A wave of emotions surged in Qin Ming's heart as he considered the "path" that he had once been told could not be cultivated. Could it have now become smooth and connected, seamlessly flowing?
He had returned from the wilderness, and there was a spark inside him that made even the cold winter feel warm. The strength he was feeling was no illusion. As he raised his toes, he lifted a stone mill in the courtyard off the ground.
He leapt into the air, feeling a strong sense of suspension, and grabbed a handful of snow from the roof.
As he exhaled, a white mist shot out like a spear covered in mist, accompanied by a loud whooshing sound of air breaking.
Qin Ming used diaphragmatic breathing, making violent movements, his figure flickering as the accumulated snow on the ground was whipped into the air, causing a fresh flurry of snow to fall in the courtyard.
Every movement of his body seemed to affect his every joint. When he swung his arms, the swirling snowflakes in front of him exploded into pieces.
His blood and flesh were becoming more active, his whole body burning with heat, and silver patterns woven through his pores, bringing forth sweat as if cleansing his body.
Qin Ming felt relaxed, and a faint silver light enveloped his entire body.
Such a sight was rare during the process of "rebirth."
He had been training for a long time, consuming vast amounts of energy, and only when he truly felt exhausted did he stop.
Rebirth was a process, and Qin Ming believed that he was changing. He was certain that his wishes would soon be fulfilled.
He didn't return to his room but sat quietly in the courtyard, allowing the snowflakes stirred up by his movements to fall on him. He was not afraid of the cold, feeling warm all over.
This was completely different from the past. When his body was newly healed, he would feel cold even wrapped in thick quilts by the fire.
Qin Ming closed his eyes and mentally visualized himself, repeating the difficult movements from earlier as a form of mental training.
The silver ripples that had just faded resurfaced. His breath, guided by his thoughts, adjusted continuously, becoming complex and hard to regulate.
Thoughts give rise to energy, and energy moves with intent. The light around his body became slightly brighter.
The courtyard grew quiet, and Qin Ming was covered in snowflakes.
After a long time, he stopped thinking, clearing his mind completely.
When the silver light on his body faded, he slowly opened his eyes, feeling the changes within himself. He was certain that he was nurturing a surge of vitality within him.
Qin Ming easily lifted the two hundred-plus-pound stone mill from the courtyard and then gently set it down.
"The process of rebirth will likely be complete in two days," he mused, feeling confident.
At this point, he unexpectedly felt intense hunger.
Qin Ming cooked a pot of mushroom soup, made a main meal of walnuts, almonds, and chestnuts, and served red dates and hawthorn as side dishes. He ate heartily.
After sufficient rest, his next round of training began. He wanted to accelerate the process of his rebirth.
Qin Ming moved like a bowstring snapped, his actions explosive like thunder. The snowflakes in the courtyard were whipped into the air, and his blood and flesh became more and more active.
This continued: he rested when tired, feasted on dried fruits when hungry, and trained again after recovering his energy. From evening to deep night, his vitality surged continuously.
Before sleeping, he washed with cold water mixed with ice chips, feeling no cold. His long body, free of excess fat, muscles firm and smooth, with his wet black hair glistening with water droplets, seemed to shine under the sunlight, exuding a sense of strength.
At night, he slept soundly, entering the deepest level of rest. As his rebirth accelerated, his body remained filled with fresh vitality.
The next day, Qin Ming's appetite greatly increased, and he had already added three extra meals.
The main reason was that the consumption required for his rebirth was enormous.
No matter how delicious the food was, after eating many meals, it became somewhat tiresome, especially since it was all dried food, which he had to eat with hot water.
"It's a pity there aren't many mushrooms left; I can't cook fresh soup now," Qin Ming lamented.
What bothered him more was that his food reserves were running low. At this rate, he could only sustain himself for one more day.
"Am I a glutton? The big leather bag of dried food only lasts three days," Qin Ming muttered to himself.
The method that aided his rebirth couldn't stop. When he was still, he was as firm as a mountain, and when he moved, he was as fast as an eagle striking the sky. The silver light emerging from his pores gradually grew stronger.
He could genuinely feel his physical strength improving, not suddenly, but gradually, changing over time.
Qin Ming walked to one side of the courtyard and tried to lift both halves of the millstone. With a sudden burst of strength, he lifted them off the ground.
Lu Ze happened to open the courtyard gate and walked in, stunned at the sight.
"Xiao Qin, what is this…?" He looked astonished, remembering how he had been concerned about Qin Ming missing his golden age of rebirth just yesterday. Now, he saw this incredible scene.
In the neighboring courtyard, Liang Wanqing also came over after hearing the commotion. She was stunned when she realized what had happened.
"Like that sickly guy from the neighboring village. Just after rebirth, he could lift over 400 pounds," Lu Ze said, genuinely happy for Qin Ming.
"Xiao Qin really did it during the golden age of rebirth," Liang Wanqing said. "He's the first in Shuangshu Village in many years."
"Uncle, you're amazing!" Wen Rui also ran over, her big eyes sparkling, looking up at him with admiration.
"I feel like the changes from rebirth are still ongoing," Qin Ming said.
He had already realized that the process would take longer than he had originally estimated, and it was far from over.
Liang Wanqing, looking surprised, said, "In our region, even those who are reborn in the golden age, once stabilized, can only lift up to 500 pounds. Xiao Qin won't be reaching his limit yet, will he?"
"I heard that in the bright city far away, there's a young man who can lift 600 pounds," Lu Ze added. He was eager to see what level Qin Ming would reach once his rebirth was complete.
Suddenly, a commotion was heard on the street.
Liang Wanqing went outside and quickly returned. "The old woman from the Zhou family is in bad health."
Qin Ming had seen her yesterday. He recalled her frail body and pale face; something was definitely wrong with her.
"What happened?" Lu Ze asked.
With a sigh, Liang Wanqing said, "It seems she hasn't been eating much lately, and her health was already poor, so now she's in trouble." Qin Ming and Lu Ze went out to the street to learn more.
A while ago, Zhou Granny's son had gone out but hadn't brought any food back. He himself was badly injured, with a broken right arm.
This winter, everyone was lacking food, and with the pillar of the family in trouble, Zhou Granny had been worrying. She had quietly been saving the food she was supposed to eat and only taking a little bit to fill her stomach.
This winter, everyone is lacking food, and with the main breadwinner of the family in trouble, Granny Zhou is deeply worried. Every day, she quietly saves the food she should eat, taking only a little to fill her stomach.
Many people have gathered in the Zhou family's yard. When Qin Ming and Lu Ze entered the house, they saw Granny Zhou lying motionless. Her face was waxy yellow, and she had already passed away in silence.
Two children were crying, kneeling nearby, calling out loudly for their grandmother.
Before she passed, Granny Zhou told them where to find food. Some tubers and hard, cold buns were hidden in a bamboo basket under the snow.
The nuts that Qin Ming had given her, she hadn't even eaten a single one.
It was only today that the family realized how frugally she had lived, saving her own rations out of concern that her injured son, Zhou Changyu, might never return with food. She feared her grandchildren would starve, so she chose to eat less, or nothing at all.
Zhou Changyu, learning the truth, felt his heart shatter. This man, nearly thirty years old, wept bitterly, slapping his face and blaming himself for being useless and unfilial for not noticing sooner.
His wife also knelt, crying sorrowfully.
The people in the yard sighed deeply. In this year of hardship, the entire region had suffered, with everyone lacking clothes and food, struggling to get by.
Qin Ming felt a lump in his throat. Two days ago, when he saw Granny Zhou's pale face, she had shakily handed him some dried tubers, trying to force them into his hands.
Now, he knew without thinking that they were the rations she had secretly saved every day.
Such a good elder, and now she was gone. Qin Ming stood silently for a long time.
As the night deepened, the people in the yard gradually left, and Qin Ming returned, holding a cloth bag with five pounds of nuts, offering them to Zhou Changyu to express his condolences.
"Qin brother!" Zhou Changyu, his eyes red, tried to refuse. He knew how difficult it was to find food out in the wild now.
Qin Ming placed the bag in his hands, insisting he take it, before turning and leaving.
It was very late, and the cries from the Zhou family could still be heard.
Sitting in the pitch-black yard, Qin Ming heard others crying for their relatives, while his own memories of unclear faces were becoming more and more blurred. He feared that one day, he would forget entirely, with no memory left at all.
On this cold winter night, he gazed at the starless sky, lost in thought for a long time, feeling a deep and indescribable loneliness.
In his heart, there was a faint glow of light, dim silhouettes. He wanted to get closer to see them clearly, but he could never reach those childhood memories that had long since faded.
Suddenly, a chilling presence approached, oppressive and suffocating. Qin Ming's body tensed instantly. In the pitch-black sky, two golden lanterns appeared, mysterious and terrifying.
Then, the calm winter night was torn apart by a fierce wind, snowflakes from the ground were swept up, and the roof seemed as though it might be torn off, shaking violently.
In the abyss-like sky, the two golden lanterns passed through, carrying a fierce wind and a terrifying pressure that nearly made it hard to breathe!
Qin Ming's pupils contracted. He guessed that this must be some high-level being, immense and unfathomable, its wings spreading like dark clouds, passing over the village.
The golden lanterns were its eyes. As it moved further away, the sudden storm quickly weakened and then dissipated.
The village was in an uproar. Many people came out, discussing among themselves.
The older villagers, who had experienced similar events, looked solemn but reassured the younger ones not to panic. It was likely just a high-level being passing through, nothing to worry about.
Qin Ming returned from the street and sat in the yard for a long time, gazing at the endless night sky.
The darkness enveloped the world, cutting off the road to the distant future, making this world even more mysterious. His heart stirred; he longed to go outside and explore the vast land.
Finally, he stood up firmly, performing the specific set of movements from his childhood that he remembered most clearly.
Even if he had something on his mind, he knew he needed strength to make it happen.
Gradually, a surge of vitality filled his body, and a faint glow appeared on his skin.
After a long time, he began to feel an unprecedented hunger. The transformation hadn't stopped, and it seemed to be intensifying.
Qin Ming ate a large amount of dried food with hot water, but still couldn't satisfy his hunger.
When he thought of the mutated squirrels, the black mountain goats at Yang Yongqing's house at the village entrance, he couldn't help but swallow.
He was really craving meat. Just thinking about it made him imagine the rich smell of meat. He realized that his body was signaling a need for replenishment.
It wasn't until Qin Ming ate another batch of nuts that the intense craving slowly faded.
"It looks like I'll need to go back into the mountains after the night settles," he thought, wanting to satisfy his body's call and ensure that the transformation would proceed without any issues.
In fact, after giving Zhou's family the five pounds of dried food, his own reserves were running low.
With no dreams that night, Qin Ming woke up very early. Although his stomach was still hungry, his spirits were high. He had a sense that his transformation had reached a point where he could now carry more than five hundred pounds.
"The most important thing is that the transformation is still ongoing." This made him even more excited to see what level he would ultimately reach.
He started stretching his muscles.
Then, Qin Ming activated his dragon spine. First, he bent his waist, then suddenly leaned back, forming an exaggerated crescent shape with his spine. His joints cracked loudly as his flesh and blood shook violently.
Starting from his tailbone, Yang Qi surged up along his spine, all the way to his head.
Qin Ming felt a tingling sensation all over his body, as if being electrified. His pores opened up, and he was enveloped in a warm, radiant energy.
At the same time, a layer of silver light spread across his skin, clearer than ever before.
There was no doubt that this had significantly accelerated his transformation!
Before the night had fully set in, Qin Ming was already outside the village. Since dried food could no longer satisfy his hunger, his appetite felt insatiable.
When he thought of the rock goats, night deer, and black-feathered pheasants roasting on the fire, sizzling with oil dripping onto the coals, he couldn't resist. His mouth watered as he felt a wind rise beneath his feet, eager to rush into the wild forest.