"Take it slowly. It's like this for everyone at first. Once you get the hang of it, you'll be able to quickly draw on the Spirit in your body." Chen Qiao withdrew her hand, then added suspiciously, "You have quite a lot of Spirit in you. It doesn't seem like you've only just opened your Qi Gate."
"Really?"
"Generally speaking, for someone who's just opened their Qi Gate to reach your current level of Spirit, they'd have to cultivate for at least a month or so. You're not lying to me, are you? You opened your Qi Gate a long time ago!"
"I'm not lying. I really did just turn eighteen today, and my Qi Gate should have opened today too."
Qin Xun was certain his Qi Gate had only opened today.
But the Spirit in his body...
The image of the chain plunging straight down into the Ghost Wolf's body flashed through his mind.
When the chain pierced the Ghost Wolf, a surge of violent energy had rushed into his own body.
Could that energy have been Spirit?
"Then that's a little strange. Normally, it's impossible to have so much Spirit right after opening your Qi Gate. You'd have to cultivate for at least a while."
"Then how do I cultivate?"
Chen Qiao told him everything she knew:
"You'll have to practice this yourself too. You should be able to sense a strange spot in your lower abdomen. It's like a vortex. That's your Qi Gate!"
"The Qi Gate has three functions. One is storing Spiritual Power. When the Spirit in your body isn't being used, it stays in the Qi Gate."
"The second is helping you control the Spiritual Power in your body."
"The third is absorbing Spiritual Qi from outside and converting it into Spiritual Power."
"Psionic Power users rely on their Qi Gates to cultivate. You can try controlling your Qi Gate to absorb Spiritual Qi, then convert it into Spiritual Power."
"Once you have enough Spiritual Power, another Qi Gate will appear in your body. That means you've entered the next realm!"
Qin Xun had a general understanding now. "Does having more Spiritual Power in your body make you stronger?"
"In theory, yes. For example, say we're both First Realm Psionic Power users. You've only just opened your Qi Gate, while I've been cultivating for a year or two. If you only have a tenth as much Spirit as I do, you won't be a match for me."
"Of course, the amount of Spirit alone doesn't determine victory or defeat! The strength of your Spirit is only the foundation. It can enhance your physique, speed, strength, and defense! If we stood there and took turns punching each other, then whoever had stronger Spirit would definitely win!"
"But if we were free to fight as we pleased, and your skills were better than mine, you had more combat experience, and you also had a powerful Psionic Power that happened to counter me, then there's no telling who would win."
"Of course, among people in the same realm, whoever has more Spirit naturally has the advantage!"
"Take Xu Chao and me, for example. He's in the Third Realm, and so am I, but I have more Spirit than he does, and not just by a little. He doesn't have any special combat-oriented Psionic Power either, so in a one-on-one fight, he'd definitely be no match for me."
After hearing Chen Qiao's explanation, Qin Xun had a general understanding.
"Does using Psionic Power consume the Spiritual Power in your body?"
"The Spirit in your body doesn't get consumed. Once it enters your body, it becomes a part of you, and using it won't consume it! But when you use Spirit, your Qi Gate also operates. The longer you use it, the more tired your body gets! If you keep using Spirit for a long time, your body will gradually become unable to bear it, and drawing on your Spirit will become harder and harder, with less and less available. In severe cases, your Qi Gate could be ruined!"
"Once your Qi Gate is ruined, you'll be in trouble. Like I just told you, besides storing Spiritual Power, the Qi Gate also helps you control it. So once your Qi Gate is ruined, the Spirit in your body will go out of control and rampage through you. I don't need to tell you what happens then, do I?"
"Yeah. Just now, I only tried guiding Spirit into my left hand for less than a second, and my body felt as tired as if I'd run several hundred meters in one breath."
"Practice more and you'll get used to it. For now, don't think about creating a Psionic Power. First, learn to control your Spirit proficiently. Once you've mastered it in a year or two, then you can think about Psionic Power."
"Thank you, Sister Qiao'er!"
"Why so polite? I had nothing else to do anyway, so it was no trouble telling you. Besides, didn't you call me a good sister?" Chen Qiao smiled sweetly and winked her bright, dewy eyes at Qin Xun.
"And thanks for the birthday cake too."
"Eat up. There's more if that's not enough."
After finishing the cake, Qin Xun spent the rest of the time sitting on a stool, calming his mind and trying to control the Spirit in his body.
At first, he could only barely draw Spirit into his left hand, and he could only maintain it for a second or two.
But after several attempts, he gradually got the hang of it and could draw Spirit into his left hand without much difficulty.
He could also keep the Spirit in his left hand for more than ten seconds.
But just as Chen Qiao had said, using Spirit really did take a lot of physical strength.
Once he became more proficient, though, it probably wouldn't be so tiring.
Half an hour later, Sisi came downstairs in a short pink skirt, carrying a tray.
The tray was covered with pieces of cotton cloth, dripping with blood.
"All done?" Chen Qiao asked.
"He passed out as soon as he got upstairs. He still hasn't woken up."
"Passed out?" Qin Xun got off the stool, looking anxious.
"Don't worry. He's probably just too tired. He'll be fine after some rest." Sisi handed the tray to Chen Qiao for her to deal with.
"Let him lie upstairs for a while." Chen Qiao handed Qin Xun a room key. "Follow Sisi and let her take you to your room. Go take a shower first. Someone will bring you fresh clothes in a little while."
"No need. I'll wait here for Brother Chao to wake up."
"You have to go!" Chen Qiao stuffed the key into Qin Xun's hand. "That Guard Team uniform you're wearing really stands out! It's making the customers outside too scared to come in for a drink! If I lose money, are you going to make it up to me?"
"All right, I'll come back after I change."
Qin Xun took the key and looked down at Mengmeng, telling him to stay there.
But it seemed there was no need to say it. Mengmeng would never leave Xu Chao behind and go with him.
Following Sisi, Qin Xun caught the scent of perfume that stirred excitement and made his blood surge!
He had smelled it on many of the women around He Laowu.
Several times, He Laowu had taken a deep breath of it from those women, then waved Qin Xun out and told him to come back later.
Sisi led him to the second floor of a wooden building.
She opened room 201.
"Go take a shower inside. I'll bring your clothes in a little while."
"Thank you."
"You're welcome."
The room wasn't large, a little over twenty square meters, with wooden walls and flooring.
A large, pristine white bed stood inside.
Farther in was a shower room.
After taking off all his clothes, Qin Xun stepped into the shower room.
Steaming hot water poured down, washing away the day's fatigue.
After his shower,
Qin Xun reached out and turned off the showerhead.
He thought of the ring of fire and the nine chains!
With a thought, he gradually heard the sound of chains scraping in his mind. Immediately afterward, a fist-sized ring of fire appeared before him, spinning!
With another thought, a chain wreathed in flames emerged from it!
The chain radiated scorching heat, making his face burn in mere moments!
He could feel that he could now make the ring of fire appear and disappear at will, as well as control the chain!
Just as he was about to experiment further, the room's door suddenly opened!
Qin Xun hurriedly made the ring of fire disappear!
Someone entered the room, but quickly left.
When he came out of the shower room, two sets of brand-new clothes and two pairs of black boots lay on the bed.
The clothes were all black.
The color was just right. It wouldn't stand out so much.
Besides the clothes, even the things he'd asked Chen Qiao to prepare were ready.
Two sharp daggers, eight cross-shaped throwing darts, and a rope with a hook.
He put on the clothes and shoes. They fit perfectly.
He tucked the two daggers into his waistband and put the eight darts in his pockets, four on each side.
Sitting on the bed, Qin Xun conjured the ring of fire again. It could grow larger or smaller according to his will!
Three chains also swung through the air at his command!
"Does this count as my Psionic Power?"
Qin Xun murmured...
But didn't he have to create a Psionic Power himself?
He considered asking Chen Qiao, but dismissed the idea as soon as it occurred to him!
For now, it was best if he alone knew about this. It was better not to tell any outsiders!
In any case, he could already control these chains!
Hearing footsteps in the corridor outside, Qin Xun stopped experimenting, afraid someone might discover him. He drew the chains back into the ring of fire and closed it!
He walked out of the wooden building.
Outside, the sky had gone completely dark.
Stars shone brilliantly overhead, and the bright moon hung high, reflected in the lake.
Qin Xun looked up at the night sky as a gentle breeze brushed his face. "I hope Brother Zhuang is safe..."
A voice not far away interrupted his silent prayer to the heavens.
"Are we resting here tonight?"
The speaker was a fair-skinned youth who looked eighteen or nineteen, wearing a black outdoor jacket.
He surveyed his surroundings, his eyes full of disdain, seemingly dissatisfied with the place.
"A noble?"
Qin Xun muttered to himself.
The air of a pampered upbringing about the youth and his fair, smooth skin were rarely found together in a commoner.
Three men accompanied the youth, all looking to be in their early thirties.
Besides the guns at their waists, each of them carried a melee weapon.
A man with a scar on his face held a curved saber.
Of the other two, one gripped a long black spear, and the other held a three-section staff.