First Taste of the Spiritual Energy Room! Who Can Handle This Efficiency?

The day after receiving the Key Cultivation Student welfare voucher, Chen Mo felt like he was carrying a freshly baked, piping-hot gold ingot, radiating an aura of "money and leisure (training time)" from head to toe.

Before dawn had fully broken, he was already squatting at the entrance of the Martial Arts Hall, like a starving wolf with green eyes waiting to be fed. The premium Spirit Energy Cultivation Room card in his hand, printed with a gilded school emblem and boasting a high-quality texture, was being rubbed over and over until it was nearly polished smooth.

"Five hundred an hour, and you still have to fight for a slot?" Chen Mo stared at the card, the corners of his mouth curling up wildly. "Sorry, big bro here is now VIP with a plus—free! Three hours a day! Cut in line anytime!" Just thinking about ordinary students having to stay up late and rely on hand speed to snag a cultivation room slot made him let out a gleeful "hehehe," startling a passing duty student into a jolt.

After barely making it to opening time, Chen Mo shot inside like an arrow, heading straight for the third floor. His speed was faster than if a dog were chasing him.

At the entrance of the Spirit Energy Cultivation Room sat the legendary "gatekeeper" Old Man. With white hair and beard, wearing a faded training uniform, he was slowly sipping tea from an enamel mug, his eyes half-closed. But Chen Mo felt that as soon as he got close, his little excitement and thoughts were scanned like an X-ray.

"Good morning, sir!" Chen Mo immediately switched to his most obedient mode, presenting the card with both hands. "Student Chen Mo, newly promoted Key Cultivation Student, here to experience the school's Spirit Energy Cultivation Room."

Old Man didn't even lift his eyelids. He extended a calloused hand, lightly tapped the card with his fingertip, and with a "click," the thick alloy door slid open smoothly. A crisp, rich, and slightly... well, like a mix of a post-rain forest and premium mineral water—a strange, refreshing scent—rushed straight at him!

"Whoa!" Chen Mo couldn't help but inhale, instantly feeling the morning drowsiness washed away. From his hair to his heels, every cell seemed to cheer: "This air—worth every penny!"

"Go on in. The rules are on the wall." Old Man finally spoke, his voice low but every word clear. "The spirit energy here is tiered. Newbies stay in Tier One. Don't think more energy is better. If you inhale too much, at best you'll get a nosebleed; at worst, your qi and blood will go haywire, and you'll be laid up for half a month." With that, he took another slow sip of tea, as if commenting on the nice weather.

"Thanks, sir! I'll be careful!" Chen Mo nodded like a pecking chicken, slipped inside in a flash, afraid the door would close too slowly.

The door shut silently behind him, and Chen Mo finally had a chance to take a good look at this legendary "cultivation sanctuary."

Holy crap! The decor! The atmosphere! It was a whole other world from the plain Martial Arts Hall outside!

The floor was made of some warm, gray-white stone, soft underfoot, with a faint energy seeping up through the soles—a million times better than underfloor heating at home! The walls were inlaid with pale blue, translucent crystals that emitted a soft glow like night pearls, and the dense spirit energy seeped out from these "luxury lamps" in wisps. In the center of the room were a dozen plush-looking cushion mats, and in the corner were a few faintly glowing control knobs, with a glaring warning sign next to them:

[Tier One: Spirit Energy Concentration ×1.5 (Recommended for beginners and those with Qi and Blood below 90)]

[Tier Two: Spirit Energy Concentration ×2.0 (Martial Artist Realm and above only. Trespass at your own risk!)]

[Tier Three: Spirit Energy Concentration ×3.0 (Martial Artist Realm and above only. Trespass at your own risk!!!)]

The last tier had three alarming exclamation marks, as if saying: Kid, if you don't want to explode, stay away!

Chen Mo very wisely chose the most inconspicuous cushion in the corner and sat cross-legged. He didn't start cultivating right away. Instead, like Granny Liu entering the Grand View Garden, he closed his eyes and savored this "premium air."

"Oh my god..." he groaned inwardly. The spirit energy concentration here compared to his usual spot in the small grove was like going from a dirt path in the countryside to a highway! The energy was no longer thin and ethereal but materialized like mist, swirling around him. With every breath, it eagerly burrowed into his body, flowing through his meridians with an indescribable warmth and nourishment.

Can't find the book by title? Try searching by author—maybe it just changed names!

"Was that even cultivation before? That was just calisthenics for fitness! This is the real deal—cultivating immortality... ah no, martial arts treatment!" Chen Mo sighed with emotion.

Feeling his body had adapted to the environment and his qi and blood were unusually active, Chen Mo wasted no time. He adjusted his posture and began circulating the Black Tiger Stance technique.

Whoosh—

The moment the technique started, something changed!

The surrounding spirit energy no longer seeped in slowly. Instead, like soldiers hearing the assembly bugle, it surged violently, forming countless invisible fine currents that crazily converged toward Chen Mo's body! Through his skin, through his breath, it invaded every pore!

The warm mass of qi and blood in his Dantian, stirred by this surging energy, exploded like cold water thrown into hot oil—boom—becoming denser, more active, and accelerating its circulation!

[Black Tiger Stance Proficiency +1]

[Qi and Blood Value +0.02]

Almost before he had been in meditation for fifteen minutes, the system notification chimed crisply!

Chen Mo was so startled he almost lost his breath, quickly steadying his mind. He glanced at the system time and confirmed the prompt.

"Less than fifteen minutes? One proficiency point? 0.02 Qi and Blood?" Chen Mo felt his heart racing. "This efficiency... is it cheating?!" Before, he'd slog through twenty-five minutes for one point, and now this?

After the ecstasy came deeper immersion. He completely let go, greedily absorbing this free "experience gift pack." Spirit energy flowed endlessly, qi and blood surged without pause, and each cycle was smoother and stronger than the last.

[Black Tiger Stance Proficiency +1]

[Qi and Blood Value +0.02]

[Body Tempering Fist (Mental Simulation Practice) Proficiency +1]

The notification sounds became rhythmic, like the most pleasant electronic chime, echoing in his mind. Chen Mo could clearly feel his bones and tendons becoming denser and tougher under the spirit energy's wash, his meridians widening slightly from the surging qi and blood, and even his senses sharpening—he could "hear" the long, powerful breathing rhythm of an unknown senior on the neighboring cushion, "smell" the unique scent of mint mixed with sandalwood from the crystals, and even vaguely "sense" the slow, flowing trajectory of spirit energy like water currents throughout the room.

This all-around, instant feeling of getting stronger was utterly addictive!