In the endless darkness pressing against him like a thick cloud of dark smoke, Wunian suddenly saw rays of light.
It was similar to the ethereal light of qi he had previously seen around his mother, but this time there were countless colors intermingled with one another.
He continued 'staring' at the sight without any sense of movement.
Watching the ethereal lights drift about in a unique rhythm, he gradually felt himself entering a state of enlightenment.
He closed off his connection to the outside world. Only the faint vibrating hum of the sword, along with the repeated image of intersecting waves of qi energy playing in his mind, continued.
After what seemed like a long time, Wunian felt something change within his body.
Gradually, a technique took form in his mind.
The Primordial Void Breathing Technique…
The name of the technique subconsciously appeared in Wunian's line of thought.
Along with the name came the understanding of the technique.
The description alone left Wunian reeling in immense shock.
Before he could dwell on it, he felt his perception shift once more and gradually sensed the lively air of the clan pressing against him.
The familiar intersecting waves of qi entering his mother's silhouette were revealed to him again.
'What just happened?' Wunian asked no one in particular, since he was the only one who could find the answers himself.
Not wanting to deliberate on everything that had happened so far, Wunian focused his attention on his mother.
'She's cultivating… perhaps I can cultivate too?'
The Primordial Void Breathing Technique flickered to life in his mind.
Using the method described within it, Wunian began trying to sense the qi.
According to the understanding in his mind, this technique was among the highest-ranked cultivation techniques.
Coming from the Sword of Nihility, Wunian felt inclined to believe it.
Using the technique, Wunian began sensing the familiar lines of qi scattered around his mother.
Since Jian Ruyi was cultivating, it made things far easier for him.
At first, the process was difficult, but since Wunian had cultivated for more than a hundred years in his past life, it did not take long before a strand of qi drifted into his body.
After the first strand, it was as though the rest had encountered a magnet.
A few gently floated over and sank into Wunian's body.
Wunian felt his weakened muscles being reinforced at a speed visible to the naked eye.
His sense of smell grew sharper, and so did everything else.
Guiding the qi according to the method described in the Primordial Void Breathing Technique, Wunian felt something akin to a dantian slowly condensing in his midsection.
The process was excruciatingly slow and gradual, but in barely an hour, the sound of something cracking echoed through the room, disrupting Jian Ruyi's cultivation.
Jian Ruyi opened her eyes in confusion upon hearing the shattering sound so close to her.
She noticed Wunian staring in her direction and could not help but feel puzzled.
Moments after glancing at him, she noticed something, and her eyes widened in astonishment.
"This… it can't be." She quickly reached beneath Wunian's robes and placed her hand on his stomach.
There, she felt a faintly rotating, pitch-black core, like an endless abyss.
"A cultivator?" she whispered in shock.
She had sensed the faint drifting wisps of qi around her son earlier, and though she did not dare believe it, seeing that he had formed a dantian made her understand.
"You—you've become a cultivator?"
She stared at her son, who returned her gaze, only his eyes were lifeless and emotionless.
"No…" she rubbed her eyes. "I must be dreaming."
Saying that, she quickly staggered to her feet and rushed toward the location of her husband.
…
A few seconds later, the couple returned, and Jian Wushang immediately rushed up to Wunian and inspected him.
Placing his hand on the child's stomach, he sensed the dantian and the faint drifting wisps of qi.
His eyes grew solemn with disbelief.
"I thought you were exaggerating the facts, but it seems our son has truly become a cultivator."
"A baby who has been born for barely a day… how is he already a cultivator? How can he even sense qi? Is it a subconscious act? Does he possess a special physique?"
Jian Ruyi bit her fingernails, mumbling under her breath as she paced back and forth, trying to find a reason for the situation.
"Calm down, Ruyi." Jian Wushang stood up, holding the baby in his arms.
"Let's report it to the elders. They will know what's happening."
"Oh… alright. The elders." Jian Ruyi finally calmed down and glanced at her husband nervously.
…
The walk to the meeting hall lasted fifteen minutes, and when Jian Wushang arrived, the elders were already seated. The servants had alerted them to the importance of the meeting.
Jian Wushang recounted everything that had happened so far, and when he finished, the eight elders shifted their gazes toward the blind child in his arms.
'This pressure… Golden Core?' Wunian muttered internally, feeling their presence press lightly against him as they probed his cultivation.
"First layer of Qi Condensation." Finally, an elder, Jian Ru, spoke after some deliberation.
The others nodded as well, sensing the same aura from Wunian.
"This child, Jian Wunian, seems to possess unparalleled talent. Due to heaven's jealousy, he has been born blind. He will have to master his own cultivation techniques to temper his progress."
A wise old man with long white beards spoke in a melancholic tone.
Continuing, he said, "We will expend any amount of resources required to restore his sight. With such talent, he will lead the Jian Clan into a new era."
The elder's face grew stern, and a chilling killing intent from a cultivator at the ninth layer of Golden Core pressed down on everyone in the hall.
"No one is to reveal what was discussed here today. We will nurture Jian Wunian in secret to prevent him from being killed before he is given the chance to grow. Are my words clear enough, or does anyone wish to speak to my blade?"
"We obey the Grand Elder's words!!" Feeling as though a sword had been pressed against their throats, all the elders bowed and replied in unison.
She stared at her son, who returned her gaze, only his eyes were lifeless and emotionless.
"No…" she rubbed her eyes. "I must be dreaming."
Saying that, she quickly staggered to her feet and rushed toward the location of her husband.
…
A few seconds later, the couple returned, and Jian Wushang immediately rushed up to Wunian and inspected him.
Placing his hand on the child's stomach, he sensed the dantian and the faint drifting wisps of qi.
His eyes grew solemn with disbelief.
"I thought you were exaggerating the facts, but it seems our son has truly become a cultivator."
"A baby who has been born for barely a day… how is he already a cultivator? How can he even sense qi? Is it a subconscious act? Does he possess a special physique?"
Jian Ruyi bit her fingernails, mumbling under her breath as she paced back and forth, trying to find a reason for the situation.
"Calm down, Ruyi." Jian Wushang stood up, holding the baby in his arms.
"Let's report it to the elders. They will know what's happening."
"Oh… alright. The elders." Jian Ruyi finally calmed down and glanced at her husband nervously.
…
The walk to the meeting hall lasted fifteen minutes, and when Jian Wushang arrived, the elders were already seated. The servants had alerted them to the importance of the meeting.
Jian Wushang recounted everything that had happened so far, and when he finished, the eight elders shifted their gazes toward the blind child in his arms.
'This pressure… Golden Core?' Wunian muttered internally, feeling their presence press lightly against him as they probed his cultivation.
"First layer of Qi Condensation." Finally, an elder, Jian Ru, spoke after some deliberation.
The others nodded as well, sensing the same aura from Wunian.
"This child, Jian Wunian, seems to possess unparalleled talent. Due to heaven's jealousy, he has been born blind. He will have to master his own cultivation techniques to temper his progress."
A wise old man with long white beards spoke in a melancholic tone.
Continuing, he said, "We will expend any amount of resources required to restore his sight. With such talent, he will lead the Jian Clan into a new era."
The elder's face grew stern, and a chilling killing intent from a cultivator at the ninth layer of Golden Core pressed down on everyone in the hall.
"No one is to reveal what was discussed here today. We will nurture Jian Wunian in secret to prevent him from being killed before he is given the chance to grow. Are my words clear enough, or does anyone wish to speak to my blade?"
"We obey the Grand Elder's words!!" Feeling as though a sword had been pressed against their throats, all the elders bowed and replied in unison.