"You should give it a go now, Qian'er!" Shen Lexi clasped her hands and looked at her son with expectant eyes.
Shen Liqian nodded.
When his mother cut off her connection with the Lucky Karma Cauldron, Shen Liqian poured his soul into it, connecting with the treasure.
Zhiyin stared at the golden engravings lighting up on the upper rim.
Once again, the circle of reincarnation was mentioned alongside Shen Liqian's previous lives.
She could read his past-life name from Earth, but there were also names she couldn't decipher at all, as though their meanings were too ancient.
A few letters gave her goosebumps, which shocked her inwardly.
Could it be the blood of the Shen Clan or karma from his past life?
Unaware of Zhiyin's findings, Shen Liqian stared at the cauldron.
He'd already filled it with water, and flames once again burned beneath the cauldron, filling it with warmth and fuel.
"I will follow the same method and create a vitality pill," Shen Liqian said, his eyes on Zhiyin.
She nodded after a beat, which raised questions in Shen Liqian, but he didn't ask yet, so Zhiyin's image would remain as pristine as possible in his mother's eyes.
Emperors and Empresses care a lot about their image, I think.
Shen Liqian looked into the cauldron's bubbling water.
Inside, he imagined commanding his five Hydras.
A moment later, he could feel his spirits slithering within the cauldron, ready at his command.
Feels surprisingly easy so far.
I hope I will be able to create pills as good as my mother's without that Yin/Yang effect, so we can boost our people's vitality and help them work more easily.
Throwing ingredients one by one, Shen Liqian easily followed Zhiyin's instructions.
His hydra sealed the blood at the bottom of the cauldron, then pressed the beasts' flesh into it.
It was even easier with the bones, as the hydras compressed them before chewing into perfectly round shells.
Under the flow of Qi, the paste started sliding into the shells, filling them up.
It was then that the Lucky Karma Cauldron stirred and shook.
Its engravings lost their golden light on the upper rim except for a long streak of ancient letters that Zhiyin believed to be a name and title.
The water turned black, and all steam evaporated.
Cold Qi emanated from the cauldron, but with a single glance, anyone present could tell it wasn't cold Qi but something more sinister.
All Qi in the cultivation abode seemed to have died in that single moment.
"What just happened?" Shen Liqian asked.
Zhiyin replied, "Your karma from your past life influenced your alchemy.
"Use your hydra to carefully take out the pill from this dark water."
Shen Liqian followed her instructions.
His hydra slithered along the bottom until it picked up a pill, then it slowly rose to the surface in front of everyone.
As it opened its jaw, Shen Liqian saw the pitch-dark pill resting on the hydra's tongue.
[Death Qi Pill (Transcendent)]
A chill ran up his spine.
Zhiyin narrowed her eyes.
Shen Liqian was stunned.
Meanwhile, Shen Lexi was confused and clueless, worriedly staring at her new friend and her son.
Behind her, Shen Yiren and Shen Jixian opened their eyes.
All Qi in the vicinity had died, so there was nothing to cultivate!
Both stood up.
Shen Lexi noticed them wake.
Both paid respects to their lord's mother, with their hands cupped.
Then they looked at the cauldron and the single hydra peeking out from within.
Just a single glance at the pill inside made them shiver.
Their new cultivation methods made them more sensitive, as both had already connected a single Spiritual Root shaped after their cultivation methods to their Dantian.
"This orb is no good," Shen Jixian whispered.
Shen Yiren nodded.
Shen Lexi clenched her hands and brought them to her chest upon hearing their words.
Shen Liqian's hydra then closed its jaw and gobbled it down!
A second later, its scales turned dark, and its serpentine shape became more sinister, with pitch-dark eyes and sharp horns.
A new system prompt had been added to Shen Liqian's status.
[Intents: Sword Intent(Trace Realm), Sealing Intent(Trace Realm), Death Intent(Trace Realm).]
He'd gained a small understanding of Death Qi and its purpose, obtaining a new intent.
Consequently, his second Spiritual Root was now shaped after the Death Hydra.
It happened so fast that Shen Liqian was the most stunned of the group.
Zhiyin's voice resounded in his mind.
This Lucky Karma Cauldron found out about your past karma and life and blessed you with one of your dominant intents from the past.
I doubt you will ever produce a second pill like that.
That said, Death Qi is not a simple matter.
It's on the same level as the reward for your second main quest—Cosmic Qi Pellet.
And you did it on your own, Liqian.
Your past may hold enough secrets to put me to shame.
Shen Liqian was thankful that she spoke into his mind, as that revelation would only scare his mother more.
That said, he didn't know what to think about Death Qi.
It became part of him easily, and he felt no influence so far.
But he couldn't tell what would happen in the future.
Zhiyin patted his head.
A sword is ultimately a weapon to take lives.
If you continue looking at Death Intent and Qi in such a binary way, you'll turn it into a purely evil concept.
It matters the most how you use your powers, Liqian.
Shen Liqian nodded.
Thank you, Zhiyin.
Don't scare her.
He turned to his mother and forced a smile.
"It seems I haven't created a vitality pill like yours, Mom!
"I wanted to concoct something for the clan… but I selfishly made something for myself instead.
"I will try again another day!
"All is completely fine, as you can see."
He turned to his vassals.
"Sorry for disturbing you guys.
"I can see you have connected your first Spiritual Roots to your Dantians!
"Congratulations!
"Just one more, Jixian, and you will be able to start Spirit Cultivation.
"That's a tough challenge."
His words came out so fast that anyone could tell he was forcing everyone to forget about the Death Qi Pill.
Shen Lexi caught his hand and made him look at her.
She squeezed his hand hard enough to sting.
"Qian'er, don't burden yourself alone.
"We're all here to support you as well.
"I'm not asking you to open up now.
"But when you need someone to talk to, remember that you have us!"
Shen Liqian smiled with unexpected relief and nodded.
"Yeah, I'll remember that."
The knot in his chest loosened.