Cultivation: From Poor Peasant to Celestial Lord

Chu Bai sat cross-legged on a bluestone slab in front of the stone building, skillfully circulating the *Guiyuan Technique* while simultaneously activating the Supervisor Jade Scroll in his hand.

He had long grown accustomed to this state of multitasking, carrying out his unwavering daily cultivation while fulfilling the duties of his lucrative post.

Wisps of nature’s spiritual energy, drawn by his breathing, gathered and prepared to flow into his meridians.

’Something’s wrong.’

An extremely subtle yet incredibly distinct sensation came from the Pure Qi he was absorbing.

An ordinary Cultivator might not have noticed it at all, dismissing it as a normal fluctuation in Spiritual Qi.

But Chu Bai was different. To cultivate in an environment like the Sanmu River, which was rife with mixed Evil Qi, Daoist Zhang had personally taught him a Qi Filtering Technique.

Although it was a relatively basic technique, he had practiced it to the point of it becoming instinct. With every breath, he would subconsciously filter the Spiritual Qi he inhaled.

And just now, his Qi Filtering Technique had passively intensified its operation!

This meant that the Pure Qi he was inhaling was mixed with some kind of impurity that needed to be filtered out.

This was no small matter.

One of the Law Net’s core functions was to sort through nature’s spiritual energy, filtering out Evil Qi and impurities to transform it into gentle, balanced Pure Qi.

Now, in the core area covered by the Law Net, impure Spiritual Qi that required his Qi Filtering Technique to purify had appeared. This would obviously affect cultivation.

He immediately looked down at the Supervisor Jade Scroll in his hand.

Chu Bai stood up at once and, without the slightest hesitation, quickly left the troubled spot.

’How to resolve it isn’t my concern.’

’Perhaps it’s just how the system operates, with occasional oversights.’

He did not perform a full Circulation of the Heavens again. Instead, he cautiously absorbed a trace of Spiritual Qi, sensing it with his Qi Filtering Technique.

The results were all the same.

When the east began to pale and the first ray of dawn touched the upturned eaves of the Daoist School, Chu Bai had already gathered enough evidence.

He delayed no further. After organizing the night’s monitoring data, he headed to the Dean’s office once more, feeling no fatigue.

Pushing open the wooden door that had brought him a bit of pressure two months ago, Chu Bai once again saw Dean Chen sitting withered on a cattail hassock.

He respectfully presented the Jade Scroll inscribed with the anomalous data, then concisely reported his overnight findings and verification process.

He made sure to emphasize that his own Qi Filtering Technique had sensed the anomaly and that he had immediately stopped cultivating. This both explained how he was able to discover the problem and demonstrated his cautious attitude.

After finishing his report, Chu Bai stood quietly to the side, awaiting the verdict of the Foundation Establishment Great Cultivator.

Dean Chen took the Jade Scroll, his tightly shut eyes slowly opening. As his Divine Sense swept over the rapidly flashing data records on the scroll, a trace of genuine gravity appeared on his impassive face for the first time.

He did not speak immediately, instead closing his eyes in deep thought for a long time; whether he was pondering or communicating with someone else was unclear.

A moment later, he opened his eyes again. His gaze toward Chu Bai now held an unprecedented degree of appreciation.

"You’ve done well."

Dean Chen spoke slowly, his voice still hoarse but carrying an undeniable tone of affirmation.

"A few nodes on the edge of the Law Net have indeed shown a faint ’Evil Qi infiltration.’ This matter is extremely subtle. If not for your special Qi Filtering Technique and keen perception, even an ordinary Instructor would have found it difficult to notice. If it were allowed to develop, it would become difficult to remedy."

"Your disposition is steady. You don’t panic when faced with issues, verifying before reporting—the procedure was flawless. It is especially rare that you were able to stop cultivating immediately to avoid being corroded by the tainted Spiritual Qi."

With a casual wave of his hand, Dean Chen made Chu Bai’s Identity Jade Scroll flash with light.

"According to the rules, discovering and reporting a major hidden danger in the Law Net warrants one mark of merit. The reward is ten points of Daoist Merit. This matter must not be spread. Continue to perform your duties, and if you discover anything else, report it immediately."

...

Chu Bai collected his reward and left the Dean’s office, his mind at ease.

Taking advantage of the report, Chu Bai boldly asked about the Law Net and learned a bit more about it.

According to Dean Chen, the Law Net’s power was bestowed by the Celestial Court. It could supervise the world, and its domain of coverage was the Great Zhou Territory.

Its effects were naturally not limited to sorting Spiritual Qi. For Mortals, matters of birth, aging, sickness, death, and the Cause and Effect of good and evil were all recorded upon it.

Each State Mansion and County had its own distinct nodes, and the regions were generally divided as such.

’Cause and Effect, good and evil...’

’Good deeds increase [Celestial Fate], while evil deeds accumulate [Karmic Force]. It’s said that the higher one’s Realm, the greater the impact on oneself...’

Speaking of which, this reminded Chu Bai of something.

’I wonder if its definition is related to the [Merit] and [Demerit] in my Fate Chart.’

He had been trying to figure out how to trigger the [Seal and Ribbon Mutual Generation, Merit and Demerit Shape Destiny] in his Fate Chart, but he hadn’t yet found the method.

Just as he walked out of the small courtyard, the distant toll of a bell came from the main peak of the Daoist School, its sound deep and prolonged, echoing throughout the entire campus.

Following that, Instructor Zhou Changkong’s voice rang out in all the new students’ Identity Jade Scrolls: "All new students, listen up! The second monthly exam will be held in ten days. I expect you all to prepare with all your might!"

The moment the news broke, the entire new student body erupted into an uproar!

After more than two months of arduous cultivation, everyone was rubbing their hands together, eager to test their results.

The students who had failed in the last monthly exam wanted to redeem themselves, while the prodigies who had made it onto the honor roll were determined to defend their glory.

The content of this monthly exam was also transmitted to everyone’s Jade Scroll along with the bell’s toll:

Realm Assessment: To measure the total amount and purity of one’s Magical Power.

Magic Technique Assessment: The content has been revised. Instead of attacking puppets, it will be a competition of fine control.

Combat Assessment: Still platform duels.

By the time Chu Bai returned to Room B-7, the atmosphere in the dormitory was already completely electrified.

"It’s here, it’s here! It’s finally here!" Zhou Tong waved his fists excitedly, pacing back and forth in the room. "I’m definitely breaking into the class’s top ten this time! My *Wind Vortex Technique* is at major completion!"

For once, Chen Shi also put down the classic text in his hands, his eyes flashing with a determined light. "My *Thick Earth Shield* has reached the entry level. I’m determined to last a few more breaths than last time."

"Heh, all talk and no action won’t do." Jiang Kuo leaped down from his bunk and waved his hand grandly. "What’s the point of practicing on your own? Let’s go! We’re heading to the Magic Technique practice grounds to spar with each other! There are still ten days until the exam. We in Room B-7 can’t fall behind!"

He looked at Chu Bai, who had just entered, and grinned while wiggling his eyebrows. "Especially you, Brother Chu. You were number one in combat last time, which makes you a thorn in everyone’s side now. It’s a perfect opportunity. Let us guys loosen you up a bit, so you don’t capsize in the gutter on the platform!"

"I was just thinking the same thing."

Chu Bai looked at his roommates’ faces, each one full of vigor and fighting spirit, and the heaviness in his heart from the matter with the Law Net gradually dissipated, replaced by this passionate atmosphere.

He smiled.

With a huge sum of Daoist Merit in hand, the merit reward from the Dean, and the explosive growth of his own strength, he was more confident than ever.

Looking at his classmates in the distance, who were also bustling about in preparation for the monthly exam, a blazing fighting spirit ignited in his eyes.

This time, he wanted more than just first place in a single category.

’The Magic Technique assessment... I can definitely make a play for that.’

’And that’ll be another bit of extra income...’