Chapter 185 - Returning To The Capital

As soon as Jing Yi had calmed down, he continued toward the capital again. Every night, he still sat down and tried to further his cultivation but this time there was actually progress.

In the first night, he hadn't been able to achieve anything since his mind was still chaotic. But after thinking everything through on the second day he finally managed to sense the cycle of spirit veins in his own body when he tried at night.

For a moment, he lost his concentration and could only sit there, grinning madly. He really would have liked it if Qiu Ling was there with him. He wanted to share his achievement with him. His achievement and, even more important, his happiness. This was only possible because of Qiu Ling. He should be there to take part in it.

"He'd probably do the same as on the mountain and silently beg for a reward. Or he might even ask for it directly. You know, Qiu Ling, I wouldn't mind it. You can get as many rewards from me as you'd like. You're already … really important to me."

Thinking of Qiu Ling had calmed him down, thus, Jing Yi sighed and went back to work. He noticed that he could feel the whole cycle but not every part was equally easy to sense. It was fairly simple around his hands and arms while the most difficult was the part of the cycle in his midst.

"It probably depends on training. Maybe it is something you can only gradually achieve. When I was … there the energy only entered my hands and then pushed out from there. Maybe I'll be able to circulate it through my whole body in the future, just like Qiu Ling." Jing Yi sighed. Somehow, all his thoughts returned to Qiu Ling sooner or later.

He stopped thinking about it and just continued to observe the cycle. If he wasn't completely wrong, then in the middle where he could sense next to nothing the dantian should be situated. Some way or another, he'd have to clear the way to that point.

He didn't get any further in that night but when he got up the next morning he felt like he had achieved a lot already. Qiu Ling really had been right. He couldn't give up too soon. After he had taken the first step, he would just need to continue trying and then he would achieve his goal one day.

In the third night, Jing Yi managed to deliberately take in a bit of spiritual energy. It was only a bit and he was drenched in sweat when he finally managed to do it but there was still a happy smile on his lips. When he opened his eyes the sun was already starting to rise. He hadn't slept for even a wink. He contemplated to sleep for at least a few hours now but then thought of Qiu Ling again. He still didn't know what had happened to him. Thus, he hurried onward.

When he reached a small town that evening he couldn't go on anymore. He just collapsed on the roadside and slept the whole night. He hadn't managed to cultivate even a bit.

Of course, he regretted doing so, as soon as he woke up. He wanted to make Qiu Ling proud. He wanted to see him smile when they saw each other again. He couldn't return without having made a lot of progress. Somehow he felt like just being able to sense and take in the spiritual energy wouldn't be enough. He wanted to have a big surprise ready for Qiu Ling when he returned.

Thus, Jing Yi tried to cultivate even while walking. It was hard. Much harder than cultivating in the night when he could sit down and solely concentrate on this one task. Correspondingly, he only managed to take in as much spiritual energy as in the night when he had first tried it out.

He wasn't satisfied with that at first but when night came he found out that he was now a lot faster when he fully concentrated. The spiritual energy seemed to rush toward him and after two nights he could feel the cycle of spiritual energy in his hands and arms while concentrating on something else. It felt completely natural to him.

Without noticing, Jing Yi had reached the first level of the seed stage if one only considered his air spiritual veins. It was slow progress if one considered he had taken five years until he started cultivating. If one looked at how it had only taken him two weeks to figure everything out, then this was nearly heaven-defying.

Those peerless geniuses with heavenly spirit veins would also take two or three days and they had their masters and cultivation manuals to guide them. Jing Yi had been able to manage all of this with just a bit of help from Qiu Ling and a lucky coincidence. It had actually been a blessing in disguise.

Even though Jing Yi didn't know that he had gotten so far, he couldn't wait to finally see Qiu Ling again to tell him everything. Thus, when he reached the capital and everything seemed alright he hurried over to the teahouse.

Maybe Qiu Ling went to look for me but couldn't find me because I had already left the mountain by then. Thus, he would have waited at the teahouse. He might be over there with my mother, already anxiously waiting that I come back. He'll probably pounce on me as soon as I enter.

Jing Yi's steps grew more hurried the closer he got to the teahouse until he finally ran the last steps. He couldn't see the two of them from the entrance and ran over to the preparation room. His mother was just picking up a tray with tea.

"Mother!" Jing Yi forgot Qiu Ling for a moment, jumped over and hugged his mother, tears clouding his sight once more. He had really feared to lose her in that whirlwind.

"Jing Yi?" Madam Zhong couldn't believe that her son had finally returned. "Jing Yi, it's really you! I was so worried!" She put the tray down and hugged him back, finally taking a deep breath after all the anxiousness she had felt for the last two weeks. "Are you alright? You're not hurt, are you?"

Jing Yi shook his head. "I'm very well, mother. Actually, something good happened while I was outside. Right, where's Qiu Ling?" He looked around but still couldn't see him. Strange. Why wasn't Qiu Ling there? He couldn't be helping out in the kitchen, could he?

Madam Zhong looked at her son worriedly. She really didn't know how he would receive the news. She didn't want to imagine. "About that … Maybe it's better if you see for yourself."

Jing Yi's scalp grew numb. His mother hadn't said anything about where he was and how he was doing but that alone told him more than he wanted to know. It seemed the thing he had worried about had come true.

Something had happened to Qiu Ling.