Chapter 1: Stableman

“Low profile! Keep a low profile! I must keep a low profile! Important things need to be repeated three times. I, Zhang Xuan, have always been a humble and low-key person.”Looking at the lines he had just written with water on the table, Zhang Xuan touched his slightly swollen cheek and looked at the chestnut horse in the stable.

“It’s not that I couldn’t beat you, it’s that I like to keep a low profile. I just arrived here and don’t want to get into a dispute with a horse. It wouldn’t sound good if someone knows…”

Zhang Xuan felt much better after muttering to himself.

It had been five years since that battle in the Firmament. During this time, he had learned to create his own universe and rebuilt a new Library of Heaven's Path. It was only after succeeding that he realized all the energy to maintain the new world came from a place called the “Source World”. Once cut off, all the Source Energy would cease, and the entire world would collapse.

Five days ago, the Source World suddenly became restless and severely affected the new world. Even he himself was severely injured due to the essence backlash. To save countless lives and himself, he followed the energy to this place. As soon as he entered, his cultivation was completely sealed by the dense Source Energy, rendering him powerless.

At this moment, he was not only severely injured but also no different from an ordinary person.

Without an identity, he was a vagrant. Vagrants couldn’t shop, stay in inns, and were constantly at risk of being killed or captured. Zhang Xuan was no exception. Shortly after entering White Rock City, he was captured by the Mo family and became a stableman!

A great master of all ages, tending horses was one thing, but being beaten by a horse was embarrassing...

This horse was the mount of Mo Yanxue, the eldest daughter of the Mo family. Its name was Su Shang, and it was less than three years old. It had a fiery temperament and refused to be leased. So it often fought with him over food, leading to numerous conflicts.

For three consecutive days, Zhang Xuan had endured. But enough was enough. On the fourth day, this ruler of a world finally decided to act, and as a result... he was kicked in the face, left with a swollen, panda-eyed face, and even more serious injuries...

“If I weren’t injured, I would definitely kill you...”

He felt a bit more comfortable by rubbing his face with a wet towel. Just as he was worrying about going hungry again, he heard hurried footsteps approaching.

Two figures entered the stable.

A young girl and a man. The girl, about sixteen or seventeen years old, wore a dark green dress. She had an elegant demeanor, and her black eyes revealed a trace of coolness. She was none other than Mo Yanxue, the eldest daughter of the Mo family and the owner of Su Shang.

The man not far behind her was obese, weighing at least two hundred pounds, with triangular eyes and a handlebar mustache... It was Feng Jin, the steward of the Mo family, who had initially captured him.

“Damn!”

Zhang Xuan’s eyelids twitched.

He had tied Su Shang up in a fit of anger due to the beat. If they saw this now, it would undoubtedly cause trouble... Sure enough, upon seeing the horse tied up, Feng Jin’s face turned livid, and he scolded him harshly.

“Zhang Xuan, you lowly servant, how dare you tie Su Shang up? Are you looking to die?”

“I was just tidying up the room and was afraid of disturbing Su Shang...” Zhang Xuan quickly explained.

“Shut up! You’re just a lowly stableman. Just follow the rules. Do you think you have the right to make decisions on your own?”

His eyes turning cold, Feng Jin said, “Let me tell you, the young lady is going to White Rock Academy tomorrow to report and undergo the Source Pool Assessment. Once she passes, she will embark on the path of cultivation and soar to great heights! If anything happens to Su Shang because of you, you couldn’t repay it with a hundred lives!”

Zhang Xuan was puzzled, “Source Pool Assessment?”

Feng Jin replied, “Yes. To cultivate, you must first find the Source Pool within yourself and successfully open it. The young lady has already done so and is qualified to undergo the assessment to become a true cultivator.”

“Noted!” Zhang Xuan quickly took note of the terms “Source Pool” and “Source Pool Assessment” in his mind.

Just as Feng Jin was about to continue speaking, Mo Yanxue suddenly spoke, her voice cold like the striking of iron, “I reward and punish clearly. I won’t randomly give rewards, nor will I intentionally be harsh. Su Shang’s coat is glossy, its tendons strong, and its eyes bright. That indicates you haven’t been mistreating him. However, as a stableman, you didn’t follow the rules and made decisions on your own. If everyone did this, wouldn’t the Mo family fall into chaos? Withhold three days of meals as a warning to others!”

“Yes!” Feng Jin quickly nodded, his face full of flattery. "Miss, you are so generous..."

"He's just a nobody, no need to waste too much effort on him!"

Gently stroking the pink mane of the horse, Mo Yanxue looked at Zhang Xuan and said, "Although autumn has begun, the weather is still hot. You are responsible for fanning and bathing him. If I find out that Su Shang is in a bad mood because of the heat, it won't just be a matter of missing meals. You will be dragged out and beaten to death. I doubt anyone would stand up for a lowly stableman like you."

Zhang Xuan nodded repeatedly. "Don't worry, Miss. I will do my best." Sᴇaʀᴄh the N0ᴠᴇFɪre.nᴇt website on Gøøglᴇ to access chapters of nøvels early and in the highest quality.

After giving her instructions, Mo Yanxue turned and walked out. She had just passed by the stable and was concerned that her mount might be neglected. Seeing that Su Shang was well taken care of, she felt reassured.

Not long after, Feng Jin sent someone with a cart of fine feed. The person delivering it was a servant in his thirties named Wu Xiang, who had been with the Mo family for ten years. He often skimmed off Zhang Xuan’s meals.

Although he was Zhang Xuan’s direct supervisor and usually strict, they had interacted a few times. Unable to contain his curiosity, Zhang Xuan asked, "I heard Steward Feng mention 'Source Pool' and 'Source Pool Assessment' just now. What do they mean?"

"Those are cultivation terms!"

Wu Xiang was usually difficult, but these matters weren’t secrets. Even if he didn’t tell, others could be asked, so he didn’t hide it. "Source Energy is the most fundamental power in the heavens. It can create worlds and change all things with endless power. Such a powerful force is not easy to control and naturally requires special methods..."

After listening for a while, Zhang Xuan understood.

Source Energy was powerful enough to suppress even his cultivation, showing its strength. Ordinary people absorbing it might end up dying instantly, like swallowing concentrated sulfuric acid!

And the Source Pool was the container for this power, similar to the dantian used in the cultivation on the Master Teacher Continent.

"...Source Energy is divided into nine grades, with Ninth Grade being the lowest and First Grade being the highest. The Source Pool Assessment tests the grade of your Source Pool. The higher the grade, the greater your future achievements will be!"

Finally, Wu Xiang sneered, "You don't even know what a Source Pool is. Don't expect to cultivate. Servants are just servants. Don't dream of becoming a phoenix. Although the Mo family doesn't restrict practicing martial arts, privately cultivating without permission will get you executed if caught..."

After sending Wu Xiang off, Zhang Xuan fell into deep thought.

It seemed becoming a master in this world was not as easy as he imagined.

Finding and opening the Source Pool alone was a troublesome matter.

"I need to find a cultivation method first and then modify it to suit myself..."

The Heaven's Path in this world was completely different from the Firmament, rendering the Heaven's Path cultivation methods and the Library of Heaven's Path useless. At this moment, he was in an even more difficult situation than when he first transmigrated to the Master Teacher Continent.

Back then, he at least had the identity of a teacher. Now, he was just a stableman... It was a pitiful thought.

Shaking his head to dispel these distractions, Zhang Xuan casually untied the horse.

“Neigh~~”

Su Shang roared, lifting its front hooves and kicking towards him again.

Clearly, it felt that it had been released too late and was somewhat angry...

"A good man doesn't fight with a horse. I'm not enduring, I'm keeping a low profile..."

As his body swayed to avoid the attack, a thought suddenly came to him.

"Source Energy is equivalent to Spiritual Energy on the Master Teacher Continent. After refining, it can form True Energy... The new world I created also absorbs Source Energy. So, can the refined power be directly used as True Energy?"

This thought, once it arose, was impossible to suppress. With a mental command, the new world Zhang Xuan had created began to operate, and a special source of power spread to his palm.

At that moment, Su Shang's front hooves were just about to land in front of him. Without any hesitation, Zhang Xuan gently pushed forward with his palm, and the power surged out.

Bang!

The air seemed to crack like a whip. Su Shang's large eyes filled with terror, and with a sharp cry, it was sent flying over ten meters. Its neck twisted as it hit the ground heavily, immediately ceasing to breathe.

"D-dead?"

Zhang Xuan's vision darkened, and he felt like crying.

Wasn't he supposed to keep a low profile? How did things escalate so quickly?

But by a stroke of luck, a casual slap had unexpectedly killed the usually arrogant horse...

This was bad, he had caused big trouble!

The eldest miss treated this horse like a treasure. She threatened to kill over a bad mood. If she found out he had killed it, there would be no way for him to leave the Mo family alive.

No, he needed to find a way to escape in advance!