C5 Nascent Soul

Zhao Lin studied the scroll intently, etching every stripe into his memory. He was aware that the path of cultivation was far from simple; if it were, everyone would be a cultivator. With no mentor to guide him, Zhao Lin understood that he had to navigate the journey ahead on his own, discerning traps from clear paths through personal trial and error.

As he examined the scroll, Zhao Lin became deeply engrossed. His eyelids grew heavy, and it seemed to him that the red dots on the scroll were being linked by strands of mist, weaving from left to right and then back again in an endless loop. After ten cycles, the mist converged back into the red dots at his abdomen. Zhao Lin recognized this point as the Dantian Acupoint, an acupoint of great significance.

With the image of the circulating mist fixed in his mind, Zhao Lin naturally settled into a cross-legged position, setting aside the scroll and closing his eyes. The only thing that existed for him was the vision of the mist's path. After meditating for four hours, as the moon made its westward journey, Zhao Lin felt an unexpected lightness and a churning in his stomach.

Despite the discomfort and sharp pains that began to emanate from his lower abdomen, Zhao Lin refused to relent. He clenched his teeth and willed himself to ignore the pain. Unbeknownst to him, this was a reaction to the python blood he had ingested earlier that day. The python was significantly larger than the one from the previous day, and its blood was imbued with potent wakan. Without the process of cultivation, this wakan would be slowly absorbed and eventually vanish from his body.

Although Zhao Lin was unaware of the precise methods of cultivation, the scroll he had found earlier acted as a beacon, guiding him onto the path of spiritual practice. The circulation of mist depicted on the scroll was not to be underestimated, for it was the very method through which practitioners, regardless of their level, absorbed wakan. Zhao Lin, though lacking in understanding, was able to focus intensely and grasp the essence of the scroll, coupled with the wakan from the snake blood within him.

This powerful synergy drew the surrounding wakan closer. The agony in his abdomen was a sign of the wakan in the snake blood striving to break free from the now tainted blood and forcefully make its way into his dantian. It was more apt to describe the sensation as dantian pain rather than abdominal pain. As the discomfort in his dantian subsided, Zhao Lin sensed a refreshing presence descending upon him, and he had the intuition that this new energy would bring no harm.

Zhao Lin was at a loss on how to assimilate the energies around him. Eventually, he mimicked the pattern depicted in the drawing, concentrating deeply. A miraculous moment ensued; a warm current emerged in his lower abdomen, traveling through his meridians, mirroring the circulation shown on the scroll, and began moving throughout his body. As the warm current flowed, it attracted the energy above his head, which entered through his pores and merged with the existing current.

The combined currents rapidly expanded, circulating through his meridians for ten full cycles before returning to his dantian. The now-expanded warm current stretched the previously empty dantian, bringing with it an immediate surge of pain. Yet Zhao Lin understood that everything hinged on this moment. Despite the agony, he clenched his teeth and persevered, even forcing his mind to overlook the discomfort.

Once the pain in his dantian eased, the warm current exited and traveled through his meridians again. The refreshing energy from above continued to pour into his body ceaselessly. Soon, this energy blended with the warm current, completing ten circuits before flowing back into his dantian. This process repeated itself ten times until Zhao Lin's body suddenly shook, and a black, foul-smelling liquid oozed from his pores.

Zhao Lin sought to regain his composure, but he noticed the energy above had vanished. Meditating further seemed pointless. Upon opening his eyes and exhaling, a murky breath escaped, leaving him feeling significantly relieved. "What on earth is this?" he exclaimed, observing the black grime on his palms and the filth covering his body, emitting a sour stench.

Without delay, Zhao Lin rose, gathered the scroll, and dashed to the stream where he had previously cleansed himself. Unbeknownst to him, he had advanced to the first level of cultivation, the Nascent Soul. The dirt that sloughed off his body was the residue purged as the wakan entered and enhanced his constitution. Zhao Lin was oblivious to his own transformation.

After bathing in the creek, Zhao Lin's skin, once dark, had lightened slightly. Although the change was subtle, he could feel it. With just over an hour until dawn, he chose a new spot, placed the scroll into the box, buried it beneath the grass beside the stream, and hurried back to the service area.

Zhao Lin discovered that his vision had significantly improved. His face beamed with delight when he effortlessly leaped over a ditch that had previously been impossible for him to cross. He was now convinced that the patterns on the scroll were truly extraordinary; otherwise, he wouldn't have experienced such a transformation after only half a night. Upon returning to the service area, Zhao Lin noted that he had shaved off the time equivalent to one incense stick from his journey.

Such a significant time difference on the same route would make it obvious to anyone that his body had undergone a change. Zhao Lin was elated. He stealthily made his way back to the thatched hut, careful not to disturb Wang Yu's deep, rumbling snores. He lay down gently, without a sound. Restless in bed, Zhao Lin tossed and turned, unable to sleep due to the excitement bubbling within him and a complete absence of fatigue.

At dawn, Zhao Lin briefly appeared before Wang Yu and Chen Quan before setting off toward the back mountain. Chen Quan watched Zhao Lin with a hint of suspicion, sensing that Zhao Lin was somehow different from the day before, yet unable to pinpoint the exact change. Dismissing his doubts as mere illusion, Chen Quan scoffed and pushed the thought aside.

Reaching the back mountain, Zhao Lin swung his axe and it bit into the tree trunk with a satisfying thunk. To his astonishment, the tree was nearly cleaved in half with just one strike, and with another, it would surely fall. Zhao Lin stared at the notched blade and the fresh cut on the tree, struggling to believe the reality of what had just occurred.

"Haha, I've done it! I've succeeded! I must have reached the Nascent Soul stage!" Zhao Lin's heart swelled with triumph, barely containing his urge to burst into laughter. With another effortless swing, the robust iron tree toppled over. This was a remarkable feat—what had previously blunted his axe and taken over a hundred swings to achieve, he now accomplished with just two.

However, his excitement was short-lived as Zhao Lin's face darkened with concern. "No, I can't celebrate too soon. If Chen Quan learns that I felled the iron tree with just two swings, he'll surely report it to the authorities. And if they come to investigate, I'll be in danger!" Years of survival in the wilderness had taught Zhao Lin that joy could swiftly turn to sorrow. Many people, in their moments of happiness, fail to recognize the unseen threats, leading to their downfall.

Zhao Lin quickly grabbed his axe and set to work on the remaining wooden stakes. It took him over eighty swings to finally sever them, discreetly concealing the fact that it had taken two axes to accomplish the task. He then proceeded to chop off another section of the trunk, again using over eighty swings. Afterward, he lifted the two severed ends and stashed them away at a distance.

Once everything was in order, Zhao Lin allowed himself a brief moment of relief. He reminded himself that he was in enemy territory—a veritable wolf's den—and he couldn't afford to let his guard down due to a momentary thrill.