The Start Was Ruined, so I Had to Practice as a Rebel.

The most unlucky thing that happened to Su Mu in his life was offending Murong Qing, a member of the aristocratic family. The second most unlucky thing was that his Dantian was deactivated and he was expelled from the Chinese Academy of Education. The third unlucky thing... Was that he discovered that there was a bug in the way of heaven in this world. In a world where cultivation is allowed only after being granted permission, the people's spirit can replace spiritual energy - as long as all the people return to their hearts, heaven will recognize your official position. So he went from being an orphan of a miner to a name that the court was most afraid of mentioning: an unordained anti-thief monk. Others rely on spiritual stones and pills for their cultivation, while he relies on conquering cities and territories. Others get promotions by flattering others, but he gets promotions by relying on divine calamities. Murong Qing thought he had crushed an ant to death. Unbeknownst to him, the ant was gnawing at his foundation.