An idea for an experiment took shape in his mind.
He silently made his way to the garden in the villa's backyard and easily caught an ordinary gray-furred rat foraging in the grass.
Back in the villa's underground meditation room, he placed the frightened little creature on a specially made lab table.
Xu Feng focused and drew a wisp of exceptionally pure, gentle qi and blood from his dantian.
He carefully wrapped it in layers of his own inner astral qi energy and compressed it.
At last, it formed a grain-sized "seed," with a faint red glow swirling within and an almost transparent yet remarkably resilient field of inner astral force surrounding it.
He lightly tapped it with his fingertip. The special "seed" slipped into the rat's body and settled in the corresponding spot in its lower abdomen, where its dantian would be.
At first, the rat struggled violently and squeaked in panic, clearly terrified and distressed by the strange object that had suddenly appeared inside it.
But soon, a transformation began.
Centered on the "seed," a faint but genuine field of attraction took effect.
The thin, scattered magic in the surrounding air seemed drawn by an invisible force. It began to drift toward the rat, entering its body through its skin and breath.
The magic entered the rat's fragile body, which had never encountered supernatural energy before, causing initial discomfort and a mild burning sensation. The rat struggled even harder.
But as more and more magic flowed in, guided and initially "tamed" by the inner astral force around the seed, it did not rampage through the rat's body and cause harm. Instead, it was directed in an orderly fashion toward the seed.
At the seed's core, wrapped in inner astral force, was that wisp of Xu Feng's qi and blood. Like a greedy miniature black hole, it began devouring the magic drawn toward it.
As it did, it underwent subtle changes, releasing wisps of thinner, gentler qi and blood better suited to ordinary creatures. The energy flowed back into the rat, nourishing its cells and strengthening its foundation.
The rat's struggles gradually subsided. The terror in its eyes gave way to a dazed calm, as if it had eaten its fill and settled into contentment.
Its body began to change in ways visible to the naked eye.
It grew slightly larger, its gray fur seemed glossier, and its eyes became livelier than before.
Most importantly, with his keen senses, Xu Feng could clearly see that beside the "Qi and Blood Seed" at the core, a faint but unmistakably new trace of qi and blood was slowly gathering within the rat itself.
This qi and blood shared the seed's origin, yet bore the rat's own unique mark of life. Like a satellite, it revolved slowly around the central seed.
The "Qi and Blood Seed" Xu Feng had made, wrapped in inner astral force, now sat in the rat's dantian like a miniature "energy engine" and "guiding core."
It continually attracted and drew in magic from the outside world, absorbing enough to keep its inner astral force operating and growing, however slightly. At the same time, its very presence and the energy field it gave off continued to guide and accelerate the formation and growth of the rat's own qi and blood.
Xu Feng carefully observed the wear on the inner astral force.
He estimated that without magic from the outside to absorb, the "Qi and Blood Seed" would keep operating for about a month before its inner astral force gradually dissipated from lack of replenishment.
The qi and blood Xu Feng had placed inside it would then lose its containment and slowly disperse or be absorbed by the rat's body.
But!
In theory, if the host could absorb more energy of higher quality, the "seed" would receive more "nourishment." The wear on its inner astral force could be replenished, and its attractive force might even grow stronger!
The "seed" itself would also grow, creating a virtuous cycle. In theory... it could last forever!
"It worked!"
Xu Feng's eyes blazed with barely contained delight!
At last, he had found a theoretically viable solution to the problem that had troubled him for so long!
He named this special creation, made of a wisp of qi and blood wrapped in his inner astral force:
[Qi and Blood Seed]
It was more than a seed. It was a bridge, a starter, a tailor-made "supernatural entry-level cheat" for ordinary people!
With it, ordinary people could actively absorb the magic around them, cross the divide into the supernatural, and officially set foot on the Qi and Blood Martial Path!
There was no time to waste. Xu Feng immediately went to find his parents, who were chatting in the living room, as well as his second uncle and aunt, who lived in the neighboring villa.
He brought the four of them into the meditation room, which had been equipped with soundproofing and energy shielding, his expression solemn and grave.
"Dad, Mom, Second Uncle, Second Aunt."
Xu Feng's gaze swept across his four closest relatives.
"What I'm about to do is extremely important. It also involves a huge secret that must never be revealed to anyone else.
"You must swear that no matter what happens, you will never tell a sixth person anything you see, hear, or feel here today!"
Seeing the unprecedented seriousness on their son's face, the four elders were puzzled, but immediately realized how serious this was.
By now, Xu Feng was already the one making decisions for the whole family. Whatever he chose to do, they could at most try to talk him out of it, not oppose him outright.
They exchanged glances and nodded solemnly.
Xu Shan spoke for the family. "Xiaofeng, don't worry. We're the people closest to you. We'd never hurt you. Tell us what you need us to do, and we'll do it."
Xu Feng said no more. He motioned for them to relax and sit cross-legged.
He went behind each of them in turn and placed his right palm against their backs.
Focusing, gathering his energy, and controlling each wisp with care.
He carefully implanted four [Qi and Blood Seeds], like the one in the experimental rat but even purer, into the dantians of his four relatives, one after another.
This required extremely precise control to ensure each "seed" fit perfectly with its host's body, causing no harm and operating steadily.
After implanting the "seeds," Xu Feng did not stop. He
drew on his own gentle qi and blood to guide the first wisp of energy absorbed by each of his relatives, drawn in and initially transformed by the "seeds."
Following the most basic circulation route in the Fist Scripture, he slowly guided it through their bodies, helping them condense the first wisp of qi and blood that truly belonged to them!
Time ticked by, second by second.
Energy flowed through the meditation room.
Xu Shan felt warmth in his lower abdomen, as if he were carrying a little stove. A faint but genuine sense of strength spread through his limbs.
A healthy flush gradually returned to Yang Lingxia's pale face, and the weakness caused by her old injuries seemed to vanish.
The second uncle and aunt also wore expressions of surprise and comfort.
At last, with Xu Feng's careful guidance, each of his four relatives successfully condensed a wisp of qi and blood in their dantian, marked by their own unique life force!
Early Blood Replacement Realm!
They had officially stepped onto the threshold of the Qi and Blood Martial Path!
Though it was only the first step, for them it was already a leap in the very nature of their lives.
They could clearly feel their bodies changing.
They had more energy, greater strength, sharper senses, and even breathing felt easier.
And the instant all four relatives successfully condensed their own qi and blood--
[Breakthrough Points +10] [Breakthrough Points +10] [Breakthrough Points +10] [Breakthrough Points +10]
Four notifications rang in Xu Feng's mind like heavenly music!
His Breakthrough Points had instantly increased by 40!
So it really works!
The last trace of doubt in Xu Feng's heart vanished, replaced by indescribable excitement and sudden clarity!
Teaching the Qi and Blood Martial Path and guiding others to successfully enter it really did earn him Breakthrough Points!
And it seemed to have nothing to do with the beginners' starting strength or potential. As long as they successfully condensed their first wisp of their own qi and blood, they each earned a fixed reward of 10 points?
This discovery was enormously significant!
It meant that he could earn Breakthrough Points not only by hunting magical beasts and conquering dungeons—his usual "fight monsters to level up" routine—but also by teaching the path and spreading the Qi and Blood Martial Path, creating a steady additional source!
An unprecedented idea sprouted in his heart and grew wildly, like a seedling breaking through the soil--
In this world, where magic hunters were the mainstream, he would establish and spread the "Qi and Blood Martial Path"!
Before, he might not have had the strength or confidence to protect this secret, and might have feared attracting covetous eyes and disaster.
But now, he was low S-class in his normal state, mid S-class in Blood Dragon State, and strong enough to go toe-to-toe with high S-class in Heaven and Earth Manifestation!
Unless one of the few National Power Level hunters at the very top of the world came after him personally, he had enough strength to protect himself!
What's more... a deep glint flashed in Xu Feng's eyes.
He lowered his head and looked at his palm.
Each [Qi and Blood Seed] in his relatives' dantians contained a wisp of his qi and blood, wrapped in his inner astral force and kept stable by it.
A mysterious, subtle connection, one that transcended distance, linked him to those "seeds."
With a single thought...
He could instantly detonate the inner astral force in those "seeds," blowing their hosts' dantians to pieces!
Of course, he could also control them remotely and make them quietly vanish without leaving a trace!
This was the ultimate safeguard he had left in place, giving him absolute control.
It wasn't that he didn't trust his family. It was that human hearts were hard to fathom, and the world was unpredictable.
Once the Qi and Blood Martial Path began to spread, there was no guarantee that someone wouldn't be blinded by greed or coerced by a powerful force into betraying him.
With this safeguard, he held the initiative and final say.
"The Qi and Blood Martial Path..."
Xu Feng murmured to himself, his gaze passing through the walls of the meditation room.
"Perhaps it's time to let this world feel the power of another path to the supernatural."
Before you continue