Chapter Thirty-Seven: The Primordial Spirit Root (Please Leave a Comment!)

Sitting atop a stone pedestal, Chen Yu circulated his internal energy for a round. At present, his inner strength was hardly substantial, far from achieving the grand cycle of energy throughout his body. He could only proceed one round at a time, tempering certain areas, gradually accumulating until quantity transformed into quality.

Of course, the body is intricate; every part is connected, so although it seemed he was tempering each area separately, the strengthening was holistic, merely less pronounced in other regions. As for lofty ambitions like becoming a true master, those thoughts were mere daydreams for now. His Spirit Summoning Strengthening Technique was still rough, requiring much refinement. Even if, by some stroke of luck, he managed to perfect it in the future, this method—based on spirit essence—would likely be impossible for anyone else to learn.

Even mastery would be futile. Outside this secluded mountain rear courtyard, nowhere else could one find spiritual energy to generate spirit essence.

…

Two days passed in a blink.

After testing, Chen Yu finally set the number of circulations for his Spirit Summoning Strengthening Technique at twenty-five. At this threshold, the liver could recover from the stimulation; exceeding it would impact his practice the following day.

Besides that, he prepared another batch of White Cloud Powder.

He had obtained four ripe Silver Tangerine Fruits initially, thinking he could create several batches. But he soon realized his lack of experience; though he remembered the recipe, it was his first attempt at preparation.

Thus, only three batches were made. The other seven supplementary herbs were partially leftover; he wrapped them in oil paper and sealed them in a wooden box. Most of these herbs were for balancing yin and replenishing qi, calming and nourishing, but could not be used alone for blood strengthening, nor could he mix them without other formulas. They were stored away for the future.

Thinking of these herbs, he recalled the seeds he'd brought back—bought a bag from the apothecary, five or six kinds, all common varieties that would grow when buried in soil. Though ordinary, herbs aren't like grains that mature in a season or two; they take at least a year. He purchased them on a whim, intending to experiment with spiritual energy.

Recently, the rains had been persistent, so he was confined to the fields, unable to venture into the mountains or outdoors. With ample free time, it was fitting to put the matter on his agenda.

Not only the herb seeds, but he could also test the grain seeds gifted by Master Liu from the grain shop. He wondered what changes would happen when these seeds met spiritual energy.

Returning to White Cloud Powder, Chen Yu had found that his self-created Spirit Summoning Strengthening Technique enhanced absorption, prompting further experimentation.

After all, enhanced absorption meant improved medicinal efficacy.

For example, if an ordinary person retained forty percent of the medicine's potency, he could retain sixty percent! Though only a twenty percent difference, it was a clear advantage in internal and external tempering.

Moreover, he had spirit essence, so his tempering speed had surged once again.

At this rate, in less than three months, he might achieve minor mastery of energy circulation—a feat unimaginable for his former self, who had spent years unable to even enter the gate, always lingering outside the threshold.

Even the old Taoist, with considerable talent, had taken more than half a year from entry to minor mastery, according to his own account.

Martial arts are easy to learn but hard to master, especially when crossing the threshold of energy cultivation; every step is a painstaking climb, and only those blessed with extraordinary talent succeed.

Those without innate talent fall at the gate—like his former self.

Chen Yu's misconception that energy circulation was no big deal stemmed entirely from the old Taoist’s influence.

The old Taoist was no commoner; his hands were stained with blood, having honed his protective skills through many battles. As a second-rate expert in the martial world, his vision was broad, and his lowest exchanges and scuffles were always with competent fighters. Thus, the stories and experiences he shared often left Chen Yu uncertain of his own level.

Energy circulation, even as a third-rate achievement, was enough to shine in a county. Some who acted viciously and ruthlessly were renowned throughout a prefecture, their fame rivaling second-rate experts.

Meanwhile, martial arts were practiced daily, never slackening, yet for some reason, after a while, Chen Yu's urgency faded. No longer did he feel the restless impatience he had when he first achieved energy circulation or crafted White Cloud Powder.

With swift progress in martial arts, he became less anxious, gradually returning to his former leisurely, slightly languid demeanor.

…

Behind the courtyard, in the medicinal field.

“Oh, this is good!”

Cradling the Jade Worm Coat, which exuded a sweet and sour aroma, the third sprout he pulled now had distinct features—still milky white, but possessing a crystalline sheen, enticingly appetizing.

Clad in white robes and green tunic, his long hair tied at the back, the Taoist stood on the earth, his demeanor serene.

Holding the sprout in his palm, he lowered his head for a gentle sniff, relaxing visibly. At last, the unpleasant bitterness was gone, replaced by a sweet and sour scent reminiscent of a yogurt from his previous life.

He pinched it between two fingers; the tender garment was soft, as if a blob of jelly lay beneath the pale sprout—he wondered what effects it might have when eaten.

Would it cause changes similar to the spirit source?

Chen Yu mused; when the White Root mutated, it produced a hollow chamber filled with a viscous, pale liquid he named the spirit source.

So named as the origin of spiritual energy—the spirit source would evaporate, condensing into pearls of spiritual energy a few feet above the ground.

All this he learned from his previous experiments.

Now, aside from the White Root, he had three new crops catalyzed by spiritual energy: Jade Worm Coat, Orchid Garden Fruit, and Green Vegetable.

Since they were all edible, he suspected they might produce spirit source, but he also hoped for some other mysterious transformation.

Farming, after all, was most satisfying when it yielded all sorts of rare and curious produce.

“Soon, in a day or two they’ll be ready to harvest.”

Drawing closer, he saw the original sprout of the Jade Worm Coat had withered, the stem beginning to shrink, as if it could barely hold on.

With experience, Chen Yu knew this was a sign of imminent maturity.

The White Root had done the same, though its yellowed leaves mostly retracted into the soil, making it less obvious.

It seemed to be the fate of crops catalyzed by spiritual energy, but through these trials, Chen Yu sensed it might relate to his cultivation method—he had yet to find the true way to catalyze with spiritual energy.

Using the soil layer to dilute spiritual energy for absorption was likely a makeshift solution, not a real method.

The path is long and arduous!

Farming is no simple task, especially when using spiritual energy as fertilizer—a careless mistake could easily kill the plants.

He sighed, then went to check the Green Vegetable and Orchid Garden Fruit—both in excellent condition, nearly mature.

Returning to the monastery, the spirit essence still worked within him, gradually erasing the fatigue from martial practice.

Not only that, since his first sip of spirit essence, his mental strength had slowly increased, and now there was a change.

…

His mental energy had shifted from initial activity to a quiet depth. Chen Yu felt this was a good sign, for the mental strength was becoming dense and substantial, still increasing but no longer chaotic and rampant.

It seemed to be accumulating, fermenting, waiting for the right moment to transform.

The most obvious effect of this mental improvement was a sharper, clearer mind and greatly enhanced vision.

Beside the stone table.

A twisted gourd formed from two overlapping white shells lay quietly.

Chen Yu didn’t linger; he opened it at once.

In the next instant, wisps of white mist rose, like the primordial pure energy at the dawn of the world, swirling and gathering a few feet above.

In moments, four round pearls hovered before his eyes.

Mist shrouded them like clouds veiling the moon.

He suddenly noticed one pearl was much smaller, and compared to his earlier estimate, today’s remaining spirit source released was even less than he’d anticipated.

Had it dissipated?

That seemed the only possibility; after all, only the mutated White Root’s shell could preserve the spirit source.

He had broken part of it before, and even if patched, gaps remained, so some loss was inevitable.

“Fortunately, not much escaped.”

He picked up the empty spirit essence pouch—the former water bag, which he felt deserved a new name, hence “spirit essence pouch.”

As before, two pearls could fuse into a whole pouch of spirit essence.

Once it was done, he stored away the remaining White Root; having undergone mutation, it might reveal other uses in the future, or at least serve as a vessel for spirit source.

Finally, his curiosity piqued, he decided to give the mutated White Root a more elegant name to distinguish it from its ordinary counterpart.

What name would suit… The White Root produced spirit source and essence, and was the first to successfully mutate.

In the end, Chen Yu settled on calling it the Primordial Spirit Root.

The first spirit root—quite fitting.

Having settled the name, he soon put it out of mind, turning to fret over what to cook for lunch.

…

Time flowed gently, and another two days passed.

At last.

The Jade Worm Coat and Green Vegetable in the medicinal field had ripened!