Chapter 1

### Chapter 1: The World of Immortal Roots

In the world of the Nine Provinces, in the city of Wuzhou.

It was an early spring morning, with swallows flitting their tails over the emerald lake, creating ripples. All living things were reviving, grass was sprouting, and the newly risen sun cast a rainbow hue on the dewdrop at the tip of a blade of grass.

Ding Hao stood by the window, looking at the spring scenery outside, and then he looked down at the hemp robe he was wearing, finally confirming something.

"I actually transmigrated!"

His previous life was in a place called Xingxiu Sea on Earth, where he had no proper job and no skills, but his only hobby was practicing martial arts. He didn't practice others' martial arts; he only loved practicing the Star Absorption Technique.

Indeed, he was the 42nd-generation grandson of the notorious Dharma Master Ding Chunqiu.

Ding Chunqiu had refined the Dharma of Dissolution into the Star Absorption Technique, but unfortunately, Earth was a world of technology. Not to mention spiritual energy or immortal qi, even martial arts internal energy was possessed by very few people. Poor Ding Hao had learned the Star Absorption Technique but had nothing to absorb.

Strangely enough, while he was playing with a black stone left by Ding Chunqiu for the nth time, he mysteriously transmigrated.

Most people would panic in such a situation, but Ding Hao felt surprisingly calm. He picked up the bronze mirror on the table to look at himself and found it strange. "He's also called Ding Hao, and we look about 70-80% alike... Could it be that I lived for over twenty years on Earth just to transmigrate here?"

Without much difficulty, Ding Hao quickly absorbed all the memories of the 15-year-old boy and gained a general understanding of this strange world.

"This! It's actually a small world composed of the descendants of immortals!"

The world of the Nine Provinces, also known as the Small World of the Nine Provinces, was a low-level plane inhabited by the descendants of immortals. In other words, everyone in this world had immortal blood, possessed immortal roots, and could cultivate to become immortals!

"How amazing, everyone has immortal roots! Not to mention those who practice martial arts, magic, or spirit techniques, even the craftsmen who make clothes and shoes, and the farmers who till the land, all have immortal roots!"

This discovery completely overturned Ding Hao's impression of immortals.

The immortal roots in the Small World of the Nine Provinces had been passed down for a million years, and the entire system was very complex. One could say that every profession had its own immortal roots, and there were thousands of different types!

Of course, not everyone with immortal roots chose to cultivate to become immortals. For example, someone with the Iron Hammer Immortal Root would find it much easier to forge iron and eventually become a master blacksmith. Another example is the Kitchen Knife Immortal Root, which would make someone excel in culinary arts.

"So, immortal roots are actually a sign of exceptional talent in a specific area! Only those with powerful and special combat or magical immortal roots can become immortal masters and enter the Great World of Immortal Cultivation and join sects!"

Realizing that immortal roots were as common as dogs in this world, Ding Hao couldn't help but laugh. "Even farmers have immortal roots, so these roots are really not worth much!"

However, when Ding Hao examined himself, he suddenly stopped laughing.

"What, you need to awaken your immortal root?"

Awakening was a crucial issue. Everyone had an immortal root, and most could awaken it. However, there were some who couldn't awaken, meaning that there were also mortals in the Small World of the Nine Provinces!

In other worlds, mortals could engage in lowly professions and live ordinary lives. But in this world, blacksmiths and farmers were taken over by those with the Hammer Immortal Root and the Hoe Immortal Root, and tailors were taken over by those with the Scissors Immortal Root.

What could mortals do?

In this world, mortals were trash, real trash! They could only beg for a living!

The most critical issue was that Ding Hao had not awakened by the age of 15.

"Most people start awakening their immortal roots at six or seven years old, with the most at eight! Then it gradually decreases, and by twelve or thirteen, it becomes even rarer. By fourteen, it's even more scarce, and by fifteen, you might as well prepare a begging bowl. By sixteen, when you come of age, there's no hope. Your immortal acupoints will be sealed, and your meridians will harden, leaving no chance of awakening!"

"Heaven! How could I transmigrate into such a person!"

Ding Hao was stunned, almost falling over in shock. "Can I transmigrate back?"

Sealed immortal acupoints and blocked meridians meant he was a cripple! A waste! A useless piece of trash!

In short, he was a waste!

At that moment, the door creaked open, and a middle-aged man with a mustache walked in. Although he was dressed as a servant, his face was full of arrogance.

This was the evil steward of the Ding family, Old Four!

Ding Hao vaguely remembered that the original Ding Hao had once asked Old Four to find some books about awakening immortal roots.

Sure enough, Old Four held a book and, after walking in, threw it on the table with a thud, saying in a harsh voice, "This book costs ten taels of silver! Where does your family have any money? I, Old Four, have been subsidizing you! I've been a steward for the Ding family, and I've had the worst luck! Not only do I not get a salary, but I also have to subsidize you!"

In Ding Hao's mind, scenes of Old Four's constant bullying and ridicule flashed by. He suppressed his anger and coldly said, "Steward, you've worked hard. If you really don't want to, I won't force you. Just put down all the keys to the Ding family, take your wife and son, and get out of the Ding family!"

"You!" Old Four was taken aback, not expecting the usually meek Ding Hao to have changed so much.

He looked at Ding Hao and saw the familiar young boy, not some three-headed, six-armed monster. He then sneered, "Oh, the little waste can talk big now! Why don't you stop asking me to find books about awakening? You're 15 and haven't awakened, while my eldest son, Ding Junjie, awakened at 11. Aren't you ashamed? I advise you to save your strength; the identity of the Ding family's immortal seed will eventually be taken by my son, Ding Junjie!"

"What, take the seed!" Flames shot from Ding Hao's eyes.

In the world of the Nine Provinces, if someone in the family was an immortal master from the upper realm, they would bless five generations. Each generation's eldest son or grandson would inherit the identity of the immortal seed and enjoy various privileges! If the eldest son didn't awaken, the identity would pass to the second son, and so on. If no one in the Ding family's descendants could inherit, they could select a talented person from the family to inherit the seed.

The identity of the immortal seed was a privilege granted by the emperor and the city lord to all descendants of immortal cultivators. They received 50 taels of silver and three pills from the city lord's mansion every month and had priority in being recommended to the Nine Provinces Academy to cultivate basic techniques, preparing to enter the Great World of Immortal Cultivation.

In the Ding family, Ding Hao was the only descendant. If he didn't awaken, the steward's son would naturally be adopted into the main branch of the Ding family, becoming the head of the family and inheriting the identity of the immortal seed.

This was called "taking the seed"!

"No way! I absolutely won't allow this to happen! Never!"

"Even if you don't allow it, what can you do? You're just a useless piece of trash. How can you possibly awaken?" Old Four said with disdain.

The current Ding Hao was not the weak boy from before. Knowing that he shouldn't be polite to such a dog slave, he slammed his hand on the table and shouted, "Old Four, watch your words! Although I haven't awakened my immortal root, the identity of the immortal seed is still mine until I turn 16! Even when I meet the city lord, I don't have to kneel and kowtow! What are you, a servant of the Ding family, a mere chicken or dog? If you have the guts, come with me to the city lord's mansion and repeat what you just said!"

"You!" Old Four was enraged by this rebuke and rushed over, raising his hand to strike Ding Hao.

After all, Old Four had also awakened his immortal root, though it was the lowly Ninth-Rank Rat Immortal Root. Beating a child like Ding Hao would be easy.

Ding Hao knew he couldn't fight back, so he stood still and said, "Go ahead and hit me! After I go to the city lord's mansion and report you, if I can never awaken, it will be because of your slap. When the city lord punishes you, you, Old Four, will lose your life!"

"Damn!" Old Four's hand froze. Injuring an immortal seed and preventing them from awakening was a serious crime! He couldn't afford it!

"Little waste, you have half a year left! If you still don't awaken by then, we'll see what you say!" Old Four said, slamming the door and leaving. As he walked out, he thought, "Why am I arguing with this little waste? He has half a year left; how could he possibly awaken?"

Thinking of this, he laughed and turned to curse, "Little waste, we'll see who gets kicked out of the Ding family! I've already prepared your begging bowl for you! Little beggar!"

...

Old Four left, and Ding Hao let out a sigh. After being oppressed for over a decade, he finally got to vent his frustration today!

However, after this moment of relief, Ding Hao clearly knew that the current situation was very serious.

"Half a year left. If I can't awaken my immortal root, the identity of the immortal seed will eventually be given to someone else!"

Thinking of this, Ding Hao began to read the book Old Four had brought.

"Ten methods to awaken immortal roots, this is just what I need."

Ding Hao was amazed to find that the methods to awaken immortal roots were truly diverse. Some people would wake up one day and suddenly feel their acupoints open, awakening their immortal roots. Others would wake up from a dream, and their immortal acupoints would open, awakening their immortal roots. Some people would trip while walking and suddenly awaken their immortal roots.

Of course, these were not the most common methods.

In fact, the two most common and normal methods were "entering stillness" and "visualization." These two methods could also be combined: entering stillness and visualization.

Entering stillness, also known as entering meditation, involved sitting cross-legged and calming the mind, focusing the will, and reaching a certain state. As the book said, "Sit in a quiet room, dismiss your attendants, clear your mind, and have no ulterior motives." The ultimate goal was to reach the state of "no thoughts in the mind, no arising of intentions."

The higher the quality of entering stillness, the easier it was to open the immortal acupoints and awaken the immortal root!

Entering stillness was generally divided into three levels: high, medium, and low. A perfect state of entering stillness was rarely achieved.

It was said that if one could achieve a perfect state of entering stillness, even for just one second, they might instantly awaken!

The other method was visualization. For example, someone who saw a flying dragon during the day might awaken the Sky-Sweeping Dragon Immortal Root at night. Someone who worked in the fields all day might awaken the Rice Immortal Root.

In short, immortal roots were divided into nine ranks, and the rank of the awakened root was closely related to the object visualized. Therefore, many people carried photos of strong ancestors or paintings of famous swords and fierce beasts, hoping to awaken a higher-ranked immortal root.

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Ding Hao turned the page, and the advertisement began.

Ding Hao turned the page, and the advertisement ended.