Chapter Eight: Spiritual Energy Enters the Body

Inside the room, Yang Yan sat cross-legged on his bed, regulating his breath, his face taut with both tension and anticipation.

He had performed this action countless times in the past two years, striving to sense the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, yet each attempt had ended in failure. Now, as he once more quieted his mind and entered meditation, his practiced movements became almost ritualistic, imbuing the moment with solemnity. For what would happen next was of utmost importance—success would grant him the right to truly step into the world of cultivation, to pursue the pinnacle of martial arts alongside the continent’s chosen prodigies; failure would doom him to a common existence, passing a few fleeting decades in mediocrity among the multitude.

With a long, steady exhale, Yang Yan slowly closed his eyes, gathering his focus to sense the world’s spiritual energy. After the recent attack of cold poison and his experience in the mysterious space, he could feel that something within his body had changed.

The years of suffering from the cold poison stemmed from the “cold core” lodged within the spiritual hub in his lower abdomen. For cultivators, the spiritual hub was of great importance—it was where spiritual power was stored and refined, and the strength of a cultivator was measured by the quantity and purity of spiritual energy within this hub.

Since childhood, Yang Yan had carried an unwelcome guest—a small, dark brown orb the size of a pigeon egg—within his spiritual hub. Each flare of the cold poison began there. He had long suspected that this “cold core” was the reason he could neither purge the poison nor break through to the Sense Spirit Realm. The name “cold core” was one he had given it himself.

Now, as Yang Yan probed within, he could no longer sense that innate cold core. The subtle anxiety and perpetual caution that had always lurked in his lower abdomen were gone, as if a heavy burden had finally been lifted from his shoulders, leaving his body utterly refreshed.

This unprecedented sense of well-being bolstered his confidence in this attempt.

Settling into meditation, his breathing tranquil and spirit serene, Yang Yan relaxed completely. Following his intention, every pore seemed to open, and he began carefully sensing the spiritual energy that filled the world.

Ten minutes passed, then twenty, then an hour...

His eyes remained tightly shut, brow furrowed, his expression gradually turning grim.

“Is it still impossible? Still no progress! Why, heavens—why must you treat me so?”

In his heart, Yang Yan screamed with frustration—disappointment, unwillingness, and anger tangled together in a storm of emotion.

But just as he was about to give up and withdraw from his cultivation state, an unexpected change occurred!

The spiritual hub, dormant for fourteen years, suddenly stirred.

It was the smallest of movements, yet it did not escape Yang Yan’s attention.

“Could it be... it’s working?”

At this thought, a surge of wild joy rushed through him. He forced himself to suppress his exultation and refocused his mind.

Pouring all his concentration into cultivation, Yang Yan felt the spiritual hub in his lower abdomen begin to turn, like a rusty gear long seized. Absorbing spiritual energy into his body still felt awkward and sluggish; it took him nearly half an hour to refine a thread of spiritual energy, transforming it into the first wisp of spiritual power within his spiritual hub.

“I did it—I really did it!”

Unable to contain himself, Yang Yan cried out in delight. Regaining his senses, he quickly bit back further shouts, but the excitement in his eyes could not be hidden.

Fortunately, it was already midnight, and at his own request, his living quarters were set apart from the others in a quiet, secluded corner of the estate. Thus, the commotion in his room went unnoticed.

In the past two years, Yang Yan had dreamed more than once of breaking through in cultivation. Now, reality felt almost unreal; only after pinching his thigh hard did he confirm he was truly awake.

At last, he could feel spiritual energy entering his body—could taste the allure of cultivation.

The sensation was akin to a cool summer breeze washing over him, every pore opening wide to greedily drink in the fresh air. Every cell seemed to leap and breathe, his mind clear and tranquil. Never before had he seen himself so distinctly.

An hour passed, then another...

Yang Yan remained immersed in cultivation, unable to tear himself away.

At first, the movement of spiritual power within his hub was rough and sluggish. But as he continued to absorb and refine the world’s spiritual energy, the flow began to smooth, like gears lubricated after long neglect, slowly and gently turning.

According to a scroll he had once read in the library, when one reached the Spirit Communication Realm, the spiritual energy within the hub would condense into a liquid form, swirling like a vortex at great speed. The techniques performed with such concentrated and swiftly flowing spiritual power could shatter gold and split stone.

But Yang Yan was still far from that realm. After an entire night of effort, all he had managed to condense was a single thread of pale white spiritual power, as thin as an earthworm, misting faintly within his spiritual hub.

Compared to the descriptions in the book, Yang Yan’s progress was meager—his spiritual power moved at a snail’s pace within the hub, and the density of energy he could refine was not even a fraction of what was described.

Nevertheless, he was thoroughly satisfied. Now, he truly had the qualifications to step into the world of cultivation. He believed that with hard work, his future achievements would rival those famed prodigies.

Despite not sleeping all night, Yang Yan felt not the slightest fatigue. On the contrary, his mind was bright and refreshed.

Such was the benefit of cultivation.

All things in the world contained spiritual energy. Ordinary people had to eat grains, fruits, and vegetables to survive, but cultivators absorbed the purest, most primal energy of all—the spiritual energy of heaven and earth.

Thus, the stronger one became, the less reliant they were on mundane sustenance. Those with profound cultivation could even go years without food.

Spiritual energy not only provided the body with vital energy, it nourished the organs, bones, and meridians, greatly extending one’s lifespan compared to ordinary people.

Moreover, with the wisdom of the ancients, humanity had developed countless techniques and martial skills to wield spiritual power. Once powerless at the bottom of nature’s food chain, with spiritual strength, humans gained the ability to split mountains and cleave the earth, rising to become the true masters of the continent.

The road before Yang Yan was still long.