Page 3: At the Market

A lot of people from the slums aspire to become a cultivator. To become a dragon amongst men is most of the people's mantra. However, due to this, beating up and killing without hesitation has bred in the population. Stealing someone's belongings has become a job for kids while the adults have their own gangs. Almost every day there will be fighting to be spectated in the slums which mostly ends in beating but in some grave cases, death. Competition of resources and tutelage is the main aim of the poor. If they can display their strength and be noticed by some young lords of a certain distinguished family, they would feel like a carp that was able to reach the dragon gate. All they need to do now is to cross the gate using the resources they receive from their compensations to become dragons. There have been numerous accounts of people from the slums being recruited as fighters. During hunting, these fighters help their respective masters to kill beasts to collect resources and in return, they receive their salary of cultivation resources. For most fighters, they use these materials to raise their cultivation, and some who have a family sell them for good food. Usually, these people who are recruited are already adults. Since they only have a normal body constitution and limited resources, it takes time for them to reach a certain cultivation level. Most of them who are being recruited has reached the Beast vigor (2nd layer) of the Body Tempering stage This stage is the first layer of cultivation after gaining the essence core. For those who are at the first layer or the Copper skin layer of the Body tempering stage, they serve as followers or henchmen.

As for cultivation resources, they range from shards, cores, pills, and cultivation manuals. Shards and cores are taken from beasts and monsters while pills are bought from an alchemist shop. For cultivation manuals, different families have their own style that they preserve, and some pass these manuals to their followers to enhance their forces but the best place to look for such manuals is in a sect.

As for the children who are aspiring to become cultivators, the most important event is the awakening ceremony that is held at the city's plaza every year hosted by a sect. A child can apply for the test using one shard as a payment. When a child fails the test, he or she can apply again in the next year but as long as they have not exceeded àn age limit. When a person reaches the age of 10 and has not yet formed the essence core, they would forever stay as a regular person. For a sect, the younger a person is, the better but the most important thing they look at is a person's talent. A child is called a talent when they have a special body constitution. During the awakening, they can discern an essence core's property and from the past years, only the ones with a prominent background were able to develop such.

During early age, prominent families can provide food rich in essence, medicinal baths, and supplemental pills that can increase the chances of developing a superior essence core. Sometimes, a special constitution appears and they call it a Unique constitution. These unique constitutions are usually recruited directly by elders of a sect and make them their apprentice. For those with a unique constitution, they can enter the sect immediately as an inner disciple. For the rest, they are allowed to enter the sect as an outer disciple, some are taken by rich families and make them as servants.

These were the information Long Bai was able to gather from an old beggar at the market entrance. The old man was so enthusiastic in talking about his past that Long Bai found it interesting. Bai also found out that the old man was once a cultivator but was crippled due to having an issue with a certain family's young master. Because he was just an ordinary cultivator, he didn't have the means to buy medicine to restore his broken essence core and then was kicked out of the sect he was in.

After 2 hours of conversing, the old man look at Bai with reminiscing eyes then said,

"I'm glad we talked. This old man has never had a conversation this long. Ha! Ha! Ha!

Are you perhaps interested in cultivating?" the old man asked with a smile.

Long Bai stared back at the old man and studied his expression. After a moment of silence, Long Bai replied.

"Yes. It's my goal for now. If I want to survive, I need to become stronger so I would be able to protect myself."

The old man did not avert his gaze as he continued to stare at me with a glint of interest. His hand reaches something inside his old robe and took out a book.

"Here little boy. Keep this book. This is a manual to improve your chances of survival. If you'll succeed in acquiring your essence core, cultivate it. It might even help you get away from a sticky situation in the future."

The old man stood up and walk away with his old cane.

"Wait, old man! Where are you going? "

"Worry not little boy. I'm going to meet an old friend."

The old man gave a goodbye smile then continued on his way. Long Bai on the other hand watched the old man's back until he can't be seen. Bai collected his wits and tucked the old book inside his clothes. Thinking of his next move, his feet directed himself back into his shelter.

Upon reaching his place, he brought out the book and opened it. Inside the book were stances and motion instructions on how to execute the skill.

According to the old man, the skill was a high rank, Earth tier. He even claimed that the skill when learned in its advanced stage can go against a sky tier of the low rank. In not more than 40 breaths, Bai has finished reading the thin manual. Thinking of trying the skill, Bai went to an open field near his place. As he arrived, he started to practice the skill set.