Chapter 1

Su Han stared blankly at the television in front of him.

"Three days ago, large-scale wild beast disturbances erupted in southern China! Coastal regions suffered severely. Grandmaster Xiao Ma, one of the three Lingneng Sect Masters of the Shencheng Xuntengxie Society, broke his seclusion and single-handedly slew three Wild Beast Kings! Once again proving his overwhelming strength and securing his place among China's top-tier powerhouses."

"Currently! The International Lingnengxie Society has dispatched investigators. If he gains recognition from the International Zongshixie Society, it will undoubtedly confirm that he truly broke through during this seclusion, becoming the second Lingneng Grandmaster in China's modern era after Grandmaster Dama!"

"Ba Zhanshen struck again… claiming the championship of the Europe Beast Hunting Championship! With his indisputable strength, he defended the dignity of the Buffett family before the world! His actions prove his power has advanced yet again—this single move alone is enough to sustain the Buffett family's glory for the next twenty years!"

"The current heir of the American Morgan Consortium has emerged! Traveling across U. S. states, he reigns supreme, showing the demeanor of the top young talent in America. Upon hearing this news, the DuPont Consortium declared that their heir will emerge soon! Does this signal a challenge from the DuPont Consortium toward the Morgan Consortium?"

Su Han's expression was incredibly complex. He had been transported to this world for five hours.

At first, when he realized this world's culture and history were not vastly different from his own, he was thrilled.

He even wondered whether he could use the songs and cultural works stored in his mind to build his own cultural empire.

Isn't that how every transmigration novel goes? The protagonist, upon arriving, immediately sets out on his rise to power.

But after glancing at this world's background, he completely abandoned all such thoughts in his mind.

Although the setting resembled his real world, this was a world of cultivators.

Powerful cultivators possessed everything.

If one wished to enter politics, securing a high position was effortless.

If one wished to enter business, countless investors would gladly pay for every action they took, waving stacks of cash.

If one wished to join the military, simply participating in a few wild beast exterminations—or achieving a high rank in the International Lingneng Competition—would make promotions as easy as breathing.

Cultivation realms are divided into six stages: Lingneng Practitioner, Lingneng Master, Lingneng Artisan, Lingneng Grandmaster, Lingneng Grandmaster, and Grandmaster.

Reaching the Lingneng Grandmaster realm grants considerable influence even on a global scale.

In China's military, one could easily rise to the rank of Lieutenant General.

In business, one could amass billions in wealth within a few years. If one possessed natural talent in commerce, even competing for the title of China's or East Asia's richest person was not difficult.

Of course, if one reached the Grandmaster realm, it goes without saying. A Grandmaster can suppress a nation's destiny—they are the true pillar of a country.

It is not an exaggeration to say: the more Grandmasters a nation possesses, the higher its international standing.

Based on comparisons, Su Han roughly judged that a Grandmaster was roughly equivalent to a nuclear bomb in his previous world.

So now, Su Han felt deeply frustrated.

"F***… in this world, if your cultivation base is strong, obtaining anything is ridiculously easy."

"But conversely, if you have no spiritual energy cultivation, no matter how hard you work to earn wealth, as long as you remain ordinary, it's fine—but if you overstep even slightly, earning over a million, and some cultivator notices, they'll simply devise a scheme and easily seize your fortune."

Su Han felt like vomiting blood. What's the point of being a literary plagiarist here? One misstep and you're dead.

If he had been transported here with cultivation, that would've been fine. Becoming a Lingneng Practitioner would mean entering the martial path and receiving state protection, greatly reducing the chance of encountering trouble.

But now, upon arriving, his body contained not a single speck of cultivation.

You have to understand that nowadays, even high school graduates are required to have cultivated at least to the fifth stage of spiritual energy.

In other words… Su Han now wasn't even as good as a high school student.

No, more accurately, he wasn't even as good as a junior high student—after all, junior high students should already begin cultivation, possessing at least Spiritual Energy Stage One.

One can only imagine how many curses were running through Su Han's mind as he took in the background of this world.

"... According to my memories, I'm a spiritual energy insulator in this world? My dantian is shattered? Emmm… could this clichéd trope really apply to me?"

Su Han recalled the memories in his mind, his expression growing increasingly complex.

Of course, though he was not a Lingneng cultivator, no one discriminated against him.

Spiritual energy insulators in this world were not rare—about two or three per hundred people. In this world, it was considered an incurable condition.

Public opinion generally held sympathy toward spiritual energy insulators, roughly equivalent to how people in his previous world viewed leukemia patients.

Su Han wasn't discriminated against, but was this what he wanted?

He wanted to be able to cultivate.

If he couldn't cultivate, what was the point of even living?

"Heaven! Give me a cheat system, a godlike skill, anything! Just get me out of this useless state… Without cultivation, in this era, I'm doomed…"