"How did it go?" Shen Lexi asked her son once he had entered the kitchen.
Shen Liqian smiled.
"Everyone's full of dreams.
"That's a good sign.
"I have already been inspired by them."
Hearing this, Shen Lexi and Shen Wenwan returned his smile.
Younger generations were the future of the Shen Clan, but older generations would never allow themselves to fall too far behind.
Shen Liqian's cultivation sessions were bound to make waves in the Shen Clan.
"I will now enter my cultivation abode to cultivate.
"If there's anything you or others need, feel free to knock on the door.
"I will react immediately unless I am about to reach a breakthrough."
Shen Liqian said, and once his mother and Shen Wenwan nodded, he turned and walked through the Chief Clan's Manor to the Chief's Cultivation Abode.
Located deep in the basement, the abode itself didn't have any prominent features.
It was much colder here, and no sound came from outside except for a knock at the door.
Stepping on the stone was like stepping on ice.
He welcomed the chill because it kept his mind sharp.
The sound of Shen Liqian's bare feet on stone echoed across the abode, then drowned in the darkness.
In the darkness, he sat in the middle of the abode in a lotus position.
Zhiyin was already curled in his lap.
Shen Liqian summoned his Spirit Seal Sword and unsheathed it.
He set it before him.
[Shen Liqian]
[Age: 18]
[Cultivation: —]
[Body Cultivation: Meridian Awakening Realm(Heart Meridian Awakened)]
[Intents: Sword Intent(Trace Realm)]
[Spirit Cultivation: —]
[Cultivation Method: Sword Claw Cultivation Manual(Mortal), Cosmic Asura Hydra's Twelve-headed and Twelve-Handed Body Cultivation(Transcendent).]
[Spiritual Roots: 1]
Since Shen Liqian had severed his cultivation, he relied only on his intent and body cultivation for now.
His body cultivation was at its first realm, Meridian Awakening Realm, and he had only awakened the Heart Meridian.
It increased his reaction speed to an extraordinary level, thanks to the transcendent bloodline flowing in his veins.
The bloodline of the Cosmic Asura Hydra pushed Shen Liqian far ahead of others.
Awakening all twelve meridians would push Shen Liqian to the next realm, and each awakened meridian naturally increases his cultivation speed.
Shen Liqian didn't come here for that, though.
It was time to learn Spirit Cultivation and prepare his Spiritual Root.
Zhiyin had taught him everything he needed to know, including the Spirit Cultivation method.
He hadn't put it to use yet, so it wasn't listed in his system.
Cosmic Asura Hydra's Twelve Spiritual Hearts.
His Spiritual Root reacted to Shen Liqian's words as he followed the manual of his Spirit Cultivation method.
[Cosmic Asura Hydra's Twelve Spiritual Hearts(Transcendent)]
The reason Spirit Cultivation is so difficult is because it clashes with Dantian Cultivation.
I must calm down my Spiritual Root with my Spirit.
It's difficult since I don't have any control over my spirit yet.
Shen Liqian's spirit was like a small speck hidden behind his heart.
He needed to shape it into himself first.
To grow such a small spirit, Shen Liqian naturally needed Qi.
In most cases, a cultivator's body would clash with the spirit and naturally take the Qi for itself, further making Spirit Cultivation difficult.
In Shen Liqian's case, however, none of that happened.
His body remained still while the Qi of his Cultivation Abode flowed into his small spirit, extending it into a small orb of soul over time.
As Qi stirred around Shen Liqian, Zhiyin's ears perked, and she raised her head.
There was an unusual flow of Qi from one side, which prompted her to check it out.
Leaping out of Shen Liqian's lap, she walked toward the source and focused her senses on it.
In an instant, Zhiyin noticed a hidden seal on the ground!
Cease your cultivation at once, Liqian.
Zhiyin spoke mentally.
Shen Liqian opened his eyes and looked at her.
Turning around, Zhiyin stared into his eyes.
There's an Earth Qi Vein connected to this abode.
An array is wrapped around it, which absorbs the Qi from this abode and the village.
Shen Liqian's heart turned cold.
He had no clue what an Earth Qi Vein was or what it could do.
But anything that sucked out Qi from his village was surely hostile.
"What's an Earth Qi Vein?" Shen Liqian asked as he calmed down.
Zhiyin explained.
If the Qi of a world is not cultivated by its inhabitants, the world itself creates Qi veins, which are a rich source of Qi.
In other words, you could think of it as a Qi reservoir the world has prepared.
Countless methods to leverage such veins have been created across universes.
One method is to connect arrays to them to sustain those veins and use their rich Qi for specific purposes.
"Thank you.
"Someone who has put an array to reverse the flow of Qi out of the abode and village must have plotted against my ancestors.
"This is a scheme of the past."
Just like Shen Liqian had suspected, there were secrets to his clan.
His village was built on an Earth Qi Vein, yet someone decided to reverse that flow and put it to use somewhere else.
"Could it be one of the mountains?" Shen Liqian thought aloud.
Zhiyin nodded.
I don't see anywhere else this Qi could go.
"I see.
"We have found a clue to the main quest.
"But I can't see myself completing it anytime soon.
"I must focus on myself and my clan first.
"We'll leave this Qi vein alone for now."
First, I make us strong.
Shen Liqian closed his eyes, unwilling to let Zhiyin change his mind.
If he tinkered with this Qi vein, dangers could befall his clan before they were ready to face them.
She smiled and returned to his lap.
A few hours later, the Spirit Seal Sword across from Shen Liqian stirred.
Zhiyin's eyes went wide.
Has he not only calmed his Spiritual Root but also begun using his Spirit to sheathe the Spirit Seal Sword?
Shen Liqian's task was to grow his spirit first, then sheathe his sword in his spirit so that he could begin preparing to turn it into his Spiritual Root.
He achieved it without external help, relying only on his will.
What a little monster you are, Liqian.