Chapter 6: Chapter 6: Isn’t This Drinking the Northwest Wind
Source—a topic no one on Cyan Blue could avoid.
Source was everywhere—in the air, in plants and animals, even within metal. It wasn’t a substance, but a form of energy.
It was just like how "heat" was everywhere, something Yang Shen had learned in physics class.
Source was also the foundation of Martial Arts Cultivation. The practice of Martial Arts was a constant process of honing one’s physique, strengthening the body, and extending one’s life by ingesting and digesting the Source found in food, Supplements, and medicine to raise the limits of one’s Life.
The more you trained, the more you could contain. The more you could contain, the better you trained. This formed a positive feedback loop that ultimately allowed one to break through the limits of life.
However, although Source was as ubiquitous as heat, very little of it could be absorbed by Martial Artists. It was like how a person couldn’t just eat fire for energy. That was why things that were not only enriched with Source but could also be absorbed by the human body were so expensive.
A regular milk tea cost ten yuan. With a coupon, it might only be a few. But a Source-enriched milk tea cost at least a hundred, even if its Source content was minuscule.
Beef was thirty to forty yuan a pound, but "High Source meat" from specially cultivated breeds could easily cost several hundred a pound. If it was M9 grade or higher, it was sold by the gram!
Never mind the injections that were essential for the college entrance exams. Even Xu Bamboo used to get them, only recently switching to the more effective "Initial Realm Passage."
Based on the description, Yang Shen was almost certain that the Spiritual Qi mentioned in the rewarded Cultivation Technique was the same as the "Source" required for Martial Arts Cultivation on Cyan Blue.
But now, the *Qi Cultivation Guiding Technique* seemed to be saying...
’Cultivation actually involves absorbing Source directly from the air?’ That must be where the "Guiding" part of the name came from—it guided the energy from the air into the body.
Yang Shen: ’Are you kidding me!?’
’What’s the difference between this and living on thin air!?’
’Wouldn’t that be the equivalent of having a free and endless supply of "High Source" ingredients?’
This path, which completely contradicted everything he’d been taught in school, waged war in his mind.
’Whatever. I should just give it a try first, no matter what.’
’And I should definitely try it at school.’
A cunning thought crossed Yang Shen’s mind.
’That way, if something goes wrong, the school will have to cover the medical bills.’
’Alma mater means "mother school," after all. No need to be polite with your own mom. She can afford it!’
After Yang Shen began circulating his energy according to the technique, it was as if he had already pantomimed the entire process a thousand times in his mind. The various meridians he needed to activate felt as if they, too, had practiced it a thousand times.
In truth, without the system’s direct infusion of knowledge, learning a completely different Power System was no easy task. It would likely take several months, if not longer, just to grasp the basics. But Yang Shen didn’t know this. To him, the Guiding Technique felt as smooth and natural as instinct.
The biggest difference between this Guiding Technique and Martial Arts Cultivation was "stillness." There was no need to strengthen his physique, throw punches, or lift weights. He just had to sit.
Improving his cultivation and absorbing Source just by sitting... it was like he was literally sucking the riches out of the earth just by planting his butt on it.
As he tried, Yang Shen couldn’t help but find the whole situation ridiculous.
’What kind of Cultivation Method is this? This system has to be fake.’
Perhaps because he was restless and filled with doubt from the very beginning, Yang Shen couldn’t get into the right state of mind for the first ten minutes or so. His focus was divided.
But after a dozen minutes, Yang Shen felt both his mind and body grow tranquil, as if he had entered a meditative trance.
His spirit felt remarkably relaxed. Within his hazy senses, it truly seemed like something was being guided...
Though his eyes were closed, he felt as if something was constantly being captured from the air, finally surging into his body and washing over his flesh. A faint, warm current spread through him, but it felt as ephemeral as an illusion...
He didn’t know that behind his tightly shut eyelids, a faint, rosy glow was beginning to circulate.
Unfortunately, the Martial Arts Watch on his wrist started vibrating continuously. He had only been immersed for a moment before he was forced to open his eyes.
’Did I set the alarm wrong?’
As Yang Shen opened his eyes, a barely perceptible flicker of Spiritual Light dissipated from his pupils. No one noticed the sight.
He looked down.
[Qi and Blood Value +0.1]
[Qi and Blood Value +0.1]
[Qi and Blood Value +0.1]
[Qi and Blood Value +0.1]
Five or six notifications had popped up in a row.
Yang Shen was speechless.
In just a dozen minutes, his Qi and Blood Value... had broken the 70-point mark!
He immediately focused on the changes in his body.
’It seems... it really works!’
The young man subconsciously clenched and unclenched his fist.
An accumulated increase of a few tenths of a point wasn’t enough for him to feel a change in his Power from such a simple action.
But the young man felt he wasn’t clenching his fist, nor was he clenching at the air.
He was clenching his own fate, something he could feel in his grasp for the first time in his seventeen years of life.
Finally, it was held firmly in his palm!
’Uncle...’
’I think... I can really support our family now!’
Elated, Yang Shen immediately wanted to continue practicing the *Qi Cultivation Guiding Technique*. Unfortunately, his state of mind was even more turbulent than the first time. To be more precise, he was too excited, and it took him much longer to enter the same state as before.
Yang Shen realized that the efficiency of Martial Arts Cultivation was related to "sufficient physical tempering." Even his PE teacher often said, "You have to actively stir up your emotions. You need a competitive heart to achieve results."
But Cultivation, it seemed, had a great deal to do with one’s state of mind. On the contrary, it required a stable mentality for best results. No fucking around!
His second Cultivation session had a shorter "effective time." Not long after he started, he heard the bell signaling the end of class, but he still managed to gain a [Qi and Blood Value +0.3].
Combined with his previous gain, his value had increased by a full "1" point! It was now at 70.3!
A one-point increase in a single day! At this rate, he would reach the 100-point minimum for Bone Training in just a month!
’No, to be precise, it’s +1 per class period! This efficiency is terrifying!’
’The *Qi Cultivation Guiding Technique* said this method was especially compatible with Four Spiritual Roots!’
’I really am a genius!’
Besides, Cultivation was different from practicing Martial Arts. Strengthening the body was just a side effect. The real difference was the completely different efficiency at which "Source" accumulated within the body.
Yang Shen clenched his fist. He could actually feel that the "Source" he had just absorbed—or the "Spiritual Qi" as the Guiding Technique called it—could be released to a certain degree. An External Output.
It was very faint, but also very real. ’But... what’s the use of this?’
’I went to all that trouble to absorb energy from thin air, just to spit it back out?’
His foundation was probably too weak. He’d only been cultivating for a total of an hour. Just by experimenting with this for a moment, his Qi and Blood Value actually dropped by 0.1. He was so scared he immediately stopped.
’A huge loss! Only an idiot would use External Output!’
Even though it wasn’t a big deal—he could easily absorb it back through Cultivation—he was truly terrified of being poor. The loss pained him as much as if he’d dropped an "Initial Realm Passage" on the ground.
In Martial Arts Cultivation, one had to at least reach the Innate Realm to achieve any kind of "External Output" effect.
Xu Bamboo watched as Yang Shen sometimes closed his eyes as if dozing off, and other times opened them wide, excitedly clenching his fist. No matter how much she tried to look away, her curiosity got the better of her. "What’s wrong?" she asked. "Hand cramp?"
Yang Shen chuckled. "Nope. I just feel like I’ve made some more progress!"
Xu Bamboo thought for a moment. "Well, that’s good."
Then she fell silent again.
Yang Shen was so completely immersed in his own joy that he hadn’t noticed Xu Bamboo seemed out of it all morning.
Of course, he wasn’t a particularly "perceptive" person to begin with.
Kids from poor families couldn’t afford to have such a trait.
It would lead to depression.
Xu Bamboo nudged Yang Shen. "Come on, let’s go to the cafeteria and get an extra meal."
Martial Arts Cultivation required constant eating, even if it was just regular food, so the cafeteria was open all day.
Yang Shen hesitated. Even though he now had the *Qi Cultivation Guiding Technique*, it didn’t change the fact that his financial situation was desperate. In the past, he never joined in on these "extra meals."
He would just drink some goji berry tea.
But Xu Bamboo didn’t give him a chance to hesitate. She started pushing him out like a bulldozer. Her firm thighs were supple, but they were also powerful.
"Come on, let’s go! My treat, I’m starving!"
In reality, she was worried that Yang Shen had bought her breakfast but hadn’t eaten enough himself.
The two of them headed toward the cafeteria, passing through a noisy hallway.
Every classroom was packed with students, all just as boisterous, chattering away as if they had three years’ worth of things to say and not enough time.
In a few unlucky classrooms, the teachers were still holding class late. The doors were shut tight, and you could see rows of bitter, sullen faces through the windows.
Xu Bamboo walked ahead. Afraid that Yang Shen wouldn’t follow, she kept glancing back, until she finally just grabbed the sleeve of his school uniform.
And so they moved against the current of the crowd.
Heading toward the simple kindness she was able to offer.
Because of his substantial gains that day, Yang Shen’s mood had relaxed, and a small smile played on his lips.
Looking at Xu Bamboo’s back, he suddenly remembered something.
’That’s right, I have one chance to check someone else’s "Life Chart" today!’
He immediately used the ability on Xu Bamboo.
’Xu Bamboo is so talented and her family is well-off. She must have a great Life Chart, right?’
"Xu Bamboo: Qi Cultivation, Second Layer."
"Life Chart: Fated to Die Young"
"Fated to Die Young: Possesses remarkable talent, but is unlikely to live to adulthood."
The smile that had just appeared on Yang Shen’s face...
...vanished.
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