Passing on the Techniques

Night fell, and after dinner, every member of Dorm Seven had begun cultivating. Qin Muchu had his own reasons for moving in, but one thing he had said was true—the atmosphere for cultivation in Dorm Seven was intense. While the other dorms were still settling in for a night of chatter, Dorm Seven had already started cultivating.

Qin Muchu was circulating his Soul Power at full strength along the meridian pathways prescribed by the Basic Body Tempering Technique, using it to strengthen his body. His level was still low, and his spirit power was weak, so he could not meditate for long. Whenever he felt tired, he stopped meditating and switched to the Basic Body Tempering Technique. Once his meridians and muscles grew sore, he moved on to the Basic Spirit Power Cultivation Method.

By rights, meditation should have been a way to restore and cultivate spirit power, while circulating Soul Power through the meridians should have raised one's Soul Power Level. Yet on this continent, meditation consumed spirit power, and raising one's Soul Power Level required meditation. Qin Muchu had never been able to make sense of it. All he could do was put it down to different worlds having different laws.

When Qin Muchu finished cultivating, he found Xiao Wu staring at him with her ruby-red eyes. He could not help touching his face. "What are you looking at? Is there something on my face?"

Xiao Wu blinked. "No. You were all cultivating, and no one would play with me. I was so bored I didn't know what to do, so I watched you."

...She stared at people when she was bored? What kind of habit was that?

"Don't you need to cultivate?"

"I'm such a genius that my Soul Power rises on its own even if I don't cultivate. How could ordinary mortals like you understand? Besides, if I worked hard and got too far ahead of you, what if it crushed your spirits?"

That left Qin Muchu speechless. As a Hundred-Thousand-Year Soft Bone Rabbit who had taken human form, Xiao Wu's Soul Power would indeed rise on its own in the early stages, but it certainly would not rise very quickly. She had probably grown used to lazing around under Er Ming's protection. That would not do. Xiao Wu had retained less than a hundredth of her former strength after taking human form. If she carried on like this, how long would it take her to reach maturity? There was too much time in between for something to go wrong. At the very least, she could not afford to slack off before she had the strength to avoid danger.

So he said to Xiao Wu seriously, "Xiao Wu, I know you're talented. But no matter how great your talent is, it means nothing until you turn it into strength. In this world, fists do the talking. You wouldn't want someone you care about to be in danger one day and find you can't protect him, would you?"

It was the first time Xiao Wu had seen Qin Muchu look so serious. His words suddenly made her think of her mother. If she had been strong enough back then, her mother would not have...

She sniffled, her voice muffled. "I'll cultivate properly, all right? Why—why do you have to be so serious?"

Seeing that something was wrong, Qin Muchu guessed the little rabbit had remembered something painful. He hurriedly said, "Look, didn't you say you'd have my back from now on? I'm telling you, I'm very good at getting into trouble. If I pick a fight with someone I can't beat one day, how will you protect me if you aren't strong enough? Besides, my Innate Soul Power may only be level five, but I cultivate fast. I might surpass you someday."

Xiao Wu shot him a disdainful glance. "Hah. You, surpass me? In your dreams." She said she did not believe him, but she sat down to cultivate all the same.

Seeing that his words had worked, Qin Muchu nodded with satisfaction. "Wait a moment. I have three cultivation techniques—one each for Soul Power, spirit power, and the body. They're much better than the techniques commonly used on this continent. I'll teach them to you now." He then taught Xiao Wu the formulas for all three techniques.

After listening, Xiao Wu gave him a doubtful look. "Can these really speed up my cultivation?"

"Of course. Would I lie to you? Try them and see."

Xiao Wu soon entered a state of Deep Meditation. When she opened her eyes again, they were filled with delight and disbelief. "It's true! Cultivating with your technique felt more than twenty percent faster than usual. I've never heard of a technique this powerful. Where did you get it?"

"With my heaven-sent genius, I created it myself, of course." Qin Muchu looked thoroughly pleased with himself. For once, Xiao Wu did not argue. She only stared at him with her ruby-red eyes, a strange light glimmering in them.

"Qin Muchu."

"Mm?"

"You just gave me something this precious?"

"Mm."

"Qin Muchu."

"Mm?"

"You're so good to me."

"Mm."

"Qin Muchu."

"Mm?"

"...Is 'mm' all you can say?"

"Mm."