Li Xiuchang Just Wants to Cultivate

Li Xiuchang was originally a cook, now he's a martial artist, and if nothing unexpected happens, he'll soon be an immortal cultivator.

"I'm leaving, Master."

Li Xiuchang waved his sleeve and bid farewell to the old boxing master of the South Mountain Martial Arts Hall.

"Ah Chang, when you become an immortal in the future, don't forget your old master."

The old boxing master took a puff of his dry pipe, paused, and couldn't help but add, "If the immortal sect doesn't accept you... the doors of the South Mountain Martial Arts Hall will always be open for you!"

That old geezer, can't he wish me something good?

Li Xiuchang grumbled inwardly, but his steps grew more determined.

There was no way he was coming back to the South Mountain Martial Arts Hall. Having been reborn into a world of cultivation, he absolutely had to cultivate!

Li Xiuchang was a transmigator. His name in his previous life was Li Xiu, and in this life, it was Li Chang. After transmigrating, he pondered and combined the names from both lives to give himself a new name: "Li Xiuchang."

A new name symbolized a brand new beginning.

Li Xiuchang's steps were light, each one seemingly leading him towards the path of immortality, heading straight for the White Cloud City Lord's Mansion.

Today was the day the Immortals from the Immortal Dust Sect came to White Cloud City to recruit disciples. All boys and girls between the ages of eight and eighteen could go to the City Lord's Mansion to test their aptitude.

Those with decent aptitude would be able to follow the Immortals into the immortal sect to cultivate.

Li Xiuchang was still a few months shy of eighteen, just barely making the cut.

Those over eighteen had completely lost the wisp of innate energy they were born with, making their starting point difficult and their future achievements limited.

As for those under eight... the Immortals didn't want to babysit!

Of course, the age limit wasn't absolute. If someone was truly exceptionally talented, blessed by the heavens, it didn't matter if they were eight months or eighty years old – they'd be accepted!

The eight months here didn't refer to eight months after birth, but rather eight months into gestation.

There were rumors that some favored children of destiny could attract celestial phenomena while still in the womb, and by the time of their birth, a group of Immortals would be waiting outside the delivery room, fighting to take them as disciples.

But these things had nothing to do with Li Xiuchang. He just hoped to successfully join an immortal sect and didn't have high expectations for his aptitude.

"A Mortal Cultivation Genre" start is fine too, after all, I have a cheat. As long as I can step onto the path of cultivation, a lower starting point doesn't matter, he thought to himself.

When Li Xiuchang arrived at the City Lord's Mansion, he found a long queue already formed. He had no choice but to stand at the very end of the line, but he wasn't anxious.

He had waited half a year already; a little longer wouldn't make a difference.

More than half a year ago, Li Xiuchang heard that the Immortals from the Immortal Dust Sect would be recruiting disciples in White Cloud City. He quit his job as a cook and traveled thousands of miles from his hometown.

Upon arriving in White Cloud City, he discovered that there were still six months until the Immortal recruitment day.

Since he was already there, he couldn't just wait around for six months. In the end, he joined the South Mountain Martial Arts Hall, intending to learn some martial arts.

Initially, the South Mountain Martial Arts Hall didn't want him, deeming him too old to hone his physique effectively.

It wasn't until he took out two heavy silver ingots from his pocket that the oldest boxing master in the martial arts hall accepted him, treating him even better than his own son.

His own son might not take care of him in his old age, but Li Xiuchang... his silver could!

Li Xiuchang decided to learn martial arts for another reason: in the Mortal Cultivation Genre novels he read in his previous life, there were often settings where martial arts masters were equivalent to Qi Refining cultivators. He thought that if he ever had to fight someone in the future, it would add some combat power.

But after practicing, he realized that the novels were all lies!

Two months ago, the master of the South Mountain Martial Arts Hall, who was said to be invincible in White Cloud City, was gored by a wild boar while out for a stroll and still couldn't get out of bed.

However, Li Xiuchang felt that there were still some valuable points in the cultivation novels he had read. For example, the "Stealth Cultivation" and "Prudent Cultivation" methods advocated in them suited him perfectly.

When he ventured into the cultivation world in the future, he intended to follow the path of stealth and prioritize stability.

Li Xiuchang had only been queuing for a short while, and the line in front of him hadn't shortened much, but a long queue had formed behind him.

Because the line was too long, he couldn't see what was happening ahead. He only saw dejected boys and girls emerging from the City Lord's Mansion every so often, and the line would move forward accordingly.

Li Xiuchang queued from the rising sun until the sun was high in the sky. Finally, he managed to step into the courtyard of the City Lord's Mansion and could finally see what the "Immortal" looked like.

It wasn't the ethereal, white-haired, youthful-faced elder he had imagined, but a vigorous young man who seemed not much older than himself.

Moreover, he wasn't aloof at all; he was amiable and smiled at everyone.

Li Xiuchang wasn't surprised. He knew that "Immortal" was just a respectful term that ordinary mortals used for cultivators. This young immortal was probably just a disciple with some seniority in the Immortal Dust Sect.

Li Xiuchang's attention was quickly drawn to the next child being tested for aptitude.

On the table in front of the young immortal lay a fist-sized, round, milky white stone – the tool used to test aptitude.

The child looked about eight or nine years old. Under the young immortal's guidance, he hesitantly held the white, round stone with both hands and placed it three inches below his navel.

The next second, the white, round stone glowed faintly, but then it fell silent, showing no further reaction.

The young immortal shook his head: "Spiritual Aperture has not opened."

The child's eyes immediately dimmed, and he dejectedly put down the stone. The young immortal, seeing this, even bent down and comforted him a couple of times.

This immortal is quite approachable, but... no wonder this line is moving so slowly, Li Xiuchang thought to himself.

Fortunately, there weren't many people left in front of him. As for the long line behind him, they would probably have to wait until tomorrow.

Li Xiuchang didn't quite understand the process of testing aptitude, nor did he know what a "Spiritual Aperture" was, so he continued to observe.

Not long after, a girl of about fifteen or sixteen picked up the round stone. The stone lit up slightly, then shone brighter, injecting a stream of white energy into the girl's abdomen.

The girl let out a soft hum, her brow furrowing slightly. After a breath, the white energy stopped flowing.

Immediately after, a pillar of energy slowly rose from above the round stone, stopping at just over two inches.

"Not bad!" the young immortal nodded. "Mediocre talent. You can join the outer sect."

A murmur rippled through the crowd. Finally, after all this time, someone had a Spiritual Aperture!

The onlookers looked at the girl with envy. The girl herself was beaming with joy and was ushered into the manor by servants of the City Lord's mansion.

"Tch! It's just a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture, barely qualifying. What's all the fuss about?"

The voice wasn't loud, but Li Xiuchang happened to hear it because the speaker was in front of him in line, with only two people between them.

Li Xiuchang sized up the person, seeing a tall, stout young man in ornate robes. Judging by his attire, he seemed to come from a good family and appeared knowledgeable about this Spiritual Aperture test.

Li Xiuchang pondered for a moment, then leaned forward to ask, "Esteemed... fellow Daoist, may I ask what exactly a Spiritual Aperture is, and how its quality is determined?"

The young man in ornate robes, who had initially worn an impatient expression, broke into a smile upon hearing Li Xiuchang address him as "fellow Daoist."

Being called that made him feel like a cultivator soaring through the clouds. He said cheerfully, "You speak interestingly. You've asked the right person. I'm in a good mood today, so I'll tell you about it."

Several people in front of him and behind him turned their attention and perked up their ears upon hearing him say this.

The young man's vanity greatly satisfied, he spoke proudly, "That round stone used to test talent is called an Aperture Stone. It's a magical artifact specifically refined to detect Spiritual Apertures. When it gets close to a Spiritual Aperture, it injects a stream of spiritual energy into it. Only with a Spiritual Aperture can one absorb the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into their Dantian. Without one, cultivation is impossible."

"And what does the pillar of energy rising from the Aperture Stone represent?" someone asked on Li Xiuchang's behalf, voicing his own question.

"Spiritual Apertures naturally have their grades: high-grade Spiritual Apertures have a high affinity with spiritual energy and absorb it quickly, while low-grade Spiritual Apertures absorb it slowly. The Aperture Stone judges the quality of the Spiritual Aperture based on how much spiritual energy it absorbs within a single breath.

"The amount of spiritual energy absorbed by the Spiritual Aperture in one breath is condensed by the Aperture Stone into the energy pillar that appears above it. If the pillar is less than two inches, it's a low-grade Spiritual Aperture; if it exceeds two inches but is less than four inches, it's a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture; and if it exceeds four inches, it's a high-grade Spiritual Aperture!"

So that's how it works... Li Xiuchang only hoped he had a Spiritual Aperture and could cultivate; he didn't aspire to have a particularly good one.

He then heard the young man in ornate robes continue to show off, "With a low-grade Spiritual Aperture, one can only become a registered disciple at the Immortal Dust Sect. Registered disciples are also known as handyman disciples. They have to do chores like chopping wood, carrying water, hoeing fields, and watering crops. They work six hours a day, from 9 AM to 9 PM, with only half an hour for meals. They get one rest day every ten days."

Li Xiuchang's body trembled, evoking some unpleasant memories from his past life.

He had no desire for this kind of "blessing" in this life; he'd leave it for others.

Li Xiuchang immediately adjusted his expectations: having a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture would be enough. He didn't want to be a handyman disciple.

"What about mid-grade and high-grade Spiritual Apertures? What kind of disciples can they become, and what are their benefits?" someone asked.

"Mid-grade Spiritual Apertures allow one to join the outer sect of the Immortal Dust Sect as an outer disciple, while high-grade Spiritual Apertures allow one to become an inner disciple."

The young man in ornate robes answered casually, without elaborating on the duties or benefits of outer and inner disciples. It was unclear if he was too lazy to explain or if he didn't know himself.

Li Xiuchang guessed it was the latter, as with his showy personality, he surely would have blabbed if he knew.

However, he still offered praise, "Fellow Daoist's knowledge is vast; I am impressed."

The young man in ornate robes laughed heartily. He found Li Xiuchang the most agreeable and pleasant to talk to. He said, with feigned modesty, "Not at all, it's just that I have elders cultivating at the Immortal Dust Sect."

"So, Fellow Daoist comes from a family of cultivators. My apologies, my apologies." Li Xiuchang offered abundant, unhesitating flattery. In the cultivation world, one must be kind and build good relationships.

Li Xiuchang had a hunch. The young man in ornate robes knew the duties of handyman disciples clearly but was not very clear about the benefits for outer and inner disciples. His elder in the sect was likely also a handyman disciple.

Soon, it was the young man's turn to test his talent. A collective gasp arose from the crowd as the Aperture Stone in his hand rose to over four inches!

High-grade Spiritual Aperture!

The young man's face showed only pride, no surprise, clearly indicating he already knew the result.

The young immortal smiled genuinely, "Congratulations, junior brother. A high-grade Spiritual Aperture means you have the potential to become an inner disciple of our Immortal Dust Sect."

The young man in ornate robes was humble and polite before the young immortal, cupping his hands. "My name is Pang Yuanfu. May I know your esteemed name?"

The young immortal replied gently, "My name is Song Yu. I joined the sect decades before you. You may address me as Senior Brother Song."

After a few pleasantries, the young man Pang Yuanfu, with his round belly, entered the City Lord's mansion.

The talent test continued. The two people before Li Xiuchang, as expected, had no Spiritual Apertures. Soon, it was his turn.

Li Xiuchang couldn't help but feel a little nervous. He walked to the table and stood still. He first bowed to Song Yu before picking up the Aperture Stone and placing it about three inches below his navel, at the Dantian position.

The Aperture Stone lit up, and Li Xiuchang felt a warmth in his lower abdomen. He looked down and saw a stream of energy flowing from the Aperture Stone into his Dantian.

Thankfully, I have a Spiritual Aperture... Li Xiuchang breathed a sigh of relief.

Now, it was time to see the quality of his Spiritual Aperture.

After a breath, the Aperture Stone stopped injecting spiritual energy, but Li Xiuchang still felt a comfortable warmth in his abdomen.

He stared intently at the Aperture Stone in his hand, waiting for the pillar of energy to rise above it.

The energy pillar quickly surpassed one inch and continued to climb.

However, as it reached one and a half inches, it seemed to be running out of steam, and its growth slowed significantly.

Judging by this, it wouldn't break through two inches, meaning Li Xiuchang only had a low-grade Spiritual Aperture and would only receive the "blessing" of becoming a handyman disciple at the Immortal Dust Sect.

But just then, the energy pillar seemed to draw strength from somewhere and shot upwards, gaining another inch!

The energy pillar reached two and a half inches. Mediocre talent, eligible for the outer sect!

"Not bad, a mid-grade Spiritual Aperture. You can become an outer disciple of our Immortal Dust Sect."

Song Yu took the Aperture Stone, examined it back and forth in his hand, and then placed it on the table. He thought that perhaps the Aperture Stone had been used for too long and was becoming less responsive.

Li Xiuchang breathed a sigh of relief upon seeing this and glanced at a string of numbers in the lower-left corner of his vision, visible only to him.

The number that had originally displayed "2.13" had changed to "1.13" after the energy pillar grew by an inch.