My First Cultivation Attempt Blew Up My Dantian

It was the dead of night.

The night sky today was cloudless, a harmonious scene of stars surrounding the moon. The tenement building was already pitch black and silent, save for the occasional blare of a horn from the highway not far below.

In a room on the third floor, Luo Zhe gently pushed open the door. As usual, he quietly climbed to the rooftop, found a clean spot, and sat down cross-legged.

Following the posture required by the article "Genetic Energy Cultivation Method" he had seen at the Limit Dojo today, he assumed the Five-Heart-to-Heaven posture: legs crossed with the soles of his feet facing upward, hands resting on his legs with palms facing upward, and his back held straight.

The Genetic Energy Cultivation Method, also known as the Five-Heart-to-Heaven Cultivation Method, was the only way on the entire planet to cultivate genetic energy. It was said to have been painstakingly written over many years by the world's strongest powerhouse, Hong.

As for the truth of that, well, beauty is in the eye of the beholder.

After all, this news had first emerged from the entertainment section of the Hongning Daily. That same day, the entertainment section had also published a scandalous piece titled "The Untold Story of Hong and Thor," which detailed almost exhaustively how Hong and Thor had met, gotten to know each other, and fallen in love. As for the original wives of these two powerful martial artists, the author of the article had replied with a single sentence: "Same-sex is true love; opposite-sex is only for procreation!"

Ahem, off-topic!

According to the article, to absorb the wisps of energy scattered throughout the universe, one must first sense their existence. Generally, once one reaches the physical fitness requirements of a Quasi-Martial Artist, one can attempt to begin genetic energy cultivation.

The article stated that this energy was spread throughout the Earth and even existed in the cosmic void; it was just that the vast majority of humans could not perceive its existence at all.

"Hoo... hah..."

Luo Zhe's breathing gradually steadied as he controlled himself, letting his mind grow quiet.

"The body must be relaxed, the Five-Heart-to-Heaven posture natural and effortless. The heart must be still, as quiet as a lake surface reflecting like a mirror."

Although he was occasionally startled by the sound of passing cars, Luo Zhe's self-control was quite good. Gradually, he became completely still, and his heart grew quiet as well.

In the midst of the silence, the sound of Luo Zhe's snoring suddenly rang out.

"Beep! Beep!"

A large truck drove by, emitting a jarring horn blast that jolted the soundly sleeping Luo Zhe awake.

"Damn it! I actually fell asleep by accident."

"That was sloppy. I should have taken a nap after I got back this afternoon."

He stood up to stretch his numb limbs and clear his head, taking a glance at his watch.

It was already 2:18 AM. He had probably been asleep for over an hour; otherwise, he could have tried a few more times.

"I'll try one more time. If it doesn't work, I'll just have to wait until tomorrow night."

Sitting back down, Luo Zhe closed his eyes and began to quiet his heart, attempting to sense the cosmic energy.

Time ticked by, second by second. Ten minutes... thirty minutes... fifty minutes...

Meditating in such a silent environment, Luo Zhe was already on the verge of falling asleep again.

A normal person would likely fall asleep after half an hour of sitting in the dead of night with their eyes closed and nothing to think about, let alone Luo Zhe, who had already persisted for over an hour.

In his near-sleep state, Luo Zhe had forgotten everything around him, forgetting to even sense the cosmic energy.

"Hiss... so refreshing!"

In his near-slumber, Luo Zhe vaguely sensed wisps of energy passing through the soles of his feet, the palms of his hands, and the Baihui acupoint on the crown of his head. They flowed into his body at an extremely slow speed, gradually spreading throughout his entire frame and bringing with them an incredibly comfortable sensation.

"What is this?" Luo Zhe was still half-asleep and half-awake.

"Cosmic energy!"

Luo Zhe jolted awake, his eyes widening instantly as his sleepiness vanished without a trace.

He couldn't even believe it himself—that he had vaguely sensed the cosmic energy just as he was about to fall asleep.

"It seems I really am a genius."

After all, according to the article, only geniuses were generally able to sense cosmic energy on their first day of cultivation.

"What I sensed earlier must have been cosmic energy." After the initial surprise, Luo Zhe recalled the sensation and compared it to the information he knew. "Once one reaches the threshold of a Quasi-Martial Artist, the vast majority of people are capable of cultivating genetic energy. Even if they don't consciously sense it, the body will absorb it at an extremely slow rate unconsciously."

What he had sensed just now must have been his body spontaneously absorbing cosmic energy, but as the article described, this spontaneous absorption rate was far too slow.

Luo Zhe closed his eyes and tried to sense it again, slowing his breathing and emptying his mind. He focused almost all of his consciousness on the soles of his feet, the palms of his hands, and the crown of his head, struggling to recapture those wisps of energy he had felt before.

In his hazy state, he felt as if he had sensed that energy, yet also as if he hadn't.

Gradually, the sensation became clearer.

The wisps were very weak and faint, as if they would scatter at the slightest breeze. They drifted around his body, and only when they neared the soles of his feet did a sliver seep in, moving at a very sluggish pace.

"This is cosmic energy."

Luo Zhe's consciousness focused on the "five hearts," naturally radiating the intention to "absorb cosmic energy." Naturally, the rate at which these five points absorbed the energy began to increase, nearly a hundredfold in an instant.

If, at first, the cosmic energy had been like a shy performer behind a curtain—hesitant, revealing only a little bit here and there—it was now like a seasoned pro, pouring everything out without reservation, flooding into Luo Zhe's body in a continuous stream.

"Ah—"

A tremor originating from the depths of his bone marrow made Luo Zhe's body shudder; everything else suddenly felt dull and meaningless.

As these invisible, colorless energies entered his body, they were devoured frantically by cells that had been starving for too long before they could even spread throughout his system. Yet, the cosmic energy continued to pour in through the five channels, gradually filling his entire body.

Until—

For the first time, cosmic energy surged in an endless stream into that indescribable spot three inches below the navel—yes, the very location of the human Dantian.

"Bang! Bang! Bang!"

The sound of two behemoths colliding violently echoed from within his body into Luo Zhe's consciousness, yet the air around him remained as calm and undisturbed as before.

BOOM!

Finally, accompanied by a violent explosion, a cataclysmic upheaval erupted within his Dantian!

Luo Zhe spat out a mouthful of stagnant, old blood, swayed unsteadily, and collapsed to the ground.

In the final moment before losing consciousness, he was still thinking: The articles never mentioned that practicing the Five Hearts Toward Heaven Technique would cause an explosion; this is a massive loss!

Even after he fell unconscious, the five points on Luo Zhe's body continued to draw in cosmic energy from the outside world, while his Dantian acted like a glutton, greedily swallowing every bit of energy his body absorbed, accepting all comers without discrimination, sucking it all up in a frantic rush.

Eventually, as the violent tremors within his Dantian faded away, everything gradually returned to silence.

Only Luo Zhe, lying on the ground, and that pool of stagnant, old blood remained in the stillness.