Chapter 1: Chu Xiaotian

In the Tianwu Continent, where numerous nations stand and martial arts flourish, the pursuit of immortality through martial cultivation reigns supreme. In this world of martial arts, the law of the jungle prevails – the strong dominate, capable of overturning heavens and earth, controlling the fate of the weak; the weak are mere insects, subject to exploitation and bullying.

In the capital city of the Northern Yan Kingdom, Shen Du, an intriguing scene unfolds.

"Sir, with your remarkable demeanor, you truly are a paragon among men. Your generous offer leaves me at a loss for words!" In the bustling Ghost Market of Shen Du, where the good and the bad mingle, a young man with black hair looks gratefully at a disheveled burly man, his expression tinged with shyness.

Chu Xiaotian, around fourteen or fifteen years old, appears frail but is notably clean and fair-skinned. His simple blue shirt, washed to the point of fading, coupled with his clear, bright eyes, exudes an air of innocence and vivacity. That is, of course, assuming his foot isn't planted on someone's face.

"Uh, about that..."

Beneath his foot lies a burly man, his clothes tattered, his face a patchwork of bruises and swelling – clearly, he's been thoroughly beaten.

"I was blinded by greed, I shouldn't have tried to steal your elixir. I've given you all my belongings; could you please move your foot now?" The burly man pleads, blood dripping from his nose, eyeing the purse in Chu Xiaotian's hand with a pained expression.

Chu Xiaotian bites a gold coin, satisfied with its authenticity, and finally lifts his foot, apologizing, "I'm really sorry, sir. Things got out of hand in the heat of the moment. It was all a misunderstanding!"

The burly man is on the verge of tears. He is from the Luo Residence of Shen Du, sent to find the young master of his house at one of the five great martial academies of Shen Du. Little did he expect to encounter such an odd character while passing through the Ghost Market.

Everyone knows that the Ghost Market is the most chaotic place in Shen Du City. For someone with the mere strength of the first stage of channel opening to dare set up a stall selling top-grade spirit pills for nourishing the meridians, it's practically an invitation for robbery!

So, seeing the opportunity, he hesitated for only a second before attempting the theft, only to be beaten by this simpleton. The man and his dog, attacking from both sides, were seamlessly coordinated. His strength, at the fifth stage of channel opening, offered no chance for retaliation.

The dog, especially, a seemingly adorable and curly little white dog, was ferociously effective in its attack. The look in its eyes – one of sheer disdain – was almost human.

"Hey, sir!"

Chu Xiaotian, satisfied as he hung the purse on his waist, suddenly notices a black jade pendant around the burly man's neck. His eyes gleam with a cunning light as he motions with his finger.

"That jade pendant around your neck, hand it over to me!"

The burly man's face clouded over; the jade pendant was a treasured family heirloom.

"If I say no, will that be okay?" he asked tentatively.

Chu Xiaotian pondered seriously for a moment and replied, "Sure, that's fine."

"Thank you..." The burly man sighed in relief, grateful to Chu Xiaotian.

As the man basked in his apparent fortune, Chu Xiaotian, with an innocently charming smile, suddenly howled upwards, "Di Ge!"

"Woof woof!"

A dog's bark, far from what one would describe as 'mighty,' approached rapidly. The man's face twisted in horror, and before he could utter a word, he was pinned to the ground by a white blur.

The little dog wagged its tail in delight, pinning the man down with a force that belied its size.

"Good job, Di Ge! I'll take you to see a pretty lady later!"

"Woof woof!" Di Ge barked twice in excitement, drooling, wagging its rear in the air.

Indeed, if dogs on the Tianwu Continent were classified by breed, Chu Xiaotian's dog would be a small Teddy.

Chu Xiaotian stepped on the man's face, his young features hardening. His actions, bolstered by his dog, were executed with practiced ease.

"This pendant looks a lot like the one I lost last year. I'll hold onto it for now and check at home tonight if it's the same."

"That's a family heirloom passed down from my ancestors; it can't possibly be what you lost!"

The man tried desperately to explain.

Chu Xiaotian frowned, seemingly regretful, "It seems you still don't understand what I'm saying."

"Di Ge!!"

"Woof... thump thump thump... woof woof!"

A flurry of punches and kicks ensued, too brutal to watch.

One minute later.

"Damn it!!"

Watching Chu Xiaotian and Di Ge walk away, the man was seething with rage, his face contorted in fury. When did such a scoundrel appear in Shen Du? "Just you wait, I don't believe a mere first-stage channel opener can cause much trouble. You dare to rob me! Young Master Luo Yong is cultivating at the Martial Academy; I'll get him to avenge me!"

Limping, the burly man disappeared into the crowd.

Watching the limping figure of the burly man disappear into the distance, Chu Xiaotian's young face lit up with a smug smile. He weighed the black jade pendant in his hand and returned to his stall.

Chu Xiaotian, originally a university student on Earth, found himself unexpectedly transported to the martial-centric Tianwu Continent after an accident involving a urine spill on an electrical outlet during a midnight bathroom trip.

Following his transmigration, Chu Xiaotian frustratingly regressed in age to ten. He has since lived in Chu Family Village on the border of the Northern Yan Kingdom with an elderly man who took him in. Just yesterday, he arrived in Shen Du, the capital city of the Northern Yan Kingdom – a small and remote country among the many on the Tianwu Continent.

Chu Xiaotian's visit to Shen Du was to enroll in the Shen Du Academy for cultivation. Fortunately, he arrived just in time for the last day of registration at the Martial Academy, one of the five major academies.

Needing a hundred gold coins for the registration, but short on funds, Chu Xiaotian set up a stall near the Martial Academy in the Ghost Market to sell elixirs for cash. The first customer he encountered was the burly man who attempted to rob him, leading to the earlier scene.

Now back at his stall, Chu Xiaotian took out a jade bottle from his bosom and placed it on the stall for sale. It was a first-grade spirit pill, the Nourishing Meridian Pill, which he had stealthily taken from the village elder's house when he left Chu Family Village. The village elder was a renowned pharmacist in the village, known only for refining this particular pill.

After arranging the jade bottle neatly, Chu Xiaotian sat cross-legged. Just then, a gentle voice asked, "Are you selling first-grade Nourishing Meridian Pills?"

A young girl in a green dress had stopped in front of Chu Xiaotian's stall.