Chapter 7

Biao Shu’s meditation room is located in an old office building in the old district.

There are at least seven or eight such meditation rooms in this building, because in this era, cultivation is still a relatively popular industry; despite its high threshold, parents remain enthusiastic—everyone hopes their child is a cultivation genius who will suddenly rise to fame and become someone everyone envies.

Where there is demand, there is a market.

Meditation rooms have sprung up everywhere in this era; as long as you understand some professional cultivation knowledge or have just entered cultivation, you can open a studio to teach students and make money.

Even many people have gone on to become private tutors.

In short, many unexpected careers have emerged around cultivation, and all of them are quite profitable.

Biao Shu is not good at business—his meditation room has always been barely surviving—but today, when Li Yi arrived, he found the room packed with students, business unusually booming, which surprised him.

As he drew closer, he heard a teacher’s voice coming from inside the meditation room.

And the voice belonged to a woman, not Biao Shu.

“Before you formally step onto the path of cultivation, you must first understand what cultivation is—and what is its most fundamental principle? Why, ten years ago, was our world mockingly called the End Dharma Era by many netizens, with Heaven and Earth severed, and not a single cultivator to be found anywhere in the world, forcing every nation to rely solely on technology? Yet now, cultivation has become a common occurrence.”

“Teacher Lin, I know this—it’s because after the Heaven’s Tilt Event, spiritual energy revived in our world,” one student immediately responded.

The young woman called Teacher Lin spoke with a serious, earnest tone: “Spiritual energy revival? That’s just an internet meme. It might barely explain a little, but it doesn’t get to the root cause. Do you even know what spiritual energy revival means?”

“This... I’m not quite sure,” the student’s voice weakened.

“Before explaining spiritual energy revival, you must first understand the world we inhabit—even the star system we’re in. As everyone knows, our planet orbits and rotates around the Sun, giving us the changing seasons and day and night. But from another perspective, it is the Sun that pulls our planet, propelling it through the universe at a speed of 790,000 kilometers per hour.”

“Energy exists throughout the universe, but it is not evenly distributed. When the Sun carries our planet into regions of sparse cosmic energy, our world receives no nourishment from it—and that is when the End Dharma Era emerges. Conversely, when the Sun brings our planet into a region rich with cosmic energy, all life on the planet is nourished by it, and what you call spiritual energy revival occurs.”

“Spiritual energy is a form of cosmic energy.”

“The Heaven’s Tilt Event ten years ago was the moment our world officially entered a cosmic energy field, triggering a transformation. One of our university professors once said that within a massive cosmic energy field, space becomes warped, wormholes open, and two planets extremely far apart may briefly connect—even revealing parallel worlds once the wormholes open.”

“Some of the unusual events happening in today’s world—ghosts, strange artifacts, and the appearance of supernatural beings—are actually things from other worlds that have arrived in our own. The reason we cannot understand or deal with many of them is because cultivation in our world has only just begun, while in parallel worlds, the concept of cultivation may have been widespread for hundreds or even thousands of years.”

“Therefore, our foundation in cultivation is extremely shallow.”

“But don’t be discouraged by this. I believe most people have great cultivation potential; they simply lack an opportunity. If you join Biao Shu’s Meditation Room, I believe your future is limitless.”

“Today, Biao Shu’s Meditation Room is offering member discounts—not 28,000, not 18,000, but only 9,800. The first ten new members will receive a free private lesson.”

As Teacher Lin reached this point, she immediately shifted tone, abandoning her lecture and beginning to promote.

Outside, Li Yi listened intently, feeling his horizons had broadened significantly—he was beginning to understand cultivation. Too bad Teacher Lin didn’t continue. If he had money, he’d gladly become a member to attend these lessons.

But Teacher Lin was indeed highly professional—many students were already lining up to pay.

“Hey, hehe.” A delighted laugh suddenly sounded behind Li Yi.

It was a middle-aged man nearing forty, ordinary-looking, with thinning hair, but radiating energy.

“I knew these people would gladly hand over their money—worth all the trouble I went through to drag my niece here as a teacher. Li Yi, what brings you to my meditation room today? Did something go wrong at home? Don’t worry—I just made a big profit today. Whatever trouble you have, just say it.”

Biao Shu waved his hand grandly, brimming with passion.

“I haven’t encountered any trouble—I’ve just recently become curious about cultivation, so I wanted to ask you about it,” Li Yi said.

He didn’t want to burden his family’s problems on others—helping once is fine, but what about twice, three times, ten times?

One must rely on oneself.

“Good, that’s good. After your father became a Silent One, you were the one I worried about most. If you have any trouble, speak up—don’t be shy. Back when I was close with your father, we were brothers who’d risked our lives for each other. If he ever woke up and found I’d ignored you, he’d probably beat my head in—haha.”

“You said you’re interested in cultivation? That’s great. I’ve told you before—your father was a true cultivation genius. Your talent is probably high too. If you walk this path, you’ll surely achieve great things. But you always refused before, claiming you needed to care for your family. I understand—cultivation takes a lot of time, and now you’re the only one at home, still needing to earn money for nutrient solution. If you went to cultivate, you couldn’t care for your family.”

Here, Biao Shu paused, then added: “My teaching ability is limited—I wouldn’t dare mislead you. I’ll have my niece teach you. Her level is far higher than mine—you just heard her lecture inside; she knows far more professional knowledge than I ever could.”

“It’s a bit troublesome to ask your niece,” Li Yi said, embarrassed.

“What’s the trouble? Come anytime you want to listen—free of charge,” Biao Shu patted Li Yi’s shoulder and grinned. “Wait a moment.”

He walked into the meditation room.

Seeing this, Li Yi couldn’t help but feel moved—his father’s friend was still reliable.

Not long after Biao Shu entered, the meditation room door opened, and a young woman with short hair and a sharp, professional appearance stepped out.

She sized up Li Yi, then smiled and extended her hand: “You’re Li Yi? I’m Lin Yue. Your uncle already told me he wants me to teach you cultivation. Don’t be nervous—we’ve never met before, but I knew your father. Before he became Silent, Uncle Li gave me guidance. So we’re quite connected.”

“Thank you, Lin Yue,” Li Yi said.

“Don’t be so formal—I’m older than you. Call me Lin Jie. Come with me to the office; this isn’t the place to talk.” Lin Yue spoke warmly and proactively.

Li Yi said nothing, simply following behind.

In the office, Lin Yue had Li Yi sit down, then skillfully picked up the teapot and brewed a cup of green tea. “Li Yi, I’m direct—I hate beating around the bush. Let’s get straight to the point: how much do you know about cultivation?”

“Not much. I’ve never been exposed to it—only heard bits and pieces online and from relatives,” Li Yi shook his head.

“So you’re a complete beginner?” Lin Yue mused.

Li Yi said: “If Lin Jie finds it troublesome, I can go back, study some materials, and sit in on a few classes...”

“No, that’s not what I meant. Don’t misunderstand. I’m just deciding where to start—you’re a beginner. I can’t jump straight into teaching you how to cultivate. I need to teach you basic theory first.” Lin Yue said: “I’ll explain. You ask questions if you don’t understand—it’ll save time.”

“Alright,” Li Yi nodded.

Lin Yue twirled her teacup and said: “Actually, cultivation is simple—it’s the process of absorbing cosmic energy to trigger evolution and transformation within oneself. In ancient times, it was called xian cultivation, and cosmic energy is what novels call immortal qi or spiritual energy.”

“Lin Jie, isn’t it said our world is polluted, and untrained cultivation can drive people mad—or even kill them?” Li Yi asked.

“That’s true. Cosmic energy in our world is polluted. If an ordinary person, with no knowledge, dives directly into cultivation, that’s the result. But six years ago, this changed. So far, we’ve identified two barely viable paths of cultivation.”

“Let’s start with the first.”

“Our surroundings contain countless tiny wormholes too small to observe. But a rich cosmic energy field can warp these wormholes—or even open some of them. Though briefly, this short window allows cosmic energy from the other side to enter our world.”

“Before that cosmic energy becomes polluted by our world, use your intent to guide it into your body and stimulate cellular evolution—thus entering cultivation.”

“This method is the safest and most widespread, but its flaw is obvious: extremely slow efficiency.”

“The cosmic energy leaking through wormholes is too scarce, and its output is unstable. To cultivate, you must spend enormous time and effort. Also, guiding cosmic energy into your body and having your cells absorb it isn’t 100% successful—there’s always a chance of failure.”

Here, Lin Yue sighed helplessly: “But even this would be acceptable—if you have perseverance, you’ll eventually gain something. The problem is, absorbing cosmic energy from the other side of the wormhole depends entirely on luck. Take me, for example: once I sat alone in a meditation room for three days and gained nothing—not a single scrap of alien energy.”

“Of course, there are lucky times—when vast amounts of cosmic energy leak from wormholes. But it’s like a thirsty man stranded in the ocean suddenly caught in a downpour: countless drops of fresh water fall, yet all you can do is open your mouth and catch just a tiny bit to moisten your lips.”

“That feeling drives you insane. But I must seriously warn you: no matter how ‘thirsty’ your body feels during cultivation, never absorb the polluted cosmic energy of our world, and never think, ‘I’ll just take a little—it won’t hurt.’”

“A shipwrecked man in the ocean won’t drink seawater, even if he dies of thirst—because the more he drinks, the faster he dies.”

At the end, Lin Yue fixed Li Yi with a serious, earnest gaze.

Clearly, this warning was crucial.

“I remember,” Li Yi nodded solemnly.

“Hehe,” Lin Yue smiled again. “Don’t be tense—you don’t even know how to cultivate yet. Worrying about this is premature.”

Li Yi scratched his head. “You’re right. But Lin Jie, what’s the second cultivation method?”

Lin Yue’s smile faded. She extended a pale finger. “The second method is simple: possess a Strange Artifact.”

“Strange Artifacts carry their own energy field, capable of eliminating energy pollution within a certain range, preventing cultivators from mutating. It’s like a shipwrecked man stranded at sea possessing a seawater purifier—he can continuously obtain fresh water, instead of waiting for rain.”

“So, the gap between cultivators who have Strange Artifacts and those who don’t is obvious.”

Li Yi’s heart flared with excitement—if the half-coin in his pocket was a Strange Artifact, wouldn’t his cultivation speed skyrocket?

“But don’t even think about it,” Lin Yue said. “Strange Artifacts are too precious. Individuals aren’t allowed to possess them. Even if someone gets lucky and finds one, the state will forcibly reclaim it if discovered.”

“I’ve heard of incomplete Strange Artifacts—what are those?” Li Yi asked.

Lin Yue explained: “Incomplete Strange Artifacts are damaged or partial ones. The state doesn’t forcibly reclaim them because their value plummets when incomplete. But even so, prices on the market for incomplete ones keep rising—they’re still beyond ordinary people’s reach.”

“Can incomplete Strange Artifacts also eliminate energy pollution?” Li Yi asked, curious.

Lin Yue frowned. “I don’t know. I don’t know much about Strange Artifacts. But logically, incomplete ones must have flaws—and only the owner knows what those flaws are. And such people won’t go around talking about them.”

“Then how do you tell if something is a Strange Artifact?” Li Yi finally asked the key question.

He dared not ask outright—he feared revealing his intent too obviously. So he saved this question for last.

Lin Yue chuckled. “You haven’t even started cultivating yet, and you’re already thinking about Strange Artifacts?”

Li Yi smiled awkwardly. “Just curious—what if I ever get lucky and find one but don’t recognize it? I’d miss out big time.”

“Since you asked, I’ll answer. Ordinary people find it nearly impossible to identify Strange Artifacts. They can be a stone, a feather, an object—even a hand or a corpse... I know one reliable way to tell: meditate beside it.”

“Once you enter cultivation, you perceive surrounding cosmic energy. Since Strange Artifacts carry their own energy field, simply compare the two—the answer becomes obvious.”

“Also, once a cultivator reaches a certain level, their eyes can see things ordinary people cannot—even perceive energy fields. So advanced cultivators can instantly judge whether something is a Strange Artifact.”

“So that’s how it works.”

Li Yi’s eyes flickered with thought.

It seemed only after he began cultivating could he determine whether the half-coin in his hand was a Strange Artifact.

“Lin Jie, I want to cultivate. Can you teach me?” Li Yi pleaded.

“Of course. But there’s an old saying: a master leads you through the gate, but cultivation depends on yourself. I can only guide you in—how far you go, what achievements you make, depends entirely on you. Don’t expect too much—I’m afraid high hopes lead to greater disappointment. I’ve taught many students; many trained for three or five years and gained nothing.”

“Cultivation talent is crucial. As for what cultivation talent is—you’ll understand once you enter cultivation for the first time.”

Lin Yue sipped her tea and continued: “I don’t want to waste time. You have no time to prepare—cultivation starts now.”

“Alright,” Li Yi nodded solemnly.