Worldwide Awakening: My Soul Kinds Are Lost-Chapter 695: Loose Cultivator Protagonist, How Difficult the Cultivation Is_1

In Return Profound Market City, Wang Linchi was currently examining his own identity.

He had seamlessly replaced the main character, becoming the new protagonist: a knight-errant of the Righteous Path.

Naturally, the Green Nether Fairyland also has protagonists. However, compared to those in other worlds, the Fate of a protagonist here isn't about cross-robbery or leading an era. Their duty is much simpler: to kill Karmic Force Practitioners—that is, those who have damaged the world's interests or caused negative impacts.

Therefore, this world didn't have just one protagonist, but three.

They were distributed among the Righteous Path, the Demon Path, and the Loose Cultivators.

The three deal with different targets. For instance, the Righteous Path protagonist handles Karmic Force Practitioners from the Demon Path, while the Demon Path protagonist targets those from the Righteous Path. The Loose Cultivator protagonist, on the other hand, fills any gaps, killing whoever is responsible for such shortcomings in either the Righteous or Demon Path.

He had replaced this Loose Cultivator protagonist. He had actually wanted to replace the Fated protagonist of the Demon Path, but that protagonist was already a late-stage character. If he had switched to that one, he would have been trapped.

A transition of power was imminent, and the old one would be dealt with directly.

Having already become a late-stage character, the number of Righteous Path Karmic Force Practitioners this Demon Path protagonist could kill was quite limited. Individuals at this level had their every move monitored by the Righteous Path, so a fresh start was necessary. Thus, even if Wang Linchi had replaced him, he would have been severely restricted later on.

As for the Righteous Path protagonist, he was already a mid-stage character, no longer competing for resources with his fellow disciples but having become a Sect Leader, constantly growing his Sect to exploit more resources.

While there was still time for that one, replacing him would mean directly going to toil like cattle and horses. In the process of development, one would not only have to strengthen the Sect but also fulfill the tasks assigned by Fate. That entire process would probably age a person by a decade.

He wouldn't even do such work for himself, so how could he possibly help someone else develop their power?

In contrast, this Loose Cultivator was just starting out, his Fate just beginning to take effect.

Currently, he was at the Foundation Establishment Stage within the Demi Immortal Realm, considered a late starter on the path of Cultivation.

However, that didn't matter. In the Green Nether Fairyland, as long as one didn't only have a month or two left to live, there was a significant chance of reaching the Immortal Realm through steady Cultivation. It was more difficult for Loose Cultivators, but the opportunity still existed.

So, Wang Linchi simply swapped the cultivation Realm, changing it to his own Foundation Establishment Stage.

"He was so poor he only had a single Lower-quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragment left on him. If this were the cultivation era of the Qiandao Realm, even top-grade Spirit Stones couldn't compare to a sliver of this Lower-quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragment," Wang Linchi grumbled.

This currency is devaluing way too quickly.

As a Loose Cultivator, my daily work is to set up a stall and earn Immortal Spirit Stone Fragments, isn't it?

I'm at the Foundation Establishment Stage, after all... Alright, in the Green Nether Fairyland, it really doesn't command much respect. There aren't even separate stages for it; they're all lumped into the Demi Immortal Realm.

Wang Linchi recalled for a moment; it was indeed pathetic. If the predecessor he had replaced hadn't been a protagonist, then his lifetime limit would have been the Immortal Realm. Ascending any higher would have been impossible.

Resources had always been the bottleneck choking Loose Cultivators, preventing them from advancing further.

Thus, the struggles and internal competition among Loose Cultivators were actually more severe.

At least, that was what Wang Linchi gathered from his predecessor's memories.

His predecessor made a living by drawing talismans. Fortunately, the effect of Immortal Spirit Stone Fragments far surpassed that of top-grade Spirit Stones. Coupled with the unique constitution of beings in the Green Nether Fairyland, as long as those in the Demi Immortal Realm worked hard, breaking through to the Immortal Realm was still not a problem.

After the Immortal Realm, however, any cultivation resource would require Lower-grade Fairy Spirit Stones—not fragments—and the expenses were astonishing.

The Immortal Realm, unlike the Demi Immortal Realm, cannot be successfully cultivated merely by absorbing Immortal Spirit Stones and circulating Cultivation Techniques. It requires corresponding resources for assistance, followed by the intake and expulsion of Immortal Spiritual Qi. Any single one of these requirements would be unaffordable for someone in the Demi Immortal Realm.

This was also due to the monopoly held by the major Sects.

Only a small amount of resources would flow out from the major Sects, subsequently being snatched up by Loose Cultivators at exorbitant prices.

The resources required by Cultivators in the Green Nether Fairyland mostly came as tribute from the lower realms; resources produced within the Green Nether Fairyland itself were always a minority.

Therefore, the quantity of resources corresponded to the number of Lower Realm gateways occupied by the Sects.

Loose Cultivators couldn't even dream of it, as they simply lacked the capability to occupy a Lower Realm gateway.

The vast majority of Loose Cultivators were concentrated in the Immortal Realm and Immortal Monarch Realm. Upon reaching the Immortal King Realm, they would choose to establish a Sect, developing their own power to gather and exploit resources, and then use these to break through to the Immortal Emperor Realm. At that level, they could occupy a Lower Realm gateway.

Very few managed to reach the Immortal Emperor Realm or above as Loose Cultivators.

Transformation was the problem faced by Loose Cultivators.

However, this matter had little to do with Wang Linchi. He hadn't considered things that far ahead. At most, he had two years before the Merit Giants' invasion arrived, at which point the entire Green Nether Fairyland would undoubtedly descend into Chaos.

What he needed to do now was to introduce something shocking to the Immortals of the Green Nether Fairyland.

For instance, developing something beneficial like a specific genetic variant targeted at their particularly 'crispy'—that is, frail—constitution.

Through this, he could probe the true situation of the Green Nether Fairyland.

If the probing failed, well, he would just switch identities. It wasn't like anyone in the Green Nether Fairyland could track him down.

This kind of thing requires…

KNOCK, KNOCK, KNOCK.

A knocking sound came from the door. Wang Linchi remembered this was a detached courtyard, right? Besides, his predecessor didn't have a habit of making enemies.

Loose Cultivators were mostly cautious and prudent, especially those like his predecessor who had no background whatsoever.

Wang Linchi scanned with his spiritual sense and quickly identified the visitors. However, he didn't pretend not to be home, because the visitors were cultivators at the Golden Core Stage.

In the Qiandao Realm, the Golden Core Stage was already very high, but here, it was at the bottom of the hierarchy.

Therefore, even at the Golden Core Stage, they didn't dare to be too arrogant.

"What is it?" Wang Linchi opened the door and glanced at the group. Each wore a uniform black robe embroidered with a fearsome giant snake.

This was the law enforcement team of Return Profound Market City, privately called the Black Heart Snakes. Their job was to extort and blackmail Loose Cultivators like him. As for maintaining order, generally, they sided with whoever paid more money or whoever had higher status.

His predecessor had always paid the customary fee—ten Lower-quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragments each month, which accounted for one-third of his predecessor's monthly income.

Another third went to Return Profound Market City for the stall, residence, and various other miscellaneous fees.

Adding various personal expenses, raw materials for drawing talismans, and other things, he could only net about three Lower-quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragments each month. Fortunately, this was still enough for Cultivation within the Demi Immortal Realm.

However, upon reaching the Immortal Realm, one couldn't possibly continue living in Return Profound Market City; they would go out to establish their own Immortal's Cave.

"Return Profound Market City is preparing to develop the Yun Xuan Mountain Range. Effective immediately, the city protection fee for each person will increase by five Lower-quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragments," one of them stated coldly.

The Yun Xuan Mountain Range was the area upon which Return Profound Market City relied. It was rich in resources but also extremely dangerous, rumored to be home to lurking Immortal King Realm Magical Beasts.

Yes, in the Green Nether Fairyland, there existed new species known as Magical Beasts, which possessed formidable strength; the Human Clan was no longer the sole dominant race.

"I don't have the money. I only have one fragment left. If you want it, take it. Otherwise, I'll move out," Wang Linchi said, taking out the single Lower-quality Immortal Spirit Stone Fragment he had on him.

The man glanced at it, took it directly, and said, "Make up the shortfall next month. It's not just the protection fee that's increasing; stall fees, courtyard rent, and so on, will all go up."

They certainly wouldn't force people out. They understood that those who lived in the market city were all paupers. Driving away these paupers wouldn't attract wealthy individuals; instead, they would lose a source of income. 𝚏𝐫𝚎𝗲𝕨𝐞𝐛𝕟𝚘𝐯𝚎𝗹.𝕔𝐨𝗺

Even a mosquito's leg is still meat; how could they refuse it?

Unless the person couldn't produce the money for two or three months, indicating they truly couldn't be squeezed further, only then would they consider swallowing them whole—skin, bones, and all. For example, after killing them, their soul and body would be sold to the Demon Path. Any Magical Artifacts they possessed would be used if possible; otherwise, they'd be melted down and sold as materials.

There were good people, too, but they didn't live long. Loose Cultivators leaned more towards the Demon Path, as all were driven by profit.

Loose Cultivators also had their own order, like the market city, which was an order formed by a group of Loose Cultivators. However, this order was relatively weak, and Chaos still existed within it.

"I understand," Wang Linchi replied.

The few Black Heart Snakes turned and left. They weren't worried about Wang Linchi hiding anything; if he couldn't come up with the full amount next time, they would resort to force.

If he failed to pay again the time after that, he would be deemed worthless, driven out, and then ambushed and killed along the way as their 'compensation'.

However, these subsequent actions had to be covert, as they couldn't let the truth be known, or it would cause problems for the market city.