The moon hung high, stars sparse in the sky, and the heavy rain had stopped without anyone noticing.
Was it a dream?
Little Xian suddenly tore open his chest with force.
There, at the heart, was an extremely small elm tree mark.
Not a dream!
Little Xian climbed down from the tree stump and desperately dug at the spot his "mother" had indicated.
The rain-soaked and blood-stained soil was quickly dug a foot deep, revealing a jade slip!
"Elmheart Basic Qi Refining Secret Method"
The jade slip emitted a faint glow. Little Xian held it in his arms.
He pursed his lips, wiped away his tears with a raised hand, knelt on the ground, and looked at the Great Elm Tree stump. He wanted to be strong, but couldn't help it as tears slid down again.
After all, he was just a thirteen-year-old child.
After crying for a while, Little Xian wiped his tears dry again, kowtowed a few times to the Great Elm Tree stump, and stood up.
He didn't understand what spiritual root, cultivation, and techniques meant.
But he knew that the woman who looked exactly like his mother had given him unimaginable grace!
Like being reborn!
As if she were his mother!
She was his mother!
"I, Yu Xian, swear that I will avenge you... Mother..."
With a whisper, Yu Xian seemed to grow up overnight. The words his mother left in his mind would never be forgotten!
Holding the jade slip, Yu Xian turned and quickly ran home.
***
The so-called home was actually just a small thatched hut, surrounded by a fence.
In the years his mother was ill, everything that could be sold was sold.
Inside, there was only a plank bed, two stools, and a dining table.
To be honest, the villagers weren't bad.
Little Xian, who lost his parents, was always cared for by the villagers, who gave him food and eggs, and helped mend the house when it leaked during storms.
This allowed the ten-year-old child to stumble through to thirteen or fourteen, able to fish, hunt, gather herbs, and pick fruits on his own.
But today, the soldiers came.
Soldiers, in the eyes of the common people, were figures larger than life!
They wanted to cut down the tree, how could the villagers dare to stop them? Did they have a death wish?
The people only sought stability.
Yu Xian didn't hate the villagers.
He only hated those soldiers who cut down the tree, and the Old Taoist who took away the Great Elm Tree, root and all!
Sitting on the bed, Yu Xian took a deep breath and slowly opened the jade slip his mother left behind.
The first thing he saw was a jade pendant, tied with a green silk thread.
The jade pendant had ancient script on it, reading: Elm Life.
Recalling his mother's words, Yu Xian knew this must be the Life-Saving Jade Pendant.
Though he didn't know its effects, since it was left by his mother, he naturally kept it close.
After some thought, he hung the string around his neck, placing the jade pendant on his chest.
Then, Yu Xian began to seriously look at the jade slip.
"Qi Guiding Chapter"
The three large characters shone brightly.
The world has spiritual qi; all things can guide it, nourish the meridians, clear the organs, expel impurities, refine the spiritual root and bone...
Reading the words, Yu Xian naturally followed the instructions, sitting cross-legged, hands on his knees, relaxing his whole body, focusing his gaze on the center of his brows, and began to sense the spiritual qi of heaven and earth, guiding it into his body.
Before his eyes, a point of white light appeared, followed by specks, then the whole room was filled with a faint white glow.
With closed eyes, Yu Xian clearly saw the spiritual qi of heaven and earth!
However, according to the method, he could see the qi.
But how to gather it into his body?
Though only thirteen, Yu Xian had been living independently for five years since his mother fell ill.
At eight, he stood on a stool to reach the stove taller than himself to cook.
By eleven, he dared to gather herbs on the mountain, set traps for animals, climb high trees for fruits, even encountering large beasts and rolling down slopes, nearly dying.
His heart and courage were long calm.
So, he wasn't anxious.
Continuing to recite the mantra, Yu Xian kept sensing the qi.
The surrounding qi grew more abundant, the room before his closed eyes filled with white light.
The qi danced joyfully, moving everywhere, too much drawn by Yu Xian.
After an unknown time, a few points of white light, seemingly curious, approached Yu Xian, meeting his gaze at his brow.
"Come."
With a feeling, when the water reaches, the channel forms.
Yu Xian gently whispered.
Those few white points rushed forward, directly entering his brow.
Then the rest of the white light in the room surged forward, surrounding him, continuously entering.
A cool, gentle, comfortable feeling filled his body.
Guiding qi into the body.
For the first time guiding spiritual qi into the body, cleansing the mortal body, Yu Xian felt a swelling sensation inside after just a stick of incense.
The Elmheart Qi Refining Qi Guiding Chapter clearly stated, guiding qi into the body, cleansing the body, one must not be greedy, or if the meridians burst even slightly, it would cause great harm, difficult to repair.
Clearly, his mother was also very worried about Yu Xian being greedy, so she wrote it extremely clearly and emphasized it.
However, she worried too much. Yu Xian understood from a young age that one must not be greedy, for greed leads to danger!
Perhaps taking risks can yield great rewards.
But clearly, absorbing a bit more spiritual qi wasn't a great reward, rather the risk was too great, not worth taking.
Therefore, Yu Xian slightly raised his hand and opened his eyes.
The surrounding light didn't diminish, the small hut was still a small hut, without any white glow, just the air was much fresher.
Yu Xian jumped off the bed, feeling his body much lighter, his limbs noticeably stronger, and a layer of faint gray residue on his skin.
Touching the residue, sticky and with an odor, Yu Xian smiled, murmuring, "These must be the impurities in my body?"
The Qi Guiding Chapter mentioned, the human body is full of impurities, covering the spiritual root, blocking the meridians, polluting the qi sea.
Only by continuously guiding spiritual qi to cleanse, transforming into a transparent body, can the qi condense within, retaining spiritual qi and producing various mystical powers.
For instance... spell techniques!
So, though he appeared dirty, Yu Xian was very happy inside.
He ran to the courtyard, easily lifting a bucket of water, his strength more than doubled!
Holding the bucket with one hand, which previously required both hands, Yu Xian's gaze was firm.
He would become stronger, stronger than that Old Taoist!
***
After washing clean, the sky brightened, the sun rising slowly from the east, representing a new day.
It also represented Yu Xian's rebirth.
The Great Elm Tree was cut down.
But Great Elm Village remained unchanged.
Yet the boy had changed greatly.
He could easily gather herbs, hunt, pick mushrooms, wild fruits, and catch fish in the river.
Even with increased strength, he could cultivate the half-acre of mountain land left by his parents, borrowing seeds to plant crops.
He finally didn't have to go hungry, could eat three meals a day... and be full!
***
Day after day.
Unknowingly, a year passed.
The boy was at an age of growth, able to sustain himself and eat well, naturally growing taller, at fourteen or fifteen, only half a head shorter than an average man.
Twice a day, guiding qi into the body, Yu Xian never missed a session.
In the thatched hut, Yu Xian was undergoing the seven hundred and thirty-first session of guiding qi into the body.
The spiritual qi continued to cleanse his body.
But the impurities expelled were minimal, almost nonexistent.
At this moment, Yu Xian's body had transparent meridians, resilient bones, and a faint green spiritual root emitting a gentle glow, connecting from the dantian qi sea to the spiritual platform sea of consciousness.
He had long understood.
His mother used all her spirit power to create this spiritual root for him...
A spiritual root that should only be innate!
And his qi sea was crystal clear, fully capable of condensing qi!
If Yu Xian wished, he could now guide qi into his body while condensing it in the qi sea!
Thus achieving the first realm of cultivation.
The Qi Condensation Realm!
At that point, with spiritual qi at his command, he wouldn't just be stronger and faster than ordinary people.
He could manipulate spiritual qi to perform small spell techniques, even fly a few meters in the air!
But Yu Xian still opened his eyes, not proceeding directly to condense qi.
Condensing qi wasn't like guiding qi.
Gathering spiritual qi into the qi sea to achieve the early stage of the Qi Condensation Realm required full concentration, calmness, and relaxation.
Otherwise, if the qi condensation failed, the massive spiritual qi could become violent, even explode, leaving him severely injured or dead, and his dantian qi sea completely ruined, turning him into a cripple!
This was also the first hurdle in the cultivation world!
So this hurdle, Yu Xian had to treat with utmost seriousness.
He couldn't attempt to break through to the Qi Condensation Realm at home, for if a villager disturbed him, it would be an unimaginable disaster.
Though no longer dirty, Yu Xian habitually washed, then closed the door, picked up the woodcutting knife, and strode out.
Great Elm Village was a mountain village.
Surrounded by mountains, there were only two paths out.
Yu Xian left home, greeted a few villagers he met, and headed straight for the back mountain.
Three months ago, while hunting deep in the back mountain, he discovered a cave, empty and not a beast's lair.
Now, breaking through to the Qi Condensation Realm there was a very safe choice.
Following the path trodden by village hunters, he went forward until the path blurred, heading into the deep forest where villagers rarely dared venture.
Deep in the forest, there were large beasts, poisonous insects, and various unforeseen dangers.
But since guiding qi, Yu Xian's strength and speed surpassed ordinary people.
The village's stone mill, which required two men to move, he could lift alone with effort!
So his confidence naturally grew, daring to venture into the deep forest, where he found the cave.
After walking for two more hours, amidst the wild forest, bird calls, and insect chirps, with dim sunlight, Yu Xian arrived at the cave.
Gazing at the cave, Yu Xian was cautious, gripping the woodcutting knife tightly.
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Three months had passed since he last came; no one knew if a beast had claimed the cave.
But there was no foul smell, nor the presence of tigers, leopards, or wolves, which reassured Yu Xian somewhat.
Yet he couldn't relax!
There were also snakes and poisonous creatures, which liked these dark caves and would make a home there.
Cautiously entering, it was still dry, with no large beasts or poisonous creatures.
But Yu Xian didn't venture deep.
He suddenly realized.
Caves were common in the deep forest.
But a cave so clean, tidy, hidden, and unclaimed by beasts shouldn't exist!
This cave likely had an owner!
Realizing this, Yu Xian turned to leave!
But with his heightened senses from a year of guiding qi, he heard faint footsteps outside.
Such timing!
Just as he decided to leave, the cave's owner returned?
Yu Xian frowned, unsure who was outside.
But it was certain, not a hunter from Great Elm Village, as they wouldn't venture this far.
Going out now meant meeting that person.
And someone who could set up a cave in the deep forest likely wasn't ordinary.
Yu Xian's eyes flickered, gripping the sharp woodcutting knife tightly.
He slowly retreated to the deepest part of the cave.
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