met free Chapter 5 Sign-in to Obtain a Qilin
Chapter 5 Sign-in to Obtain a Qilin
Spring passes and autumn comes.
Yan Zu is almost four years old.
Eleven months have passed since the system was activated. During these eleven months, he has diligently checked in, cultivated, and disguised himself every day, gradually integrating the essence of the Nine Yin Manual into this young body.
Now, judging from his appearance alone, he is completely different from ordinary children.
He was nearly the height of a six-year-old child, with a slender and well-proportioned figure. His skin was so fair it was almost translucent, yet it had a healthy rosy glow. Most striking were his eyes, pure black, unfathomable, as if they could see right through people's hearts.
The villagers often say that the Yan family's children are growing up to look more and more like little immortals, so handsome that they seem otherworldly.
Over the past eleven months, the rewards he received for checking in daily have been varied and diverse:
Sometimes he would crush three Body Tempering Pills and mix them into his food;
Sometimes it was a crystal of soul power, which he ground into powder and sprinkled into the well water;
Sometimes it was a bag of spicy strips or a can of cola, which he carefully sealed away to save for later.
Sometimes it was a "Basic Herbal Atlas" or a "Record of Low-Level Soul Beast Habits" that he "inadvertently" "discovered" and showed to his parents, greatly improving their hunting and herb-gathering efficiency.
Thanks to these sign-in rewards, Yan Hu's soul power has increased to level 29, and Su Qing's has stabilized at level 25. Moreover, because her meridians are nourished by the Nine Yin Manual, breaking through to level 26 is just around the corner.
More importantly, both of them are in much better physical condition than before. Yan Hu's old injuries from years of hunting soul beasts have mostly healed; Su Qing's headaches have also not recurred for a long time.
The villagers all said that the Yan family had struck it lucky; they must have hunted down some rare and precious treasure.
On this sunny day, Yan Zu, as usual, sat on the threshold, seemingly lost in thought.
Of course, this "daydreaming" is not the same as that kind of daydreaming. It is actually the "Listening to the Wind Technique" from the Nine Yin Manual—a method to enhance perception. However, to outsiders, the scene looks rather silly: a three- or four-year-old toddler, resting his chin on his hand, staring blankly, with a glistening drool hanging from the corner of his mouth, looks like he has been acupunctured.
Aunt Wang from next door passed by, glanced at the child, and shook her head: "Could the Yan family's child be possessed by an evil spirit?"
Hearing this, Su Qing, who was drying herbs in the yard, looked up at her son and replied without changing her expression, "No, no, he's just been spacing out a lot lately. I guess he's growing brains."
Yan Zu: "..." Mother, your explanation is worse than no explanation at all.
After cultivating, Yan Zu returned to his room, closed the door, and silently called upon the system in his mind.
[Consecutive days of check-ins: 364]
Yan Zu frowned slightly.
Based on his observations over the past eleven months, the system rewards seem to follow a certain pattern. Daily check-ins are the basic reward, and there are monthly bonuses. Tomorrow will be the 365th day, a full year.
Will it trigger anything?
He didn't know what the specific reward would be, but he had a vague feeling that tomorrow would be a crucial day.
"We must make the most of every day."
He sat down cross-legged and entered a meditative state once again.
This time, he was no longer satisfied with the routine breathing exercises, but began to try to incorporate the "Soul Transfer Technique" from the Nine Yin Manual—a technique for using spiritual power—into his cultivation.
The Soul Transfer Technique is a profound method from the Nine Yin Manual, capable of influencing the mind and spirit of others. However, Ancestor Yan discovered that by reversing this approach and focusing one's spiritual power inward, one could significantly enhance the growth of spiritual power!
He closed his eyes and focused all his attention on his dantian.
In an instant, everything around me became clear.
He could "see" the wind's path outside the window, "hear" the crawling of insects and ants underground, and "smell" every wisp of medicinal fragrance emanating from Su Qing's decoction in the kitchen.
In this extreme state of perception, the speed at which the spiritual energy of heaven and earth converged towards him was more than twice as fast!
One hour later.
He stood up, and with a light leap, his body floated up like a feather, landing silently on the windowsill.
A beginner's guide to light footwork.
What will tomorrow bring?
He murmured softly, a hint of anticipation flashing in his eyes.
Silent all night.
The next morning, before dawn, Yan Zu woke up.
The first thing he did when he opened his eyes was to mentally call upon the system.
[Ding! Today's check-in successful!]
[Consecutive days of check-ins: 365]
[The annual super reward is ready, would you like to claim it?]
Yan Zu's heart skipped a beat.
Really!
He took a deep breath, suppressing his excitement: "Receive it!"
[Ding! Sign in for a full year to trigger the annual bonus!]
[Congratulations, host, on unlocking your first Martial Soul: the auspicious beast Qilin (unawakened, already adapted to full innate soul power)!]
[Martial Soul Characteristics: Auspicious Origin, Vitality Nourishment, Aura Concealment, Fortune Totem.]
[Note: Because the host has not yet awakened their Martial Soul, the Qilin Martial Soul is currently in a phantom state and cannot materialize. However, it is already bound to the host's soul and can be communicated with in advance.]
As the system notification faded, Yan Zu felt a loud bang in his mind, and a powerful yet gentle force surged into the depths of his soul.
In his mental world, a... little dog?
No, it's not a dog.
It was a small beast, its body as smooth and translucent as jade, with deer antlers, an ox tail, fish scales, and tiger claws—a living, breathing Qilin, only its size was about the same as that of a village dog that had just turned one month old.
It opened its big, watery eyes, curiously observing Yan Zu's spiritual world, then opened its mouth and let out a soft, childish chirp:
"Eeya—"
Yan Zu: "..."
His first reaction wasn't "I have a martial spirit now," but rather "So cute."
My second thought was: Will this thing really grow into a big dog?
The little beast seemed to sense his thoughts and let out a pitiful hum.
Yan Zu chuckled and tried calling out in his mind, "Qilin?"
The phantom immediately responded, nuzzling against it again, its affectionate manner exactly like that of a puppy just wanting to be petted.
"Good heavens..." Yan Zu suppressed his excitement and began to carefully sense this newborn martial soul.
Although it was just a phantom, he could clearly feel that peaceful and ancient aura truly existing deep within his soul. It was the source of auspiciousness, the embodiment of fortune, and one of the foundations upon which he would truly stand on this continent in the future.
"I'll call you Xiaoyu from now on," he murmured to himself.
Having a Martial Soul Phantom beforehand means he can establish a connection with it before his true awakening, and even borrow some of its abilities in advance. This is an incredible opportunity for a three-year-old child.
Yan Zu then tried to make it suppress its aura. The little guy obediently suppressed all fluctuations, even the light and shadow in its spiritual world dimmed, and it curled up into a ball, like a quiet jade-carved puppy.
"Good boy." Yan Zu rubbed its head with satisfaction—although it was only a mental contact, the little Qilin squinted its eyes comfortably and made a contented purring sound.
He continued to communicate with the little Qilin in the spiritual world, trying to get it to release some vitality.
The little Qilin opened its mouth and exhaled a wisp of pale green breath.
The aura emanated from Yan Zu's body, instantly filling the entire room.
Then--
The once somewhat rotten window frame regained its woody fragrance at a visible speed; the dying plant in the corner had its leaves plump up and even sprouted a few new buds; even the cricket under the bed, which had gone into hibernation early because of the cold winter, groggily crawled out, chirped twice, and then retreated back inside.
Yan Zu's eyes widened.
This is just an unawakened phantom!
If he were to fully awaken, wouldn't that be incredible? Wouldn't he be able to open a "Dead Tree Comes Back to Life" sanatorium?
The little Qilin seemed to sense its master's shock, and proudly raised its little head, with an expression that said, "Praise me, praise me!"
Yan Zu chuckled and then instructed it to control its breathing.
This time the little guy was smarter; he obediently stopped working and even turned off the light himself.
"Very good." Yan Zu nodded in satisfaction, then suddenly heard a hushed voice coming from outside the door.
It's my father and mother.
"Qing'er, don't you think that Azu is becoming less and less like a child?" Yan Hu's voice carried a hint of confusion.
"I know what you're thinking," Su Qing said gently and calmly. "But no matter what secrets Azu has, he's still our son. As long as he doesn't hurt himself or others, we should support him."
Yan Hu was silent for a moment, then sighed, "You're right. I'm just... worried that one day he might drift further and further away from us."
"No, that won't happen." Su Qing's voice became firm. "I know our child. He has us in his heart."
Upon hearing this, Yan Zu, who was inside the room, felt a slight warmth in his eyes.
He turned over, facing the wall, and silently said, "Father, Mother, don't worry. I will never leave you."
The little Qilin in his spiritual world seemed to sense his emotions, gently nuzzling his consciousness and sending a warm, comforting sound.
He interacted with the little Qilin in the spiritual world for a while longer before reluctantly leaving.