0012 Golden Bloodline (Please support by bookmarking!)

The shoots that sprout from the Heart of Clarity Seed are called Origin Branches, used to store Ming Power. The fruits growing on these branches are known as Origin Nodes, serving as the focal points for the convergence of Ming Power.

Each time a martial artist opens an Origin Node, their abilities leap forward, and every aspect of their body is greatly enhanced. Once all seven nodes on the Origin Branch have been opened, the martial artist advances to the next stage, and their strength transforms dramatically.

A Heart of Clarity Seed produces a branch with seven nodes, but Jiang Feng’s Heavenly Heart Seed bears a branch with nine nodes. This means his progress will be much slower than an ordinary martial artist. However, in exchange, each of his stages will be far stronger than those of others.

Is this the true difference between the Heavenly Heart Seed and the Heart of Clarity Seed?

Jiang Feng calmed himself and continued reading.

The Heart of Clarity Seed gives rise to Origin Branches, which absorb Ming Power to grow and open Origin Nodes. In the twelve hours of the day, there are three periods optimal for absorbing Ming Power and cultivating.

At sunrise, Ming Power is at its purest, making it the best time for training. At midday, when the sun is at its zenith, Ming Power is abundant and intense, a time not to be missed. At midnight, when the moon ascends high, Ming Power is somewhat weaker, but lunar power is uniquely suited as a supplement.

The time to avoid cultivation is dusk, when the sun sets. Ming Power is not only waning at that hour, but it is also tainted with impurities. Training then can easily invite corruption, causing chaos in one’s internal power.

Once enough Ming Power is absorbed, an Origin Node can be opened. The reason different grades of Heart of Clarity Seeds exist is the varying efficiency with which they absorb Ming Power.

It is said that a Nine-Ring Heart of Clarity Seed can open its first Origin Node in just three days, while a One-Ring Seed requires three months—a staggering difference. The further one advances, the more Ming Power is needed to ascend, making this gap ever more pronounced.

The entirety of the first notebook was devoted to the fundamentals of Ming Power. After reading it thoroughly, Jiang Feng did not rush to consult the other three books. Instead, he closed the volume and read through it a second time from start to finish.

After reading it three times, he had committed its content firmly to memory. He shut his eyes, letting the words flow through his mind like water.

Unconsciously, his awareness condensed into a single point, sinking inward. He grew more focused, and everything around him seemed to fade away, as if he alone remained in a vast expanse.

Suddenly, an immense space unfolded before his eyes. Here, there was neither sky nor earth, only boundless emptiness—and within it, a single pure golden seed, suspended in mid-air. A fissure had split the seed open, and from its center, a branch extended upward. Only the very base of the branch was golden; the rest was translucent with a faint green tinge.

Jiang Feng observed this scene calmly.

That seed was the Heavenly Heart Seed, the branch its Origin Branch, and the golden substance—neither quite gaseous nor liquid—was Ming Power.

Threads of golden mist drifted in from every direction, passing ever so slowly through the Heavenly Heart Seed and into the Origin Branch. This indicated that, aside from the three daily cultivation periods, the Heavenly Heart Seed would also absorb Ming Power automatically, albeit at a very slow rate.

Jiang Feng withdrew his consciousness from this space and glanced at the sky.

Dusk had fallen; it was precisely the time when cultivation was forbidden. He could only wait for midnight, when the moon would stand high.

He rose and set about arranging the area around the little valley and the treehouse.

Taiwu Mountain was a medium-sized range, inhabited by many exotic beasts and plants, making it a dangerous place. These strange beasts possessed various special powers, but the more powerful ones dwelled deep in the mountains and rarely ventured to the outskirts, where the valley lay. This made the valley relatively safe, but caution was still necessary if he was to remain here.

Jiang Feng set up some camouflage and traps, and even crafted a small nest for the rabbit. He watched the snowy white ball of fur for a long while, stroking its long ears. He wondered where that lingering soul had come from, and how long it could endure… If only it could recall more—he had so many questions about the origin of the Heavenly Heart Seed.

In the blink of an eye, midnight arrived. Jiang Feng climbed a peak beside the valley and sat cross-legged.

...

Moonlight poured down like liquid, and the mountain wind brought with it a refreshing chill.

Jiang Feng noticed that, with the Heavenly Heart Seed, he had become more resistant to heat and cold. It was now March and the spring nights were still chilly, the mountain wind bitingly cold, yet he sat there feeling only a pleasant coolness, entirely comfortable.

The moon hung directly overhead. Gathering his consciousness, Jiang Feng sensed the vortex within the Heavenly Heart Seed suddenly spin faster, its pull swiftly increasing.

He clearly felt the faint threads of power descending from the sky, seeping through his skin and converging within the Heavenly Heart Seed.

The lunar power was not especially strong, but the Heavenly Heart Seed devoured it voraciously, like a bottomless abyss that could never be filled, no matter how much Ming Power was poured in.

A shaft of silvery moonlight fell directly upon him, enveloping his entire being. The moonlight grew denser, until it seemed he was soaking in a pool of milky liquid.

A great torrent of Ming Power surged in, filtered through the Heavenly Heart Seed, and was channeled into the Origin Branch. The branch, once pale green and translucent, deepened in color—light green to dark green, to almost black, then back to gold, climbing ever upward. The gold quickly reached the unripe fruit and poured into it.

The fruit absorbed the Ming Power and began to grow, swelling larger and changing in color until, at last, it too became a brilliant gold. With a muffled pop, it burst open to reveal an empty space inside, as if awaiting something to fill it.

At this, the Heavenly Heart Seed’s furious draw abated, slowing its pace. Wisps of Ming Power trickled down from the sky, entering the Heavenly Heart Seed and gently infusing the Origin Branch.

The moonlight around Jiang Feng gradually faded and disappeared, returning the scene to tranquil stillness. He opened his eyes, startled at what he saw.

The world around him seemed brighter, the colors more vivid. Even beneath the cloak of night, he could see the distant trees on the mountains as clearly as if it were day—where only a short while ago, they had been lost in shadow.

At the same time, he felt a strange power surging through his limbs and bones, just as he had upon first receiving the Heavenly Heart Seed. But now, the power was even stronger, clearer.

Focusing his awareness inward, he saw the golden, split fruit and understood instantly.

He had opened his first node, and with just a single cultivation session—and at midnight, the weakest time of the day for training!

It was said that a Nine-Ring Heart of Clarity Seed could open a node in three days—a speed that stunned the world and marked a true prodigy. Yet the Heavenly Heart Seed surpassed even this legendary pace!

Jiang Feng suppressed his excitement, stood, and stretched, savoring the sensation of Ming Power flowing through his body.

Near him lay a large boulder, weighing two or three hundred pounds. Jiang Feng reached out and lifted it with ease, barely exerting himself. He set it down with a thud, curled his fingers into a fist, and struck.

The stone trembled slightly, a crack splitting its surface.

The force seemed impressive enough, but Jiang Feng frowned.

Just as in his earlier contest with Jiang Huaixiao, the Ming Power in his body strengthened him naturally, but he could not consciously direct or wield this newfound strength.

For a martial artist, the ability to wield Ming Power in battle is paramount—when combined with martial techniques, it can produce all manner of wondrous effects. Without mastery of Ming Power, one could not be considered a true cultivator.

What was the problem? Was this a unique trait of the Heavenly Heart Seed, or had he simply not discovered the method?

Despite the setback, Jiang Feng remained calm. He sat cross-legged atop the boulder, closed his eyes, and sent his awareness deep within, returning to that inner space.

The cultivation session was over; the concentration of golden Ming Power had greatly diminished, now drifting like mist into the Heavenly Heart Seed’s vortex.

Ming Power descended from above, illuminating the upper part of the Heavenly Heart Seed, while below, darkness reigned.

Jiang Feng observed carefully and soon noticed that something seemed to be slowly flowing below. Focusing on it, he discovered what appeared to be a river, merging upward with the Origin Branch and then spreading outward in all directions, to destinations unknown.

This river was composed of countless colors: red, black, green—too many hues, all muddled together, forming a chaotic stream. The most striking was a single line of gold; though slender, it outshone all the others.

Jiang Feng saw that one end of the Origin Branch connected to the Heavenly Heart Seed, while the other merged with this golden current.

After watching for a while, he realized the Heavenly Heart Seed absorbed Ming Power, channeled it into the Origin Branch, which served as an entryway; the other end of the branch was the conduit for Ming Power to flow out.

In theory, Ming Power should exit here, directed by Jiang Feng’s will, flowing through the river to every part of his body for use.

But the river was so mixed and chaotic that his will could not pass through—it was severed, leaving him unable to control or utilize the Ming Power, which could only flow unchecked.

Moreover, the only usable exit was that slender golden current, allowing perhaps only one percent of the Ming Power to pass through.

Although the Heavenly Heart Seed’s capacity to absorb Ming Power was unmatched and its rate of advancement staggering, Jiang Feng’s actual ability to use Ming Power was severely restricted by this river—perhaps even less than that of an ordinary cultivator.

What was this river? Why did it exist?

Jiang Feng pondered deeply, and suddenly, realization dawned.

This river was his bloodline!

Indeed, just as the childhood tests had shown, his bloodline was extremely mixed, incapable of properly merging with a Heart of Clarity Seed.

Now, the impure bloodline continued to hinder him, blocking the flow of Ming Power, making it impossible to use effectively.

Only that slender golden vein was special—rare, but capable of allowing Ming Power to pass through. Jiang Feng also found that the Heavenly Heart Seed was rooted in it.

The young mistress had once said that the bloodline was the soil for the Heart of Clarity Seed; the purer and more distinguished the bloodline, the higher the grade of Heart of Clarity Seed one could obtain.

This single thread of golden blood, though barely present and buried within a mass of other bloodlines, was actually able to bear the Heavenly Heart Seed!

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Changed the midday update to noon, but not used to it—almost forgot… Making up for it now. Kneeling and begging for recommendations and bookmarks!