The next day marked the start of our exciting journey into cultivation! All the kids whose spiritual roots had been tested gathered at the practice hall. Before I left, my parents showered me with encouragement, and my sister surprised me with her favorite cake to lift my spirits. I truly appreciated that gesture! As I made my way to the practice hall, I ran into my third sister, Fu Yu, and my fifth brother, Fu Wenbo. When Fu Yu asked, "Are you excited?" I eagerly replied, "Yes, I am very excited!" Fu Wenbo chimed in, admitting he felt a bit more nervous than excited, which made us all chuckle.
Entering the practice hall, we noticed it was bustling with not just the newly tested kids, but also those like my second brother, Fu Haoran, who had already started his training. His nod toward us was familiar and warm; it reminded us of all the playful times we had together. Although he had developed a more serious demeanor since beginning his training, those who knew him well understood he was still the same playful brother underneath it all.
Once we settled in, we were grouped by experience levels. The new students, including us, listened to lectures from the Third Elder, while more seasoned practitioners like Fu Haoran were in a different room filled with abundant spiritual energy—a place brimming with promise.
When the Third Elder arrived, he greeted us warmly and explained the differences in spiritual roots. Some of us had one, two, or even four to five roots! He emphasized that starting cultivation was what truly mattered. Sharing inspiring stories about people with fewer roots who had ascended thanks to their determination and positive mindset, he reminded us that while the number of roots might influence how fast we could progress, it wasn't the only thing that counted on our path to immortality.
Next, the Third Elder delved into the body's meridians. My third sister, fifth brother, and I were already a bit familiar with the concept, but the others were learning for the first time. Then, the Second Elder shared his insights about cultivation and introduced us to different types of cultivators in the Qianshui world. He carefully warned us about the dangers of evil cultivators, emphasizing that they were enemies of the whole cultivation community and often operated in secrecy.
He also talked about various professions we might explore, like Alchemists, Weapon Refiners, Formation Masters, and Talisman Masters. He reassured us that when spiritual energy first enters our bodies, we might feel a bit of discomfort, but it's all part of the process. The more we endure, the stronger our meridians become, helping us in our future cultivation efforts.
After all the discussions, he handed out a common Qi practice booklet and guided us through our initial practice. We all settled down to meditate. I didn't sense anything after a whole half-day, but my third sister could feel some elemental energy, even if it didn't quite enter her body. My fifth brother felt nothing at all. Later, we returned to our rooms in the practice pavilion, where all kids with spiritual roots needed to stay until we turned 12. This pavilion had some of the best spiritual energy within the entire Fu family, which was exciting!
The next day, my third sister successfully managed to absorb spiritual energy into her body! I also started to feel the energy; it was like playful kids I wanted to catch, but they kept slipping away! Four days flew by, and then my fifth brother finally succeeded in absorbing Qi too. I felt a mix of anxiety and excitement since we both had double spiritual roots. Taking a deep breath to concentrate, I saw that when the vibrant red and green dots came close to him, he didn't go for them right away. Instead, he let them approach, showing his friendly spirit.
Finally, the first red dot made its way into his body, followed by the green dot. To my surprise, when he guided them toward his meridians, he felt no pain at all! While both my third sister and fifth brother sensed some things he didn't, he didn't realize that while he was in our mom's womb, he absorbed energy that made his meridians stronger than most. As a result, he had already reached the second level of body training, but he thought he was just slightly stronger than the rest of us. One month passed after that, and so much was unfolding!