The Shovel System

Jackie gazes at the smoke columns. He tugs at his white beard and muses, "That group that captured me should have been Condensing Star stage cultivators, one stage higher than my current Foundation Establishment stage, and one stage less than Forming Constellation stage cultivators. "

"That old Twilight should have been a peak Forming Constellation cultivator, no wonder she wanted to invest in me. She can't advance without a compatible dao partner. I believe that old relic couldn't find a partner with a matching constitution, else she'd long have advanced."

He then rubs his glabella, "That's another downside to the Twilight method, advancing to the Condensing Region stage from the Forming Constellation stage requires dual cultivation with a unique and compatible dao partner."

His eyes widen, "Gah, that old grandma wanted to jump my rickety bones!"

Jackie's booty clenches and he glances around then chuckles, "Though, she did have some huuuge..." He smacks his face, "No, no, don't you dare think about it, old man, ahem."

"Well, a little is fine, he he." A dirty look flashes on his face before he refocuses.

Jackie contemplates his next steps, "I cultivate the Shovel Dao, yet I still have to find a dao partner to advance to Condensing region, but that's far from now. I had less than ten years of life left, but advancing has increased my longevity."

He turns his gaze inside, looking at the dark miasma infecting his heart and the tiny shovels that are busy suppressing the deadly infection's growth. "Dadgummit. I've turned my natural heart disease into some strange occult energy. That looks like death energy. It will kill me before I get to take advantage of my longer life. It seems that Basic Environmental Protection is at work, keeping it down in place of my medication, but that energy is battling back as well and evolving. My shovel point expenditure keeps growing."

He opens his palm, then counts with his fingers, "I need to find a godly doctor, someone who can diagnose and treat mysterious cultivator ailments. "

He opens another finger, "I need to practice my Shovel Alchemy Dao, all of my cultivation techniques have to advance in step for me to reach the next level. I'm at the beginning level of the eight levels of Foundation Establishment."

"Strange, my Foundation Establishment is recorded as Shovel Establishment in the system. Must be an error."

"Third, I need to find compatible spells for my various techniques."

He then claps his hands, "Ah, I should avoid getting captured again. If I see other cultivators, best to be careful."

Jackie Lewin straightens up his robe and strides towards the smoke in the distance.

He arrives on the outskirts several hours later.

The village sprawls into the distance with wattle and daub houses situated into groups with shared courtyards next to terraced rice fields. Several fields lay fallow.

Children wearing beast hides of various types are riding giant boars on one field, wielding long hammers that they use to punt a leather ball around. Makeshift goals line the field, and the children compete to knock the ball into the goals.

Another field has juveniles of all ages practicing archery against bamboo targets while gossipping, and a final field has several teens throwing javelins.

The rice fields have several teens and a.d.u.l.ts working and chatting, "That seems so harmonious," whispers the sneaky Jackie.

He looks closer and extends his Shovel Sense outward hundreds of meters, discovering several beginning-level Qi Condensation cultivators patrolling the village or standing watch on towers.

Jackie contemplates this and examines the floating energies in the air and a few of the glowing rice fields, "The spiritual plants and conditions here have birthed a few talents. They probably don't practice any particular cultivation technique. Instead, they have absorbed the spiritual energy in the food and advanced in a similar method to low-rank magical beasts."

"I feel like an eagle with how far I can see now, "Jackie remarks.

He approaches closer and witnesses one of the fellows in the watchtower spot him and then begin shouting to the villagers. The children drop what they were doing and scatter back into the homes in the village while the various warriors of the village converge at the tower, looking out to where the watcher points, and see Jackie's towering, three-meter tall, muscular body approaching.

Jackie sees the young men spreading out and stringing their bows. "They are just kids, barely fifteen." He remarks, popping his neck.

Jackie takes his time and eventually reaches a dozen meters away from the group of wary fighters, prompting one to shout, "Lord Immortal, what brings you to our village? We don't want any trouble!" The young man waves his hand discreetly, causing his cohort to fan out around Jackie.

Jackie pauses and tugs his beard, causing the cautious boys to move like ants on hotplates for a moment, scared of him casting a spell on them.

The three-meter tall old man nods and says, "I've come seeking information. Which sect operates in this area?"

The leader shouts, "Why should we tell you?!" He then cups his mouth and glares at Jackie.

Jackie's eyes dart to the system, willing a purchase of basic celestial stones. He raises his hand, causing the guards to half-draw their bows before their eyes widen.

Celestial stones swell up on Jackie's palm, filling it before spilling off onto the ground, filling the air with clattering noises. Greed blooms on the faces of the teenagers and the leader licks his lips, eyes glued to the growing pile of celestial stones on the ground.

Jackie snaps his hand shut, "This is a small gift for you all. Don't say no, Help yourself." He steps back from the pile.

The leader then turns his piercing gaze to Jackie. He swaggers closser, unafraid of danger, "Leave the rest, and you can keep your life!"

Jackie frowns, that wasn't what he expected to happen! They should gleefully accept him now and respectfully guide him into the village.

He turns his gaze to the surrounding warriors and notices their greedy gazes and new courage. They seem to want to take everything he has.

He dumps the fist full of stones, then says reproachfully, "Is this how you treat visitors?! That's all I've got."

"Shut up, old man!" Counters the leader, "Strip, leave your storage ring."

Jackie is taken aback. His eyes snap open wide, and he is unable to say anything, then, rage. His heart pounds in his c.h.e.s.t while his face grows redder and redder. He says darkly, "I never believed in beating children before today. I'll fix what your parents failed to do!"

He raises his leg, and a phantom shovel appears beneath him. He stomps down.

The boys gasp and draw their bows fully back, showering arrows at Jackie.

Jackie's foot smashes the massive phantom shovel into the ground and craters the land hundreds of meters around, Jackie vanishes from his spot and appears above another massive phatom shovel, stomping down again as the loosed arrows are shredded to pieces from the sudden shockwave from the first stomp. The pressure wave blows out and slams into the c.h.e.s.ts of the boys.

The shockwave from the first shovel stomp blasts the boys tumbling into the air moments before the shockwave from the second shovel stomp smashes into them from the other direction. The sound of snapping bones and crushed ribs fill the air as Jackie arrives at the third phantom shovel.

He pauses, causing the third shovel to fade away. Jackie watches the young men slam and flip several times across the ground, spitting out arrows of blood.

The young man screeches like a pig being slaughtered, sobbing uncontrollably when Jackie finishes disciplining him.

Jackie's stern face gains a bit of ruefulness, 'here I am beating up kids, what have I become.'

He stands the boy back up on his feet, looking at the massive red swelling of his right cheek and his bleeding lips. Jackie shakes his head and says, "Behave! Take me to speak with your elders, see to your rascal friends."

The boy nods, a glint of frightened anger in his gaze as he stutters to his cohort, who lean on each other's shoulders and help each other return to the village.

Shouts of shock sound from various homes, a.d.u.l.ts rush out to witness Jackie following behind the downcast leader of the village hooligans.