Chapter 5: I’ll help you this time
The world faded into a low hum. Each breath deepened, drawing in the faint natural Qi that lingered in the cave's air. It was weak, but he didn't need much.
His body began to stir and inside his dantian, the Crimson Flame Bamboo pulsed gently. it was unresponsive some time ago but now its wildly pulsing.
It had grown slightly since it was first planted, its tiny stalk glowing with a soft red hue like an ember hidden beneath ash.
As Damien absorbed the surrounding Qi, the bamboo responded, drawing in the same energy it's not for itself, but to refine and purify it.
The Qi he gathered did not move wildly. It flowed with rhythm, like a river being fed by rain, and was absorbed cleanly through his pores.
Every breath brought in more, guided along his meridians, until it reached his dantian where it spiraled into a controlled current.
The bamboo flickered as the Qi passed through it, and as it did, the impurities were burned away.
The remaining essence became purer, warmer, and more potent. It merged into his core, enhancing his foundation.
[System Notification: Cultivation Detected]
[Activating Effect: Ten Times EXP Boost]
As the system notified the flow intensified. The Qi he absorbed now moved faster, thicker, and purer. As if the world itself had begun to pour energy into him.