Beggar Cultivation System

"Are you tired?" Apollo asked, glancing at his mount as he rode on its back. The intense wind caused his long hair and robes to flap wildly.

Bluetooth nodded helplessly, his eyes begging for a moment of rest.

"Alright, you can rest," Apollo said.

Like the words of heaven, Bluetooth's eyes sparkled. Without wasting any time, he tucked his wings and plunged from a thousand meters in the sky straight toward the ground.

Their speed tore through the air, creating a loud whistling sound.

But before they could crash into the sandy ground, the water-attributed falcon spread his wings, slowing their rapid descent. With calculated flaps, Bluetooth, along with the two small riders on his back, landed safely.

The sound of Bluetooth's feet touching the desert sand echoed, followed by Apollo jumping down.

"Here, you can eat this," Apollo said, taking out a chicken leg from his space ring—another one he had bought, this time with a much larger storage area.

Bluetooth happily shrieked. He shook his body, causing a person to fall off his back, before opening his mouth to catch the food.

After just a few bites, he swallowed it whole.

Meanwhile, the moment Don hit the sand, he immediately started vomiting everything in his stomach.

"I… will… never… get used… to this…" Don Blanc muttered between bouts of sickness.

They had traveled for hours from Belthias City to reach this desert, and during the entire journey, Don hadn't dared to move or make a sound. Even the slightest shift could have caused him to vomit—or worse, fall from the ride.

A fall from that height would have meant certain death.

After a few more rounds of retching, Don forced himself to stand, though the sudden movement almost made him puke again. Fortunately, a stream of Qi entered his body, instantly soothing his discomfort. Feeling the purity of the energy, he turned to his master, who was standing beside the resting blue falcon.

"Master… I'm sorry," Don bowed his head in apology.

"You don't have to," Apollo shook his head. "So this is the desert?"

"Yes," Don Blanc looked around. Seeing the dunes, the towering mesas, and the vast sandy landscape, he nodded at the beggar. "This is it."

"You remember your settlement, right?" Apollo asked.

"I remember it," Don Blanc confirmed.

"Good. After an hour of rest, we'll continue the journey," the beggar said.

"O-okay," Don glanced nervously at the water-attributed falcon. But there was nothing he could do except follow his master's orders.

"Don't worry, we'll walk from here on out," Apollo said as he tossed a basket to his disciple. "Eat up."

"Oh, thank you! Thank you, Master!" Don wanted to bow, but knowing that Apollo disliked such gestures, he awkwardly found a spot to eat his food.

Shaking his head, Apollo spread his senses. As a 3rd-Step Qi Condensation Stage cultivator—one who could step into the 4th-Step at any given moment—his ability to detect danger was incredibly sharp. Furthermore, with his unparalleled Qi control, unmatched by any other cultivator, his senses were already on par with those of a Core Creation Stage expert.

This made it easy for Apollo to perceive the dangers lurking around them.

He could 'see' the monsters and beasts hiding beneath the sand. The smallest was about his own size, while the largest could cover an entire street. These creatures resembled the sand-dwelling animals of his previous life, but with terrifying features—most of them were centipede-like, with hundreds of razor-sharp claws.

Some of these beasts were already eyeing them, waiting for the perfect moment to strike.

Of course, Apollo wasn't d*mb enough to let them get their way.

After all, he could easily kill them.

After surveying the surroundings, Apollo sat on the sand and began eating his food.

Fortunately, with just a word, the Filly Restaurant had prepared them a few days' worth of meals.

Although the current Apollo was strong enough to go without food for weeks, eating had already become a part of his life—like a cigarette he refused to put down.

Once Apollo had his fill, he sat beside the water-attributed falcon, using its body as a cushion to relax.

However, deep inside, he couldn't help but think about the monkey he had left behind.

Apollo didn't bring Bubba as a punishment for misbehaving—his antics had led to an altercation with that old man from the Middle Continent.

Having the monkey eat a few Chili of Intelligence in one go wasn't enough, so Apollo wanted Bubba to stay in that corner of the restaurant to reflect on his actions.

Apollo wasn't worried that Bubba would leave the Beggar Spot again—the monkey had already learned his lesson. But he was worried that Bubba wouldn't cultivate.

That monkey was lazy, but Bubba had a cultivation talent almost as fast as Apollo's. So the beggar wanted him to cultivate now rather than waste a few years.

If Bubba could grow stronger quickly, Apollo wouldn't have to worry if another old man from the Middle Continent dared to steal his monkey.

Thinking about that old man, Apollo knew this wasn't the end.

They would meet again for sure.

"Master," suddenly, his disciple's voice broke his thoughts.

"What?" Apollo asked.

"I can feel my body breaking through to the 2nd-Step," Don said.

"Oh?" Apollo raised an eyebrow. Sure enough, he could feel that the Simple Breathing Technique he had taught Don was acting on its own.

The journey of stress and fear must have triggered this breakthrough in the boy's body.

"W-what should I do?" Don asked nervously. He could feel Qi entering his body, tempering his muscles and bones.

It was both pleasant and painful—more so when his bones began cracking.

"Sit down and cultivate the Simple Breathing Technique," Apollo said.

Following the instruction, Don did as his master said. The moment he began cultivating, the surrounding area dimmed, and he saw faint lights—like fireflies on the verge of collapse.

On the side, Apollo observed his disciple. He wasn't surprised that Don didn't know what to do, as the Simple Breathing Technique he had given him was only enough for the kid to reach the 2nd-Step Foundation Building Stage. If Don were a bit more of a genius—like Apollo—he might have a chance to reach the 3rd-Step, though it would definitely take a long time.

Apollo hadn't taught the revised version of the Simple Breathing Technique to Don yet—he wanted the kid to build a solid foundation first.

He had already revised the Simple Breathing Technique to the point where it could take him to the 4th-Step Core Creation Stage, but if Don learned everything all at once, it wouldn't just hinder him—it might even kill him.

Apollo specifically revised all of his techniques for himself, not for others. That meant he had to make slight adjustments every time he taught a technique to Don—or to his soon-to-be disciples.

After a while, Don's tensed expression relaxed, and he successfully entered the 2nd-Step Foundation Building Stage.

There were no special effects on the outside, but inside his body, Don felt a new strength he had never experienced before.