Chapter 296: Innate Talent Lin Jingq
Lin Jingq felt a bit strange.
It was an indescribable sensation, like an invisible hand was gently caressing her. It felt like a full-body massage, warm and incredibly comfortable all over. This was an experience she had never had while meditating before.
Unfortunately, the sensation didn’t last long.
Lin Jingq opened her eyes in confusion to see a slightly pale face.
“Chen An…”
Lin Jingq subconsciously called out softly.
Immediately after, the young man swayed and fell straight down. Lin Jingq quickly reached out, catching him in her arms.
“I misjudged…”
Hmm, he’s quite soft. Chen An murmured, a faint fragrance reaching his nose.
“Misjudged what?”
Lin Jingq was bewildered. She hadn’t figured out what had happened yet, but seeing Chen An’s shaky appearance, her eyes held a hint of worry.
“Could you be having a heart attack?”
Lin Jingq suddenly remembered Chen An’s old illness. She stood up abruptly, shifting her posture to hold the young man like a princess carry, but with their roles reversed. Lin Jingq was surprised to find that her strength had become astonishing. She could lift a peer without any effort, as if she had taken a powerful pill.
But the girl didn’t have time to think. She hurried towards the stairs, intending to carry Chen An downstairs like this. If they appeared on campus in this pose, their photos would likely spread like wildfire in class groups the next day. But Lin Jingq didn’t care.
At this moment, a weak voice came from the young man in her arms.
“No, I’ll be fine if I rest for a bit.”
Chen An was a bit confused. He truly couldn’t understand how he, a Mahayana Stage cultivator, was almost drained by a little girl who hadn’t even reached Qi Refining. Although his current spiritual energy was less than one ten-millionth of his peak. However, that was still enough to rival a Golden Core cultivator!
To be blunt, on Blue Star in this era of declining spiritual energy, he was the only Immortal. However, this also explained why the Spirit Gathering Formation he casually set up at noon on the sports field couldn’t help Lin Jingq step into Qi Refining. If he himself was almost drained, how could a small formation possibly work?
This was also why Chen An had said he misjudged. Perhaps due to the lack of spiritual energy, or an incomplete Spirit Platform, he had misjudged Lin Jingq’s aptitude. After all, he had only taken a casual glance. Perhaps Lin Jingq really was a genius.
“Are you really okay?”
Lin Jingq looked down at him. The distance between them had shortened, and she could even feel each other’s breathing. The warm breaths on Lin Jingq’s face made her blush slightly.
Chen An heard the concern in her voice and shook his head.
“You can put me down now.”
Hearing this, Lin Jingq seemed to finally realize something. Her face turned red instantly, and her cowlick stood up even higher. But she managed to suppress her embarrassment and didn’t move immediately. She carefully put Chen An down and then took his arm, supporting him to the side. After doing this, Lin Jingq felt her cheeks burning hot, like they were on fire. Her entire body felt as though it was on fire. Her heart pounded, and she didn’t know if Chen An had a heart attack, but at this rate, she felt like she was about to have one.
Chen An saw her nervousness and gently reassured her, “It’s okay, I won’t hold it against you for taking advantage of me.”
Lin Jingq’s eyebrows shot up, and the embarrassment on her face dissipated somewhat. She glared at him fiercely, giving her a charming look.
“It was you who took advantage of me!” the girl exclaimed with a hint of grievance.
What on earth was going on! Why was he blaming her?
Chen An pulled his hand away, not wanting to dwell on this matter. He changed the subject, “How do you feel now?”
Lin Jingq was taken aback. She forced herself to calm down and carefully sense her body. This time, it was different from noon on the sports field. She could clearly feel a trace of spiritual energy, as thick as a fingernail, circulating in her meridians. Thinking about the series of strange sensations she had just experienced, she looked up at Chen An again, her eyes shining with wonder.
“Did I… break through?” she asked, still a bit uncertain.
Lin Jingq had heard her master complain more than once that the lack of a foundational cultivation method had held back countless disciples of Mount Qingcheng, preventing them from advancing beyond Qi Refining. Her master had also said that although the Old Ancestors were close to developing one, the conditions for breaking through were extremely harsh. The required primary spiritual materials alone numbered in the dozens, not to mention various other auxiliary ingredients! And this was just for one person, and only for the very first step into cultivation. This showed how difficult it was for mortals to cross this threshold.
However, once one entered Qi Refining, the rewards were unimaginably rich. Qi Refining had nine levels. Levels one to three were early Qi Refining, four to six were middle Qi Refining, and the rest were late Qi Refining. If one could reach middle Qi Refining, ordinary modern weapons would no longer be effective. Perhaps only heavy firepower like missiles could overwhelm them. But if they reached beyond middle Qi Refining, cultivators would often possess many unpredictable means, and in a real fight, mortals would undoubtedly be at a disadvantage.
“You already know the answer in your heart, don’t you?” Chen An recovered quickly, his complexion beginning to regain its color.
Upon receiving confirmation, Lin Jingq stood frozen. She might have actually… reached Qi Refining. But wasn’t it supposed to be difficult? Wasn’t it said that the entire country didn’t have a complete foundational cultivation method yet? How did she break through just by sitting in meditation? What about needing so many spiritual pills and herbs?
Lin Jingq clearly remembered that not only her master but also her master’s master had said that they would most likely have to wait until they entered the Unified Cultivation University to officially begin their cultivation. This was because without entering the university organized by the government, the resources needed for their breakthrough would be hard to obtain. Perhaps sects with strong foundations like Mount Qingcheng could still afford the expenses for their disciples, but it ultimately wasn’t as substantial as government allocation. This was a tacit understanding. The government provided the resources needed for cultivation, and the major sects provided disciples with cultivation talent, creating a win-win situation. While it might seem like the government wasn’t getting anything directly, in the long run, it was undoubtedly a very effective and necessary investment.
“You, how did you do it?” Lin Jingq wasn’t stupid. The facts were right in front of her. It couldn’t be that she was truly exceptionally talented, could it? The girl looked at Chen An intently, her gaze complex.
(End of this chapter)
