I opened my eyes in frustration. Meditating was not as easy as I thought. For starter, I was not able to sit still in lotus position for more than three hours. I would get cramped leg soon after. And in that sort of discomfort, meditating on Dao was the last thing I could do. How did those xianxia characters manage to do it for thousands and thousands of years?

I got up. There was no use trying to endeavor further. I had already been at it for several days. Absolutely no progress. Except, if you count the slight increase in time I was able to sit in lotus position.

Instead of seeing a clear direction, the brief moment of inspiration I had in the beginning gradually got murkier.

I felt the need to get some fresh air.

Byakko was nowhere in sight. He must have gone out to hunt. That fellow would get really restless when he was made to stay cooped up in the cave for more than a day. In the end, I could only let him go outside. He was proving too much of a distraction with all his whining and scratching. Besides, he was strong enough to take care of himself.

A warm breeze hit my face, bringing with it the fresh scent of earth. It felt refreshing to come out after only being indoors for a few days.

I looked at the midday sun that was at its zenith. My trait [Photosynthesis] activated on its own and greedily absorbed the Pure Yang Qi, the essence of life. My body was also beginning to feel hot.

What is cultivation? I asked myself. I had asked the same questions again and again. I had been on the verge of giving up many times. But I hung on.

Through the system notification, I learnt that I was the first person to break through the first shackle of mortal with no cultivation. What it meant was, the person who created the first Cultivation Method possessed at most half of my comprehension. If he could do it, why couldn’t I, with all my advantage?

I looked at the plants around me. I knew they were absorbing the Yang Qi frantically like I was.

Maybe, I overthought the whole thing.

All those xianxia and xuanhuan novels might have fed wrong ideas about cultivation to my head. Cultivation, from what I assumed, was a grand thing. It was a ticket to becoming a powerful figure in one shot. Fortuitous encounters and sudden insights were the stuff it was made of.

Maybe, it wasn’t as complicated as that.

Ding!

You have entered a profound state of Enlightenment!

Congratulations!

You have gained +5 Soul, +5 Comprehension.

What is cultivation?

Cultivation, in a layman’s term, is to plant seed, nurture it and then, finally reap it. The fruit that you would be able to reap in the end would only be the one you had planted before. Plant rice, you would reap rice. Plant wheat, there’s no way you would reap buckwheat. Naturally, to get to the fruit, one needs to nurture the seed. No water, the seed will fail to germinate. Too much water, the seed would be affected adversely. Also, the seed absolutely couldn’t do without Pure Yang Qi, the essence of life and the nutrition provided by Mother Earth. That’s not the end of it, if you are not careful, you will be hit by pestilence.

Cultivation of Dao could be talked in the same vein.

Then Cultivation Method must be the process of choosing a suitable seed for oneself, planting it and nurturing it all in the hope of reaping the fruit in the end.

What type of fruit did I want? What did I want to achieve through cultivation? I thought about it carefully.

I thought about my previous life, which was akin to a vegetable. I thought about all the things that happened to me after I crossed over to this world. An impression of the Dao Seed I wanted appeared in my head. As soon as it did, the world essence in my surrounding began to gather and coalesced themselves into the form of an almost incorporeal tiny seed in the abdomen region of my body, the so-called ‘Dantian’.

The whole process lasted for several minutes.

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have coalesced your Dao Seed.

I was elated. I was on the right track.

But the creation of the Cultivation Method was far from over. I needed to nurture the seed. That is, I needed a method to draw the world essence and bring it to the seed. Even when I killed a beast, the essence would only gather for a brief moment and then dissipate. There was no time for me to draw it to the dantian to nurture the Dao Seed.

It was quite a predicament.

Then I thought about the magical beasts. They were able to draw the world essence to themselves just fine.

Another problem rose. I was not able to see how they did it!

Maybe I was still in the state of enlightenment, the solution came easily to my mind. If I could see the flow of energy inside the body of the beasts, like a certain doujutsu, I would be able to easily make out how the beasts did it. The only thing I needed to do was to upgrade my [Kaleidoscope Eye]. For that, I had to eat a lot of beasts possessing traits related to eyes!

I surveyed my surrounding with [Kaleidoscope Eye: Mode Silver]. I picked my first prey. The hawk, the same type as the one whose egg gave me [Hawk Eye].

I swallowed the last bit of the meat. I was starting to hate raw meat. No. Raw food in general. I wanted to eat a properly cooked food for once. Heck, it would be fine even if it were simply roasted. But I had no way of starting a fire. None of my traits helped in it. Plus, I had no match or lighter to do the job. I had heard of methods ancient people used to start the fire but I didn’t bother about it that time. Why learn primitive methods while you can use convenient modern ones? That’s what I thought. And now my inattention was coming to bite back at me.

Ding!

You have gained +1 Movement, +1 Control

The amount of attribute points I could gather from the Hawk was reduced to almost an abysmal rate now. But that was not the important thing.

Ding!

You have already acquired the trait from this beast type.

Unable to gain any trait!

Unable to assimilate anything to [Kaleidoscope Eye].

“NOO!” I yelled in lament.

After putting in a lot of effort, this is how it ends? How could this happen to me? I had already hunted over hundreds of giant hawks from all over the forest. I had spent more than two month, which I could have used for some other useful stuff. This… Couldn’t they have warned me before? ‘You will not get trait from the same type of beast; also, no evolution will happen to your previous trait.’ There. It shouldn’t take more than thirty seconds. Would it hurt them to spare me this little time?

I felt exhausted all of a sudden. My body collapsed to the floor lifelessly. I didn’t feel like doing anything.

Byakko returned at dusk.

“Are you alright, father?” He came towards me with worried looks in his eyes.

“Yeah,” I told him. “Just feeling a bit weary and under the weather.”

The little fellow fell silent for a few moments. “Do you want me to go and catch you something to eat?” he asked, after a while. He knew that the activity I liked to do the most was to eat.

I took the white tiger cub in my arms and ruffled his head. “Nah, it’s okay. I am already fine.” This fellow was simply too loveable. He was growing into a really conscientious fellow. I was really proud of him. Also, as of late, he observed a great increase in power.

GENERAL

Name

Byakko

Age

5 months old

Race

White Tiger

Realm

Qi Gathering 9

(999/1000 Essence)

Lifeforce

1220/1220 (Regeneration: 2% per second)

Qi

1250/1250 (Regeneration: 2% per second)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

134

Physique

122

Movement

135

Control

135

Soul

125

Comprehension

102

Charm

23

Fate

14

INNATE TRAIT

Wings of the Heavenly Tiger

Bonded to: Su Ren

QI SKILL LIST

Slot

Skill Name

Rating

Level

1.

Heavenly Tiger Transformation

Epic

3/10

2.

Claw Swipe

Epic

2/10

He also broke through the first shackle of a mortal. However, the only perk he earned was the increase of his Lifeforce and Qi Regeneration to 2% per second. Additionally, he also learnt another skill.

CLAW SWIPE (Epic)

Level 2

Enables to yield Qi in your claws increasing your attack power by 100%

Cost: 500 Qi

I had seen the skill in action. One word: brutal. The only downside to the skill was the massive amount of Qi it required. With Byakko’s full tank, he was only able to consecutively use this skill twice.

Incidentally, this is how my stats ran…

GENERAL

Name

Su Ren

Age

10 years old

Cultivation Method

N/A

Realm

N/A

Lifeforce

2880/2880 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

Qi

0/2900 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

276

Physique

288

Movement

267

Control

268

Soul

290

Comprehension

292

Charm

29

Fate

20

INNATE TRAITS

Innards of a God

Kaleidoscope Eye

Photosynthesis

Eternal Stratum (Incomplete)

Bond:

Byakko (White Tiger)

If I didn’t use my traits, I was pretty sure Byakko could beat me with the assistance of his two skills in spite of my high stats.

No time to mope around. I planned my next course of action.

The only other beast that I knew that had the probability of possessing an eye-related trait was an owl. I had yet to come across any of them. They were by nature nocturnal. On my side, I rarely strayed out during nights. Hence, our path never crossed.

But now it seemed, I needed to make a move on them.

I waited for the dusk to settle in. As soon as it did, I set out from the cave with the little white tiger cub.

Spotting a giant owl with [Kaleidoscope Eye] wasn’t a big problem, especially under the illumination of the full moon. Rather, the owl was so conspicuous that it would be weird if one didn’t notice it. It was sitting atop a tall tree, pruning its feather. It looked at the night forest like it owned the whole thing. It had a distinct majestic pride.

As soon as I saw it, I wanted to attack it. But a new situation arose. The owl was a Foundational Stage beast!

GENERAL

Name

N/A

Age

43 years old

Race

Owl

Realm

Foundational Stage 6

(5670/7000 Essence)

Lifeforce

2060/2060 (Regeneration: 2% per second)

Qi

2000/2000 (Regeneration: 2% per second)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

202

Physique

206

Movement

208

Control

208

Soul

200

Comprehension

124

Charm

8

Fate

7

INNATE TRAIT

Owl Eye

Ruler of the Night

I hadn’t fought against a Foundational Stage beast yet. I knew nothing about them. I wasn’t sure if I could take on one of them with my current stats. Also, I hadn’t forgotten about the existence of Qi Skills. If it was possible, I wanted to avoid battles where I wasn’t sure I would win.

But seeing the [Ruler of the Night] trait, a particular characteristic of owls rose in my head. Too bad I wasn’t able to check the details of the [Ruler of the Night]. Apart from Byakko who was bonded to me, I wasn’t able to check the details of the traits of others. Add Qi Skill on top of that. I wasn’t even able to make out if a particular beast possessed Qi Skills or not. [Kaleidoscope Eye: Mode Black] also had its limitations.

A plan slowly formed in my head.

I carefully observed the owl from far away. I didn’t dare to get too near it, lest I attracted its aggro. I observed it hunt. It watched its prey noiselessly until the prey was at its least guarded moment when it would suddenly swoop down and finish it. Its modus operandi was pretty similar to mine. I felt a certain sense of kinship with it but that wouldn't stop me from hunting it. I watched it return to its nest to feast on the prey.

I only stopped observing the owl when the day broke.

If it was the previous me, I would be as tired as heck. Now, with the grown in my stats, staying without sleep for a while didn’t affect me much. I basked in the sun for a while. [Photosynthesis] absorbed the Pure Yang Qi and warmed my body. It felt quite nice.

After I was sure that quite a while had passed, I headed towards where I had seen the giant owl disappear into. It was a well-hidden place. If I didn’t know about it, finding it would virtually be impossible.

In an alcove, the giant owl was sleeping peacefully, with no care in the world. Little did it know that a life-threatening situation was looming over it. It didn’t live to find out. I tore through its throat as fast as I could, depleting its lifeforce quickly. The entire process took only a few seconds.

During the night, the owl might have been an imperial hunter but during the day, it was just a sitting duck waiting to be slaughtered.

I took it to the cave and made the necessary preparations.

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have gained +5 Physique, +5 Movement, +5 Soul

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have acquired the trait [Owl Eye].

Yes. I quietly celebrated inside.

Ding!

[Owl Eye] is being assimilated to [Kaleidoscope Eye].

Assimilation complete.

[Mode Lumos] has been created.

I waited. Nothing happened. No further notifications.

That’s it? I couldn’t help feeling letdown. I had been banking on the extra ability [Kaleidoscope Eye] would gain at times of assimilation. I had wanted it to be something of an energy vision. But I should have known. When had fate ever been kind to me? I couldn’t help shaking off the feeling that the only reason I got a trait from the first owl I ate was because fate wanted to play a cruel joke on me.

I won’t give up. I steeled my resolve. I won’t give up until I had thrown off all the shackles fate had bound around me. Even if I have to go through this stuff again and again for hundreds of times.

As if on cue, Byakko walked in through the entrance. In his immature chirpy voice, he said, “Father, I got you something good to eat.” This fellow had disappeared as soon as he learnt that I would be camping out to observe the owl. Seriously, this guy! All my effort to raise him to an intellectual who could use his wit to dominate the world had been in vain. He would brute force his way through everything. “Why go through all that trouble when a simple claw strike can solve it?” he would say. Jeez! I wonder whom did he take after.

I sighed. Some things in life just couldn’t be helped with.

Byakko passed me a tiny snake. Naturally, it was dead. Whenever he found something different, he would always bring it to me. It was not safe for him to consume whatever he found while I could.

I promptly put it in my mouth.

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have gained +1 Movement, +1 Control, +1 Soul

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have acquired the trait [Thermal Eye].

Ding!

[Thermal Eye] is being assimilated to [Kaleidoscope Eye].

Assimilation complete.

[Mode Heat] has been created.

Ding!

A rare occurrence has happened!

Two similar traits had been assimilated consecutively.

Congratulations!

[Mode Heat] has evolved to [Mode White]

A slew of notifications assaulted my head. I was stuck dumbfounded. Quickly recovering my wits, I scanned my status.

GENERAL

Name

Su Ren

Age

10 years old

Cultivation Method

N/A

Realm

N/A

Lifeforce

2930/2930 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

Qi

0/2960 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

276

Physique

293

Movement

274

Control

270

Soul

296

Comprehension

292

Charm

29

Fate

21

INNATE TRAITS

Innards of a God

Kaleidoscope Eye

Photosynthesis

Eternal Stratum (Incomplete)

Bond:

Byakko (White Tiger)

There’s some increase in the stats. But that’s not important. Impatiently, I checked the all-important details of [Kaleidoscope Eye] that had observed the greatest change.

KALEIDESCOPE EYE

Mode Silver: Enables you to see into distance. Range: 74 KM

Mode Yellow: Freezes the soul. Depends on the Soul.

Mode Black: Identify. Can only identify objects two Realms above the user.

Mode Lumos: Enables to see in the dark.

Mode White: Enables to see the flow of energy.

Finally, I had what I needed. I felt joy yet at the same time a sense of loss. It was quite complicated, if you ask me.

Thereafter, the last step to creating the Cultivation Method went smoothly.

I observed how the energy flow of the beasts worked. I observed all sorts of beasts, including Byakko. I didn’t even spare myself. Although there were similarities between the beasts, there were also differences. As for the difference between humans and beasts, there were too many to count. The biggest difference was: humans cultivated Dao Seed while beasts cultivated Beast Core. Dao Seed would enable humans to use Qi Skills efficiently while a Beast Core would enable beasts to have a strong Physique. I felt that there was more to it. But that was the only thing I could understand with my level.

After many sessions of observation and brainstorming, I finally devised an all-new energy chart to nurture my Dao Seed. It was neither that of a beast nor that of a human but a culmination of both of them. Best of the both world, that’s how I wanted it to be. In the process, my Dao Seed also transformed. It acquired the characteristics of a Beast Core while at the same time maintaining its function as a Dao Seed.

I found an isolated area with high world essence and rotated the energy according to the energy chart I devised. It was the moment of truth. This was where I would learn whether all my effort would be rewarded or go down the drain.

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have created a Heaven-defying Cultivation Method.

Please give it a name…

“Heart’s Yearning!” No brainer there. This cultivation method was created due to the yearnings I had yet at the same time, it was created to fulfill those yearnings.

Ding!

The name ‘Heart’s Yearning’ has been assigned to the Cultivation Method.

Ding!

You have accomplished a remarkable achievement!

Congratulations!

You have acquired the trait [############]

A clear stream of energy flowed towards my dantian and reached the Dao Seed. The Dao Seed shook itself in joy as the energy flow to it became smooth and constant.

Ding!

You have cultivated ‘Heart's Yearning’ successfully!

Congratulations!

You have broken to the Qi Gathering Layer 1.

You have gained +5 to all basic attributes.

I happily opened my status window.

GENERAL

Name

Su Ren

Age

10 years old

Cultivation Method

Heart’s Yearning

Realm

Qi Gathering 1

(1/200 Essence)

Lifeforce

2980/2980 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

Qi

2990/2990 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

281

Physique

298

Movement

279

Control

275

Soul

299

Comprehension

297

Charm

31

Fate

23

INNATE TRAITS

Innards of a God

Kaleidoscope Eye

Photosynthesis

Eternal Stratum (Incomplete)

############

Bond:

Byakko (White Tiger)

Finally. Finally, I could start my cultivation journey. I had to go through many things to reach this stage. I felt like crying and laughing at the same time. Everything was worth it. I would start my own legend starting from now. I would roam the whole world and taste everything.

However, my thoughts were soon interrupted.

The sky darkened. The clear blue sky suddenly had many dark thunderclouds in it.

Ding!

WARNING!

You have cultivated a Heaven-defying Cultivation Method.

A minor 3x1 Tribulation shall befall you!

I had complained a lot about how my life was dreary and uneventful in my previous life. I wanted excitements. But this was not the type of excitement I wanted.

I checked for what I could use to protect myself from the tribulation. But nothing. I could find nothing. All my traits were useless in such situations. I had no weapons to speak of. I had no skills to resist it.

What the hell was I supposed to do?

While I was panicking, the first bolt struck down onto me. It hurt like hell. But I could only grit my teeth and bear with it. I felt like thousands of bugs were crawling inside my body. That sensation soon disappeared. Something inside my body swallowed the tribulation lightning. The second bolt struck, the same thing happened. The third bolt struck, the same event repeated.

Ding!

Congratulations!

You have passed through the tribulation.

You have gained +10 to all basic attributes.

The whole thing left me speechless. At this point I was too tired to even feel surprised.

GENERAL

Name

Su Ren

Age

10 years old

Cultivation Method

Heart’s Yearning

Realm

Qi Gathering 1

(123/200 Essence)

Lifeforce

2990/2990 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

Qi

2990/2990 (Regeneration: 10% per second)

ATTRIBUTES

Strength

291

Physique

299

Movement

289

Control

285

Soul

299

Comprehension

299

Charm

36

Fate

29

INNATE TRAITS

Innards of a God

Kaleidoscope Eye

Photosynthesis

Eternal Stratum (Incomplete)

############

Bond:

Byakko (White Tiger)