"I'll come again tomorrow, if you still owe the Immortal Residence fee this month, you'll have to get out of our Zengtou City."
"Understood."
"..."
Ji Yuan watched the man in the black robe, stepping unevenly on the muddy riverbank as he walked away. Just as he was about to close the courtyard door, someone from the neighboring courtyard came out.
It was a bald old man smoking dry tobacco. He looked at Ji Yuan, whose face was full of worry, and said cheerfully:
"Brother Ji, why not borrow some from Liu Laizi, pay the Immortal Residence fee first."
"Otherwise, with your Level 2 Qi Cultivation, leaving Zengtou City would be a dead end."
Borrow from Liu Laizi?
Damn, with an interest rate of 80%, the compound interest would ruin you for life... Ji Yuan nodded, "I'll figure something out."
With that, he closed the courtyard door.
Old Man Huang didn't persuade him further. He mentioned it just for the referral fee, whether it worked out or not didn't matter.
Ji Yuan returned to his dilapidated shack, looked around, and couldn't help but curse in his heart: "Damn it, I transmigrated into a cultivation world and still have to pay rent?!"
"And with these conditions, charging three Low-grade Spirit Stones a month, why don't you just go robbing!"
Ji Yuan was furious for a moment.
He knew the reality; as Old Man Huang said, for a Level 2 Qi Cultivation loose cultivator like him, leaving Zengtou City was like being a lamb to the slaughter.
Either the Tribulation Cultivators would rob him clean and then kill him to silence.
Or kill him to silence first and then rob him clean.
Even in Zengtou City, loose cultivators occasionally disguised themselves as Tribulation Cultivators for easy loot, not to mention outside the city.
In this world, houses are worthless, land is worthless.
But safety is priceless.
Three days ago, Ji Yuan was still a workhorse on the Blue Star, eating hotpot and singing with friends after work, never thought he'd wake up in this Cangluo Continent.
He had taken over the body of a boy with the same name in Zengtou City, under the jurisdiction of the Water Dragon Sect.
The Water Dragon Sect was close to the Cloud Rain Marsh, spanning thousands of miles, and built many markets on the banks to gather nearby low-level loose cultivators to catch Spirit Fish and collect Treasures of Heaven and Earth.
These loose cultivators are called "Fishermen."
Zengtou City was one such market, and the original Ji Yuan was one of these Fishermen.
The original Ji Yuan's parents were as well, but two months ago, they died at the hands of a mid-level Stage 1 Spirit Fish on a fishing trip.
Orphaned, now being evicted from Zengtou City over rent arrears... This was surely a doomed beginning!
But not entirely hopeless, usually, this is when cheats appear.
Ji Yuan recalled the novels he read back on Qidian, and in a trance, a light screen appeared before his eyes...
The screen was filled with text.
[Fish Pond lv0 (Upgradable)]
[LV1: Spirit Effect: Fry growth rate +20%, a certain probability for Semi-Spirit Fish to evolve into Spirit Fish]
[Upgrade Conditions: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×1, plant purified water reeds, clear waterway (achieved)]
[Chicken Cage lv0]
[lv1: Spirit Effect: Spirit Eggs produced daily, contain trace Spiritual Qi, can substitute meals]
[Upgrade Conditions: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×2, normal rice ×50 jin (unachieved)]
[Pigsty lv0]
[LV1: Spirit Effect: Spirit Dolphins gain 100 jin muscle in seven days, flesh contains Body Tempering Medicine, and can speed up wound healing]
[Upgrade Conditions: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×5, iron ingot ×50 jin, rough salt 10 jin (unachieved)]
[Cave Mansion lv0]
[LV1: Spirit Effect: Self-healing walls, basic Dust Avoidance Barrier, nighttime Spiritual Qi concentration +20%]
[Upgrade Conditions: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×5, glutinous rice paste ×3 barrels, repair broken tiles (unachieved)]
[Spirit Field lv0]
[LV1: Spirit Effect: Crop cycle -30%, output contains weak Wood Spiritual Qi]
[Upgrade Conditions: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×5, plant ash ×50 jin (unachieved)]
[...]
What kind of cheat is this?
A farming cheat?
Before Ji Yuan could think it through, many memories emerged in his mind, this cheat was called the "Building Upgrade Panel," simply put, as long as the conditions were met, the panel could upgrade the corresponding building to gain corresponding capabilities.
For example, the only building currently upgradable is the fish pond in his home.
The condition requires 1 Low-grade Spirit Stone, as well as planting purified water reeds and clearing the waterway.
In Zengtou City, every Fisherman has a small fish pond for storing Spirit Fish caught from the Cloud Rain Marsh, so the conditions of planting purified water reeds and clearing the waterway were long achieved.
As for the 1 Low-grade Spirit Stone... right now, Ji Yuan has only 1 Low-grade Spirit Stone left in all his possessions.
Otherwise, he wouldn't be unable to pay rent.
There used to be more at home, but they were exchanged for Elixirs and Talismans on his parents' last trip.
Never thought, they eventually perished in the Cloud Rain Marsh.
And once the fish pond upgrades from lv0 to lv1, it can gain the ability to increase fry growth speed by 20% and a probability of Semi-Spirit Fish evolving into Spirit Fish.
The first part is easy to understand, as for semi-spirit fish and spirit fish, Ji Yuan learned from the original's memory.
These Fishermen go fishing mainly for semi-spirit fish and spirit fish. The so-called Spirit Fish are simply understood as Fish Demons, Demon Beasts.
Whether it's their flesh or scales, or certain special parts on their bodies, they are resources in the Cultivation Realm.
Spirit Fish are Stage 1 Demon Beasts.
In water, at least a Level 4 Qi Cultivator is needed to handle a Stage 1 early-stage Spirit Fish.
The original Ji Yuan's father was at Level 4 Qi Cultivation, but unexpectedly encountered a stage 1 mid-stage Spirit Fish and met his end.
Semi-Spirit Fish are the fish species between normal fish and demon beasts, and are the main target for early-stage Qi cultivators like Ji Yuan.
And now, there's precisely one Semi-Spirit Fish in Ji Yuan's fish pond.
It was the Seven-star Perch the original caught with his life three days ago... the original lost his life in the vast Cloud Rain Marsh, and Ji Yuan took over.
Ji Yuan took out his only remaining Low-grade Spirit Stone... if there were more, say 5 Low-grade Spirit Stones, he might hesitate.
But with only this one, there's nothing to hesitate over.
Upgrade!
As Ji Yuan set his mind to it, the Low-grade Spirit Stone in his hand turned to dust, and at the same time, his panel showed the effects and upgrade conditions for Level 2 [Fish Pond].
[Fish Pond lv2]
[Spirit Effect: Produces 1 drop of Water Dew daily, increased chance for Semi-Spirit Fish to advance, growth speed +30%]
[Upgrade Conditions: Low-grade Spirit Stone ×30, Cold Iron Sand ×5 jin, engrave Ice Condensation Talisman]
Level 2 fish pond can produce Water Dew?
This is a treasure, capable of healing, restoring spiritual energy, and being used for cultivation, just 1 drop could sell for 8 Low-grade Spirit Stones out there.
Before Ji Yuan could feel elated, he heard splashing sounds from the fish pond in his backyard.
"Oh no!"
Ji Yuan rushed into the backyard, only to see the northwest small fish pond still splashing water.
A line of small text, visible only to him, floated above the fish pond.
[Fish Pond: lv1]
In the pond was a shadow about the length of an arm, he couldn't quite believe it as he approached.
With one glance, he was stunned.
Originally, the fish pond only contained a Seven-star Perch worth 1 Spirit Stone.
But now, the Semi-Spirit Fish was gone.
Instead, now in the pond was a Life Stage 1 early-stage Spirit Fish... a Cold Blood Perch valued at 15 Low-grade Spirit Stones.
This is the effect of Level 1 [Fish Pond]?!