Chapter 1: The Beginning
In the quiet expanse of farmland, under the sun's warm rays, a thin young boy could be seen toiling away, his hands calloused from years of hard labor. This was Da Cai, an orphan taken in by the humble village of Green Hollow. Sweat dripped down his brow as he swung his hoe, breaking the soil to prepare for the next planting season.
Though his body was young and wiry, his eyes held a strange depth—a glimmer of something beyond this world. Because Da Cai wasn't just another villager. He was a transmigrator, pulled from a modern world into this unfamiliar and brutal land of cultivation five years ago. Now thirteen years old, he had long since accepted his new reality, though acceptance didn't make the struggle any easier.
"If only I had a cheat system or some golden finger," Da Cai muttered under his breath as he wiped the sweat from his brow. "All the transmigrators in those stories always have some miraculous artifact or divine skill. And me? Just dirt and more dirt."
The clatter of distant thunder pulled him from his musings.
"Da Cai! Hurry up! The rain's coming," called Uncle Yun, a stout man with kind eyes and a face weathered by years of farming.
Da Cai gave a small sigh and hefted his tools onto his shoulders. "Coming, Uncle Yun."
A Walk Home
As they walked back to the village, Uncle Yun spoke about mundane matters—the health of the crops, the behavior of the livestock, the coming season. Da Cai nodded along, half-listening. His mind was elsewhere, drifting through memories of his old life and the bitter realization that this world held no conveniences or comforts of modernity.
"You know, boy," Uncle Yun said, breaking Da Cai's thoughts, "hard work shapes a man. Even if you're not born with much, effort and persistence will always bear fruit."
Da Cai smiled faintly. "I suppose so. But sometimes it feels like the world's stacked against people like us."
Uncle Yun chuckled. "That's life, Da Cai. It's never fair, but it's always moving forward."
The Village Dinner
That evening, the villagers gathered in the communal hall for supper. Wooden tables were lined with simple but hearty fare: steamed yams, roasted vegetables, and freshly baked bread. Uncle Yun sat beside Da Cai, his plate piled high with food.
"Eat up," Uncle Yun said, patting Da Cai on the back. "You'll need your strength."
Halfway through the meal, Uncle Yun cleared his throat. "I've been thinking, Da Cai. You're not meant to spend your life in this village. You're meant for something greater."
Da Cai froze, his spoon halfway to his mouth. "What do you mean?"
"The Red Valley Sect is conducting their entrance examination next week," Uncle Yun said. "I've saved enough to send you there. You should try."
The hall grew silent as villagers turned their attention to the conversation. Da Cai's heart raced. He knew the Red Valley Sect was one of the most respected cultivation schools in the region, but the cost of even attempting the examination was prohibitive. For a poor farmer like Uncle Yun to save enough for this was no small feat.
"Uncle Yun, I can't accept that," Da Cai said, shaking his head. "You've already done so much for me."
Uncle Yun's eyes softened. "I raised you like my own, Da Cai. I can't give you wealth or privilege, but I can give you this chance. Don't waste it."
A Sleepless Night
That night, Da Cai lay awake on his straw mat, staring at the wooden beams of the ceiling. His thoughts churned with uncertainty and gratitude. Could he really leave the village? Was he truly capable of cultivating in a world where natural talent meant everything?
He clenched his fists. "If Uncle Yun believes in me, then I owe it to him to try."
As the rain pattered softly against the roof, Da Cai drifted into a restless sleep, his dreams filled with visions of towering sect gates and an uncertain future.