Chapter 10: Chapter 10: Forward into the Darkness
When Chen Yu returned to their place, Ma Xiang was already asleep.
Chen Yu went into his room, sat on the bed, and activated his Life Watch.
A virtual screen popped up. Chen Yu glanced over it, then tapped on one of the options.
Instantly, a bright light flared, illuminating his face.
"Gene identification successful. Cultivation method unlocked."
"Input now?"
A mechanical voice sounded, and Chen Yu gave a slight nod.
"BEEP!"
"Transfer in progress. Please maintain a calm state of mind."
HUMMM—!
A vibration echoed in his mind as a massive stream of information poured into his brain.
Chen Yu closed his eyes, his body remaining perfectly still.
After a few dozen seconds, the mechanical voice sounded again.
"Transfer complete!"
Chen Yu opened his eyes.
Staring at the virtual screen before him, he felt a tremor of excitement.
The cultivation method and martial arts techniques had all been transferred into his mind.
Convenient and fast!
And this cultivation method was different from the basic Primordial Qi Breathing Skill.
It also included spiritual cultivation.
It didn’t just enhance Qi; it also involved spiritual training.
The Primordial Breath Skill only cultivated Qi.
But the cultivation method from the Mercenary Team was more advanced and comprehensive.
From mind to body!
"Starry Sky Breathing Skill..."
Chen Yu closed his eyes and adjusted his state according to the Starry Sky Breathing Skill’s method.
He regulated his breathing—three short breaths, one long one—and emptied his mind. Everything around him gradually faded away.
The Sitting and Forgetting Dao!
To forget everything!
With his breathing regulated and his mind empty, he quickly entered a peculiar state.
It was as if he had suddenly arrived in the starry cosmos, washed over by an endless torrent of starlight.
A warm sensation flooded his senses.
’So comfortable~’
Enveloped in warmth, Chen Yu felt an unprecedented sense of comfort.
It was a comfort that soothed him from body to soul.
But soon, the warmth vanished in a flash, and it was as if Chen Yu had been plunged into a world of ice and snow.
It felt like he was naked, a cold that pierced him to the bone!
Even his spirit felt like it was freezing solid.
The boundless starlight sweeping over him was filled with a supreme chill, freezing everything in its path.
Just as he was about to break, the cold dissipated, and an incomparably scorching heat erupted in its place.
Like an erupting volcano, the intense heat engulfed his entire body.
One second he was in a frozen wasteland, the next he was thrown into a furnace.
After this repeated several times, Chen Yu seemed to find a balance within it.
He continuously adjusted until the sensations of hot and cold vanished, leaving only the gentle warmth.
And at that very moment, Chen Yu’s eyes snapped open.
The instant his eyes opened, a long face appeared right in front of him.
Ma Xiang was standing before him, staring at him. He had no idea when he’d gotten there.
"What are you doing?"
Chen Yu instinctively recoiled.
Ma Xiang blinked. "Brother Yu, I’ve been calling you for ages. If you didn’t wake up soon, I was going to have to drag you to the hospital."
Chen Yu: "?"
"Look outside. Aren’t you hungry?" Ma Xiang pointed at the window. Chen Yu turned his head and saw that it was already dark.
He looked down at his watch; it was 9:35 PM.
He had been cultivating for nearly ten hours on his first attempt.
"I saw you cultivating this afternoon, so I didn’t bother you," Ma Xiang said. "I had no idea you’d go straight until now."
Chen Yu came back to his senses.
His mind felt refreshed.
But his body felt ravenously hungry.
"I got lost in my cultivation and didn’t notice the time," Chen Yu said.
"Come on, get up. Dinner’s ready, we were just waiting for you," Ma Xiang said.
Chen Yu nodded, got out of bed, and left the room.
’Can’t do that again,’ Chen Yu thought to himself. ’Out in the wilderness, I’d be dead meat...’
It felt like only a moment had passed, but it had actually been almost ten hours.
Spiritual cultivation—emptying the mind to enhance Spiritual Power.
It felt great.
But it was easy for things to go wrong.
Of course, this was Chen Yu’s first time practicing spiritual cultivation. He didn’t have full control yet. After a few more tries, he’d be able to manage it.
Spiritual cultivation was a deep form of training, difficult to control!
Breathing cultivation was a simple form of training, easy to perform!
Spiritual cultivation also required a certain foundation.
Through the spiritual cultivation of the Starry Sky Breathing Skill, Chen Yu now understood why the Five Great Federations hadn’t released any spiritual cultivation methods.
One could only begin spiritual cultivation after their breathing cultivation reached a certain stage.
---
"What time did you get back today?" Xu Xiao asked while eating at the dinner table.
"Around ten this morning."
"You went to see the Mercenary Captain. Did he say anything?" Xu Xiao looked at Chen Yu.
"I joined the Mercenary Team," Chen Yu said as he ate.
!!!
As soon as the words left his mouth, the table fell silent.
Ma Xiang and Xu Xiao both stared at him.
"Brother Yu, you really joined the Mercenary Team?!" Ma Xiang looked at him, a little excited.
Chen Yu nodded.
But unlike Ma Xiang’s excitement, Xu Xiao’s brow was tightly furrowed as she watched him.
"Joining the Mercenary Team means going out into the wilderness. Do you know how dangerous that is?"
Hearing Xu Xiao’s words, Chen Yu smiled. "It’s fine. The Mercenary Team operates as a group, so there’s a degree of safety. I’ll be careful too."
Xu Xiao’s reaction was perfectly normal.
Although the Mercenary Team was an official organization, its mortality rate was incredibly high.
Especially during a beast tide, all the Mercenaries in a safe zone could be wiped out.
With such a high death rate, most people wouldn’t want to join. Of course, there were some who were willing.
For Chen Yu, the Mercenary Team was a perfect fit.
At least the risk was far lower than going into the wilderness alone.
His strength was currently insufficient. By joining the Mercenary Team, as long as he could obtain enough Source of Life, his power would grow rapidly.
Looking at Chen Yu, Xu Xiao’s frown deepened.
"Chen Yu, I know I can’t interfere with your choices, but I still think you need to be more cautious."
"If you’re having second thoughts, I can go with you tomorrow to talk them into letting you withdraw. You’re still young, you can go to university. That’s the proper path. I can help you with the tuition, too."
Hearing this, Chen Yu paused, his chopsticks and bowl still in hand, and looked at Xu Xiao.
"Aunt Xu, my family was killed by beasts. I didn’t join the Mercenary Team on impulse; it was a carefully considered decision. The team might be dangerous, but someone has to step forward into the darkness."
"..."
Seeing the serious expression on Chen Yu’s face, Xu Xiao fell silent.
Meanwhile, Ma Xiang grew excited. "Brother Yu, I believe in you! I’m going to go tomorrow too!"
"You dare!"
"If you go, I’ll break your legs!" Xu Xiao glared.
Ma Xiang: "..."
"You think just anyone can go? You can’t even handle a single Level 1 beast. What are you going to do, block them with your head?"
Xu Xiao said coldly, looking at Ma Xiang.
Ma Xiang: "..."
"I’ve already contacted Jingzhou University for you. You’ll go register in a few days. Don’t go getting any funny ideas."
"Xiangzi, you should go to school. University is a fast way to improve your strength. Aunt Xu is right," Chen Yu said, patting Ma Xiang’s shoulder.
"Then, Brother Yu, does this mean we’ll be separated from now on?" Ma Xiang looked up at him, reluctant to part.
"We’ll see each other again. What, are you hoping I’ll die?"
"..."
