I Have A Cultivation World Chapter 2 - 2 Turtle Shell_1

2 Chapter 2 Turtle Shell_1

Translator: Atlas Studios

Editor: Atlas Studios

“The benefits at this school are truly excellent. Every day, I get two hours of free access to a Rank-1 top-quality Spirit Energy Cultivation Room.”

Chen Mobai recalled how his mother had reluctantly spent Good Deed Points during the break to boost their home’s Spirit Vein to Rank-1 top-quality. Even with that upgrade, the Spiritual Energy Value barely hovered around 7, only hitting 8 or 9 on rare occasions.

In contrast, the Fifth High School of the Immortals was built atop a Rank-3 lower-grade Spirit Vein, which supported three hundred individual cultivation rooms.

These students were the future of the Immortal Gate, after all, and their growth could not be neglected.

The three hundred rooms were divided equally among the three grades, providing lower, middle, and upper-quality Rank-1 Spirit Energy respectively.

The third-year students, facing the most pressure, were granted rooms where the Spiritual Energy concentration reached the very peak of Rank-1.

Inside, the cultivation room was spartan, featuring nothing but a single meditation mattress centered on a floor of blue stone.

Wasting no time, Chen Mobai set up his mobile phone to run an auxiliary cultivation video. He sat upon the mattress and began the process of refining Spirit Qi.

Because he had recently reached the fifth layer of Qi Cultivation using pills, his foundation was still shaky. Consequently, he avoided his Five Elements Internal Work for this session, opting instead to circulate the fundamental Qi Nourishing Technique.

Warmth began to flow through his Meridians. Within the chamber, the pale white Spirit Qi gathered like a misty dragon, drawn into Chen Mobai’s breath. It mingled with his growing spiritual power, slowly being refined into his own cultivation base.

He soon became lost in the rhythmic trance of the process.

Time slipped away.

“Ding!”

The Soul Stabilizing Charm within the room chimed, pulling Chen Mobai back to reality. Though he wished to stay longer, he knew his classmates were waiting in a long queue outside. He grabbed his phone and quickly exited the room.

The moment he stepped out, the female student next in line darted inside, swiping her card and sealing the door instantly.

He wasn't the only one; all ninety-nine other third-years were emerging from their sessions with looks of longing.

Among them was Lu Hongsheng, Chen Mobai’s desk mate.

“Lucky you, getting into the first time slot!”

Chen Mobai greeted him but noticed Lu Hongsheng looked quite miserable. He was clearly upset about something.

“Do you have any idea what I just witnessed?”

“What happened?”

Knowing his friend couldn't keep a secret for long, Chen Mobai waited. Sure enough, Lu Hongsheng leaned in to whisper.

“I saw Song Zheng going into a Rank-2 Spirit Vein cultivation room.”

“A Rank-2 Spirit Vein? Those are reserved for the faculty. Who would give their spot to Song Zheng?”

The school maintained exclusive, high-tier rooms for the instructors. Aside from the Rank-3 room used by the Principal—who was a Nascent Soul or Foundation Establishment Cultivator—the ten Rank-2 rooms were so rare that even the teachers had to queue for them.

For Song Zheng to have access meant an instructor had surrendered their own resources to him.

“It was Old Man Ding, obviously. He’s failed Foundation Establishment twice and knows his time is running out, so he’s focused everything on teaching. He thinks Song Zheng has a real shot at the four major Daoist academies, so he gave up his Rank-2 slot for the kid.”

Lu Hongsheng’s voice was thick with resentment and envy. He clearly wished he were the one receiving such a favor.

“That’s totally unfair. How can the school allow it?”

Their conversation drew the attention of nearby classmates. One student voiced his outrage.

While the world at large might be unfair, there was a general expectation of equality and meritocracy within the school system.

Even if the teacher was giving away his own personal quota, the rooms themselves belonged to the school. The students felt slighted; a formal complaint to the administration could potentially cause a scandal.

“You don't get it,” a female student interrupted the boy who wanted to report it. “I heard Song Zheng formally entered Master Ding’s lineage over the holidays. It’s already been recorded in the Heritage Hall of the Immortal Education Department. They are officially Master and Disciple now. The administration can't interfere with a Master providing resources to his own pupil.”

Song Zheng was handsome and a recognized genius, making him very popular with the girls.

Chen Mobai felt a sting of jealousy as well.

He was certain that if he had access to a Rank-2 Spirit Vein for a full term, he could reach the sixth layer of Qi Cultivation. At that level, while the top four academies might be out of reach, second-tier schools would be an option, and third-tier ones would be a certainty.

He also possessed a True Spirit Root. Why hadn't any teacher reached out to mentor him?

Then again, even among those with a True Spirit Root, there were levels of talent.

“You guys keep at it. I’m heading out. See you tomorrow.”

Chen Mobai remained focused on his own path. Despite the unfairness, he didn't want to waste energy on arguments.

Having finished his school cultivation time, he hurried home. His mother had spent a significant amount to rent a high-quality Rank-1 Spirit Vein for the next six months to help him prepare for the college entrance exams.

He couldn't let a single moment of that investment go to waste.

The house was silent when he arrived.

His parents were working extra hours to cover the family's expenses. Since renting the Spirit Vein, they were often at their jobs until late into the night.

Chen Mobai started a pot of Spirit Rice. While it cooked, he went into his mother’s workroom and began cutting large sheets of yellow paper into standard talisman sizes, measuring 12cm by 6cm.

By the time the rice was ready, he had prepared over a hundred blank talismans.

He organized them into groups of twelve, tying each stack with a specialized Spiritual Rope. He placed two sets of six into a small jewel box.

The raw materials for these large papers cost him one Good Deed Point. Once processed and boxed, they could be sold for two points, earning him a profit of one point per box.

Chen Mobai did whatever he could to contribute to the household's finances.

He lined up the two new boxes on the table alongside eight others he had finished previously. With ten boxes ready, he took several photos from different angles with his phone. After picking the best shots, he uploaded them to the Immortal Division’s official marketplace.

Bids usually started coming in within a week. He would then sell to whoever offered the most.

To avoid expensive teleportation fees, he only did face-to-face deals within Red Sandstone City. Since his student card provided free public transport, this was the most efficient method.

After finishing his meal of jade-like Spirit Rice, he used a Cleaning Technique on the kitchenware and headed to his room.

Although the house had a dedicated cultivation room situated near the underground Spirit Vein pipe, Chen Mobai liked practicing in his bedroom.

As long as the cultivation room door remained open, the Rank-1 Spirit Energy would permeate the entire house. The Spirit Sealing Prohibition installed in the walls ensured that the energy wouldn't leak out, even if a window was cracked open.

The concentration wasn't as high as the school’s rooms, but it was enough.

Chen Mobai was content.

He fought the temptation to scroll through live streams or watch videos of singing fairies. He settled his mind, sat cross-legged on his bed, and prepared to begin his session. Suddenly, his eyes fell upon a turtle shell sitting on his nightstand.

“Why did Mom bring this jinxed thing in here?!”