The cave was quiet.
Too quiet.
Luo Yun stood in the center of his new "home," arms folded as he examined the uneven stone floor, cracked walls.
It wasn't much. But it was his.
"…Well," Luo Yun muttered to himself, "I've seen worse college dorm rooms."
The joke did nothing to ease the cold air brushing his spine.
Dark aura clung to the stones like invisible dust, whispering faintly in a language he couldn't understand. Not threatening—yet—but unsettling all the same.
He took a slow breath, recalling his priorities.
Step One: Plant the spirit herbs. Step Two: Install the Spirit-Gathering Core. Step Three: Only then begin cultivation in earnest.
All other ambitions—talisman crafting, weapon refining, greater array setups—would have to wait.
I can't use Qi with any finesse until I actually have Qi, he reminded himself. At the moment he wasn't even at the 1st stage of Qi Condensation. His body barely circulated spiritual energy; forcing talisman creation now would shred his meridians.
He knelt and unpacked the starter items he'd gathered from his sign-ins:
- The small pouch of Spirit Herb Seeds
- 15 Moonlight Grass sprouts, 9 Blood-dew seeds, 6 Jade-leaf seedlings
- A damaged bamboo root
- A folded stack of talisman papers
- A simple brush
- A vial of low-grade spirit ink
- A Talisman Manual
- And the faintly glowing Mini Spirit-Gathering Array Core
His gaze lingered on the last item.
It pulsed gently like a heartbeat wrapped in mist.
"Once I place this… everything will revolve around it."
He didn't pick it up yet. Instead, he walked toward the patch of sunlight inside the cave—where the morning rays hit each day through the natural opening in the stone.
The ground was uneven, but soft enough to be tilled. Moss clung to the walls nearby, indicating moisture. It wasn't fertile—not yet—but it was a suitable starting point.
He crouched and scraped at the earth with his fingers.
"Dry… lacking vitality…but spiritual qi is present." Then he chuckled. "Well, what did I expect? A heavenly-grade spirit field on day one?"
He drew out the seeds: tiny, shimmering specks with faint scents unique to each herb. He didn't know their names, but still decided to plant them nonetheless.
- Moonlight Grass: pale blue, thrives in soft light.
- Blood-dew Seeds: dark red, sharp scent, requires humidity.
- Jade-leaf Seedlings: green-white, nourishing Qi.
- Spirit Bamboo Root Fragment: stubborn, but if it takes root, it would elevate the entire cave's living aura.
Planting them wasn't complicated.
Convincing them to grow was another story.
Luo Yun's hands moved slowly, careful not to bruise the tender sprouts. He dug shallow pits, mixed in small amounts of powdered stone from the cave floor, and set each herb according to its needs.
Moonlight Grass went directly in the sunlight patch. Blooddew he planted near a moist wall. Jade-leaf seedlings closer together for mutual humidity. The bamboo root he buried deeper, hoping for the best.
When he finished, the small patch looked… humble.
Underwhelming.
But something about it felt warm.
Alive.
This is the start of everything, he thought softly.
He pressed both palms together and bowed slightly to the herb field.
Not for superstition—but gratitude.
Luo Yun turned his attention to the glowing sphere on the stone shelf. The faint glow reflected in his eyes as he approached.
He picked it up carefully. It instantly reacted—threads of white Qi drifted off its surface, gathering toward the sunlight patch.
"…It's already sensing the most vibrant part of the cave."
He knelt and placed the core gently at the center of the herb field.
The moment it touched the ground—
HUM—
A soft vibration filled the cave.
White wisps of Qi swirled outward, wrapping around the herb sprouts like a protective veil. The air grew noticeably denser. Even Luo Yun's breathing felt easier, smoother.
He could feel the difference.
"Just this little core…" he whispered in awe. "It already improved the Qi flow this much?"
He sat back on his heels, stunned.
No wonder higher-grade formations were so sought after. Even this miniature version elevated the environment tremendously. His herbs would grow healthier, stronger, and faster.
And—most importantly—
His future sign-in rewards would scale accordingly.
He could almost see it: A cave glowing with spiritual light. Arrays humming softly. Spirit beasts curled by warm lanterns. Rare herbs swaying gently.
A personal paradise.
He shook the daydream away.
"Not yet. Focus on basics first."
...
Technically, the Spirit-Gathering Core alone created a rudimentary array. But Luo Yun wanted something slightly more structured—something he could understand and expand later.
He took out the talisman papers and brush.
The blank papers felt rough, cheaply made. The brush wasn't much better, its bristles uneven. The spirit ink was low-grade, but stable.
He dipped the brush.
Black lines appeared on the talisman paper like crawling vines.
"…No good," he muttered after a few strokes.
His hand was steady, but he could feel the issue.
Talisman crafting needs Qi. Even basic talismans require a trickle of controlled energy to anchor the ink.
He tried channeling the faint Qi he had absorbed from the meditation cushion earlier.
A thin stream traveled from his dantian…
…into his arm…
…then flickered and died halfway to his hand.
The bristles twitched, ink splattering slightly.
"Yeah. As expected." Luo Yun sighed. "I'm not even at Qi Condensation Stage 1 yet. This won't work."
Even if he forced it, the result would be unstable talismans—dangerous ones, at that.
Better to wait.
Once I reach the 3rd stage, talisman-making should become viable.
He carefully wiped the brush clean and stored the kit away.
-------------------------------------------------------------
He stood and surveyed the cave again, this time with developing vision.
Sunlight patch → herb field
Center area → meditation area with cushion
Entrance zone → array placement and defensive traps in the future
Back of cave(second room) → potential beast pen
Walls → future shelves for tools, manuals, pill furnace (someday)
He nodded to himself.
"This cave may look rough now… but its potential is high. Especially with the tomb aura below."
A shiver ran down his spine at the last part.
Between breaths, he faintly sensed the sealed presence under the mountain—like a sleeping beast dreaming in tar-black depths.
Dangerous.
Yet…
Sign-in rewards from dangerous places might be higher.
He shook his head quickly.
"Let's not die for greed on day two."
He spread the meditation cushion on the ground, near but not directly within the herb field. The faint scent of soil mixed with the warmth of sunlight helped calm his nerves.
Luo Yun sat cross-legged and placed the jade slip of the Spirit-Refining Void Scripture against his forehead.
The cultivation method's theory drifted into his consciousness:
Do not chase Qi.
Let perception guide Qi into the soul. Temper the consciousness like steel in cold water. Expand inner sight. Strengthen the "void space" within the mind.
He exhaled slowly.
"So this method basically strengthens the spirit first… and Qi second."
Most disciples cultivated the opposite way—body or energy first. And spirit grew alongside cultivation. This scripture reversed the process completely.
Not popular. Not beloved. Hard to master.
But perfect for Luo Yun.
He straightened his back.
Breath in…Breath out…
Qi trickled toward him, drawn by the Spirit-Gathering Core's faint pull. The air felt thicker, nourishing.
At first, the Qi resisted entry into his fake roots. It scattered, twisted.
But the scripture's mental guidance appeared naturally, almost like whispers.
Guide, not force.
Accept, not seize.
He relaxed his chest.
The Qi moved again, slower… but steadier.
A warm thread entered his meridians. Then another. His mind grew clearer—like clouds lifting from a mountain peak.
Fifteen minutes later, a tingling sensation spread from his forehead. His vision sharpened even with closed eyes. It felt as though the world around him had gained edges and definition.
He could sense the herb sprouts… faintly. He could sense the stone beneath him. He could sense the quiet hum of the array core.
Just barely—but undeniably.
He opened his eyes.
"…This is incredible."
Finally, he understood why the Peak Lord chose this scripture for him.
Normal cultivation methods would be painfully slow with fake roots.
But soul cultivation?
Soul cultivation didn't care about root quality. It required will. Clarity. Mental resilience.
All things he possessed in abundance.
He would still need to strengthen his Qi circulation eventually…But this method gave him a viable path.
A path no one else walked.
...
Hours passed.
Sunlight shifted across the herb field. The Spirit-Gathering Core pulsed rhythmically. The cave's whispers softened.
Even the oppressive tomb aura felt less intrusive—perhaps acknowledging his presence.
Luo Yun finished his meditation and stretched, joints popping softly.
He checked the herb patch.
To his surprise—
The Moonlight Grass sprouts had already perked up, tiny leaves glowing faintly under the sunbeam. The Jade-leaf seedlings had rooted deeper. Just the Spirit Bamboo showed nothing- as it was buried in the soil.
"…So the Spirit-Gathering Core works immediately."
He allowed himself a gentle smile.
He placed his hand on the soil, feeling the faint vibration of life.
Then he whispered quietly: "This is the beginning. My beginning."
His cave was no longer just a shelter.
As night fell, cold mist seeped into the cave, carrying the familiar whisper of the abyssal tomb below.
"...Survive," Luo Yun reminded himself.
His Peak Lord's words echoed in his mind:
If you survive, you stay. If not… it is fate.
Luo Yun sat on his cushion once more, determination firm.
"Tch. I didn't transfuse into another world just to die from mental stress. Let's cultivate."
He closed his eyes.
Deep within the cave, the herbs rustled softly. The array core glowed with faint radiance. And Luo Yun began his first true night of cultivation.
His journey had begun in earnest.