Chapter 13: The Legends of Immortal Cultivation

Yun Qing bid farewell to the slightly stooped middle-aged man. “Master Liu, thank you so much for taking care of me these past days. Tomorrow, I’ll be joining the hunting squad as a laborer.”

Yun Qing was the fastest apprentice to complete her training under Master Liu. Though just a young girl, her strength and skill were on par with any man. She worked swiftly, diligently, and was well-liked, though she suffered from a facial ailment.

“Little Yun, why don’t you just stay on at the slaughterhouse? The wages are decent here, and aside from the busy festival days, it’s never too hectic. Most importantly, there’s no danger.”

Stay on as a butcher in the slaughterhouse? Impossible. Yun Qing’s heart shook her head as vigorously as a rattle drum. She bore no disdain for butchers, but if she could, she would erase this half-month of butcher’s life from her record, and she certainly didn’t wish to be called Yun the Butcher.

She pressed her fist to her chest. “My heart yearns for courage; I want to become an outstanding hunter. Master Liu, if you ever find yourself short-staffed at the slaughterhouse, let me know. As long as I’m free, I’ll come help.”

For instance, if there was a need to slaughter a large number of poultry or livestock, she could come by to gain some experience.

“Then, in the future, should I set aside a portion of meat for you?” Master Liu knew that after her shift at the slaughterhouse, Yun Qing would go to the blacksmith’s for another two hours of odd jobs. At her age, with her body still growing, it was only natural for her to eat a lot.

The dog Liuliu, at her side, looked at her with shining eyes. The meat Master Liu set aside was certainly better than what they could buy. Yun Qing smiled. “Once I join the hunting squad, I may be home late.”

“If it’s too late, you can pick it up from my house,” Master Liu offered, for he lived near the slaughterhouse.

“Thank you, Master Liu. But you must accept payment, or else I can’t take it.”

“Of course!”

In this world where might made right—even though Yun Qing had yet to leave the beginner’s village—she cared most about improving her own strength.

Master Liu at the slaughterhouse was an ordinary man, unversed in the martial arts. Master Li, however, was different—he was a Postnatal martial artist.

After working many days at the blacksmith’s, Yun Qing had managed to glean some information about internal energy, the Postnatal realm, and the cultivation arts.

Here’s what she had learned:

Having a spiritual root didn’t guarantee one could cultivate immortality. Every two years, sect members would come to Yunquan Town to test children’s spiritual roots for free. Those with single or dual spiritual roots would be taken by the sects for training.

Those with poor spiritual roots would not be taken, but their names would be recorded, and they would be given some words of encouragement.

If the sect didn’t take someone, whether or not they had a spiritual root, they would need to reach the Postnatal realm before the age of eighteen, or the Innate realm before thirty, to be accepted.

Even those with single or dual spiritual roots needed to achieve the Innate realm within the sect before they could cultivate immortality.

According to Master Li Ironhammer, the reason was that cultivating immortal arts before reaching the Innate realm could easily lead to death by poisoning from the impure energies.

Children not taken by the sects, if from wealthy families, would be sent to town to learn martial arts, hoping to meet the sect’s standards as soon as possible.

Master Li didn’t have a spiritual root. He hadn’t reached the Postnatal realm by eighteen, nor the Innate by thirty, so he knew little of the sects or cultivation. He had only seen cultivators a handful of times—the most recent half a year ago, on a dark night. He possessed no cultivation arts.

But Master Li did know the path to the Postnatal realm: one had to open their meridians, preferably under a master’s guidance, and maintain a steady diet of nourishing foods.

To reach the Postnatal realm, opening the meridians was essential—the prerequisite to martial training. The initiate would be soaked in a bath of precious liquids while an experienced practitioner guided the flow of internal energy through their channels in a small cycle.

If the opening succeeded, they could then cultivate internal energy arts. If not, they would never be able to do so.

Those with great willpower could open their own meridians; Ye Xiaolang was such a self-taught case. After reaching adulthood, the success rate for opening meridians became extremely low.

When the body reached a certain level of strength, and internal energy could make a full circuit through the channels and even be projected outside the body, that marked entry into the Postnatal realm.

“For those under ten, the price to open the meridians is ten taels of gold. Each year after ten, the price rises by ten taels. Success is not guaranteed.”

Master Li’s quoted price echoed in Yun Qing’s mind. For her, opening her meridians would cost sixty taels of gold. At present, she didn’t even have enough silver for a weapon, so she could only set a smaller goal for now.

Moreover, Yun Qing had a nagging feeling that even if she paid sixty taels in town, she might not succeed.

Her predecessor must have had her meridians opened, for she had trained her body. Yet, after passing through that boundless darkness, her body seemed greatly damaged; she had tried many times but could neither absorb spiritual energy nor circulate internal energy.

In another half year, it would be time again for the biennial spiritual root and strength test.

As to whether she would participate in the sect’s spiritual root testing, Yun Qing had yet to decide.

She might possess the extremely rare single Light spiritual root. According to Master Li, children with such a root would join a sect by age six or seven, and if not, the cause would definitely be investigated.

Moreover, in her memory, Light spiritual roots were exceedingly rare, and could pose a threat to certain powers. Cultivators with the Light spiritual root, especially when still weak, never revealed their identity—they were always protected by great powers.

So, either she must hide her spiritual root, or find a powerful protector.

These were decisions for several months hence. For now, the pressing issue was that she had promised Master Li to work at his shop for a time, and now she wasn’t sure if she could fulfill that promise.

“Master Li, tomorrow I’m to run errands for the Seventh Hunting Squad. If I come back early, I’ll stop by to help you.”

This strange, homely girl’s hunger for silver had once sent a chill down his spine, but in truth, she had nothing at all—her poverty was pitiful.

Master Li opened a wooden box and, after searching within, tossed a nicked dagger to Yun Qing’s feet. “This dagger’s no good anymore. If you can fix it, it’s yours.”

Yun Qing immediately understood his intent: he was gifting her a weapon.

Damaged Fine Steel Dagger: Physical Attack +20, Requires Level 10 to use.

She picked up the dagger and thanked him warmly. “Thank you, Master Li.”

She spent nearly an hour using the smithy’s tools to repair the fine steel dagger.

Examining what was truly her first real weapon—a blade over half a foot long, with enough heft thanks to the fine steel, and now boasting straight, elegant lines courtesy of her careful work—Yun Qing couldn’t help but say, “Liuliu, this sharp point and blade would be perfect for skinning pigs.”

She quickly caught herself—she was no longer a butcher’s apprentice, and yet her first thought upon receiving a weapon was skinning pigs.

Liuliu agreed enthusiastically, “Then I’ll get to eat more pork!”

Yun Qing: …

Fine Steel Dagger: Physical Attack +100, Requires Level 10 to use.

During this time, Yun Qing had figured out the restrictions of levels and weapons.

She could wield any weapon, regardless of its level, but using weapons above her combat level would grant no system skills. For example, if she wielded a level 20 sword, it wouldn’t display a targeting reticle.

Currently, she had no equipment slots, so she couldn’t equip weapons in the system.

Yun Qing’s time at the slaughterhouse had been brief, but Master Liu held her in high regard. Still, slaughtering livestock was very different from hunting. Entering the hunting squad meant starting anew.

With everything prepared, Yun Qing went to bed early, drifting quickly into dreamland.