Wild cultivation begins with wielding the Taiyin talisman.

"He probably won't wake up... Please... There's only one Rejuvenation Talisman left, and we'll need more when the Calamity strikes..."

A muffled female voice came from near and far.

"But he's still a child, he can't—otherwise, how am I supposed to explain this to his father!"

It was a male voice, sounding very excited, and very loud.

"What will happen to this calamity? How will you, me, and everyone else survive?"

The female voice questioned, growing clearer and clearer. A faint white light began to appear before Ning Che's eyes, as if he were rising from an ocean.

"Just one more, the very last one—look, he's awake, look!"

The pain of being torn apart by bullets seemed to have just passed a second ago, yet it also seemed to have already gone far away. Ning Che regained a sliver of consciousness and suddenly opened his eyes.

The first thing I saw was adobe walls plastered with hay. I could smell the musty odor of the hay mixed with the bitterness of herbs—strange, but not unpleasant. The rough linen blanket brushed against my neck, making it itch. The wooden plank bed beneath me was slightly uneven, digging into my back.

His gaze swept across the entire house—a cramped mud hut with only a bed and a low wooden cabinet. Two people stood in the direction of the door, unarmed, so it seemed they hadn't fallen into enemy hands.

He secretly breathed a sigh of relief.

"He's awake! Look! He's really awake!"

A burly, long-haired man suddenly lunged at the bedside, his eyes red-rimmed, so agitated he seemed about to jump up. He was the owner of the male voice from earlier. At the same time, memories flooded his mind like a tidal wave, causing Ning Che to feel a vague pain.

Shizhu Village, Shi Yong...

Almost instinctively, Ning Che called out softly, "Uncle Shi Yong—" Then, he slightly raised his eyes and saw the wall covered with dry grass and the coarse cloth clothes on Shi Yong's body. He quickly realized his situation and asked, "What happened to me?"

Before Shi Yong could answer, a woman's voice came from the doorway: "Who knows what's wrong with you? You're disobedient and playful! I've told you so many times not to go to the old stone pillar, but you wouldn't listen. Now look what's happened, you fell into the ditch and have been lying there for seven days. We can't wake you up no matter what we do."

Ning Che sat up and looked in the direction of the sound. Standing at the door was a woman with her face painted with strange patterns.

Shaman Shi Ying...

Many images flooded his mind, and Ning Che's thoughts became somewhat chaotic. He lowered his head and raised his hand to press his temples.

Seeing this, Shi Yong quickly explained for Ning Che, "That old stone pillar has stood there for who knows how many years, and it has never shown any unusual activity. If it were me, I wouldn't have expected it to suddenly start glowing that day, or that there would be such danger—I don't know what changes it has undergone, I just hope it doesn't affect us."

Shi Ying said coldly, "The situation of the old stone pillar has been reported to the mountain guardian, and we expect to have results soon."

At the same time, Ning Che looked at his hands and feet and made various small movements. The sensations were incredibly real, making him believe that he had truly entered another body.

He looked around but didn't see a coat, so he tried to get out of bed. But even though he had inherited the original owner's memories, the wooden shoes still made him feel a little uncomfortable.

After speaking, Shi Ying left on her own, leaving only Shi Yong by the bedside. He looked at Ning Che, scratched his head, and leaned down to ask softly, "Shall I get you something to eat?"

Ning Che then assessed his condition: he didn't feel particularly hungry or weak, only his limbs were a little limp. But upon hearing that he had been unconscious for seven days, he nodded. This was clearly not an environment suitable for receiving intravenous glucose; he had probably gone too far with hunger.

After Shi Yong left, Ning Che tried to get out of bed and walk around, sorting out the large chunks of memory that had suddenly appeared.

This place is Shizhu Village within the territory of Feihu in the Great Xia Dynasty. The two people we just saw are the village leaders: the woman is a shaman, and the man is a hunter—the leader of the hunting team. Together with the previous hunter and the current village chief, Shi Gu, these three are in charge of all affairs in Shizhu Village. They all share the surname Shi and are nobles recognized by the Great Xia Dynasty who can represent Shizhu Village.

Feihu wasn't a lake, but the name of a city. In my memory, it was a magnificent city, standing majestically amidst the blazing flames, a symbol of the Great Xia's authority. "Cultivators" frequented its heartland; some could tear tigers and leopards apart, others could fly and disappear into the earth…

Cultivation!

Ning Che was momentarily excited; as expected, transmigrating brought good fortune. But he quickly calmed down—because this matter seemed somewhat distant to him:

Apart from the three people surnamed Shi, the rest of the villagers were considered lowly, not even reaching the level of "common people," having only given names and no surnames. For example, Ning Che's original self had only the given name "Xing."

"Star? That doesn't sound like a villager's name."

Ning Che thought carefully, and countless scenes immediately flooded his mind: a rugged man wearing an animal skin coat said that the highest things in the world are the sun, moon and stars, and that his son, Shi Meng, even if he cannot be the blazing sun and bright moon, should still shine like a star in the sky.

Father? No, it was the original owner's father...

Emotions surged forth with his memories, like a torrent crashing into his heart. He dared not think any further, yet for a moment he could not find peace.

At the same time, Shi Yong strode in carrying a large wooden bowl: "The cooked rice is still a bit hot, rest for a while before you eat. I have to go hunting. If you feel unwell, go find Shi Ying."

As he spoke, he placed the large bowl on the bedside table. With Ning Che's reply, he walked out of the room in a few steps.

Ning Che then looked at the bowl of "vegetable-cooked grain": the wooden bowl was filled with a green paste, and when he brought it close to his nose, he couldn't smell anything. He habitually tested the temperature with his lips, and at the same time, memories of the vegetable-cooked grain and many other foods surfaced uncontrollably.

Ning Che calmed his thoughts while waiting for it to cool down a bit. For him, information about this world and this body was of course necessary, but the uncontrollable, surging memories were like an illness, pulling him into another life.

As his thoughts wandered freely, Ning Che gradually relaxed, and his headache subsided.

The saying goes, "Since you're here, make the best of it." Just like when he's on a mission, he's never afraid of unfamiliar environments and is prepared to face any daunting challenges.

Besides, cultivation—what a beautiful word! Physical training and muscle building can't compare to becoming an immortal.

After indulging in daydreams about the future, the porridge in front of him had cooled down considerably. Ning Che tried a sip. It wasn't bad, but it wasn't particularly tasty either; it just lacked flavor. However, he was already used to eating compressed biscuits with cold water, so he didn't find it difficult to swallow. This kind of bland food was perfect for organizing his thoughts while eating, which was one advantage.

"It's definitely a benefit!"

Ning Che suddenly realized something: 'This star's father's surname is Shi, so why doesn't he have a surname?'

Trial grounds, trials, recognition, cultivation... not qualified enough?

As his memories gradually pieced together the reason, Ning Che frowned: In this world, cultivation is not something everyone can do. And in Shizhu Village, only cultivators can bear the surname Shi, be recognized by the clan, and be buried in the clan's ancestral land after death.

The Shi family is a noble family in Feihu City, and Shizhu Village is a branch that once separated from the Shi family. Children in the village can go to the clan's territory in the city to participate in trials after they turn nine. If the clan approves, they will be given cultivation resources. Those with exceptional talent can stay in the city and become members of the main branch. However, the original owner of this body, like most people in Shizhu Village, lacked the aptitude. "Forcing myself to try cultivation would probably only be a waste of resources!"

The "clan member" was arrogant and spoke with utter disdain. Even though five years had passed, the memory still made Ning Che feel as if he were there. Resentment surged up uncontrollably. If it weren't for this, the original owner's father wouldn't have ventured deep into the wilderness in search of a spiritual item and then disappeared there.

However, Shi Meng ventured deep into the wilderness in search of a spiritual treasure, ultimately ending up with his fate unknown. This demonstrates just how rare these cultivation resources are. It is only natural that the Shi family would not grant such resources to a branch family member with mediocre talent.

Ning Che wasn't sure if this resentment stemmed from the original owner's emotions or from the actual loss of his interests. But compared to blaming fate, there were more pressing matters at hand.

He raised his hand and touched his limbs, chest and abdomen. His skin was smooth and intact. There was no bone fracture from falling into the ditch, not even a scratch.

Was the seven-day ordeal really due to falling into a ditch? Or was it because of that old stone pillar that suddenly started to glow?

And then there's Shi Ying's line, "There's only one Rejuvenation Talisman left, and we'll need it again when the drought strikes"—to save him, this village has already exhausted most of its strength that allowed it to withstand the natural disaster.

He disdained the path of cultivation that relied on begging for favors. But he had to shoulder the responsibilities of the two healing talismans he owed, the life and death of the village, and the secret hidden in the old stone pillar.

Having just arrived in this world, his first step begins now.