Chapter 5

As the disciple spoke, he handed Shan Heyuan a bag filled with a hefty weight of spirit pearls.

Shan Heyuan accepted it, quickly counted the contents, and thanked him again.

The test results were poor, and Shan Heyuan felt deeply dejected.

After meeting up with Shen Duheng, he told him the results.

Shen Duheng did not seem surprised. "Having a chaos spirit root doesn't mean you can't accomplish anything in the future."

Shan Heyuan was listless. "But the quality of my spirit root is low-grade too."

Shen Duheng said, "So what if it's low-grade? History is full of cultivators with poor root bone who achieved great things. Cultivators, above all, defy the heavens. If you blindly submit to fate's arrangements, you'll never accomplish anything great."

Everything about him radiated a convincing presence. Shan Heyuan unconsciously straightened his back. "You're right, Brother Shen."

Shen Duheng said, "Let's go back. The Supreme Harmony Sect is decent. They're people we can deal with."

Shan Heyuan nodded. "The Supreme Harmony Sect really is quite good."

There was no concept of countries in this world. In their place were countless sects.

People paid taxes to the sects and received their protection. Those struggling to make ends meet could also come to the sects to collect subsidies.

Shan Heyuan had transmigrated from Earth a little over a month ago. It was a cultivator from the Supreme Harmony Sect who had found him in the mountains and rescued him. The sect had subsequently arranged for Ma Rupei to help him get acquainted with this world, given him a subsidy, and arranged for him to live in Gangshi Village.

He did not say it aloud, but in his heart, he already considered himself part of the Supreme Harmony Sect.

After they finished their business and returned home, it was still early.

Shan Heyuan first went up the mountain to tend to the earth spirit ginseng. Only after burying himself in work for most of the day did his mood settle down again.

So what if his spirit root was poor? It was still better than being unable to cultivate.

Besides, Shen Duheng had a point. Plenty of high-level cultivators had poor root bone and still made something of their cultivation.

He was no worse than anyone else.

Having put his mood to rights, Shan Heyuan headed home in the moonlight with half a basket of freshly picked earth spirit ginseng shoots on his back.

When he got home, Shen Duheng was sitting in a rocking chair in the courtyard, reading a book. A Spirit Artifact lamp stood beside him, its bright orange light illuminating nearly the entire courtyard.

Shan Heyuan put the earth spirit ginseng shoots in the living room, then went to fetch water and wash his face and hands.

Just as he was about to cook, he suddenly remembered the subsidy he had received that day. He glanced at Shen Duheng in the courtyard, then went to fetch it.

Shen Duheng was absorbed in his book. Sensing Shan Heyuan's gaze, he turned to look at him and raised an eyebrow, signaling him to speak.

Shan Heyuan half crouched and held out the spirit pearls. "These are the spirit pearls I collected today. I forgot to give them to you this afternoon."

Shen Duheng did not take them. "There's no rush to repay the debt."

Shan Heyuan put the spirit pearls beside the reclining chair. "I should pay back what I can, or there's no telling how long it'll drag on."

Hearing him say that, Shen Duheng raised no further objection.

Though Shan Heyuan had said his piece, he did not leave. He stayed crouched beside Shen Duheng, looking up at him. "Brother Shen-"

Shen Duheng said, "Just say what's on your mind."

Shan Heyuan asked, "Do you know how someone with poor root bone should cultivate?"

Shen Duheng put his book aside and looked at him. "Our deal was only to unblock your meridians. Haven't I done that?"

Shan Heyuan said, "You have, but couldn't we make a second deal?"

Shen Duheng looked down at him. "What else do you have to offer in a deal?"

Shan Heyuan looked at him eagerly. "You never know, do you? Brother Shen, do you have any brilliant ideas about my chaos spirit root? If I could cultivate faster, I could pay back the spirit pearls faster too, couldn't I?"

Shen Duheng smiled. "So you're trying to catch a white wolf barehanded?"

Shan Heyuan said, "No, I just want to leave the initiative in the deal to you. Whatever catches your eye, just say so."

Shen Duheng said, "Wait until you've paid back the five hundred thousand spirit pearls."

Shan Heyuan's expression shifted. "Brother Shen, you really do have a way?"

Shen Duheng said, "With enough spirit pearls, even finding someone to replace your meridians would be no trouble. But do you have the spirit pearls?"

With that, Shen Duheng paid him no further attention.

Crouching beside Shen Duheng, Shan Heyuan let out a thoroughly despondent sigh.

Spirit pearls—he really did not have any.

Chapter 5

Shan Heyuan gradually grew used to life as a cultivator and began living according to cultivators' ways.

That morning, Shan Heyuan had just finished circulating his cultivation formula for three and a half cycles when a knock came from outside, followed by a shout: "Fellow Daoist, your newspaper!"

Shan Heyuan hurriedly called back, "Coming!"

Shan Heyuan got up to open the door.

The cultivator delivering the newspaper had already flown off on his sword, leaving only a square wooden talisman tossed down at the front gate.

Shan Heyuan carefully picked it up, brushed off the dust, and tucked it away as he returned to the courtyard.

Shen Duheng was cultivating cross-legged in another corner of the courtyard. Not daring to disturb him, Shan Heyuan carried the wooden talisman into the house on tiptoe. He sat upright at the worktable in the living room and pressed the talisman to his forehead with an almost reverent air, using his Divine Sense to read its contents.

In a flash, Shan Heyuan felt countless words appear in his mind:

[Immortal Lord Donghe breaks through to Spirit Transformation, adding another elder to the Sword Reverence Sect!]

[Elder Dengjiao of the Proliferation Sect recreates the Great Luo Nine-Revolution Pill]

[Reportedly, the Azure Bird Palace's newest batch of Great Peng Birds may awaken the Golden-Winged Great Peng bloodline]

This was news from the cultivation world!

It was Shan Heyuan's first time subscribing to a cultivation-world newspaper, and also his first time reading one with Divine Sense.

The way it was forced straight into his mind filled him with wonder.

He held the newspaper talisman farther away and saw that the palm-sized wooden piece was engraved with runes as fine as strands of hair. But when he tried to make them out more closely, the runes seemed to move, swimming before his eyes until he felt dizzy.

It seemed that even a simple newspaper talisman was not something a person with no foundation could master straight away.

After studying it for a while, Shan Heyuan pressed the talisman to his forehead again and carefully read the entire newspaper.

"The Sword Reverence Sect, the Proliferation Sect, the Azure Bird Palace, the Long Prosperity Sect..."

Shan Heyuan took the wooden talisman from his forehead, murmuring the names he had just read.

Just as he opened his eyes, a figure in red was suddenly standing before him.

"!!!" Shan Heyuan was so startled he nearly sprang out of his chair. Looking closely, he saw that it was Shen Duheng. "Brother Shen?! You're done cultivating?!"

Shen Duheng nodded. "A newspaper?"

Shan Heyuan patted his chest and held up the newspaper talisman. "Yes. The talisman master in the village suggested I subscribe. Do you want to read it?"

Shen Duheng took the wooden talisman directly, but unlike Shan Heyuan, he did not need to press it to his forehead. He simply swept it with his Divine Sense and read its contents.

While Shen Duheng read the newspaper, Shan Heyuan tilted his head up and watched his expression.

Orange-yellow morning sunlight streamed in through the window. Shen Duheng's tall figure stood in half-lit shadow, and Shan Heyuan could not quite make out the details of his face. He could only tell that his expression was somewhat complicated.

Where did he come from? Would he see any familiar names while reading the newspaper?

Shen Duheng read extremely quickly and returned the wooden talisman to Shan Heyuan after only a few seconds.

Holding the newspaper talisman, Shan Heyuan said, "These newspapers are pretty interesting."

Shen Duheng remained largely expressionless. "Read more of them. It won't hurt."

Shan Heyuan shifted his backside a little closer to Shen Duheng. "Brother Shen-"

Shen Duheng leaned back. "Just say what's on your mind."

Shan Heyuan said, "Well, didn't you lose most of your memories? Did reading the newspaper help you remember anything?"

Shen Duheng said, "What could I remember from just a few words? You, on the other hand, still have the leisure to read the newspaper. When are you going to settle on a cultivation method of your own?"

The cultivation formula Shan Heyuan was currently practicing was a basic one distributed by the Supreme Harmony Sect.

The cultivation method contained no moves of any kind. It simply taught cultivators who could sense Spiritual Qi how to absorb, circulate, refine, and store it.

If a cultivator wanted to formally embark on the path of cultivation, he still had to learn a specific cultivation method.

At the mention of this, Shan Heyuan sighed. "Brother Shen, you're just trying to change the subject, aren't you?"