DIV Chapter 1: Predicament and Opportunity

The State of Zhao, Qinghe Market.

Dusk time.

Li Chang'an sat cross-legged in his room, slowly circulating his cultivation technique.

"Ten years of cultivation, and I've finally broken through to the third layer of Qi Refining."

Sensing his own cultivation level, Li Chang'an felt no great joy, only let out a deep sigh.

"The path of immortal cultivation is truly difficult!"

He had originally been an ordinary college student who, on his way back home, accidentally struck great fortune and was reborn into this world of immortal cultivation, becoming a farm boy.

At fifteen, he awakened his memories from his previous life and resolutely stepped onto the path of seeking immortality.

After enduring hardships, he finally arrived before the immortal sect's gates.

He had hoped to leap over the dragon gate and become a disciple of the immortal sect.

But the result was cruel.

Low-grade spiritual roots!

Moreover, he was too old, unable to compare with those seven or eight-year-old children, lacking in potential.

He simply wasn't qualified to enter the immortal sect.

With no choice, he could only come to this Qinghe Market and become an ordinary low-level cultivator.

In the blink of an eye, ten years had passed.

Due to his poor spiritual root aptitude and insufficient cultivation resources, he had only just barely broken through to the third layer of Qi Refining.

"At this cultivation speed, longevity is hopeless!"

Li Chang'an's mood was complicated.

After all, he was someone who had died once and was unwilling to experience another cycle of reincarnation.

In this life, he cultivated immortality solely for longevity!

"With my aptitude, forget about longevity, even Foundation Establishment is a big problem." Li Chang'an couldn't help but sigh.

Suddenly, knocking sounds came from outside.

"Dong dong dong..."

A familiar voice came from outside the door.

"Li Chang'an, are you home?"

Hearing this, Li Chang'an got up to open the door.

Outside stood a middle-aged man dressed in fine clothes with a well-fed appearance.

Zheng Jinbao, the steward of Qinghe Market.

"Steward Zheng."

Li Chang'an's expression was respectful, not daring to be negligent, and immediately invited him inside to talk.

Zheng Jinbao waved his hand and just stood outside the door.

His eyes narrowed slightly as he looked Li Chang'an up and down.

"You broke through, boy?"

"I was lucky, barely managed to break through."

Li Chang'an didn't dare to hide anything and answered truthfully.

Zheng Jinbao said with a smile, "Breaking through is perfect timing. The task assigned to you this year will be easier to complete the stronger you are."

Hearing this, Li Chang'an's heart sank.

Back then, after failing to enter the immortal sect, those who were rejected, in order to step onto the path of cultivation, signed a spiritual contract with the "Foundation Establishment Zheng Family" that governed Qinghe Market.

According to the spiritual contract, the Zheng family would bestow upon them cultivation techniques and cultivation insights, and allow them to cultivate on the spiritual veins within the market.

In return, they had to complete certain tasks for the Zheng family each year.

The spiritual contract lasted fifteen years in total.

For the past ten years, Li Chang'an had been assigned the task of cultivating spiritual fields each year.

This task was relatively easy and didn't require high cultivation levels.

In five more years, he would gain true freedom.

But at this moment, the task Zheng Jinbao was assigning him was actually related to cultivation level.

This made Li Chang'an somewhat uneasy.

"Steward Zheng, what task are you assigning me this year?"

He asked nervously, his heart filled with apprehension.

Zheng Jinbao's lips curved up, taking in his reaction completely.

"It's nothing troublesome, just mining spiritual ore."

"Mining?!"

Li Chang'an was shocked.

Among the many tasks assigned by the Zheng family, mining was the one he least wanted to encounter!

This was because various accidents frequently occurred in the Zheng family's mines. Just last year, a major disaster happened, killing a large number of people!

Moreover, the spiritual mines contained large amounts of deadly dust that simply couldn't be prevented.

Many cultivators who had worked in the mines all said that mining for one year would shorten one's life by ten years!

Many people went in perfectly healthy but came back as consumptives, coughing and wheezing constantly.

"Don't we need to tend the fields this year?"

Li Chang'an's voice was somewhat hoarse, he really didn't want to go mining.

Zheng Jinbao shook his head.

"Naturally, we need people to tend the fields, but you're unlucky, boy. You've been assigned to mining instead."

"Steward Zheng, could you perhaps be flexible..."

As he spoke, Li Chang'an took out a small cloth pouch and pressed it into Zheng Jinbao's hand.

Inside the pouch were twenty spirit stones in total.

This was all the savings he had accumulated over these years!

Li Chang'an felt some heartache, but he had no choice.

As long as he was safe, spirit stones could be earned again!

"You're quite interesting, boy."

Zheng Jinbao's smile grew wider as he squinted and glanced at the pouch.

In the next instant, the cloth pouch in his hand disappeared, entering the storage pouch at his waist.

"I'll head back first. You'll be officially notified in a few days."

Zheng Jinbao said nothing more and left with a satisfied smile on his face.

"Take care, Steward Zheng!"

Li Chang'an bowed slightly, watching him leave.

Looking at his departing figure, he secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

As long as he had accepted the spirit stones, that was good.

"Taking money and doing the job is a universal rule, whether in the mortal world or the cultivation realm."

Li Chang'an felt somewhat reassured.

He closed his door and continued cultivating.

He had thought this year would still be field cultivation tasks.

However, three days later, Li Chang'an received the notification.

The original assignment had not been changed, his task was still mining!

"How can this be?"

Li Chang'an's eyes widened as he stared at the conscription order in his hands.

He gripped the conscription order tightly, his chest rising and falling unsteadily.

Zheng Jinbao had clearly accepted the spirit stones.

Why didn't he handle the matter?

He immediately left his house and hurriedly found Zheng Jinbao to ask for the reason.

Zheng Jinbao still wore that smiling expression, like a Maitreya Buddha, and explained to him, "Li Chang'an, it's not that I won't help you, but some people gave me more than you did, boy. I can only prioritize changing their tasks."

The implication was clear.

If Li Chang'an could produce more spirit stones, Zheng Jinbao would naturally change his assignment.

But the spirit stones in that small cloth pouch were already Li Chang'an's entire fortune!

Where could he possibly get more?

"Steward Zheng, isn't there any other way?"

"None!"

Zheng Jinbao shook his head.

Seeing that Li Chang'an couldn't produce more, his attitude became casual.

"I have many things to do and can't chat idly with you, boy. If you have nothing else, go back."

"Yes, yes..."

Li Chang'an forced out a weak smile, but his heart was filled with suppressed anger.

Looking at the situation now, Zheng Jinbao had no intention of returning the spirit stones to him.

Not doing the job and not returning the spirit stones, how was this different from outright robbery?

However, when one lives under another's roof, one must bow one's head!

He lowered his head and turned to leave.

...

That night, Li Chang'an tossed and turned.

"Do I really have to go mining?"

His heart was filled with worry, unable to fall asleep.

If he didn't go, it would violate the spiritual contract and he would suffer extremely severe backlash.

Just then, a golden light suddenly flashed before his eyes.

Following that, several lines of golden text appeared before him.

[Divination has been refreshed]

[Today's Divination: Auspicious]

[You are anxious in your heart. Go to the riverside to clear your mind. By accident, you will find the jade pendant of the Zheng family's young miss in the water grass under the willow tree by the river]

These sudden lines of text left Li Chang'an stunned.

"This... this is..."

His eyes widened considerably as he immediately realized what this was.

This was his golden finger!

Immediately, a surge of wild joy rushed to his heart.

Ten years!

He had waited a full ten years!

Li Chang'an took several deep breaths, barely suppressing his excited emotions, and carefully read through this divination, fearing it might be an illusion.

"Good, it's not an illusion."

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