"Hmm, cultivation method…" he murmured under his breath.
'System, isn't it the same for every method? Just suck in the Qi from the surroundings, right?' Liu Ming asked silently in his mind.
[Negative: Cultivation methods are not the same. Some techniques allow users to absorb Qi more efficiently and safely.]
[Trying to gather Qi without a method often causes intense pain. As your realm increases, this pain becomes worse.]
Liu Ming nodded slowly. He was beginning to understand.
[For more information, the user can purchase knowledge on cultivation.]
[Would you like to buy?]
[Y/N]
"No," he replied firmly in his mind. He didn't want to waste any precious system coins right now.
'Then tell me about the Five Divine Paths Yin-Yang Cultivation Method,' he asked.
[Warning: This knowledge is extremely expensive and not recommended for purchase.]
"Just tell me the cost," Liu Ming said, a bit annoyed.
"What the hell!" Liu Ming almost shouted, but caught himself in time. He didn't want to alarm Henna or anyone else in the orphanage.
He took a deep breath. 'The system's not wrong. I can't afford that. It sounds ridiculous, but it's true. I'm still just a baby here,' he muttered to himself.
He thought for a moment. 'So… what now? Should I start cultivating?' A short pause. 'Yes. I should.'
But just as he was preparing himself, the door creaked open.
Henna walked in, carrying a small wooden tray with a bowl of porridge and a wooden spoon. The smell hit him instantly – sweet, earthy, warm. A mix of honey, root vegetables, and something comforting.
The afternoon light from the window poured in behind her, casting golden rays that lit up the tiny dust particles dancing in the air. Henna's face, lined with soft concern and motherly affection, looked even gentler in the glow. Her worn tunic caught the light, and in her hands, the simple clay bowl steamed gently.
"Time for some dinner, little one," she said softly, setting the tray down beside the small crib.
Outside, Liu Ming could hear the sounds of life at the Havenwood Refuge. Children's laughter echoed from the courtyard. Chickens clucked as they settled into their coop. Somewhere nearby, the sound of someone beating laundry drifted through the air, calm and rhythmic. The room itself smelled of herbs drying from the rafters – mint, chamomile, and something citrusy. A clean, earthy scent that made the place feel safe.
Liu Ming obediently opened his mouth. He had to play the part of a normal one-year-old.
The porridge touched his tongue – sweet, smooth, warm. He swallowed slowly, trying not to react too much. But then something strange happened.
It wasn't just the warmth of the food. It was… energy. A gentle, flowing sensation, like soft threads of silk spreading out inside him. It was subtle, but real. Not just in his stomach – it was traveling deeper, flowing through his body.
'Am I… cultivating?' The thought hit him like lightning. 'Just from eating?!'
Then the familiar blue System text appeared in his vision:
[Substance Analysis Complete]
[Nutrient-Rich Vegetable Porridge Detected]
[Trace Ambient Qi Detected]
[Heavenly Refined Body can devour anything]
[Heavenly Refined Body Engaged: Passive Assimilation Protocol Activated]
[Process:]
Devouring: Extracting essence (nutrients + trace Qi)
Separation: Isolating the Qi from the nutrients
Application: Sending Qi to refine user's body and develop Qi reserves
Liu Ming almost choked. Henna quickly leaned forward, gently patting his back.
"Easy there, little sparrow," she said with a smile.
He made a soft gurgling sound, pretending to be clumsy. But inside, his mind was racing.
'It's automatic… My body is absorbing the Qi in the food. Separating it. And sending it into my meridians!'
As she brought another spoonful, he focused inward. The same thing happened – a faint silken flow, energy hidden in the food being drawn out. The nutrients filled his belly, but the Qi was pulled deeper, flowing into the pathways he had painfully opened earlier.
It wasn't strong – not a flood – but it was steady. Gentle. And, most important: it was safe. No pain. No strange lights. No need to sit and chant or absorb wild Qi.
'This is perfect,' he thought, stunned. 'This is completely hidden. No one can see it.'
Henna, unaware, hummed a soft lullaby. She smiled down at him, wiping his mouth with a warm cloth. "All done, little sparrow."
He yawned, playing the tired baby. But inside, he was wide awake – his heart pounding with excitement.
He looked around the room again, seeing it with new eyes. The worn wooden floor beneath him, the quilt tucked neatly in the crib, the clay jug of water on the shelf – everything looked simple and ordinary. But this quiet little room had become the starting place of something huge.
Liu Ming felt the faint stream of Qi flow into his Dantean, slowly filling the empty space that had ached earlier. It was like water trickling into a dry cup. His pain was already starting to fade. His senses felt sharper, too – the feel of the spoon's wood, the smell of herbs, the sound of the chickens outside – all clearer, stronger.
'My Heavenly Refined Body really is devouring everything around me,' he thought. 'Even simple porridge is helping me grow.'
This was cultivation at its safest – and its most secret.
He wasn't pulling in wild energy from the sky. He was eating his way to power.
'Let them think I'm just a helpless child,' Liu Ming thought, a small smile playing on his lips as he let his eyes droop. 'No one will know how fast I'm growing. And that… is exactly how I want it.'
As the sun dipped low and the orphanage grew quiet for the night, Liu Ming lay still in his crib. Henna sat nearby, quietly mending a torn shirt. Outside, a breeze rustled the herb leaves hanging from the ceiling.
And deep inside his tiny body, a gentle flow of Qi continued, feeding the fire of cultivation that burned brighter with each passing moment.