Does It Really Work?

Rather than a puppet led around by the nose by power.

Xu Mengqing suppressed the turmoil in his heart and slowly raised his eyes, looking at the patch of Blue Silver Grass he had arranged with his own hands. The lingering rays of the setting sun fell across the staggered blades, casting them in a gentle green glow. Between the patterns of the Taiji Bagua Array, life flourished. Looking at the vitality he had created, he murmured softly yet firmly, "Compared to destruction, what I prefer is creating everything."

His fingertips lightly brushed the tender Blue Silver Grass beside him. Feeling the faint vitality in his palm, all the complexity in Xu Mengqing's eyes faded away, leaving only clarity and resolve.

At that moment of clarity, as Xu Mengqing's sense of control over his power grew ever clearer, his state of mind quietly rose as well.

The Soul Power within him, already brimming with pure life energy, seemed to receive some kind of Traction and suddenly surged violently. Within his meridians, Soul Power rushed like a river.

A tougher, more condensed aura slowly rose from within him.

He had successfully broken through to Level 4.

I broke through to Level 4?

Xu Mengqing murmured under his breath, unconsciously clenching his fists as he clearly sensed the changes in his Soul Power.

This breakthrough had come without warning, yet it was only natural. The Life Force transformed from devouring the Blue Silver Grass had already filled his body. On top of that, he had completely seen through his own heart and had not allowed the temptation of Devouring Power to cloud his mind. His breakthrough thus came as naturally as water flowing into a channel.

Suppressing his excitement, Xu Mengqing sat cross-legged on the round bluestone slab in the backyard, gilded warm yellow by the setting sun.

The Blue Silver Grass of the Taiji Bagua Array swayed gently beside him, its pale blue blades glowing softly with abundant life. He took a deep breath, cast away every distracting thought, closed his eyes, and sank his consciousness into his body.

He began to meditate in calmness.

As his meditation deepened, Xu Mengqing became completely immersed in the rhythm of his circulating Soul Power, utterly unaware of the changes outside. The Blue Silver Grass positioned at all eight directions of the Taiji Bagua Array began to tremble softly under the Traction of his Soul Power. Every blade slowly emitted a gentle pale blue halo. The eight positions of Qian, Kun, Zhen, Xun, Kan, Li, Gen, and Dui echoed one another with their light, perfectly outlining a complete Taiji Bagua pattern that faintly flowed across the bluestone ground, profound and mysterious.

The thin ambient elemental energy seemed to be drawn by some kind of summons, slowly gathering within the Bagua Formation. It turned into tiny sparkling white motes that Entangled themselves among the Blue Silver Grass blades, then followed the grass's glow and continuously poured into Xu Mengqing at the center of the array.

Xu Mengqing's heart jolted. He felt a massive amount of ambient elemental energy flood into his meridians and merge with his Soul Power, causing its circulation to suddenly accelerate. Both of his Martial Souls trembled joyfully, while his Soul Power cultivation steadily rose at a visible pace—several times faster than when he meditated alone!

"This Bagua Formation... it can actually work and accelerate cultivation!"

He exclaimed inwardly. The Level 4 Soul Power aura he had only just stabilized became robust once more.

But before that delight could fade, Xu Mengqing suddenly sensed something strange. Within his sea of consciousness, a complete phantom image of the Taiji Bagua Array inexplicably emerged. Countless tiny pale blue motes filled the array, drifting gently as if alive and conveying an indescribable sense of closeness toward him.

It was faint, but unmistakably real.

Blue light linked the tiny motes one by one, as though forming a vast net that gathered ambient elemental energy and drew it inward. This speed was far faster than Xu Mengqing's own.

What is this?

Yet very quickly, that gentle intent and the pale blue motes abruptly receded like a tide, vanishing without a trace in an instant.

Xu Mengqing immediately focused his mind and sensed with all his strength. Yet no matter how he urged his Soul Power to search, the ethereal connection, the scattered motes, and that indescribably gentle intent had completely disappeared, as if everything just now had merely been an illusion born from his meditation.

Xu Mengqing opened his eyes. The golden gleam in them slowly withdrew, eventually turning into a deep, tranquil darkness.

Were those Blue Silver Grass just now?

He murmured softly. The sensation of being enveloped by countless gentle intentions had been far too real.

And just then.

"Big brother! Dinner!"

A crisp child's voice shattered the backyard's silence.

Xu Mengqing turned and saw a small figure standing at the courtyard gate. Na'er wore a light pink dress and held two pairs of chopsticks in her hands as she stood on tiptoe, peering toward him. Moonlight fell over her silvery-white hair, casting a hazy glow around it, while her purple eyes appeared especially bright in the night.

"Coming."

The corners of Xu Mengqing's lips lifted, and the faint exhaustion from exploring his Martial Soul instantly disappeared.

He walked over quickly and naturally took Na'er's little hand. Her hand was soft and warm in his palm. Tilting her head up, she curiously sniffed at him. "Big brother, why do you smell... so strange? Like the smell of being out in the sun, but also kind of different."

Xu Mengqing's heart skipped a beat. The sacred, radiant aura from fusing with the Holy Light Lizard had been restrained, but perhaps because it was his first time using it so deeply, a trace of it still remained.

"Maybe I stayed under the sun for too long just now." Smiling, he rubbed Na'er's head and smoothly changed the subject. "What delicious food did Mom make? It smells so good."

"There's braised pork! And my favorite corn and pork rib soup!" Na'er was indeed distracted at once. Her little face brimmed with anticipation as she pulled Xu Mengqing along faster. "Big brother, it's really delicious!"

As they entered the house, warm yellow light instantly enveloped them both.

The dining table was already filled with steaming dishes. Meng Ling'er emerged from the kitchen carrying the last bowl of soup. Seeing the two enter hand in hand, she smiled gently. "You came back at just the right time. Hurry and wash your hands for dinner."

"Dad, you're back!" Xu Mengqing said to Xu Zhan.

Xu Zhan had also been waiting by the dining table. When he returned earlier, he had seen Xu Mengqing cultivating in the backyard, but he had not gone over to disturb him.

"Alright, sit down quickly. The food will get cold if you don't eat soon," Xu Zhan said with a smile.

Xu Mengqing led Na'er to their seats, first setting out her small bowl before taking the soup ladle from Meng Ling'er and serving everyone soup. The warm yellow light fell over the family, while the fragrance of food filled the air. The braised pork was rich without being greasy, the pork rib soup was fragrant and savory, and there were refreshing vegetable dishes as well. The warm bustle of ordinary life completely diluted the mystery and gravity of his backyard cultivation.

Meng Ling'er kept placing food into Xu Mengqing and Na'er's bowls, gently reminding them, "Xiaoqing, you're at the age when you need to grow, and it's a crucial time for cultivation. Eat more meat to build your strength. Na'er, be good and eat more meat too, so you can grow tall."