The encounter in the market with a "Wang Ruohan" identical to the one from Los Angeles had cast a shadow over Lin Rui's mood, leaving him with the disgusting feeling of having swallowed a fly. But if anything, the unpleasant interlude only fueled his urgency to cultivate the Azurewood Heart Chant and become a registered cultivator.
Back in his humble courtyard, Lin Rui wasted no time and immediately set to work on the herbs he had bought from Shopkeeper Wang. Drawing on the vague memories of his predecessor, he sorted through the herbs, pounding some into a paste while dropping others whole into a clay pot with water to simmer. The pot bubbled away over the charcoal fire, and a strange, clean fragrance of herbs, mingled with a faint bitterness, filled the small hut.
Once the decoction was ready, he blew the froth from the surface and drank it down in one go.
The scalding liquid slid down his throat, and a gentle warmth slowly spread through his abdomen. The meridians, still faintly constricted from the effects of the Spirit-Corroding Powder, seemed to clear ever so slightly. The weariness in his body eased. That night, he slept more soundly than he had in days.
The next day, as dawn broke, Lin Rui was already up and standing in his small, narrow courtyard.
He took a deep breath of the cool, misty morning air, settled into a low stance, and began to practice a set of fist forms he had dredged up from the original's memories. The forms were simple, with wide, sweeping motions, meant as a basic physical conditioning exercise for the disciples of the Lin family's branch families. But as Lin Rui performed them now, he imbued the forms with the efficiency of his past life's fighting style, each punch and kick carrying a focused, short-range power.
Beads of sweat trickled down his temples, quickly soaking the coarse, faded training clothes on his body. The burn of muscle fatigue washed over him in waves, but he gritted his teeth and persisted, striving to make every motion perfect, pushing his body to its absolute limit. At the same time, he devoted a thread of his consciousness to silently circulating the mnemonic chants of the Azurewood Heart Chant, attempting to sense the "vitality" in the world around him.
"Azurewood heart, let vitality flow..." he chanted the mantra in a low voice, his mind sinking into his dantian.
This time—perhaps because of the previous day's herbal tonic, or perhaps because the high-intensity physical exertion and extreme mental focus had struck some kind of balance—when he once again visualized the phantom azurewood tree taking root in his dantian and drew upon the world's spiritual energy, he truly captured a faint, almost imperceptible coolness.
It was an extremely weak, yet exceptionally pure wisp of "vegetal vitality." Like the first tender sprout breaking through the soil in early spring, it carried a light, clean scent of greenery and a resilient life force as it quietly gathered in his dantian.
A jolt went through Lin Rui. He quickly reined in his excitement and, following the unique method recorded in the Azurewood Heart Chant, carefully guided this precious wisp of "vegetal vitality," attempting to merge it with his meager lifeblood. The process was challenging, like trying to tame a wild horse; the wisp of vitality nearly dispersed several times.
But with mental control that far surpassed an ordinary person's, he stubbornly held it steady.
An unknown amount of time passed. When the last of the "vegetal vitality" had reluctantly fused with his lifeblood, the newborn spiritual energy was still pitifully weak, thin as a spider's thread and far from the level needed to condense a "Dan Fire." However, Lin Rui could clearly sense that something new had now formed within his dantian.
He slowly relaxed his stance, ending the exercise, and opened his eyes.
At that exact moment, he keenly sensed that the air in the small courtyard seemed fresher than usual. Wisps of spiritual energy, as if drawn by some invisible force, were faintly gathering in the space around him. The very concentration of spiritual energy in the air seemed to have increased, just slightly.
"Hmm?" An idea struck Lin Rui as he recalled the bits and pieces he'd heard from Lin Baobao and Xu Yu about the Spirit Web.
"Could this be... positive feedback from the Spirit Web? My cultivation drew in the world's spiritual energy, so it's giving me a little incentive?"
He savored the sensation.
It was just like the "+1 EXP" notification that pops up over a character's head in a video game.
An indescribable joy welled up inside him, washing away the fatigue and pressure of the past few days.
"This is it!" Lin Rui clenched his fists, unable to suppress the grin spreading across his face.
"It seems if I'm on the right path and keep training like this every day, a little will add up to a lot. Stepping onto the path of cultivation, reaching the so-called first stage of Mystic Art Enlightenment... it'll only be a matter of time!"
The Lin family's "Spirit Web Monitoring Hub" was like an invisible net, constantly capturing the state of every wisp of spiritual energy within the family's domain. Naturally, the nascent fluctuation of "vitality" from Lin Rui's small courtyard did not escape its "eyes."
This time, however, the one knocking on Lin Rui's gate was not a family guard or deacon, but Lin Tiancheng—Lin Rui's Second Uncle.
The gate creaked open a crack. The two Lin family guards standing watch saw the visitor and immediately bowed.
"Second Master."
Lin Rui, who had been resting on the rough stone stool in the courtyard, heard the commotion and quickly stood up.
"Second Uncle," he called out.
Lin Tiancheng was dressed today in a peach-colored robe embroidered with a few sparse plum blossoms in dark green thread. His long hair was tied back simply with a cloth band, and a well-groomed ring of beard framed his sharp, angular face, giving him a roguish, handsome middle-aged air.
Fragments of memory about this Second Uncle flashed through Lin Rui's mind.
After the original's father disappeared, this uncle had been reasonably attentive, visiting once a month with gifts of spirit meat and herbs, ensuring the boy didn't starve. He seemed to have a nickname in the clan, "the Guardian of Principles," though it was unclear if it was a compliment or a criticism. In short, his impression wasn't bad, but they weren't particularly close.
Lin Tiancheng waved a hand, signaling for the guards to be at ease. His gaze fell upon Lin Rui, looking him up and down with a faint, knowing smile playing on his lips.
"Rui'er, was that little stir in the courtyard just now your doing?"
Lin Rui's heart skipped a beat, but he feigned a look of confusion.
"A stir? Your nephew is dull-witted. I'm not sure what Second Uncle is referring to."
Lin Tiancheng didn't press the point. He strolled over to the stone table and sat down, his fingers tapping lightly on the rough surface.
"An hour ago, the family's Spirit Web Hub detected signs of spiritual energy converging on your little courtyard. Not the powerful surge from the Ancestral Hall, the 'ancestral manifestation' kind. No, this was the real deal... hmm, the Spirit Web's feedback from a genuine sliver of cultivation progress."
He paused, his gaze sharpening.
"The Patriarch found out. He was a bit surprised and asked me to come take a look. You little rascal, when did you secretly learn how to cultivate?"
Lin Rui cursed inwardly, Old fox. Outwardly, he plastered on a smile that was a mixture of pleasant surprise and slight embarrassment.
"Second Uncle, you see right through me! To be honest, I'm just as confused. Ever since last time... er, the ancestral manifestation, I've felt my body has been a bit lighter than before, and my mind clearer. A few days ago, I stumbled upon the fragment of the Azurewood Heart Chant that Father left behind, and I just thought I'd poke around with it. Figured it couldn't hurt to try and strengthen my body. Who would have thought that while I was just messing around with the postures this morning, a tiny little wisp of coolness would actually appear in my dantian!"
He gestured with his hands, doing his best to look like a simple-minded kid who'd just gotten incredibly lucky.
"I figured it must be the ancestors' spirits watching over me from the heavens. They must have taken pity on me, and with my sudden bout of good luck, I just stumbled my way into it!"
Lin Tiancheng listened, his deep-set eyes betraying nothing. He occasionally stroked his beard with an expression that seemed to say, Go on with your story, I'm listening.
Only after Lin Rui had finished did he speak, slowly.
"Hmm. Blessed by the ancestors, with deep fortune. That's not an entirely inaccurate way to put it."
"In that case, you've more or less found your way to the threshold of cultivation. It won't do to keep fumbling around on your own. If you misalign your Qi, you'll do more harm than good."
Lin Tiancheng's tone shifted, a profound, inscrutable smile appearing on his face.
"How about this, Rui'er? Since fortune has found you, your Second Uncle will pull some strings for you."
"I've already spoken with someone at the Celestial Law Division. Tomorrow morning, you will go directly to their branch office in the market. Give them my name and tell them I've approved you for cultivator registration. They'll process it for you directly, saving you the trouble of going through their tedious examination procedures."
Lin Rui's eyes went wide.
Holy shit! I get to cut the line? You can use the back door to register with the Celestial Law Division? This convenient uncle of mine... his connections are that wild? This is a straight-up cheat code!
Seeing Lin Rui's stunned expression, as if he'd just been knocked silly by a pie falling from the sky, Lin Tiancheng's smile deepened with an "I knew you'd look like that" sort of understanding.
"Don't just stand there grinning, you little rascal. This path of cultivation... It's like tipping over the first domino." He held up a finger and made a small gesture on the stone table. "Yesterday, through your hard work, you condensed a sliver of vitality in your dantian, which triggered positive feedback from the Spirit Web. That was the first push."
He paused, looking at Lin Rui with a meaningful gaze.
"That feedback, as insignificant as it seemed, was like a small pebble tossed into a calm lake. The ripples were small, but they have already altered the flow of 'cause and effect.' Because of it, the Patriarch noticed you. Because of it, I am here. And because of that, I am willing to offer you this convenience. This is my second push."
"Do you understand? It's all connected, link by link. Without your first push, there would be no second push from me. How far you can go on this path will depend on whether you can seize every tiny 'cause' to leverage a greater 'effect'."
Lin Rui was dumbfounded. The initial giddy joy of winning the lottery slowly subsided, replaced by a sudden, illuminating clarity. He had always known that hard work paid off, but he'd never imagined that in this world of cultivation, the link between effort and opportunity was governed by this ethereal yet seemingly real "Spirit Web" and the laws of "cause and effect."
"Second Uncle, I... I understand," he said, giving Lin Tiancheng a solemn, formal bow.
Lin Tiancheng nodded in satisfaction. He gave a few more instructions and then departed.
The next morning, Lin Rui changed into a cleaner set of coarse clothes and, with a mix of apprehension and anticipation, made his way to the Zhuyun Town branch of the Celestial Law Division in the center of the market.
The division's office was a bit more imposing than he had imagined.
High bluestone walls, with stone carvings of two unknown beasts crouching by the entrance, gave it an air of authority. The main doors were open, and cultivators armed with various weapons streamed in and out, all in a hurry. Mixed among them were a few downtrodden-looking wandering cultivators, muttering complaints under their breath.
Lin Rui stood across the street, took a deep breath, swallowed hard, and then steeled himself to walk inside.
The moment he stepped through the door, a chaotic wave of smells—ink, sweat, and various spiritual materials—assaulted him. The hall was just as crowded as he'd expected, if not more so.
The chamber, dozens of yards across, was packed with cultivators on business. Some crowded around several tall counters, speaking anxiously with the clerks inside. Others sat on benches along the walls, sighing in frustration. A small group of young, richly dressed cultivators were arguing haughtily with a middle-aged man in the uniform of the Celestial Law Division.
The hall's decor, at least, was in keeping with Zhuyun Town's generally rustic style. The bluestone floor was polished to a shine by countless feet, and several thick spirit-wood pillars supported the high ceiling. On the walls hung scrolls bearing excerpts from the "Celestial Dao's Laws of Cultivation," written in a bold, powerful script.
Thinking fast, Lin Rui scanned the crowd and quickly located a relatively quiet counter in a corner. A small sign on it read "New Cultivator Registration." It seemed there weren't many newcomers today. Behind the counter, a clerk in the division's standard gray robe was yawning out of sheer boredom.
Lin Rui took another deep breath, squeezed through the crowd, and arrived at the counter.
"Honorable Clerk, my name is Lin Rui. I've come to register as a cultivator under the order of Second Master Lin Tiancheng of the Lin family."
The clerk lifted an eyelid at the words, his gaze sweeping over Lin Rui twice. His expression clearly said, Oh, so you're the kid.
He slowly pulled a palm-sized, azure jade slip from a drawer, along with a long, thin rune brush whose tip glowed with a faint spiritual light.
"Name: Lin Rui. Domicile, Lin family branch of Zhuyun Town. Age?"
"Eighteen."
"Primary cultivation method?"
"Er... a fragment of the Azurewood Heart Chant," Lin Rui said.
The clerk's hand paused. He looked up at Lin Rui again, a strange look in his eyes, as if to say, Who in this day and age still practices that fossil of a technique? But he didn't ask, simply making a few strokes on the jade slip. A hazy green light washed over its surface, and a few runes flashed before vanishing.
"Any special skills or master?"
"My father, Lin Yuntian, had some small skill in alchemy. I... learned a thing or two by watching him," Lin Rui said vaguely.
The goateed clerk grunted and recorded something else on the slip.
Then, he retrieved a palm-sized, vibrant green jade tablet from under the counter. The front was carved with the two characters for "Celestial Law," while the back was blank.
"Hold out your hand. I need a drop of blood from your fingertip to bind this cultivator tablet."
Lin Rui did as he was told. The clerk took out a silver needle and pricked his finger lightly. A single, crimson drop of blood welled up and fell onto the blank back of the tablet.
Like a living thing, the drop of blood spread rapidly across the jade, forming a fine web of blood-red lines before gradually fading, leaving only a very faint, dark red mark. A green light flashed across the tablet's surface as a weak pulse of spiritual energy spread out.
The clerk nodded and handed the tablet to Lin Rui.
"Done. This is the 'Azure Bamboo Jade Tablet,' unique to Zhuyun Town. From now on, it is your proof of status as a registered cultivator. Whether you're accepting missions from the Division or traveling throughout Qingluo Prefecture, presenting this tablet will prove your identity. It will also record your cultivation progress, merit points, and so on."
He paused, then added, "However, since you haven't even reached the first stage of Mystic Art Enlightenment, your cultivation level won't show up on the tablet for now. Second Master Lin opened the door for you; it's up to you to walk through it. Only when you successfully guide Qi into your body and condense your first true strand of spiritual energy will you have truly set foot on the path of cultivation."
Lin Rui accepted the tablet, which smelled faintly of fresh bamboo, a thrill running through him.
The clerk then pulled three thin booklets from under the counter and tossed them in front of him.
"Here, take these. Celestial Law Division - Cultivator Code of Conduct, Spirit Web Mission Tiers and Compensation Outline, and Abridged Mutual Aid Treaty for Cultivators of Qingluo Prefecture. Go home and read them carefully. If you break a taboo or miss an opportunity later, don't say no one ever warned you."
Lin Rui quickly gathered the three booklets, thanked the clerk, and turned to leave.
The bustling hall of the Celestial Law Division was far too crowded. Suddenly, a figure bumped right into him.
Lin Rui shifted his feet, narrowly avoiding a full collision. He looked up and froze.
The person opposite him clearly hadn't expected to run into anyone either. Her willow-like eyebrows furrowed for a moment. Then, upon seeing Lin Rui's face, her almond-shaped eyes widened in utter shock and disbelief.
"Lin Rui?!"
Lin Yueyao was dressed today in the smart, practical uniform of an inner-hall disciple, her long hair tied up high, which only accentuated her sharp, heroic features. She was holding a beast-hide scroll tied with silk thread, apparently on business at the Division.
Her gaze fell to the Azure Bamboo Jade Tablet at Lin Rui's waist. The newness of the tablet and the faint spiritual energy fluctuating from it made her eyes sting.
"What are you doing here?! This cultivator tablet... since when were you able to guide Qi into your body?!" Lin Yueyao's voice rose, laced with a sharpness she herself didn't notice. She scanned Lin Rui from head to toe, her gaze so intense it seemed she wanted to drill holes through him, as if searching for some evidence of cheating.
This "waste " whom she and her peers couldn't even be bothered to mention in private conversation—how was this possible? The "ancestral manifestation" had been strange enough, but in just a few days, he had actually managed to guide Qi into his body and obtain a cultivator tablet?
Lin Rui saw her dumbfounded expression and chuckled inwardly, but his face remained a calm, placid mask.
"Just got lucky. Thanks for your concern, Cousin."
His bland, indifferent attitude caught Lin Yueyao off guard. The litany of questions she had been ready to unleash was suddenly stuck in her throat. She stared at Lin Rui's unruffled face and realized that he seemed different. The old Lin Rui wouldn't have even dared to lift his head in her presence, let alone meet her gaze so calmly.
Lin Yueyao snorted, her tone softening slightly but still dripping with condescension.
"Hmph. Since you were lucky enough to get your foot in the door, you'd better cultivate properly from now on. Don't disappoint the ancestors' 'blessing,' and stop embarrassing the Lin family."
Without waiting for a reply, she turned and walked directly to the "Family Affairs" counter on the other side of the hall, handing in the scroll she was holding.
Lin Rui watched her cold, rigid back, and a thought suddenly surfaced: Could she be the one who poisoned the original? He then shook his head. While Lin Yueyao was arrogant to a fault, she had always acted openly and honorably. She was the recognized genius of the Lin family's younger generation and would never stoop to using such underhanded tactics on a "waste" she didn't even see as worthy of her notice. Besides, if she wanted to get rid of the original Lin Rui, there were far more direct and traceless methods. Why use a slow-acting poison like the Spirit-Corroding Powder? It didn't fit her style. It was more likely the work of some other scum lurking in the family's dark corners.
He dismissed the thought and quickly left the Celestial Law Division.
After leaving the Division, he figured he had nothing else to do for the day, so he decided to wander around town to better familiarize himself with this new world.
He was strolling along the bluestone road when, not far ahead, the street corner suddenly erupted in chaos.
"Get out of the way! Everyone, move!" a panicked voice shouted.
Immediately following, a steed that was crimson from head to hoof, its hooves faintly sparking with fire, charged toward them, completely out of control. A man in rich brocade clothes on his back fumbled frantically with the reins, his face pale with fright. The Crimsonflame Steed's eyes were bloodshot, clearly spooked by something, as it barreled through the crowd.
"My stall!" an old man selling talismans cried out, hopping in desperation as his stall was about to be overturned.
"Quick! Protect the shop!" The clerks from several street-front shops scrambled into action. Two of them pulled palm-sized, turtle-shell-shaped objects from their robes. With a pulse of spiritual energy, the objects transformed into a translucent, pale-yellow light shield, appearing just in time to block the storefront. The Crimsonflame Steed slammed headfirst into the shield with a dull thud. The shield wobbled but ultimately held.
Lin Rui's pupils contracted. The steed was incredibly fast and was about to crash right into him.
Relying on the agility of his past life, his feet moved almost instinctively, and his entire body slid several feet to the side, narrowly avoiding the maddened spirit beast.
Whew... damn near gave me a heart attack. Good to know I've still got the moves, Lin Rui thought, relieved.
The street was a mess. Fortunately, a few patrolling cultivators from the Celestial Law Division arrived promptly. One of them threw out a rope-like artifact that glowed with an azure light, which instantly wrapped itself securely around the Crimsonflame Steed. The man in brocade finally calmed down and began apologizing profusely.
Lin Rui shook his head, having no intention of getting involved in the commotion. He turned to continue on his way.
"Well, well, who do we have here? If it isn't our family's little brother Ruohan's former... uh, fiancée?"
A flippant, playful male voice sounded from behind him.
A vein throbbed on Lin Rui's forehead. He felt a headache coming on.
That voice, that tone... it matched a certain unreliable character in his memories. He turned around and, sure enough, saw a man in a flashy, bright purple cultivator's robe, with all sorts of trinkets jingling at his waist, hopping down from a white "Snow-Mane Horse" across the street.
Wang Ting. An oddball from the Wang family's branch clan, and Wang Ruohan's cousin.
Wang Ting swaggered over to Lin Rui in a few steps, a pair of flirtatious eyes looking him up and down with great interest, a teasing smirk never leaving his face.
"I thought that silhouette looked familiar. What a rare sight. Young Master Lin, did the sun rise in the west today? You actually deigned to leave that little hovel of yours?"
Lin Rui couldn't be bothered with his nonsense. He gave him a massive eye roll.
"Spit it out."
Wang Ting was taken aback by the retort, but far from getting angry, his eyes lit up even more. He clapped his hands together with a laugh.
"Interesting, very interesting! Haven't seen you in a few days and you've... completely transformed?" He leaned in closer and sniffed. "Tsk, that faint smell of the Celestial Law Division on you... And that Azure Bamboo Jade Tablet at your waist, fresh and piping hot. Did those old fossils at the Lin family finally decide to pull some strings for you?"
Lin Rui ignored his overly familiar banter.
Wang Ting, however, circled him twice more, his eyes gleaming with a gossipy light.
Lin Rui waved a hand impatiently.
"Alright, alright, stop looking at me like that."
Wang Ting stroked his chin, his eyes darting around.
"Hey, from the looks of it, you probably haven't eaten yet, right? Come on, big brother, I'm in a good mood. I'll treat you to a meal at the Drunken Immortal Tavern. And while we're at it, you can tell me what kind of strange encounter you've had these past few days. Don't tell me your ancestral tomb really did start smoking, and you got possessed by an old ancestor's ghost?"
Lin Rui snapped back irritably.
"You're the one who's possessed!"
Wang Ting threw his head back and laughed, slinging an arm over Lin Rui's shoulders and dragging him in the direction of the Drunken Immortal Tavern, regardless of whether he wanted to go or not.
"Hahaha, just kidding, just kidding! Let's go, let's go! The Drunken Immortal Tavern just got a new shipment of 'Biluochun Spirit Tea,' and they have their signature 'Roasted Snow Rabbit Legs.' I guarantee you'll be wanting more after one bite!"