The Spirit Seal Sword twitched in place for at least an hour before it slowly drifted upward.
It seemed to have become a flying sword out of nowhere.
In truth, Shen Liqian's Spirit had raised it.
He controlled his spirit so the sword wouldn't wobble.
It was his second task because he needed consistency.
It reminds me of my reincarnation.
When I was reborn, I couldn't move well, and my body often failed me despite my walking, sprinting, and doing all physical labor in the past life.
No need to get frustrated over this.
Just adapt slowly.
If any other cultivator had heard Shen Liqian, they would have vomited in anger.
Slowly?
He had grown and shaped his spirit in less than six hours!
It meant he was about to step onto the First Realm of the Spirit Cultivation Path.
Because Shen Liqian cultivated a transcendent Spirit Cultivation method, it differed significantly from common norms and would connect with his other types of cultivation.
For that reason, Zhiyin warned him that he had to follow all four types of cultivation that she taught him.
Some time later, Shen Liqian's heart began thumping loudly.
Zhiyin's voice resounded in his mind as she could also sense his heartbeat.
It's time, Liqian.
You are about to form your First Spiritual Heart.
You will connect it with your body cultivation and Dantian Cultivation.
A door to your Sea of Consciousness will open in this process, which is your only chance to thrust your Spirit Seal Sword into yourself.
By now, you have grasped Spirit Cultivation well enough to achieve this!
Shen Liqian nodded inwardly.
His focus deepened.
Following what he had been taught, he started channeling his Qi through both cultivation methods.
The first was his body cultivation method, and the other was Cosmic Devourer Cultivation, his Dantian Cultivation reserved for his Cosmic Asura Hydra.
Slowly, a second heartbeat thumped in Shen Liqian's ears.
It grew louder and louder.
His ears reddened.
It was the sound of his First Spiritual Heart.
Now, I must connect my Heart of Cosmic Asura Hydra with the Spiritual Heart and form harmony.
Once harmony comes, I will proceed with the Dantian Cultivation.
Harmony came when Shen Liqian's Heart and his Spiritual Heart thumped as one.
When it happened, Shen Liqian listened to it for a while because it sounded epic.
He then channeled Cosmic Devourer Cultivation, which put his only Spiritual Root in disarray.
It swayed left and right within him, as though a tornado of Qi were inside him.
Zhiyin's voice resounded in Shen Liqian's mind.
Take out one petal of the Spirit Lotus.
I will help you consume it so that you can purify your Spiritual Root before it becomes your First Hydra.
Shen Liqian's Storage Ring flashed with a blue light.
A golden petal came out, its edges shining dark blue.
It was a part of the Spirit Lotus Shen Liqian obtained for his first main quest.
It could help him grow more Spiritual Roots.
But for now, he would purify his only Spiritual Root so it could become a Spiritual Root of the highest quality.
Zhiyin used her spiritual Qi to catch the petal and guide it to Shen Liqian's abdomen.
It sank through his clothes and straight into him.
Further guided by Zhiyin, it went straight to his Spiritual Root.
A pleasant cold wave swept through Shen Liqian.
A soft moan escaped his lips.
Don't you moan like a girl on me, Liqian.
He couldn't help himself, and he couldn't tell her that.
Once his Spiritual Root became purified, Shen Liqian began shaping it into his First Hydra.
By now, Qi around him swirled like a tornado, and the sealed Earth Qi Vein started cracking under Shen Liqian's pressing demands.
The hidden array's engravings became partially visible, all shining in dark bronze.
More cracks spread amidst this chaos, and more Qi poured out, all of it flowing into Shen Liqian.
Under this flow of highly precious Qi stored for unknown years, Shen Liqian's First Hydra began to form in the blink of an eye.
Then, the door to his Sea of Consciousness opened.
Thrust your sword into it, Liqian!
The Spirit Seal Sword hung in silence, then its tip slowly turned toward Shen Liqian's abdomen.
He thrust it into himself without hesitation.
No blood fountained when the blade hit him.
Instead, it slowly began entering his Sea of Consciousness!
The moment the entire sword disappeared into Shen Liqian, his consciousness was forcibly pulled into his Sea of Consciousness.
Standing on the water's surface, Shen Liqian could no longer see the huge shadow of the Cosmic Asura Hydra.
Only his Heart Demon stood here.
It opened its eyes and glared down at him.
Shen Liqian smiled.
"I am no longer the same."
From the depths of the Sea of Consciousness, Shen Liqian's First Spiritual Root, which had now become his First Hydra, resurfaced.
It had a long serpentine silver head and chilling golden eyes.
Its scales were as exquisite as porcelain, reflecting Shen Liqian's stare.
The First Hydra opened its jaws wide, and the Spirit Seal Sword came out of it.
Its appearance had changed to match the First Hydra's colors.
Grasping the hilt, Shen Liqian forced the sword out and brandished it at the Heart Demon.
"My First Hydra has been created, and now it possesses the strength to steal anything and anyone within me.
"My first Heart Demon.
"I thank you again.
"But it's time for you to become my source of strength."
This Heart Demon came to exist because of the remnants of the Cosmic Asura Hydra from a drop of bloodline.
Shen Liqian planned to seal those raw remnants within his First Spiritual Heart so he could obtain the highest quality bonuses from the First Realm of Spirit Cultivation—First Spiritual Heart.
The Heart Demon tilted his head, as though asking "You serious?"
It then rushed in Shen Liqian's direction like a dog released from its leash!
Shen Liqian calmly stood still.
He raised his sword only once, and that was when the Heart Demon went past him.
Behind him, the Heart Demon's head rolled on the water's surface before sinking into the depths of the Sea of Consciousness.
The headless body released a dark miasma, which flew into the First Hydra's mouth.
Now, it was time to seal it in his First Spiritual Heart.
Shen Liqian turned around and looked at the corpse.
"I told you… I am no longer the same.
"I am the Chief of Shen Clan."