Chapter 269: The Mystery of Spirit Qi's Birth (Xiaoyuan), Initially Unveiled

In fact, to Baichuan, who had now thoroughly analyzed everything, although Spirit Qi appeared incomparably mysterious, in the end it was merely a kind of 【Biological Energy】—an energy carried by biological matter—only that the energy level of this biological energy was relatively higher, that was all.

And the very birthplace of Spirit Qi within a living organism was precisely upon the inner walls of the blood vessels within the organism's body.

That's right, this meant that the part modified by the ability 【Qi/Magic Adaptation】 was precisely the inner walls of the blood vessels, the most important part of the entire organism.

Actually, he should have known this long ago.

Because this was exactly the "Meridians" he was so familiar with!

The Meridians that had been given a prominent place in all the various ancient texts and records passed down from his previous life.

Meridians—this was an extremely minute structure attached to... no, one couldn't say attached; rather, under the effect of this ability, within the inner walls of the blood vessels inside the organism's body, an extremely minute network of hollow tissue was generated. For now, let us provisionally call this Connective Tissue.

On this tissue existed some extremely tiny protrusions, and most importantly, these protrusions did not exist on the Connective Tissue of every blood vessel's inner wall.

Through these Connective Tissue sections possessing protrusions, as blood flowed through the blood vessels, they continuously extracted energy from the blood that carried energetic substances, and then through those minute connective protrusion structures, caused this energy to react with a certain 【something】 between heaven and earth, thereby directly generating the energy of Spirit Qi.

This was the entire process of Spirit Qi's birth.

The reason he had been unable to find it before, yet always felt Spirit Qi appearing abruptly within the blood, was precisely because of this.

Those tissues were simply too minute. Before this ability was born, and without knowing exactly where the ability made its changes, who could have imagined that what this ability altered was the inner walls of the blood vessels—the most important part within the organism's body?

Moreover, even if he had previously thought it might be on the blood vessels, without any hint whatsoever in this regard, the possibility of him blindly finding it would not have been great, unless he examined every single one of the countless crisscrossing blood vessels throughout the entire organism's body.

But such tedious and prolonged investigation, with no knowing whether it would even be useful, Baichuan would absolutely not have begun at present.

Because this special tissue did not exist on the inner walls of all blood vessels either; it existed only on a few sections.

And the amount of this tissue determined whether an organism's innate talent was strong or not.

That he was able to discover this point was also thanks to the fact that over these past five years, after reading countless cultivation methods and building models, he had discovered that most of the more advanced cultivation methods instructed practitioners to concentrate their qi, blood, and intent on certain parts of the body somewhat more.

Because the tissue structure there had basically formed a miniature spherical shape.

Its specific location was at the dantian of the human body. As for the various demon races transformed from animals, although the locations differed, they were basically at the place where they formed their Inner Core—that is, the Gallbladder position.

After Baichuan comprehended this point, only then, under his focused observation, and even after dissecting a large number of biological cultivation methods that had evolved this ability and their specific changes, did he accidentally discover the tissue corresponding to this ability, and how Spirit Qi was born.

It could be said that throughout the entire process, without massive computing power to analyze the common points of cultivation methods, and then fortunately possessing Microscopic Vision, and being able to grant various organisms this ability and intelligence at any time, he would absolutely never have been able to find this final answer.

These three were indispensable.

Fortunately, now everything was concluded, and the power of Spirit Qi had initially unveiled its mystery to him, and was already being utilized by him on a small scale.

Then, he should go find the other part of Spirit Qi's birth.

But how should this Demon Kingdom be handled?

At this moment, Baichuan, who already had the intention of leaving in his heart, began to consider this Demon Kingdom that had been unintentionally born.

Although it was created during his experimental process, and he had paid it little attention over all these years, it had still given birth to countless treasures that appeared extraordinarily precious in the eyes of outsiders.

……

At the same time, on a beast path at the outer perimeter of this beautiful Demon Kingdom.

A group of strangers walking cautiously abruptly appeared in the misty, hazy forest.

"Hey, old man, is that mysterious kingdom you mentioned really here? You've already led us around this dump for three days."

Frowning slightly as she surveyed this seemingly ordinary mountain forest, one of the women spoke up with some doubt.

Because although this place carried a hint of mysterious charm due to the lingering mist, when all was said and done, fog rising in the mountains was nothing more than a common occurrence.

Such an utterly unremarkable place, where not even a single large beast could be found—was it really the secret realm full of treasures described in the rumors?

It was worth mentioning that although Baichuan's current location was surrounded by mountains, it was not any particularly hidden place.

Because initially, he had merely chosen a nearby spot at random after leaving Liao He where Old Dragon resided. And because of the official position Old Dragon had been enfeoffed with, even though dragons were naturally fond of secluded deep mountains and boundless waters, he could not choose some remote and inaccessible dead end for terrain, and could only helplessly choose this spot as a node connecting the waterways throughout the entire Dalong region—Liao He.

Liao He was precisely the most densely populated area of humanity in the Dalong region, so under these circumstances, after Baichuan had stayed here for so many years, no matter how much he wished to remain hidden, some true and false rumors had gradually spread, let alone the fact that he was wholeheartedly immersed in his research and paid no attention to affairs.

The rumors said that on a certain Chang Yun Shan north of Liao He, mysterious fog that could make people dizzy and disoriented lingered year-round, and that some fortunate people, once able to pass through this layer of fog, could step into a mysterious and beautiful kingdom.

There, it was spring all year round, filled with birdsong and flowers, and the ground was covered with all kinds of crystal-clear, beautiful, priceless gems. Among them, various spirits and fairies lived contentedly and happily. If one caught the fancy of these spirits and fairies, one might even be given Treasure Medicine that could transform a mortal's body, or cultivation methods that could lead one onto the path of cultivation.

And at this moment, this group of people had come to explore out of curiosity upon hearing those wildly circulated rumors.

Hearing the woman's doubt, the old man leading the way also couldn't help but stop his steps, turned his head and said with a smile, bowing and scraping: "Miss, really, truly, that mysterious kingdom from the legends is right here. How could I possibly deceive you? If others said this you might not believe it, but I myself have actually been inside there. As for this mysterious place, to enter, the most important thing is that 'sincerity' something 'works'..."

"Sincerity works."

Someone beside him answered for him.

"Right, right, right!" The old man gave the person a grateful glance before continuing: "I'm not a scholar, I forgot how to say it. Thanks, big brother. But this matter truly can't be rushed, can't be rushed."

Hearing this, the woman directly crossed her arms, glanced sideways, and said: "Oh~? You've been inside? If that's the case, then why haven't you struck it rich? Don't the rumors say that those who enter there and return can at the very least possess great wealth? Even more, become one of those legendary Experts?"

These words directly caused the old man's smiling face to stiffen. The woman's words reminded him of his former companion Gou Dan, who had gone into the mountains with him to gather medicinal herbs.

That day, just as the mist was rising, he had personally watched his companion disappear right before his eyes, as if swallowed by the fog. Then, three days after he had fled in panic, that companion reappeared, not only bringing back a large quantity of gems, but also having become a powerful expert with immense strength.

All sorts of important figures from the county, whom he couldn't even get a glimpse of in ordinary days, flocked to the broken house of the down-and-out Gou Dan. Before long, the other man transformed into a master who possessed fertile fields and grand mansions, with a beautiful wife and concubines in his arms.

But he was still that same wretched, despised peasant from before.

This experience of his former down-and-out companion's lucky rise to fortune, and from then on no longer being from the same world as himself, was undoubtedly the most infuriating, envious, jealous, and hateful thing—especially since the entire process of rising to fortune had happened right under his nose.

For countless days and nights, he had lain awake in frustration, more than once imagining: if only the one standing in that spot that day had been him, not Gou Dan, and he had been the one to disappear. If only he hadn't been afraid and left directly that day, but had walked straight to where Gou Dan had disappeared. If only he hadn't abandoned Gou Dan and run away at the end. If only he had waited a moment. Then Gou Dan should have shared some gems with him. If only...

All kinds of regrets gnawed at him like inner demons, so that he wandered day after day around the area where his former companion had disappeared, only hoping that luck would smile on him once, and he could enter that legendary mysterious place, successfully possessing countless fertile fields, grand mansions, and beauties.

Now, leading this group of people here was only because they had offered him a reward he could hardly refuse, and he had reluctantly done it.

Recalling these past vexations, the old man also stiffly twitched his face and forced a smile, "I, I..."

"Enough, stop making things difficult for this old man."

Someone beside him couldn't stand watching and spoke up to stop it. After all, the reason they had hired him was because, after investigating, they knew he was truly a witness who had personally seen someone enter that secret realm.

As for other people who had truly entered there, they were not people they could hire.

Those who possessed wealth looked down on the reward they offered; those who possessed martial prowess could not be coerced by them. Moreover, everyone who came out from inside would seal their lips tightly whenever speaking of this matter to others. All of this had cast a veil of mystery over this mysterious secret realm.

"Fine, okay."

Hearing this, the woman also stopped her complaints with some dissatisfaction, because she herself knew that no matter how much she pressed the old man, it would serve no purpose. It was only because they had been wandering around for three whole days without seeing a single trace of the secret realm that she had become somewhat irritable.

"Wait, where did Qiu Yu go?"

"What? Wasn't he just here?"

"Th-this, why is the fog getting thicker and thicker?"

"No, it's not that the fog is thicker, the fog is moving!"

While the few were talking, a sudden commotion broke out at the back of the crowd.

Yet after only a few breaths of exclamations, the surroundings returned to silence.

Because the crowd had also come to their senses, and in an instant one after another began casting their gazes toward the spot where the vanished person had last been.

At this moment, the only sound here was the increasingly heavy and obvious panting; amid the misty, hazy mountain forest, the increasingly distinct panting carried not fear, but greed.

Among them, the old man leading the way was the most obvious — countless days and nights of vexation and regret, today he had finally once again encountered the opportunity he had missed in days past.

Clearly only one person had vanished at this moment, yet the crowd was convinced that the spot where that person had disappeared could let those who came after enter as well; as for failing and being unable to enter? That simply wasn't in their consideration.

Run!

Under the increasingly irrepressible surge of wild joy, the old man lunged toward that spot before the others could even scramble for it.

In an instant, as a swirl of fog was set rolling by the moving air currents, the old man's figure vanished as well.

And this move also jolted the surrounding crowd awake.

So, like dumplings dropping into a pot, one after another the crowd threw themselves toward that spot in a frenzy.

At this moment, the old man only felt as though he had thrown himself against a soft yet firm high wall, and then entered a beautiful realm.

Countless towering great trees, their massive roots tangled together, stood tall; beneath the trees a clear, clean stream flowed quietly past; at the bottom and along the sides of the brook, various beautiful stones were scattered about — those were gemstones. Beneath the great trees, various sprites, some cute and some emitting a beautiful faint glow, were dozing; a few, startled by the sudden commotion, were now curiously watching the unfamiliar visitor.

Farther off amid the swirling clouds and mist, from time to time flew past a few creatures of enormous size bearing powerful auras — sometimes a Cang Ying, sometimes a white crane, sometimes a strange great serpent with horns on its head…

This place was a beautiful realm belonging exclusively to the world's sprites and spirits, and also the laboratory born from Baichuan's various experiments on Dragon Blood's infectivity over the past five years.

Yes, this place was not only where Baichuan's research on Spirit Qi was born, but also where Blood Worm Light Point Energy was altered, and where Dragon Blood was studied.

This realm was born after Baichuan's preliminary research combining the three power systems.

Using Blood Worm Light Point Energy to alter the suitable environment, the domineering infectivity of Dragon Blood as the foundation, combined with the small source born from Spirit Qi within living organisms — all this gave rise to such a realm.

Here there were not only various animals with powerful auras, but also various plant beings that seemed as though alive.

That's right, with the help of Dragon Blood's infectivity and the Characteristic of Spirit Qi, Baichuan had finally begun infecting large quantities of plants, turning them into new species between animal and plant, and successfully unlocked a small number of Ability Panels related to plants.

This was Baichuan's exploration, for when he obtained this world in the future, of how to reasonably utilize the three power systems to assist, cooperate, and change the world.

After all, he could not simply stop after absorbing all this world's resources; meanwhile, the Light Point Energy of his main world, once it lost him as its source of supply, would inevitably decline with Time, and the altered, mutated creatures' abilities still had no fixed direction.

So he was considering whether there was a way: after he gave a seed, without his involvement, it could still change all things more quickly and in a directed manner, to provide him with everything he needed.

Once his research succeeded, his main world would be able to combine the characteristics of the three worlds and more quickly provide him with everything he needed.

Unfortunately, his plan was still only a concept, an embryonic form.

Of course, even so, this had still allowed him to create a strange and beautiful realm.

Here there were various beings carrying ancient, mysterious bloodlines, various Treasure Medicines that had gained intelligence and movement due to the powerful medicinal potency within them, mineral spirits that could take human form, and even…

(End of this chapter)