The Breakthrough

The weeks of hard labor continued, and my body became stronger with each passing day. However, my patience with the market supervisor was wearing thin. His constant smirks and snide comments grated on my nerves, but I held my tongue, focusing on the task at hand and the ultimate goal of becoming a cultivator.

One fateful day, as I strained to lift a particularly heavy crate, the supervisor approached me with his usual sneer. "You're slowing down, mortal. Perhaps you're not cut out for this after all."

I clenched my fists, feeling a surge of anger course through me. For a moment, I considered unleashing my low Mortal technique on him, but I hesitated. My body was still unaccustomed to utilizing Qi, and I feared the consequences of such an action.

That night, as I lay in my small rented room, I mulled over the day's events and made a decision. I would no longer allow the supervisor's taunts to control me. Instead, I would channel my anger and frustration into my cultivation, using it as fuel to push myself beyond my current limits.

In the days that followed, I redoubled my efforts, focusing my mind and body on the task of cultivating Qi. As I did so, I felt a profound change take place within me. My body, tempered by weeks of grueling labor, seemed to resonate with the energy flowing through me, and I could sense that a breakthrough was imminent.

Then, one evening after another long day of work, I finally achieved what I had been striving for. As I sat in quiet meditation, I felt a sudden surge of power within me, and I knew that I had broken through to the Qi Initiate Realm.

The Qi Initiate Realm was the first true step on the path of cultivation. It represented the transition from a mortal body to one capable of harnessing and manipulating Qi, the vital energy that permeated all things. As a Qi Initiate, I could now utilize Qi to enhance my strength, speed, and senses, as well as to perform basic cultivation techniques.

Emboldened by my breakthrough, I returned to work the following day with renewed determination. When the supervisor inevitably approached me with another round of snide remarks, I finally reached my breaking point.

Channeling my newfound Qi into my fist, I unleashed my low Mortal technique – the Thundering Fist. My punch connected with the supervisor's smug face, sending him sprawling to the ground, dazed and shocked.

The marketplace fell silent, the other laborers and nearby merchants staring in disbelief at the scene before them. Even I was momentarily stunned by the power I had just displayed. The pain from using the technique without proper training was excruciating, but it was worth it to see the look of fear and respect in the eyes of the now-humbled supervisor.

As word of my actions and my breakthrough spread, my status within the marketplace and among my fellow workers began to change. No longer just another struggling mortal, I was now a fledgling cultivator, taking my first steps on a journey that would undoubtedly be filled with trials, tribulations, and triumphs.