Rui's Mystical Cultivation Saga

After several days of rest, the toxins in Lin Rui’s body had been completely purged, thanks to his father's acupuncture treatments and herbal remedies. His physical condition felt better than ever, and the flow of spiritual energy had become far smoother. It was finally time to immerse himself in studying the Greenwood Qi Art.

This technique, which his father Lin Yuntian had exchanged for contribution points, might be only a low-tier Mortal-grade method, but it suited Lin Rui's wood-element spiritual root well. As someone labeled a "waste" cultivator with five elemental roots, he knew time wasn’t on his side—he had to break through and elevate his cultivation as soon as possible.

Seated quietly in his room, the Greenwood Qi Art manual in hand, Lin Rui reflected on his earlier cultivation attempts. Despite successfully detoxifying his body, he had encountered a strange sense of blockage each time. Another issue was hindering his progress.

Deciding he needed expert guidance, Lin Rui reached for his most unusual companion—Chickpedia.

He ran his fingers across the jade pendant shaped like a tiny chicken, channeling a wisp of spiritual energy into it. The pendant shimmered, and moments later, a familiar little chicken spirit appeared, flapping its wings with a smug grin.

"Heh, heh! Summoning me again, huh? Let me guess—running into trouble with cultivation, aren't you?" Chickpedia flapped its wings triumphantly, its expression radiating confidence.

"You got it." Lin Rui gave a wry smile." I've been trying to cultivate the Greenwood Qi Art, but it feels blocked like something's in the way."

Chickpedia immediately straightened up, its playful demeanor replaced with serious intent. With a quick flap of its wings, it said, "Leave it to me! I'll give you the breakdown. Listen closely—time's ticking, remember?”

Lin Rui nodded, preparing to absorb every detail.

Clearing its throat dramatically, Chickpedia launched into its lesson:

"The core of the Greenwood Qi Art is mastering the flow and resonance of wood-element energy. Your first step is connecting with the surrounding energy in plants and trees. This resonance allows the energy to flow smoothly into your meridians. The initial stage of this technique is known as the 'Wood Spirit Seed.' Your task is to plant a spiritual seed within your body, gradually training yourself to synchronize with the flow of wood energy."

Lin Rui listened attentively as Chickpedia continued, its wings fluttering with excitement.

"There are two development paths for the 'Wood Spirit Seed.' The first path is called the 'Force of Flourishing Growth.' This one focuses on enhancing your ability to recover spiritual energy quickly—a crucial skill in your current stage. It will allow you to replenish energy rapidly during cultivation and in battle. To follow this path, you must visualize planting a virtual seed inside your body. As the seed grows and sprouts, an energy network gradually spreads through your entire system."

"The second path is called the 'Seed of Withering,' which leans toward offensive techniques," Chickpedia continued. "You can plant the Wood Spirit Seed into an enemy's body, and the seed will slowly absorb their spiritual energy, leaving them depleted over time. It's a bit underhanded but extremely lethal."

"'Force of Flourishing Growth' is more suited for recovery, while the 'Seed of Withering' is designed to weaken enemies," Lin Rui nodded thoughtfully. "Seems like both have their distinct uses."

Chickpedia chuckled proudly. "Exactly! But for you, I'd recommend focusing on the 'Force of Flourishing Growth' for now. Since you're just starting, the speed at which you can recover spiritual energy is crucial. What you need to do now is focus on sensing the wood-element spiritual energy in your surroundings and try to resonate with it."Lin Rui furrowed his brow. "I've tried that before, but I keep feeling blocked. Even though the toxins have been cleared from my body, I'm still encountering obstacles during cultivation."

Chickpedia sighed softly. "The issue lies with your five elemental roots! While you're focusing on wood-element techniques, the other four roots—fire, earth, water, and metal—are still interfering with the flow of your spiritual energy. These elements clash inside you, so you're struggling with the energy flow."

Lin Rui froze, finally understanding the root of his problem. As a cultivator with five elemental roots, the spiritual energy within him was constantly disrupted by the various elements, making smooth cultivation nearly impossible.

"So, what should I do?" Lin Rui asked, his voice tinged with nervousness.

"Don't worry!" Chickpedia flapped its wings confidently. "You can suppress the interference from the other elemental roots by refining how you guide the energy flow. This will let you focus solely on cultivating your wood-element root. However, this requires intense control and patience, especially as you need to learn 'Mental Projection.'"

"Mental Projection? What's that?" Lin Rui asked, puzzled.

Chickpedia explained, "In simple terms, it means using your imagination to guide the flow of spiritual energy during cultivation. Since you can't physically see spiritual energy, you have to envision its path in your mind. Think of your mind as a canvas; you'll need to vividly 'draw' your energy's route as it flows."

"I'm good at that!" Lin Rui smiled, feeling a sudden sense of relief. As a former artist, imagination was one of his strengths.

"Great! Now, close your eyes and try to sense the wood-element spiritual energy around you. Imagine planting a Wood Spirit Seed inside your body, watch it take root and grow, slowly merging with the surrounding energy," Chickpedia encouraged. "Let nature guide you!"

"Got it!" Lin Rui took a deep breath, closed his eyes, and calmed his mind.

He sat quietly by the bamboo grove as if everything around him had fallen into stillness. The bamboo swayed gently in the breeze, and the crisp scent of grass and wood filled the air. Following Chickpedia's guidance, Lin Rui began to sense the life force surrounding him.

It felt like the faint but vibrant spiritual energy in the bamboo grove was slowly approaching, like countless invisible tendrils brushing against his skin. As his breathing became steady, the energy began to flow into his meridians, gradually gathering inside him.

In his mind, Lin Rui imagined planting a Wood Spirit Seed within his body. Initially, he visualized it as a potato—simple to plant and resilient. As the energy flowed, the imagined potato seed began to take root and sprout, with its roots slowly stretching through his limbs and spreading across his body.

"Good, keep going!" Chickpedia's voice encouraged him cheerfully.

Lin Rui's mental projection grew clearer as the flow of spiritual energy deepened. The potato seed in his mind seemed to come to life, with its roots threading carefully through his meridians. It wound its way around the stubborn obstructions of his other four elemental roots—like stones lodged within his energy pathways—until the roots spread throughout his entire body. The potato’s vines anchored firmly within him, stretching in every direction. With each breath, the roots drew in the surrounding wood-element energy, like creeping vines drinking nourishment from the earth, slowly expanding and growing.

His focus deepened, and soon, he entered a state where he felt completely connected with nature. He sensed the wood-element energy streaming into him as smoothly as a flowing river, free of the previous blockages. The energy coursed through him with newfound ease, filling his limbs and bones with refreshing vitality, seeping into every meridian within his body.

As the energy circulated, his body felt noticeably lighter. The "potato seed" in his mind became more vivid, and its vines grew rapidly, sprouting lush green leaves and delicate flowers. At that moment, Lin Rui no longer felt like an isolated individual but a part of the bamboo grove and the surrounding vegetation. It was as if the energy within him and the energy of the world had entered a state of resonance, flowing harmoniously.

This was cultivation as it was meant to be—seamless, natural, and connected to the world around him.

Time flies in his focused state. Lin Rui had no idea how long he had been cultivating, but by the time he opened his eyes again, the sky had dimmed, and the bamboo grove rustled softly in the evening breeze. The coolness of night crept in with the setting sun.

He exhaled slowly, feeling better than ever before. The flow of spiritual energy within his body had become smooth and effortless, without any of the earlier blockages he had struggled with. Though he was still burdened with five elemental roots, the combination of mental projection and focused training on wood-element energy allowed him to temporarily suppress the interference from the other roots.

"This… worked better than I expected." Lin Rui was astonished at the progress he had just made. He stood up, stretched his limbs, and felt the spiritual energy circulating actively and abundantly within him. Every meridian in his body seemed clearer, and the oppressive sensation that used to weigh down his cultivation was gone without a trace.

"Looks like I’m not as hopeless as they say." Lin Rui chuckled self-deprecatingly. Despite his reputation as a 'waste' with five elemental roots and poor aptitude, he now realized that he could still make meaningful progress with the right method.

At that moment, Chickpedia's voice echoed gleefully in his mind:

"Well? How do you feel, Host? Didn't I tell you? With me around, you've got nothing to worry about!"

Lin Rui grinned and nodded. "You were right, Chickpedia. This session went far better than I expected. 'Mental projection' really makes a difference. I guess imagination is one of my strong points."

Chickpedia’s cheerful voice responded with pride: "Of course! I am a top-tier system, after all! Now that you've started getting the hang of things, you'll see—being a five-element cultivator isn't the end of the world. All it takes is the right technique."

Lin Rui took a deep breath, feeling hope ignite within him. His cultivation journey had been off to a rocky start, but now, with Chickpedia's guidance and his perseverance, he could see a path forward. There was still a long way to go, but for the first time since arriving in this world, he felt like success might be within reach.

"Of course!" Chickpedia huffed proudly. "But don't get too cocky just yet—this is only the first step. You'll need to continuously improve your control over spiritual energy and gradually master the other layers of the Greenwood Qi Technique. Each layer comes with new challenges, but as long as you persevere, I'll be with you every step of the way!"

Lin Rui smiled and nodded, his heart filled with determination. Yet, a sudden thought struck him—although he had no idea how much time had passed, it was more than five minutes. Why was Chickpedia still active and talking instead of disappearing?

Sensing his confusion, Chickpedia explained, "That's because you managed your cultivation well! With the proper flow of spiritual energy, your body keeps supplying enough energy to the pendant. That's why I didn't disappear."

"So that's it," Lin Rui thought, his mind working through the new information. "As long as my energy flows properly during cultivation, I can continuously power the pendant. But that also means maintaining Chickpedia will require substantial energy."

However, today's successful session gave Lin Rui hope and solidified his resolve to keep moving forward. No matter how tough the road ahead, he was determined to find his path to mastery.

"Alright, I'll stick to your advice and continue cultivating." Lin Rui stood up, gazing toward the bamboo forest in the distance, his expression growing more resolute. "I've made progress today—tomorrow, I'll keep pushing forward."

Chickpedia fluttered its wings with a mischievous grin. "Keep it up, Host! I'm looking forward to hearing more good news tomorrow! Remember, this little chicken is your most loyal assistant!"

As Chickpedia's glow gradually faded, Lin Rui's heart grew increasingly calm and resolute. He understood that the path of cultivation would be full of unknown challenges and dangers, but with persistence and courage, he was confident that one day he would find his way.