After two hours of nonstop circulation—
Lian slowly exhaled.
A long stream of faint white mist slipped from his lips before dispersing into the air and vanishing into the room.
His eyes opened slowly afterward.
And immediately—
he felt it.
The difference.
The world felt sharper.
Clearer.
More defined, as though a thin layer of fog had been peeled away from his senses.
Outside the house—
sounds no longer blended together into a single indistinct background.
He could now pick out individual details with surprising clarity.
Distant footsteps along the village path.
Wind brushing through tree branches.
Even the faint crackling of the cooking fire in the corner of the house sounded strangely precise, each small pop and shift of flame distinct rather than muffled.
Lian slowly lowered his gaze to his hands.
Then clenched them lightly.
Strength.
Not overwhelming—
but undeniably greater than before.
The spiritual energy from the clam meat had fully circulated through his body during cultivation, continuously nourishing his muscles, bones, and meridians as he refined it through repeated Qi circulation.
The effect was far beyond ordinary food.
Far beyond even low-grade Qi Gathering Pills.
Lian muttered in quiet disbelief,
"…This is ridiculous…"
Even now, faint traces of warm spiritual energy still lingered throughout his body.
Not yet fully absorbed.
Which meant—
he could refine it further later.
Across the room—
his mother immediately noticed him awakening from cultivation.
"You're finished?"
Lian nodded slowly.
"…Yeah."
He paused briefly, then added,
"I think I got stronger again."
His mother blinked before offering a faint, almost helpless smile.
"…You say that so casually now."
Lian let out an awkward laugh.
Honestly—
he still wasn't used to it.
Just a few months ago, cultivators had seemed like distant, unreachable beings that belonged to another world entirely.
Now—
he was one of them.
The realization still didn't feel entirely real.
He slowly pushed himself up to his feet.
This time—
his movements were noticeably lighter.
His body no longer carried that constant lingering exhaustion from before.
Even the lingering weakness from his earlier near-death experience in the forest had completely vanished now, as if it had never existed in the first place.
Lian flexed his fingers slightly.
Then paused.
"…Hm?"
His eyes narrowed faintly.
Something felt… off.
Not outside.
Inside the house.
A faint presence.
Warm.
Weak.
But definitely there.
His gaze instinctively shifted toward his mother.
"…Mom…"
She blinked.
"What is it?"
Lian studied her carefully.
Then his eyes widened slightly.
Very faint traces of spiritual energy were drifting around her body.
So faint that under normal circumstances it would have been completely unnoticeable—
but now that his senses had sharpened after cultivation, it was unmistakable.
Lian immediately recalled the white lizard's words from the previous night.
The spirit beast meat would affect her too.
His mother noticed his expression and immediately grew slightly uneasy.
"…Why are you looking at me like that?"
Lian hesitated briefly before speaking carefully.
"…I think…"
"…the spirit beast meat is affecting you too."
She blinked in confusion.
"…Me?"
Lian nodded slowly.
"I can sense a bit of spiritual energy around you now."
His mother stared at him blankly for a moment.
Then immediately shook her head.
"…No, no. That's impossible."
"I'm too old to cultivate."
Lian frowned slightly.
"Village Head Wa Shi said ordinary people can still absorb spiritual energy slowly if they consume spiritual food."
"…Even if they can't formally cultivate."
His mother hesitated, uncertainty flickering across her face.
Lian suddenly became thoughtful.
Then, unexpectedly, a small spark of excitement appeared in his expression.
"…Wait."
"If your body keeps improving…"
"…you might stop getting sick so easily."
That single thought made his mother pause.
Her expression softened slightly.
Health.
Strength.
Longer life.
For ordinary people—
that mattered far more than cultivation itself.
Lian grinned slightly.
"See?"
"I told you to eat it."
His mother finally smiled helplessly.
"…You really have changed."
Lian blinked.
"…Changed?"
She nodded gently.
"Before… you always looked tired."
"Like you were carrying something heavy all by yourself."
"But now…"
Her gaze softened further.
"…your eyes feel brighter."
Lian became slightly awkward at that.
He scratched his cheek lightly.
"…Maybe."
Or maybe—
meeting Lizarius truly had changed everything.
The thought surfaced naturally.
Then—
almost instinctively—
his gaze drifted toward the empty corner of the room.
Silent.
No floating white lizard.
No calm, indifferent voice.
Nothing.
Lian paused slightly.
Strange.
He had already begun subconsciously expecting the creature to appear without warning.
That realization unsettled him a little.
His mother noticed his expression.
"…Are you thinking about that immortal master again?"
Lian immediately corrected her.
"He said not to call him that."
She nodded quickly.
"…Right. Lizarius."
Lian gave a small nod.
Then muttered quietly,
"…I wonder where he went."
---
Morning sunlight stretched across the village paths while thin smoke rose from cooking fires between wooden houses.
Inside the small home—
Lian had already changed into clean clothes and stood near the door.
His mother immediately stood up from the table.
"…You're leaving already?"
Lian scratched his cheek.
"…Just for a bit."
Her expression tightened instantly.
"You only just came back."
The fear in her voice was still obvious.
Lian softened slightly.
"…I know."
"I'm not going near the forest."
"…And I'll be back before evening."
His mother still looked reluctant.
After everything that had happened—
letting him out of sight again felt almost unbearable.
Lian noticed immediately.
He stepped closer and gently patted her shoulder.
"I'm just going to Village Head Wa Shi's place."
"…I need to see him."
Her brows furrowed slightly.
"…Why?"
Lian hesitated.
Honestly—
even he wasn't entirely sure how to explain it.
Partly to confirm he was alive.
Partly to ask about cultivation.
And partly—
to understand his current situation more clearly.
After a moment, he answered honestly.
"…I want to learn more about cultivation."
His mother fell silent.
That answer—
she understood.
After everything—
her son had already stepped onto a completely different path.
A dangerous one.
But also one that could not be turned back from now.
Finally, she sighed softly.
"…Fine."
"But come straight home afterward."
Lian nodded immediately.
"I will."
Then—
after a brief pause—
his mother looked at him more carefully.
"…You do realize the entire village thinks you're dead, right?"
Lian froze halfway to the door.
"…Oh."
Right.
He had completely forgotten that part.
Three months.
To the villagers—
that was more than enough time to assume death.
His mother crossed her arms.
"The moment they see you walking around again…"
"…everyone's going to panic."
Lian's expression stiffened slightly.
"…That sounds troublesome."
"It is troublesome."
He sighed.
"…Maybe I should've stayed invisible."
The moment he said it—
the room went quiet.
His mother stared at him.
"…You say strange things so casually now."
Lian let out a short laugh.
"…Right."
Fair enough.
A brief silence passed.
Then his mother stepped forward and gently adjusted his collar.
The gesture was careful.
Familiar.
"…Just be careful."
Lian's expression softened.
"…I will."
This time—
he truly meant it.
Then he turned and stepped outside.
---
Lian walked along the village path under the bright morning sunlight.
A strip of dried clam meat rested in his hand as he lazily chewed while walking.
The rich spiritual energy within it spread warm currents through his body with every bite.
Honestly—
it tasted far too good.
Lian muttered quietly,
"…Three months…"
Even now, the words felt unreal.
To him—
it had only been hours beneath the lake.
But outside—
an entire season had passed.
No wonder everyone thought he was dead.
The village was already awake.
Farmers headed toward fields carrying baskets.
Children ran between houses.
Smoke drifted from cooking fires.
Normal life.
Lian exhaled slowly.
"…This is going to be annoying…"
Then—
a woman carrying water buckets turned casually toward him.
And froze completely.
The bucket slipped from her hands.
CLATTER.
Water splashed across the dirt path.
Her face drained of color instantly.
Her finger slowly lifted.
"…Gh—"
"…Ghost!!"
Lian blinked.
"…Huh?"
The woman stumbled backward.
"It's Lian's ghost!"
Her scream echoed across the street.
"Lian came back as a ghost!!"
The entire village froze.
Heads turned.
Eyes locked onto him.
Then someone shouted,
"…That really is Lian!"
"But wasn't he supposed to be dead?!"
"He disappeared for months!"
"Ghost!"
"Definitely a ghost!"
Lian's face twitched violently.
"…Seriously?"
"Is this reaction necessary?!"
People immediately stepped back in panic.
One child hid behind their mother while peeking at him.
An old woman began making protective gestures with shaking hands.
Lian sighed heavily and raised both arms.
"I'm not dead!"
"It's really me!"
A villager shouted back nervously,
"Then prove it!"
Lian stared blankly.
"…How am I supposed to prove I'm alive?"
Silence.
Then someone shouted confidently,
"Ghosts hate sunlight!"
Lian slowly looked up at the bright morning sun.
Then back at them.
"…I'm literally standing in sunlight."
The villagers hesitated.
"…Maybe it's a stronger ghost."
Lian nearly choked.
"What kind of logic is that?!"
The crowd slowly gathered.
Whispers spread quickly.
"I told you his spirit would return to see his mother!"
"I heard they searched the lake for weeks…"
"Maybe he drowned…"
"No, ghosts can't eat!"
Every gaze suddenly shifted to the dried meat in Lian's hand.
He blinked.
Then casually took another bite.
Chew.
Chew.
"…See?"
"I'm eating."
The villagers hesitated again.
One old man frowned.
"…Can ghosts chew?"
"…How would I know?!"
Lian snapped.
The crowd flinched.
---
Moments later—
Lian stood awkwardly in the center of the path surrounded by villagers.
Questions came from every direction.
"You survived all that time?"
"What did you eat in the forest?"
"Were you attacked by beasts?"
"How did you come back alive?"
An older villager narrowed his eyes.
"…Did wandering cultivators pick you up?"
Lian immediately tensed.
"…No."
Too close.
Far too close.
Another villager laughed.
"Lucky kid. No normal person survives that long."
Lian scratched his cheek.
"…Yeah."
"…I got lucky."
Inside, though—
he was already thinking.
*Please let this end soon.*
*Please.*
Eventually, he raised both hands.
"Everyone, I need to see Village Head Wa Shi."
The crowd quieted slightly.
"Oh?"
"The Village Head?"
"Why?"
Lian answered immediately.
"…Because I disappeared for three months?"
That made sense.
Several villagers nodded.
"You should report in."
"He'll want to know."
Lian exhaled in relief.
Finally.
He slipped through the crowd quickly before they could start asking more questions.
Behind him—
the villagers continued talking excitedly.
"He really survived…"
"Must've been blessed."
"Or incredibly lucky."
Lian walked faster.
"…That was exhausting…"
Soon—
the large wooden residence of Village Head Wa Shi appeared ahead.
Unlike other houses, it was sturdier, reinforced with thicker timber and stone at the base. Medicinal herbs hung drying under the roof.
Lian slowed.
Then hesitated.
Because suddenly—
he realized something.
He was no longer the same weak child who had left the village three months ago.
Now—
he was a true First Stage Spirit Refining cultivator.
And Wa Shi—
the strongest cultivator in the village—
would definitely notice immediately.