The light slowly faded, leaving Lin Chen seated cross-legged in silence.
Tears slipped down his cheeks without him realizing it, yet there was no sadness in them—only a deep, unshakable resolve.
Those memories were not merely remnants of sorrow but a legacy of an undying will.
It was not physical strength that split the mountain, but the refusal to yield.
That old woodcutter had proven that humans could defy nature itself, so long as their will was strong enough.
Lin Chen gripped the worn axe resting on his lap. The frustration, debt, and betrayal buried in his heart seemed to burn away, leaving behind only the glowing ember of determination.
"I understand now…" he whispered softly, eyes sharp as they fixed on the axe's edge.
"In the end… only strength decides everything."
"Thank you, Grandpa Woodcutter. I won't let powerlessness kill me again."
After steadying his emotions, Lin Chen stepped outside. He wanted to try swinging the axe according to the method that had surfaced in the axe's memories.
Ding!
Woodcutter's Axe Experience +1!
Woodcutter's Axe Experience +1!
Immersed in burning passion, Lin Chen ignored the notifications flashing in his mind. He kept swinging—each strike felt like a gamble between life and death.
Pain lanced through every muscle, but he forced himself to remember the old woodcutter's weary yet unyielding gaze. Every swing was a rejection of weakness.
His rough movements gradually began to take shape, guided by the faint instinct lingering in the woodcutter's memory. He didn't know the proper technique—he only knew one thing: the axe must cleave.
After hours of grueling practice, sweat dripping down his back, a different notification appeared before him.
[Axe Level 2 → Level 3]
The message appeared out of nowhere. Lin Chen smiled faintly; without realizing it, both his body and spirit had advanced to another level.
Overjoyed, he poured his entire soul into one final strike.
Swoosh!
A streak of white light burst from his axe, slicing through the air before him.
Crack!
A crisp sound echoed, but Lin Chen paid it no mind.
He stood frozen, mouth agape at the astonishing sight before him.
"Is this… real?" he murmured in disbelief.
After checking for a moment, he confirmed it—he had truly done something akin to what the old man once did.
"Hahaha! This is wonderful!" he shouted in delight.
Stepping forward to inspect the aftermath, Lin Chen discovered that his ultimate strike had produced a tangible wave of axe energy—effective up to ten meters away.
Unfortunately, the rank-zero birdcage he had bought earlier happened to be within that range and was now shattered to pieces.
The more he observed, the more satisfied he became.
"As expected… how could a will strong enough to split mountains with a single swing ever be simple?" he said with confidence.
Without realizing it, Lin Chen summoned his personal panel.
Name: Lin Chen
Age: 18
Realm: second-stage Qi Refinement (First-stage Qi Refinement)
Talent: Item Enhancement
Items:
Chicken Bowl — Level 3 (300/600), Jade Turtle Pendant — Level 3 (80/600), Woodcutter's Axe — Level 3 (2/600)
Seeing that all his items had reached Level 3, Lin Chen felt deeply satisfied.
After finishing with the panel, he began gathering the scattered spirit stone and the remains of the birdcage. But before he could move, a loud growl echoed from his stomach.
Grrr…
Lin Chen instinctively held his belly. Weakness washed over him—his legs felt as if they'd turned to jelly. He steadied himself and staggered back inside the house.
With great effort, he reached the kitchen, lit the firewood stove, and began to cook. But when everything was ready, he discovered the rice jar was empty.
His body stiffened. The realization hit him with sharp frustration that gnawed from within.
In desperation, he rushed outside and returned with a handful of rice bran meant for the chickens. He no longer cared if it was meant for beasts or men—as long as it could be eaten, it was enough.
The fire crackled as the bran boiled like some desperate survival concoction.
After a tense wait, the bran porridge was finally done. Lin Chen couldn't hold back his hunger any longer.
As the first spoonful passed down his throat, the coarse texture scraped like sand.
But he forced himself to swallow, enduring the bitterness for the sake of survival.
Moments later, warmth began to spread through his body, restoring his strength little by little.
"Phew…" Lin Chen exhaled in relief.
"It seems it's not just the chickens that need more food now. I'll need plenty of energy if I want to keep training and enhancing items…" he muttered thoughtfully.
For a while, Lin Chen pondered how to earn money. Remembering his unpaid debts only deepened his headache. But soon, his resolve returned.
"No need to rush. What matters is moving forward. I still have some spirit stones from Liu Ruyan—those will do for now."
He nodded to himself and went back outside.
As he stepped out, he spotted several sparrows greedily pecking at the chicken feed.
"You ungrateful little creatures," he grumbled.
"That feed's for the chickens, not for you. Keep this up and I'll go broke."
Annoyed, Lin Chen raised his axe.
Swoosh!
A burst of axe energy shot forth, striking down a few sparrows instantly.
Pleased at first, he thought dealing with them would be easy—but his smile soon faded. The remaining sparrows were far too quick and nimble. With his limited qi, he couldn't keep using energy-infused swings and had to rely on raw strength instead.
By the end, he had managed to kill only three out of a dozen.
"No wonder spirit farmers always complain," he muttered, wiping sweat from his brow.
"Even sparrows are a hassle… not to mention those damn spirit locusts."
He recalled hearing about locust plagues that struck every few years—catastrophes that made countless farmers weep blood.
"As expected, no matter the world, it's always the lower classes who suffer the most…" he sighed bitterly.
Too exhausted to continue the hunt, Lin Chen returned home carrying the three sparrows. He wouldn't waste them—they'd make a meal soon enough.
...
The next morning, Lin Chen busied himself tending to his chickens. Once again, he caught sparrows stealing their feed.
Irritated, he considered breaking the defensive formation to drive them out, but after a moment's hesitation, he changed his mind. They were still edible meat, after all—it would be a waste to simply chase them away.
He decided to let them feast for now. He had more pressing matters to deal with—like buying rice. He never wanted to experience that throat-scraping bran porridge again.
After tidying up, Lin Chen headed into town. He bought rice and, with nothing else to do, quickly made his way home.
However, as he neared his house, he noticed a large crowd gathered near Hao Ran's place. At first, he didn't care, but seeing how excited everyone looked, curiosity got the better of him.
He approached and asked casually,
"Hey, fellow Daoist, what's going on so early in the morning?"
A nearby cultivator replied enthusiastically,"Ah, fellow Daoist! Didn't you hear?"
"Taoist Hao Ran is holding a banquet at the Falling Blossom Pavilion! They say it's a celebration before his ascension! A few of us were invited. Apparently, he's even invited the Moon Lotus Fairy to sing."
"I'm not sure if it's true, but they say she's extremely selective about who she entertains."
Lin Chen frowned slightly.
The Falling Blossom Pavilion—Liu Ruyan's workplace—wasn't just a pleasure house; it was the beating heart of low-level cultivator gossip.
As for the Moon Lotus Fairy, she was a mysterious woman whose divine singing and eccentric temperament had made her famous overnight.
It was said her voice could soothe both body and spirit, like the moon over a tranquil lotus pond. Because of that, few dared to offend her.
The cultivator before him looked practically feverish with excitement, lust radiating from his body.
"What about you, fellow Daoist? You live next door to Hao Ran, don't you? You must've been invited too!"
Lin Chen gave a wry smile. He was certain he hadn't been invited—otherwise, he would have heard about it long ago.
He politely excused himself and walked home, leaving the chatterbox behind, who continued gossiping with a flushed face and drooling mouth, clearly lost in his imagination.
Back home, Lin Chen glanced toward Hao Ran's house.
"Phew, my worldview keeps getting refreshed these days," he muttered dryly.
He had once thought Hao Ran was merely ungrateful, but now it seemed far worse. The man could host lavish banquets and invite renowned performers, yet he couldn't lend him even a little money.
"In this world, your only true savior… is yourself," Lin Chen whispered.
He wasn't truly angry that Hao Ran wouldn't lend him money—it was the coldness of the human heart that stung. How easily people forgot kindness once it no longer benefited them.
Stepping back inside, Lin Chen found another flock of sparrows gathered around the chicken bowl, stealing feed again.
Already in a foul mood, he swung his axe.
Swoosh!
A slash of energy burst forth, striking down only one sparrow.
Displeased with his poor accuracy, he prepared another attack—but suddenly, emptiness engulfed him. His energy was completely drained.
His legs trembled. Shock washed over him; normally, he could perform several strikes before exhaustion. After a moment of reflection, he realized—his anger had consumed his qi for nothing.
If this had been a real battle, he would have died a fool's death. Lin Chen took a deep breath, calming himself. He vowed never again to let emotion rule his actions.
Now he understood one thing: in the world of cultivators, calmness is the strongest shield.
Once he regained his composure, he looked at the sparrows again. This time, he didn't care. If he could catch them, he would eat them; if not, he'd let them be.
He walked over to the one sparrow he had struck down—but the moment he looked at it, his body froze.
"What… what happened?" he whispered, eyes widening.
The sparrow, which should have been nothing more than a rank-zero spirit beast… had transformed into something unrecognizable.
For a brief moment, Lin Chen wondered if he was hallucinating—or trapped inside an illusion.