5 - Qi

In the end, Tang Han killed the hidden snake, but he wasn't able to acquire its skill.

'Why was I able to get "Ignition" as a skill? Is it because I tricked the wolf into burning its companion?'

'Ah, what a luck...'

Tang Han felt greatly frustrated by his inability to obtain the skill.

But it didn't affect his mood much.

The sun was growing brighter, and birds chirping filled the air. Tang Han was hungry, so naturally, this unlucky hidden snake was about to become his meal.

Tang Han's skills were precise. He tore the snake into pieces using his sharp claws, then performed some well-practiced movements, skewering the cut pieces onto a random branch.

After a few seconds, he moved like lightning, gathering a few more branches before using his new skill — [Ignition!]

"Bzz!"

A small flame sparked from thin air above the branches, and within moments, it grew larger, casting an orange light that reflected off the skewers.

'Ah... when did this become so tiring?'

After using the skill, a wave of dizziness hit Tang Han, giving him a brief headache and making him feel exhausted.

[Qi: 13/0]

After seeing the screen, Tang Han frowned, and remembered: this skill required 5 Qi points per use!

'Ah, unconsciously, I've been avoiding constant Qi depletion...'

[Cat's Claw] was an innate skill, its use didn't consume any Qi, unlike the other two skills.

Only a few minutes passed before the smell of cooked meat spread through the air. Tang Han, who was quite used to random grilling by the fire, found that the snake meat was well-cooked. He couldn't help but salivate when he saw it.

'Ah, this is heaven itself...'

He placed the first skewer in his mouth, savoring the taste. It felt extremely satisfying!

'Hmm?'

While enjoying the meat, Tang Han frowned. He then felt something strange in his teeth with the meat, a warm, tasteless liquid that wasn't blood. He spat out part of it, frowning even more as he looked at it.

'What's this? It wasn't grilled with fire?'

It was a slightly blue liquid, glowing with a strange aura, almost ethereal.

Tang Han would normally be more cautious about such a strange liquid, but his instincts told him it wasn't poisonous, which made him more relaxed.

[You've leveled up!]

[You've gained 2 stat points!]

Tang Han was surprised by the sudden notification and, upon reading it, he found himself speechless.

'I just ate my breakfast, why did that level me up? Could it be related to this blue liquid?'

Thinking it over, this seemed plausible.

[Qi: 13/6]

'I see…'

'I've regained almost half of my Qi by swallowing it!'

'Yes, based on classic Xianxia logic, and assuming I'm a demonic beast, I must have something like a crystal core inside me that allows me to use Qi!'

'Does that mean this liquid is the core of the snake? But why is it liquid?'

'Could it be because it hasn't fully solidified yet? That makes sense! We're both weak beasts...'

Tang Han felt excited, the blue light from the ethereal liquid reflecting in his eyes.

'Yes, this liquid must be the core of the snake!'

'Looking at this logically, cultivators gather Qi from heaven and earth, or by using spirit stones.'

'Following the same logic from the Xianxia — beasts were usually able to grow stronger only by eating strong things; other beasts, high grade spiritual plants, etc... and sleeping, It didn't need anything else.'

Tang Han had a vague sense that his guess was close to the truth, but it wasn't 100% certain.

'As a beast now, will eating my enemies make me closer to them in some way? Could I develop a skill like [Devouring]?'

'My instincts tell me that I could...probably!'

'Devour, yes, I need to devour!'

'Devour this snake and its core, devour all enemies, devour everything!'

A golden light flashed in Tang Han's eyes, shining with a sinister glow. Suddenly, he felt as though his mind had cleared, as if cold water had been poured over him.

In that moment, his fur was soaked in sweat, and a rare expression of fear appeared on his face.

'What was that just now? An animal instinct?'

Tang Han didn't know.

'Calm down, calm down!'

'I need to calm myself first. I'm rational; I'm not a beast driven by instinct.'

'Why am I even thinking like that?'

'The mind is the most important thing.'

Tang Han quickly finished his meal, trying not to think about it too much. He was satisfied with his meal.

Afterward, he distributed his 6 stat points as follows: 2 to defense, 2 to stamina, 1 to attack, and 1 to agility.

[You've added 2 stat points to "Defense"!]

[You've added 2 stat points to "Stamina"!]

[You've added 1 stat point to "Attack"!]

[You've added 1 stat point to "Agility"!]

After adding it, he quickly summoned his [Status].

Name: Tang Han

Level: 5

Type: Ming Forest Cat (Common)

Class: None

Attributes: (Perception), (Wisdom)

Health: 70/70

Mana: 16/10

[Stats]

Attack: 10

Defense: 8

Intelligence: 8

Agility: 13

Stamina: 7

Stat Points: 0

[Skills]

Passive Skills:

- Life Steal

- Assassin's Sense

Active Skills:

- Cat's Claw (Lv4)

- Instant Agility (Lv2)

- Ignition (Lv1)

'Level 5, half the way to 10...and in 2 days!'

Looking at his increased strength, Tang Han nodded with satisfaction.

'The day is still long, should I dive deeper into the forest?'

'But before that...'

Looking at his Qi, Tang Han frowned and remembered his previous thought — how could he increase the speed of Qi's recovery?

[Qi]

Type: Energy

Description:

Qi is the life force present in everything in the world. It can be used in various forms and has no limits.

'The system says Qi is in everything in this world. But I'm just a cat, I have no idea how to use it.'

Tang Han stared at the system screens.

His Qi was limited, easily depleting whenever he used skills like [Instant Agility] or [Ignition]. 

'No, this can't continue.'

'If the number of my skills increases, won't this depletion become a problem? My strength will increase as my level rises, as well as the number of my skills. I need to solve this now!'

Tang Han was naturally cautious.

'Should I increase my intelligence points?'

That option was indeed available. He had already increased his intelligence by 1 point a moment ago, bringing it to 15 Qi points!

'Yes, it's an option, but it won't solve the root of the problem!'

'I can't rely on this small reserve, even if I increase it, it'll still run out eventually!'

'I need to find a way to replenish it continuously.'

'Yes, restoring Qi — that's the key!'

After thinking it over, Tang Han concluded: he had to find a way to recover Qi quickly during combat!

'Where do I start from?'

His mind quickly sifted through all the information he had gained from the system, his past live Xiancia readings, and even his enhanced instincts. Then he stopped at something simple but important: Perception.

'Wait... the Perception attribute, as I remember, is supposed to give me a clear sense of Qi through vibrations.'

'Alright!'

Tang Han slowly felt his thoughts becoming clearer and more focused, heading down the right path!

'...Yes, can't I just do what cultivators do — sit in the lotus position and try to cultivate? Drawing Qi from heaven and earth into my body? Sounds reasonable! But do I have a Dantian? Meridian lines?'

He wasn't sure; after all, he was a beast, not a human cultivator. Did the same rules apply to him?

'Alright!'

'Let's try!'

Tang Han prepared himself for the experiment. But before that, he faced an unexpected obstacle — how to sit in the lotus position with his small cat body. After several amusing attempts, including tripping over his hind legs, he finally managed to sit correctly. His appearance was funny, but his determination was serious.

He took a deep breath and slowly closed his eyes. The cold wind brushed his fur, and the nearby water flowed gently as if nature itself was helping him enter a meditative state.

He imagined Qi as an immense ocean surrounding him on all sides, and all he had to do was extend his hand to take what he needed. He envisioned his body as a small open gateway, waiting for this energy to flood in.

At first, he felt nothing. It seemed as if his mind was swimming in darkness. But gradually, with every deep breath, he began to feel a slight tingling at the tips of his front claws.

'This is it!'

He felt small currents of Qi slowly flowing into his body, like droplets of water, as if they dared to approach cautiously. The more relaxed he became, the more it flowed in.

Suddenly, a new golden screen appeared before him!

[You have acquired the "Cultivation" attribute!]

[Cultivation (attribute)]

Description:

This attribute enables its owner to begin on the path of cultivation toward immortality, making their journey easier and giving them insight into their path as a cultivator!