Chapter 11: Coming Of Age [6] (2/2)

”Yes, no fire. But you have two affinities, that's a blessing. None of us has two affinities, not to mention lightning. It means you are special, very special. And it's not the affinity you have that matters, it's your heart that does. Now, lighten up and appreciate the gifts.”

”Okay, grandma. Thank you.”

Ju Feng nodded his head and smiled at his grandma. Oh, how he wanted to be able to make ribbons of fire or fire birds like his mother. He would have prefered fire to a thousand other elements. But light and lightning it is and he had to make do with them. And two of them? His smile brightened as he considered himself fortunate.

Leaving the pond area, they walked slowly while enjoying the gift of nature. Halfway back, his grandmother told him she wanted to check the goat farm, so he decided to follow her. They collected some goat milk and headed back towards the cave.

Several minutes later, Zhang Li Qiang was in the small book chamber, going through some manuscripts while Zhang Wang Jing and Zhang Xiu Ying were discussing about the upcoming village event. Seeing that everyone was occupied, Ju Feng quietly left for the cultivation chamber where he sat down in a lotus position and started practicing the astral primal technique. Already at this stage, his meridians were exceedingly wide and his dantian was extremely large.

The heavenly spiritual energy was always needed in large quantity to advance in cultivation stages. Cultivators would always look for places that were rich in heavenly spiritual energy to cultivate, considering that these places helped in supplying the needed energy. But he had the blue crystallines containing pure refined chi that could replenish an exhausted dantian.

His dantian was exceedingly large, yet, it was still absorbing the crystals energy, continuosly. The amount of Chi in his dantian was ridiculously high for a cultivator of his age and cultivation level. Right now, he only needed his elemental energy to get stronger. For in as much as he continued to connect to his affinities, it would be easier to advance in stages, he had learned.

Not long after that, his mother found him in the cultivation chamber just as he was breaking through to the Chi refining stage — Lianchi stage — some minutes later.

”Congratulations son, It was about time. You are now at the Chi refining stage.”

Zhang Xiu Ying sat down in front of her son, briefly staring at him with her divine sight. She watched the ripples of energy coming from his body and smiled.

”As you refine the Chi in your body, you can continue to gather Chi into your dantian. Your grandparents and I, are still gathering Chi energy into our dantian also. My soul's avatar will continue to benefit from the Chi that I'm still gathering. So, you can continue with your Chi gathering too.”

”Okay ma.”

”Tomorrow, there will be antique sellers displaying their goods in the market place. Do you want to come with me?”

”Yes, Ma! I've not been at the market place for some time now. Thank you, ma.”

They continued to cultivate together but his mind was on the market place and the antique goods. After calling it a day, Ju Feng went to his room and crashed on his bamboo bed. He was about to sleep when he remembered his white pagoda and quickly brought it out. Still holding the pagoda in his hand, he slept off without knowing any better.

That night, he had a strangely weird dream.