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On the Martial Arts Continent, in the Jia Ma Empire, in Wu Tan City, there was an inconspicuous low house in a small alley.
A child, about five or six years old, sat cross-legged.
His hands formed a specific seal in front of him, his chest rising and falling slightly. With each breath, a cycle was formed, and during this cycle, a white stream of energy entered his body through his nose and mouth.
On the Martial Arts Continent, it was not hard to understand what the child was doing. This was a common method of cultivating Martial Qi on the Martial Arts Continent.
"Huff..."
Su Yun opened his eyes and stopped his cultivation for the day. He had been on the Martial Arts Continent for six years, and he had been cultivating since he was four, making it two years now.
Just like the protagonist Xiao Yan from the original story, Su Yun had a stronger soul due to his two lifetimes, which boosted his cultivation talent. With the mentality of an adult, he was not as playful as a real six-year-old child. After two years of diligent cultivation, he had reached the Third Rank of Martial Qi at the age of six.
"I wonder how talented having Third Rank Martial Qi at six years old really is?"
Su Yun muttered to himself.
He was born into poverty in this life, with no background. Having read the original story, he knew that the Martial Arts Continent valued strength above all, and the weak were preyed upon by the strong. He had not interacted much with his peers.
He had only been focused on cultivating, trying to improve his strength as much as possible.
Therefore, he did not know how talented having Third Rank Martial Qi at six years old really was.
But then he thought, if he could reach Third Rank Martial Qi at six, and continue to advance one rank per year, he would reach Ninth Rank Martial Qi by the age of twelve.
That was not bad at all.
After all, in the original story, Xiao Xun'er, who reached Ninth Rank Martial Qi at the age of fourteen, was the second person in the Xiao Family in a hundred years to achieve such a feat.
Having Third Rank Martial Qi at six years old was not bad at all.
"So my talent isn't too bad."
"Sigh..."
Then, Su Yun sighed. In terms of talent, he was not much different from Xiao Yan.
But he might not be able to match this young fellow from the same hometown.
He got off the bed, picked up a steamed bun from the wooden table, and sighed at his lack of good fortune.
Xiao Yan was from the Xiao Family, one of the ancient eight clans. Even though the Xiao Family had declined, they were still one of the three major families in Wu Tan City. As the young patriarch of the Xiao Family, Xiao Yan at least did not have to worry about food and clothing.
Unlike himself, living in a dilapidated hut and eating plain steamed buns.
He was born a commoner in this life. His father was a Third Rank Martial Practitioner, and his mother was still at the Martial Qi stage.
His family's income mainly came from his father hunting low-level beasts, while his mother worked as a laborer for wealthy families in Wu Tan City to supplement the household income.
They managed to make ends meet and even save some money.
However, when he was four, his father was killed in the Beast Mountain Range, and his mother died of grief the following year. His life became increasingly difficult.
This was just one aspect of his family situation.
Xiao Yan was the predestined protagonist of the Martial Arts Continent, blessed by fate.
As long as he could survive the next three years, he would have Yao Chen as his teacher, the Flame Decree as his trump card, and a group of beautiful allies like Xiao Xun'er.
He would reach the peak, advance to the Martial Emperor stage, and ascend to the Great Thousand World, becoming a definite winner in life.
Su Yun thought sourly.
Being a transmigrator from Earth, he could not help but compare himself to Xiao Yan. He had been on the Martial Arts Continent for six years, and he still had not obtained a system. The gap...
Su Yun shook his head, no longer thinking about these things. Instead of letting his thoughts wander, it was better to take action and be down-to-earth.
He quietly finished the steamed bun in his hand and fell into deep thought again.
For the next few years, it was best to stay in Wu Tan City and cultivate diligently.
Even though he was a genius, Third Rank Martial Qi was not enough to go out and make waves.
Although Wu Tan City was a bit remote, the strongest here, apart from Xiao Xun'er's guard Ling Ying, was only a Great Martial Master. However, the law and order were still good.
As long as you did not provoke the wealthy young masters or have any grudges with the major families, no one would bother you as a commoner.
Su Yun's parents had been honest and hardworking all their lives, so they had no such worries.
As for Su Yun, a six-year-old diligent cultivator, he would not leave his home except for necessary supplies, so there was no problem.
Therefore, Su Yun planned to focus on improving his cultivation before making any moves. The savings his parents had accumulated in this life would last him a few years.
At the Martial Qi stage, the main focus was on expanding the meridians and strengthening the body to lay the foundation for future cultivation of Martial Qi.
Cultivating Martial Qi at a young age, when the body's meridians were still fragile, generally did not allow the use of external assistance.
The requirements for cultivation resources were almost non-existent, relying entirely on one's own hard work and talent. He did not need to worry about finding cultivation resources and was not in a hurry to explore the Martial Arts Continent.
Regaining his composure, he dug out a few gold coins from under the bed, stepped out of the door, and walked out of the alley toward the main street of Wu Tan City.
The dry rations at home were finished, and he was going to buy enough for the next three to four days.
After walking out of the alley for about ten minutes, he arrived at the Marketplace in Wu Tan City. Of course, he was not there to buy anything.
There were several such Marketplaces in Wu Tan City, controlled by the three major families. They sold relatively valuable items such as Beast Cores, weapons, and jewelry made from Beast Cores, as well as some herbs.
Clearly, this was not a place for a small fry like Su Yun to visit.
However, this Marketplace was a necessary route for him to buy supplies.
To reach the place where ordinary people bought daily necessities, he had to pass through here. If he took a detour, it would take him half an hour with his current strength.
As soon as he entered the Marketplace, Su Yun stayed close to the edge.
The Marketplace was full of mercenaries and merchants, selling items like Beast Cores. Whether they were sellers or buyers, they all had cultivation.
The passersby on the streets and the stall owners selling goods were mostly Martial Practitioners or above, not someone a mere Third Rank Martial Qi child could provoke.
Although the three major families maintained order, there were still people who caused trouble. Moreover, the three families had their own conflicts.
They often quarreled, and the air was thick with tension. A street fight could break out at any moment, and if he got caught in the crossfire, he would have nowhere to cry.
Reborn on the Martial Arts Continent, Su Yun understood the nature of this world. With two lifetimes of experience, he was as cautious as an old dog. Each time he passed through, he was careful and quick.
It was not hard to understand; he was a genius, not a strong person. Before he grew stronger, it was best to be cautious.
After passing through the Marketplace, buying the food, and returning the same way, Su Yun, as usual, was cautious and quick.
"This is our family's Marketplace, right?"
"Yes, this is it. This Marketplace is in the southern part of Wu Tan City, controlled by our Xiao Family."
Su Yun, returning to the Marketplace and about to go home to cultivate, overheard a conversation. He thought to himself, "People from the Xiao Family?"
He had lived in Wu Tan City for six years, although he rarely left home.
But he knew the power distribution in Wu Tan City. This Marketplace was the same one where Xiao Yan had taken Xiao Xun'er in the original story.
Su Yun looked up and saw two children, a boy and a girl, about his age.
He shook his head, not giving it much thought. He had no connection with the Xiao Family and saw no need to interact with them.
"Ding..."
(End of Chapter)