Chapter 1: Brother Su, Do You Want a Dao Companion?

In Qingzhou, a small town by the river, on February 14th and it’s lightly raining.

“Dao rushes forth, its use endless or never filled. Profound it is, resembling the origin of myriad things.

Dull its sharpness, untangle its knots, merge its light, mingle it with dust. Deep it is, as if it may endure.”

The sound of children reading aloud came from the classroom.

Before long, a group of twenty-something children, like playful kids, ran out of the classroom.

“Goodbye, Teacher Su!”

“Goodbye, Teacher Su!”

After finishing a day’s lessons, the children had all returned to their homes.

Su Jingzhen was the last to leave the classroom.

He held a book and glanced at the peach tree in the courtyard of the Cultivation Enlightenment Academy, which was blooming beautifully. He smiled faintly.

“This year the peach blossoms on this tree have bloomed exceptionally well. However, tomorrow will mark the Start of Spring.”

“I’ve been here for two and a half years now.”

Feeling sentimental, Su Jingzhen had already walked through the courtyard and was heading back to his residence.

Looking down, he saw that his shoes were covered in yellow mud and couldn’t help but shake his head with a bitter smile.

On rainy days, the small path in the courtyard was like the Flower Moon Building’s female cultivators, who, after a night of passion, would be accompanied by the rain, making the path muddy and impassable.

“I should pave the path with stone slabs tomorrow.”

After the students dispersed, Su Jingzhen returned to his residence and took out a storage bag from his waist.

He poured out twenty-five low-grade spirit stones from it.

His eyebrows suddenly furrowed.

“The academy is getting fewer and fewer students, and without the support of spirit stones, not only is it impossible to break through the Qi-refining Stage, but even the rent is about to become unaffordable.”

Every time he saw his current situation, Su Jingzhen couldn’t help but feel some self-mockery.

Before crossing over, he would worry about rent every month.

Who would have thought that after crossing over to this cultivation world, he would still have to worry about rent?

What’s the difference between crossing over and not crossing over?

But these weren’t the things that bothered Su Jingzhen the most.

He entered his quiet room, sat down on a meditation cushion, and a line of small text appeared before his eyes.

【503 days left until the host’s dantian is forever shattered!】

The dantian is the foundation of a cultivator, and once it’s shattered, one will completely lose their cultivation and become an ordinary person.

At that time, even if he wanted to continue living here, he wouldn’t be qualified.

He could only go to the mortal world.

Thinking of this, Su Jingzhen made up his mind, and this time, he would definitely struggle to the end.

Do you want to take a gamble?

Su Jingzhen’s gaze fell on the small, exquisite pill furnace that had been placed in the corner of the room for a long time.

At this moment…

“Mr. Su, are you there?”

A pleasant voice echoed from the courtyard.

Su Jingzhe pushed open the door and saw a graceful and beautiful woman walking along the muddy path.

She was scraping the mud off her shoes on the doorstep.

“It’s the sister-in-law of the Ning Family? Hasn’t Ning Yao returned yet? It’s been a while since school ended.”

Su Jingzhe took the initiative to ask the woman.

The sister-in-law of the Ning family is named Zhang Xiu. Even though she is a woman, she is a rare late-stage Qi-refining cultivator in Linjiang City.

Although she was a woman, she was a notable figure in Linjiang City.

Su Jingzhen lived in Peach Blossom Alley, where all the cultivators paid their spirit stone rent to the Huayang Sect through Zhang Xiu, who collected and sent it to the Linjiang branch of the Huayang Sect.

Zhang Xiu’s husband, Ning Kai, was also a late-stage Qi-refining cultivator and one of the most promising individuals in Linjiang City to break through to the Foundation Establishment stage.

Unfortunately, he had gone out to explore ancient ruins two years ago and had fallen.

Leaving behind only Zhang Xiu and her daughter.

Two and a half years ago, Su Jingzhen had transmigrated into this body, which was already half-crippled, and Zhang Xiu had taken him in.

After getting to know him, she discovered that Su Jingzhen was a kind person and had previously had impressive cultivation, but his dantian was severely damaged, and his cultivation had dropped to the early Qi-refining stage.

It was truly a pity.

So, she had suggested that he open a cultivation school for beginners, earning some spirit stones to make a living.

In the cultivation world, not everyone had the opportunity to cultivate.

Those without spiritual roots could only practice mundane martial arts, and even if they practiced to the limit, they could only reach the level of an early-stage Qi-refining cultivator.

Ultimately, they would still be confined to the mortal realm.

One had to have spiritual roots to cultivate, but among the masses, even the children of cultivators couldn’t guarantee the existence of spiritual roots.

Therefore, cultivators had thought of many methods.

For example, if a knowledgeable cultivator guided them before adulthood, the child’s spiritual awakening would be much smoother.

Su Jingzhen had read many novels in his past life and had debated with others, accumulating a deep understanding of “knowledge.” He was well-versed in teaching children.

He had studied the internal alchemy system of traditional Chinese medicine and had lectured on various cultivation novel systems.

He had even combined the contents of Laozi, Confucius, and Guiguzi, relying on his memories of debating with others in his past life.

At first, he was a bit nervous.

But he didn’t know if it was due to luck or real effectiveness, but the spiritual awakening of the children in Peach Blossom Alley had indeed improved since he arrived.

So, this enlightenment academy could barely be established.

From this perspective, Zhang Xiu was not only Su Jingzhen’s savior but also his foster parent.

At this time, Zhang Xiu smiled and said, “Jiaorui has already gone home. This time, your sister-in-law has come to find you, and it’s a great opportunity!”

Su Jingzhen was stunned.

Before he could ask more questions, Zhang Xiu continued, “You’re not young anymore, and your sister-in-law has come to ask you: do you want a Dao Companion?”