Starting to Cultivate
Seeing this fruit, Xue Bai recognized it from the game and didn't need Xue Feng's explanation. However, seeing the excitement on his father's face didn't let him stop the man.
The fruit was something relatively common as it only had enough Spiritual Qi to be listed as a middle Yellow-grade natural treasure. However, it was entirely monopolized by noble clans making it almost impossible to get to people without backgrounds.
And rightfully so.
As Xue Feng said, its purpose would give you enough Spiritual Qi to path out all 5 veins in the Vein Transformation realm.
The first realm in the Human cultivation system was called the Vein Transformation realm. It marked the beginning of the evolution of the Mortal Body by creating a vasculature system for your Spiritual Qi.
Using the Spiritual Qi, you would make a circuitry for your Spiritual Qi to navigate your body cleanly and without wastage.
But that was only true for the Baishen Plane version of the realm.
There were six stages in the Baishen Plane, the Vein Transformation realm.
One stage for each of the major limbs, one for the brain, and one final stage where you would connect all of them at your navel and open up a dantian at their connecting point.
However, this version was extremely flawed.
In the Immortal World above, there, in fact, were ten stages, the six in the Baishen Plane version, along with the four vital organs; the liver, kidney, lungs, and heart.
This version would create a complete circuit allowing your Spiritual Qi to access every vital part of your body, which was much better than the Baishen Plane version, which only allowed you to strengthen your limbs.
Of course, it didn't mean that the 6-stage Vein Transformation realm was a whole lot worse. Sure, it was a downsized version of the Immortal Realm version, but it would also allow less talented cultivators to cultivate quicker, as while pathed out the veins for the four vital organs was helpful, it wasn't indispensable.
Pathing out the four veins for the major limbs was indispensable for a cultivator, as they allowed one to have Spiritual Qi cover their body to create an armor that would protect them from incoming harm.
But unlike the major limbs, the four vital organ veins only gave auxiliary abilities, like increased lung capacity and Spiritual Qi absorption speed for the Lung Vein or increased poison resistance from the Liver Vein.
However, this didn't come without its costs. If a cultivator didn't cultivate the true Vein Transformation realm, they would block any chance for them to reach the Immortal Great Realm, as the complete circuit was needed to ascend.
This was also why ascenders were so rare in the Baishen Plane because almost no power or lineage knew about the true Vein Transformation realm.
How did Xue Bai know about this? Simple.
It was on the forum page for "Children of the Plane."
Apparently, one player befriended Feng Huang, Huo Long's master, and learned it from her.
And since Xue Bai knew this and had the choice between both versions, Xue Bai would choose the second one any day.
Didn't he want to become immortal? So how could he not choose the second version?
–
Back to reality and away from Xue Bai's thoughts, Li Rou spoke up.
"Bai'er, come and sit down in front of us. We'll help you path out your veins." Li Rou spoke as she beckoned her son over.
Xue Bai nodded, ran over, and sat down on the mat she had prepared. However, before he ate the fruit that was handed to him, he told his parents about what he was going to do.
"The first four vein pathways will be for the limbs, but the last one, instead of going towards my brain, I want you to guide the Spiritual Qi to my liver." Xue Bai said, shocking Li Rou and Xue Feng.
Dumbstruck at such a statement, Xue Bai's parents didn't know how to react for a moment.
And how could they?
What Xue Bai had just said not only made no sense, but it was almost suicidal.
But after a few minutes of silence and thinking about how to respond, Li Rou guessed something/
"Is this also from your memories?" Li Rou probed.
This was the only thing that made sense to her. What Xue Bai had said was extremely unorthodox and crazy, but everything that happened to Xue Bai recently was represented by those two adjectives.
So if this came from his memories, Li Rou would understand.
Xue Bai nodded at her question before proceeding to explain the difference between the two different cultivation systems.
And at the end of it all, Li Rou and Xue Feng were floored.
What Xue Bai said to them was completely game-changing and revolutionary.
And as the cultivation fanatic of the married couple, Xue Feng was the first to speak up.
"This is revolutionary! The Heart Vein would increase regenerative powers. The Kidneys Vein would help remove impurities within our blood and dantian. The Liver Vein would help our poison resistance and the Lungs our Spiritual Qi absorption rate. It's genius!" Xue Feng's eyes had turned to stars as he mumbled to himself.
And while Li Rou didn't have as much fascination as her husband, she still couldn't help but speak out her own thoughts.
"It's such a simple thing. How did no one notice it? Spiritual Qi flows all throughout our body and not just our veins. So why couldn't we also extend our vascular system to our organs." Li Rou covered her mouth in shock.
"It's only a disappointment we can't do this anymore. If we could, we would have already reached the Xiantian Realm with Yggdrasil's fruits." Li Rou shook her head disappointingly.
Over the past two years, the two of them had already regained their cultivation and surpassed it. Currently, they were both at the 7th stage of the Domain Lord Realm and were still charging toward the Xiantian Great Realm.
Unlike the first time when they were going through the Domain Lord realm, this time, it was much faster and easier. They didn't need to spend so much time refining the Spiritual Qi they were absorbing.
This time around, they could just absorb the Spiritual Qi and advance their cultivation bases as much as they liked without too much worry about damaging their foundation.
With Yggdrasil by their side, why would they ever need to worry about having an unstable foundation?
So with that in mind, they continued to cultivate, hopeful for the future.
Xue Bai, a few meters away, though, saw their desolation and couldn't help but speak up.
"When I get strong enough to protect the two of you, I can let you recast your foundations, improve your Martial Veins and cultivate along with me! Then let alone the Immortal Great Realm, even the God Great Realm wouldn't be a dream for you two." Xue Bai shouted out just as the two were getting depressed.
And just as Xue Bai hoped, his words brought smiles to their faces. How could it not?
Having such a filial son would bring a smile to the face of any parent, especially to ones as loving as them.
"You little brat! You haven't even reached the Vein Transformation realm. So how can you talk about making us mythical Gods?" Xue Feng happily laughed as he gave his son a rough pat on his hair.
Li Rou also smiled, but instead of seconding what Xue Feng said, she took the moment to teach Xue Bai a lesson.
"Bai'er, no matter what, you have to focus on yourself. If you fall, no matter what goals you have planned for us will be for naught. Remember, without strength, dreams will stay dreams." Li Rou said lovingly.
Xue Bai, who was still dodging his father's claws, stopped momentarily. Even though he was annoyed at his father, Xue Bai nodded at his mother's words.
"Alright, enough talk of the future, Bai'er, eat the fruit." Xue Feng ordered.
Xue Bai nodded once more and regulated his breathing before quickly swallowing the fruit in two bites.
And immediately, Xue felt a warm ball of Spiritual Qi flow down his throat before it went all the way down to his naval as if it were going to an imaginary dantian.
Then, just as he was confused about what to do, he heard his mother's calm voice.
"Bai'er, you feel the Spiritual Qi in you, right? Now guide that along where you feel my own." Li Rou gently spoke in Xue Bai's ears.
Suddenly, he felt a second foreign Spiritual Qi trailing down his right arm.
Since he was the inexperienced greenhorn, Xue Bai didn't disobey and followed what his mother said. With as much willpower as he had, Xue Bai willed the Spiritual Qi within him and traced along the path his mother had traced on his arm.
However, just as he started the pathing-out process, he felt a searing pain in his right arm. Almost as if someone was branding him from the inside.
But just as Xue Bai was going to cry out in pain, Xue Feng, who was standing idly on the stand, grabbed his shoulders and forced him to be still.
"Bai'er, you are creating a vascular system in your body manually. Of course, it will hurt, but if you move and lose focus, you destroy your right arm permanently. Now choose, be a baby, and let that cry out or grit your teeth and continue." Xue Feng spoke roughly.
If Xue Baii lost focus during such a critical time, the Spiritual Qi that he was willing would lose its guide and turn berserk, destroying everything in his right arm. From the muscles to the tendons, and top to bottom, destroy the insides of Xue Bai's right arm.
And as a father, Xue Feng didn't want this.
Though Xue Feng was chastised by Li Rou after, his words did the trick, and Xue Bai held in the cry and continued creating his first pathway.
This continued on for the other three major limbs until Xue Bai finally reached the 4th stage of the Vein Transformation Realm.
"Mother, can you sense where my liver is? This is something very important, this vein has to connect with it, or something will go terribly wrong." Xue Bai said nervously.
Though he didn't know what would happen if he missed, as cultivation in the game was automatic, he didn't want to be the first to find out.
"Yes, Bai'er, you have no resistance to my Spiritual Sense. You're like an open book to me currently." Li Rou answered.
Currently, her Spiritual Sense has covered every inch of Xue Bai's body. So even if the boy wanted to hide something, she would still see it.
And after spotting his liver, Li Rou did as he asked.
"Bai'er, I've already guided you to a path. Now trace it, and you should be finished." Li Rou said.
Feeling the new path that his mother created, Xue Bai traced it until he finally connected with his liver.
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