The Morning light filtered gently into the kitchen as I began preparing breakfast for the household.
As had become my usual practice, I didn't rely solely on my physical hands for the work.
Two familiar strands of spiritual energy extended smoothly from my fingertips.
They stirred the bubbling soup, flipped the sizzling meat in the pan, and lifted various utensils effortlessly.
Each motion was smooth and completely natural after weeks of daily practice.
But today, I wanted to push further.
I focused my concentration more intently than usual.
Carefully.
Deliberately.
My physical body felt noticeably stronger after last night's initial skin tempering.
It responded far more efficiently than before to my commands.
The circulation of qi through my arms and shoulders flowed smoother and steadier, as if invisible obstructions had been carefully shaved away by the refining process.
Now, let's see if this works.
I gently pushed more spiritual energy outward from my dantian, guiding it through my fingertips.
Slowly.
Painstakingly.
A third strand of energy began to form in the air before me.
At first, it trembled badly, highly unstable, flickering in and out of visible existence like a guttering candle flame in strong wind.
Sweat immediately beaded on my forehead as I maintained intense focus.
I adjusted the delicate flow of qi bit by careful bit.
Then, gradually, after several tense moments, the thread finally stabilized.
A third distinct spiritual thread hovered in the air alongside the other two.
It wasn't nearly as strong or flexible as the other well-practiced two, but it definitely existed.
I couldn't help but grin with satisfaction at the achievement.
With a single focused thought, I guided the new thread carefully beneath a ceramic bowl.
It lifted the bowl gently into the air without spilling a drop.
Three threads. Three helping hands working simultaneously.
As I moved all the dishes at once, one thread stirring soup, one flipping meat, one carefully plating food, I suddenly froze completely.
A strange sense of powerful déjà vu surfaced unbidden in my mind.
"Hah..."
An image from my previous life on Earth popped vividly into my head.
Doctor Octopus from those old comic books.
Multiple mechanical arms extending from his back in all directions.
If someone happened to see me right now, wouldn't I look exactly like that fictional character?
I sighed inwardly at the absurd comparison.
If my control mastery eventually increases beyond just proficient level to expert or master... what then?
Tentacle monster Shen Yuan terrorizing the cultivation world?
I shook my head, genuinely amused by my own ridiculous thoughts.
Still, the comparison made me think more seriously.
Many things that were considered pure fiction back on Earth might simply be advanced knowledge that humanity hadn't reached yet.
Cultivation itself, immortality, dimensional travel, none of these impossible fantasies were actually impossible here in this world.
My gaze drifted momentarily toward the window.
If I truly manage to become an immortal eventually... could I possibly cross between worlds?
Could I somehow reach back to my previous world?
The thought lingered temptingly for only a breath before I deliberately exhaled softly.
Pipe dreams.
Pointless speculation.
For now, at least.
But dreams were meant to be chased and pursued, not immediately discarded as impossible.
I set those thoughts firmly aside and finished cooking the morning meal.
The completed dishes floated smoothly behind me as I walked out of the kitchen.
Four bowls stacked, one large pot of soup, and a heaping plate of seasoned meat all suspended perfectly in midair by the three spiritual threads.
I was walking completely empty-handed, arms swinging freely.
"Browther! wook! wook!"
Mo Ling's excited, slightly mispronounced voice rang out immediately.
She pointed dramatically at me with both small hands, her eyes wide with pure amazement.
Then she turned quickly to Mo Fan standing beside her.
"Browther, wook! Big browther Shen grew another hand!"
Mo Fan sighed deeply and wearily, rubbing his forehead with one hand like a tired old man.
"Those are spiritual energy threads," he corrected patiently for probably the hundredth time. "Not actual hands, Mo Ling."
Mo Ling shot him a look filled with absolute disbelief and pity.
A look that clearly questioned his basic intelligence.
She crossed her small arms decisively and puffed out her cheeks.
"Browther is stupid," she declared with complete confidence.
Mo Fan visibly choked on air.
She pointed directly at the floating bowls as evidence.
"Can a thread hold heavy bowls perfectly in the air like that? Of course not! Only hands can do that!"
Then she turned to me, nodding with solemn seriousness.
"Don't worry, Big Brother Shen. My brother is sometimes very stupid about obvious things."
She walked over to Mo Fan with exaggerated sympathy.
She patted his back seriously and comfortingly, perfectly imitating my own tone and mannerisms.
"Don't worry at all. I will take very good care of you, okay? My stupid browther. If someone bullies you for being slow, don't cry. Just come and tell me immediately, okay?"
Mo Fan's entire face turned bright scarlet red.
"You! When did I ever cry about anything?!"
Mo Ling tilted her head thoughtfully, as if genuinely considering the question.
"Hmm... Okay okay, maybe not."
Then she silently reached into her pocket and pulled out a small piece of wrapped candy.
She held it out to him with exaggerated kindness.
"Do you want candy... kid?"
That was absolutely the final blow to Mo Fan's dignity.
"MO LING!" he exploded.
He lunged forward desperately, trying to grab his infuriating little sister.
She squealed with delighted laughter and ran, darting across the house with surprising agility for someone so small.
The two children chased each other in chaotic circles, their laughter echoing loudly through every room.
At that exact moment, Grandfather walked in from outside.
He stopped immediately.
He looked at the complete chaos unfolding in the living room.
Then he slowly turned to look directly at me with a questioning expression.
"What's going on here exactly?"
I shrugged helplessly, holding back my own laughter.
He snorted softly and waved his weathered hand.
"Children, stop that fighting right now."
I gently guided all the floating dishes down with the spiritual threads, placing them neatly on the low table.
Then I physically separated the two squabbling children before things could escalate any further.
Soon, everyone finally sat down properly to eat.
The atmosphere quickly became warm and comfortable.
Peaceful.
After eating his fill at a leisurely pace, Grandfather carefully put down his empty bowl.
He looked at me with careful attention.
"So," he asked quietly but directly, "how was last night's body cultivation session?"
"It was successful," I replied honestly without embellishment. "But the process is extremely slow and consumes vast amounts of resources."
He nodded with understanding.
"I'm planning to take missions from the Spiritual Farming Hall once my overall strength increases sufficiently. I'll earn contribution credits through work. Then exchange those credits for proper cultivation materials."
Grandfather didn't respond immediately to my practical plan.
Instead, he stood up slowly from his seat.
His eyes appeared slightly red with emotion.
He placed one rough, steady hand firmly on my shoulder and gave it a solid pat.
"Don't push yourself too hard, boy. Remember that."
Then he turned and walked silently toward the backyard, picking up some carved wood pieces to work on.
I watched his slowly retreating back for a long, thoughtful moment.
Then my gaze naturally shifted to the two children eating quietly now.
I remembered their situation clearly.
Their father had gone completely missing about two months ago now.
No word.
No trace.
The next harvest from my fields would be ready in approximately ten days.
I'll go to the market two days after that harvest. I should ask around discreetly about him.
Someone must know something.
With that firm intention in mind, I left the house and headed to my fields.
I left the children at home to help with chores and stabilize Grandfather's clearly emotional state.
The farm greeted me with the wonderfully familiar scent of rich soil and healthy greenery.
I carefully watered the jade spirit rice growing in the one mu field that was rapidly nearing full maturity.
I regulated the Spiritual Rain Technique with practiced precision.
After that routine task, I thoroughly inspected the entire ground for any pest activity.
Then I checked all the protective fences for damage.
Several underground sections had been noticeably damaged by persistent moles.
I repaired them methodically one by one using earth manipulation.
I should definitely buy beast-repelling powder at the market, I thought practically.
And ideally, I need a proper array formation plate specifically designed for concealment.
If I wanted to significantly expand the cultivation of Vermilion Blood Rice beyond one small hidden mu, concealment would be absolutely essential.
Exposing even a tiny trace of the valuable rice and its abnormally fast growth would immediately invite dangerous attention.
At the same time, I was becoming increasingly aware that two mu of total farmland was far from enough for my needs.
If I cultivated basic Jade Spirit Rice on only one mu, the yield would barely cover the mandatory village tax and daily household consumption.
It certainly wouldn't leave any meaningful surplus for trade or purchasing cultivation resources.
The remaining mu would be entirely consumed by Vermilion Blood Rice production, which was necessary but didn't provide immediate income.
That situation simply wouldn't work long-term.
The fields directly beside mine had been sitting completely vacant for a very long time now.
Untended by anyone.
Forgotten.
If I could somehow include those abandoned fields in my next harvest cycle, the financial pressure would ease significantly.
I should talk to Old Zhang when I submit this current batch of rice.
If I show him some impressive surplus grains, real tangible proof of my farming success, convincing him to allocate another two mu to me shouldn't be impossible.
Village decisions were always ultimately pragmatic.
Results spoke far louder than empty words or promises.
After finishing my thorough inspection of the fields, my gaze drifted upward curiously.
Toward the steep mountain wall rising directly behind my small plots.
On a sudden impulse, I decided to climb it to properly test my newly enhanced body strength.
I approached the base and began ascending.
My fingers dug into the rough rock surface with surprising ease.
The newly tempered skin barely registered friction, let alone any pain.
Each grip felt incredibly firm and stable.
My fingers felt more like steel hooks than normal flesh.
So this is the real difference skin tempering makes.
Without even consciously realizing it, I had already climbed nearly a hundred meters straight up.
I paused on a small ledge.
From this elevated height, my fields and the entire village below looked remarkably small.
Almost fragile.
Yet peaceful.
For a long moment, I simply stood there clinging to the rock, letting the mountain wind brush past my face.
Then I continued climbing higher with renewed confidence.
At one hundred meters feet elevation, the wind grew noticeably stronger and more aggressive.
It tugged insistently at my loose robes.
My body swayed slightly with each powerful gust, my balance constantly tested.
If I fall from this height... death would be absolutely immediate.
The sobering thought alone was more than enough to scare me into caution.
Sensing the genuine danger, I began climbing down very carefully.
I controlled each movement precisely, keeping my breathing steady and even.
When my feet finally touched solid ground again, a pleasant wave of warmth surged through my entire body.
Qi circulated vigorously from the intense physical exertion, flowing smoothly through all my meridians.
It felt genuinely good.
Invigorating.
Physical labor and exercise really is the best natural catalyst for body cultivation progress.
From now on, I would include rock climbing in my training.
Completely satisfied with the experiment, I returned home.
I cooked a hearty lunch for everyone, and the afternoon time passed quietly and peacefully.
Later, I resumed my spiritual cultivation practice in my room.
At present, my massive dantian was fully filled up to exactly sixteen meters.
I opened the system panel interface.
Without any hesitation, I activated one stored Verdant Dew reward.
Spiritual energy surged violently into my body, pouring inward and rushing directly toward my dantian.
The seventeenth meter section began filling steadily with refined spiritual energy, expanding inch by inch under the overwhelming pressure.
The sensation was intoxicating and addictive.
Without waiting for it to settle, I immediately activated another Verdant Dew reward.
This time, the additional energy settled far more smoothly.
The seventeenth meter stabilized completely, becoming solid and refined.
Then I followed up with careful cultivation using regular spirit stones.
I adjusted my internal energy flows and consolidated my realm thoroughly.
I made absolutely certain no dangerous instability remained anywhere.
At night, I cooked Vermilion Blood Rice again for my body cultivation.
But this time, I prepared two times the previous amount.
One full pound of the precious grains.
When everyone in the household had gone to sleep peacefully after dinner, I stepped into the backyard alone once more.
Midnight approached.
Countless stars hung silently above in the vast darkness.
I sat cross-legged beneath the open sky and consumed all the prepared rice.
The moment it entered my body, blood energy surged powerfully like an unstoppable tide.
I guided it carefully under my spiritual sense, spreading it evenly through every single inch of my flesh.
Then I began the prescribed body cultivation movements.
Invisible yet tangibly real starlight descended once again, completely enveloping my body.
Heat surged intensely.
My skin flared bright red, slowly tempering under the combined effects of blood energy and celestial force.
After completing one full cycle of the technique, I deliberately stopped.
I did not force the process to continue further.
Instead, I resumed quiet meditation.
I corrected minor mistakes, stabilized the newly tempered skin, and allowed my body to adapt naturally.
Each day after that initial success followed the exact same productive rhythm.
Mornings were spent on farming work and rock climbing, my current limit reaching one thousand meters as the wind pressure grew increasingly stronger with every step upward.
The afternoon was dedicated to spiritual cultivation, slow and stable.
The night belonged to body cultivation, full of pain.
I occasionally used Verdant Dew rewards strategically.
My Vermilion Blood Rice consumption also increased steadily day by day.
I deliberately left one precious Blood Energy reward and two Verdant Dew rewards completely untouched.
They were reserved carefully.
For critical breakthrough moments.
For genuine emergencies.
For when I absolutely needed that extra push.
Ten days passed in focused silence.
No dramatic events.
Just steady, relentless progress.
On the morning of the eleventh day, I opened my eyes from meditation.
My body felt remarkably light.
Yet undeniably powerful.
The early stage of skin tempering was nearly complete.
My enormous dantian was fully filled to eighteen meters.
Qi Refining Sixth Layer, peak.
I couldn't wait for today's harvest.
And more importantly, I couldn't wait for the system's reward.
Whatever it granted me would be crucial for my next major breakthrough.
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