Chapter 5 Cultivation in Progress

Ye Xiruo opened her eyes and found herself lying on the same familiar bed, the garments on her body unchanged. However, the transformation was palpable within herself. She had metamorphosed from a frail, spindly figure reminiscent of a bean sprout to something more closely resembling tender tofu. True, she remained as slender as ever, with scarcely an ounce of fat on her bones, but her complexion had taken on a new radiance, now fine, white, and smooth to the touch. A frown creased her brow as she contemplated how on earth she was going to account for this remarkable alteration to Aunt Wang. She propped her chin in her hands, a look of consternation clouding her features.

And then there was the matter of that imposing tome, the "Myriad Medicine Canon". Why hadn't it accompanied her out of that mysterious space?

"You can access the 'Myriad Medicine Canon' by harnessing your spiritual power," the system chimed in helpfully. "Given that your performance has scraped by, just about meeting the mark, you are being rewarded with a fundamental cultivation method, the 'Ten Thousand Woods Art'."

At once, Ye Xiruo delved deep into her consciousness. Sure enough, within the golden expanse of her sea of awareness, the once solitary miniature gourd had fragmented into a multitude of tiny compartments. There, nestled within two of these cubicles, lay the two coveted manuals.

Without a moment's hesitation, Ye Xiruo reached for the "Ten Thousand Woods Art" and began to pore over its contents. After all, as the old saying went, sharpening the axe never delayed the task of chopping wood. In her current predicament, cultivating to safeguard her very existence was of paramount importance!

By the time she had finished perusing the technique, her eyes were alight with a mixture of excitement and wonder. It was truly astonishing! Even though it was but a basic art, it held the potential not only to enhance her physical constitution but also to gradually transmute her into a Qingyang Constitution. Little did she realize that she already possessed the apex Qingyang Constitution, only to have it concealed beneath a powerful seal. What's more, this wood-based technique was not only efficacious for mending wounds but could also supercharge her farming efforts, doubling the efficiency!

Though she was aflame with the desire to commence her cultivation immediately, she knew it was far from practical. What if Aunt Wang were to make an appearance? How on earth would she explain her newfound activities? It would be far wiser to bide her time until nightfall and then retreat into the space to engage in her practice. There, by the side of the pool, perhaps she could make swifter progress.

Just as she was mulling over these thoughts, the faint echo of footsteps reached her ears, drifting in from the yard. Ye Xiruo's heart skipped a beat, and she swiftly lay back down. Panic seized her. What was she to do? The changes in her were so blatantly obvious.

"Xiaoliu, Xiaoliu," Aunt Wang's voice rang out, tinged with both urgency and elation. Had something untoward happened?

"Aunt Wang, I'm here," Ye Xiruo called out, her voice betraying a hint of nervousness.

The door swung open, and Aunt Wang entered, as was her custom, clutching a bamboo basket. It scarcely needed stating that it was laden with sustenance intended for Ye Xiruo.

"Eh? Xiaoliu, you look a great deal better," Aunt Wang exclaimed, reaching out to gently caress Ye Xiruo's delicate white hand, her eyes filled with admiration.

Ye Xiruo cleared her throat, feigning a cough. She really did feel infinitely better. "Well, Aunt Wang, I happened upon a pill tucked away in the hidden compartment of Daddy's study. I inadvertently swallowed it, and then, lo and behold, I was suffused with a warm glow, and my wounds seemed to heal up almost miraculously."

"This time you were lucky, child. But you must never, ever do this again. Not to mention that there are pills out there that are downright poisonous, but these elixirs are crafted for immortals. For us mere mortals to consume them, it could spell disaster – our bodies might just burst asunder. Silly girl, you must take the greatest care not to put yourself in harm's way."

Ye Xiruo nodded vigorously, her head bobbing up and down like a metronome. It felt indescribably good to have someone fuss over her and express genuine concern.

"Look at us, chatting away like this. You must be famished. Hurry up and eat while it's hot," Aunt Wang urged, reaching into the basket and extracting a bowl of creamy egg custard, half a glistening braised fish, a steaming bowl of savory meat, a small plate of tangy pickled vegetables, and a bowl of fluffy white rice.

Ye Xiruo rubbed her fingers together, anticipation gleaming in her eyes. Today's meal was positively sumptuous. Then, a flicker of self-consciousness crossed her face. It was evident that the people here didn't enjoy an abundance of wealth. "Thank you so much for going to all this trouble, Aunt Wang."

"Silly girl, what are you talking about? Your Brother Tiesheng returned from the sect yesterday. He brought back an armful of game. I was so busy yesterday that I couldn't make it over. Now, hurry up and eat."

Ye Xiruo heaved a sigh of relief. She wouldn't have to concoct an explanation for her absence. What a relief! Then she tucked in with gusto and, before long, had eaten her fill, her stomach pleasantly full.

After partaking of several meals, Ye Xiruo had come to the realization that Aunt Wang's culinary skills were, at best, passable. However, it seemed that the quality of the ingredients more than compensated for any lack of finesse in the cooking. Everything here, it appeared, tasted divine with even the simplest of preparations. It seemed that she was in for a treat in the future.

"Did Brother Tiesheng come back on some sort of mission?" Liu Tiesheng was one of only two individuals in the village endowed with spiritual roots and had managed to gain entry into the immortal sect. Although he was merely an outer disciple, he still wasn't at liberty to descend the mountain at will.

"I heard that Luoxia Valley had issued a mission, and it just so happens to be in our very own back mountain. Tiesheng took it upon himself to accept it and dropped by to visit me and his father on his way."

"Aunt Wang, you're truly blessed. Things are bound to get better and better for you," Ye Xiruo said with a warm smile.

Finally, as night draped its inky cloak over the village, Ye Xiruo meticulously secured the doors and windows and then, in a flash, slipped into the space. She sank down beside the spring, adjusted her posture with care, and embarked on her cultivation. The first step, known as "Drawing Qi into the Body", entailed coaxing the spiritual energy to meander through all the meridians of the body, thereby forging a continuous cycle. Once this cycle was successfully established, the path of subsequent cultivation would be considerably smoother.

Ye Xiruo focused her entire being, straining to sense the elusive spiritual energy. She activated the incantation, her brow furrowed in concentration, attempting to draw in the minuscule green specks that she had managed to detect only with great difficulty. After what seemed like an eternity but was in fact a quarter of an hour, a wisp of spiritual energy as fine as a hair finally found its way and commenced its journey along the prescribed route detailed in the "Ten Thousand Woods Art".

The human body was a labyrinth of countless meridians. The disparity between superior and inferior cultivation techniques lay in the number of meridians they could unlock. The more meridians that were opened, the swifter the cultivation pace and the more robust the physical form. The technique furnished by the system dictated that the first stage involved opening thirty-six major acupoints, the second stage one hundred and eight medium acupoints, and the third stage three hundred and sixty small acupoints. With each acupoint breached, one's strength would incrementally increase. Eventually, all the acupoints would be interconnected to form a flawless internal cycle.

Ye Xiruo's tenuous wisp of spiritual energy, as thin as a hair, predictably petered out before it could even prise open a single acupoint, dissipating harmlessly within her body. But Ye Xiruo was not one to be deterred. She gritted her teeth, her fingers clenching the incantation tighter, and pressed on. She simply didn't have the luxury of time. It was a do-or-die situation.

Gradually, Ye Xiruo's cultivation tempo accelerated. She was now able to draw in greater quantities of spiritual energy, which pounded mercilessly at the acupoints. Although each impact was accompanied by a searing pain that lanced through her, Ye Xiruo's resolve only strengthened. If one wisp of spiritual energy wasn't sufficient, she'd marshal three. If three fell short, she'd summon ten.

After an hour of unrelenting effort, the first acupoint finally yielded. The spiritual energy roared through like a tempest, surging towards another acupoint. Throughout the long night, Ye Xiruo managed to open five acupoints. Her overall spirit and vitality had soared. Her large, black eyes glowed with a liquid light that was captivating, impossible to look away from.

Standing up, Ye Xiruo felt the power coursing through her veins. A smile tugged at the corners of her mouth. Her face was still youthful and innocent, but the aura she now exuded was impossible to overlook.

"Okay, it's time to go back," Ye Xiruo murmured as she slipped out of the space. It was just barely dawn.

Ye Xiruo vaulted out of the window and scaled the roof. She fixed her gaze on the grayish-white sky in the distance, her expression solemn. During the twilight hours, when day and night traded places, a thin veil of Chaos Qi would materialize. Harnessing this Chaos Qi for cultivation was like striking gold, yielding twice the result with half the effort. Ye Xiruo was not about to let this golden opportunity slip through her fingers.

Sure enough, ten minutes later, the eastern sky began to lighten, and the grayish-white Chaos Qi emerged in a wispy mist and slowly dispersed. Ye Xiruo instinctively activated the incantation and began to absorb the Chaos Qi. This Chaos Qi looked utterly unremarkable and was as fine as dust, but the moment it entered an acupoint, it blasted through the sixth acupoint like a battering ram and then took up residence, refusing to budge.

Ye Xirú simply focused on absorbing the Chaos Qi as fast as she could. Sure enough, ten minutes later, the sun was fully up, and the Chaos Qi had disappeared.