Seeking Fortune and Avoiding Evil in the Cultivation World Chapter 5: Soaring Snake Technique

"This."

Jiang Fan was instantly struck with confusion as he thumbed through the pages, unable to comprehend a single word.

To his eyes, the characters scrawled across the paper resembled nothing more than chaotic, ghostly markings.

In his previous life, he had earned a bachelor's degree and made a living as an educator, instructing students.

Yet, in this current world, he had been reduced to an illiterate.

Aside from his own name, he recognized nothing.

This state of affairs was hardly his fault.

In this realm, where would the impoverished find the chance to study literature?

Literacy was a privilege reserved for those in high positions and the offspring of aristocratic families.

Farmers and fishermen, those occupying the lowest rungs of society, spent every ounce of their vitality just to keep hunger at bay.

Even if the desire to learn was there, the opportunity was nonexistent.

Countless barriers were purposefully placed to ensure the poor remained destitute for their entire lives.

There was simply no path leading upward.

Boom~~

Suddenly, as Jiang Fan’s hand brushed against the book, a radiant golden light erupted from his body, instantly swallowing the volume.

In the following heartbeat, the myriad of characters and illustrations within the book seemed to spring to life, surging into the deepest recesses of his mind. Then, the physical book crumbled into ash and disappeared.

He immediately felt a golden spark manifest deep within his consciousness, and he gave it a mental tap.

A shimmering light screen materialized before his eyes.

[Name: Jiang Fan]

[Life Chart: Great Blessings Equal to Heaven, Attribute: Surviving Great Calamities Leads to Fortune]

[Lifespan: 48]

[Luck Points: 100]

[Cultivation Technique: Soaring Snake Technique (Incomplete), Beginner (+)]

[Skills: Fishing (Beginner (+))]

[Realm: None]

Upon viewing this data, Jiang Fan understood at once that this was an innate power of his Life Chart, allowing him to grasp his current state with clarity.

"I can only live until I'm forty-eight?"

Jiang Fan was left speechless. While he hadn't expected to live forever, he had at least hoped to reach his seventies or eighties.

It appeared he had been too optimistic about his physical health.

As the son of a fisherman, he had suffered from malnutrition since childhood, lacking sufficient food and warm clothing while enduring brutal weather; his body was likely riddled with hidden ailments.

These problems simply hadn't manifested yet because of his youth.

His parents had followed this exact path, working themselves to exhaustion before falling ill and passing away.

If he continued on this trajectory, he would surely follow them to the grave.

"To fix this, I must practice martial arts."

Jiang Fan tightened his grip.

Without question, the Soaring Snake Technique was his greatest acquisition this time, being one of the premier martial arts techniques in this world.

The Soaring Snake was a mythical Divine Beast, a creature of immense power capable of riding the clouds.

This specific Cultivation method had been developed by imitating that beast.

Once perfected, its strength would be profound and terrifying.

However, the manual was fragmented and incomplete.

Had it been whole, its value would have far exceeded an Eighth-Grade Opportunity.

"This technique is truly a treasure."

Jiang Fan felt a surge of excitement, fully aware of how priceless such martial arts techniques were in this world.

Typically, they were guarded by noble clans and martial halls.

For a commoner, even laying eyes on one was nearly impossible.

Even those who managed to join a martial hall had to pay a fortune in silver taels and serve a master for decades just to receive the core teachings.

To learn from a noble family, one usually had to become a servant or a slave.

The scarcity of martial arts techniques acted as a shackle, preventing common people from ever rising above their station.

If word of this technique leaked out, it would surely trigger a disaster he was currently powerless to stop.

Fortunately, that strange energy had just incinerated the manual.

Now, no one else could ever find this technique besides him.

Furthermore, the enlightenment he received had granted him an instant understanding of the local language.

He wasn't an expert yet, but his days of being illiterate were over.

"I have two areas I can develop right now."

"There is the Soaring Snake Technique and my fishing skill."

"Both have plus signs, which means I can use luck points to advance them."

"So, this is what luck points are for?"

Jiang Fan clenched his fist.

The purpose of luck points was finally clear: they could be spent to upgrade his Cultivation and refine his skills; it was an incredible advantage.

While others had to toil through years of practice, he only needed to expend luck points.

The benefits were staggering.

After all, while his Life Chart provided Great Blessings Equal to Heaven, he still required destiny to fuel it.

"But destiny isn't easy to come by."

"The phrase 'surviving great calamities leads to fortune' implies that destiny is earned only by overcoming trials."

"If you fail to survive them, you simply die."

"But if you prevail, destiny rewards you with opportunities."

"In these chaotic times, trials are everywhere."

Jiang Fan realized that gathering luck points might be straightforward: simply surviving in a world where ordinary people struggled to stay alive was a feat in itself.

Just staying alive was a grueling challenge.

"As long as I remain cautious and keep a low profile, I can bypass many dangers and accumulate luck points."

"Then I can use that energy to bolster my strength."

"I gained a hundred luck points just by surviving the encounter with the Dragon King Gang."

"That amount is enough to boost several of my abilities."

Jiang Fan weighed his options for improvement.

By upgrading his fishing, he could catch more fish, earn more wealth, and become the most successful fisherman in Osmanthus Village.

If he managed to hook a Treasure Fish, he would never want for food again.

However, after today, he knew that in a world of chaos, martial power was the only thing that mattered.

Even the greatest fisherman would still be oppressed by the Dragon King Gang.

His hard-earned catch would simply be taken away as a tribute for others.

But with overwhelming martial strength, would the Dragon King Gang even dare to touch him?!

If they attacked, he could simply kill them.

Without power, one could only live a life of submission and humility.

Thus, his path was clear: he had to increase his martial strength.

"In that case, there's no need for further hesitation."

"Soaring Snake Technique, let's begin."

Jiang Fan exhaled deeply and pressed the plus sign next to the Soaring Snake Technique.

Instantly, the luck points on the screen vanished, as all one hundred points were consumed.