Li Mu stood quietly in the courtyard, his gaze profound, as if it pierced through the walls, falling upon the receding figures of the three children.
The violent reaction triggered when he planted the Dao Seed earlier was nothing more than a ripple in the water for him.
Li Mu's mind stirred slightly, and deep within his Sea of Consciousness, the Chaos Tree sent out three extremely faint yet incredibly tenacious connections, quietly linking up.
The source of these three connections was precisely the three Dao Seeds deeply rooted in the tender Sea of Consciousness.
In Lin Xiaolun's Sea of Consciousness, that 'Water Spiritual Dao Seed', like a speck of Grandmist star sand, slowly rotated, emitting a gentle, clear light.
It silently cleansed the girl's spiritual Origin, like the purest spiritual spring nourishing her Sea of Consciousness.
Her once turbid, Low Grade Spiritual Root was now being combed, widened, and purified by an invisible hand, becoming translucent and crystalline, developing an unprecedented sensitivity and affinity for the Spiritual Qi and Dao rhyme floating between heaven and earth.
In the future, her speed in drawing Qi into her body and comprehending the Great Dao would far exceed anyone's imagination.
Within Da Niu's body, the 'Earth Origin Dao Seed' was like a seed sunk into the core of the earth, a heavy, solid sense of power pervading his entire being.
It drew upon the essence of the earth veins, gently yet firmly washing through his muscles, bones, and skin, removing Impurities and solidifying his Foundation.
His originally unremarkable Physique was being endowed with the earth-like solidity and resilience, his Qi and blood surging like nascent rivers, his muscles and bones as tough as ancient tree sprouts.
Cultivating Earth Origin Body Cultivation Technique would surely yield twice the results with half the effort, progressing a thousand miles a day.
Deep within Tie Tou's Divine Soul, the scorching heat of the 'Blazing Fire Dao Seed' had begun to fuse with the unextinguished flame of hatred in his heart.
This fusion was not an annihilation, but a tempering!
The Dao Seed treated that obsessive hatred and unwillingness as fuel, transforming it into a pure and fierce Origin power, violently burning away the stagnant Impurities in his meridians and forging the dormant potential deep within his bones, making them hard and sharp, naturally possessing an extremely strong ability to control fire-type forces and even all fierce and rigid Laws.
The initial fusion of the Dao Seed had already revealed its Heaven-Defying ability to elevate the originally mediocre or even inferior Foundation and Aptitude of the three children to an unattainable height.
Spiritual Qi absorption, a hundred times faster than before; Dao comprehension, a thousand times clearer!
This was merely the beginning, as they progressed in their cultivation, the Dao Seed would continuously grow and mature by absorbing the essence of heaven and earth, and the Dao rhyme and Laws, and this transformation would continue to deepen until the Dao Seed truly reached Perfection, achieving their respective Great Dao.
And just as the Dao Seeds took root, absorbed nourishment, and transformed their hosts, wisps of extremely pure and profoundly mysterious Origin power also quietly flowed back along those invisible connections to Li Mu's Chaotic Great Dao of his Foundation, perfecting the Three Thousand Great Dao.
What Lin Xiaolun's 'Water Spiritual Dao Seed' brought was wisps of clear, water-spiritual 'Spiritual Wisdom Origin', nourishing Li Mu's comprehension of the Great Dao Laws like sweet dew.
What Da Niu's 'Earth Origin Dao Seed' fed back was the heavy and solid 'Earth Vein Essence', which, like a trickling stream, merged into Li Mu's limbs, Purple Mansion, and Dantian, silently solidifying his Earth Origin Dao Foundation.
What Tie Tou's 'Blazing Fire Dao Seed' fed back was a fierce and pure 'Eternal True Intent'.
This True Intent, carrying Tie Tou's tempered persistence and tenacity, merged into Li Mu's Chaotic Great Dao, and in due time, would perfect the Fire Dao Law.
This feedback was extremely weak, like three small streams flowing into a vast ocean, causing no discernible ripples in the short term, however, Li Mu's Dao attainment was profound, and his Divine Thought was clear, and he clearly perceived this nourishment originating from the essence of the Chaotic Great Dao; trickling streams would eventually converge into rivers.
As the three Dao Seeds grew with their hosts, the more immense the essence of heaven and earth, and the Dao rhyme and Laws they absorbed, the purer and vaster the Origin power fed back would be.
When the Dao Seeds matured in the future and the hosts achieved Dao, what kind of immense Great Dao Origin would be fed back?
That would be the true supreme resource to help him glimpse higher Realms and supplement his own Great Dao!
Planting the Dao in others is also planting the Dao in oneself.
Today, he sowed three seeds, and in the future, he would harvest three thriving Great Dao, and with them, abundant nourishment capable of shaking his own Chaotic Great Dao.
This was the true mystery of the 'Dao Seed', the fundamental basis for mutual benefit and the Great Dao walking together.
Time flowed, and above Tian Yong City, beast roars faintly echoed, and dust occasionally rose outside the city.
Inside the city, people's hearts were taut, and vigilance deepened daily.
Inside the Lin family home, Lin Xiaolun sat cross-legged with her eyes closed, a faint clear glow swirling around her.
Her mother, Mrs. Zhang, came in with a basin of water, intending to call her, but saw her daughter's fingertips move slightly, and several drops of clear water in the basin silently lifted, crystal clear, gently circling around her fingertips, only to quietly fall back into the basin a moment later, without a ripple.
"Nannan?" Mrs. Zhang's voice trembled, and the wooden basin in her hand almost slipped.
Lin Xiaolun opened her eyes, her pupils clear and filled with a spiritual vibrancy she hadn't possessed before.
"Mother, I… I seem to be able to 'see' them now."
Lin Xiaolun pointed to the Spiritual Qi currents in the air that ordinary people could not perceive.
Mr. Lin poked his head in at the sound, and seeing the faint clear light lingering on his daughter's fingertips, he was both surprised and delighted: "This... this drawing Qi into the body, you've reached Qi Refining Third Level? My heavens!"
The couple looked at each other, their eyes filled with unbelievable excitement; the Water Spiritual Dao Seed rotated, cleansing her Sea of Consciousness, giving her an affinity and control over Spiritual Qi and subtle Dao rhyme far exceeding that of Cultivators her age.
Lin Xiaolun did not stop after saying, "I can see them now."
With a slight thought, the thin Spiritual Qi in the room seemed to be drawn by an invisible force, gathering towards her in wisps, at a speed several times faster than ordinary Qi-drawing practitioners.
Lin Xiaolun closed her eyes again, and the clear glow around her visibly brightened, like a dusty pearl suddenly polished.
Before the suspended water drops had fully settled, the clear light swirling around her fingertips suddenly intensified, then retracted, and her Aura instantly rose by one level!
The surprise on Mr. Lin's face instantly froze, his eyes wide: "Qi... Qi Refining Fourth Level?"
Mr. Lin's voice caught in his throat, hoarse with disbelief.
The wooden basin in Mrs. Zhang's hand clattered to the ground, water splashing everywhere, but she was oblivious, staring intently at her daughter.
Lin Xiaolun frowned slightly, the ethereal Dao Seed within her rotated faster, her Sea of Consciousness was cleansed by the clear light, and the efficiency of Spiritual Qi absorption and refinement increased again.
The thin Spiritual Qi outside the house was forcefully drawn in, forming a small, almost invisible vortex above her head.
"Buzz..."
An extremely slight tremor emanated from within her body, and the clear glow surrounding her suddenly surged, like moonlight pouring down, illuminating the entire small room, then rapidly retracted, completely disappearing into her small body.
Her Aura, once again, ascended!
It stabilized at Qi Refining Fifth Level!
"Fifth... Fifth Level!" Mr. Lin's voice completely changed pitch, as if someone had choked him.
Mr. Lin suddenly took a step back, bumping into the door frame, his face pale, as if he had seen a ghost.
In just a few days, from not having drawn Qi at all to breaking through to Qi Refining Fifth Level? This could no longer be described by the word "Genius"!
Mrs. Zhang's legs gave out, and she directly collapsed onto the cold water on the floor, her lips trembling, unable to utter a single word, only staring at her seated daughter with the gaze one would reserve for a strange deity.
This speed was too terrifying, exceeding the limits of her meager understanding.
Her mind was blank, with only one absurd yet persistent thought: Was her Nannan a celestial being fallen from the heavens? Or perhaps a powerful Cultivator's Reincarnation?
Lin Xiaolun slowly opened her eyes, clear light flowing within them, lucid and profound.
She looked at her parents' horrified and helpless expressions, and a hint of confusion appeared on her small face: "Father? Mother? What's wrong with you?"
Mr. Lin opened his mouth, his throat tight, and finally only managed a few broken syllables: "Nannan... you... you..."
Mr. Lin wanted to ask, but didn't know where to start; the immense shock made his mind buzz.
Mrs. Zhang tremblingly reached out, wanting to touch her daughter's face, but feared disturbing something, so her fingers hovered in mid-air.
The room was deathly silent, with only the Qi Refining Fifth Level Aura on Lin Xiaolun, which had not yet completely subsided, silently proclaiming this incredible fact.
...
At this moment, in Da Niu's home, in the open space in the backyard, Da Niu stood in a horse stance, sweat rolling down his bronze skin.
His father, a burly guard, still recovering from injuries, was laboriously carrying a newly bought bag of Spirit Rice onto his shoulder.
Da Niu walked over silently and grabbed the corner of the bag with one hand.
"Boy, don't overdo it..." Before Da Niu's father could finish his sentence, he saw Da Niu's arm muscles bulge, and the heavy bag of grain was steadily lifted by his single hand, easily carried onto his own shoulder, and he walked steadily towards the rice jar.
Da Niu's father's words caught in his throat, his eyes wide, watching his son carry the two-hundred-jin bag of Spirit Rice, his steps as steady as a small mountain.
The lid of the rice jar was opened, and Da Niu, with a single push of his hand, let the grain bag settle steadily into the bottom of the jar, hardly raising any dust.
"Good boy!" Da Niu's father finally found his voice, and his large, fan-like hand slapped hard on his son's shoulder, but it felt like slapping a warm iron ingot, making his own palm numb from the rebound.
Da Niu's father carefully examined his son; this little fellow's Physique had visibly thickened by a circle, and beneath his bronze skin, his muscles bulged, well-defined, subtly revealing a rock-like, heavy luster.
What frightened him even more was the deep, solid Aura, as if he had rooted himself to the ground, connected to the earth.
The changes were not limited to this.
At the dinner table, Da Niu's parents watched their son devour food like a whirlwind, their eyes almost popping out.
The Spirit Rice, enough for a family of four for two days, was mostly swept away by Da Niu alone, with the ferocity of a tiger starved for three days, and the basin of wild vegetable soup was drunk to the bottom in a few gulps.
"Da Niu... you... eat slower..." Da Niu's mother looked at the empty pot, her voice weak.
"Little brother, why are you eating so much?" Da Niu's older sister said with a dark face, as he had eaten all the rice.
Da Niu looked up, rice grains still clinging to the corner of his mouth, and said pitifully: "Mother, I'm not full!"
The 'Earth Origin Dao Seed' within Da Niu was like an insatiable furnace, frantically absorbing the essence from the food, converting it into the power of the earth veins to nourish his muscles and bones and stimulate Qi and blood.
The vital Qi contained in ordinary Low Grade Spirit Rice was already far from sufficient to keep up with the consumption of his transforming body.
"I know, Mother will go make some more!" Da Niu's mother said exasperatedly.
At night, in the open space in the backyard.
Da Niu stood in a horse stance, his bare upper body steaming with sweat, his muscles taut as iron under the moonlight.
Following the crude body-forging methods learned at the martial arts hall, he threw punches and kicks with dull whooshing sounds, and the hard dirt beneath his feet was actually indented with shallow marks.
"Hah!" With a low roar, Da Niu's entire skeletal frame emitted a subtle crackling sound, like new bamboo sprouting.
A much deeper and more solid Aura than before suddenly rose from him, stirring the surrounding air currents.
At the doorway, Da Niu's father, who had been silently watching, suddenly clenched his fists, his fingernails digging into his palms: "Qi... Qi Refining Seventh Level!"
How many days has it been? From barely drawing Qi into his body to Qi Refining Seventh Level! This speed, even the immortal masters enshrined in the inner city couldn't compare to it in their youth!
Da Niu's father trembled with excitement, a mixture of immense joy and a hint of fear.
With the Earth Origin Dao Seed deeply rooted, transforming his bones and solidifying his Foundation, Da Niu's Physique was visibly transforming towards a superhuman state.
Strength was surging, Qi and blood were growing, and ordinary food could no longer satisfy this body being reshaped by the Earth Vein Essence.
The next morning, Da Niu's father, uncharacteristically, did not go to work; he pulled out a small cloth bag that had been hidden under the bed for years, containing dozens of Spirit Stones.
He weighed them in his hand, gritted his teeth, and put them in his pocket as he walked out.
"Husband, you..." Da Niu's mother stopped herself, guessing what he was doing.
"To buy some good meat!" Da Niu's father said without looking back, his voice resolute: "High Grade Yao Beast meat, Da Niu needs to eat this to gain strength!"
Da Niu's father hurried, heading straight for the expensive Yao Beast meat shop in the city that contained pure Qi and blood.
His son had such a Heaven-Defying opportunity; he would sell everything he owned to support him!
Looking at his son's increasingly sturdy Physique and mountain-like Aura, Da Niu's father felt only wild joy and a desperate resolve; this was the hope for the entire family's future.
In the backyard, Da Niu stood still after his practice, feeling the surging power within him and the warm, pulsating Dao Seed.
He looked up, his gaze passing over the courtyard wall, towards Li Mu's small courtyard, his eyes filled with pure reverence and determination.
It was Mister who had given him this transformative power.
Da Niu would always remember this kindness.
...
In the blacksmith's backyard, the furnace fire never extinguished day or night.
Tie Tou, stripped to the waist, his sweat drying as soon as it emerged due to the high temperature, his skin glowing with an abnormal dark red.
His hammer swings were incredibly fast, his arm muscles bulging like iron, and with each strike, sparks flew, and the rough iron blank on the anvil visibly stretched and deformed, emitting a dull groan.
Tie Tou's mother leaned against the doorway, her fingers clenched white.
The dark flame of hatred in her son's eyes, not only had it not extinguished, but it was burning fiercely, enveloped by a purer, more violent force, like the core of a furnace; what he was forging was no longer ordinary iron, but rather, it was as if he was tempering himself with that fire.
"Bang!" The final hammer blow fell, and a piece of crude iron was actually forged into the prototype of a thin blade, its edges faintly glowing dark red.
Tie Tou's mother gasped, looking at her son's astonishingly bright eyes, as if dug out of charcoal ashes, her lips moved, but she ultimately did not try to stop him again.
She silently turned, took out a Storage Pouch from under the counter, rummaged through boxes and cabinets, and found pieces of treasured Artifact Refining ore in the dark.
The earth-shattering changes in the three children were like three giant rocks thrown into the calm ponds of the three families; after the tumultuous waves, there was a silent, surging undercurrent beneath the surface.
Da Niu's father returned carrying heavy, steaming Yao Beast meat; Mr. Lin wiped yellowed ancient books under the lamp; Tie Tou's mother solemnly handed the precious Storage Pouch to Tie Tou...
They had a tacit understanding, never mentioning that name, but every time they entered or exited their homes, passing by that quiet small courtyard, their backs would unconsciously bend deeper, their eyes filled with unprecedented reverence and gratitude.
(End of this chapter)
