Qin Shi arrived at the Pengshan Sect in the Southern Wilderness of the Nanhuang Continent with high hopes, having passed the initial recruitment trials. During the spiritual root testing, the examination stone revealed a single water spiritual root, a rare and high-grade talent. However, the mist surrounding the stone carried a dull gray tint, suggesting impurity. Before the elder could make a final determination, Xia Shuangxuan, a young martial master with a pure ice spiritual root and a disciple of the peak master, intervened. He declared Qin Shi’s root tainted by demonic pills, rendering it useless and unfit for discipleship. This single accusation stripped Qin Shi of his chance to cultivate as a disciple, relegating him to the status of a servant on Qianxiu Peak.
For three years, Qin Shi endured a life of grueling labor. He chopped firewood, carried water, and performed menial tasks for Xia Shuangxuan, who served as his direct supervisor. Despite the sect’s rule that servants could practice cultivation if they completed their duties, Qin Shi had almost no free time. His personal servant role required him to attend to Xia Shuangxuan’s every need, from brewing tea to washing clothes by hand in the bone-numbingly cold river behind the mountain. Xia Shuangxuan was meticulous and cruel, demanding river water from the center of the stream to avoid a perceived mossy smell, forcing Qin Shi to endure the freezing temperatures for hours.
The exploitation extended to Qin Shi’s wages. While other servants received double pay and extra rewards, Xia Shuangxuan claimed all of Qin Shi’s silver earnings, promising to return them only when Qin Shi reached the Foundation Establishment stage. Given that Xia Shuangxuan himself was only at the late Qi Condensation stage, this promise was effectively meaningless. Qin Shi attempted small acts of rebellion, such as adding ash to Xia Shuangxuan’s tea, but the young master always detected the sabotage and punished Qin Shi with repetitive tasks. Over time, Qin Shi’s cultivation stagnated at the early Qi Condensation stage, while his only skills became domestic servitude.
The conflict intensified when Qin Shi was caught secretly studying a movement technique. Xia Shuangxuan used this as leverage, forcing Qin Shi to become his personal servant in Mingchan Residence. The arrangement was designed to strip Qin Shi of any remaining time for practice. Qin Shi faced constant humiliation, not only from Xia Shuangxuan but also from other disciples who mocked his tainted root and his status as a laughingstock. One incident involved Qin Shi falling into the river while chasing a floating garment, leading to public ridicule from a group of disciples who taunted his worthlessness.
Xia Shuangxuan’s cruelty was not merely disciplinary but psychological. He mocked Qin Shi’s efforts, telling him that his best was not good enough and that he would remain a servant forever if he did not improve. Despite the despair and physical exhaustion, Qin Shi refused to completely surrender his ambition. He retained a spark of determination, vowing to rise above his circumstances and prove his worth. He believed that one day, he would escape the shadows of Qianxiu Peak and that Xia Shuangxuan would remember the boy he had looked down upon.
The story establishes a stark power imbalance between the talented but abusive master and the oppressed servant with a hidden potential. Qin Shi’s journey is defined by his struggle against systemic oppression and personal humiliation. His tainted spiritual root, which Xia Shuangxuan dismissed as useless, remains a central mystery. The narrative sets the stage for Qin Shi’s eventual transformation, as he continues to endure his servitude while secretly plotting his path to power and redemption in a world where cultivation determines one’s fate.
