Teng Lin stood at the base of the towering Jade Canopy Sect, his feet numb from hours of travel. The gates loomed before him like a barrier between his simple life as a farmer and the grand world of cultivation. He had given everything to come here—the last of his savings, the last of his hope. If he didn't succeed today, there would be no way back.
The sect entrance exam was a simple, time-honored ritual: each applicant would stand before an elder, who would use a spiritual root detector to assess their potential. For most, it was an exciting step forward on the path of cultivation. For Teng Lin, it felt like the end of a long, winding road.
He had spent years preparing, training his body and sharpening his resolve. The stories of others who came from nothing to achieve greatness filled his dreams. But those dreams were nothing compared to the cold reality standing before him.
The sect's spiritual root detector—a clear crystal orb—floated into the air before Teng Lin, glowing faintly. The elder's fingers brushed the orb's surface, and the crystal hummed softly as it began its work.
Teng Lin held his breath, praying silently. Maybe the elders would see something in him, something hidden away, just waiting to bloom.
The orb flickered.
Then… it barely glowed.
A single, fleeting flash of pale green appeared, like the faintest glimmer of new growth on a dying vine. A slight affinity for the earth… but so weak, so feeble.
The elder's brow furrowed. He tapped the orb, his expression unchanged but his eyes narrowing slightly. The glow vanished as quickly as it had appeared, leaving behind only a faint echo of its existence.
"…There is no spiritual root," the elder said, his voice softer than before but still resolute. "Your affinity is near nonexistent. A talentless mortal, with no potential for cultivation."
The words hit Teng Lin like a strike to the chest. His heart sank, and his world tilted for a moment. He had hoped—no, he had dreamed—that he would find his place here, among the great cultivators, that his hard work might mean something in the end. But there was nothing. No path forward. Nothing.
A few of the disciples, standing off to the side, exchanged glances, their lips curling into smug grins.
"Did you see that? A farmer with no talent," one whispered, loud enough for Teng Lin to hear. "What a waste of time."
"Maybe he should stick to plowing fields," another one mocked. "Leave the cultivation to the real cultivators."
Teng Lin clenched his fists, his nails digging into his palms as the sting of their laughter cut deeper than he wanted to admit. He wasn't ashamed of his background as a farmer, but the way they dismissed him—so easily, so callously—hurt. He had tried. He had come all this way, and yet… there was nothing for him.
"Please," Teng Lin pleaded, his voice trembling. He had already lost everything to get here. "If you will not accept me as a disciple… I beg of you, let me work as a laborer. I will do anything. Just… just let me stay. I can learn. I can help."
The elder's gaze softened for a brief moment, and the silence stretched. Then, with a sigh, he spoke again.
"A mortal cannot live in the sect. Even as a laborer, it is against the rules." He turned, looking over at the other elders and giving a slight nod. "It is not just a matter of strength. The boundaries of the sect cannot accommodate those without potential."
Teng Lin felt his stomach twist. There was no place for him. No room. He had thought this was his chance, but now, he was just another failure, sent back into the world with nothing.
The disciples laughed again, as though they had been waiting for this moment. "What a joke," one of them sneered. "A farmer who thought he could be one of us."
Another added, "I told you he'd never make it."
Teng Lin's face flushed with humiliation. He turned away, not wanting to hear any more, not wanting to feel their mockery anymore. His body felt heavy, as though the weight of his failure was pressing down on him from all sides. His feet moved mechanically as he descended the mountain path, his thoughts clouded with bitterness.
How had it come to this?
He had nothing left.
As Teng Lin descended the mountain, the laughter of the disciples still ringing in his ears, the world around him seemed to grow quieter. The path became a blur as he sank deeper into despair. What would he do now? He had no money to return home, no resources, no options left. His dreams had been shattered, and there was nothing left but the long road ahead.
His steps slowed, and he collapsed against a rock by the side of the path, the cool stone pressing against his back. He felt the sting of rejection deep in his chest. He had wanted so much more. But he had been dismissed as nothing. As useless.
The sky had turned a deeper shade of blue, the fading sun casting long shadows across the rugged terrain. The chirping of distant birds filled the air, a cruel reminder of the life that continued as normal around him. But to Teng Lin, the world had come to a standstill.
As he sat there, a strange sensation began to tug at the back of his mind. It was faint at first, like the whisper of a breeze passing by his ear. But as the seconds stretched on, it became more persistent.
A faint, green glow appeared in his peripheral vision. It flickered, like the glimmer of a candle in the dark, barely perceptible.
Teng Lin blinked, his eyes squinting. Was he seeing things? The world around him felt heavy, his senses clouded by exhaustion and frustration. But the glow… it was still there.
It flared briefly, and suddenly, a voice—calm and measured—spoke directly into his mind.
"Binding with host… complete. The Green Thumb System has activated. Welcome, Farmer Teng Lin."
Teng Lin shot to his feet, his heart hammering in his chest. "What—what is this?"
"Host detected at the lowest cultivation level: Mortal Realm, no spiritual roots. Initializing system protocols to unlock latent potential."
Before he could even comprehend what was happening, a translucent screen appeared before him, floating in midair like some kind of ethereal panel. It shimmered with strange symbols and glowing text.
Green Thumb System - Basic Overview
Host: Teng Lin
Level: 0 (Sproutling)
Mission: Secure a Plot of Fertile Land (Time Remaining: 24 Hours)
Reward: ???
Teng Lin stared at the screen in disbelief. What kind of system was this? He had no cultivation abilities, no spiritual root, no affinities. Why was this happening to him?
"Why me?" he muttered aloud.
"Host's latent potential has been detected," the voice replied. "Though your cultivation path is nontraditional, this system will aid you in your journey. The first step has been unlocked."
Teng Lin's mind spun. What did that mean? A latent potential? His thoughts were a whirl of confusion, but there was no time to dwell on it. The voice continued.
"Failure to complete the mission will result in system dormancy. Host will miss the opportunity to grow."
Teng Lin's breath caught in his throat. If he didn't succeed in this strange mission, the system would shut down? He could lose this chance?
The voice softened, as though sensing his panic. "Every towering tree begins as a seedling, Teng Lin. Will you take root?"
Teng Lin clenched his fists. He wasn't sure what was going on, but something within him stirred. A glimmer of hope? A chance? He wasn't sure yet, but it was all he had.
He stood up straighter, determination beginning to form in his heart. He didn't know what was ahead, but he wasn't going to give up just yet.
As he began walking down the path once more, a voice interrupted his thoughts.
"Oi! You too, huh?"
Teng Lin turned to see a few other young men coming down the path, their expressions weary but with a glimmer of shared frustration. They were dressed in plain clothing, their faces drawn with disappointment.
"Another one who failed?" one of them asked, noticing Teng Lin's downcast expression. "We're heading to the city. Nothing else left for us here."
"I failed too," another young man added. "Let's stick together. At least we can make it to the city."
Teng Lin hesitated for a moment, but then nodded. Maybe traveling with others would make the journey easier. At least he wouldn't be alone in his failure.
"Alright," he said. "Let's go to the city together."
The group began walking down the mountain path, the wind rustling the trees above them. The journey was silent at first, each man lost in his own thoughts. Teng Lin felt a strange camaraderie with these fellow failures, their shared fate a bond stronger than any words could form.
The leader of the small group, a tall man with a weathered face, broke the silence. "I'm Wei Jian. I came from a small village near the eastern plains. Thought I'd have a chance
at the sect, but I guess I was wrong. Too old, they said. Not enough potential."
Teng Lin nodded, understanding all too well. His own failure was fresh, still stinging like an open wound. He didn't need to ask more. It was clear that every person here had their own bitter story of rejection.
"I'm Chen Bo," another of the travelers added, his voice rough but not unkind. "From a farming family. Same as you, I suppose. Was hoping for something more, but that hope was crushed here."
Teng Lin glanced at the man beside him, surprised. The other farmer? It was rare to meet someone from his own background. They shared a brief, unspoken connection, a solidarity born from shared hardship. But there was no time for camaraderie now. Teng Lin still had the strange mission hanging over his head. A plot of fertile land. What did that even mean?
"What's your name?" Wei Jian asked, giving Teng Lin a look of curiosity.
"Teng Lin," he answered quietly, still processing the strange voice that had spoken to him earlier. "I'm from a small village too, but I guess it doesn't matter anymore."
"We're all the same now," Wei Jian said, a rueful smile on his lips. "But there's still a city to reach. It's not the end of the world, even if it feels like it right now."
The road before them stretched long, winding through dense forests and narrow paths. As they walked, the sounds of their footsteps seemed to fill the space between them, marking the passing of time. The air grew cooler as the evening settled in, and the scent of damp earth mingled with the tang of pine.
Teng Lin found himself lost in thought again, his mind flickering back to the glowing green light he had seen earlier. The words of the mysterious voice echoed in his mind: Every towering tree begins as a seedling, Teng Lin. Will you take root?
What did it mean? A system that had activated for him—someone without any talent, without any potential. It didn't make sense. But then again, nothing about his life had ever made sense. Why had he tried for so long to fit into a world where he was never meant to belong?
He glanced around at his companions, their faces set with a quiet determination that mirrored his own. Despite everything, they were still walking forward. And maybe, just maybe, that was all that mattered.
As they traveled, the dense forest began to thin out, and the distant glow of lights signaled the edge of a city. The first signs of civilization appeared before them—lanterns lit along the road, the soft murmur of voices in the distance, and the smell of food cooking on open fires.
The city seemed like a world away from the mountain, from the sect, from everything that had happened to him in the past days. Teng Lin didn't know what he expected from the city, but he was sure it was better than the crushing weight of rejection.
But still, the voice lingered in the back of his mind. The Green Thumb System. The mission. The fertile land.
He looked up at the others, noting their tired faces. They were all heading in the same direction, but each one had a different reason for leaving the sect behind. Was it possible, he wondered, that they were all looking for something more than just the city?
"Do you guys believe in fate?" Teng Lin asked suddenly, his voice quieter than usual.
Wei Jian raised an eyebrow. "Fate? It's a funny thing. I don't know if I believe in it or not. But if there's one thing I've learned, it's that you have to make your own fate, or it'll make you."
Chen Bo nodded. "I've got no time for fate. I've got to make a living, and that's what matters."
Teng Lin thought for a moment, his gaze fixed on the road ahead. He had always believed that fate had something to offer, that his life could change if he just tried hard enough. But now, with the system's mission weighing heavily on his mind, he wasn't sure what to think.
"I'm not sure," he muttered, more to himself than anyone else. "I guess I'll have to see where this road takes me."
They walked in silence for a while longer, the city lights growing brighter as they neared their destination. As they entered the city, the noise and bustle of the streets hit them immediately. People moved in every direction—merchants calling out their wares, children laughing and chasing each other, the rhythmic thump of carpenters working on nearby buildings.
Despite the chaos, Teng Lin felt a strange sense of calm. It wasn't much, but it was a world that still functioned, even after everything he had just experienced. It was a world that had room for people like him. Or maybe it didn't. Maybe he would have to carve out his own place in it, just like everyone else.
He glanced down at the pouch hanging from his waist. It was light, almost empty. His savings had dwindled faster than he'd anticipated, and he was already beginning to feel the sting of hunger. But the mission, the system, still hung in his mind, a constant reminder of something he needed to fulfill.
"I need to find a plot of land," he muttered to himself.
"What was that?" Wei Jian asked, looking back at him.
Teng Lin quickly shook his head. "Nothing. Just thinking aloud."
"Well, whatever you're thinking," Wei Jian said, "let's make sure we find a place to stay for the night. We'll need food, and there's no point in wandering aimlessly through the streets."
Teng Lin nodded in agreement. He needed to clear his head, at least for a moment. The city was a labyrinth, filled with opportunities and dangers alike. He wasn't sure what to do next, but he had to keep moving.
As they found an inn and settled in for the night, Teng Lin lay in his bed, staring at the ceiling, lost in thought. The night was silent, save for the occasional creak of the inn's wooden walls. The mission haunted him—the need to find fertile land in 24 hours.
But what did that mean? What kind of land? And why did it matter so much?
"Every towering tree begins as a seedling…" The voice echoed in his mind again, and with it, a sense of purpose, however small.
With a sigh, Teng Lin closed his eyes. Tomorrow, he would start his search. The mission was clear, even if its meaning remained a mystery. He didn't know what would come of it, but he wasn't ready to give up. Not yet.
He was just a farmer. But maybe, just maybe, he had a chance to grow.