Beggar Cultivation System

"W-where are you taking me?!" Bubba asked in horror, seeing that the bamboo-hat man was in god knows where. He tried to get out of Sir Guo's grip, but he realized that his strength was not enough to budge the hands.

"Oh?" Sir Guo raised an eyebrow as he felt the monkey exerting a force equivalent to that of a 4th-Step Foundation Building Stage cultivator. He released his senses and found that the monkey was also a cultivator. "He really is something. Having a monkey pet with cultivation? He's a mysterious person, and so are you."

"Answer me, human!" the monkey shouted in despair. "Please! I want to go back!"

Bubba knew that once Apollo found out he had gone out again and caused more trouble, he would surely receive another punishment! He couldn't take another piece of that red thing! That was just too painful!

He had only taken a couple of steps out of the beggar spot, and now he was in the arms of another old man!

As the monkey struggled to get out of his hands, Sir Guo entered a carriage. "Don't worry, we will meet with your Master again. In the meantime, you should accompany me. I'm also curious how you can cultivate your normal body."

"Help!" Bubba's head popped out of the carriage window. But with a pull, his head was yanked back inside while his desperate cry for help echoed.

The people on the street couldn't help but glance at the carriage where the high-pitched voice was coming from, but no one dared to save the monkey.

I'm done for… I didn't even get to do anything, Bubba thought, his face showing no emotion as he accepted his fate.

…

Qi churned, making the space chaotic and summoning great winds. Then the Qi transformed into giant Water Blades, as thin as a cicada's wings, reflecting like mirrors.

Apollo, floating in front of a twenty-meter-tall Desert Snake Beast with brown, rocky scales capable of withstanding a full-blown attack from a Core Creation Stage cultivator, raised his hand before clenching it into a fist.

Suddenly, the Water Blades surrounding them shot toward the snake.

Sensing the danger, the giant snake opened its mouth, letting out a powerful roar that reverberated through the area. The sound caused the sand around the snake to rise, forming a protective wall.

"That's futile," Apollo muttered, his eyes glinting coldly at the monster.

The Water Disintegration Technique was a skill he had learned back when he was given permission to enter the library of the Great Serpent Cultivation School. He had studied numerous techniques inside, but this was one he used most frequently.

Apollo had already revised it to the point where its strength far surpassed the original. Even the size of each Water Blade was larger than before.

The Water Blades continued their trajectory without any resistance, piercing through the sand wall like a knife gliding through butter before striking the snake hidden inside.

Apollo didn't need to spread his senses to know what was happening within.

After waiting a few seconds, the barrier of sand collapsed, followed by the sound of crashing.

As the dust clouds were blown away by the wind, he saw the Desert Snake Beast lying on the sand, covered in gashes, with blood continuously flowing from its body.

The beggar didn't show any particular emotion, having already expected such an outcome.

Glancing back at where he had come from, he could still see the towering corpses of at least twenty-meter-tall monsters he had slain along the way.

He hadn't bothered to hide his presence, and they had lunged at him every time he stepped into their territory. However, after reaching the 4th-Step Qi Condensation Stage, his strength was far beyond what these Beasts could handle.

Shaking his head, Apollo began walking toward the settlement, which he deemed was almost within reach.

As the surroundings became a blur, Apollo couldn't help but think about his companion. It was a thought that kept returning, and somehow, his heart was telling him that the monkey had done something again.

My senses have improved a lot. Does that also include my sixth sense? Apollo thought with a frown. This was one of the mysteries from his previous life. Instinct or Sixth Sense—the foreboding feeling, the gut feeling—sometimes it was correct, and sometimes it was right.

After coming to this world and becoming a cultivator, he had learned to trust his instincts more and more, especially in battle, where quick judgment against stronger foes was crucial. Apollo believed he wasn't feeling this way for no reason—clearly, Bubba had gone rogue.

"Here I am, thinking that I can trust him," Apollo muttered with a sigh.

After a while of 'walking,' the beggar stopped on top of a rocky hill, overlooking an area below, hidden by other giant rocks.

Flowing through the middle of these canyons was a water stream, seemingly on the verge of exhaustion, though the water continued to flow, even if just a little.

"This is the area," Apollo whispered as he followed the stream's direction.

Narrowing his eyes, his vision zoomed in, and he saw signs of footsteps on the ground beside the stream.

Then, he jumped on top of the giant rocks that protected the place below from the monsters roaming the area. It didn't take him long to come to a stop.

"Found it." Apollo had finally arrived at the settlement. The journey from the city to here had almost taken him a day, though most of the time had been spent flying.

He used the revised version of Hydra Mirage, and his body turned invisible. Besides duplication, invisibility was now one of the main functions of this technique.

Apollo didn't jump down yet, instead observing what was happening below. He saw people huddling together beside the stream, some hugging each other in fear. They wore tattered clothes, like beggars, and were malnourished—a sign that they hadn't eaten well in days.

Silver-armored guards were stationed around the place, and the way they looked at the slum people was pure disgust.

His eyes then moved to a young woman, no older than sixteen, being escorted inside a tent. Her escort even threw her inside like a piece of garbage—though the beggar knew who the real garbage was below.

"Not on my watch." Apollo jumped toward the settlement, but before he could hit the ground, his body slowed until he landed softly.

"Hey! Where do you think you're going?!" one of the silver-armored guards shouted as a kid started running toward the giant tent. However, before he could even cross half the distance, one of the guards appeared in front of him, yanking him to the ground.

"Argh! I… want… to save her!" the kid cried as the guard stepped on his head.

"Save her? You can't even get past me!" the guard barked, his eyes glancing at the slum people huddled together. "Don't try anything funny! Be grateful that we're even spending time on people like you!"

Even a weak*ss guard dared to be this arrogant? Power can really get to someone's head, Apollo sighed, shaking his head.