Shen Liqian followed Zhiyin's Cultivation Method.
Qi around him swayed and turned toward him, as though he were extending his hands to grip it by the handful.
So much Qi swirled around him that he was stunned.
It felt like he was in a sea of Qi at the center of a whirlpool.
I've never felt so much Qi at once!
Is our Sword Claw Cultivation Method that flawed?
How amazing Father must be to cultivate all Nine Spiritual Roots with it!
An image of his uncle's face appeared in Shen Liqian's mind.
He was also talented, having cultivated all the way to the Ninth Stage of Qi Attunement.
Shen Liqian didn't want to admit his uncle's talent, but he did.
He cut through the image as though wielding a sword in spirit.
I will defeat him!
Acknowledging his enemy's talent and then mentally cutting through him was the first step in shaping Shen Liqian's Spiritual Root into The First Sword.
It had been a thin thread serving no purpose.
Now that he had taken his first step and followed the fixed Cultivation Method, his only Spiritual Root started thickening and extending toward his Dantian.
Its tip was as sharp as a longsword's point.
I can sense it so well.
It's because the Cultivation Method is fixed and there's so much Qi around me!
It's such a mysterious and exciting sensation.
The true world of cultivation opened to him.
He could finally sense how astonishing and peculiar Qi was.
He even felt his Meridians being washed as Qi flowed into his body, coursed through him, and returned to his Spiritual Root.
Such clear, rapid progress felt like pure joy.
Meanwhile, Zhiyin stared at him seriously.
He has already started shaping his Spiritual Root.
He took the first and most important step right away!
In a week?
He's so mentally steady that he might reach the First Stage of Qi Attunement in three days!
Splendid!
In silence, without showing her thoughts on her adorable muzzle, Zhiyin climbed into Shen Liqian's lap and curled up to sleep.
This vortex of Qi was a good cradle for Zhiyin.
In the Clan Chief's Manor, two other cultivators sensed the changes in the Qi flow.
Seated in the lotus position and continuously flooding his Meridians with Qi, Shen Lijian opened his eyes wide.
Someone had diverted the Qi from his cultivation abode, keeping him from cultivating comfortably.
Is that your doing, Junce?
Focusing on the Qi flow, Shen Lijian soon found that all of it was streaming to his son's room.
He abruptly stood and sprinted there.
On his way, he met his wife.
Her expression tightened with worry and hope.
"Has Junce done something to Qian'er?"
"Let me see."
Shen Lijian peeked into Shen Liqian's room and found him in the lotus position, deep in cultivation, harnessing all the Qi around him.
His own cultivation had dimmed, as if severed.
If his son was drawing this much Qi, he must have reached enlightenment.
It wasn't odd for eighteen-year-old cultivators to stumble upon their talent or achieve a breakthrough.
And in this moment, Shen Liqian awakened.
Shen Lijian grinned from ear to ear.
Go for it, Qian'er!
He turned to his wife, his expression easing her worries.
"Has he…"
Shen Lijian nodded.
"Our son must have reached enlightenment.
"Don't bother him, no matter what happens to him.
"As his parents, we must believe in him.
"Cultivation is not an easy path.
"You know it, too, Lexi."
Shen Lexi agreed with her husband.
"Yes.
"You're right."
Invisible to everyone but Shen Liqian, Zhiyin opened one eye and watched the couple before they returned to their duties.
Smart couple.
For the next three days, Shen Lexi and Shen Lijian took turns checking on their son.
They also looked around the manor to ensure Shen Junce wouldn't interfere with Shen Liqian's enlightenment.
On the evening of the third day, Shen Liqian shaped his only Spiritual Root into The First Sword.
A rush of happiness washed over him.
His cultivation was a huge success.
In just three days, he accomplished what had taken him about eighteen years.
He could also sense his Spiritual Root much better and see how much it had developed under the new Sword Claw Cultivation Method.
His Spiritual Root seemed to respond to his sharpened senses and was eager to connect with his Dantian.
Breaking through to the First Stage of Qi Attunement would be painful, so he should prepare mentally.
He could also take a break and stretch his muscles.
That said, he couldn't wait.
Let's do this!
Convinced, he thrust his Spiritual Root as The First Sword into his Dantian.
Its edge cracked open his Dantian and slipped in.
An acute pain burst from Shen Liqian's navel.
He gritted his teeth and squeezed his eyes shut hard.
But the pain didn't stop throbbing, and it only escalated.
In his young life, Shen Liqian had suffered sword wounds and even a deep laceration that left a scar on his torso.
None of that compared to the pain now gnawing at him from the inside.
It was as if his organs were being stabbed again and again, harder each time.
The deeper the First Sword lodged, the more painful it became.
Tears gathered at the edges of his eyes, saliva slipped through his clenched teeth, and his chest heaved as he tried to hold it all in.
His face reddened, and veins stood out.
At last, Shen Liqian couldn't hold it in any longer.
"Aaahhh!"
He screamed.
Zhiyin leaped from his lap and looked at him.
She didn't say anything, as this was Shen Liqian's moment of truth.
Inwardly, Shen Liqian had no words.
He only recalled his Father's words and his face upon returning from hunting.
He remembered his parents' love.
He remembered the reason his father headed deeper into the mountains.
I didn't say those words for nothing!
Shen Liqian forced The First Sword deeper into his Dantian until it lodged inside.
While he did, the pain reached an excruciating level, making him scream across the entire Manor.
By then, his mother had been alerted and ran to his room.
She slowly opened the door and looked inside, finding her son, his robes drenched in sweat and sticking to him.
His chest heaved, but the wide smile on his face relieved her.
I did it… I am at the First Stage of Qi Attunement with a Spiritual Root shaped as a sword!
He clutched the sheathed sword and used it to prop himself up.
[You have completed your quest—Shape your Spiritual Root into a Sword]
[You have obtained Spirit Seal Sword(Spirit)]
Zhiyin mewled.
"You went beyond my initial expectations, shaping your Spiritual Root and reaching the First Stage of Qi Attunement in only three days.
"You have also formed a thread of Sword Intent!
"You can stand proud, Shen Liqian!"
Shen Liqian looked down at her.
"I'm tired."
He plopped face-first onto the cold floor.
It was then that his mother walked in and helped him lie on the bed.
"Sleep well, Qian'er.
"We're proud of you."
Shen Lexi whispered, planting a soft kiss on her son's forehead.
She then ran to her husband to convey the great news.
"Qian'er finished his breakthrough and looks stronger than ever!
"He also obtained a sword from his cultivation!
"I'm so happy!"
Shen Lijian opened his eyes.
"Sword?!
"That's my son!
"Let's have a feast as soon as he's done!
"Haha!"
He laughed long and loud, unable to stop.