The Target of a Conspiracy
Seeing this fruit, Xue Bai recognized it from the game and didn't need Xue Feng's explanation. However, seeing the excitement on his father's face didn't let him stop the man.
This fruit was something relatively common as it was only a Middle Yellow Grade Natural Treasure. However, it was entirely monopolized by noble clans making it almost impossible to get to people without backgrounds.
Like Xue Feng said, its purpose would give you enough Spiritual Qi to path out all 5 Veins in the Vein Transformation Realm. But that was only true for the Baishen Plane.
The First Realm in the Human Cultivation System was called the Vein Transformation Realm, and it marked the beginning of the evolution of the Mortal Body by creating a vasculature system for your Spiritual Qi.
In the Baishen Plane version, there were six stages, 1 for each major limb and one for the brain, then finally connected all of them while opening up a dantian at their connecting point. However, in the immortal world above, there were ten stages, the six of the Baishen Plane along with the Liver, Kidney, Lungs, and Heart. This would create a complete circuit allowing your Spiritual Qi to access every vital part of your body. However, the Baishen Plane version only allowed you to strengthen your limbs.
The 6-stage Vein Transformation Realm was a downsized version of the Immortal Realm version that would let less talented cultivators cultivate more quicker. But at the same time, blocking any chance for them to reach the Immortal Great Realm, as the complete circuit was needed in later realms.
How did Xue Bai know this? It was on the forum page for "Children of the Plane." One player befriended Feng Huang, Huo Long's master, and learned it from her.
And with the choice between both versions, Xue Bai would choose the second one any day.
"Bai'er, come and sit down cross-legged. We'll help you path out your veins." Li Rou beckoned her son over while saying.
Xue Bai nodded and sat down on the mat, but before he ate the fruit that was handed to him, he warned his parents.
"The first four vein pathways will be for the limbs, but the last one, instead of going towards my brain, I want you to guide the Spiritual Qi to my Liver."
Dumbstruck at such a statement, Xue Bai's parents didn't know how to react for a moment. Finally, however, Li Rou was the first to speak up as the calmer voice in the relationship.
"Is this also from your memories?"
Nodding Xue Bai explained the difference between the two different cultivation systems.
Li Rou and Xue Feng were floored at hearing it.
"It's such a simple thing. How did no one notice it? Spiritual Qi flows all throughout our body. So why couldn't we extend our vascular system to our organs as well." Li Rou covered her mouth in shock.
"The Heart Vein would increase regenerative powers, the Kidneys help remove impurities within our Blood and Dantian, the Liver would help our poison resistance, and the Lungs our Spiritual Qi absorption rate. It's genius!" Xue Feng mumbled to himself.
"It's only a disappointment we can't do this anymore. If we could, we would have already reached the Xiantian Realm with Yggdrasil's fruits." Li Rou shook her head disappointingly.
Over the past two years, the two of them had already regained their cultivation and surpassed it. Currently, they were both at the 7th stage of the Domain Lord Realm. And were still charging toward the Xiantian Great Realm.
"When I get strong enough to protect the two of you, I can let you recast your foundations, improve your Martial Veins and cultivate along with me! Then let alone the Immortal Great Realm, even the God Great Realm wouldn't be a dream for you two." Then, as the two were getting depressed, Xue Bai shouted out.
And just as Xue Bai hoped, his words brought smiles to their faces.
"You little brat! You haven't even reached the Vein Transformation Realm and are talking about becoming mythical Gods." Xue Feng gave his son a rough pat on his hair.
"Bai'er, no matter what, you have to focus on yourself. If you fall, no matter what goals you have planned for us will be for naught. Remember, without strength, dreams will stay dreams." Li Rou said lovingly.
Though he was annoyed at his father, Xue Bai nodded at his mother's words.
"Alright, enough talk of the future, Bai'er, eat the fruit." Xue Feng ordered.
Xue Bai nodded once more and regulated his breathing before swallowing the fruit in two bites.
Immediately he felt a ball of Spiritual Qi flow down his throat and near his naval as if going to an imaginary dantian. Then, just as he was confused about what to do, he heard his mother's calm voice.
"Bai'er, you feel the Spiritual Qi in you, right? Now guide that along where you feel my own."
Suddenly, he felt a second Foreign Spiritual Qi in his right arm.
Following what his mother said, he willed the Spiritual Qi within him and traced along the path his mother guided out for him.
However, almost instantly, he felt a searing pain in his right arm. Almost as if someone was branding him from the inside.
But just as Xue Bai was going cry out in pain, Xue Feng, who was standing idly on the stand, grabbed his shoulders and forced him to be still.
"Bai'er, you are creating a new vein network manually. Of course, it will hurt, but if you move and lose focus, you destroy your right arm permanently. Now choose, be a baby and let that cry out or grit your teeth and continue." Xue Feng spoke roughly.
Though Xue Feng was chastised by Li Rou after, his words did the trick, and Xue Bai held it in and continued creating his first pathway.
This continued on for the other three major limbs until Xue Bai finally reached the 4th stage of the Vein Transformation Realm.
"Mother, can you sense where my Liver is? This is something very important, this vein has to connect with it, or something will go terribly wrong." Xue Bai nervously.
Though he didn't know what would happen if he missed, as cultivation in the game was almost automatic, he didn't want to be the first to find out.
"Yes, Bai'er, you have no resistance to my Spiritual Sense. You're like an open book to me currently." Li Rou answered.
"I've already guided you to a path. Now trace it, and you should be finished."
Feeling the new path that his mother created, Xue Bai traced it until he finally connected with his Liver.
However, as soon as Xue Bai created the liver vein, something unexpected happened. With his Liver connected to his Spiritual Qi vascular system, an excess strand of Spiritual Qi went into his Liver, giving it a small evolution.
Now significantly stronger than before the Liver started its job.
After Xue Bai stood up to feel his new power, he felt a black ball go up his throat. Thinking it be bile, he went to the side to puke it out. But it wasn't what came out. Instead, a worm curled up into a ball.
The worm in question was blood red, and though it was curled into a ball, you could still tell that it was at least a foot in length when stretched out. But after throwing it up, the worm was dead now.
"Wait, that was in me?" Seeing himself throw up something so big terrified Xue Bai.
As his thoughts were reeling from the thousands of questions boiling in his mind, Li Rou's voice came from behind.
"Bai'er, what in the heavens did you just throw up?"
However, Xue Bai wasn't the one to answer. Instead, a furious Xue Feng did.
Xue Feng spoke in a voice that seemed to make the air tremble, "That's a Vein Swallowing Worm."
Knowing the name, Li Rou was obviously distressed, "But that's been banned throughout the Baishen Plane by the Righteous Alliance! Only demonic sects would dare to use these!"
"That's exactly why I'm furious. A mere demonic scum HAS TARGETED MY ONLY SON!"
Though Xue Bai had guessed what it did from the name, he still asked what it did.
Taking deep breaths to calm himself down, Xue Feng explained, "They are a special type of gu that are raised to swallow the pre-mature Martial Veins of children. So you just have to make a child under 11 swallow it, and as long as the Martial Vein isn't a realm higher than its rank, the Vein Swallowing Worm will consume it. But the most aggravating thing about it is that it's almost impossible to detect once swallowed."
"Why?"
"Because it dies as soon as it eats the Martial Vein of the child. Then it decomposes by itself and soon be excreted by the child who swallowed it. So you wouldn't even know you had it the entire time. Only thinking that you were born a cripple."
"So it being red meant that I had a Fire affinity, Martial Vein?" Xue Bai asked tentatively.
Xue Feng nodded at his son's inquiry.
"So then, me being a cripple wasn't an unlucky occurrence? But the plotting of someone else?"
Xue Feng nodded at this as well before asking his own question.
"Bai'er who did this, don't tell me you don't know or that you're not sure. I know, you know, and hiding it will only make this matter worse. So you will tell me which Demonic Scum is plotting against me THROUGH MY OWN SON!" Xue Feng's anger was almost tangible at this point. And because of that, at the same time, the temperature around them was starting to decline rapidly.
Even the still-asleep Xiao'er had curled up subconsciously to protect herself.
Although Xue Bai gained some cultivation, he still couldn't fully handle the aura his father was releasing.
"XUE FENG! Your son is the victim here! Don't you dare coerce him!" Then, seeing that the children couldn't protect themselves, Li Rou put up a shield of Spiritual Qi to protect them.
"Li Rou, I, Xue Feng, can handle any type of villainy, any matter of combat! But some Demonic scum has tried to plot against me through my own son! How can I, as a man, take this!" Xue Feng was riled up even more seeing Li Rou.
Just as the two were about to go against each other, Xue Bai answered the question.
"Duke Wang, I'm almost certain it's Duke Wang. I didn't even know this was in me. The memories didn't include this. The me in my memories also thought he was a cripple by fate."