Chapter 3: Nowhere to be Found

It’s like wearing out iron shoes in a fruitless search, only to stumble upon what you’re looking for by sheer chance.

Li Chang’an had thought he would have to rack his brains to obtain it. He never imagined he would get his hands on it so easily, all from a single glance across a field path...

’This Heaven-defying Comprehension ability of mine is truly terrifying!’

Now that he had found the opportunity to step onto the Martial Dao, Li Chang’an didn’t hesitate. He immediately closed his eyes, sat cross-legged, and began Guiding his organs and meridians into resonance!

This was the method of circulating Qi Force that he had learned through his Heaven-defying Comprehension.

By creating a resonance between the internal organs and meridians, combined with a special meditative breathing Technique, a Martial Artist could absorb and circulate a type of Heaven and Earth Energy known as ’Qi Force’!

The effects of Qi Force were comprehensive. Not only could it nourish a Martial Artist’s body, organs, and meridians, but it could also allow them to unleash terrifying power in battle. It could be called the very Origin of Heaven and Earth Energy.

Less than a minute passed. As Li Chang’an sat on his crib, a profound and mysterious feeling enveloped him. Invisible wisps of Energy floated in the air, entering his body through his mouth, nose, and even his skin. The strange transformation instantly made his complexion appear much rosier.

It was common knowledge that the ability to perform Energy Introduction was the greatest distinction between an ordinary person and a Martial Artist.

Even with a master’s guidance, a normal child would need at least three years of preliminary training just to sense the existence of Qi Force. To achieve Energy Introduction like Li Chang’an, it would take at least five years in total.

And that was for someone with considerable talent.

As for those with mediocre talent, the time required was even longer. Many people could train their entire lives without ever sensing Qi Force, let alone achieving Energy Introduction.

For someone like Li Chang’an to be able to close his eyes, sit cross-legged, and perform Energy Introduction at only six months old...

If word got out, it would probably shatter many people’s worldviews!

After meditating in silence for nearly an hour, Li Chang’an finally opened his eyes and slowly exhaled a breath of turbid air.

Now, he could absorb Qi Force from the air with every breath!

"Heh, this Qi Force really is amazing!" Sensing the strange Energy circulating within his body, Li Chang’an smiled and nodded in satisfaction.

In the beginning stages of cultivation, although Qi Force couldn’t completely replace food for Energy, it could enhance the speed of Li Chang’an’s digestion and absorption.

He could eat more and digest it more thoroughly, which in turn would accelerate his body’s growth and development.

The most direct change was this: before sensing Qi Force, Li Chang’an needed two or three bowls of thin porridge to feel full. Now, with Qi Force, just one bowl of porridge was enough to make him feel full of life!

Of course, that wasn’t the most crucial part. The most crucial part was that with the support of Qi Force, Li Chang’an could skip the slow crawling stage and directly transform into a terrifying upright ape!

For Li Chang’an, who was eager to grow up quickly, this was an absolutely epic leap forward!

...

One day, after Li Dashan and Huang Xiaoru left for work, Li Chang’an climbed out of his crib. Planting his feet on the ground, he revealed a slight smile. "I’ve finally escaped the damned novice stage!"

He stretched his body, let out a long breath of turbid air, and slightly lowered his stance. He assumed a rather peculiar posture and quickly took a step forward.

One step, two steps...

The boy’s small body moved like a swift cheetah, each step accompanied by the faint whistle of displaced air.

Feeling this terrifying speed, as if he were ’moving with the gale,’ an excited expression appeared on Li Chang’an’s young face.

This was the Martial Arts Technique he had comprehended from observing Wang Su walk: Shadowless Step!

The principle and effect of the Cultivation Technique were simple: by using the muscles of his legs and the Qi Force stored in his body in concert, he could burst forth with incredible speed in a short amount of time!

Due to the lack of a concrete frame of reference, the specific grade of Shadowless Step was unknown.

The only thing he could be sure of was that when cultivated to its peak, Shadowless Step was so fast it could create several, or even dozens, of afterimages on the spot!

If an enemy wasn’t fast enough, or their eyes weren’t sharp enough, they wouldn’t even know how they died amidst the sea of afterimages.

Of course, with Li Chang’an’s current physical condition, executing this Cultivation Technique was quite a strain. Forget leaving a sky full of afterimages; even using all his strength, the most he could do was stir up a few withered leaves in the courtyard.

"PANT, PANT, PANT!"

After taking only three or five steps, Li Chang’an began to gasp for breath.

At this moment, his steps were unsteady, and his entire body ached.

But his physical exhaustion couldn’t dampen his mental excitement.

A journey of a thousand miles begins with a single step.

Taking the first step is always the hardest. After that, one often just needs to proceed gradually, persisting with patient effort, to walk the open road to success.

Now that he had finally found a direction to strive in, there was no reason to be inconsistent.

Therefore, after a short rest, Li Chang’an once again took control of his small body and began running around the courtyard!

...

For the next six months, Li Chang’an secretly practiced Shadowless Step in the courtyard every day.

From stumbling and gasping for air after just a few steps at the beginning, Li Chang’an could now take dozens of steps in one go without his face flushing or his heart pounding.

Although he still couldn’t create afterimages, that was a problem with his body’s physical limitations, not because he was incapable of it.

There was no helping it. An infant’s body was simply too fragile. If he really went all out, it would probably fall apart in a few days!

Also, it was worth mentioning that Li Chang’an often watched the doorway for any sign of the old Daoist.

Last time, just from a single glance from afar, his Heaven-defying Comprehension had gifted him a Cultivation Method for Qi Force and a Martial Arts Ultimate Technique for free.

’What would happen if I could get a few more looks?’

Unfortunately, since that day, Li Chang’an never saw the Daoist pass by his door again.

Although he was a little disappointed by this, Li Chang’an wasn’t surprised.

After all, Li Family Village wasn’t on any major thoroughfare. It was just a rather unremarkable village among the many along the banks of the Three Yellow Rivers. Even merchants rarely came this way on normal days, let alone outsiders.

All Li Chang’an could see were fields full of farmers, most of whom were the same familiar faces from the village.

...

While he was practicing Shadowless Step, the Qi Force in Li Chang’an’s body was also constantly growing.

Focusing his mind inward, Li Chang’an could see wisps of Energy gathering below his Dantian, forming a sphere the size of a pigeon’s egg. This was the ball of Qi Force he had formed over the past six months by continuously absorbing Heaven and Earth Energy.

His intuition told him that once this sphere expanded to the size of his palm, he would officially advance to the rank of Martial Artist!

Ever since he had cultivated Qi Force and learned to walk upright, Li Chang’an’s growth seemed to have hit a fast-forward button. While other children his age in the village were still nursing, he could already run as if flying.

Of course, to avoid any unnecessary accidents that might alter the timeline, Li Chang’an kept everything related to his cultivation a secret from his parents.

Fortunately, Li Dashan and Huang Xiaoru were busy enough, working from dawn to dusk and barely having a moment’s rest. Even when they occasionally discussed him, they only thought that Li Chang’an was a bit too well-behaved for his age, and had an unusually large appetite.

Thus, even after all this time, the couple had yet to discover their son’s secret.

...