The morning sun hung low over Dragon Yuan Mountain as Lin Sheng made his way back toward his residence.
The streets of the mortal city behind him gradually faded into silence as he climbed the winding mountain path once more. Cool wind brushed against his robes, carrying the scent of pine trees and damp stone.
In his hands—
Was the booklet for the Eight-Step Cicada Movement Technique.
Thin.
Light.
Unremarkable.
Yet Lin Sheng knew better than to underestimate martial techniques in this world.
Even among mortals—
Martial arts were capable of extraordinary feats.
Especially when cultivated to higher realms.
Though inferior to immortal cultivation in lifespan and potential—
Martial practitioners still possessed strength far beyond ordinary humans.
Some could shatter stone.
Some could outrun horses.
Some could even slaughter low-level spirit beasts with bare hands.
And unlike immortal cultivators—
Martial artists were common.
Because they did not require spiritual roots.
That alone made them the backbone of countless cultivation powers.
Mortals protected cities.
Martial practitioners guarded caravans.
Families maintained order through martial halls.
Even cultivation sects needed martial servants and guards.
Immortals ruled the skies—
But mortals carried the foundation beneath them.
Lin Sheng's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"…Without spiritual roots, this may become my main path for now."
At least outwardly.
As for the Starry Sky Visualization Method—
That secret could not be exposed.
Not yet.
Maybe not ever.
He soon arrived at his courtyard residence.
The place remained quiet.
Empty.
His sister still had not returned.
Lin Sheng paused briefly at the entrance.
His gaze swept over the familiar courtyard.
The stone table beneath the old tree.
The training dummy near the wall.
The windows slightly swaying with the wind.
Silence.
"…Still no sign of her."
Lin Yan.
The only remaining family he had in this world.
A genius of the Lin Family's Chang Branch.
High-grade wood and fire spiritual roots.
Someone destined for the immortal path.
Unlike him.
Lin Sheng lowered his gaze slightly.
"…Hopefully she stays safe."
The cultivation world was cruel.
Especially outside the protection of one's clan.
Even geniuses—
Could die.
He entered his room and closed the door behind him.
Then—
He sat down cross-legged.
Placed the movement technique booklet before him.
And spoke softly.
"Crystal."
The familiar translucent interface appeared.
[Awaiting instruction.]
"Scan."
[Scanning technique…]
Lines of data began flowing rapidly across the interface.
The chip processed every page instantly.
Movement patterns.
Breathing rhythms.
Muscle coordination.
Foot placement.
All of it was analyzed and reconstructed.
The Eight-Step Cicada Movement Technique was fundamentally different from Vajra Fist.
The Vajra Fist emphasized explosive power.
Forward momentum.
Direct confrontation.
But the Eight-Step Cicada—
Focused on agility.
Precision.
Control.
The practitioner moved lightly like a cicada skimming across water.
Quick.
Erratic.
Difficult to predict.
A technique suited for evasion and repositioning.
[Analysis complete.]
[Technique Compatibility: High]
[Host neural reaction speed exceeds standard baseline.]
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"…Reaction speed…"
That was likely related to the opening of his sensory apertures.
Especially the left eye aperture.
His perception had clearly improved.
And perhaps—
His thought processing speed as well.
He stood up slowly.
The chip projected faint blue outlines across his vision.
Foot placement indicators.
Body alignment.
Movement trajectories.
"Assist mode."
[Activated.]
Lin Sheng stepped forward.
The first movement—
Awkward.
His balance shifted incorrectly.
[Correction: Left foot angle offset by 12 degrees.]
He adjusted immediately.
Then stepped again.
This time—
Smoother.
The Eight-Step Cicada wasn't just about speed.
It involved rhythm.
Weight transfer.
Breathing.
Every step needed to flow naturally into the next.
Otherwise—
The entire sequence collapsed.
Lin Sheng moved again.
One step.
Two.
Three.
He twisted sideways.
Then advanced diagonally.
His robes fluttered lightly as he crossed the room.
[Movement Accuracy: 37%]
"…Harder than Vajra Fist."
That much was obvious.
Punching techniques relied heavily on repetition and force transmission.
But movement techniques—
Required coordination of the entire body.
One mistake affected everything.
Lin Sheng continued practicing.
Again.
And again.
Hours passed.
The sun gradually rose higher.
Sweat soaked through his robes.
His breathing deepened.
Yet his movements steadily improved.
[Movement Accuracy: 54%]
[Movement Accuracy: 63%]
[Movement Accuracy: 71%]
By midday—
Lin Sheng finally stopped.
Not because he wanted to.
But because his legs were trembling slightly.
The strain on his muscles was far greater than expected.
"…Movement techniques consume more stamina."
He sat down briefly.
Then looked toward the interface.
[Host fatigue levels elevated.]
[Recommendation: Nutritional intake required.]
Lin Sheng let out a quiet breath.
"…I know."
After eating a simple meal—
He returned to cultivation.
But this time—
Not martial techniques.
Meditation.
He sat in a lotus position once more.
Back straight.
Breathing calm.
Consciousness sinking inward.
Darkness surrounded him briefly.
Then—
The Sea of Consciousness emerged.
Vast.
Silent.
Endless.
At its center floated the white sphere—
The embryonic white dwarf formed through years of visualization.
Compared to before—
It appeared denser.
More stable.
Spiritual qi drifted toward it slowly from all directions.
Like streams converging into a star.
Lin Sheng focused.
Not on visualization.
But meditation.
Opening Apertures.
The left eye aperture had already been opened partially.
Now—
He shifted his focus elsewhere.
Toward the right eye.
Spiritual qi gathered slowly.
Threads of faint energy flowed through his consciousness.
The sensation was strange.
Like cool water trickling through invisible pathways.
Then—
Pressure.
Slight.
Persistent.
Lin Sheng maintained complete concentration.
Carefully guiding the qi.
Refining it.
Compressing it.
Toward the right eye aperture.
Time passed slowly.
Then—
A soft pop echoed within his mind.
Tiny.
Yet clear.
The right eye aperture—
Opened.
A ripple spread through his Sea of Consciousness.
The white sphere pulsed faintly.
And Lin Sheng's awareness sharpened once more.
His eyes opened instantly.
The world became clearer again.
Sharper.
More vivid.
"Crystal."
The interface appeared.
Left Eye Aperture: 100%
Right Eye Aperture: 27%
Left Ear Aperture: 0%
Right Ear Aperture: 0%
Nose Aperture: 0%
Mouth Aperture: 0%
Brow Aperture: 0%
Center Aperture: 0%
Lin Sheng's breathing remained steady.
But inwardly—
He was shocked.
"…Too fast."
Far too fast.
In his previous life—
Opening apertures required extraordinary effort.
Yet here—
With spiritual qi assisting the process—
Everything changed.
"And this is only the Opening Aperture Realm…"
His gaze deepened slightly.
If the later realms—
Entering Samadhi.
Spirit Platform.
Divine Treasure.
Primordial Spirit.
Divine Fire—
Were all enhanced by spiritual qi as well…
Then the Starry Sky Visualization Method—
Might truly become something terrifying.
Even his master in his previous life—
Had only theorized such a possibility.
Because there—
Qi did not exist.
Lin Sheng looked toward the window.
Outside—
The sky was slowly darkening.
Another day nearly gone.
Suddenly—
A distant sound echoed from outside the courtyard.
Heavy footsteps.
Followed by a strange growling noise.
Lin Sheng stood immediately.
Then walked outside.
At the entrance of the courtyard—
A large beast stood calmly.
Its body resembled a giant pangolin covered in thick dark scales.
Massive claws dug into the ground.
A saddle was strapped to its back.
Beside it stood a middle-aged man wearing travel robes marked with the Lin Family insignia.
The man looked slightly surprised seeing Lin Sheng.
Then nodded politely.
"Young Master Lin Sheng."
Lin Sheng returned the greeting calmly.
"…You are?"
"Courier from the outer caravans."
The man reached into a storage pouch.
Then handed over a small wooden box.
"This was sent by Young Miss Lin Yan."
Lin Sheng's eyes shifted slightly.
"…My sister?"
The courier nodded.
"She's currently outside the clan with Elder Mu."
"She said she likely won't return for quite some time."
Lin Sheng silently accepted the box.
The courier hesitated briefly.
Then added:
"She also said…"
"…To be careful."
A brief silence followed.
Then the courier mounted the scaled beast once more.
The creature growled softly before turning around.
Soon—
Both disappeared down the mountain path.
Lin Sheng looked down at the wooden box in his hands.
For a moment—
His expression softened slightly.
Then he returned inside.
Back in his room—
He slowly opened the box.
Inside were several spirit coins.
A folded letter.
And—
A jade slip.
Lin Sheng paused slightly upon seeing it.
"…A jade slip?"
That was not something ordinary mortals could use.
Jade slips contained information directly within them.
Techniques.
Records.
Knowledge.
But activating them—
Required spiritual sense.
Something only cultivators possessed.
He unfolded the letter first.
The handwriting was familiar.
Elegant.
Neat.
"Little Sheng,
I heard the results of the spiritual root test already.
Don't be too disappointed.
Even without spiritual roots, the martial path is still a path.
I left some spirit coins for you.
And this jade slip contains a technique I obtained accidentally during a mission.
Unfortunately, you probably can't use it yet.
Still, keep it safe.
The outside world is dangerous, so don't trust people easily after leaving the mountain.
When I return, I'll check your progress personally.
— Your Sister"
Lin Sheng stared at the letter quietly.
Then folded it carefully.
"…Still treating me like a child."
Yet—
For some reason—
The room no longer felt as empty.
His gaze shifted toward the jade slip.
Then toward the chip interface.
"Crystal."
[Awaiting command.]
"…Can you scan it?"
A brief pause.
Then—
[Insufficient external activation source detected.]
[Unable to access jade slip contents.]
Lin Sheng nodded slightly.
As expected.
Without spiritual sense—
The jade slip remained inaccessible.
Still—
The chip's reaction proved something, that there truly was information stored within it.
He placed the jade slip back carefully.
Then looked toward the night sky outside.
"A month…"
That was how long remained before those without spiritual roots would be taken for martial training.
Even cultivation markets are stationed close to dangerous yao beast regions
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed faintly.
"…Enough time."
Might as well try to see if "Mental Energy Release" might work on the jade slip
The wind stirred softly outside.
Inside the quiet room—
Lin Sheng slowly closed his eyes once more.
And continued cultivating.