Sharp ears and clear eyes—
a body completely unburdened.
That was his first sensation.
The second—
a rush of vitality, pure and exhilarating.
The lingering weakness from the demonic invasion, the pain that had haunted him for months—
gone.
Did I… succeed?
Liang Xiao quickly focused inward.
Perhaps because the Special Golden Core was only a single, fragile layer, he didn't feel any increase in strength. That realization pricked his heart with disappointment.
Still, the intricate Formation Diagram woven into the Golden Core remained stable, spinning steadily like a tiny sun anchored in the void.
It didn't dissipate even when he withdrew his consciousness.
That alone reassured him.
It meant his method had worked—at least halfway.
If I can no longer hold True Qi, then perhaps this formation can store it for me, he thought.
Maybe my broken Dantian isn't a dead end after all.
Then, a subtle change caught his attention.
Within the spinning Golden Core, the six inward-folded Qi threads seemed to quiver, as if yearning to stretch further—
to continue weaving.
A bold idea struck him.
Could my Special Golden Core… evolve?
His pulse quickened.
By the current structure, those threads could extend inward, creating new, concentric layers.
Theoretically, it could be woven again and again, expanding as long as True Qi flowed—
like a growing star, layer upon layer.
If I'd finished it completely before… I might never have discovered this!
Excitement flared in his chest. This imperfection was actually a blessing!
Then came the third sensation—
hunger.
A deep, gnawing, primal hunger that twisted his stomach.
His body screamed for food, every cell aching with emptiness.
How long… have I been cultivating?
He grabbed his old, cracked phone and froze.
Three days had passed.
"Three days?!"
Today—was the college entrance examination.
Only twenty minutes remained until the exam began.
His mind went blank for a second before instinct kicked in.
He snatched his admission slip, stuffed pens into his pocket, and bolted for the door.
"Brother—"
"A-Xiao—"
His younger brother and grandfather both looked up in shock.
"I'm going to be late for the exam! You two eat first!"
The words flew out as he opened the door.
"Brother, do you want to take—"
Liang Yuan's voice trailed behind him, but Liang Xiao was already gone.
He shot down the stairs like lightning.
Forty-three floors.
Never in his life had he hated skyscrapers more.
Even descending felt like climbing a mountain in reverse.
Still, his body—lightened by the mysterious baptism—moved faster than it ever had before.
The Special Golden Core worked. But if I want to go further, I'll need resources—
I must get into a Cultivation University or a Military Academy!
He clenched his teeth. Weaving the second layer will require even more True Qi. I can't do that on my own.
As he descended, voices drifted up from the floors below.
"You saw it too, right? That light sphere wasn't an illusion!"
"So strange—what exactly was that?"
"The patrolling Cultivators said there was no trace of evil in the area…"
"What are you talking about? I didn't see anything!"
Liang Xiao froze mid-step.
At first, he'd ignored the chatter, focused only on speed. But now—
Light sphere?
He slowed down, ears pricking sharply.
Thanks to his enhanced senses—and the thin, echoing walls of the slum—he could hear conversations from several floors away.
Piece by piece, the picture formed in his mind.
Three days ago, when his Special Golden Core had anchored—
that was exactly when the "light sphere" had appeared in everyone's consciousness.
Their descriptions matched perfectly.
His breath caught.
That phenomenon… was caused by me?
His heart thudded violently.
Projecting into other people's minds—
that sounded eerily similar to the Small Reflection Phenomenon he'd read about in a rare textbook.
He recalled the line clearly:
"Those of extraordinary talent, upon birth, may manifest a vision visible only to the mind's eye—this is known as the Small Reflection Phenomenon."
It described prodigies born with divine resonance, whose presence imprinted upon the minds of others.
Such cases were so rare that most considered them myths.
But… I wasn't born with it. I created it.
Could a self-devised Cultivation Technique—his Special Golden Core Method—truly induce a phenomenon thought to belong only to innate geniuses?
He almost laughed aloud at the absurdity.
Yet the timing, the effect, the scope—everything fit.
Then… my technique didn't just succeed—it broke the rules.
There was no time to ponder further. He had an exam to catch.
He pushed onward, faster.
As he burst past a landing, an aunt carrying groceries screamed, clutching her chest.
"Oh heavens! Are you in such a hurry to reincarnate?!"
"Sorry! Sorry!" he called over his shoulder, already gone.
He cleared the forty-three floors in barely three minutes, a feat impossible for a normal person.
His body moved with effortless coordination, muscles brimming with quiet power.
Outside, he sprinted through the narrow alleyways of Peaceful Neighborhood, out past the gates, and onto the main road.
He ran like a streak of wind.
Within minutes, he'd covered half the distance to Changlin High School—until a massive intersection loomed ahead.
The red light blinked, counting down.
72 seconds.
"Damn it! Of all times—!"
He checked his phone.
8:45 a.m.
He relaxed slightly. Fifteen minutes left. Halfway there. I can make it.
Only now did the intense hunger return, stabbing through his gut.
Three days without food… no wonder.
He rubbed his stomach and scanned the street, spotting a food cart up ahead.
Without hesitation, he dashed toward it.
"Boss! Three—no, five meat buns! Quick, please, I'm in a hurry!"
"Right away!" The vendor swiftly packed them into a plastic bag. "Five yuan."
Liang Xiao scanned the code, snatched the bag, and began eating on the move.
Each bun disappeared in two bites.
Hot broth, fragrant meat—he barely tasted it, only felt the deep, aching satisfaction of his body being filled.
And then—something strange.
As he swallowed, warmth spread through his chest.
His stomach didn't feel heavy.
Instead, it digested the food instantly.
A faint glow rippled across his skin.
His breath deepened.
And inside the Special Golden Core—
A single wisp of True Qi appeared.
Automatically… refining essence into Qi?
He stopped mid-step, eyes wide with disbelief.
His body was doing it on its own.
The Golden Core spun gently within him, feeding off the energy from the food he ate—
refining it into True Qi as naturally as breathing.
A slow smile spread across his face.
His Special Golden Core Method was not only stable—
it was alive.