The next morning, at dawn, the earth was bathed in the bright sunlight after its rise, illuminating the entire realm brilliantly. The streets and other places didn't even require artificial light, for the sun's rays were sufficient.
At this time, the world was gradually waking from its slumber. Some were heading to work immediately upon waking, while others went to wake their children so they could also go to school or work.
There were those who had stayed awake all night trying to absorb Qi to open their Qi source, and many others of different kinds, each attending to their own affairs.
Dawn was a sign to rise from stagnation, a signal that one must get up, work, act, in short, this was not a time for relaxation.
At the edge of Lawrence City, one could see from above the closely clustered houses, forming a scene of simplicity and modesty. The streets were empty except for those heading to their own work.
On these simple streets, one could see the poor homeless who had spent the entire night outside because they had nowhere to sleep.
Their situation was truly pitiful, yet who knows how their lives had led them to this point? No one knows but themselves.
In one of the houses, resembling a villager's home, the walls, ceiling, and door were all made of wood, clearly worn and aged.
Inside, this wooden house contained one slightly large bedroom and another room for bathing and other necessities.
In the main room, Malketh was still waiting for the Absorption Worm to absorb Qi for him, and for him to absorb it in turn. He had been in this state since the previous night.
In fact, Malketh had been like this for nearly three days, ever since he had purchased this magical worm. He was also unusually patient, waiting calmly for the worm to absorb Qi and then spit it out.
At this moment, the Absorption Worm was about to spit again after being filled!
Malketh's eyes lit up. Without hesitation, he repeated the previous process: he swallowed the Qi expelled by the worm, then closed his ears and nose to prevent any Qi from escaping. Finally, the Qi entered his stomach, and he felt the familiar warmth once more.
At the same time, another change occurred. As soon as this Qi entered him, it triggered a reaction with the Qi he had absorbed in the past.
The Qi Malketh had absorbed earlier began to gather into one area, gradually solidifying into something resembling a sphere.
This process lasted over a long period—about one to two hours. During this time, Malketh did nothing but wait.
He could feel the changes but couldn't truly see what was happening. Yet after about two hours, Malketh experienced an intense realization.
He felt as if his mind were connected to something—an unbreakable, extremely strong connection, similar to the bond between Malketh and his hand, controlling it at will.
Except this connection was different. If someone looked inside him, they would see a small, stable sphere within him.
The sphere was extremely yellow, and of course, it was none other than the Qi Source!
Malketh had finally created his own Qi Source.
This meant that Malketh had officially become a Stage One Cultivator!
A cultivator, as known, differs from an ordinary human in that they can store Qi within themselves, retain it, and use it at will.
Ordinary humans like Malketh, if they absorb Qi, will eventually lose it over time—it will not remain within them.
If Malketh had continued his previous routine—waiting for the Absorption Worm and absorbing Qi without forming his own source—everything he had done would have been in vain, as the accumulated Qi would eventually escape from him.
But with a Qi Source, regardless of how many days, weeks, months, or years passed, the Qi would remain securely within the Source and would not escape.
This is because the Qi Source is a place for refining Qi, and the refined Qi belongs to its owner, the cultivator. Thus, theoretically, it is part of him and will never leave.
This meant that beyond simply storing Qi, Malketh could now refine it and make it truly his, as mentioned before.
Having become a cultivator, it was natural that Malketh was now Stage One. Accordingly, the system's task was completed successfully.
In the task bar, the first task, "Become a Stage One Cultivator," was marked "Completed," and the reward was already received.
Additionally, a new sixth bar was added to the system interface!
This bar was called the Magic Worms Bar.
Upon entering it, only one bar appeared, belonging to the Sword Worm. Next to the worm's name was the word "Upgrade," indicating that one could press this button to upgrade it.
Beneath the name were small words reading "Stage One," showing that the Sword Worm was also Stage One.
"This is extremely organized," Malketh muttered, his eyes gleaming with admiration for the system's meticulous arrangement.
He thought for a moment, and suddenly a small worm appeared in his palm. It was white and emitted a pure, sharp white light that could hurt the eyes, like needles pricking the eyes.
The worm's body resembled any other worm, but it was clearly shaped much like a sword blade.
In any case, Malketh placed the worm into his Qi Source. The white worm in his hand suddenly vanished and appeared inside the Source magically, as if it had instantly teleported.
This was also one of the Source's features: it could contain both owned and unowned magic worms.
"Even without it being outside, I can still use its ability," Malketh realized. He discovered another function: while placing the Sword Worm inside the Source, he understood that he could still use its powers and create swords whenever he wished.
"This will be much more convenient for me," he thought correctly. He imagined having a large number of worms in the future and the burden of carrying them all the time—it would have been extremely cumbersome. Luckily, they could be stored and still be used.
Apart from the new system bar and the reward for completing the task, Malketh noticed an unread message in the chat bar.
Upon opening it, he read the message and was immediately shocked.
The content read:
"Congratulations, Host. You have gained a special talent for becoming a cultivator. The talent is 'Paths Body.' Click the accept button to acquire it."
He then saw two options—Accept and Decline—in square buttons. For a new mind in cultivation like Malketh, the Paths Body was unimaginable, perhaps a gift from heaven itself. Without hesitation, eagerly and with anticipation, he mentally chose Accept.
A new message from the system followed:
"Congratulations on acquiring the Paths Body, Host. Continue to cultivate to receive more gifts."
After pressing Accept, Malketh felt a change in his body. The sensation was instantaneous, yet he felt it throughout his entire being, as if something inside him was forcibly replaced with something else.
The strange feeling quickly vanished, making Malketh suspect it was an illusion—but it was certainly real. He did not need to ask the system, "What is the function of this body?"