CHAPTER 561: CHAPTER 443 NEW WORLD: MIGHTY LIFTER!_2

Beside him, there were seventeen or eighteen young men just like him, their faces twisted as they soaked in this green liquid.

They howled and groaned, their screams chaotic.

Chen Jichuan also began to howl along with them.

At the same time, he looked around once more.

He saw the metal-crafted edge of the pool, its walls etched with complex and peculiar patterns.

Mere mortals like him, surviving in boiling liquid, must have something to do with these patterns.

Since I’m here, might as well settle down.

The start of this life was evidently strange.

Chen Jichuan simply closed his eyes and began sorting through the memories in his body.

Before long, he had fully understood the background of the borrowed identity in this life.

One Origin Dao Sect.

Dongqi Daoist School.

Mighty Lifter.

...

"So that’s how it is!"

Chen Jichuan finally figured everything out.

The borrowed identity in this life was that of the son of a "River Flipping Warrior" under the Dongqi Daoist School of the One Origin Dao Sect. His name was "Zhou Yan."

His father, "Zhou Zhan," was a "River Flipping Warrior" of the Dongqi Daoist School, assigned by the school to serve the disciple "Wang Pu." The Daoist School officially allowed its disciples to command three Sea-tidal Warriors and twelve River Flipping Warriors, of which Zhou Zhan was one.

Recently, Wang Pu ventured out accompanied by fifteen warriors. Unfortunately, disaster struck, and all fifteen warriors perished; only Wang Pu returned alive.

What happened afterward was unknown.

However, because Zhou Zhan died, his sole heir, "Zhou Yan," inherited his father’s position and was promoted by the school to be recorded as a warrior.

Today was the formal initiation.

Secret medicinal refinement.

Pill infusion of the body.

Jade Liquid bath.

Heavenly hammering.

When Chen Jichuan finished sorting through the memories in his body, his form suddenly rose into the air and landed on the ground. As he looked around, he realized that what he had previously thought was a pool was actually a massive three-legged cauldron several people high.

Beneath it, a true fire flickered and danced.

He then glanced at himself.

His frail body, previously hunched from strain and injuries, had undergone a remarkable transformation inside that cauldron. Now standing at a full two meters, a fresh and robust warrior had been forged anew!

A warrior capable of lifting enormous cauldrons—

"Mighty Lifter"!

...

"What a raw deal!"

In the Dongqi Daoist School, within a peach grove, Chen Jichuan wielded a hoe, laboring away to clear weeds around a peach tree, his head drenched in sweat, feeling utterly helpless.

The start of this life had caught him completely off guard.

The moment he opened his eyes, he found himself inside a massive cauldron.

The next time he opened his eyes, he was already two meters tall and had become the lowest-ranked "Mighty Lifter."

Then, he was assigned to the "Jade Peach Garden" as a "Tree Weeding Warrior." Looking around at his fellow workers in the peach garden, he saw "Water Carrying Warriors" hauling and watering, "Repair Peach Warriors" pruning branches and peaches, and "Cleaning Warriors" sweeping away fallen leaves. Occasionally, female immortal officials could be seen entering the garden, carrying platters and humming cheerful tunes as they picked one jade peach after another.

Warrior, warrior!

Laborer, nothing more.

Warriors like him were no different from servants in the Dongqi Daoist School.

Though they carried the title of "Mighty Lifter," at best, they could exchange a couple of moves with an Innate Cultivator, yet their bulk made them too clumsy. Even those with steel-like physiques ranked as "River Flipping Warriors" or "Sea-tidal Warriors" were merely equivalent to the Qi Refinement Realm.

In the grand scheme of things, they were still cannon fodder.

Zhou Zhan, the father of this borrowed identity, was also a warrior who had long attained the level of an early-stage "River Flipping Warrior," comparable to Qi Refinement cultivators. But as a servant, he was commanded at will by the Daoist disciples, and when faced with danger outside, one misstep led to death.

"This won’t do."

Chen Jichuan muttered as he swung his hoe, contemplating.

He didn’t plan to escape, though.

Within Dongqi’s territory, the power of the Dongqi Daoist School was unimaginable. According to Zhou Zhan, countless nations and Daoist sects in this region relied on Dongqi Daoist School. Any order from the school was absolute and could not be defied.

Had Chen Jichuan remained a commoner, it might have been different.

But now? He had already undergone the warrior transformation ceremony upon entry.

Becoming a warrior was a poor fate for Chen Jichuan.

Yet for ordinary mortals, the ability to become a warrior capable of lifting cauldrons was a dream come true. Serving as a subordinate to Immortal Cultivators offered more prospects than living as a wealthy mortal. At the very least, it carried the hope of longevity. If one were lucky enough to receive some pills and accumulate sufficient merit, they could rise to become a "River Flipping Warrior," a "Sea-tidal Warrior," or even a "Moving Mountain Warrior" or "Sea Filling Warrior." With an extended lifespan, returning to the mortal world would mean the potential to establish a legacy of their own.

The now-Mighty Lifter "Zhou Yan" owed his title to the Dongqi Daoist School’s blessings. His name was already recorded in the "Powerhouse Record." Leaving without permission would be deemed desertion. To preserve order, the school would undoubtedly send people to capture him.

With his current strength, escape was impossible.

"I’ll bide my time for now."

"If it truly becomes intolerable, I can flee later. Even if I’m caught and killed, I’d at most waste a few months and some tens of thousands of Primordial Stones."

Chen Jichuan straightened up, wiped the sweat from his forehead, and, glancing at a female official harvesting jade peaches in the garden, grinned widely.

...

Several months later.

"Zhou Yan, catch this!"

Chen Jichuan looked up to see a jade peach flying toward him. Looking again, he spotted "Repair Peach Warrior" Zhang Yang perched on a tree, grinning down at him.

"Thanks!"

Chen Jichuan caught the peach and thanked Zhang Yang cheerfully.

In the "Jade Peach Garden," each team of warriors had their own duties. As for Chen Jichuan—as a "Tree Weeding Warrior," his job was to remove weeds and tend to the root systems of the "Jade Peach Trees."

Zhang Yang and Zhou Yan had been childhood friends and entered as Mighty Lifters together. Though Zhou Yan was designated as a "Tree Weeding Warrior," Zhang Yang had landed the easier role of a "Repair Peach Warrior." His task was to maintain the peach trees’ branches and fruits, and as long as he wasn’t too reckless, he wouldn’t run out of peaches to eat.

They all understood the principle of sharing the blessings. Zhang Yang and others would eat some themselves and distribute the less-than-perfect peaches to the "Tree Weeding Warriors," "Water Carrying Warriors," and "Cleaning Warriors" like Chen Jichuan.

"Everyone benefits; that’s the way to go."

[Name: Jade Peach]

[Level: First-order]

[Description: Originates from the South Continent. Juicy and sweet, with the ability to nourish the body.]

This "Jade Peach" was said to have originated from the 73rd Dean of the Dongqi Daoist School, who had brought back the seeds of the Jade Peach Tree from the South Continent and spent years cultivating them.

"The first generation plants the tree so the later generations enjoy its shade."

As of now.

The Dongqi Daoist School had 47 "Jade Peach Gardens" containing over 141,000 Jade Peach Trees. Every ten years, the gardens produced tens of millions of jade peaches, enough not only for the school’s own cultivators but also to supply the One Origin Dao Sect.

"Mmm."

"Delicious."

Chen Jichuan devoured the jade peach in just a few bites, exclaiming in delight.

Zhang Yang, perched atop a tree, grinned even wider upon hearing this and called down to Chen Jichuan, "Jade peaches are great for warriors like us. The more you eat, the easier it will be to accumulate merit and advance to ’River Flipping Warrior’ someday."

For newly promoted Mighty Lifters like them, being assigned to the Jade Peach Garden was considered a blessing.

"Absolutely."

"Eating more can’t hurt."

Chen Jichuan nodded vigorously, then looked up at the sky.

Zhang Yang, bored with pruning peaches, was eager to chat when he saw Chen Jichuan willing to talk. He began chattering, mentioning that his father, formerly a Sea-tidal Warrior, had ranked even higher than Zhou Zhan. Both had served under the Daoist disciple Wang Pu, ultimately dying in that disastrous event.

As Zhang Yang continued, he brought up Wang Pu, saying, "Immortal Wang barely escaped with his life. After returning to the school, he advanced to Second-order True Person within just a few months, becoming an elite disciple of the school."

The Dongqi Daoist School had a strict hierarchy.

The lowest-ranked disciples were registered disciples. If they advanced to the Qi Refinement Realm before turning 30, they would be promoted to formal disciples. If not, they would be sent away or demoted to warriors.

Formal disciples remained in the Qi Refinement realm. However, if they failed to advance to True Person by age 80, they would be sent away or become stewards for the school.

Second-order True Persons were elite disciples. If they failed to advance to Third-order Divinity Transformation by age 300, they would become senior stewards of the school.

Wang Pu, only 68 years old, had already advanced to Second-order, rightfully earning the status of an elite disciple.

"Elite disciple."

"If an elite disciple manages to advance to Divinity Transformation by age 200, they are eligible to train inside the One Origin Dao Sect itself."

Zhang Yang’s eyes filled with admiration.

One Origin Dao Sect.

It was the most prestigious Daoist sect in all of Shenzhou.

Sects like Dongqi Daoist School were countless, spread all over Shenzhou. Entering the main sect was the ultimate dream of countless elite disciples.

"One Origin Dao Sect!"

Hearing this, Chen Jichuan’s eyes brightened as he gazed at the ever-changing clouds above. His anticipation grew stronger. He had labored as a warrior in the Dongqi Daoist School for several months now, enduring hardship, all for the sake of entering the One Origin Dao Sect!

...