Chapter 1: The Salted Fish Cultivator

"Lu Tian, do you even know what we're studying today?"

A voice broke through the haze of Lu Tian's nap. He lazily cracked open one eye to find Chen Fan, a burly student in the front row, glaring at him from across the classroom.

Lu Tian yawned, stretching out on his desk, ignoring the whispers and giggles from around the room. "Of course I do. You were just asking about the True Path of Cultivation, right? I mean, it's all the same—meditate, circulate your spiritual energy, and boom, you get stronger. Simple stuff."

Chen Fan scoffed. "Then why are you sleeping? Do you really think cultivating is like taking a nap in class?"

"It's all the same to me," Lu Tian muttered, slowly raising his head to look around. "Isn't it? You all get up early, train for hours, and end up… well, you're still here, aren't you?"

The room went quiet for a moment, and then a snicker broke out. The students, all from families with long lines of cultivators, were used to hearing Lu Tian's dismissive attitude. He had a reputation for barely passing his classes and showing no interest in cultivation. To them, he was the perfect example of a wasted talent.

"Yeah, you're right," another student, Zhao Li, chimed in from the back. "It's funny, really. Someone with potential could be at the top of the class, but here you are, barely managing to scrape by."

A few students laughed in agreement.

Lu Tian let out a sigh and returned to his comfortable slouch. "Well, maybe the rest of you should stop focusing so much on power and have some fun for once. Seriously, what's the point in all that energy if you're just going to spend your whole life chasing some unreachable peak?"

"Are you saying you can't reach it?" Chen Fan's voice was sharp, and he walked up to Lu Tian, looming over him. "You think you can just sleep your way through life and make it to the top? You're a disgrace to those of us who actually care about improving ourselves."

Lu Tian didn't flinch. "Yeah, yeah. Whatever. I'm just here for the free food."

There was another round of laughter, but this time, Li Xin, a student from the back of the room, stood up, her face serious. "That's enough."

The room fell silent again, as if the air had suddenly changed. Li Xin wasn't someone who often spoke up, and her presence was usually quiet, unassuming. She wasn't a top student, but she wasn't bottom-tier either. What caught the class's attention was her family background—she was from a long line of spiritual healers, but her cultivation was far behind the others.

She had always kept a low profile, quietly working in the background while others like Chen Fan boasted of their achievements. But now, she was standing up for Lu Tian, the one person who never seemed to care.

Chen Fan raised an eyebrow. "What's this, Li Xin? You've decided to play the hero now?"

"I'm not playing anything," she said evenly. "Just because he's not up to your standards doesn't mean you have the right to keep ridiculing him. Everyone has their own pace. Some of us don't need to rush to the top to prove ourselves. So cut it out."

Chen Fan's face turned red. "This has nothing to do with you. He's a joke, and you're backing him up? Maybe you're the one who needs a wake-up call, Li Xin."

Lu Tian blinked, slightly taken aback by Li Xin's sudden defense. He hadn't expected anyone, least of all her, to stand up for him. He slowly sat up in his seat, a lazy smile spreading across his face. "Well, looks like I'm not totally alone in this world."

Li Xin didn't say anything more, choosing to sit back down. Her gaze, however, lingered on him for a moment longer than usual.

Chen Fan was fuming but chose to leave it at that. He shot a last glare at Lu Tian before turning back to his seat.

For the rest of the class, Lu Tian drifted in and out of awareness, occasionally pretending to pay attention but mostly zoning out. His mind wandered to thoughts of skipping out of class to head home early, but he refrained. He'd been skipping too many times lately, and the headmaster was starting to get suspicious.

---

After Class

The bell rang, signaling the end of class. Students rushed out of the room, eager to get to their next training sessions or meet with their mentors. Lu Tian remained in his seat, letting the noise of the room fade away.

As the classroom emptied out, Li Xin approached his desk. She hesitated for a moment before speaking, her voice quieter now. "You know, I didn't mean to get involved in your business. It just felt like the right thing to do."

Lu Tian looked up at her, blinking slowly. "I didn't expect you to stand up for me. You're always so quiet."

She gave a half-smile. "I guess I just didn't like seeing someone get picked on for no reason. Besides, you're not as bad as everyone says. You just… do things your own way, right?"

"Yeah," Lu Tian said with a grin, resting his chin on his hand. "That's me. Always doing things my own way."

Li Xin tilted her head slightly. "Are you really that bad at cultivation, though?"

"Bad? I'm the best," Lu Tian said with mock seriousness. "At doing nothing, that is." He chuckled, leaning back in his chair again. "I'm just… too lazy to put in the effort. I don't see the point in pushing myself just to end up like everyone else. Besides, who wants to work so hard and end up like Chen Fan?"

Li Xin couldn't help but smile. "Fair enough. But just don't give up completely, okay?"

Lu Tian waved his hand dismissively. "Don't worry. I won't."

As she walked away, Lu Tian's gaze drifted to the window. The other students were busy training, their forms sharp and disciplined. He watched them for a moment, then shook his head. "What's the point? They'll all burn out eventually."

---

Later That Evening

Back in his dorm room, Lu Tian sprawled out on his bed, his new favorite hobby—doing absolutely nothing—taking precedence over anything else. His fox pet, a small, silver-furred creature he had taken with him earlier in the day, sat at the edge of his bed, its golden eyes glowing softly.

"You're a lazy little thing too, huh?" Lu Tian said with a grin, scratching behind its ears. "Guess we're both in the same boat. If I don't do anything, maybe I'll get stronger by accident. Who knows?"

The fox let out a soft growl of approval, curling up next to him.

Lu Tian closed his eyes and sighed, letting the silence of the room fill his thoughts. For a brief moment, he imagined what it would be like to be like everyone else—working hard, striving for greatness. But that thought was fleeting. He wasn't like them, and he didn't care to be.

"I'll just stay a salted fish forever. That's good enough for me," he muttered, sinking deeper into his pillow.

Unbeknownst to him, as he drifted into a peaceful nap, a faint light began to flicker at the edge of his consciousness.