Chapter 5: A Secret Realm Emerges

Zhou Qing looked at the three options in front of him.

He immediately crossed out the third one.

So far, Wushan Market was the best place for a cultivator without connections like him to make a living.

The other factions?

They were either sects or powerful cultivation clans.

And both were notoriously insular.

After thinking it over for a while, Zhou Qing also ruled out the second option.

Becoming the disciple of an alchemist, artificer, or talisman master would certainly be ideal.

The problem was that he had no way to afford the apprenticeship gifts and other fees required to take on a master.

Was he really supposed to spend ten or twenty years as a spirit farmer, scrimping and saving every spirit stone he earned?

The sunk cost would be enormous. If anything went wrong along the way, all those years of effort could end up being wasted.

Compared to that, becoming an apprentice was clearly the most practical choice.

He would lose some freedom, but at least he could start learning immediately.

And he would gain the protection of an established alchemist, artificer, or talisman master.

Fixing his gaze on the floating text, Zhou Qing made his decision: “Option One.”

The glowing words shifted once more.

[You have chosen to become an apprentice.]

[At present, three craftsmen in Wushan Market are recruiting apprentices.]

[They are Alchemist Yun, Artificer Lu, and Talisman Master Zhao.]

[Among them, Alchemist Yun offers the harshest spirit contract. Apprentices must pledge thirty years of service.]

[Talisman Master Zhao requires only ten years, while Artificer Lu requires fifteen.]

[After careful consideration, you decide to apprentice under Alchemist Yun.]

[Of all the cultivation arts, alchemy is by far the most widespread. Every cultivator relies on pills throughout their journey of cultivation.]

[That is why Alchemist Yun has the confidence to demand a thirty-year contract.]

[Of course, it also has something to do with the fact that Yun is a High-Grade Alchemist, while the other two are only Mid-Grade Artificers and Mid-Grade Talisman Masters.]

[A High-Grade Alchemist ranks among the most respected figures in all of Wushan Market and possesses a highly valued skill set.]

[You head to Alchemist Yun’s pill workshop.]

[The number of cultivators willing to become Alchemist Yun’s apprentice is surprisingly small. Including you, there are only four applicants.]

[After all, a thirty-year indenture was incredibly harsh. A Qi Refinement cultivator’s lifespan wasn’t much different from that of an ordinary mortal.]

[Committing thirty years of your life in one stroke? Very few cultivators could accept that.]

[You look toward the middle-aged cultivator seated at the head of the pill workshop.]

[The man is lean and sharp-featured. He is Alchemist Yun.]

[“Since you’re all here, I assume you already know my rules.”]

[Alchemist Yun rises to his feet, his gaze sweeping across you and the other three candidates.]

[“These are the spirit contracts. Sign them.”]

[With a flick of his hand, four contracts drift down before you.]

[“The next thirty years will be divided into three stages.”]

[“Ten years nurturing herbs. Ten years mastering fire control. Ten years condensing pills.”]

[Alchemist Yun begins his explanation.]

[You quickly sign the contract and listen attentively.]

[The first stage, herb cultivation, focuses on growing spiritual plants.]

[Spiritual herbs are the primary ingredients in alchemy. Any alchemist who hopes to produce quality pills must be highly skilled in cultivating them.]

[The second stage, fire control, involves actual alchemy practice. The third stage, pill condensation, is the final and most critical step of the refining process.]

[“You don’t need to feel cheated. If you complete all three stages, becoming a Low-Grade Alchemist won’t be difficult.”]

[With that, Alchemist Yun leaves.]

[You officially become Alchemist Yun’s apprentice and begin the first stage of training: ten years of herb cultivation.]

Reading this, Zhou Qing steadied himself.

Good thing it’s thirty years inside the simulation…

He couldn’t help but sigh to himself.

A thirty-year commitment was an enormous price to pay. Otherwise, with Alchemist Yun’s reputation, he would have had far more than a handful of apprentices.

For Zhou Qing, however, those thirty years existed only within the simulation.

In reality, they would pass in the blink of an eye.

[You are assigned a one-acre spirit field planted with several medicinal herbs commonly used in alchemy.]

[A senior apprentice begins teaching you how to cultivate and care for them.]

[Year 11. You are twenty-six years old. By now, you’ve fully adjusted to life as an apprentice. Aside from cultivation, nearly all of your time is spent tending spiritual herbs.]

[“Brother Zhou.”]

[A young man approaches and greets you warmly.]

[The young man’s name is Ye Feng. He is also one of Alchemist Yun’s apprentices and was among the four who joined alongside Zhou Qing.]

[Because Ye Feng was a slow learner, he was often scolded by the senior apprentice responsible for teaching herb cultivation. One day, unable to stand it any longer, you offered him a few pointers during your spare time.]

[Having lived two lifetimes, your ability to learn speaks for itself.]

[From that day on, Ye Feng practically latched onto you. It was always “Brother Zhou, Brother Zhou,” and he followed your lead in everything.]

[“Here, your Fasting Pill.”]

[Ye Feng hands you this month’s ration of Fasting Pills.]

[Fasting Pills are an essential item for cultivators. One pill is enough to keep hunger at bay for half a month.]

[Whenever it was time to collect the monthly allotment, Ye Feng would volunteer to pick up yours as well, always giving you the higher-quality batch.]

[You understood exactly why he did it. He simply hoped you’d spend more time teaching him, so you never turned him down.]

[Year 12. Age 27. While tending the spiritual herbs, you secretly set aside a few of the highest-quality “waste pills.”]

[Waste pills are the byproducts of failed alchemy attempts. Because they contain too many impurities, they are generally unsuitable for cultivators to consume.]

[As a result, they are usually buried in spirit fields to nourish spiritual plants or fed to spirit beasts and familiars.]

[But there are exceptions to everything. Some waste pills are of surprisingly decent quality, and taking one occasionally causes little to no harm.]

[They are much like expired food from your previous life on Earth.]

[The reason you secretly keep a few of the best waste pills is, naturally, to consume them yourself.]

[Year 13. Age 28. As you continue cultivating spiritual herbs, your understanding of their growth and properties deepens steadily.]

[Year 14. Age 29. As Alchemist Yun’s apprentice, you are entitled to live within Wushan Market itself and enjoy its spiritual energy. Although it is only supplied by a low-grade 1st-tier spirit vein, it is still vastly superior to the outside world.]

[Year 15. Age 30. You break through to the Second Layer of Qi Refinement.]

The Second Layer already? A smile spread across Zhou Qing’s face.

It had taken only five years to advance from the First Layer to the Second Layer of Qi Refinement, twice as fast as it had taken him to go from an ordinary mortal to a Qi Refinement cultivator.

There were two main reasons for that.

The first was the abundant spiritual energy within Wushan Market.

Back when Zhou Qing had been cultivating in the mortal Kingdom of Qian, spiritual energy had been painfully scarce. That was why it had taken him a full ten years just to step into the Qi Refinement realm in the first place.

Besides the superior spiritual energy, Zhou Qing’s progress also had a lot to do with the high-quality waste pills he regularly consumed.

[Year 16. Age 31. You continue devoting yourself entirely to cultivating spiritual herbs and advancing your cultivation.]

[Year 17. Age 32. Realizing just how difficult it will be to break from the Second Layer to the Third Layer of Qi Refinement, you increase the frequency with which you consume waste pills.]

[Taking waste pills causes pill toxins to accumulate within the body. However, in order to reach the Third Layer as quickly as possible and gain a chance of eventually advancing to the Fourth Layer, the beginning of the Mid Qi Refinement stage, you are willing to pay a certain price.]

[Year 18. Age 33. The spiritual herbs you cultivate earn Alchemist Yun’s approval, and you are rewarded with ten spirit stones.]

[Year 19. Age 34. You become increasingly skilled and confident in the art of herb cultivation.]

[Year 20. Age 35. You have reached the peak of the Second Layer of Qi Refinement and plan to attempt a breakthrough to the Third Layer within the next few years.]

[That same year, a major event shakes Wushan Market.]

[A newly emerged secret realm appears in a canyon not far from the market.]

[By the time you hear about it, many cultivators have already entered the realm and returned with valuable resources.]

[The appearance of the secret realm causes a tremendous stir, not only in Wushan Market but also among nearby cultivation factions and independent cultivators, all of whom rush to investigate.]

[Although you are curious about the secret realm, you have no intention of competing for its treasures.]

[As a mere Second Layer Qi Refinement cultivator, your strength is far too insignificant.]

[Still, you carefully gather and record as much information about the secret realm as possible. You may not participate in this simulation, but that doesn’t mean you won’t explore it in the next one, or the one after that.]

[That night, Ye Feng comes to see you.]

[“Brother Zhou…”]

[Ye Feng sits across from you, clearly hesitant.]

[“If you have something to say, just say it.”]

[You speak first.]

[“I want to try my luck in that secret realm…”]

[Ye Feng finally voices his thoughts.]

[The endless cycle of cultivating herbs day after day has worn him down completely.]

[The thought of spending the rest of his life trapped in such a predictable existence fills him with dread.]

[Ever since hearing about the secret realm, he has been tempted to take a chance and seek opportunities there.]

[“You’re only at the early Third Layer of Qi Refinement…”]

[You frown at him. “And what about your spirit contract?”]

[Like everyone else who became an apprentice, Ye Feng signed a thirty-year indenture contract.]

[Without Alchemist Yun’s permission, leaving the workshop would trigger a backlash from the contract itself.]

[“I’ve already spoken with Alchemist Yun. He’s willing to release me… as long as I can come up with one hundred spirit stones.”]

[Ye Feng’s voice is bitter.]

[The moment you hear that, you finally understand why he came to see you.]

[He’s here to borrow spirit stones.]

[You look at Ye Feng and fall into thought.]

[You have the money. Over the past ten years, your success in cultivating spiritual herbs has earned you frequent rewards from Alchemist Yun.]

[But should you lend it to him?]

[You think back on the last decade, remembering how Ye Feng had always been at your side, helping whenever he could and treating you with unwavering respect.]

[In the end, you decide to lend him fifty spirit stones.]