Lin Wuyue's dantian was taking longer than expected to form.
Her spiritual energy was unstable, fluctuating chaotically. She did everything she could to slow her breathing, forcing her spiritual energy to calm down and return to order.
If anyone were to witness this scene, their eyes would widen in shock.
When a person's spiritual energy becomes unstable, they normally require another cultivator to insert their own energy and guide it. Yet Lin Wuyue needed none of that. She only had to concentrate a little harder and relax her breathing further.
Soon, she felt a small vortex forming violently in her lower abdomen.
That meant her dantian was beginning to take shape.
Sweat drenched Lin Wuyue's small forehead, while cold sweat soaked her back. The process was painful.
It felt like filling a jar with water—each drop representing one percent toward reaching the first level of a Spiritual Warrior. The jar had to be filled to one hundred percent.
Most great cultivators began cultivating at the age of five—Lin Wuyue's current age. But for an ordinary child, starting cultivation at that age required immense talent. Emptying one's mind and ignoring intrusive thoughts was something most children simply couldn't do. Even if they managed it, forming a dantian and filling that jar would take three to five days.
Others began cultivating as adults, between the ages of sixteen and eighteen. For a normal person, forming a dantian at that age could take anywhere from three weeks to a month. Those with very little talent might take a year—or give up entirely before succeeding.
That was why most people abandoned cultivation before truly beginning.
But Lin Wuyue was not an ordinary person.
Not much time passed.
The small vortex gradually stopped spinning violently, closing in on itself. Her energy stopped dispersing and stabilized, spreading warmth through her body as a sea of qi formed.
Sensing her dantian circulating properly, Lin Wuyue wasted no time and immediately began cultivating.
She adjusted her meditation. With the high-grade spiritual stones surrounding her and her special physique—enhanced by the Seed—it didn't take long before she felt the first drop of spiritual energy fall into her sea of qi.
1%…
3%…
5%…
Lin Wuyue took a deep breath and allowed the spiritual energy to circulate freely.
8%…
10%…
The more she absorbed, the more spiritual energy gathered around her, washing over her body with a refreshing sensation. Her internal injuries slowly began to heal, easing her discomfort.
25%…
30%…
37%…
She released a long breath. Her exhale turned white, as though the air were freezing—yet she felt no cold at all.
70%…
85%…
92%…
"Almost there," she encouraged herself.
100%.
Lin Wuyue opened her eyes. Her pale green pupils shone brightly, clear and crystalline. It was obvious how much effort it had taken—while cultivating, she had also been forcing herself to heal her internal injuries.
She stood up and removed her inner robe and the cloth strips wrapped around her torso. Examining herself carefully, she saw that her injuries were almost completely healed.
She sighed in relief.
Healing internal injuries had been excruciating.
Just then, her stomach growled loudly.
Lin Wuyue raised an eyebrow in amusement.
"This body… really is weak," she muttered with a soft laugh.
She took out a thick needle from her small pouch and walked toward the underground river. Small fish swam calmly through the shallow water, which still reached her chest.
Holding her breath, Lin Wuyue submerged herself completely and swiftly stabbed a nearby fish. She naturally brought it ashore.
She repeated the process several times, catching eight fish in total.
Only then did she emerge from the water. Her clothes were soaked, but she hadn't removed them before entering. Taking advantage of the moment, she stripped completely and stayed in the water, washing herself thoroughly.
She no longer had scrapes or wounds, but she was covered in dirt and mud. She washed her short black hair several times before finally leaving the river, feeling completely refreshed.
She hadn't lit a fire yet. This was a mine—there were no dry branches, only damp twigs likely carried in from outside.
But Lin Wuyue didn't care.
With the small amount of spiritual energy she had right now, she could only summon a flame the size of a toe—tiny, but sufficient.
After preparing the fire, she stared at the fish for a long moment.
"I don't have anything sharp to clean them or remove the bones…" she muttered dejectedly.
She didn't even like fish to begin with—but this wasn't the time to be picky.
Then her gaze fell upon scattered fragments of spiritual stones nearby. She noticed how sharp their edges were.
A smile slowly spread across Lin Wuyue's soft, chubby face.
She picked one up and used it to cut the fish into pieces.
Anyone witnessing this scene would have collapsed on the spot. Each high-grade crystal fragment was valuable enough to buy a city—yet Lin Wuyue was using it to prepare food.
After eating until her stomach was full, she called out in her mind:
"Why are you so quiet? Shouldn't you be congratulating me for reaching level one? Hmm?"
Her tone was openly sarcastic.
"…"
"Hey, I know I ignored you earlier, but I couldn't talk freely back then. Now that I'm alone, I can talk to you as much as you want."
"…"
Receiving no response, Lin Wuyue frowned and began fiddling with the ring on her pinky. The ring was white, adorned with two engraved serpents—exquisite and delicate.
She examined it carefully.
It was truly a beautiful treasure.
She tried several more times, but the serpent still didn't respond.
Finally, she lay down on the rocky ground and stared up at the ceiling, where countless glowing crystals sparkled beautifully.
Her small eyes grew heavy. And little by little, Lin Wuyue drifted into sleep.