The night was as dark as ink, the stars sparse. Deep within the ruins of the Lingyin Sect, in a quiet ancient forest, Lin Xuanchen sat cross-legged, holding the bottle of freshly brewed Pure Spirit Herb Potion in his hands. A faint medicinal aroma lingered in the air.
"After the spiritual veins are activated, I must begin to open up the Spirit Sea to truly guide the spiritual energy of heaven and earth into my body," Lin Xuanchen whispered, his eyes gleaming with determination.
The system panel appeared in his mind:
[Current Cultivation Level: Qi Refining Level 1, Beginner]
[Spirit Sea Capacity: 0%]
[Spirit Sea Opening Progress: 3%]
[System Note: The Spirit Sea is the sea of spiritual energy within a cultivator, determining the speed and quality of cultivation]
[Completing tasks will increase Spirit Sea capacity and spiritual energy absorption rate]
[Current Main Task: Complete the Initial Formation of the Spirit Sea]
Lin Xuanchen drank a sip of the Pure Spirit Herb Potion, and a warm current instantly flowed through his body, as if long-closed chains had been unlocked.
He closed his eyes, calmed his breathing, and sensed the subtle fluctuations of spiritual energy around him.
Although there was no abundant spiritual energy around him, invisible spiritual power already lay dormant in the universe.
Utilizing his "Spiritual Vein Sensing" technique, Lin Xuanchen began to construct a path for spiritual energy to flow within his body with his mind.
In the initial stages, spiritual energy flowed slowly and irregularly through his meridians, sporadically and intermittently.
"Don't rush. I must guide the spiritual energy slowly to prevent it from flowing upstream and damaging my spiritual veins," he repeatedly reminded himself.
Gradually, the broken meridians within his body seemed to resonate, and the fragments of his shattered spiritual roots began to tremble slightly.
For a moment, he felt as if he were in a boundless ocean.
Spiritual energy condensed into tiny dots of emerald light, slowly gathering to form a deep blue spiritual sea.
"This is my spiritual sea... a world that truly belongs to me." Lin Xuanchen's eyes shone with disbelief.
However, the spiritual sea had only just taken shape and was exceptionally fragile.
If he wasn't careful, it would rupture, draining the Qi within him.
He frowned, continuing to concentrate.
Time passed, and the spiritual energy within Lin Xuanchen gradually stabilized. His spiritual sea expanded, emitting waves of faint blue light.
"System, how much has the spiritual sea capacity increased?"
[Spirit Sea Capacity Increased to 5%]
[Spiritual Energy Absorption Rate Increased to 0.8%]
[Spirit Sea Stability: Primary]
Lin Xuanchen breathed a sigh of relief.
"Only 5%—still far from the path of true cultivation, but this is the first hurdle to breaking through the waste spiritual root."
He knew that if the spiritual sea could stabilize, it would greatly enhance his sensitivity to and efficiency in utilizing the spiritual energy of heaven and earth, unrestricting his cultivation speed.
Just then, a faint vibration suddenly emanated.
A faint shadow emerged from the spiritual sea, like a thin, coiled thread.
It was the "broken vein rune" left behind after the spiritual root was severed, bearing an indelible mark.
"This is the secret of the broken spiritual root... the signs of artificial severing." Lin Xuanchen's heart tightened.
A system prompt appeared simultaneously:
[Remaining runes from the broken spiritual root have been activated]
[Do you want to start the 'Spiritual Root Reshaping' primary program?]
[This program will consume a large amount of spiritual power and energy points]
[Do you want to continue?]
Lin Xuanchen didn't hesitate:
"Start!"
Deep within the spiritual sea, the runes slowly rotated, as if a seal had been reopened.
He felt a surge of power surge from deep within his body, penetrating every meridian in his body.
The blocked spiritual energy channels in his body began to loosen, and the efficiency of spiritual energy absorption increased rapidly.
[Spiritual Root Reshaping Program Successfully Started]
[Spiritual Sea Capacity Increased to 12%]
[Spiritual Energy Absorption Rate Increased to 1.5%]
[Obtained Spiritual Power Guidance Core]
[System Reward +5 Enhancement Points]
Lin Xuanchen felt as if he had been reborn; even his breathing became much smoother.
He concentrated a trace of spiritual energy with his mind and slowly exhaled a breath of Qi.
"First level of Qi Refining. I've officially achieved it."
Just then, the wind in the distant valley suddenly shifted, as if something unusual was happening.
Su Qingyin hurried over, her eyes grim.
"Xuanchen, the Blood Killing Sect has discovered our hiding place! They've sent a large army in pursuit, and I'm afraid they'll attack at any moment!"
Lin Xuanchen nodded.
"It seems I need to break through quickly and strike first."
The two exchanged glances, each with a firm resolve.
"Let's go! Embrace the future. Only by constantly breaking through can we live freely!"