Beggar Cultivation System

At the same time that Apollo and his crew arrived in the desert region where Belthias City belongs—located in the Central Region of the Southern Continent—the Capital City stood as mighty as ever.

The one and only famous Capital City, a place every person on this continent dreamed of setting foot in.

This was where the wealthiest and most powerful lived—nobles and businessmen with influence reaching every corner of the Southern Continent.

But above all those who believed they were at the top stood the Empire.

And in the Capital City, at its very center, the Empire's castle towered high and wide, visible from anywhere in the city. It was built entirely from precious materials and protected by countless talismans and inscriptions crafted by Array Masters. Even the full force of a 4th-Step Core Creation cultivator wouldn't be able to destroy it.

Like a beast in slumber, guards clad in armor from head to toe stood at every corner of the building, their piercing eyes scrutinizing each person who dared to enter—like predators watching their prey.

This castle symbolized the strength of the Southern Empire, and every person born on this continent admired it.

However, one particular person residing inside the castle thought otherwise.

...

In one of the castle's vast rooms, a long table stood at the center, surrounded by dozens of chairs. Paintings and expensive sculptures adorned the walls and corners, but none of it could change the sour mood of the man sitting at the head of the table.

"Master," Kuo called out softly, standing behind his master, who was staring at a piece of paper on the table.

"What?" Master Li asked.

"It's time to go back," Kuo reminded him.

"Go back?" Master Li repeated, slowly glancing behind him with cold eyes. "Everyone already knows what happened back in that sh*tty place. The humiliation has already spread. What do you think is going to happen?!"

"That…" Kuo-Pal hesitated, unsure of what to say.

Ever since their return from Belthias City, Master Li had been in a terrible mood. The only thing keeping him from destroying the castle was the investigation he was currently working on.

Since they had been assigned to investigate Demon activity in this continent, Master Li and the others had no choice but to take the matter seriously—even though part of their visit was meant to be a vacation.

But the deeper they dug into their investigation, the more serious the situation became.

Demon-related activity was always a top priority, especially for ancient Cultivation Sects, making their investigation extremely important.

However, they had only been given a few days before they were required to return and report their findings.

But after reading the document in front of Master Li, everything had changed.

Seeing his disciple stuttering, Master Li shoved the paper into Kuo's chest.

"Here, read this!"

Kuo took the paper and began reading.

The moment he finished, his eyes widened in shock.

"Th-this can't be!" Kuo-Pal exclaimed, his voice trembling.

"Yeah, this can't be!" Master Li snapped as he stood up, glaring at his disciple. "And it's all your fault! If you had just known how to assess your opponent, we wouldn't be stuck here solving the Demon plague in that f*cking region!"

Like a dagger piercing his heart, Kuo's body shivered.

What was written on the paper was another order from the main branch of the Great Serpent Cultivation School, instructing them to remain in this backward place until they resolved the Demon issue in the Desrest Region, the region where Belthias resided.

The original plan was for them to return and submit their report before the Sect sent another group—the 'real' group—tasked with eradicating the Demons. They were supposed to conduct their investigation discreetly and secretly, as their enemies were both cunning and powerful.

The reason Master Li and the others weren't afraid of the Demons finding out about their investigation was that it was expected.

If no investigation team arrived, the Demons would immediately suspect that something was amiss. So, besides conducting an open investigation, they also served as a simple decoy to avoid raising suspicion. Of course, the Demons likely already had their doubts, but not to the extent that they would feel the need to rush their plans.

"No… no… This can't be… I…" Kuo stammered, his eyes trembling.

"This is all your fault. All. Your. Fault," Master Li said coldly. He had no intention of admitting that he was also responsible for this mess. "We are stuck here until we solve this problem on our own. This is a punishment. You know what that means, right?"

Kuo-Pal glanced at his master before nodding slowly.

Low-quality Qi. Low-quality structures.

Everything in this place was of low quality, barely meeting their cultivation needs.

Back in the Middle Continent, Qi was so abundant and pure that one didn't need to put much effort into reaching the Foundation Building Stage. Furthermore, the Middle Continent had precious herbs, treasures, and advanced structures—a true paradise for cultivators, with everything tailored to their needs.

Unlike in this backward place, where cultivation took a backseat to empire affairs.

Master Li let out a heavy sigh as he sank back into his chair.

With a wave of his hand, stacks of papers materialized before him—detailed reports of their investigation. As he began reading, the room fell into silence.

Meanwhile, Kuo's mind was in disarray, his master's words echoing in his head.

It's all his fault. Everything is on him.

They never intended to stay here. Their mission was simply to investigate, not to face the Demons. They could handle one or two, but based on their findings, there were signs of at least five Demons in the Southern Continent.

They needed the real group from the Great Serpent Sect—the ones who were supposed to be here—to eradicate their enemies.

But because of his mistakes, they had now been ordered to handle everything themselves.

"They're being unfair," Kuo muttered from the side. "They know we won't be able to handle everything. So why are they doing this? Just for punishment? It doesn't make sense."

"Finally, you've said something smart." Master Li cast a brief glance at his disciple before turning his focus back to the documents. "The Great Headmaster is the Great Headmaster. He has plans."

"I see… but this isn't necessarily bad, right?" Kuo muttered, seemingly trying to change the subject. He simply couldn't handle the blame anymore. "It means we can let loose. We're in charge, and no one in this poor place will dare to disobey us."

Hearing this, Master Li's eyes brightened, then glinted dangerously.

"You are right."