Chapter 10: Drawing Qi into the Body

As the most basic introductory cultivation method for immortals, the contents of 《Longevity Art》 chiefly taught a cultivator how to sense and distinguish the invisible energy pervading heaven and earth—

spiritual power;

and then, through specific methods, absorb and transform it into “spiritual qi” that could be wielded by the self, thereby completing the first step of cultivation: drawing qi into the body.

Qingyun carefully “read” through the cultivation formula several times within her mind.

Thanks to some invisible sorting and guidance from the system, as well as her own seemingly excellent comprehension, she found that the originally obscure text and diagrams were surprisingly easy to understand. It did not take long before she had grasped the essential points.

The only thing that left her somewhat regretful was that 《Longevity Art》 truly was nothing more than a pure foundational cultivation method. It came with no offensive or practical spell formulas at all—nothing like lighting a fire or forming ice.

That left her a little disappointed. After all, mastering a few supernatural techniques sounded far more appealing, whether for self-defense or simply for daily use.

Still, she understood that one could not chew more than one could swallow. Right now, successfully stepping through the door was what mattered most.

Casting aside stray thoughts, she followed the method described in the cultivation art. She adjusted her breathing, gathered in her mind, and slowly stilled her consciousness, doing her utmost to sense the “abnormality” in the surrounding space.

For quite some time at first, she felt absolutely nothing.

All around her there was only the silence of the night, along with the faint chirping of nocturnal insects coming through the thin walls.

She even began to wonder whether this world truly possessed so-called “spiritual qi” at all. Could the “spiritual power” described by the system be something entirely different from the “gang qi” needed by the martial artists of this world, perhaps even a kind of energy that simply did not exist here?

Just as she was on the verge of giving up and thinking this attempt would end in failure, the faintest trace of something unusual quietly surfaced.

It was not something her sight, hearing, or touch could directly perceive. It was more like an instinctive sensitivity born from the depths of her soul, a response to some special fluctuation of energy.

Within the inward “field of vision” of her concentrated awareness, in the murky darkness that had once filled her perception, two wisps of qi gradually appeared—so thin they were nearly transparent.

One carried a faint, refreshing coolness and appeared pale green.

The other occasionally flashed with the slightest numb tingle and appeared light blue.

They were not still. Rather, they drifted and wandered through the air with extreme slowness, so pitifully few in number that had she not been wholly focused, she would never have noticed them at all.

Qingyun’s heart stirred. She did not dare relax in the slightest. At once, she followed the qi-guiding method recorded in 《Longevity Art》 and carefully tried to guide those two faint, alien energies.

The process was slow and difficult.

Those pale green and light blue wisps seemed deeply unwilling to be bound. Several times, they slipped free of the pull of her will.

She did not grow discouraged. Again and again she tried, while her breathing remained fixed in a strange, drawn-out rhythm.

No one knew how much time passed. Perhaps it was only a moment. Perhaps it was half an hour.

At last, a nearly imperceptible wisp of pale green coolness, together with an even subtler light blue numbness that was almost impossible to detect, successfully followed the guidance of her mind and slowly seeped into her body.

The instant those two faint energies entered the region of her lower dantian, a marvelous sensation arose.

At first, it was a distinct coolness spreading open within her lower abdomen. Yet far from causing discomfort, that coolness seemed to ignite something. A gentle warm current was born from within her dantian and swiftly spread through her limbs and bones, sweeping away all the chill and stiffness that might have built up from sitting motionless through the night, leaving her body wholly at ease.

The feeling was difficult to describe.

It was like parched earth finally receiving the nourishment of rain.

Or like a weary body and spirit suddenly being infused with fresh vitality.

Qingyun could not help but immerse herself in that unprecedented comfort and wonder. As she did, the process of guiding the energy also became a little smoother, changing from clumsy to more natural.

Greedily, she captured those sparse wisps of pale green and light blue qi in the air, letting that warm current circulate slowly through her body.

Time flew by in the oblivion of cultivation.

Outside the window, the sky shifted from pitch black to deep blue, then gradually began to pale with the first wash of dawn.

From far away came the first rooster’s crow, clear and prolonged, breaking the silence of daybreak.

Qingyun’s long lashes trembled a few times, and she slowly opened her eyes.

The very moment she did, she keenly sensed something different.

It was not that her eyesight had suddenly become extraordinary. Rather, the world in her eyes seemed... a little clearer.

Its colors appeared slightly more vivid, and even the drifting traces of dust in the air were easier to catch.

More importantly, despite having sat in meditation through the entire night without lying down to sleep, she felt refreshed and clear-headed, without the slightest trace of drowsiness. In fact, she felt even more invigorated than if she had enjoyed a full night’s sleep.

“So immortal cultivation truly is marvelous...” she murmured softly, unable to conceal the delight and curiosity in her voice.

With a thought, the physical copy of 《Longevity Art》 vanished from her hand, as though it had been stored away in some invisible space. The system seemed to come with a simple storage function of some sort—at least, it worked for the cultivation method gifted by the system.

She rose to her feet and stretched lazily. Her bones gave a faint crackling sound, and her body felt light.

After changing back into her plain old everyday clothes, she pushed open the door of the side room and stepped into the courtyard, where the morning light had only just begun to show.

The morning air was cool.

She drew up a bucket of water from the well. When the icy well water splashed across her face, it left her completely awake.

Using the still surface of the water in the bucket as a mirror, she looked at her reflection.

It was still the same face—ordinary brows and eyes, freckles still dotting it.

Yet whether from imagination or from the almost imperceptible changes brought by cultivation, she felt that the girl in the reflection looked just a little healthier, and that her eyes were somewhat brighter as well.

“It seems... I am not actually that ugly after all.” She touched her cheek and, for once, smiled at herself.

After washing up, she skillfully lit a fire beneath the little stove in the corner of the courtyard and heated some water. Once the water had reached a suitable temperature, she ladled it into a basin and carried it toward Yueli’s room.

Standing before the door, she remembered Yueli’s warning from yesterday—not to enter—but after only the briefest pause, she raised her hand and knocked, speaking in her usual tone.

“Young Miss, it is getting late. This servant is coming in now.”

She had not taken Yueli’s angry words from yesterday too seriously. Steward Huang’s order had been for her to provide close personal care, and that was the basis on which she acted. If this little ancestor threw another fit, she could simply bring up Steward Huang to deal with it.

With that thought, she pushed the door open and went inside.

The room was dimly lit.

As expected, Yueli was not yet fully awake. Her small body sat on the bed wrapped in the quilt, and her silver hair was a little disheveled from sleep.

Her little head drooped forward again and again, her chin nearly bumping against her chest. Her long lashes cast shadows down over the golden eyes that, when open, so often held only cold distance, lending her instead a softness and confusion unique to a child.

Qingyun lightened her footsteps as she walked over and set the basin of warm water down beside her.

As gently as she could, she helped Yueli wash her cheeks and hands. Then she picked up a comb and carefully began smoothing out that silky silver hair, which tangled so easily.

Still drowsy, Yueli offered no resistance. At most, she let out the occasional unconscious murmur.

Only after she had been washed and her hair gathered into two simple buns did Yueli finally become fully awake.

She blinked those golden eyes, saw Qingyun standing before her, then lowered her head to look at her own neatly arranged clothes. At once, her little face tightened.

“You!” She pointed at Qingyun, her voice still rough from just waking and carrying obvious anger. “Did I not tell you not to come into my room? Who allowed you to come in?”

Qingyun had been prepared for this already. Her expression remained calm as she answered, “Replying to Young Miss, Steward Huang specifically instructed this servant to attend carefully to your daily needs, including your washing and grooming upon rising in the morning. This servant does not dare disobey Steward Huang’s instructions.”

Sure enough, the moment “Steward Huang” was mentioned, it was as though Yueli had been caught at a weak point. Her puffed cheeks slowly deflated, and the hand pointing at Qingyun gradually lowered.

She turned her face aside and refused to look at Qingyun again, but she did not drive her out either. She merely pressed her lips together, while a complicated emotion flickered through her golden eyes—something like unwillingness, and yet also a helpless resignation.

Qingyun saw it all and understood inwardly.

It seemed this Steward Huang truly held a special and important place in Yueli’s heart, enough that she would suppress her own unwillingness for his sake.

As for the reason behind it, Qingyun had no interest in probing deeper. Nor did it have anything to do with her present goal.

“Young Miss, please sit for a moment. This servant will tidy the bedding now.” Qingyun said no more. She turned and briskly began putting the bed in order, fluffing the pillow and folding the quilt.

Then, at the fastest speed possible, she wiped down the furniture in the room and swept the floor. Her movements were clean and efficient, without the slightest drag.

Yueli sat on the edge of the bed and watched silently as Qingyun moved through the room like a gust of wind, swiftly transforming the once somewhat cluttered space into something neat and orderly. In those golden eyes, a trace of surprise could not help but flash across them.

This new maid... seemed faster at work than the previous few.

And more than that, she seemed genuinely unafraid of her.