"My defense is strong, my strength is solid, and I possess earth affinity… so everything I develop should be built on that foundation. Combining elemental theory with what I remember about meridians from my previous life…"
Chen Ming's gaze sharpened slightly.
"…Little AI, begin the simulation."
As his Spirit Power started to circulate, he felt his consciousness abruptly lifted into a detached, transcendent state.
All emotion vanished.
All distractions disappeared.
What remained was pure rationality—cold, precise, and orderly, as if everything were unfolding exactly as it should.
Under normal circumstances, the human brain could only process thoughts in a simple, single-threaded manner. But in this AI-like cognitive state, Chen Ming found that he could divide his mind into multiple streams, each running parallel calculations from different perspectives and assumptions.
The awakening of his Martial Soul hadn't turned him into a superhuman overnight, but it had drastically enhanced his computational capacity. Even at this early stage, his mental processing power had already doubled compared to before.
Moreover, as his thoughts accelerated, he could sustain his body using Spirit Power, reducing the strain that such intense thinking would normally place on him and extending the duration of each simulation.
"Reference target: Mysterious Heaven Skill, Tang Sect cultivation method. Breaking down components—Daoist internal arts, wuxia-style cultivation, capable of opening the Twelve Primary Meridians and the Eight Extraordinary Meridians…"
Fragments of memory surfaced before him—scenes and descriptions from the original Douluo Continent, detailing the Mysterious Heaven Skill.
"Loading data: Twelve Primary Meridians, Eight Extraordinary Meridians. Meridian positions confirmed. Initiating Spirit Power circulation. Additional references: internal martial arts, fantasy-world cultivation methods…"
What appeared in his mind's eye were all the things he had ever encountered in his previous life—his curiosity-driven research into meridians after reading wuxia novels, anatomical diagrams from biology textbooks, and countless interpretations from fiction and classical texts.
Memories from every angle were unearthed, reorganized, and systematically categorized. With his enhanced processing power and divided cognition, Chen Ming sorted and integrated them into a coherent framework.
Principles of traditional medicine. Daoist philosophies. Human anatomy. The exaggerated yet insightful depictions from wuxia novels. The imaginative power systems from fantasy stories—even other cultivation systems described in works by the same author.
Countless ideas collided and fused, gradually forming a rough outline—a prototype of something new.
Where ordinary people needed flashes of inspiration to create a cultivation technique, Chen Ming was doing something entirely different. This was not creation born of intuition, but a cold, mechanical assembly of concepts, refined and anchored in his own body as the testing ground.
"Commencing first trial…"
With no distracting thoughts, Chen Ming slipped effortlessly into a deep meditative state, clearly perceiving both his Martial Soul and the flow of Spirit Power within his body.
Guided by his Martial Soul, the ambient energy of the world poured into him, rapidly transforming into threads of Spirit Power with remarkable efficiency. After several controlled trials to observe how standard meditation influenced both his Martial Soul and energy flow, he began directing that power into his meridians.
Being overly cautious, his first attempt dissipated before the energy could even reach his hands.
On the second try, he increased the amount slightly, allowing the Spirit Power to circulate through the Three Yang Meridians of the right arm before guiding it back into his body.
Whether it was because of his young age—his meridians not yet fully fixed—or the result of years of steady physical conditioning, the process went surprisingly smoothly. Aside from the heavy mental strain, there were no major complications.
And for Chen Ming, who was operating in a state of absolute, machine-like calm, such demands on precision and control posed no real difficulty.
After one full circulation, the Spirit Power within him became slightly more refined… and increased by a barely noticeable fraction.
From the right arm, he moved to the left. From the Three Yang Meridians of the arms to the Three Yin Meridians, then onward to the legs—the Three Yang, then the Three Yin. Step by step, through repeated cautious attempts, Chen Ming successfully mapped out the Twelve Primary Meridians within his limbs.
But that was as far as he went for now.
Not only had his meridians reached their temporary limit, but his mental state had also been significantly taxed by the continuous simulations and trials.
Based on his calculations, forcing further progress would only reduce efficiency, weaken his control, and carry a high risk of leaving him in a debilitated state for some time.
What could be done, would be done.
What could not, would not be forced.
This emotionless, detached mindset might not have been the most ideal state for cultivation, but it was undoubtedly one of the safest. Reckless overreach leading to deviation or backlash—such things were, for Chen Ming, almost entirely avoidable.
As Chen Ming's mind gradually emerged from that cold, mechanical state, a wave of dizziness washed over him. His head felt heavy, his body weak, and a hollow hunger began to gnaw at his stomach.
Just as he was about to boil some water, cook a simple pot of rice porridge, and pair it with his pickled mushrooms and wild vegetables for dinner, a knock sounded at his door.
"Xiao Ming, come eat at my place tonight."
Old Jack's voice drifted in from outside, carrying a hint of cheerful warmth.
Chen Ming glanced at the unlit firewood in his hands, hesitated briefly, then set it aside. Grabbing a small jar of homemade pickles he had prepared himself, he pushed open the door and followed Old Jack back without protest.
The meal was simple, but heartfelt—each of them had a small cup of honey water, a pot of mixed-grain rice, a piece of cured meat, and a plate of pickled vegetables. Yet the joy of the day lingered between them, making the meal feel especially satisfying. The honey water, rich with sugar, replenished Chen Ming's energy in a way he sorely needed.
After thanking Old Jack and preparing to leave, Chen Ming was stopped.
"Xiao Ming, for the next few days, don't worry about your meals. Just come eat at my place," Old Jack said, his tone firm but kind. "Right now, you should focus on studying meditation methods and understanding the world of Spirit Masters. Let me handle the small things I can help with."
He paused before continuing, already thinking ahead.
"Normally, Holy Soul Village gets one work-study slot each year, while the surrounding villages share another. This year, both you and Tang San have awakened Spirit Power, so one slot isn't enough—but that's not a big problem."
"Tomorrow, I'll visit an old friend in a neighboring village. We can register Tang San under their shared slot so he can enroll that way. When the time comes, the two of you can head to the academy together and look out for each other."
"The more talent you show before entering the academy, the prouder Holy Soul Village will be because of you."
"Grandpa Jack…" Chen Ming felt a warmth rise in his chest. After a moment's thought, he nodded. "Alright. I'll trouble you for meals these next few days. I'll repay you—I promise."
"Good child." Old Jack smiled, clearly pleased.
Though Chen Ming could be a bit mischievous and wild at times, Old Jack had always liked him. In his eyes, this boy understood gratitude. He often helped others in the village—if someone fell ill or ran into trouble, Chen Ming would show up with a fish or a rabbit in hand.
Even though he had grown up eating from many households, he always gave back in his own way, bringing down safe wild mushrooms and vegetables from the mountains to share. Occasionally, he even found rarer delicacies like wood ear mushrooms, which could be sold in Nuoding City for a decent price.
Because of this, it wasn't just Old Jack who favored him—the entire village, aside from the reclusive Tang Hao family, held a fondness for Chen Ming.
Old Jack had assumed Chen Ming's words about repayment were just polite talk for the future.
But early the next morning, Chen Ming arrived at his doorstep carrying a full basket—dried wood ear mushrooms, wild mushrooms, freshly hunted rabbits, and fish from the river.
The sheer abundance made passing villagers—both adults and children—stop in their tracks, staring with undisguised envy. Especially the dried wood ear mushrooms; those were delicacies even city nobles and Spirit Masters prized. In a small village like theirs, such things were rare and valuable beyond measure.
To them, this wasn't just food—it was pride.
Old Jack accepted the goods, feeling his chest swell with satisfaction. When he later set out, he brought some of the wood ear mushrooms as gifts. With such generous offerings in hand, he didn't need to say much before securing the neighboring village's work-study slot.
And so, with his worries settled, Chen Ming moved into Old Jack's home temporarily. In the days leading up to the opening of the Nuoding City Junior Spirit Master Academy, he devoted himself entirely to cultivation.
Through constant experimentation and a deepening understanding of Spirit Power, a month passed in focused effort.
At last, he succeeded.
The cultivation method he created was still far from perfect, and its efficiency couldn't compare to something like the Mysterious Heaven Skill—an almost cheat-like existence in the original story. Even so, it was his own creation.
So, he gave it a fitting name—
Basic Internal Art, Version 1.0.