11: Enlightenment Success

"Yo, Dashan? Qinghe boy?"

Li Shouxin's voice was loud and clear, carrying a hint of a smile:

"What wind blew you two here today?"

Li Dashan quickly stood up, pointing at the things on the millstone:

"Uncle Shouxin, you've caught so many good things! It's like this, the boy Qinghe doesn't want to study anymore and wants to learn some skills of the mountains and rivers from you, you see..." He explained his intention again.

Li Shouxin tossed the prey to his wife who came to meet him, walked to the stone mill leaning on his stick, picked up the jar of wine, shook it, sniffed it, and his eyes lit up:

"Hey, it's grain liquor!"

He put down the wine jar, waved his big hand, and made the decision directly:

"Learn! Why not learn! The boy Qinghe looks good to me! His eyes have spirit, and his hands and feet are steady!"

"Work in these mountains isn't about running fast on two legs; it's about eyesight and steadiness!"

"Take your things back!"

He pointed at the bag of wheat.

"Give the grain to the children to nourish their bodies! Leave the wine! Just as your aunt is preparing the pheasant, let's have a few drinks! Qinghe, stay for dinner too!"

Li Dashan couldn't refuse and had to agree.

Grandma Liu nimbly began to clean the pheasants and hares, and soon, the aroma of stewed meat wafted through the small courtyard.

At the dinner table, Li Shouxin and Li Dashan toasted each other. After a few cups of strong, cloudy grain wine, they began to talk freely.

Li Shouxin talked about the strange things he had seen when he was a soldier in his early years, the habits of the beasts in the mountains, and how to set baskets by the river.

Li Qinghe held his bowl, listening silently, his eyes sparkling.

After the meal, Li Shouxin took the tobacco pipe handed over by Li Dashan, took a few puffs, and looked at Li Qinghe through the smoke:

"Alright, kid, tomorrow morning, wait for me under the Old Locust Tree at the village entrance. I'll first teach you to recognize the mountain paths and see how I set my traps."

Since that day, Li Qinghe's life had gained another dimension.

At the crack of dawn, he would run to the Old Locust Tree at the village entrance, waiting for Li Shouxin, who leaned on his stick.

The lame Second Great-Uncle didn't walk fast on the mountain paths, but he was very steady.

He taught Li Qinghe to identify the tracks and droppings of wild beasts, how to find suitable spots for traps, how to make simple but lethal traps with vines and sharpened wooden stakes, and how to place fish baskets and traps in calm waters.

Sometimes, when the mood struck him, he would demonstrate a few killing and parrying Moves learned on the battlefield in the courtyard, using a sharpened wooden stick while low-growling the secrets of exerting force.

Li Qinghe learned extremely fast. His focus and comprehension, far exceeding those of his peers, made Li Shouxin marvel and like this disciple even more.

What surprised Li Qinghe even more was that as he began to frequently enter the mountain forests and streams, the System, which had been silent for a long time and only provided life-related information, finally had a new movement!

[Ding! Environment association triggered, intelligence category expanded: Beast Tracks category opened.]

[Today's Intelligence (Beast Tracks): On the northern slope of the back mountain, in a sunny spot sheltered from the wind, a new nest of wild boar tracks has been discovered. Three half-grown piglets often roll in the mud pit by the stream at noon.]

[Today's Intelligence (Beast Tracks): In the shallow pool upstream of the cliff waterfall, a school of Silver-thread Fish swam upstream to spawn last night. A fine net can be used to intercept the narrow downstream area this morning.]

[Today's Intelligence (Beast Tracks): On the west side of the Rocky Ridge south of the village, there are traces of a Badger recently occupying an abandoned fox den. There are fresh scratch marks and fur at the entrance; smoke can be used.]

With this incredibly precise navigation, Li Qinghe was like a tiger with wings!

He didn't need to wander around the mountains like a headless fly.

Utilizing the ingenuity of his traps and the guidance of the intelligence, his harvest began to become stable and abundant.

Today, two plump hares would run into the snares he set; tomorrow, a basket of lively Silver-thread Fish would be trapped in a bend of the stream; the day after, he could even use the smoking method to force out a panicked, silly Badger that knocked itself out against a tree trunk!

Whenever he brought these catches home, the atmosphere in the house was always exceptionally cheerful.

Madam Li Zhang would take the prey with surprise, murmuring to be careful and not get hurt, while her hands nimbly began to process them.

Li Dashan would squat on the threshold, looking at the things his youngest son brought back, puffing on his tobacco, and rarely offering a word of praise:

"Hmm, decent."

The eldest brother, Li Qingshan, was chopping wood in the courtyard. Seeing the Badger Li Qinghe was carrying, he stopped his axe, a simple smile appearing on his dark face, and gave him a thumbs up.

The second brother, Li Qinglin, was the most excited, circling around the prey:

"Fourth Brother! Not bad! This Badger skin is worth some money! Take me with you next time!"

The third brother, Li Qingfeng, pounced directly, putting his arm around Li Qinghe's neck:

"Haha! Meat to eat again! Fourth Brother is the best!"

Li Qinghe's heart felt warm, but he would always set aside the best portion in advance.

Either the fattest rabbit or a few of the freshest fish, carefully strung with straw rope and delivered to Li Shouxin's small courtyard.

"Master, Mistress, I had good luck today and got some things," he would always say.

Li Shouxin didn't refuse, taking them with a laugh and patting his shoulder:

"Good boy! Better than your father back then! Steady hands and a meticulous heart!"

Grandma Liu would busy herself stuffing him with freshly baked flatbreads or a handful of wild walnuts.

Time flew by in the joy of the harvest and the smiles of his family.

In the blink of an eye, it was late autumn.

The stream water at night was bone-chillingly cold.

Li Qinghe sat cross-legged on that familiar blue stone, the icy stream water washing over his ankles.

After half a year of Cultivation, the seed in his Dantian was no longer what it used to be.

It was no longer a faint spark, but a "Qi ball" the size of a fist, emitting a stable, warm glow!

Like a small, warm lake, it rotated slowly deep in his lower abdomen. With every breath, it drew in the surrounding cool moonlight and water vapor, merging them into itself and growing a bit stronger.

The accumulated power was already overflowing! The feeling of his Dantian being slightly bloated was incredibly clear!

Tonight was the time!

He closed his eyes, his mind more peaceful than ever before.

His will sank into his Dantian, like a general rallying his troops; the warm lake suddenly boiled! It was no longer the guidance of a trickling stream, but the mobilization of all the power accumulated in his body, turning into a surging, blazing torrent!

"Boom!"

Wherever his will went, the Spiritual Qi torrent was like an awakened angry Dragon, following the tiny path that had long been washed tough and clear, carrying an indomitable Aura, and fiercely charging towards the area of Chaos at the center of his brow that had been silent for half a year!

No stagnation! No obstacles!

The power accumulated for half a year erupted at this moment!

"Break—OPEN!!!"

Li Qinghe let out a silent roar in his heart!

"Bang—!!!"

A muffled but incredibly clear shock, like a hidden underground drum being struck by a giant hammer, suddenly exploded deep within the center of his brow!

It wasn't a sound heard by the ears, but a roar coming from the depths of his Soul!

In an instant, the Chaos at the center of his brow was completely torn apart and dispersed!

A fist-sized circular halo, emitting a soft pale blue glow and composed of countless intricate and profound runes, suddenly appeared at the center of his brow like a rising full moon! The halo rotated slowly, its center as deep as the starry sky, its edges flowing with cool moonlight!

Qi Ming Pulse Gate! Success!

An indescribable cool breath, like the water of a river breaking its dam, instantly surged out from this newly born pulse gate!

It was no longer a rootless duckweed shrinking in the Dantian, but had a source! This cool breath flowed through the tiny meridians of his limbs and bones in a surging and powerful wave!

Everywhere it passed, his bones and muscles seemed to be washed by a clear spring, bringing waves of indescribable tingling and comfort!

The fatigue brought by long-term Cultivation was swept away, replaced by an unprecedented sense of clarity and power!

Li Qinghe snapped his eyes open!

Deep in his dark pupils, a pale blue starlight seemed to flash by!

He slowly raised his right hand, his will moving slightly.

A wisp of pale blue airflow, thinner than a hair and almost invisible to the naked eye, was extremely weak but very real as it quietly emerged from his fingertip, wiggling slightly under the cool moonlight!

Spirit Enlightenment Level One! Success!

The stream continued to flow, and the moonlight remained cool.

But Li Qinghe knew that from this moment on, the path beneath his feet was entirely different.