"...Interesting."
The old skull quietly observed the young tortoise, his thoughts drifting back to the day the brat awakened from that impossible five-year Qi Assimilation. Back then, the sudden fading of his presence had seemed like nothing more than an abnormal side effect. A body that had survived such a phenomenon was bound to behave strangely.
This time, however, there was no breakthrough, no Qi Assimilation, and no violent fluctuation of Qi. The brat had simply stopped resisting his own body, yet his presence once again blended into the chaotic Qi surrounding the cave as though it had become part of it.
The old skull remained silent for a while before a faint snort escaped him.
He understands neither the ways of beasts, nor Qi, nor even the body he now inhabits. If I continue letting this good-for-nothing brat stumble around on his own, the next mistake will likely be his last.
His ancient gaze lingered on the young tortoise for another moment.
...Looks like it's finally time to move the plan forward.
I slowly settled back into the posture once more, allowing my breathing to follow its own rhythm instead of forcing it. The familiar calm gradually returned, and before long—
Ding.
[Stillwater Longevity Method Mastery Increased.]
[1.0% → 1.5%]
I barely had time to read the notification before my surroundings changed. The chaotic Qi filling the cave became far clearer than before. It was no longer just a dark mist drifting through the air.
Every strand carried countless emotions—hatred, rage, fear, despair. My pupils contracted as fragmented scenes flashed through my mind. Beasts dying in agony, cultivators drenched in blood, shattered weapons and endless slaughter... none of the memories were complete, yet every fragment was overflowing with violent intent.
Cold sweat covered my body as my breathing nearly lost its rhythm.
...So this is the chaotic Qi the old skull was talking about.
My gaze instinctively fell toward my own status.
And I've been carrying this thing inside me all this time... No wonder it could corrupt or even kill someone.
A bitter smile crept onto my face.
...Looks like I judged you too quickly, System. If you hadn't kept it dormant... I'd probably be dead already.
The old skull looked at my pale face before letting out a low snort.
"Now you understand."
I remained silent, cold sweat still running down my body.
"That is Chaotic Qi."
"The resentment of fallen beasts. The hatred of dead cultivators. Countless years of slaughter condensed into one place."
The old skull paused briefly before continuing.
"You dared force your breathing in the middle of it."
"Hmph... If another ordinary beast had done what you did, its mind would've shattered long before Qi Deviation had the chance to kill it."
His gaze rested on me.
"Yet you survived."
"...Fortune smiles on fools more often than they deserve."
I hesitated.
...Should I ask?
Knowing that old skull, he'd probably scold me again for not knowing something every beast should have learned long ago.
But...
What do I actually know?
Most of the cultivation novels I'd read were the kind where the protagonist had a system that handed him techniques, treasures, and cultivation methods whenever he needed them. They became stronger... but almost none of them explained the principles behind it.
I don't have a system that spoon-feeds me every answer, and I don't even know the basics of this world's cultivation. If I keep pretending I understand... I'll only make another mistake.
Taking a quiet breath, I lowered my head slightly.
"Senior."
"May I ask you something?"
The cave fell silent.
The old skull looked at the young tortoise for a long moment, the blue flames in his eye sockets wavering almost imperceptibly.
...Senior?
It had been so many years...
He could no longer remember the last time someone had addressed him with such respect.
For the briefest moment, something stirred within him.
"Ahem."
The old skull quickly composed himself.
"Looks like this little brat has finally learned that asking is better than throwing his life away."
"Then ask."
"...Senior." I hesitated briefly before asking, "The Qi outside this cave felt violent and chaotic, yet the Qi I sensed inside my body felt much calmer. They didn't feel like the same Qi at all... Why?"
"Oh? So fools have eyes after all, hm?" The old skull let out a faint chuckle before his tone returned to its usual calmness. "Since you've noticed the difference yourself, then listen carefully.
"Most beasts never survive after drawing in such impure Qi," the old skull said calmly.
"The moment it enters their meridians, the violent Qi collides with the Beast Qi already within them. Their meridians begin to tear, their tendons rupture, and even their cores start to crack. Before long... Qi Deviation consumes them."
He paused briefly before continuing.
...That core...
Even now, I cannot peer into it.
It's as though something is preventing my perception from reaching its depths.
I can only judge it by the Qi flowing through his body...
"Yet your case was different. The instant that impure Qi entered your body, your core drew every strand of it toward itself. Even the Beast Qi within your body was pulled into that circulation. It neither allowed the impure Qi to spread through your meridians nor let it clash with your Beast Qi."
"By the time the circulation was complete, every trace of impurity within your meridians had disappeared. The Qi flowing through your body had already become Beast Qi."
"A beast's core stores Beast Qi, just as a cultivator's dantian stores True Qi. But neither can store impure Qi. Before it can remain within the body, it must first be refined."
His voice gradually grew heavier.
"Normally, that refinement is slow. A beast can only purify as much Qi as its core can endure. Yet the refinement was so flawless that, had I not witnessed the result myself, I would've believed a great cultivator had personally controlled every strand of Qi."
The cave fell silent.
"That... is why I called your core abnormal."
The old skull fell silent for a moment before continuing. "When I first examined you, I believed your core had fused with the chaotic essence itself. But after observing you again, I realized I was mistaken."
"It wasn't the chaotic Qi that changed your core. It was what your core did to it. In all my years, I have never witnessed a beast's core refine impure Qi with such perfection." A dry chuckle escaped him. "Judging by that foolish expression, I'm guessing you weren't the one controlling it. It acted on its own, didn't it?"
...So that's why.
No...
More accurately... that's what the system and those skills have been doing all this time.
Without me even realizing it.
I remained silent for a moment before speaking again.
"...Senior."
"If every beast's core refines impure Qi into Beast Qi..."
"Then what happens after that?"
"How do beasts grow stronger?"
"And how do they break through?"
A dry chuckle escaped the old skull.
Hah... I was planning to tell him this once he understood the basics of his own body. Looks like the little brat figured out what to ask on his own.
"When the core has refined enough Beast Qi, it continues storing it. As more Beast Qi accumulates, the core gradually reaches its limit. Once that limit is broken, the core and body break through together, allowing the beast to step into the next realm."
He paused briefly before continuing.
"That is how beast cultivation works. Under normal circumstances, Beast Qi does not directly strengthen the body. Instead, it constantly nourishes the core and soul. Only when enough Beast Qi has accumulated does the breakthrough begin. At that moment, the core changes first, followed by the body. The meridians widen, the flesh toughens, the bones grow stronger, and the beast enters a higher realm."
His voice gradually turned heavier
"But your breakthrough was far from normal."
"You refined an amount of Qi far beyond what your realm should have been capable of containing. That was enough to attract the attention of the heavens."
My expression stiffened.
"The heavens...?"
The old skull gave a slow nod.
"When a being surpasses the limits imposed upon it, the heavens respond. That response is known as Heavenly Tribulation."
His tone remained calm, yet every word carried weight.
"Countless beasts and cultivators have fallen beneath it. Some perish beneath the lightning itself, while others survive the tribulation only to die at the hands of those waiting nearby."
His empty eye sockets settled on me.
"Consider yourself fortunate that your breakthrough took place inside this cave.
Had it happened outside, your life would not have belonged to you the moment the tribulation descended."
A chill crept down my spine.
"So remember this well. The next time Heavenly Tribulation finds you, it won't be the heavens alone that you'll have to face."