Swift Shadow Rabbit

Ling Tian's face was full of disbelief. He wondered when his father had become so "loving." Could there be some ulterior motive? He had been thoroughly intimidated by Lingyun over the past few years. After racking his brain and finding no answer, he had no choice but to give up and head to his bedroom.

Upon returning to his bedroom, he found a pile of books. A quick glance revealed titles like Introduction to Cultivation, Encyclopedia of Formations, Essentials of Alchemy, Qin and Xiao Musical Scores, Basics of Artifact Refining, Yao Beast Miscellaneous Talk, Differences Between Demonic, Buddhist, and Daoist Cultivators, and The Fun of Chess, among others. They were a motley assortment, covering various aspects.

Ling Tian noticed that the writing on the books was handwritten, with strokes like dragons and snakes, indicating they were clearly Lingyun's work. It was obvious that Lingyun had transcribed them from Jade Slips, likely because Ling Tian had not yet cultivated his Spiritual Sense and couldn't read them directly. Lingyun had specifically copied them for his convenience.

Thinking of this, Ling Tian felt a wave of warmth. He realized his father did care about him. His strictness in cultivation was simply to build a solid foundation and refine him into a piece of fine jade.

He casually picked up the Introduction to Cultivation and began to read. Since Ling Tian couldn't cultivate Daoist magic or Spiritual Energy, he yearned for such knowledge. As he casually flipped through the pages, Ling Tian was instantly captivated by the content, unable to pull himself away.

The book wasn't very thick, only about two hundred pages. Ling Tian read it carefully, finishing and memorizing it within a short hour.

The book generally introduced the various stages before the Golden Core Realm, along with some cultivation methods and things to pay attention to.

Cultivation began with opening up the Qi Sea and Dantian, which would later evolve into the Violet Palace. After opening the Qi Sea, one would enter the Qi Refining, Qi Condensation, and Qi Solidification stages.

Each of these three stages was divided into thirty-six layers, totaling one hundred and eight layers. Upon reaching the thirty-sixth layer of the Qi Solidification Stage, one could attempt to break through to the Golden Core Realm. Achieving the Golden Core marked the true entrance into the path of cultivation.

Lingyun sat cross-legged following the methods in the book, forming hand seals, and tried to see if he could open his Qi Sea and Dantian. He used his Mental Cultivation to sense the Spiritual Energy around him. After a moment, he felt many tiny energy particles around him, which he then mentally controlled to move towards his body.

Due to his "cultivation" over the years, Ling Tian's Mental Cultivation was very strong. According to Lingyun, if judged by the standards of cultivating Daoist magic and Spiritual Energy, his Mental Cultivation should be at the Qi Condensation stage, which was astonishing. This was something ordinary people usually took over ten, or even twenty, years of cultivation to achieve. He had reached it in just a few years, and without even practicing Daoist magic.

Therefore, with his powerful Mental Cultivation, these tiny energy particles quickly converged towards his body and were absorbed in moments. Then, following the instructions in the book, he tried to guide these energy particles to circulate through specific meridians.

However, strangely, once these particles were absorbed into his body, they became uncontrollable, rapidly devoured by some unknown energy within his body, and no longer obeyed his will. They refused to follow the intended circulation path.

He tried again and again, and finally, after his Mental Cultivation could no longer bear it and he fainted, he still hadn't succeeded. His body had never managed to complete the first circulation, let alone open up the Qi Sea.

The next day, Ling Tian slowly woke up, feeling a splitting headache. It was clear that his attempt yesterday had exhausted his Mental Cultivation. He rested for a night and only then managed to recover slightly.

"Could it be that my meridians are truly blocked? Otherwise, why would the energy particles not circulate uncontrollably through my body's meridians?" Ling Tian was filled with doubt. He recalled the scene of testing his Innate Attributes at Qingyun Peak years ago. At that time, Green Cloud Master had said he had some kind of Congenital Meridian Blockage.

He had initially wanted to try again, but remembering he was going out with his Mother today, and suspecting this "outing" wouldn't be easy, he decided to give up for now and try again when he returned at night.

Ling Tian walked out of his bedroom and into the courtyard, seeing Lingyun and Humei already there. Lingyun had a mischievous grin on his face, likely knowing Ling Tian would try to cultivate and deliberately copying that book.

"Father, Mother, good morning," Ling Tian said, bowing.

"Good morning, Tian'er. Did you sleep well yesterday?" Lingyun asked, his expression carrying a hint of mischief.

"Yes, yes, I slept well," Ling Tian replied hastily. He was intelligent and knew why his father had that smirk.

"It's good that you slept well. Today, you'll go play with your Mother," Lingyun said, chuckling inwardly.

"Yes," Ling Tian replied respectfully.

And so, Humei led Ling Tian away, leaving only Lingyun's hearty laughter behind.

"Mother, how are we going to cultivate today?" Ling Tian asked curiously after leaving the small courtyard. He knew Humei wouldn't be as demanding as Lingyun when it came to his cultivation.

"Squeak," Humei chirped, her fox eyes full of amusement.

"No cultivation, just playing?" Ling Tian's face was full of disbelief. The way his mother and father treated his cultivation was like night and day.

Humei didn't speak, merely looked at Ling Tian, her expression leaving no room for doubt.

Ling Tian, full of suspicion, saw that Humei wasn't speaking and had no choice but to follow her.

Humei moved quickly, and Ling Tian had to jog to keep up. After a quarter of an hour, Humei stopped.

"Mother, what are we doing next?" Ling Tian asked, a little confused, as Humei led him to a patch of lush trees.

"Squeak," Humei said, looking at a few grey rabbits in the woods.

"Catching rabbits? Mother, we're really just playing? Heehee, I knew you were the best, Mother." Ling Tian was overjoyed and couldn't resist kissing Humei a few times.

Humei's affectionate gaze deepened, but her eyes held a hint of slyness as she chirped a few more times.

"Today's task is to catch ten rabbits? That's too easy, Mother, I'm going." With that, Ling Tian headed into the woods. When he ran on ancient paths, he often climbed trees and leaped with his ape friends, considering himself agile enough to catch a few rabbits easily.

Unbeknownst to Ling Tian, behind him, Humei's eyes held an even stronger glint of mischief.

Meanwhile, Ling Tian lunged at the rabbits in the woods. He moved like a swooping eagle, swift as the wind and fierce as fire, his speed truly remarkable. But to Ling Tian's surprise, the rabbits' eyes seemed to hold a hint of disdain.

Ling Tian was furious. To be looked down upon by little rabbits! He pushed off with his legs, forming his hands into eagle claws, and increased his speed even further. Just as his hands were about to grasp the rabbits, a flash of gray light streaked past. Before Ling Tian could react, the rabbits had already escaped.

"Got them, got them!" Ling Tian exclaimed excitedly, not yet realizing what had happened.

"Huh? Where are the rabbits? I definitely caught them." Ling Tian looked at his hands in confusion, certain he had just grabbed "rabbits."

"Could it be that I just grabbed afterimages of the rabbits? Just how fast must those rabbits be?" Ling Tian had heard Lingyun mention that at a certain level of speed, afterimages could be produced, but that required incredible velocity.

"Squeak," Humei let out a soft cry, her smile widening.

"So they really were afterimages. It seems I underestimated these rabbits," Ling Tian muttered to himself. He then turned and lunged at a few rabbits nearby.

Although Ling Tian was prepared this time, the result was the same. His hands still grasped only afterimages. Ling Tian refused to believe it and tried a few more times, but the outcome remained unchanged.

"Huh? How can this be?" Ling Tian felt a growing sense of annoyance.

What was most infuriating was that the rabbits didn't flee far. They hopped around him, and one even seemed to wink at him provocatively.

"Hmph, you stinky rabbits, I'll show you when I catch you," Ling Tian's face flushed. To be mocked by a rabbit was unbearable!

With that, he lunged again, his speed faster, his momentum fiercer.

"Crack!"

As a result of his excessive force, Ling Tian couldn't stop himself and crashed directly into a small tree, snapping its branches and trunk. Ling Tian was dazed, staggering to his feet, his face crimson with embarrassment and anger.

"Squeak!" Humei covered her mouth with both hands, delighted. She knew that with Ling Tian's physique, bumping into a rock wouldn't do him any real harm, let alone a small tree.

"Mother, you're laughing at me too." Ling Tian's little mouth pouted high, his small face full of displeasure.

"Squeak!" Humei narrowed her fox eyes and jumped onto Ling Tian's shoulder, clearly trying to explain that she wasn't laughing at him.

However, judging by her narrowed fox eyes, her explanation was utterly unconvincing.

"What kind of rabbits are these? Their speed is so fast? And they're so agile at such high speeds, it's incredible." Ling Tian glanced at the smiling Humei, his face full of helplessness. He had no choice but to change the subject, lower his head in thought, and then mutter to himself.

"Squeak!" Seeing Ling Tian lost in thought, Humei stopped teasing and let out a squeak.

"Swift Shadow Rabbits? They truly live up to their name." Ling Tian's expression slightly stiffened upon hearing Humei's words. He was clearly contemplating how to catch these rabbits and vent his frustration.

He was quite annoyed. He then told Humei to jump off his shoulder and tried to catch the Swift Shadow Rabbits himself. Naturally, this attempt was once again in vain.

"My speed isn't as fast as the Swift Shadow Rabbits', nor am I as agile. Plus, we're in a forest with undergrowth, giving them a terrain advantage. What should I do?" Ling Tian began analyzing the Swift Shadow Rabbits' strengths, ultimately realizing he seemed to have no advantages.

"Squeak!" Seeing Ling Tian struggling to find a method, Humei reminded him from the side.

"Take off the Black Gold Cold Silkworm Clothes? Hmm, I've been wearing them for so long, I'd truly forgotten."

Ling Tian hadn't taken off the Black Gold Cold Silkworm Clothes since he put them on; they had become like a part of his body, so it wasn't easy to remember. As he spoke, he began to remove the Black Gold Cold Silkworm Clothes and tossed them aside. The clothes landed on the ground with a heavy thud, even creating a small pit.

"Ah, it feels so good to take off these clothes." Ling Tian suddenly felt lighter, and the comfortable sensation made him let out a long sigh of relief.

He didn't rush to catch the Swift Shadow Rabbits. Instead, he stretched his arms, kicked his legs, and twisted his head a few times. Immediately, the sound of his bones creaking echoed. He was adapting to his suddenly lighter and quicker body.

"I feel so much lighter. My speed should at least double now." After adapting for about ten minutes, Ling Tian finally stopped. He then looked at the rabbits, his gaze turning unfriendly.

As if sensing Ling Tian's change, the rabbits stopped their playful antics. Their expressions turned serious, and they shed their dismissive attitude. It was clear that the Swift Shadow Rabbits had been toying with Ling Tian initially and hadn't been serious at all.

"Whoosh!"

Ling Tian shot forward like an arrow released from a bowstring, the air whistling from his rapid movement. He locked onto the rabbit that had mocked him and lunged. A trailing afterimage slowly faded as he disappeared.

"I'll catch you this time, hmph." Ling Tian's small face was filled with Sha Qi.

"Bang!"

As a result, Ling Tian couldn't stop himself and crashed into another tree, breaking it. Looking at the Swift Shadow Rabbit, it had already fled far away.

"Ouch, it hurts so much."

This time, due to his increased speed, Ling Tian's impact was even more severe. Even with his strong physique, he couldn't help but cry out in pain.

Humei no longer watched from the sidelines. She jumped over and gently stroked Ling Tian, her eyes full of heartache and worry.

"Hehe, Mother, don't worry, I'm fine." As he said this, Ling Tian sprang up like a carp leaping out of water. He even deliberately jumped a few times to show Humei he was unharmed.

"Squeak!" Seeing Ling Tian was fine, Humei let out a few squeaks.

"Yeah, my speed has improved, but since I just took off the Black Gold Cold Silkworm Clothes, my body still can't be controlled well, and I'm not as agile as the Swift Shadow Rabbits." Ling Tian seemed to be responding to Humei's words, or perhaps talking to himself, a hint of dejection in his voice.

"It seems I need to get used to this sudden increase in speed in this forest first." Ling Tian's dejected expression vanished, replaced by determination.

"Mother, you should go back first. I can handle this myself." Seeing Humei nearby, Ling Tian didn't want her to worry about him.

"Squeak!" As if she understood Ling Tian's determination and intention, Humei hesitated, wanting to say something. But seeing Ling Tian's resolute expression, she had no choice but to return. Before leaving, she reminded him.

"Okay, I know, Mother. I'll be back before dark." Ling Tian replied, then watched Humei leave.

"Looks like I'll have to play with you little rabbits properly today, hmph." After Humei left, Ling Tian's small face changed, and he put on a fierce expression.

"Squeak!" To his surprise, the Swift Shadow Rabbits were unfazed by his threat and even squeaked at him. Their expressions were mocking, clearly knowing that Ling Tian couldn't do anything to them.

"Hmph, you guys..." Before he could finish speaking, Ling Tian pounced, attempting to ambush the rabbits that were mocking him.

"Chirp." The Swift Shadow Rabbits were already on guard and scattered, forming a circle around him at a distance.

"You're making me so angry, ah..."

Ling Tian was on the verge of a meltdown. His speed reached its limit, and consequently, many more trees in the surroundings suffered.

The sun slowly rose, casting its myriad rays of light. Ling Tian had been trying to catch the rabbits non-stop for two hours since morning. Even with his physique, he was starting to feel the strain.

After failing to catch a rabbit yet again, Ling Tian stopped helplessly, panting. Beads of sweat dripped from his forehead, truly sweating like rain.

"Sigh, this isn't working, I guess." Ling Tian sighed and muttered.

"Gulp!" At that moment, a rumbling sound echoed. Ling Tian's stomach couldn't take it anymore and began to protest.

"I'll eat first, then think of a solution." Ling Tian said, then walked towards the surrounding trees. The woods were lush and green, and there were naturally many fruit trees.

Over the years, Ling Tian had gained considerable experience in wilderness survival. Playing with monkeys and birds had taught him a lot about which fruits were edible and which were poisonous; he knew them all by heart.

Strangely, when the rabbits saw Ling Tian go to find fruit, they all dispersed. They were probably hungry too and went to find food. It was unknown if they would return.