Guiding Technique

On the open-air balcony, Qin Lin sat in a chair with Xu Qing in her lap, his hands each holding a pastry as he began to eat.

Watching Xu Qing's adorable expression as he ate, Qin Lin felt a deep sense of contentment and warmth in her heart.

"Eat slowly, it's all yours," Qin Lin said, patting Xu Qing's little belly.

"Of course it's mine. What's yours is mine, it's all mine," Xu Qing replied without the slightest bit of modesty, acting quite bossy.

"Mm-hmm, it's all yours," Qin Lin felt sweet inside.

By the time Xu Qing finished the entire table of pastries, his stomach hadn't bulged even a little; when Qin Lin touched it, it was still perfectly flat.

"Linlin, you're a War-General level fighter, right?" Xu Qing wiped his mouth and looked back to ask.

"Mm, an Intermediate War-General. Why do you ask?" Qin Lin replied.

In reality, she had become an official fighter at the age of nineteen, and it had taken her only three years to break through to the rank of Primary War-General.

Such speed could not be considered fast, but it certainly wasn't slow either; she was far stronger than most fighters, falling short only when compared to true geniuses.

However, after she broke through to the Primary War-General rank, she retired and became a university teacher.

After becoming a teacher, she rarely practiced, sticking only to basic physical training. Her strength improved very slowly, and she rarely visited the Limit Dojo in the center of Jiangnan Base City, appearing there perhaps once or twice a year at most.

Still, she didn't really care about that.

Consequently, her strength had only climbed one small step over these years, advancing from a Primary War-General to an Intermediate War-General.

An Intermediate War-General was considered middle-tier, even within the Limit General Hall in the center of Jiangnan Base City.

Aside from the God of War powerhouses and high-level War-Generals, they were among the strongest group of fighters.

"It's like this, I want you to teach me how to cultivate," Xu Qing said.

"Sure, no problem," Qin Lin replied, thinking it was just a simple matter of cultivation.

Xu Qing knew she had misunderstood, so he shook his head. "That's not what I meant. Actually, I haven't truly cultivated before. You know about the Guide Technique, right? I'm talking about that. I want you to guide me in practicing the Guide Technique."

Hearing this, Qin Lin wore an expression of utter astonishment. "Xiao Qing, are you saying you've never practiced a Guide Technique before?"

"Mm, but I do have one. Sister Xin bought it for me earlier; it's in my bag," Xu Qing nodded, then climbed down from her lap to retrieve the Guide Technique from the living room.

Watching Xu Qing's retreating figure, Qin Lin's eyes were filled with confusion. Xiao Qing has never actually cultivated? Then how did he become a fighter so quickly?

Logically, after passing the prospective fighter assessment, one would receive the most basic Genetic Energy Cultivation Method.

When a prospective fighter uses the Genetic Energy Cultivation Method for the first time to absorb the free cosmic energy in the air into their body, it causes a significant improvement in physical fitness within a short period.

If one uses a Guide Technique superior to the basic cultivation method, the effects are even better, making it easy to reach the level of a Primary Warrior immediately.

But such an opportunity only comes once—the very first time one absorbs cosmic energy.

Yet, Xu Qing had never cultivated and his body had never absorbed cosmic energy, and he had still become a fighter. There was only one possibility for such a situation: Xu Qing was a genius.

Could this be what Sister Xin was talking about earlier? Qin Lin wondered.

"Linlin, look, this is the Guide Technique Sister Xin bought for me. It's called Heaven-Man Unity," Xu Qing walked over, holding a book.

Qin Lin took the book and saw the words "Heaven-Man Unity" on the cover. "Not bad, this is a first-class Guide Technique."

On the market, most first-class Guide Techniques were created by the world's number one and number two powerhouses, Hong and Thor.

With a Guide Technique, one could better absorb cosmic energy and improve a fighter's strength.

"Linlin, is there anything I need to pay attention to when practicing a Guide Technique? And what does it feel like when you cultivate?" Xu Qing asked her.

"Different Guide Techniques have different methods of practice. However, this 'Heaven-Man Unity' of yours looks a bit like the Taoist arts of our Huaxia. It doesn't have a specific cultivation method; it focuses on the state of mind and emphasizes the unity of heaven and man. I can't guide you on this because I don't understand it myself—you'll have to rely on your own insights."

"What I can tell you is that practicing a Guide Technique means absorbing cosmic energy. When you succeed, you will feel a cool, refreshing current drilling into your body. It feels very comfortable, as if your body is being baptized," Qin Lin explained.

Hearing Qin Lin's explanation, Xu Qing's eyes lit up. "Is it like the internal energy they talk about in novels?"

"Mm, similar, but the essence is definitely different," Qin Lin nodded.

"I'll start trying now," Xu Qing said, feeling interested. He took the Guide Technique, walked to the side, sat down, and began to flip through it.

Qin Lin didn't disturb him; she was very curious to see what would happen during Xu Qing's first time cultivating.

When practicing a Guide Technique for the first time, the time it takes to successfully absorb cosmic energy varies from person to person—it could be a few minutes, ten minutes, or even an hour.

Undoubtedly, the longer it took, the better.

After spending ten minutes or so, Xu Qing finished reading the contents of the Guide Technique and roughly understood its meaning.

"Unity of heaven and man, heart like still water... it just means having a clear and empty mind, right? I don't think it's that hard," Xu Qing put down the book, sat cross-legged, and closed his eyes.

If there was one thing Xu Qing could do with ease, it was entering a state of emptiness.

Whenever he was daydreaming, he was essentially in that state; it was just that others couldn't tell. The same happened when he was fishing during class.

Time ticked by, and soon, Xu Qing entered the realm of emptiness.

"Eh?" Qin Lin immediately noticed that the aura around Xu Qing had changed; he had a feeling of merging with the air itself.

This shocked her. Had he succeeded so quickly? Only a few minutes had passed.

Could Xiao Qing be one of those peerless geniuses? Qin Lin stared at Xu Qing, unable to look away.

Within Xu Qing's perception, wisps of strange currents were surging toward him from all directions, then drilling into his body through every pore.

These strange currents were cosmic energy.

Just as Qin Lin had said, a cool sensation emerged, feeling incredibly comfortable.

At the same time, the cells within Xu Qing's body began to stir, radiating an astonishing hunger as they devoured every bit of the cosmic energy surging into him.

As the cosmic energy was consumed by the cells in his body, the genes within them began to evolve.

In this moment, Xu Qing's skin, muscles, and bones all underwent profound, deep-seated changes.

Xu Qing felt as if he were floating on the clouds, his body and soul filled with an immense sense of relief, from the inside out, leaving no part of him untouched.