Merin enters the cultivation chamber after completing his duties for the day.
The door closes behind him.
He sits cross-legged upon the mat, spine straight, breathing even.
He does not begin crafting the fourth stage of the Virtual Body Technique.
His purpose extends beyond personal strength.
The Virtual Body Technique was created for two reasons.
Power.
And faith.
He recalls the totems of the Northern Mountain Tribes.
The tribesmen cultivate by visualising their totem.
Through belief and visualisation, the totem’s power flows into them, shaping them into warriors and shamans.
Shamans do not refine pills or artefacts like spiritual refiners.
They refine the power of their totem.
In return, the totem receives faith, understanding, and resonance with its Law.
His body now carries his Law.
It is no different from a living totem.
But for faith to flow to him, there must be a bridge.
He cannot teach them the Virtual Body Technique.
Body cultivation is demanding. It requires tremendous resources and strict physical conditioning. Though not as complex as soul cultivation, it consumes far more materials than qi cultivation.
Soul cultivation demands rare treasures.
Body cultivation demands volume.
Qi cultivation demands balance.
For believers, especially common soldiers and townsfolk, qi cultivation is ideal. It is simpler, faster, and requires fewer resources. It can spread widely.
He begins designing a Qi Cultivation Technique suitable for warriors.
Hours pass.
The framework stabilises.
It is neutral in attribute, emphasising control and adaptability. It can be cultivated up to the Outer Qi Refining Realm.
Enough to produce formidable fighters.
Enough to establish resonance with him.
When the technique is complete, he tests it on himself.
He shifts his breathing.
Qi begins to circulate through his meridians, guided by the new structure.
In his dantian, the sea of qi stirs.
Originally, it is a deep crimson expanse, vast and steady, with a golden hue concentrated at its centre.
Now,
The transformation begins.
First, the crimson darkens.
Then subtle strands of violet thread through it, like ink diffusing into water.
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The violet spreads gradually.
It does not violently erase the crimson.
It absorbs it.
Recolours it.
The sea begins to shimmer.
The hue deepens into a rich, dense, layered violet tone. Waves ripple across its surface in precise patterns, responding to his will instantly.
As the transformation continues, the violet sea compresses slightly.
Its surface grows smoother.
More refined.
The quality shifts.
Not greater in volume,
Greater in depth.
The golden centre brightens.
It expands outward slightly, radiating warmth.
The surrounding violet absorbs that glow, creating a bronze undertone that flickers beneath the surface.
The process stabilises.
When it ends, his Qi Sea stands transformed.
A vast Bronze-shine Violet Sea.
At its centre, a radiant golden core.
The golden core pulses rhythmically, anchoring the entire structure.
This is his Virtual Qi Sea.
It is not merely a reservoir.
It is a domain aligned with his Dao.
Qi within it responds with unprecedented precision. No turbulence. No resistance. Every current obeys instantly.
Merin opens his eyes slowly.
The violet within his pupils glows faintly in the dim chamber.
The foundation is laid.
Now,
He can begin gathering faith.
The next morning, Merin summons all Duan Family soldiers stationed outside the town to the militia training ground. Three hundred of them stand in orderly files before him, armour neat, posture straight, eyes steady.
Beyond the field, the town militia observes from a distance.
Among them stands Fu Zeye.
His gaze is turbulent.
He looks down at the wooden artificial leg fixed below his knee. The polished wood gleams faintly in the sunlight. It is sturdy, functional, but it is not flesh.
Last night, someone visited him.
A shadowed figure.
A promise.
They said they could regrow his leg.
In exchange, they wanted information about Lord Merin.
He shifts slightly.
His former subordinates stand several paces away, no longer clustered around him as before. The gap between them feels wider than the distance alone. Once, he had been their commander. Once, he had been heir apparent within his clan.
Now,
He has been sidelined.
He is no longer considered for clan head succession. Only the appointment as militia training officer, granted by Lord Merin, prevents him from being completely pushed aside.
His jaw tightens.
Should he betray Lord Merin?
Or remain loyal?
On the training ground, Merin’s voice carries evenly.
“Everybody, I am going to teach you a new Warrior Cultivation exercise.”
No one questions him.
These soldiers were orphans once. The Duan Family gathered them, fed them, and trained them. Their loyalty is absolute. According to their contracts, they must serve the Duan Family with their lives for ten years. Afterwards, they may choose to leave or remain. Even then, as guards, they may select their missions.
But until that time,
Refusal is not an option.
Merin surveys the three hundred men.
“Sit cross-legged. Begin meditating.”
They obey instantly.
As their breathing steadies, Merin releases his new ability,
The Virtual Field.
It expands silently across the training ground.
One by one, the guards’ consciousness separates gently from their bodies.
Their physical forms remain seated in meditation.
Their minds awaken elsewhere.
They find themselves standing within a vast green expanse beneath a sky lit by two suns.
Both suns shine in violet light.
One is large, radiant, yet bound by chains that suppress its brilliance.
The other is smaller, newly formed, pure and unsealed.
These are manifestations of his Virtual Space Law.
The larger sun originates from the Supreme World, sealed due to Dao Poison.
The smaller one was formed within this human world.
Merin manifests a body formed of consciousness before them.
“Everyone,” he says calmly, “you are under an illusion.”
They remain silent, disciplined.
“I will now teach you the warrior cultivation technique.”
Without gesture, he transmits the Virtual Blood Qi Cultivation Technique directly into their consciousness.
Understanding flows instantly.
Outside, their bodies remain motionless.
Inside the spirit realm, they begin cultivating.
Hours pass.
As they convert their former cultivation into the Virtual Blood Qi system, changes occur.
Some had reached the Outer Qi Realm.
Under this transformation, they cannot absorb spiritual energy temporarily. The restructuring of qi into blood qi causes temporary regression.
Several lose one or two minor realms.
Some fall further.
One from Inner Qi Realm slides back into Blood Seal Realm.
It is not a failure.
It is recalibration.
The Virtual Blood Qi Technique is superior to what they practised before. Its foundation is deeper, its future potential greater.
When the process completes, Merin withdraws the Virtual Field.
Their consciousness returns to their bodies.
One by one, the soldiers open their eyes.
They feel weaker in the realm,
But stronger in quality.
Merin turns slightly.
He realises something important.
The Virtual Blood Qi Technique requires resources.
And comprehension of his Virtual Space Law.
But his Law is complex, formed from layered world laws.
For ordinary warriors, comprehension may be extremely difficult.
Perhaps impossible.
He begins walking away from the field, deep in thought.
He needs something like a totem.
A structure infused with his Virtual Space Law.
Something they can visualise.
Something that transmits understanding gradually.
He slows.
His gaze shifts.
Fu Zeye enters his vision.
He sees the hesitation clearly.
He sees the wooden leg.
Their eyes meet briefly.
Merin says nothing.
He turns and continues walking.
