When the Jiuzhou World first launched, players held varying preferences for the four main occupations. The demonic cultivator and demon cultivator paths proved most popular, collectively accounting for a full seventy percent of the player base.
Daoist Cultivators made up just over twenty percent, while Buddhist practitioners claimed less than ten.
The official forums hosted threads specifically discussing this phenomenon, where players were surprisingly unanimous in their reasoning: in the real world, everyone was a well-behaved, law-abiding, and harmless citizen, so they intended to have a rebellious streak in the virtual world.
As for the truth, those who knew, knew; those who didn't, shouldn't ask. If you asked, the answer was simply that players were bored with the "fairy" trope—seductresses and enchantresses were the new trend.
It was all too realistic to be stated plainly, so it was left unspoken—no malice intended.
As for the Buddhist practitioners…
Best not to mention them. They lost simply by being too serious.
Upon creating an account, players could select their preferred main occupation and would then descend into various regions of the Jiuzhou World to find an NPC and complete the "Opening the Apertures" initiation.
The process was simple and fast. As long as they found the guide NPC, every player would, without exception, display "extraordinary" aptitude and succeed in opening their apertures on the very first try.
Lu Bei had no choice. The twelve Daoist classics in three volumes dictated that he could only be a Daoist Cultivator. Being an NPC template made him uneasy; he wasn't sure if he possessed that "extraordinary" aptitude or if he could master the path in one go like the players.
If he could, all was well. If not, he could forget about everything—he wouldn't even bother putting in the effort.
With a tingling scalp, he opened the first Daoist book and began reading silently, word by word. As the characters and diagrams entered his eyes, a stream of warmth began to swirl in his lower abdomen.
It was working!
"Junior Brother Lu, if you feel the spiritual energy in your body pulsing through the Yangwei and Yinwei meridians, and your blood and qi are surging…"
Bai Jin stood nearby, whispering instructions. Realizing that Lu Bei was a complete novice and likely wouldn't understand, she changed her tune: "Just tell me when you feel something."
Even so, Bai Jin didn't expect Lu Bei to succeed in "Opening the Apertures" on his first try. She had prepared herself for his repeated failures. In her eyes, this Junior Brother had a personality that was too flighty; he lacked focus. If he couldn't calm his mind, he couldn't read the Daoist scriptures, let alone use their mystical essence to stimulate the spiritual energy dormant within his body.
She hadn't pointed this out directly; it was intentional. Letting him fail a few times would temper his character and prevent him from suffering later due to a cluttered mind. She had experience in this—she had made her own disciple struggle through the Daoist scriptures for an entire month.
Across from her, Lu Bei was flipping through the book faster and faster. "Reading ten lines at a glance" was an understatement. In his lower abdomen, the warm vortex of spiritual energy was spinning with increasing speed. After swelling until it could no longer maintain stability, it surged into the Yinwei meridian, causing a sympathetic reaction in the Yangwei meridian.
Lu Bei’s face flushed red, and he slammed the book shut. "Senior Sister, I feel it! It’s coming!"
"What feel… so fast?!"
Bai Jin was stunned for a moment. But while she felt it was inconceivable, Lu Bei showcased his "extraordinary" top-tier cultivation talent. With Yin and Yang balancing each other, the overflowing energy and blood formed the very first meridian in his body.
*Boom!*
A buzzing sound exploded in his ears. Lu Bei’s body trembled, he exhaled a long breath, and turned to give Bai Jin a thumbs-up.
"Senior Sister Bai, I didn't let you down."
"He actually… he really did it…"
Bai Jin saw the truth of his breakthrough and was astonished. Her surprise was twofold: one for Lu Bei, and one for Mo Buxiu, who had now passed on.
Previously, she had truly believed that Mo Buxiu had chosen Lu Bei as a disciple simply because he needed to pass on the Feathering Sect’s legacy, and since his time was running out, he had just picked someone off the street who caught his eye.
"Junior Brother Lu, you’ve done—"
Bai Jin was about to offer some praise, but seeing the irrepressible grin on Lu Bei’s face, she reflexively thought of her own silly disciple who would get complacent at the slightest sign of talent. Her expression immediately turned cold. "Too slow. It took you this long just to open your apertures? If Uncle-Master Mo knew from beyond the grave that your aptitude was so poor, he certainly wouldn't be able to rest in peace."
*He’s already in the little box, how can he have eyes to close?* Lu Bei thought.
Lu Bei coughed into his fist. "Senior Sister, Master said my talent was remarkable and that it would be a shame not to cultivate. I disagreed, so he beat me up."
Out of respect for her elders, Bai Jin couldn't argue, but she was even less willing to see Lu Bei become arrogant. She continued to belittle him. "Poor aptitude is poor aptitude. I have a disciple who succeeded in opening their apertures just by turning a single page of a scroll. Their talent is far greater than yours."
*Really? I don't believe it!* Lu Bei looked skeptical. Success on the first glance was a perk exclusive to players. With the game not even launched yet, where would such a super-genius come from?
"Junior Brother Lu, I know you don't believe me, but the cultivation world has no shortage of those with remarkable talent. Some stand above the masses, but most fade into obscurity," Bai Jin admonished earnestly.
"Thank you for the advice, Senior Sister. I understand."
The warmth of her care was palpable. Lu Bei didn't want to argue anymore; he took the initiative to admit his fault, then turned the conversation. "Senior Sister, now that I’ve finished opening my apertures, I should be diligent and capitalize on this momentum. So, what should I learn next?"
*Rich lady, I'm hungry! Give me some cultivation techniques; I need to learn skills!*
Bai Jin: "..."
Facing Lu Bei’s eager, hungry look, Bai Jin felt a sudden wave of pressure. She hadn't prepared any techniques for after the aperture opening.
Previously, her plan was to let Lu Bei gnaw on the Daoist scriptures for two months. By the time he finished opening his apertures, the Feathering Sect would be mostly restored, and she could teach him properly then.
As for techniques, she could have passed down the methods of the Lingxiao Sword Sect.
But that wouldn't work.
Mo Buxiu had left the Lingxiao Sword Sect privately years ago and had even beaten up the sect master before leaving. Although he hadn't been expelled, the situation was too tangled and complicated.
Furthermore, since Mo Buxiu had established his own sect and passed it to Lu Bei, Lu Bei was, strictly speaking, not a disciple of the Lingxiao Sword Sect. Bai Jin could teach him on behalf of her master, but she could not impart the Lingxiao Sword Sect’s core techniques.
For these reasons, she had entrusted a friend at Dasheng Pass to carefully select excellent techniques, which she had planned to go and retrieve later.
The plan was good, but she hadn't expected Lu Bei to be so fast. He didn't follow the script at all, skipping the aperture opening in the blink of an eye and throwing her foolproof plan into disarray.
"Senior Sister?"
"..."
"Senior Sister, say something!"
Lu Bei urged her, finding it quite amusing to see her stumped.
"Junior Brother Lu, having the drive to forge ahead is a good thing, but cultivation is a matter of tension and relaxation. Your foundation is too shallow; you should focus on stabilizing it."
"And so?"
"No more cultivation for today. I… I will teach you a set of fist techniques first."
"???"
...
Dropping off a fist manual, Bai Jin hurriedly left.
Her destination: Dasheng Pass.
Lu Bei’s aptitude was shocking, rendering her original plan void. To maintain the dignity of a Senior Sister, she had to get her hands on proper cultivation techniques for him as soon as possible.
The faster, the better!
Lu Bei watched Bai Jin leave, shrugged, and opened his updated personal panel.
**Name:** Lu Bei
**Race:** Human
**Template:** NPC
**Level:** 3
**Experience:** 250/900
**Cultivation:** 50/50
**Health:** 70/70
**Main Occupation:** Daoist Cultivator
**Sub-occupation:** Farmer Lv1
**Attributes:** Strength 2, Speed 3, Spirit 5, Endurance 7, Charisma 3, Luck 3
**Evaluation:** Stop worrying about it, what’s there to evaluate!
**[Unread Messages]**
*[You have touched the Daoist classics and unlocked the main occupation: Daoist Cultivator. Cannot be changed.]*
*[You have touched the Daoist classics and comprehended the technique: "Fixed-Sitting Breathing Method". Spirit +1, Endurance +2, Free Attribute Point +1, Skill Points +50.]*
*[You have touched the Daoist classics and comprehended the technique: "Qi-Nourishing Longevity Method". Spirit +1, Endurance +2, Free Attribute Point +1, Skill Points +50.]*
"A once-in-a-lifetime choice for a main occupation, and I only comprehended two skills? This account is a bit of a dud!"
Lu Bei muttered. Both skills were defensive "armor-stacking" types. What was the meaning of this? Was it signaling that he was full of worries and lacked a sense of security?
"Alright then, I choose you."
Lu Bei pulled the "Embryonic Breathing Qi-Supplementing Formula" from the lining of his clothes. His eyes were filled with curiosity and anticipation. "It’s a nondescript name, but since the old man was so cautious about it, there must be something to it."
"Well, I hope he wasn't just losing his mind during his final moments…"