Yi Chang glanced again at the beast core, its faint glow catching his eye. "I'll absorb the qi from this core later," he said, more to himself. "But these wolf corpses, their qi may be too weak for me. However, they could be of use to you, Old Man Feng."
The steward's eyes widened in surprise. "To me, Young Master?"
"Yes," Yi Chang said, turning to face him fully. "You've served the Yi Family for as long as I can remember faithfully for many years, even after I told the danger of following me and I intend to keep you by my side for many more, though I can protect you. However, you're getting older. Your body won't last forever unless you start cultivating. Though you could take some life extending elixir they are not as depending as you cultivating, you'll be able to extend your lifespan and remain in good health. These wolf materials, weak as they are, could give you a good starting point."
Old Man Feng seemed taken aback by the suggestion. "Cultivation, Young Master? But… I've never thought of such a thing, I couldn't even become a martial artist now you want me to become a cultivator. I'm an old man now…"
"Though the earlier one cultivate the better but if we look at it in the cultivation would you can still be regarded as a child and age is nothing to me if I want you to become a strong cultivator you will" Yi Chang said firmly. "The earlier stages are focused on gathering the spiritual qi into the the dantian through the meridian and would in turn strengthen the body as well extending one's life. You can do it, Old Man Feng. And if you are to continue serving me, I'd rather have a capable steward than one who withers away with age."
The old man looked at Yi Chang with a mix of gratitude and hesitation. "I've always served you to the best of my ability, Young Master. If you believe cultivation is the way forward, then I'll follow your guidance."
Yi Chang smiled. "Good. Let's begin soon."
As Yi Chang prepared to extract the blood qi from the wolves, he focused his attention, leaving out the alpha wolf's blood qi. He knew that the beast's power would be far too overwhelming for Old Man Feng and could easily kill him instead of aiding his cultivation. Once the blood qi had been gathered, Yi Chang gave Old Man Feng a firm instruction.
"Old Man Feng," he said, his voice commanding but gentle, "strip down and sit cross-legged. This process will be painful—excruciating, even—but if you endure, it will unlock your first step toward cultivation."
Old Man Feng obeyed, though there was a flicker of hesitation in his eyes. He had never imagined himself stepping into the world of cultivation at this stage in his life, but his trust in Yi Chang was unwavering. He sat as instructed, cross-legged on the cold garage floor, his body exposed to the open air.
Yi Chang stood over him, his hands beginning to move in deliberate motions as he concentrated on channeling the spiritual qi from the animal corpses into Old Man Feng. The qi, though weak compared to what Yi Chang was used to, was still chaotic and turbulent—unrefined, raw energy from beasts and would be too strong for Old Man Feng. As it began to transfer into Old Man Feng's body, the old man's muscles tensed immediately, his face contorting with the intense pain that surged through him.
At first, Old Man Feng held his resolve, determined to endure the torment. But as the moments passed, the pain intensified, becoming unbearable. His body trembled violently, and sweat poured from his brow and his skin seem to break apart blood sipping out. He gritted his teeth, trying to suppress the screams threatening to escape him, but eventually, they burst forth in agonized shouts.
Yi Chang watched, his own expression strained with concern. He had expected Old Man Feng to struggle, but the man's agony was more severe than anticipated. The raw qi was wreaking havoc within his untrained body, and Yi Chang could sense life force draining from him. He realized with dread that he might have pushed the old man too far.
Old Man Feng's shouts grew weaker, and his breathing became shallow. His heart faltered, the rhythm slowing dangerously, and Yi Chang's eyes widened in alarm. "I've gone too far," he muttered to himself, cursing his impatience. He should have allowed Old Man Feng to start slowly, cultivating bit by bit, but Yi Chang had feared the old man might never be able to sense spiritual qi on his own based on how low the spiritual qi of this world is.
In a desperate attempt to save him, Yi Chang decided to take a drastic step. He would use his own Chaos-Cosmos qi to stabilize Old Man Feng's body, a risky move considering how little qi he had left after the battle with the wolves. He knew he was running on fumes, but he couldn't allow the old man to die. With a determined breath, he placed his hand on Old Man Feng's chest and began transferring his own qi into him.
At first, it was a struggle. Yi Chang's reserves were depleted, and the chaotic nature of his qi meant it wasn't easy to control. But slowly, he managed to infuse his qi into Old Man Feng's body, helping it repair the damage and absorb the bestial qi in a more controlled manner. Bit by bit, Old Man Feng's heart rate stabilized, and his breathing began to normalize.
However, Yi Chang was reaching his limit. He had used so much energy during the fight with the alpha wolf that his body was nearly spent. His vision blurred, and his limbs grew heavy. He knew he was about to collapse, but he forced himself to continue, pushing the last of his qi into Old Man Feng's body. Just when Yi Chang thought he could hold on no longer, something extraordinary happened.
The egg, which had been lying dormant on the floor nearby, began to glow. A soft light emanated from it, pulsing gently at first but quickly intensifying. Yi Chang's fading senses barely registered it, but the next moment, the core of the alpha wolf, which had been sitting on the ground, was suddenly drawn toward the egg. It moved as though by an unseen force, and in an instant, the core was absorbed into the egg, merging with it entirely.
Then, defying all logic, the egg seemed to break the laws of physics. It lifted off the floor and, before Yi Chang's astonished eyes, disappeared into his body, sinking into his dantian without leaving a trace. Under normal circumstances, Yi Chang would never allow such incident to occur, something of unknown origin getting into his dantian. But now he was presently too weak to do anything to stop it, he could feel the egg doesn't seem to intend to harm him though but rather serve him, it was a subconscious thought.
As the egg settled within Yi Chang's dantian, it began to release the qi it had absorbed from the alpha wolf's core. The powerful energy flowed into Yi Chang's dantian and was immediately transformed into Chaos-Cosmos qi, filling him with renewed strength. His body, previously on the verge of collapse, surged with new vitality. His aura flared, becoming stronger and more potent as his cultivation advanced.
Yi Chang, still weak from the ordeal, could feel his qi filling his dantian rapidly. His connection to the egg had allowed him to absorb a significant amount of spiritual qi, pushing his cultivation forward in ways he hadn't expected. Yet, he barely had time to process what was happening before he finally succumbed to exhaustion, collapsing next to Old Man Feng on the floor.
Old Man Feng, too, had fallen unconscious. His body, though battered, had undergone a transformation. Though he still appeared old, with his white hair and wrinkled skin, there was something different about him now. His body had been revitalized, his muscles firmer, his posture more agile. He lay on the ground, his chest rising and falling slowly, the qi within him stabilizing as it settled into his newly awakened meridians.
In the stillness of the garage, the only sound was the quiet breathing of the two figures who had narrowly escaped disaster. Both Yi Chang and Old Man Feng lay unconscious, but the power within them was growing, preparing them for what was to come. The egg within Yi Chang's dantian continued to release qi, nurturing and enhancing him, while Old Man Feng's first step into cultivation had been taken, albeit at great cost.