Golden Finger?

Breakfast was served in the dining hall.

Calling it a dining hall was generous—it was really just a slightly larger room in the eastern courtyard, furnished with two old wooden tables and a few long benches.

The porridge was coarse rice, even thinner than the vegetable porridge from last night, accompanied by a small dish of pickled vegetable lumps and a few mixed-grain flatbreads.

Simple, but filling.

Shen Hui ate in silence, quietly sizing up his fellow disciples and mentally tagging his newly acquainted senior brothers and sisters.

Senior Brother Qingzheng, secular name Li Changxing. True to his name, he had a square face, a broad mouth, and wide shoulders with a thick back. Sitting there, he was like a small mountain. He ate the fastest too, gulping down two bowls of porridge and two flatbreads in a few noisy slurps.

He didn't talk much, but he seemed steady and reliable—the kind of down-to-earth person who meant what he said.

Second Senior Sister Jingming, secular surname Chen, given name unmentioned. She ate the most gracefully, taking small bites and swallowing slowly, barely making a sound. With an oval face and faint, distant brows and eyes, her gaze was calm when she looked at others, carrying a tranquility beyond her years.

Shen Hui had also heard that Senior Sister Jingming had the best temperament and the highest cultivation among the disciples. Though she had joined later than Senior Brother, her understanding of the Dao was deeper.

Third Senior Brother Qingyi, secular surname Zhou. Fair-faced and gentle in demeanor, he sat with his back straight even while eating. When he occasionally spoke, his words were unhurried and measured, carrying a scholarly air like a refined young master.

Fourth Senior Sister Jinghui, round-faced with big eyes, chattered endlessly—the liveliest one at the table.

She gnawed on her flatbread while curiously pressing Shen Hui for details about his time as a "fake monk," only falling silent and eating properly after Jingming gave her a faint glance.

Fifth Senior Brother was Qing Shi, who had brought him back. Honest and simple, he ate without saying much, just occasionally smiling and silently refilling everyone's porridge.

Shen Hui observed quietly and noticed that these senior brothers and sisters, regardless of gender, all wore gray cloth Daoist robes, yet their faces and temperaments were excellent—each one striking and graceful.

Senior Brother was valiant and masculine, Second Senior Sister was pure and ethereal, Third Senior Brother was handsome and refined, Fourth Senior Sister was charming and lively, and Fifth Senior Brother was honest and upright.

Because of this, he had every reason to suspect that cultivating and refining qi had the effects of improving genes and beautifying the complexion.

Of course, in his past life, Shen Hui himself had been a famously handsome young man for miles around. Girls chasing him lined up from Qingfeng Temple all the way to France. His good looks were no less than theirs, so there was no need to mention it.

After breakfast, Fourth Senior Sister Jinghui suggested going to the back mountain to pick some wild fruit, saying that the sour jujubes and wild persimmons were just right this season.

Qingyi and Qing Shi both nodded in agreement, and Jingming didn't object either.

But Senior Brother Li Changxing said to Shen Hui, "Junior Brother Qingxuan, you've just joined the sect, so you don't need to go with them today. I'll first teach you the basic method of attracting qi."

Shen Hui was actually quite interested in going up the mountain to pick fruit. Since crossing over, he hadn't yet had a good look at the mountain scenery of this world.

But since Senior Brother had already spoken, he had no choice but to set aside that thought and nod in reply, "I'll follow Senior Brother's arrangements."

The others left the temple gate together, their figures quickly disappearing along the mountain path where the morning mist had yet to dissipate.

Li Changxing led Shen Hui to his own room to guide him in seated meditation and qi cultivation.

This room was slightly larger than Shen Hui's, with simple furnishings. The only difference was a heavy, unsharpened iron sword hanging on the wall, a full set of brush, ink, paper, and inkstone on the table, and several stacks of old books.

"The beginning of cultivation prioritizes attracting qi." Li Changxing skipped pleasantries and went straight to the point.

He took out a thread-bound book with yellowed pages from a wooden box and handed it to Shen Hui.

On the cover were three ink characters: Qi Attraction Art.

"This is the fundamental method of qi cultivation. You must first memorize the body's meridians and acupoints, understand the pathways of qi and blood circulation, and only then can you attempt to sense the free-floating spiritual energy between heaven and earth, guide it into your body, follow the meridians and channels, temper your bones, muscles, and organs, and nourish your spirit and soul."

Li Changxing spoke methodically, his expression serious. "You need to calm your mind and comprehend. Don't be greedy for progress, and don't let impatience take hold. It's common for many people to take months or even a year or more before they first feel the sensation of qi."

Shen Hui extended both hands and solemnly accepted the small booklet.

The book wasn't thick, and it felt slightly cool to the touch. He opened the first page to find a finely detailed and complex diagram of the human body's front-side meridian and acupoint network, densely annotated with tiny script.

Flipping further, there were more diagrams and text explaining how to regulate breath, calm the mind, visualize, and sense...

Looking at those lines, those words, those abstract descriptions... Shen Hui felt his scalp tingle slightly.

This thing was more abstract and obscure than advanced calculus derivations, programming logic, or even the linear algebra that had already grown fuzzy in his memory!

But he also knew this was the foundation for his survival in this world, so he took a deep breath, focused his gaze, and worked hard to memorize those unfamiliar acupoint names and winding meridian pathways.

Seeing him studying so earnestly, Li Changxing began to explain in detail—from the most basic posture for regulating breath, to how to relax the body and eliminate stray thoughts, to how to use inner vision to guide that elusive "sensation of qi"...

Shen Hui tried his best to understand while instinctively following Li Changxing's instructions. He sat cross-legged on the cushion, closed his eyes, and attempted to relax his body and slow his breathing.

"Yes, that's it. Tongue against the upper palate, focus your mind on the dantian..." Li Changxing's voice continued beside him, and Shen Hui did his best to follow.

At first, it felt awkward. His attention kept drifting elsewhere—like whether the morning porridge was too thin, whether the wild fruit in the mountains was sweet, or how crudely drawn the illustrations in the Qi Attraction Art were...

But gradually, perhaps because this body was somewhat special in this otherworld, or because his soul was different from ordinary people after crossing over, or maybe just because he had lived two lives and his mind was more tempered and calmer than his peers... those scattered thoughts slowly settled on their own.

His breathing grew slower and deeper.

The sensation of his body gradually blurred, as if sinking into a warm, tranquil darkness.

Li Changxing continued explaining, "When the sensation of qi first arises, the dantian will be slightly warm, like ants crawling under the skin..."

But that voice seemed to come from far away, growing fainter and fainter until it vanished.

Shen Hui felt as if he were floating, or perhaps slowly sinking into some ink-black point within his body.

In the vast emptiness, there was only the faint, barely-there sound of breathing, and an extremely weak, cool sensation seeping in from the crown of his head, slowly sliding down along his spine.

Li Changxing, mid-sentence, suddenly stopped.

He stared in astonishment at Shen Hui, who sat with his eyes closed in meditation.

The newly entered junior disciple sat with a calm expression, brows relaxed, his breathing already growing long, fine, and even. His entire person seemed to merge with the surrounding environment, exuding a quiet stillness that only appeared in the early stages of entering meditative absorption.

Not... how long had it been?

From the moment he started explaining to when the disciple attempted it himself, not even the time it took to burn one incense stick had passed!

Ordinary disciples took half a day just to get their posture right and relax.

To truly cast aside stray thoughts and achieve initial meditative absorption required at least ten days or half a month of repeated practice.

Even he himself had spent nearly half a month back then before he barely touched the threshold of absorption.

Li Changxing opened his mouth, looking at Shen Hui, who was already deeply immersed in that state. He swallowed the words that had risen to his lips, afraid that making a sound would disturb him.

The shock on his face slowly faded, replaced by a heartfelt joy:

"Master really struck gold this time."

But Shen Hui, currently sunk in that strange state, was completely unaware that he was "gold."

He felt as if he had submerged into a warm, moist darkness, yet his consciousness was exceptionally clear.

Suddenly, a faint light flickered to life, gradually stabilized, and eventually formed an archaic image. The background resembled aged parchment, with worn edges and traces of smoke and staining, looking like some old, weathered object.

Several lines of text emerged clearly in the depths of his consciousness:

[Dao Name]: Qingxuan

[Bone Age]: Twenty-Two

[Realm]: Not Yet Entered the Dao (0/10)

[Status]: Meditative Absorption

[Dharma Power]: One (Distributable)

[Dharma Techniques]: None

[Destined Path]: Not Yet Manifested

[Corpse Liberation Wheel]: Not Yet Activated

Shen Hui was stunned by what he "saw."

Was inner vision... like this?

It was quite... quite "thoughtful," directly turning everything into data and listing it out as entries?

This feeling, rather than being like inner vision of meridians and energy sensations, was more like the attribute panels in certain games.

But deep in his heart, he vaguely felt something was off, a strange sensation rising within him.

He moved his mind slightly, trying to "exit" this visualization state.

The parchment-like interface before him rippled like water, gradually dissipating, and the surrounding warm darkness quickly receded.

The sensation of his body returned—the feel of the hard cushion, the faint scent of ink and old wood in the room, and... a burning gaze across from him.

Senior Brother Li Changxing was staring at him with excitement, his honest, square face full of the joy of discovering a rough gem.

Seeing Shen Hui suddenly open his eyes and withdraw, Li Changxing's excitement instantly turned to surprise. He leaned in and asked urgently, "Junior Brother Qingxuan? What, what happened? Did you encounter some obstacle? Can't find the energy sensation? Or is there a blockage in your meridians? Don't panic, tell me slowly—it's always like this for beginners..."

He spoke quickly, his tone full of concern, likely thinking Shen Hui had run into some difficulty and was forced to interrupt this rare state of absorption.

Shen Hui opened his mouth, thinking, I'm not panicked, at least not as much as you, but seeing Senior Brother's sincere, worried gaze, he swallowed the words that came to mind.

He steadied himself and finally decided to probe indirectly first.

"Senior Brother," Shen Hui chose his words carefully, keeping his tone as if he were merely curious, "after entering absorption earlier, I tried inner vision as you instructed... but what exactly should the scene seen during inner vision look like?"

Li Changxing relaxed a little upon hearing this. So it was just this doubt.

He sat up straight and explained patiently, "At the beginning of inner vision, what you see is nothing more than an image of your own meridians, outlined by the mind's eye. Where the dantian is, where the meridian nodes are—when the energy sensation moves, wherever the mind focuses, there should be a faint light or a warm current as a sign. As your cultivation deepens, inner vision becomes clearer and more detailed, even allowing you to observe the qi of your organs and the essence of your marrow."

Shen Hui's heart skipped a beat, but his face remained still. He simply nodded. "Oh, I see. So it's a visualization of the meridian diagram... Then, Senior Brother, may I ask—does everyone's inner vision look the same?"

Li Changxing chuckled, thinking this junior brother, though full of questions, was also a cautious person.

"Naturally, they are largely similar but with minor differences. The human body's meridians and acupoints are set by heaven and earth's creation. Though there are slight variations, how could the fundamental image differ? Could it possibly show something like a flower?"

He made a rare joke, then turned serious. "But Junior Brother, don't overthink it. A blurry image on your first inner vision is perfectly normal. Being able to enter absorption so quickly already makes you a talent one in ten thousand! In time, you'll surely be able to visualize clearly. Remember, guard against arrogance and impatience—stabilizing your mind is the foundation."

"Yes, Junior Brother understands." Shen Hui replied respectfully, but inside, his thoughts were churning.

Different. Completely different.

What he saw wasn't a meridian diagram, but an... "interface."

"Senior Brother, I'd like to try again," Shen Hui said.

"Good, good! Calm your mind and do it—don't force the duration." Li Changxing quickly encouraged.

Shen Hui closed his eyes again, adjusted his breathing, and cast aside stray thoughts.

With the experience from before, he sank into that empty meditative state even faster this time.

Sure enough, before long, that parchment-colored, archaic interface once again emerged clearly in the depths of his consciousness.

[Taoist Title]: Qingxuan

[Bone Age]: Twenty-two

[Realm]: Unentered Dao (0/10)

[Status]: Meditating

[Dao Cultivation]: One (Distributable)

[Dao Arts]: None

[Destined Path]: Not Manifested

[Corpse Liberation Wheel]: Not Activated

Not an illusion.

Shen Hui's awareness swept over each entry one by one.

"Dao Cultivation," "Distributable"...

His attention landed on the "0/10" behind the "Realm" column, especially the "10" after the slash, and beside the three characters "Unentered Dao," there seemed to be an extremely faint, almost illusory "+" sign.

A thought rose naturally: Distribute?

Like a droplet falling onto a lake's surface, ripples stirred.

The next moment, Shen Hui felt a gentle current of air suddenly flow through his entire body.

This current wasn't the wisp of icy thread drawn in through the crown of his head, but rather surged forth simultaneously from his limbs, bones, and internal organs, quickly converging into a stream.

The stream circulated along some mysterious path on its own, and wherever it passed, it brought an indescribable sensation of ease and fullness, as if parched earth had been moistened.

At the same time, the text on the parchment interface changed:

[Realm]: Unentered Dao (1/10)

[Dao Cultivation]: Zero (Not Distributable)

The (0/10) in "Realm" had become (1/10), and the distributable points in "Dao Cultivation" had gone from "One" to "Zero."

He tried to "click" on the other options again: [Destined Path] was dim and lifeless, completely unresponsive; [Corpse Liberation Wheel] also seemed like a mere record entry, un-interactable.

Only [Dao Cultivation] and [Realm] seemed to have some connection.

Shen Hui remained in his meditative state. He could even faintly sense that at the crown of his head, the wisp of icy spiritual energy from the outside was still slowly and steadily seeping in, merging into the self-circulating current within his body.

He didn't know how long passed before the "Distributable" number behind [Dao Cultivation] gave a slight jump, changing from "Zero" back to "One."

Another point had increased!

Clarity dawned in Shen Hui's heart.

This "Dao Cultivation" points might slowly increase as he meditated and absorbed spiritual energy?

And consuming these points could directly raise his "Realm"!

This... this was...

A golden finger!

The standard-issue tool for a transmigrator, late but not absent!

A ripple stirred in Shen Hui's heart—a bit absurd, a bit secretly pleased, and a hint of an "I knew it" relief.

He thought of his long-dead parents, whose faces had already blurred in his memory, and a thought inexplicably flashed through his mind:

"You two didn't die entirely in vain, after all—since this buff finally came in handy..."

At least, it wasn't a waste for him to have crossed over. This last-ditch ace up his sleeve had finally been dealt to him.