The Martial Soul Awakening ceremony had come to an end. Bei Bei was taken away by Mu En for further guidance, while the elders each went their separate ways.
The spacious Awakening Hall was left with only Lin Ciyan and his grandfather, Lin Qingmo.
Looking at his grandson, whose bearing had already changed completely, Lin Qingmo's eyes were full of pride and warmth.
"Ci Yan, awakening your Martial Soul is only the first step. Next, Grandpa will officially lead you into the world of Soul Masters."
As a Sea God Pavilion Elder, Lin Qingmo's teaching abilities were beyond question.
He didn't waste time repeating the basics Lin Ciyan had already learned from books—Soul Master ranks, Soul Ring age limits, Soul Bone classifications, and so on.
Instead, he went straight to the heart of the matter and began explaining the foundations of Soul Master cultivation.
"Ci Yan, Soul Power is the foundation of a Soul Master. When they awaken at the age of six, some can draw upon the essence of heaven and earth. That's what we call Innate Soul Power."
"Others are like unyielding stones, with no Soul Power at all. A person's Innate Soul Power goes a long way toward determining their starting point, but it certainly doesn't decide how far they can go."
Lin Qingmo's tone was steady. "The Douluo Continent is vast, with countless opportunities. Sometimes, character and perseverance matter more than talent."
Then he turned to the main topic. "The mainstream method of cultivation for Soul Masters is meditation."
"Even without actively cultivating, Soul Power will improve ever so slightly as a person ages and their body grows, but the difference is almost negligible."
"Real progress comes from meditation methods."
Lin Qingmo told Lin Ciyan that meditation methods were divided into three levels: elementary, intermediate, and advanced.
An elementary method merely guided Soul Power to circulate passively, making it inefficient.
An intermediate method allowed Soul Power to circulate actively along specific meridians, speeding up the refinement of the essence of heaven and earth.
An advanced method went a step further, greatly accelerating the circulation of Soul Power and far surpassing the intermediate level in efficiency.
Lin Qingmo explained in detail and introduced the advanced meditation method of Shrek Academy, the crystallization of countless generations of wisdom over the past ten thousand years.
"After improvements across the generations, it's considered one of the finest cultivation methods on the continent."
He handed Lin Ciyan a book with an old-fashioned cover made of unusual material.
"This is the Academy's advanced meditation method. As Mu En's personal disciple, you're qualified to study it. As for the Tang Sect, which has long since fallen into decline..." Lin Qingmo gave a slight shake of his head.
He said nothing more, clearly unconcerned with the inheritance of that so-called Mysterious Heaven Skill.
Lin Ciyan respectfully accepted the book. As soon as it touched his hands, he could feel a faint, gentle energy fluctuation.
He opened it and carefully read the paths along which it instructed Soul Power to circulate.
But the more he read, the more his brows furrowed.
To him, a transmigrator from Huaxia raised on all kinds of wuxia and xianxia novels, this so-called "top-tier meditation method" seemed...
A little... rudimentary?
The paths described in the book focused mainly on the major meridians in the limbs and torso, finally converging at the Baihui acupoint on the crown of the head to form a simplified "Great Circulation."
Many meridians he considered crucial—the eight extraordinary meridians, the twelve regular meridians, and countless smaller acupoints—were either barely described or not mentioned at all.
This... feels like a watered-down version. Lin Ciyan grumbled inwardly. How is it fundamentally any different from the watered-down Mysterious Heaven Skill Tang San had in the original story?
A peculiar expression slipped onto his face, and Lin Qingmo caught it.
"Ci Yan, is something bothering you?" Lin Qingmo asked with concern.
"Grandpa..." Lin Ciyan chose his words carefully, doing his best not to sound too shocking.
"I just feel like there might be... room to improve the circulation paths?"
"The body's meridians should be far more intricate and refined than the book describes, right? For example, the Conception and Governing Vessels, the Triple Burner, and the mystic gates..."
A flicker of surprise crossed Lin Qingmo's eyes before turning into approval. "I didn't expect you to have such insight!"
"That's right. The Academy's seniors once tried to develop paths through more meridians, but the mysteries of the human body are boundless, and many hidden meridians vary from person to person."
"They couldn't produce a method that was both safe and universally applicable. The slightest mistake could damage the meridians. So in the end, they settled on the safest, most essential paths."
"It's good that you thought of that. But remember, stability comes first in cultivation. Don't rashly attempt unknown paths."
[Ding! Questioning the local top-tier meditation technique with knowledge from another world and displaying "comprehension" beyond this era: Slacking-Off Points +90!]
Lin Ciyan nodded, taking his grandfather's advice to heart. But he knew that with the Holy Radiance Qilin Martial Soul and the Slacker System, he might really be able to forge a different path. For now, though, he had to master the basics.
Next, Lin Qingmo began personally guiding Lin Ciyan's cultivation.
He had Lin Ciyan sit cross-legged and clear his mind.
Then Lin Qingmo carefully sent his own pure Soul Power into Lin Ciyan's body.
Like the most patient of guides, he led this stream of light-attribute Soul Power along the paths described in the meditation method, slowly circulating it.
One Great Circulation, then two, then three...
Lin Qingmo's Soul Power flowed like a warm stream, nourishing Lin Ciyan's meridians.
It allowed him to clearly memorize every detail of the Soul Power's flow.
Once the three cycles were complete, Lin Qingmo slowly withdrew his Soul Power.
By then, Lin Ciyan could guide his own Soul Power, completing one cycle after another.
Immersed in the wonderful feeling of cultivating actively for the first time, he felt Soul Power like sweet spring water, nourishing his body.
The resonance with his Martial Soul, the palpable sensation of growing stronger—he found it intoxicating.
Lin Qingmo didn't disturb him. How long a Soul Master's first session of active cultivation lasted often reflected their Martial Soul's affinity with the essence of heaven and earth, making it an important measure of their potential.
He stood quietly to one side, sensing his grandson's far-above-average cultivation time and speed at absorbing Soul Power. Pride and excitement filled his heart.
"With talent like this, and the Academy's full support..." Lin Qingmo had already begun thinking about how to secure the best medicinal baths, the purest Whale Rubber, and the most nourishing meals for his grandson.
As Shrek's most privileged insider,
Lin Ciyan had no need to waste time at some junior Soul Master academy like Tang God King and Succubus Rabbit.
He would receive the finest education and resources directly at the Shrek Inner Court.
And as far as Lin Ciyan was concerned, cultivation was comfortable, but... lying in the sun still seemed more in line with his "Dao"!
I wonder if the Slacker Shop has anything good, like an "AFK Cultivation Talisman" or an "Automatic Meditation Pillow"?
He kept his Soul Power circulating while letting his mind wander.
Or could I combine this "slacker" mindset of mine with the meditation method and improve it? Like... cultivating while lying down? Or while sleeping?
[Ding! Even during deep cultivation, never forgetting the original intention to "relax," and attempting to combine "unwinding" with cultivation—your comprehension defies heaven: Slacking-Off Points +120!]
Time slipped by. When Lin Ciyan finally ended his first cultivation session and slowly opened his eyes,
the golden light in his gaze had drawn inward, and his presence had grown steadier. He felt full of strength, and his Soul Power had clearly grown by a significant amount.
"How do you feel?" Lin Qingmo hurriedly asked.
"Great, Grandpa. I've memorized the circulation paths." Lin Ciyan smiled, then shifted gears, a hint of mischief in his voice.
"But Grandpa, I've had an idea... If I could find a way to lie down and rest while still cultivating automatically, wouldn't that be more efficient? After all, you need to balance work and rest!"
Lin Qingmo was taken aback at first.
Then, amused by his grandson's fanciful idea—and how perfectly it suited his "Dao"—he shook his head with a helpless smile. "You little rascal... It's a nice idea."
"But no such method has ever existed. Cultivation still takes focus."
"Where there's a will, there's a way." Lin Ciyan shrugged. In his heart, he had already decided to go browse the Slacker Shop as soon as they were done.
Looking at his grandson, whose lazy demeanor was shot through with confidence, Lin Qingmo found himself wondering—
Could the boy really come up with something?
After all, he was the Holy Radiance Qilin, Mu En's final disciple, and Lin Qingmo's pride and joy!
Perhaps Shrek's cultivation system really would undergo some unexpected changes because of this little fellow's philosophy of "relaxation."