Ning's disorienting reincarnation into Ji Ning's body immediately plunges him into the perilous world of the Pure Qi Sect. Sealed in a cave to reach the First Stage of Qi Condensation, he grapples with his new reality and the inherited memories of the original Ji Ning. This forced isolation becomes his genesis, his initial "tutorial," where he masters basic qi manipulation. He tests his new body's superior physical limits and stumbles upon his true golden finger, the status panel. He accepts his transmigration with a surprising calm, deciding that self-reflection and rational adaptation are his strongest starting skills, setting his entire pragmatic survivalist philosophy for the path ahead.

Ning is assigned to spiritual farming, a low-status but essential role. Under the guidance of the wise old farmer Old Zhou, he learns that the sect takes a crushing seventy-five percent of his harvest, yet this mundane task offers a year of safety. He throws himself into the labor, turning his philosophical mindset into practical application. He masters the Small Cloud Rain Technique, essentially learning to cast magic, and discovers his Five Elements affinity gives him extraordinary versatility in spellcraft. He builds a network of connections, from the honest Old Zhou to the ambitious Wei Zhusang, and begins implementing a plan to secure loans, cultivating a reputation as a talented spellcaster to accelerate his spiritual progression.

The immense pressure of reaching the Fourth Stage of Qi Condensation within a year to earn a reward takes a severe toll on Ning. His relentless effort seems futile, leading to a powerful inner demon attack on his mental state. The demon uses his own doubts against him, suggesting his hard work was meaningless and that the world itself favors a destined protagonist. Ning suffers a terrifying qi deviation, feeling his self-control slip away. He nearly loses himself until he anchors his spirit by focusing on the familiar status panel, his connection to his own history. He realizes his efforts have value not just for the goal, but for the journey and self-discovery, allowing him to quiet the demon and emerge with a profoundly strengthened Dao Heart.

Ning's journey begins to parallel and intersect with that of Xiao Fan, a classic xianxia protagonist who attracts endless trouble and fortune. In the high-stakes Outer Sect Competition, Ning skillfully uses his unique farming-based spells and strategies to win battle after battle. However, he is decisively defeated by the naturally talented Qiu Han, who dismisses his efforts as mere "compensation" for a lack of innate strength. Watching Xiao Fan, the supposed iron, battle and defeat Qiu Han, the self-proclaimed gold, Ning realizes the world is truly structured around a protagonist's growth. He chooses not to resent this fact but to leverage it, profiting from bets on Xiao Fan's victories and solidifying his own position as a top-three finisher and a future Inner Sect disciple.