15. Morning Exercise

After using the Celestial Body of the Milky Way, he would experience a period of weakness, and before his primordial energy recovered, he didn't want to expend too much strength.

It was still early, with three or four hours left before sunset. Considering his stamina, walking back to the Hundred Herb Sect would suffice.

As they made their way, he continued to discuss cultivation with Guo'er.

Guo'er had not yet become a cultivator, but she was deeply eager to embark upon the path, always brimming with questions—so many that even Li Miao, a self-styled immortal, often found himself unable to answer her.

She also told Li Miao that the “Transcendent Lotus Rebirth Sutra” was a method focused on forging a golden body, and, upon reaching mastery, could make one’s physique as powerful as the divine Vajra.

In other words, the “Transcendent Lotus Rebirth Sutra” was a path of arduous cultivation!

Its difficulty in entry stemmed from its difference with the Purple Mansion Immortal Technique—it demanded exceptional rigor in body refinement, a threshold hardly attainable for ordinary people.

Upon realizing this, Li Miao was delighted.

Because this meant he could teach Guo’er his skills personally, guiding her step by step!

Even if certain secret arts of primordial energy could not be imparted, the combat techniques he had honed in the “Simulated Life-and-Death Arena” alone would be enough to make Guo’er an outstanding expert among her peers.

And as he spent more time in the world of cultivation, he could gradually attempt to learn some methods of the immortals. With the versatile nature of genetic primordial energy, perhaps he might even forge an entirely new path of cultivation!

Guo’er was eager to learn, ever inquisitive.

She was like a sponge, having spent years in seclusion atop Cloud’s End Mountain, now newly exposed to the vibrant world, absorbing everything at an astonishing pace.

Moreover, her memory was remarkable; as long as Li Miao explained something once, she would recall it clearly, without need for repetition.

With such a clever and lively girl by his side, Li Miao’s heart surged, and a whimsical thought arose—a plan to cultivate a “violent little prodigy.”

Perhaps, in a few years, Guo’er, practicing the “Transcendent Lotus Rebirth Sutra,” would possess a formidable physique. Under his guidance, she would master extraordinary martial skills, and her prowess in battle would be formidable.

Yet...

By then, she would likely have grown up, no longer a little girl.

The sun shifted westward, and a hundred-mile journey was left behind without notice.

Departing at dawn, they returned to the Hundred Herb Sect by dusk.

In a single day, besides experiencing the sights of the town, they brought back many necessities and a jade butterfly—a fruitful venture.

The Guo brothers were no longer on the Medicine Sage Peak, reportedly gone to contact other cultivators they had previously mentioned.

The events in the northern Qianyuan Mountains seemed to have caused a stir—even the menial disciples of the Hundred Herb Sect had caught wind of it. Many cultivators were heading towards the Longling County region, intending to help deal with the rampaging monsters.

Li Miao paid little mind; Guo Yunyin had promised to call him when the time came, so for now, he simply waited for news.

Upon returning, he dined with Guo’er, then headed to the bamboo house—Tideview Residence—to begin teaching her basic skills.

The open space in front of Tideview Residence was just the right size for practicing martial arts.

The sun had not yet fully set, and the two stood face-to-face before the bamboo house—one tall, one small.

Li Miao settled into a horse stance and said to Guo’er, “For cultivators of the flesh, two things are paramount: one is strength, the other is dexterity and martial arts, or rather, combat technique.”

“Physical strength must be built up through years of cultivation; it cannot be rushed. Combat technique, too, must be refined bit by bit—from standing, to walking, to evading, to countering, from drawing a blade to slaying an enemy—all learned through practice.”

“Come, follow me.”

Guo’er imitated his posture, attempting a horse stance that was awkward and clumsy.

Li Miao shook his head, stepped forward to adjust her form.

“Legs must be steady, body upright, toes gripping the earth like the roots of an old tree—only then will you be like a rock, unmoving as a mountain.”

Guo’er learned quickly. With his guidance, she soon grasped the correct posture.

Yet after only a short while, sweat beaded on her brow, and her slender legs trembled.

“Uncle… I can hardly stand anymore,” Guo’er said, biting her lip and frowning.

Li Miao smiled gently. “Then rest a bit.”

Training could not be rushed; to build a solid foundation would take at least two or three years. Overexertion at once would do more harm than good.

With a thud—

Having received his permission, Guo’er collapsed forward, panting heavily.

Li Miao massaged her aching legs, channeling a strand of primordial energy to soothe the newly awakened potential within her body. He mused, “When I trained, I could only rely on nutritional supplements and medicinal herbs. But you’re much luckier; my primordial energy will be your best foundation elixir.”

Guo’er looked up at him, half understanding, and simply said, “Mm, thank you, Uncle.”

As the sun sank and the moon rose, night deepened.

With his supervision, Guo’er practiced her stance for two hours, exhausting herself completely.

Knowing her body was delicate, Li Miao did not demand much. He used primordial energy to nourish her body comprehensively, then allowed her to rest.

Guo’er knew her journey of cultivation began tonight, her heart filled with joy and anticipation, along with a trace of uncertainty.

She bathed under the waterfall nearby, then obediently returned to the bamboo house and slept peacefully, awaiting the dawn.

Li Miao did not disturb her; he simply sat quietly in the center of the open space, circulating the “Cosmic Heart Guidance Technique” for his own cultivation.

Having activated the Celestial Body of the Milky Way twice in two days, his body was under considerable strain, requiring some adjustment.

Genetic primordial energy was a superb remedy; whether internal or external injuries, as long as it was abundant, it could assist in healing. A mere state of weakness was hardly a challenge.

As he circulated the guidance technique, strands of cosmic energy converged from all directions, pouring into Li Miao’s body, which he converted into his own strength. Then, he spread the genetic primordial energy throughout his body, nourishing the cells drained by the secret technique.

This process was akin to sweet springs watering barren soil—the effect was immediate, and his weakened muscles and bones swiftly revived.

After three cycles, he returned to peak condition.

Nearly an hour had passed.

Li Miao ended the guidance technique, opened his eyes to the night, and saw a sky dotted with stars, a bluish moon hanging above, with the silhouettes of distant mountains faintly visible along the horizon. Occasionally, small points of light streaked across the sky—cultivators flying overhead.

Reflecting on the past few days, he murmured, “This world may lack high technology to observe the universe, but in its primitive cultivation, with such a narrow perspective, it actually inspires people to explore the unknown.”

The backwardness of technology and the lack of cosmic understanding limited the cultivators’ ability to reach distant stars. Yet, precisely because of this, more powerful beings could gather on a single small planet.

A small stage, many strong players—such a world must be infinitely exciting!

“I think I’m starting to like it here.”

He smiled, taking out the jade butterfly that Consort Qi had given him today from his microcosmic ring, inspecting it carefully.

Consort Qi had said it was a key to unlock a treasure, requiring great power to activate. His current cultivation was not strong, his realm even lower than Liu Xuanfeng’s, so he wondered whether it would work at all.

The jade butterfly was pale green throughout, lustrous and cool to the touch, as if carved from cold jade.

Its appearance was simple yet elegant, shaped like a butterfly with outstretched wings, its patterns clear, edges smooth—a piece of exquisite craftsmanship.

But the spiritual energy it emitted hinted at its extraordinary nature.

Li Miao tried channeling a strand of primordial energy into the jade butterfly, probing the source of its spiritual power.

Yet the primordial energy vanished without trace.

He tried again, pouring in more primordial energy.

Still, the jade butterfly remained unresponsive; the energy seemed completely absorbed—neither returned to him, nor dissipated.

“Perhaps it requires continuous infusion of great amounts of primordial energy or magical force to activate?” Li Miao pondered.

With some doubt, he gathered even more primordial energy to his left hand, transferring it through his palm into the jade butterfly.

Time passed.

Tideview Residence remained tranquil; vast amounts of primordial energy were poured out, but no abnormal fluctuation occurred.

The jade butterfly was like a black hole, silently devouring his energy, as if it could never be filled.

Li Miao persisted for a while; when nearly sixty percent of his primordial energy was depleted, he had to give up.

“Looks like I’ll have to wait until my genetic level evolves to the Sky tier before trying again,” he said, somewhat regretfully.

He ceased the flow of energy and stowed the jade butterfly in his microcosmic ring.

Then, he resumed the guidance technique to replenish his lost strength.

He did not notice that, at the moment he put the jade butterfly away, a faint white light flickered beneath the pale green jade.

A barely perceptible aura drifted silently away.

The night sky glittered, silence enveloped the land.

Cosmic primordial energy continued to converge on Tideview Residence, gradually absorbed by Li Miao.

Meanwhile, thousands of miles from the Hundred Herb Sect, an old man with fiery red hair suddenly opened his eyes.

“It has appeared!”

A flash of joy crossed the old man’s face. With a flick of his hand, a pale green jade butterfly appeared in his palm; white light flowed beneath the jade, powerful spiritual energy pulsing, seemingly yearning to fly toward a certain direction.

But the scene lasted only a couple of blinks—the jade butterfly soon fell silent, the white light vanished, its spiritual energy dormant.

This jade butterfly was identical to the one in Li Miao’s possession!

The old man furrowed his brow, muttering, “Gone again? Could the sensing be mistaken?”

“No, impossible.”

He quickly dismissed his doubt, thinking, “The Spirit Butterfly cannot err; its disappearance must be due to the holder’s weak cultivation. Good, that suits me fine—another Spirit Butterfly to increase my odds!”

With a flash, the old man vanished from his spot, reappearing in the sky.

“It should be to the east…” He pondered briefly, determined the direction, and then shot eastward like a scarlet meteor.

At dawn the next morning, Li Miao ended his cultivation amid birdsong.

After a night of guidance and absorption, the primordial energy he lost to the jade butterfly was fully restored, and his vital strength had grown ever so slightly.

Though the progress was minimal, cultivation was always a matter of gradual accumulation, not sudden leaps.

He rose, took a deep breath of the cool morning air, stretched, and gazed at the rising sun, golden light piercing thin clouds, feeling at ease.

“Uncle.”

Guo’er’s voice rang out.

Li Miao turned; the little girl was running from the direction of the front hills, carrying a food box—bringing him breakfast.

“Up so early today?” he asked, surprised.

Guo’er trotted over, set down the food box, and began laying out the dishes. She replied, “I don’t know why, but I woke up very early—couldn’t sleep, and was really hungry, so…”

Li Miao immediately understood, smiling, “Looks like last night’s basic training made quite an impact—your body has been transformed by my primordial energy and is now more vigorous.”

“What does ‘more vigorous’ mean?” Guo’er asked, confused.

“It means you’ll grow quickly, and get hungry quickly too.”

Li Miao grabbed a steamed bun, eating as he explained, “If you exercise as you did last night every day, you’ll soon start to grow. But don’t eat yet—go practice your stance for half an hour first.”

Guo’er, who hadn’t had breakfast, picked up a bun to take a bite, only for him to snatch it away.

Her face fell, looking pitiful. “Can’t I eat first, then practice?”

Li Miao shook his head firmly, “No, train first, then eat—it helps with energy absorption and transformation.”

“But I’m so hungry, and my legs ache…”

Guo’er pouted, watching as he devoured the bun she’d just picked up, her big eyes brimming with grievance.

Li Miao ignored her, even enjoying himself.

He passed a strand of primordial energy into Guo’er and said heartlessly, “That should do, go ahead—the longer you stand, the better.”

Then he picked up a plate of peanuts, sat on a vine root nearby, and crossed his legs, savoring the snacks.

Guo’er settled into a horse stance, beginning her morning practice.

As the sun rose and the temperature climbed, sweat began to bead on her brow, and her delicate legs trembled.

Li Miao sat comfortably to the side, tossing peanuts into his mouth, chewing with crisp, pleasant sounds.

Guo’er tried to ignore him at first, but after a while, she couldn’t help but cast him resentful glances, swallowing dryly and waiting forlornly for him to say, “Alright, you can stop now.”

But she waited and waited, and Li Miao still wouldn’t call it off—instead, when she was about to collapse, he came over and passed another strand of primordial energy to her.

Guo’er was on the verge of tears.