Chapter Three: The First Ice Pearl
After I had tried everything that came to mind, I remembered that I wasn't alone in the cave, so I hurried back.
As it turned out, my mother hadn't moved from her spot, still lying near the entrance beside the remains of that strange creature. But on the other side, what caught my attention was a massive piece of meat, nearly as large as myself.
As I drew closer, my mother turned her head toward me, and suddenly, a gentle feminine voice blended with a low rumble echoed in my mind:
"Eat… this is yours."
Since I didn't react, she nudged me softly toward the meat, pulling me back to my senses. Only then did the pungent aroma of flesh hit me, and I realized just how hungry I was after ten whole days since hatching.
Without a shred of hesitation, I lunged forward and devoured my very first meal in this world.
I didn't feel any disgust at eating raw meat; in my past life, I had no problem with sashimi or even nearly raw steaks. But this time, I was no longer human… and the flavor of this meat was beyond anything I had ever tasted. I tore through it ravenously until not a single shred remained.
My mother simply watched me from where she lay, then turned away and closed her eyes, drifting into sleep.
I decided not to disturb her, so I chose a corner of the cave and sat to think. The hunger and raw emotion that had consumed me were gone, and now it was time to consider my next step.
Even knowing the dangers lurking in such worlds—things I had read of countless times in my novels—I couldn't help but feel relief and joy. I had loved this place from the very beginning; not only did it offer me a chance to grow and evolve, but it was also brimming with untouched natural beauty.
In most cultivation worlds, energy flows through meridians before gathering in the dantian. Even in other magical realms where cultivation doesn't exist, there are always channels, cores, or centers of energy.
So then, even in a world like this, there had to be a source, a core of power unique to me.
Recalling how all those stories began with the first moment of sensing energy, I closed my eyes and began to meditate…
But if I were in a normal situation, I would simply quiet my mind and let my thoughts pass, while mentally attuning myself to the surrounding energy.
Now I began to monitor the changes in my body, because I could already feel the energy and even manage it, yet I never felt where it gathered; instead, I absorbed it instantly.
At first nothing happened, and I wanted to scoff at this whole pretense, but every time I remembered that this was no ordinary world and that laziness here would be costly, I pulled myself back and kept going.
Yet after a full day, I still found nothing.
Maybe spiritual energy doesn't work this way, but I kept at it, searching for a reservoir for spiritual power.
Over time I discovered what was happening in my body. All the energy I collected had accumulated at a specific point, forming a small white pearl that contained ice-cold energy.
Inspiration struck me — this was the essence of the element.
And also, as a reserve for the energy I'd gathered, had I formed this cold, icy core within my body?
So even if I had entered a magical world, there were serious differences in the initial stages of development that shouldn't exist.
Remembering that in all those stories everything began with the first sensation of energy and my own energy center, I began to meditate.
But if I were in a normal situation, I would simply quiet my mind and let my thoughts pass, while mentally attuning myself to the surrounding energy.
Now I began to monitor the changes in my body, because I could already feel the energy and even manage it, yet I never felt where it gathered; instead, I absorbed it instantly.
At first nothing happened, and I wanted to scoff at this whole pretense, but every time I remembered that this was no ordinary world and that laziness here would be costly, I pulled myself back and kept going.
Yet after a full day, I still found nothing.
Maybe spiritual energy doesn't work this way, but I kept at it, searching for a reservoir for spiritual power.
Over time, I discovered what was happening in my body. All the energy I had gathered accumulated at a specific point, forming a small white pearl that held ice-cold energy.
A spark of inspiration hit me… this was the essence of the element.
And beside that, as a reserve for the energy I'd collected, I felt that I had formed a cold, icy core inside my body.
Once it finished forming, I found I could push spiritual energy through my body and store it in my heart, converting it into the pearl.
At first I thought this was the function of a dragon's heart, but it expanded greatly as spiritual energy flowed through it.
I no longer focused on that alone; I began to calmly guide spiritual energy along the meridians in my body, trying to sense their branches and find as many of them as possible. I didn't ignore even the smallest offshoots.
This had a positive effect on my body: it didn't just strengthen it, it also increased the natural flow of energy through the channels, preserving their integrity so they wouldn't tear when large amounts of energy passed through.
After a while, I started to feel movement in my body accompanied by a slight pain.
Although I had climbed the unicorn nimbly — where that wasn't necessary — I managed to find most of the major meridians and their branches, and even the small channels.
But I had to think about how to sense them using my current level of control over energy.
I don't know how long this training will take, but for now I'll focus on control first and explore the smaller meridians so I can regulate my overly expanded minor channels.
A lot has happened this month, but the most important discovery is the kind of world I ended up in:
It's a world of Spirit Combat Masters — and spirit beasts.
This world is saturated with spiritual energy, and beasts are everywhere.
Still, humans managed to evolve — growing stronger by relying on their bloodlines, awakening their combat spirits, and extracting energy pearls from spirit beasts.
I learned this two weeks after I inherited the Bloodline, from my mother's words.
I felt immense joy because we live at the far north, where humans exist at their lowest levels. I never wanted to be hunted for my blood and my energy pearl.
The Far North is a forbidden zone for humans, ruled by spirit beasts of the Ice element.
Because of our nature and my mother, I too possess the Ice element, which is why we live at the extreme north.
Thanks to my mother's power — she slew a ten-thousand-year-old spirit beast without harm, and is estimated to be over eighty thousand years old — we live near the center of the Far North, making human intrusion extremely unlikely.
Once I grasped where I had ended up, I began to meditate with greater determination. Although I loved the nature and beauty of this world, I understood that only the strong have the right to a free and safe life.
I didn't dwell on it for long. I am a spirit beast, and I will live at least a hundred thousand years; I don't even know who or what might try to kill me if humans come for my blood… my energy pearl.
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