Meditation Breakthrough

After this incident, the relationship between Zhou Yan and Jin Mantang improved once again.

Occasionally, Jin Mantang would head over to Zhou Yan's place to sit for a while, and the two would exchange insights on their cultivation.

Although they weren't always correct, two heads are better than one; the collision of different perspectives helped broaden their horizons and knowledge, and both felt they gained a great deal from these exchanges.

The path of cultivation emphasizes wealth, companions, methods, and location.

Lacking any one of these is extremely detrimental to one's cultivation.

Even an unparalleled genius requires all the necessary hardware and software to be in place to have any hope of achieving success.

Otherwise, it might all end in nothing!

Zhou Yan's current situation could only be described as struggling to survive; it could not yet be considered true cultivation.

[Yakshas Meditation Method proficiency +3]

[Yakshas Meditation Method proficiency +5]

[Yakshas Meditation Method proficiency +6]

Zhou Yan sat cross-legged with his eyes tightly shut, his body trembling slightly and continuously.

Cultivating a meditation method was never easy; beyond the immense mental exhaustion, there were other pressures and difficulties.

In particular, one's focus had to be highly concentrated; even the slightest error during visualization would cause all previous efforts to be wasted.

Even with the system's assistance, Zhou Yan's cultivation remained extremely arduous.

However, he seemed to have grown accustomed to it.

[Yakshas Meditation Method proficiency +7]

[Yakshas Meditation Method proficiency +11]

Zhou Yan's expression suddenly changed; his tightly furrowed brows relaxed, and a look of comfort appeared on his face.

Just a moment ago, the Yakshas Meditation Method had successfully broken through to the Proficient stage.

Yakshas Meditation Method (Proficient 1/400).

Among his many cultivation methods, the Yakshas Meditation Method was the last one Zhou Yan had started practicing, yet it was the first to break through to the Proficient stage.

Beyond his relentless grinding, this also proved that his talent for the soul was actually superior to his talent for cultivation.

I'm actually a genius, and not just an ordinary one at that! Zhou Yan thought with joy.

If one could be a genius, who would be willing to be an ordinary person, let alone trash?

Perhaps it was the awakening of his past-life wisdom that granted Zhou Yan the accumulation of two lifetimes, giving him such high talent regarding the soul.

Zhou Yan slowly finished his session, the brilliant light that had been radiating from his eyes beginning to recede until they returned to their usual appearance, looking as gentle as jade.

This also indicated that he could not yet achieve perfect control over his soul, as a trace of an anomaly remained that he could not fully suppress.

Anyone with accomplishments in the realm of the soul would be able to see Zhou Yan's extraordinariness at a glance.

However, he had been practicing the meditation method for too short a time; to reach this level was already quite impressive.

Even Zhou Yan himself was quite satisfied.

From now on, Corpse Controlling will be my greatest public card, while my soul will be my hidden trump card, Zhou Yan secretly mused.

As a cultivator, if one didn't have a trump card or two, one probably wouldn't even be able to sleep soundly.

With the breakthrough of the Yakshas Meditation Method, not only was Zhou Yan's soul stronger and more resilient, but the range of his spiritual sense had also extended further.

Even his control over his body and the circulation and mobilization of his Essence Blood and mana had become much smoother.

This was the benefit of a powerful soul.

Zhou Yan practiced the Mystic Yin Art, Five Animal Frolics, and Shennong Health Cultivation Method once through, and his proficiency in all of them improved.

His Spring Leg even broke through to the Great Success stage due to the improvement in his body control.

Although his internal energy and blood hadn't increased much, his self-defense capabilities in close-quarters combat had strengthened.

Caught off guard, it would be more than enough to kick a few people to death.

[Name: Zhou Yan]

[Age: 16]

[Cultivation: Essence Blood Realm (Profound Yin Essence Blood: 39)]

[Techniques: Mystic Yin Art (First Layer) (Proficient 87/200), Yakshas Meditation Method (Proficient 1/400).]

[Skills: Cart Pulling (Great Success 259/1600), Spring Leg (Great Success 1/1600), Five Animal Frolics (Minor Success 387/800), Shennong Health Cultivation Method (Proficient 18/200), Corpse Refining (Proficient 17/200), Corpse Controlling (Proficient 128/200).]

[Corpse Servants: Black Zombie *2]

[Items: Soul-Fixing Lamp, Soul-Suppressing Bell, Corpse-Suppressing Stone, Peach Wood Sword, Cinnabar Rope, Peach Charm.]

At home.

Mother Zhou watched Zhou Yan, continuously piling food into his bowl.

"Enough, that's enough, Mother, you should eat more too."

Zhou Yan said hurriedly, while simultaneously placing some meat and vegetables into Mother Zhou's bowl.

Since his body had recovered, his control over the yin energy within him had become smooth, and with the two zombies at his disposal, he felt at ease.

Consequently, the frequency of his returns home began to increase.

Occasionally, he would even sleep at home.

Seeing this, Mother Zhou felt increasingly happy.

She didn't understand grand principles, but being able to see her son often, and seeing that he was doing well, made her heart feel incredibly joyful.

Zhou Chuan and Zhou Jing, the two little ones, felt the same way.

Now, under Ma Yan's arrangements, they had successfully entered school to study.

"Study hard, and when you grow up, be filial to your mother, understand?"

Zhou Yan placed a chicken leg into each of the children's bowls as he spoke.

"Understood."

"Understood."

Zhou Chuan and Zhou Jing replied quickly.

Especially Zhou Chuan; while he dared to be mischievous in front of Mother Zhou, he didn't dare to do so in front of Zhou Yan.

When they were young, it was Zhou Yan who raised him, and when it came to discipline, Zhou Yan never held back—if he said he would hit, he hit.

Furthermore, the Zhou Yan of that time didn't know how to pull his punches.

By the time Zhou Yan awakened his memories, although the number of times he laid a hand on Zhou Chuan decreased, his authority had only grown rather than diminished.

Mother Zhou watched this scene, the smile on her face widening.

Now that the family's circumstances had improved, and her son and daughter were both very filial and gradually growing up, she had nothing left to wish for.

Except for the slight regret of not yet seeing a grandson, she felt that even if she were to pass on now, she would have no shame before the ancestors of the Zhou family.

"Second son, our family's situation is much better now, shouldn't you start thinking about your personal affairs?" Mother Zhou looked at Zhou Yan and suddenly spoke up.

Zhou Yan was slightly stunned, completely caught off guard.

"Personal affairs? What affairs?"

Mother Zhou became a bit anxious: "You are already seventeen, going on eighteen, nineteen, almost twenty. If you don't get married soon, how will you carry on the Zhou family line and keep the incense burning..."

Zhou Yan was dumbfounded; he hadn't expected to be pressured into marriage.

He wasn't even eighteen yet, a proper minor, and yet he was being urged to marry.

For a moment, he didn't know what to say.

Mother Zhou continued: "I've already scouted someone for you. The daughter of Tailor Wang down the street is quite good; she has a look of prosperity, and their family is well-off, with only one son and one daughter. I hear her upbringing is excellent too..."

At this, Zhou Chuan couldn't help but interject: "Mother, you aren't talking about that famous chubby girl from the Wang family, are you?"

Mother Zhou was immediately displeased: "What chubby girl? Tailor Wang's daughter is only just over two hundred pounds. Besides, being plump is a blessing, what's wrong with that? Tailor Wang wouldn't even look at an ordinary family. I'm planning to have Ma Yan go and propose; he's an investigator, he has more face..."

Zhou Yan was left speechless: "..."