C10 Worryfree Ancient Village

Huo Yu was quick to respond, "This is Mr. Lu Feng. He came across me outside the village and was a huge help. He even sustained some injuries in the process."

Bai Ji glanced over and, upon seeing the claw marks on Lu Feng's arm, her face went pale. She immediately urged Huo Gen to attend to his wounds.

Though Lu Feng's injury had already been given basic treatment and was much improved, Huo Gen, out of an abundance of caution, still led him to another cabin.

"Let's go find Elder Muh Tong so he can clean and dress your wound properly."

Muh Tong was the only elder in the village with medical knowledge and also served as the chief of Carefree Village. Nearly everyone with ailments sought his healing touch.

Huo Niu was seated on a small stool outside Muh Tong's door, busily cleaning a snake gallbladder. Spotting Lu Feng and Huo Gen approaching, he called out with delight, "Mr. Huo Gen, you've come too!"

Huo Gen approached and affectionately ruffled Huo Niu's hair before calling into the cabin, "Uncle Muh Tong!" His tone carried a deep respect, a sentiment Muh Tong had earned from all.

Indeed, like many others, Huo Gen had been under Muh Tong's care before.

The porch's rattan chair was still rocking, clearly indicating that the elder named Muh Tong had just been taking a rest there.

Peering into the house, Lu Feng noticed an elder sorting through various herbs and preparing a prescription, undoubtedly the Muh Tong that Huo Gen had spoken of.

Since Huo Gen stayed outside, Lu Feng joined him at the entrance and struck up a conversation.

From Huo Gen, Lu Feng learned a great deal about the village. It was an ancient settlement known as Carefree Village, where each resident's name was derived from medicinal herbs. For instance, Huo Yu's name was associated with a herb used for healing wounds and stopping bleeding, while Huo Gen's name came from the fiery red root of the Fire Vine Tree. Other names in the village included Damask, Willow, Mulberry, and Sunflower.

Lu Feng also became familiar with the villagers' relationships. Huo Yu and Huo Niu were the youngest children in the village, not by blood but close enough to refer to each other as siblings. Bai Ji, whom he had recently encountered, was Huo Yu's mother.

Lu Feng was taken aback to discover that Huo Niu wasn't originally from the village. Instead, he was an infant found abandoned at the village entrance by Muh Tong in his youth.

"It's been ages since we've seen a new face around here," Muh Tong remarked as he emerged from his wooden house, his body hunched over with age.

"Indeed, Uncle Muh Tong, could you please help him with his wound?" Huo Gen responded.

"What wound to bandage? It's already healing. Just clean it and apply some herbs. It'll be fine in a couple of days," Muh Tong observed after inspecting Lu Feng's arm. "Young folks sure do have impressive recovery power."

Lu Feng was momentarily taken aback, then inspected his wounds and found they had indeed healed significantly. Although the injury wasn't severe, conventional wisdom would suggest a week or more for healing.

"Could it be that my recovery power has strengthened since the Seven Souls were reconstructed?" Lu Feng mused to himself.

"You've got some impressive recovery power there," Huo Gen commented, giving Lu Feng a reassuring pat on the shoulder.

"Take a rest here for a bit. I'm going to sort out today's catch. We're in for a feast tonight," Huo Gen said, and with that, he walked away, leaving Lu Feng to his thoughts.

Once Huo Gen was out of earshot, Huo Niu leaned in and whispered, "Mr. Feng, do you know the ways of cultivation? Would you teach me?"

Lu Feng wasn't surprised by Huo Niu's puzzled expression. It was only natural for an isolated village like this to be unaware of Soul Cultivation. However, he didn't respond to Huo Niu right away, not wanting to overstep without consent. Instead, he glanced at Muh Tong, who was busy laying out herbs to dry, to gauge his reaction.

Muh Tong didn't seem to hear the question, continuing his work, but Lu Feng caught a fleeting, approving smile, understanding it as silent permission.

Turning to Huo Niu, Lu Feng asked, "You don't even know what cultivation is. Why the interest in learning?"

"I've heard the village elders talk about it. If I learn Soul Cultivation, I'll become much stronger. Like today, I could properly protect Huo Yu," Huo Niu answered earnestly.

If it had been for any other reason, Mr. Lu Feng might not have been so inclined to teach him extensively. However, upon realizing that Huo Niu's intent was to protect others, Mr. Lu Feng felt a kinship with him, reminiscent of his own past.

After tending to the wounds, Mr. Lu Feng found an open area and began his instruction.

"Huo Niu, are you familiar with the three souls and the Seven Souls?" Mr. Lu Feng inquired.

"The three souls are the Life Soul, Earth Soul, and Celestial Soul. The Seven Souls are Heaven Rushing, Spirit Wisdom, Qi, Strength, Central, Essence Soul, and Heroic Soul," Huo Niu replied, counting on his fingers. Although he was not versed in the art of cultivation, he had heard Muh Tong discuss these fundamental concepts.

"Do you know the location of each Spirit Soul within the Life Soul? Are you aware of their significance in Soul Cultivation?" Mr. Lu Feng pressed on, adopting the tone of a mentor.

Huo Niu shook his head.

"To begin Soul Cultivation, one must first awaken the Life Soul. Aside from those with innate awakening and those who awaken through cultivation, most ordinary people will naturally awaken their souls upon reaching maturity at the age of eighteen."

Mr. Lu Feng regarded the youth, a couple of years his junior, and was momentarily transported back to his own experiences from three years prior. The key difference was that he, at that time, had already acquired considerable strength.

"What exactly is the Life Soul?" Huo Niu inquired, his curiosity piqued.

Mr. Lu Feng offered a gentle smile and patiently explained, "In simple terms, the Life Soul is the miniature representation of yourself that materializes in your mind when you close your eyes and find tranquility."

Huo Niu listened with earnest attention.

"I'll be turning eighteen in a few days. That's fantastic—I'll be able to start cultivating then!" Huo Niu exclaimed, leaping up with excitement.

Mr. Lu Feng smiled with a sense of understanding and proceeded, "Now, let's delve into the positions and functions of the Seven Souls within the Life Soul." He used a stick to draw diagrams in the dirt, aiding Huo Niu's comprehension.

"The Heaven Rushing Soul is situated at the crown of the Life Soul, influencing an individual's Soul Strength and the cohesion of the three souls.

"The Spirit Wisdom Soul is found at the center of the Life Soul's forehead, linked to one's spiritual awareness. The more potent the spiritual awareness, the greater the defense against enchantment."

The aura resides at the throat of the Life Soul, linked to Spiritual Energy, Soul Qi, and more.

The Strength Soul is found within the Life Soul's heart. It's not only tied to the magnitude of strength but also to the mastery over it.

The Pivot Soul sits above the navel, beneath the sternum of the Life Soul, connected to an individual's vitality, encompassing both Recovery Power and life force.

The Essence Soul is positioned above the pubic bone and below the navel of the Life Soul, influencing a person's temperament. Those with a robust Essence Soul typically have excellent intuitive understanding.

The final Soul is the Heroic Soul, located at the base of the Life Soul's spine, governing limb coordination. The more substantial the Heroic Soul, the easier it is to grasp and master cultivation techniques and martial arts.

While speaking, Lu Feng was struck by a sudden insight. "Indeed, if each Spirit Soul serves a unique purpose, and my Seven Souls are stabilized by the array, then these seven arrays must inherently relate to one's soul, spirit, temperament, and vitality!"

Reflecting on the moment he grasped the Heaven Rushing Soul Array, which stemmed from his soul's insight, Lu Feng became even more confident about his future direction. He decided to leverage the Seven Souls' functions to understand the remaining arrays.

...

Huo Niu listened intently, his eyes shimmering with contemplative light, absorbing Lu Feng's words.

"The Seven Souls are innate. Apart from a select few naturally attuned individuals, most people start with them dormant. They awaken with the Life Soul, allowing spiritual infusion. Only when all Seven Souls are interconnected does one truly embark on the journey of Soul Cultivation," Lu Feng explained. He then retrieved a cultivation technique from the Qilin Ring and handed it to Huo Niu.

On the Profound Heaven Continent and its vast, verdant expanse, the cultivation techniques for Soul Cultivators are uniform, with no distinction in quality. This levels the playing field, giving commoners the chance to outshine wealthy heirs and sect disciples.

"And what happens once the Seven Souls are connected?" Huo Niu inquired, his eagerness evident, as if he had etched Lu Feng's words into his memory.

"After the Seven Souls are interconnected, they must be stabilized and linked. Once they are stable, the next step of Spirit Gathering can commence. Each Spirit Soul can form a Seven-star Spirit Gathering, which involves gathering Spiritual Energy into seven stars that orbit the Spirit Soul, sustaining it indefinitely." Lu Feng shared, drawing upon his past Cultivation Experience to clarify.

"After all seven Spirit Souls have successfully completed their Spirit Gathering, these stars will be forged into Chakras, and a new chapter of cultivation will begin." Lu Feng paused, considering that Huo Niu, who hadn't awakened his Life Soul at eighteen, was likely to be limited to the Chakra Stage for life. Yet, he couldn't bring himself to tell him directly.

"The journey of cultivation is extensive and intricate. The more I tell you now, the more you might become overzealous and impatient. Once you've reached the Chakra Stage, we can delve into a more detailed discussion." Lu Feng offered a more hopeful perspective.

"Connecting the Seven Souls, Spirit Gathering of the Seven Souls, the Chakra Stage," Huo Niu repeated to himself, carefully poring over the cultivation books Lu Feng had given him, treasuring every page.

After some time, Huo Niu looked up and inquired, "Mr. Lu Feng, what realm are you at currently?"

Lu Feng gave an embarrassed smile and replied, "Due to some unforeseen circumstances, I'm at the One-soul Stage now."

"Wow, that's incredible!" Huo Niu exclaimed with genuine admiration, as if it were a remarkable feat, unaware that Lu Feng had once been at a much higher realm, which would have surely shocked him.

Time flew by, and before they knew it, evening had arrived. Lu Feng and Huo Niu, one earnestly teaching and the other intently listening, had spent the day immersed in their lessons. At the village entrance, a bonfire had been lit, surrounded by various cuts of Beast Meat, with villagers gathered around, enjoying lively conversation and laughter.

"Come on over, come eat some meat!" Mr. Huo Gen called out to Lu Feng.

It was a tradition in Carefree Village; as night fell, the villagers would come together to share in the warmth of the bonfire and the joy of roasted meat.

"Brother Lu Feng, try this worm meat; it's scrumptious!" Huo Yu beamed as she offered Lu Feng a leg-shaped piece of meat, her cheeks aglow in the firelight.

"Eat up! Once we're done, we'll head out hunting again tomorrow," Huo Gen called out to Lu Feng, his demeanor full of bravado.

The mention of hunting piqued Lu Feng's interest. He had witnessed Huo Gen's prowess in archery and was eager to see it again. As an Array Master, Lu Feng knew his physical strength paled in comparison to that of a Martial Master, but with a bow and arrows in hand, he could potentially bridge that gap.

The fire blazed high on the rack, significantly raising the temperature around them. Lu Feng spent the night indulging in good food and cheer, even entertaining the idea of spending the rest of his days in this tranquil place. The name Carefree Village truly lived up to its reputation, offering a haven where one could indeed forget all sorrows.