Clan Cultivation: Starting with Building an Island Immortal City

23: First Sense of Spiritual Energy, Cultivation MethodsLi Yinglong walked to the volcanic lake and chose a flat spot.

He didn’t make many arrangements, only letting Lin Xiaowan sit cross-legged in the center, while he stood in front of her.

The ceremony emphasized sincerity, not superficial formalities.

He raised his hands virtually, as if sensing Heaven and Earth, but in reality, he was secretly communicating with the System.

In an instant, an invisible force seemed to gather around them, the breeze by the lake quietly ceased, the fresh Spiritual Qi in the air became active, and even faint ripples appeared on the lake surface.

Although the young people couldn’t clearly perceive the Spiritual Qi, they instinctively felt a solemn, mysterious, and inexplicable atmosphere envelop them, making them even more nervous and focused.

Li Yinglong silently chanted in his heart:

”System, use [Aptitude Improvement LV1] on Lin Xiaowan!”

”[Command confirmed. Target: Lin Xiaowan. Usage of [Aptitude Improvement LV1]: 1/1. Generating random Low Grade Spiritual Root or Cultivation Physique... Generation complete: Bestowing [Wood Six, Water Two, Fire One, Earth One, Four Elements Mixed Spiritual Root]]”

”[Task One: Bloodline Awakening, Completion 1/2]”

”A single Five Elements attribute actually exceeds half!”

This result surprised Li Yinglong a little.

He had recently read the ”records of strange tales of the universe” and learned some information about Spiritual Roots.

Spiritual Roots are divided into ten parts, unevenly distributed according to one’s own Five Elements attributes.

For example, he and Li Qingzhu, although both had Wood-Water Dual Spiritual Roots, his was Wood five, Water five, a half-and-half split, while Li Qingzhu’s was Wood three, Water seven, with more Water affinity.

The strength of a Spiritual Root is determined by the Spiritual Qi concentration of the current era and the Cultivation environment.

In ancient times, Spiritual Qi was abundant, and everyone had inexhaustible resources. At that time, the more Spiritual Root attributes one had, the more Five Elements Spiritual Qi they could sense, and the stronger their combat power would be after their Realm improved.

However, later on, as the population grew, consumption increased, and Spiritual Qi decreased, it could no longer meet everyone’s needs.

From this point on, the fewer Spiritual Root attributes one had, the faster they could absorb a single Five Elements attribute Spiritual Qi, rapidly raising their Realm, and thus, in turn, crushing others with a higher Realm and seizing their resources more quickly.

The Five Elements Spiritual Root, which was highly regarded in ancient times, became difficult even for Foundation Establishment due to insufficient resources. Sects were also unwilling to bet on whether the person could survive to the Late Stage, so the trend gradually changed.

In the current era, a single Spiritual Root attribute with higher intensity is generally preferred.

Lin Xiaowan’s Wood six, Water two, Fire one, Earth one mixed Spiritual Root looked chaotic, but its core Wood attribute exceeded half.

If it were truly applied to production work, it might not be worse than other Spiritual Roots.

This was a blessing in disguise; most mixed Spiritual Roots are very balanced, without such a specialty.

In an instant, Li Yinglong pointed his fingers like a sword, and a faint, almost imperceptible light green glow flashed from his fingertip, gently touching Lin Xiaowan’s glabella!

”Buzz!”

Lin Xiaowan’s body trembled slightly, and specks of soft, vital emerald green light dust appeared out of thin air around her, swirling and circling!

A faint, refreshing fragrance of grass and wood, which made one feel refreshed, quietly diffused from her.

Her slightly pale complexion visibly became rosy and full, her skin exuded a warm luster, and her entire being seemed to be infused with a surge of immense life vitality.

Her temperament subtly transformed, losing some of her mortal fragility and gaining a touch of natural spiritual grace and profundity.

The change, though not earth-shattering, was clearly visible and extraordinarily mysterious!

The entire process lasted only a few breaths.

The green glow gradually subsided, and the exotic fragrance became contained.

Lin Xiaowan slowly opened her eyes, instinctively looking down at her hands, feeling the unprecedented and wonderful connection within her body.

Her eyes were still clear, but now brighter and more transparent, as if she could perceive the subtle principles of plants and trees.

She looked up at Li Yinglong, her voice excited:

”Clan Chief... I... I seem to... feel it! The breathing of the plants, the rhythm of the lake water... I, I really can...”

No more words were needed; the result was clearly written on her face and in the changes in her demeanor.

Silence.

After a brief silence, there were the suppressed gasps of envy and wild joy from the surrounding young people!

It succeeded!

The Clan Chief actually possessed Heaven-Defying means, instantly creating a new Cultivator!

Li Yinglong nodded slightly, his gaze sweeping over the young people gathered around him.

”Since you all are witnesses today, you must understand that awakening the spirit is not a trick; it is the beginning of communication with Heaven and Earth.”

His voice was slow and steady, taking this opportunity to explain some basic principles to everyone:

”Ordinary people need years of mental tempering to sense Qi before they can find a glimmer of opportunity. However, Little Wan has been granted by Heaven; her Spiritual Root has just sprouted, perfectly aligned with sensing the Qi flowing between Heaven and Earth.”

He turned to Lin Xiaowan:

”Close your eyes, concentrate. Dismiss all distracting thoughts, and only focus on a clear point in your Dantian, try to... ’listen,’ to seek that wisp of Spiritual Qi.”

Lin Xiaowan closed her eyes as instructed, her long eyelashes trembling slightly.

She tried her best to clear her mind, sinking her consciousness into the unknown Void Realm within her body.

The others followed suit, imitating her as they began to sense.

The surroundings were silent, with only the sound of the wind and the faint ripples of the distant lake.

A moment later, her brows furrowed slightly, and a hint of confusion and anxiety appeared on her face.

”Clan Chief... I... I can’t sense it.”

Her voice was weak, tinged with frustration.

Li Yinglong’s expression remained unchanged, as if he had expected it.

”A newly born Spiritual Root is like a young sprout breaking through the soil, still very weak. You can try it from a different angle, let me think...”

”Right, since you know pharmacology, how do you usually identify medicinal herbs?”

Lin Xiaowan was startled. Although she didn’t understand his meaning, she still answered honestly:

”Replying to Clan Chief, your servant... I often stroke their leaf veins with my fingertips, carefully observing their patterns and colors, and sometimes... I also lean in to lightly sniff their scent.”

”Good.”

Li Yinglong said:

”Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi is not an ethereal, illusory thing. It exists in all things and flows unceasingly. Since you have an affinity for plants and trees, why not use this as a bridge? Do not seek within the void, but rather sense the tangible without.”

He pointed to a cluster of ”sea soul moss” growing tightly against a rock crevice at his feet.

”Start with this object; touch its form, sense its pulse, sniff its scent. Do not use your eyes, but your heart.”

Lin Xiaowan understood, and as instructed, she squatted down, extending her slender fingers to gently rest on the thick, cool leaves.

She no longer tried to capture the illusory ”Qi sensation” within her body, but instead immersed her entire mind in the tactile sensation of her fingertips, feeling the subtle vitality within the leaf veins and the resilience different from ordinary plants.

She leaned down, her nose almost touching the leaf surface, and a faint, crisp scent entered her nostrils.

She maintained this posture, her breathing gradually slowing.

Suddenly, the leaf veins beneath her fingertips seemed to pulsate ever so slightly.

It wasn’t a real pulsation, but rather a... tremor originating from the depths of her perception.

Immediately after, the strange scent lingering at her nose seemed to come alive, no longer just a mere smell, but transforming into threads of cool ”flow” imbued with vigorous life, seeping into her body through her fingertips and breath.

The airflow was as faint as a thread, yet undeniably real.

Wherever it passed, it brought sensations of comfort and clarity.

She suddenly opened her eyes, which were filled with incredible surprise:

”Clan Chief! I... I feel it! It... they... have ’Qi’! There’s Qi flowing within this moss, though faint, it’s continuous!”

A smile flashed across Li Yinglong’s eyes, then vanished.

”This is the Spiritual Qi contained within plants. You possess a Wood-elemental Spiritual Root, which resonates with this Qi, allowing you to sense it first. This is a sign of your Dao foundation being initially established.”

His gaze swept over the other young people who were holding their breath and concentrating:

”As you have seen, the path of immortality is not only about sitting in meditation and arduous cultivation. All things have spirits, and all contain their Qi. In your future cultivation, you must also find the bridge that best connects you with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi according to your own innate talent. Perhaps metal, or flowing water, or thick earth, or raging fire... This is not a task for a single day; it requires sustained sensing and tempering.”

All the young people listened with awe, and their understanding of the words ”Cultivator” suddenly became much more concrete.

It turned out that sensing Spiritual Qi was not entirely ethereal; it could actually be approached in this way.

Lin Xiaowan was still immersed in that wonderful experience. She couldn’t help but press her hand against another sea soul moss again.

This time, the sensation of the cool airflow was even clearer.

She could even vaguely perceive that the ”Qi” of this moss seemed a bit more vigorous than the previous one.

”Clan Chief,”

She suddenly looked up:

”If... if I use this method, will it be easier to distinguish which plants contain more Spiritual Qi? Which ones... are more suitable for harvesting or cultivation?”

Li Yinglong nodded:

”Naturally. Those rich in Spiritual Qi will have a pure and long-lasting Qi, and their form and color often show unusual phenomena. This is where your talent lies, and it is also the reliance for the Family’s future in establishing medicinal gardens and cultivating spiritual plants. You must carefully comprehend and meticulously ponder the differences within.”

Lin Xiaowan nodded heavily, as if she had instantly found her direction, and there was no longer any confusion on her face.

She said no more, bending down again, carefully sensing the subtle differences between different plants with her fingertips, her expression so focused that she seemed to have forgotten everything around her.

Li Yinglong no longer disturbed her, turning instead to the other young people:

”What you have witnessed today is the essence of aligning Spiritual Root talent with cultivation methods. Little Wan’s path lies in the life of plants and trees. In your future cultivation, you too must find the bridge that best connects you with the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Qi. Perhaps metal, or flowing water, or thick earth, or raging fire... This is not a task for a single day; it requires sustained sensing and tempering.”

All the young people received the teaching with solemnity, and their hearts held a few more thoughts.

Lin Xiaowan remained immersed in her world of plants and trees, her fingertips gentle, her expression focused, having already taken a solid first step on her path of Cultivation.

And that new understanding of Spiritual Qi perception was deeply imprinted in the hearts of the other young people, planting a seed within them, waiting to sprout for their respective future cultivations.