Baby steps into cultivation.

[Name: Phoenix Chicken (spirit chicken)

Effect: Lays a Spirit Egg every 3 hours.]

Ace stared at the screen, his face twisting in disgust. Yeah, right. Spirit egg, my ass. Stop slapping 'spirit' onto everything!

His eyes trailed down to the fine print:

[Note: The Phoenix Chicken has no real lineage traced to the legendary Phoenix.]

And below that, a particularly condescending example:

[Just because you call a water snake a dragon doesn't make it a dragon.]

Ace scoffed. "So, basically, it's just a fancy chicken?"

....

....

Ace took a hot shower, letting the steam and water wash away the day's exhaustion.

As he scrubbed himself down, he pulled up his inventory screen, his gaze landing on the glaringly low balance—12 Gold Credits.

He sighed. Broke again.

All of his earnings had been reinvested into the farm, but that wouldn't be a problem for long. By tomorrow, the Spirit Cabbages would be ready for harvest, and that meant profit.

A huge grin spread across his face. By this time tomorrow, I'll be swimming in Gold Credits.

With that satisfying thought, he finished his bath, dried off, and climbed into bed. Sleep came easily, carrying with it dreams of fields full of shimmering Spirit Cabbages—and a future where he didn't have to count every last gold credit.

Early in the morning, the first thing Ace woke up to was a flood of system notifications.

[Spirit Cabbages are ready to be harvested!]

[Spirit Cleansing Apples are ready to be picked!]

[3 Spirit Eggs are available in the hen house.]

Still groggy, he claimed everything with a single thought, then got straight to his task.

He sold all the matured Spirit Cabbages to the system, raking in a satisfying amount of 4,500 gold credits, and immediately replanted all nine plots with fresh Spirit Cabbage seeds which brought his gold credit back to 4062. Efficiency at its finest.

Next, he checked his inventory—three baskets of apples and three Spirit Eggs sat neatly in his storage.

Curious, he inspected the Spirit Eggs. The system promptly provided a note:

[Spirit Eggs have a negative chance of hatching into another Spirit Chicken.]

Ace scoffed. A negative chance? So basically, zero. What a roundabout way of saying 'impossible'.

Still, he shrugged it off. He had more important things to focus on.

Just as he finished his morning preparations, the cheerful chatter of two familiar voices echoed from outside.

.....

.....

Shan Yifeng crossed his arms and looked at Liu Mei. "Meier, did you cultivate like I told you to last night?"

Liu Mei shook her head. "No, I needed to sleep."

"Huh? Okay, but if you really want to be a cultivator, you should at least put in some effort."

Liu Mei pouted. "No, I'm going to be Teacher's wife."

Shan Yifeng asked in confusion, "What? Why?"

"Yesterday, Mommy said to marry a man who can provide for you," Liu Mei said matter-of-factly. "And Teacher is the best."

Shan Yifeng rubbed his temples with a sigh. "Mei'er, that's not how it works."

Liu Mei tilted her head. "Huh? But Mommy said so."

"She meant when you grow up!"

Liu Mei blinked. "Oh… Then I'll grow up faster."

Shan Yifeng sighed. "That's not how growing up works either."

Liu Mei gasped. "Wait! Did I do it wrong? Am I supposed to cultivate to grow up?"

Shan Yifeng stared at her. "No! That's not—wait… Actually, maybe you should try."

Liu Mei nodded, looking determined. "Alright! I'll cultivate super hard and marry Teacher tomorrow!"

Shan Yifeng groaned. "That's not—ugh, never mind."

They continued on even when they were at the door.

Ace tuned out their chatter—it was just kids being kids

Instead, he brought them inside and prepared an omelet.

This wasn't just any normal omelet. Made from a Spirit Egg, it had to be either incredibly delicious or have some special effects.

The system's description confirmed it:

[Spirit Omelet]

Effect: enhance stamina and increase bone strength.

Ace nodded in satisfaction. "Alright, eat up."

Ace watched Liu Mei and Shan Yifeng devour the Spirit Omelet with childlike enthusiasm.

Liu Mei, as usual, made a mess, bits of egg stuck to her cheeks. Shan Yifeng, ever the serious one, ate methodically, savoring each bite.

As they finished, Ace tapped the table to get their attention.

"Alright, now that you two are full, it's time for your cultivation lesson."

Liu Mei tilted her head. "But teacher, I already told you, I don't need to cultivate. I'm already strong."

"And I told you, that's stupid," Shan Yifeng muttered under his breath.

Ace sighed, rubbing his temples. "Liu Mei, if you don't cultivate, you won't be able to beat a bear. If you're not strong, you can't have a bear as a pet."

Liu Mei gasped dramatically. "You're right! I need to be strong to protect teacher's money!"

Shan Yifeng nearly choked on air. "That's... not how it works."

Suppressing a laugh, Ace cleared his throat. "Anyway, let's start with the basics."

He stood up, motioning for them to follow him outside.

They arrived at a small clearing behind his house. The air was crisp, and morning dew still clung to the grass.

Ace sat down cross-legged, gesturing for them to do the same.

"First things first, cultivation isn't just about strength—it's about understanding your own energy. Close your eyes and take deep breaths."

Shan Yifeng, eager to learn, closed his eyes immediately. Liu Mei squinted one eye shut and peeked at Shan Yifeng with the other.

"Liu Mei," Ace warned.

With a huff, she finally closed both eyes.

"Good. Now, focus on your breathing. Imagine a small ball of energy inside you, like a tiny flame or a glowing stone."

Silence fell as they concentrated.

A few minutes passed. Shan Yifeng's brows furrowed in deep focus, his breathing steady. Liu Mei, however, fidgeted. She wiggled her toes. She scratched her nose. She let out a loud sigh.

"Teacher, I think my tiny flame is asleep."

Ace pinched the bridge of his nose. "It's not asleep—you're just impatient. Focus."

"But what if my tiny flame is lazy? Like me?"

Shan Yifeng groaned. "Your tiny flame is just as dumb as you are."

Liu Mei pouted. "You're just jealous that mine is cuter."

Ace sighed. "Alright, let's try something else."

He reached into his inventory and pulled out two Spirit Apples.

"Here. Take a bite."

The kids didn't hesitate, munching on the apples like they were the best thing in the world.

"Now, close your eyes again. This time, instead of forcing yourself to find the energy, try to feel the warmth from the apple spreading inside you."

Liu Mei's face scrunched up in deep concentration. Shan Yifeng, already familiar with the process, quickly adapted, his breathing stabilizing again.

Moments later, Shan Yifeng's body trembled slightly. A faint golden aura flickered around him.

Ace smirked. "Good. You're starting to sense it."

Shan Yifeng's eyes snapped open in excitement. "I felt something! It was warm, like a tiny fire moving inside!"

Ace nodded approvingly. "That's your spiritual energy circulating. Keep practicing that sensation."

Liu Mei peeked one eye open again. "Teacher, I think I felt it too, but also... I think I'm just full."

Ace exhaled slowly.

Teaching cultivation might just be harder than cultivation itself.