's rent in advance and go earn some money."
He could only sigh at the terrible state of law and order, but what could he do? This was the world he lived in, so he had to adapt.
He packed his supplies and left his lodgings.
It was now around 2 AM.
Though it was dawn before sunrise, he had to hurry. If he didn't leave now, there would be no income for the day.
"Mmm!"
He shivered, rubbing his goosebump-covered arms.
The cold dawn air enveloped his entire body. His head, which had been hot with anger, cooled down, making him feel somewhat better.
Despite the early hour, the streets of the outer city were quite bustling.
It felt like walking through a market on a market day. No matter where he looked, he could see more than a dozen people.
Of course, there was a reason why so many people were out at dawn.
'For cultivators, there's no distinction between night and day. This level of darkness is no different from broad daylight.'
Qin Zhaoming, who had been walking diligently, unconsciously paused.
Stalls were spread out across the street, and one of them caught his eye.
[Freshly harvested Three-Colored Grass. 10 spirit stone fragments!]
Looking at a pile of colorful spirit herbs, envy welled up in him.
There were more than ten bunches at a glance. They were worth over 100 spirit stone fragments.
'Must have found a Three-Colored Grass colony. Lucky.'
With just those spirit herbs, Qin Zhaoming could immediately become a Qi Refinement practitioner.
As he stood there unable to move, swallowing his envy, someone approached the stall.
"Let me see the condition of the Three-Colored Grass."
"Hmm. Go ahead."
"Eh, the condition is just so-so? 10 spirit stone fragments is too expensive."
"Nonsense! If you're not buying, don't interfere and just leave. Three-Colored Grass is an ingredient for Qi Condensation Pills, so it will sell quickly."
"Oh my! What kind of business are you running? Don't be like that. I'll buy them all for 8 fragments each."
Leaving the two who were passionately haggling, even spitting as they spoke, he departed.
He had no time to waste.
He needed to get to his workplace before sunrise. After walking without rest for some time...
He finally reached the foot of Mount Zeyang. It was when he was nearly out of breath that he arrived at his workplace.
'Whew.'
He took deep breaths to calm his rough breathing.
Mount Zeyang was very, very dangerous.
It was teeming with all kinds of beasts with sharp claws, and there were too many poisonous insects to count.
If he let his guard down for even a moment, he would go straight to the afterlife. There would be no room to complain about the unfairness.
Furthermore, Mount Zeyang wasn't just home to ordinary beasts.
'There are demon beasts too.'
True monsters that wielded demonic power.
Even the weakest 1st-rank demon beast could shatter rocks and run too fast to be seen.
If one unfortunately encountered one, resistance was impossible. They would have to consult with the grim reaper about the path to the netherworld that very day.
Climbing Mount Zeyang, which was crawling with demon beasts and wild animals, was literally an extremely dangerous act that risked one's life.
But he had no choice.
'This is the only way for me to earn spirit stone fragments.'
Safely earning money was too slow. Even in 60 years of life, one might not earn a single spirit stone.
For him, an ordinary person, to become an immortal, he had to risk death!
Rustle.
He rolled on the ground, covering his entire body with dirt. It was a desperate measure to hide his human scent.
'It might not be very effective, but it's better than nothing.'
Shring!
Drawing out a crude machete, he parted the thick undergrowth and climbed Mount Zeyang.