The morning sun hung low over Dragon Yuan Mountain as Lin Sheng made his way back toward his residence.
The noise of the mortal city gradually faded behind him as he climbed the winding mountain path once more. Cool wind brushed against his robes, carrying the scent of pine trees and damp stone.
In his hands rested the manual for the Eight Step Cicada Movement Technique.
Thin.
Light.
Unremarkable.
Yet Lin Sheng knew better than to underestimate martial techniques in this world.
Even among mortals, martial arts were capable of extraordinary feats.
Especially when cultivated to higher realms.
Though inferior to immortal cultivation in lifespan and ultimate potential, martial practitioners still possessed strength far beyond ordinary humans.
Some could shatter stone.
Some could outrun horses.
Some could even slaughter low level spirit beasts with their bare hands.
And unlike immortal cultivators, martial artists were common.
Because they did not require spiritual roots.
That alone made them the backbone of countless cultivation powers.
Mortals protected cities.
Martial practitioners guarded caravans.
Families maintained order through martial halls.
Even cultivation sects required martial servants and guards.
Immortals ruled the skies.
But mortals carried the foundation beneath them.
Lin Sheng's eyes flickered thoughtfully.
"...Without spiritual roots, this may become my main path for now."
At least outwardly.
As for the Starry Sky Visualization Method, that secret could not be exposed.
Not yet.
Perhaps not ever.
He soon arrived at his courtyard residence.
The place remained quiet.
Empty.
His sister still had not returned.
Lin Sheng paused briefly at the entrance.
His gaze swept across the familiar courtyard.
The stone table beneath the old tree.
The training dummy near the wall.
The windows swaying gently in the wind.
Silence.
"...Still no sign of her."
Lin Yan.
The only remaining family he possessed in this world.
A genius of the Lin Family's Chang Branch.
High grade wood and fire spiritual roots.
Someone destined for the immortal path.
Unlike him.
Lin Sheng lowered his gaze slightly.
"...Hopefully she stays safe."
The cultivation world was cruel.
Especially outside the protection of one's clan.
Even geniuses could die.
He entered his room and closed the door behind him.
Then he sat down cross legged and placed the movement technique manual before himself.
"Crystal."
The familiar translucent interface appeared.
[Awaiting instruction.]
"Scan."
[Scanning technique...]
Lines of data rapidly flowed across the interface.
The chip processed every page instantly.
Movement patterns.
Breathing rhythms.
Muscle coordination.
Foot placement.
Everything was analyzed and reconstructed.
The Eight Step Cicada Movement Technique was fundamentally different from Vajra Fist.
Vajra Fist emphasized explosive power, direct confrontation, and overwhelming force.
But Eight Step Cicada focused on agility.
Precision.
Control.
The practitioner moved lightly like a cicada skimming across water.
Quick.
Erratic.
Difficult to predict.
A technique suited for evasion and repositioning.
[Analysis complete.]
[Technique Compatibility: High]
[Host neural reaction speed exceeds standard baseline.]
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed slightly.
"...Reaction speed."
That was likely related to the opening of his sensory apertures.
Especially the left eye aperture.
His perception had clearly improved.
And perhaps his thought processing speed as well.
He slowly stood up.
The chip projected faint blue outlines across his vision.
Foot placement indicators.
Body alignment.
Movement trajectories.
"Assist mode."
[Activated.]
Lin Sheng stepped forward.
The first movement felt awkward.
His balance shifted incorrectly.
[Correction: Left foot angle offset by 12 degrees.]
He adjusted immediately.
Then stepped again.
This time, smoother.
The Eight Step Cicada wasn't simply about speed.
It involved rhythm.
Weight transfer.
Breathing.
Every step needed to flow naturally into the next.
Otherwise, the entire sequence collapsed.
Lin Sheng moved again.
One step.
Two.
Three.
He twisted sideways before advancing diagonally.
His robes fluttered lightly as he crossed the room.
[Movement Accuracy: 37%]
"...Harder than Vajra Fist."
That much was obvious.
Punching techniques relied heavily on repetition and force transmission.
Movement techniques required coordination of the entire body.
One mistake affected everything else.
Lin Sheng continued practicing.
Again.
And again.
Hours passed.
The sun gradually rose higher into the sky.
Sweat soaked through his robes.
His breathing deepened.
Yet his movements steadily improved.
[Movement Accuracy: 54%]
[Movement Accuracy: 63%]
[Movement Accuracy: 71%]
By midday, Lin Sheng finally stopped.
Not because he wanted to.
But because his legs trembled slightly beneath him.
The strain on his muscles was far greater than expected.
"...Movement techniques consume more stamina."
He sat down briefly before glancing toward the interface.
[Host fatigue levels elevated.]
[Recommendation: Nutritional intake required.]
Lin Sheng let out a quiet breath.
"...I know."
After eating a simple meal, he returned to cultivation.
But this time, not martial techniques.
Meditation.
He sat once more in a lotus position.
Back straight.
Breathing calm.
His consciousness slowly sank inward.
Darkness surrounded him briefly.
Then the Sea of Consciousness emerged.
Vast.
Silent.
Endless.
At its center floated the white sphere, the embryonic white dwarf formed through years of visualization.
Compared to before, it appeared denser.
More stable.
Spiritual qi drifted slowly toward it from every direction, like streams converging into a star.
Lin Sheng focused.
Not on visualization.
But on aperture opening.
The left eye aperture had already been partially opened.
Now he shifted his focus elsewhere.
Toward the right eye.
Spiritual qi gathered slowly.
Threads of faint energy flowed through his consciousness.
The sensation felt strange.
Like cool water trickling through invisible pathways.
Then pressure appeared.
Slight.
Persistent.
Lin Sheng maintained absolute concentration.
Carefully guiding the qi.
Refining it.
Compressing it.
Toward the right eye aperture.
Time passed slowly.
Then a soft pop echoed within his mind.
Tiny.
Yet unmistakably clear.
The right eye aperture opened.
A ripple spread throughout his Sea of Consciousness.
The white sphere pulsed faintly.
And Lin Sheng's awareness sharpened once more.
His eyes opened instantly.
The world became clearer again.
Sharper.
More vivid.
"Crystal."
The interface appeared immediately.
[Left Eye Aperture: 100%]
[Right Eye Aperture: 27%]
[Left Ear Aperture: 0%]
[Right Ear Aperture: 0%]
[Nose Aperture: 0%]
[Mouth Aperture: 0%]
[Brow Aperture: 0%]
[Center Aperture: 0%]
Lin Sheng's breathing remained steady.
But inwardly, he was shocked.
"...Too fast."
Far too fast.
In his previous life, opening apertures required extraordinary effort.
Yet here, with spiritual qi assisting the process, everything had changed.
"And this is only the Opening Aperture Realm..."
His gaze deepened slightly.
If the later realms of the Starry Sky Visualization Method were also enhanced by spiritual qi...
Entering Samadhi.
Spirit Platform.
Divine Treasure.
Primordial Spirit.
Divine Fire.
Then the Starry Sky Visualization Method might truly become something terrifying.
Even his master from his previous life had only theorized such a possibility.
Because there, qi did not exist.
Lin Sheng looked toward the window.
Outside, the sky had already begun darkening.
Another day was nearly over.
Suddenly, a distant sound echoed from outside the courtyard.
Heavy footsteps.
Followed by a strange growling noise.
Lin Sheng stood immediately and walked outside.
At the entrance of the courtyard stood a massive beast.
Its body resembled a giant pangolin covered in thick dark scales. Massive claws dug into the ground while a saddle was strapped across its back.
Beside it stood a middle aged man wearing travel robes marked with the Lin Family insignia.
The man looked slightly surprised upon seeing Lin Sheng.
Then he nodded politely.
"Young Master Lin Sheng."
Lin Sheng returned the greeting calmly.
"...You are?"
"Courier from the outer caravans."
The man reached into a storage pouch before taking out a small wooden box.
"This was sent by Young Miss Lin Yan."
Lin Sheng's eyes shifted slightly.
"...My sister?"
The courier nodded.
"She's currently outside the clan with Elder Mu."
"She said she likely won't return for quite some time."
Lin Sheng silently accepted the box.
The courier hesitated briefly before speaking again.
"She also said..."
"...To be careful."
A brief silence followed.
Then the courier mounted the scaled beast once more.
The creature growled softly before turning around.
Soon, both disappeared down the mountain path.
Lin Sheng lowered his gaze toward the wooden box in his hands.
For a brief moment, his expression softened slightly.
Then he returned inside.
Back within his room, he slowly opened the box.
Inside were several spirit coins.
A folded letter.
And a jade slip.
Lin Sheng paused slightly upon seeing it.
"...A jade slip?"
That was not something ordinary mortals could use.
Jade slips stored information directly within them.
Techniques.
Records.
Knowledge.
But activating them required spiritual sense.
Something only cultivators possessed.
He unfolded the letter first.
The handwriting was familiar.
Elegant.
Neat.
Little Sheng,
I already heard the results of the spiritual root test.
Don't be too disappointed.
Even without spiritual roots, the martial path is still a path.
I left some spirit coins for you.
This jade slip contains a technique I obtained accidentally during a mission. Unfortunately, you probably can't use it yet, but keep it safe.
The outside world is dangerous, so don't trust people easily after leaving the mountain.
When I return, I'll check your progress personally.
— Your Sister
Lin Sheng stared quietly at the letter for a long moment.
Then folded it carefully.
"...Still treating me like a child."
Yet for some reason, the room no longer felt as empty.
His gaze shifted toward the jade slip.
Then toward the chip interface.
"Crystal."
[Awaiting command.]
"...Can you scan it?"
A brief pause followed.
Then the response appeared.
[Insufficient external activation source detected.]
[Unable to access jade slip contents.]
Lin Sheng nodded slightly.
As expected.
Without spiritual sense, the jade slip remained inaccessible.
Still, the chip's reaction proved one thing.
There truly was information stored within it.
He carefully placed the jade slip away before looking toward the night sky outside.
"...A month."
That was how long remained before those without spiritual roots would be taken for martial training.
Even cultivation settlements were established near dangerous yao beast regions.
Lin Sheng's eyes narrowed faintly.
"...Enough time."
Perhaps Mental Energy Release might work on the jade slip.
The wind stirred softly outside.
Inside the quiet room, Lin Sheng slowly closed his eyes once more.
And continued cultivating.