But occasionally, some good things would appear.
For example, on the tenth day, he signed in and obtained a “Constitution Strengthening Pill.” After taking it, his physical strength increased once again.
On the twentieth day, he obtained a stalk of “Bone Tempering Grass.” Although it was only a first-grade medicinal herb, when refined through the Nine Yin Manual, its effects doubled.
On the thirtieth day, he obtained a copy of “Soul Beast Compendium (Ten-Year to Hundred-Year Chapter).”
A thick book with a leather cover appeared in Yan Zu’s hands.
Opening it, he found it richly illustrated with detailed records of over three hundred common ten-year to hundred-year spirit beasts, including their physical characteristics, habitats and habits, attack methods, weakness analyses, and even simple countermeasures and notes on usable materials.
The images were vivid, and the text was concise and precise.
“Good stuff!” Yan Zu’s eyes lit up.
This thing might be even more helpful to their family right now than a pill.
His father, Yan Hu, often hunted in the forest’s outskirts.
The more he knew about a spirit beast’s weaknesses, the safer and more fruitful his hunts would be.
He thought for a moment and didn’t take it out immediately.
Instead, a few days later, while “tidying up miscellaneous items” with Yan Hu, he “accidentally” “discovered” the book at the bottom of an old, dust-covered chest.
“Dad!
Look what I found!” Yan Zu held up the book, his face beaming with excitement that said, “Praise me!”
Yan Hu took it and his eyes widened: “This… this is a Soul Beast Compendium? And such a detailed one! A-Zu, where did you find this?”
“Right under that old chest, it was buried!” Yan Zu pointed to a worn-out chest in the corner, said to have been passed down from their ancestors.
Yan Hu didn’t doubt him and excitedly flipped through it: “Good! Excellent! With this, going into the mountains will be much safer in the future! It even mentions that the spot under the third bone plate on the back of an Ironback Bear’s neck is the weakest! A-Zu, you’ve done a great deed!”
Seeing his father treat it like a treasure, Yan Zu felt relieved but also a bit sour.
A basic compendium could make his father this happy—it showed just how scarce resources were for commoner Soul Masters.
Days passed peacefully with signing in, cultivating, pretending, and occasionally “unearthing” something useful.
From outside the window came Su Qing’s gentle call: “A-Zu, are you awake? Mom made you some steamed egg custard.”
Yan Zu immediately restrained his aura, rolled out of bed, and transformed back into that obedient child.
After breakfast, he stood in the courtyard, facing the rising morning sun, and slowly threw a punch.
This punch carried no soul power fluctuations, but its technique was exquisite, its angle tricky, subtly embodying the essence of the “Great Demon Subduing Fist” from the Nine Yin Manual.
Though just a starting stance, it already showed signs of being extraordinary.
Su Qing came out of the kitchen just in time to see this and couldn’t help but laugh: “Zu’er, what are you doing? You look like a little monkey.”
Yan Zu stuck out his tongue and made a funny face: “I’m practicing boxing. I’m going to be even stronger than Dad someday!”
“Alright, alright, our Zu’er is the strongest,” Su Qing said, her eyes crinkling with a smile.
“Mhm!” Yan Zu replied crisply, then skipped away.
Watching her son’s lively back, Su Qing’s eyes were full of affection.
As night fell, Yan Zu returned to his small room once more.
He sat cross-legged on the bed and began his daily routine cultivation.
The Nine Yin soul power flowed through his meridians, the silvery-white energy stream now several times thicker than when he first started, and its circulation speed had also increased significantly.
He could feel that he was not far from breaking through to the next level.
“Keep cultivating,” he told himself.
Just then, the system screen appeared once more:
[Detected that the host has consecutively checked in for a full month, triggering the monthly reward.]
Yan Zu’s eyes lit up, and he immediately chanted silently in his heart, “Check in!”
[Ding! Monthly check-in successful!]
[Reward obtained: “Nine Yin Manual · Green Wood Chapter” (Simplified Version)]
[Reward description: A cultivation technique specially modified for Plant-type Martial Souls, capable of optimizing soul power circulation efficiency and enhancing innate vitality.]
Yan Zu was stunned for a moment, then overjoyed.
This reward was practically tailor-made for his mother!
Without hesitation, he memorized the contents of the technique.
The next day during mealtime, “Mother, recently… I’ve been having some strange dreams,” Yan Zu suddenly spoke, his voice tinged with just the right amount of innocence.
“In the dreams, there’s a white-bearded old man who taught me some breathing methods, saying they can strengthen the body. I tried them, and they felt quite comfortable.”
“Oh?” Su Qing became interested.
“What kind of breathing method?”
Yan Zu jumped down from his stool, imitating the posture he practiced the night before, sitting cross-legged with his hands folded over his abdomen, assuming a “meditation” pose.
Then, he deliberately slowed the breathing rhythm of the Nine Yin Manual by ten times, inhaling and exhaling slowly.
At first, Su Qing thought the child was just playing, but as she watched, her expression gradually changed.
She was a Soul Master herself, and though her level wasn’t high, she was extremely sensitive to fluctuations in soul power.
Now, she actually sensed an extremely faint yet exceptionally stable flow of soul power emanating from her son!
Though that soul power was as fine as a strand of hair, it was perfectly harmonious, circulating along a path she had never seen before.
Wherever it passed, even the fine dust in the air seemed to be soothed, becoming still.
“This… this is…”
Su Qing covered her mouth in surprise.
Yan Zu “woke up” at the right moment, rubbing his eyes and saying, “Mother, did I do something wrong?”
“No, not at all!” Su Qing quickly pulled him into her embrace, her heart pounding like a drum.
Though she didn’t understand the origin of this breathing method, she instinctively felt that it was something extraordinary.
“Ah Zu, don’t tell anyone about this, not even your father for now, understand?” she instructed seriously.
Yan Zu nodded obediently, but inwardly, he smiled.
He knew well that if he wanted his parents to accept this technique, directly calling it a “system reward” would be too shocking.
Instead, this “chance encounter” explanation was much more believable.
As for why he didn’t tell Yan Hu…
Yan Zu’s gaze turned toward his father, who was chopping firewood outside the courtyard.
Yan Hu was honest and straightforward, unable to keep secrets.
If he found out, he might accidentally let it slip while drinking someday.
In contrast, Su Qing was more meticulous and would help him keep it hidden until the time was right to let Yan Hu know.
“Mother, would you like to try it too?” Yan Zu looked up with his small face.
“I think this breathing method might help with your soul power circulation.”
Su Qing hesitated.
She looked down at her son’s clear eyes, filled with sincerity and concern.
“Alright, Mother will try it.”
In the end, she couldn’t bear to refuse her son’s filial devotion.
Following Yan Zu’s guidance, Su Qing also sat cross-legged, attempting that slow breathing rhythm.
At first, she only felt her breath was uneven, with no response from her soul power.
But when the third cycle was completed, she suddenly sensed a faint stirring within her twenty-second level soul power!
The “dead energy” that had long accumulated in her meridians—a hidden danger left behind by the obstructed flow of soul power—actually began to circulate slowly under the influence of this breathing rhythm.
Though faint, it was undeniably real.
“This… how is this possible…” Su Qing opened her eyes in astonishment.
She had been stuck at the twenty-second level for a year, with no further progress in her soul power.
Yet now, she actually felt the opportunity for a breakthrough!
Yan Zu was secretly delighted but kept a calm expression: “Mother, is it useful?”
“Useful, incredibly useful!” Su Qing’s eyes reddened with excitement.
She tightly embraced her son, her voice choked with emotion, “A-Zu, you truly are my lucky star.”
Yan Zu patted his mother’s back with his small hands, his heart filled with tenderness.
This was only the first step.