CH 23: Spiritual Beasts
Su Wen, who had been enjoying the coolness of the lake water, was lost in thought, contemplating his future path of cultivation.
Suddenly, his mind buzzed with clarity, and he remembered the Grade 2 stage of all the cultivation techniques he had learned. He saw intricate new layers to his Spirit Cultivation Art, The Dao of the Nine Heavens; the complex fist styles for the next level of Body Refining Technique, The Heavenly Body Fist Technique; and the deeper refinement methods for his Soul Cultivation Technique, Heaven's Will Mantra.
He sat there in a daze for a few moments, allowing the information to settle in. After digesting the knowledge, he realized he could only recall the techniques up to the breakthrough for the next realm realm. After that, everything beyond was a foggy blur. He marvelled at the way this technique works!
"Because of the body refinement, I can now handle more spiritual qi in my body compared to a normal spirit cultivator... but that also means I'll need more resources to break through to the next level."
His thoughts shifted as something suddenly clicked in his mind. He added more weight to the silver rings on his body, his determination unwavering. "Body refinement can continue for twenty-four hours a day. It's time to refine my blood and organs."
For soul cultivation, he would simply need to absorb spiritual qi into his consciousness to enhance his pure soul.
As for spirit cultivation, he needed to keep refining the spiritual qi into liquid form, turning it into an ocean within his dantian. Once that was achieved, he could create his Golden Core.
"Well, there's no need to rush. Take it easy."
He smiled to himself, realizing how busy his day was shaping up to be.
"First, I'll cook breakfast for everyone, then spend some time treating Du Yue. After that, I'll try to merge my intents. Then I'll cook lunch, focus on my intents again, treat Du Yue in the evening... and finally, dinner. Ah, I'm so busy!" He chuckled to himself, shaking his head at the packed schedule.
As he got up from the water, he dressed himself in a new set of clean clothes. After his breakthrough, his charm had naturally increased, and his aura was far more refined, exuding an air of quiet confidence.
Su Wen first made his way to the farm to gather vegetables for his grandparents. He carefully plucked the mortal produce, cabbages, carrots, and gourds, filling his basket with the fruits of the land. Afterward, he moved on to more spiritual fare. For himself, Du Yue, and Little Sparrow, he harvested the finest spiritual fruits and vegetables: Radiant Mistleaf lettuce, Silverlit Starmelon, and Sunflare Tomatoes. Each one pulsed with life energy, reflecting the purity of the land.
After filling his basket with these, Su Wen walked towards his herb garden. His eyes scanned the rows of plants, stopping at a patch where Grade 2 herbs were carefully cultivated for his personal use, herbs essential for his cultivation.
He approached the Sevenfold Spiritvine Herb, where now five of them were growing together. One had six large, glossy leaves, and a newly sprouted one appeared this morning. The remaining four herbs each had only two leaves, indicating they had only been planted two days ago. This herb was called Sevenfold Spiritvine because it grew seven leaves in total before reaching its maximum maturity. Each leaf sprouted one by one, slowly over time.
Su Wen inspected the plants closely. The Spiritvine was crucial for his cultivation, it would refine his blood and organs, especially his meridians, which was essential for his next breakthrough. On the other hand, Du Yue's meridians were in a state of chaos, and the Sevenfold Spiritvine could help stabilize and heal them. Su Wen smiled to himself, already anticipating the benefits for her.
The plant also produced seeds every four days. He would need to wait two more days before he could harvest them for planting.
After gathering all the herbs and spices he needed, Su Wen's face fell when he realized that there was no meat left in his storage ring. Meat was an essential part of his diet, especially for body refinement, and it was necessary for his cultivation regimen.
With a sigh, Su Wen increased the weight of his rings, preparing himself for the run to Five River Village. Treating this as part of his body refinement, he started running, his body naturally adapting to the weight.
As he ran, his thoughts drifted.
In this world, there were many species that were part human and part beast, creatures with beast ears, tails, and other animalistic features. Some even had the ability to transform into full beasts or full humans once their cultivation reached a certain level. Despite their beastly traits, they still considered themselves human, and in the grand scheme of the Immortal Dao, such distinctions were irrelevant.
The species one was born into played no role in the long run of cultivation as it's all about comprehending the Dao. A normal human can have a stronger body than a fully transformed beast-human at the same level; it all comes down to personal cultivation and skills.
'I wonder if there are fox girls in this world, like I used to see in those dramas back in my previous life...' Su Wen thought, his mind wandering briefly. 'Cough, cough, just for educational purposes, of course.'
He shook his head to clear the thoughts, pushing himself to run faster, treating it all as a part of his rigorous cultivation.
In this world, there were also spiritual beasts, wild creatures with no sense of self or awareness, driven only by instinct. These beasts absorb spiritual qi directly from the environment, and as a result, their strength increases rapidly.
However, because of their lack of self-awareness and their violent instincts, they were dangerous to cultivators. Many would avoid them, when possible, as their erratic attacks could result in serious harm or death. These beasts were ranked by grades, starting from Grade 1, equivalent to Qi Refining stage of the Spirit Cultivation, and they were known for their raw power. Though they were dangerous, they were also valuable. Spiritual beasts could be a source of protein, or rather, spiritual qi that cultivators could absorb, either by consuming their meat or refining their body parts into pills.
Su Wen's mind briefly lingered on the thought of the spiritual beasts, but his focus quickly shifted back to his destination.