Mysterious Space Grains

Wang Hong walked into the dean's office. The old dean was sitting by the tea table, enjoying his tea.

"Student Wang Hong, greetings, Dean." After a few days without seeing him, the old dean looked even more spirited, with much less white hair.

"Hahaha! Wang Hong is here! Don't be so formal with me, make yourself at home. Come sit, try my tea, what do you think?" He was so warm and friendly, anyone would think they were family.

Wang Hong sat down beside him, and the old dean handed him a cup of tea. Wang Hong had been too poor before, barely able to afford food, so he'd only had tea a few times. He didn't know much about it, but as he drank, he found the tea was slightly bitter at first, then left a sweet aftertaste, with the fragrance lingering in his mouth for a long time.

He praised it as good tea. Seeing his enjoyment, the old dean began to share many tea-related insights. Wang Hong listened humbly, occasionally interjecting with a question, and they had a very pleasant conversation.

After chatting for a while, the old dean brought up the main topic. "When you first entered, I noticed your steps were light and powerful, and your spirit was vigorous. Have you already taken the immortal elixir?"

"That's correct. I have taken the elixir and used it to break through to the Houtian Stage," Wang Hong replied truthfully.

"It's good that you've taken it. That's precisely why I called you here. You must have heard some rumors outside by now. It's best not to leave the academy easily. Although you have the identity of an immortal's elder brother, which should deter anyone from harming you openly, there are still those blinded by greed who might act against you in secret." Wang Hong nodded repeatedly. He had taken the elixir in front of so many people precisely to show them that he no longer possessed it.

"Also, there's a small courtyard empty on the west side of the academy. You can move in there. Here's the key." The old dean handed a key to Wang Hong.

Wang Hong took the key and thanked the old dean. As he was leaving, the old dean also gifted Wang Hong a pound of tea.

Wang Hong used the key to open the gate. The first thing he saw was a small lawn overgrown with some unknown weeds, interspersed with small wildflowers. The courtyard wall was about a person's height. Inside, there were six rooms, complete with tables, chairs, benches, a kitchen, and all other necessary facilities.

Tonight, Wang Hong broke his routine and didn't cultivate. Instead, he moved a lounge chair and lay on the lawn in the courtyard, gazing at the starry sky in a daze. In his hand, he held a handful of raspberries, his Younger Brother's favorite, and ate them slowly.

"I wonder how Younger Brother is doing now? Is anyone bullying him?"

"People say: the elder brother is like a father. I, as the elder brother, haven't taken good care of Younger Brother. On the contrary, I've benefited a lot through him." Wang Hong pondered, his expression gradually turning serious. "A true man stands between heaven and earth, upholding principles and acting as a role model. How can I, Wang Hong, just coast by relying on the title of an immortal's elder brother?"

Wang Hong flipped over and stood up, retrieving an iron spear from the Mysterious Space. He first struck a starting pose, then executed "Immortal Guides the Way," "Azure Dragon Emerges from the Sea"... The spear had substance and illusion, the orthodox and the unconventional; it was illusory and real, orthodox and unconventional; its advance was sharp, its retreat swift, its posture perilous, its form concise; it was unmoving as a mountain, and moved like thunder. Wang Hong practiced an entire set of the Thunderclap Spear more than ten times until the moon was high in the sky, his body drenched in sweat.

Wang Hong took a shower and then retreated into the Mysterious Space to sleep. He slept for several hours in the Mysterious Space, while only a quarter of an hour passed in the outside world. He emerged from the Mysterious Space with renewed vigor, but his physical fatigue had not lessened much. His muscles ached with every movement, so he began to meditate and cultivate his internal energy.

Wang Hong had now opened the Ren and Du meridians and entered the Houtian Stage. Next, he needed to open the remaining six of the Extraordinary Meridians: the Chong Mai, Dai Mai, Yin Wei Mai, Yang Wei Mai, Yin Qiao Mai, and Yang Qiao Mai. Only by opening all of the Extraordinary Meridians would he have completed the cultivation of the Houtian Stage.

Opening the Ren and Du meridians was already extremely difficult. It typically took ordinary people several years of normal cultivation, and some even took ten to twenty years to reach the Houtian Stage. Opening the remaining six meridians was even more challenging, with most martial artists stopping at the Houtian Stage for their entire lives. Only a very small number of martial artists could open all of the Extraordinary Meridians in their lifetime and thus enter the Xiantian Stage. Xiantian martial artists, in turn, had to open the twelve meridians of the three Yin and three Yang of the hands and feet.

Wang Hong cultivated until dawn, only managing to slightly stabilize the Ren and Du meridians he had just opened. At this pace, it would likely take ages to cultivate to the Xiantian Stage.

Wang Hong's plan was to cultivate at least to the Xiantian Stage, and then head to Qingxu Mountain to find Qingxu Immortal City. The journey would be fraught with danger, and Wang Hong didn't want to be eaten by fierce beasts along the way.

"It seems I need to find a way. The medicinal herbs in the Mysterious Space should help, but I'm not sure how to use them."

As soon as the formation training ended in the morning, Wang Hong, without even eating, went to the library to borrow a large stack of medical books and carried them back. Along the way, he muttered, "Truly, one regrets not reading more when the need arises. I should read more in the future."

Upon returning to the small courtyard, Wang Hong took out some rice produced in the Mysterious Space. He had wanted to eat it for a long time but hadn't had the chance to cook it. This rice was as thick as a finger, golden yellow, and emitted an enticing aroma.

Wang Hong grabbed a handful and rubbed off the husks with his hands. After blowing away the husks, only finger-sized, crystal-white grains of rice remained.

Wang Hong rubbed off over a pound of rice before throwing it into the pot. He first brought it to a boil over high heat, then reduced the heat to very low to let it simmer slowly. The aroma of rice wafted out, making Wang Hong's throat feel as if it were reaching out.

When cooking rice in an iron pot, if the heat is too high after boiling, it's easy to scorch. You can't open the lid during cooking, and if you open it midway, it's easy to end up with undercooked rice. You can only simmer it slowly over low heat. This way, the cooked rice is fragrant, has a good texture, and a layer of delicious crispy rice at the bottom. Wang Hong was an expert at cooking rice, but he hadn't had much opportunity to showcase his skills due to his poverty.

It took about half an hour of simmering before the rice was cooked. The cooked rice grains were crystal clear, fluffy, and springy. Wang Hong ate a total of six large bowls without any side dishes, wolfing them down. Still not fully satisfied, he used a spatula to scrape out the crispy rice at the bottom and ate it like a snack.

After eating, Wang Hong felt a faint warmth in his abdomen, not as intense as when he ate the elixir. Wang Hong sat in meditation for two hours. The warmth in his abdomen disappeared, and the newly opened Ren and Du meridians had stabilized considerably. At this rate, it would only take five or six more such instances to fully stabilize them.

Wang Hong was overjoyed. The cultivation gained from eating this meal and refining it was equivalent to four or five days of normal practice.

"Hahaha! If I eat two meals like this every day, I can achieve nearly ten times the cultivation speed of others. From now on, I can also pretend to be a genius."

Wang Hong then made several large flatbreads with wheat from the Mysterious Space and ate them. He found the effect to be similar to the rice from the Mysterious Space.