Cultivating

'When you start absorbing Qi from your surroundings, if you were an ordinary kid, you wouldn't absorb much—it would be your first time, after all.

But with your constellation-like meridians, you'll absorb everything within about half a kilometer... including me and my remaining Qi.

So, my spirit will likely pass on,' the stone replied, its glow flickering faintly as it delivered the sobering truth. 

'I see,' the baby replied simply, his tiny voice carrying a mix of understanding and resignation.

There was a quiet solemnity in his response, as if he had accepted the inevitable outcome, even if he didn't fully grasp the weight of it yet. 

'No need to feel bad, young one. I was already dying of boredom and was about to release my spirit anyway.

You've given me this wonderful encounter in my final moments, so in a way, you're doing me a favor,' the stone said, its glow softening as it noticed the young master's droopy face.

There was a comforting warmth in its words, as if trying to ease the baby's unspoken guilt. 

'As for your cultivation, it will be very painful—agonizing, even.

Since you won't be able to overfill a core, your entire body will bear the strain. You'll be pushed to your limits, exhausted beyond measure, and might even die from the pain.

Are you willing to take that risk?' the stone asked, its tone heavy with seriousness.

The question hung in the air, demanding a response from the baby who, despite his fragile appearance, carried the mind of an adult. 

'Of course, I am. Besides, what other choice do I have?' the baby replied, his tiny voice carrying a surprising amount of resolve.

Even in his past life as a yakuza, he had never been one to let opportunities slip by—it was how he had risen through the ranks.

Now, faced with a chance to survive and thrive in this new world, he wasn't about to back down.

With that conclusion, the stone began teaching the baby how to sense Qi around his body.

'Close your eyes and relax your body completely. Clear your mind and try to feel the energy lurking around you.

Once you sense it, try pulling that energy into your core,' the stone instructed.

The baby, unable to sit up, followed the instructions while lying down, his tiny body still and focused as he prepared to take his first step into the world of cultivation. 

After a while of silence, the baby began to feel the Qi surrounding him—a faint, almost imperceptible energy that seemed to hum in the air.

Following the stone's instructions, he tried to channel it into his core, his tiny body straining as he focused on the unfamiliar task. It was a delicate process, but the baby's determination was unwavering. 

But it wasn't as easy as he had thought. Just as the stone had predicted, his entire body began to ache intensely.

This was because, unlike normal cultivators who gathered Qi through their chest and controlled the speed of intake to avoid straining their bodies, he could store Qi in every part of his body.

As a result, every inch of him was absorbing Qi from the surroundings at a remarkable speed.

The pain he felt was at least ten times greater than what a normal cultivator would experience, and it was only the beginning.

The baby's facial expression twisted into one of intense pain, his tiny features contorting as sweat began to bead across his entire body.

This was the most excruciating thing he had ever experienced in both of his lives.

The blue veins buried in the ground beneath him started to surface, making direct contact with his skin and amplifying the flow of Qi.

His fists clenched tightly, his nails digging into his palms as he fought to endure the agony. He was on the verge of passing out, but he clung to his consciousness, refusing to give in.

'The longer I hold on, the stronger I'll become,' the baby thought, gritting his metaphorical teeth as he pushed through the overwhelming pain. 

The moment of extreme pain stretched on for three days straight, each passing minute intensifying the agony.

To the baby, it felt like three years, every second dragging on in a haze of torment.

The glowing veins beneath him began to shine brighter in the areas where they made contact with his back, channeling energy directly into his tiny body.

The Qi flowed through him relentlessly, pushing him to his absolute limits.

Finally, after what felt like an eternity, the baby succumbed to the pain and passed out, his small body going limp as the world around him faded into darkness. 

Inhale

'What? Where am I? What happened?' the baby thought as he woke up, disoriented after passing out for half a day.

He looked around, his tiny eyes widening as he noticed the area around him—about a meter in diameter—had caved into the ground.

It turned out that his Qi-absorbing process had been so intense that it caused the soil around him to disintegrate, leaving a shallow crater in its wake. 

He tried to move his arm and found it much easier than before. With a bit of effort, he turned over his tiny body and managed to push himself up into a crawling position.

'I can't explain how, but I feel much stronger than before. It must be the Qi I absorbed,' the baby thought, his mind racing with a mix of awe and curiosity.

It was no surprise—he had absorbed Qi from a kilometer-wide area, a place rich with pure energy.

Though he hadn't yet learned how to channel it properly, his body had already stored a hundred years' worth of Qi, leaving him with a newfound sense of strength.