Shui Miao returned to his residence without waking his younger sister, Chen Xiang, tiptoed into his room, first charged his phone, and then took out the Five Elements Disc from his backpack, placing it on the nightstand. The disc, having had a large amount of spiritual energy drained from it, had become dull and lifeless, with only a faint trace of spiritual energy still visible flowing within.
Without this Five Elements Disc, Shui Miao would never have achieved such a breakthrough.
He carefully examined the disc, puzzled by how jade could store spiritual energy. Ordinary jade certainly couldn’t hold spiritual energy, yet this disc could. What was the secret behind it? Who had created it, and whose spiritual energy was stored inside? These were all questions Shui Miao wanted answers to, but unfortunately, he had no way of knowing. All he knew was that this disc had enabled his success.
Of course, the disc had also given Shui Miao some inspiration.
It proved that spiritual energy could be stored and exist independently outside the body. It was like using immortal energy to create something that didn’t originally exist—once released, the immortal energy would make the creation real until the energy was depleted, at which point the illusion would vanish.
Shui Miao didn’t yet know transformation techniques, but he understood the basic properties of immortal energy.
Placing the disc aside, he changed into clean clothes, turned off the lights, and prepared to sit in meditation to regulate his immortal energy. But as he sat, he realized he no longer needed to meditate—immortal energy was automatically flowing into his body through the Baihui acupoint, naturally strengthening his dantian. Once seated, he felt oddly idle.
Calmly focusing, Shui Miao discovered he no longer needed his eyes—his consciousness naturally extended outward. Within a hundred-meter radius, every movement, every rustle of grass, became vividly clear in his mind!
However…
A hundred meters meant the entire high-rise building. Within its walls, every household, every person’s actions were clearly visible to him. Much to his discomfort, some couples were intimate, and some beautiful women were showering…
Shui Miao was a man, and naturally curious about beautiful women.
But that was in the past. Now, with higher cultivation, his mindset had naturally evolved beyond such base thoughts.
Initially, he felt uneasy, but over time, he grew indifferent to these distractions.
Just as Shui Miao was about to stop meditating and withdraw his consciousness, he suddenly sensed two ghosts in the underground garage—a pair of elderly spirits living just like ordinary people, chatting and conversing. This reminded him of Liu Hongmei, who had died in a car accident.
“Brother, where are you…”
Suddenly, his sister’s murmured words in her sleep interrupted his thoughts. Focusing his consciousness on her, Shui Miao discovered her body enveloped in a murky, dim aura. Her breathing was heavy, her face flushed, clearly suffering from a high fever.
Realizing his sister was ill, Shui Miao immediately stopped meditating, got up, and knocked on Chen Xiang’s bedroom door.
The door wasn’t locked and opened at the first knock.
Shui Miao pushed the door open, turned on the lights, and saw Chen Xiang wake up. Seeing him, she struggled to sit up, weakly calling, “Brother… big brother…”
“What’s wrong with you, little sister?”
Shui Miao hurried over to support her, touching her forehead—it was scalding hot!
“Brother, I’m fine, just a cold. I’ll be okay after taking some medicine…”
Chen Xiang was very weak, suffering from a severe flu.
Shui Miao quickly interrupted, “Don’t speak. Brother will help you clear the impurities from your body through your meridians, and you’ll recover quickly.” Saying this, he activated his immortal energy to heal his sister.
The effects of immortal energy were vastly different from ordinary healing. Within just a few dozen seconds, Chen Xiang’s meridians were unblocked. She broke into a foul-smelling sweat, and all the impurities were expelled from her body. The effect of the immortal energy even made her appear more refined and elegant.
Shui Miao stood up, opened the window to ventilate and remove the impurities.
“This is amazing! I feel so much better already!” In just a minute, Chen Xiang seemed like a completely different person. Astonished, she got out of bed, but suddenly noticing the stench, she quickly added, “I need to take a shower, I really stink!”
“Okay.”
Shui Miao nodded. Seeing his sister so cheerful brought him a deep sense of warmth. He felt that cultivation was truly worthwhile. Without his cultivation and the resulting immortal energy, his sister wouldn’t have recovered so quickly and would have continued suffering.
However, his immortal energy reserves were still insufficient…
Feeling his energy diminish again, Shui Miao desperately wanted more immortal energy, but where could he find it in the mortal world?
The higher his cultivation, the more troubles arose.
Standing by the window, gazing at the night sky, Shui Miao found it murky and cloudy, with only a few stars visible.
He couldn’t help but wonder—where exactly was the Immortal Realm?
“Brother, I’m done showering. You have to tell me how you did it! How did I recover so quickly? And where have you been all these days? Everyone was looking for you and got really worried.” Chen Xiang excitedly ran back in, but upon seeing her brother’s thin face, her smile froze. “Brother, why are you so thin now?”
“It’s nothing. Brother’s cultivation broke through, so I could heal you so fast.”
Shui Miao turned around, smiling gently at Chen Xiang. “Little sister, I’ll teach you to cultivate qi. Practice whenever you have time. When I find a good spirit stone, I’ll come back and help you improve your cultivation, okay?”
“Okay! Okay!”
Chen Xiang was thrilled.
Shui Miao nodded, closed the window, and told his sister the incantations needed before cultivation, then taught her how to cultivate qi. After painstakingly explaining everything to her, he began rearranging the furniture in the room, writing talismans on paper to enhance spiritual energy, adjusting the feng shui of the room to create a continuous cycle of the five elements generating spiritual energy. This way, even if Chen Xiang practiced cultivation only briefly each day, she would still make progress.
By the time he finished all this, it was already past 3 a.m.
After supervising Chen Xiang through two practice sessions with no issues, Shui Miao finally felt at ease.
※※※
It was the fourth watch of the night. Neither Shui Miao nor Chen Xiang felt sleepy, so they went downstairs together, heading for the nursing home.
As they reached the villa entrance, Shui Miao spotted the murky, impure energy that had caused Chen Xiang’s cold. He stopped, closed his eyes, and extended his consciousness. He sensed the impurity emanating from a pile of garbage in the western villa’s yard. The villa itself was empty—its residents must have gone to the hospital due to illness.
“This place isn’t good. There are many elderly people here, and many are sick. Mother can’t stay here anymore.”
Shui Miao opened his eyes and walked into the villa.
At this hour, everyone was still asleep.
Yet, from within the rooms, occasional coughs from his mother could be heard—clearly, she had caught a cold too.
Shui Miao knocked and entered, chatting with his mother. Without physical contact, he used his consciousness to channel immortal energy, successfully clearing the impurities from both his mother and Aunt Yang. Afterward, he persuaded his mother to move out, insisting she shouldn’t stay here anymore. Seeing her son’s determination, Yang Min had Aunt Yang pack up and move to the house at Bishui Mingyuan. There were three rooms, and since Shui Miao didn’t live there, he let his mother take his room and taught both women how to cultivate qi to strengthen their health.
Shui Miao rearranged all the rooms to follow the principles of the five elements generating positive energy.
Though the rooms looked slightly messy, the energy flow was excellent.
After moving in, Yang Min immediately felt refreshed, her spirit and energy noticeably improved.
After finishing the room arrangements, dawn was approaching. Aunt Yang wanted to cook porridge, but Shui Miao noticed too many impurities in the tap water. Using his immortal energy to purify it, he personally prepared a bowl of porridge infused with “immortal essence.” Everyone ate two bowls, and afterward, their complexions visibly improved—becoming rosy and radiant, as if they had turned years younger.
Aunt Yang didn’t know Shui Miao had used immortal energy; she simply thought he was a great cook and kept praising him.
Yang Min was also delighted, feeling immense happiness seeing her son so considerate.
Only Chen Xiang secretly smiled, knowing that Shui Miao had used his cultivation skills to prepare the porridge.
After breakfast, Chen Xiang eagerly volunteered to clean the table.
Then Yang Min turned to Shui Miao and said, “Son, Uncle Zhang told me you’re fully focused on starting a company, building a career. Look at how thin you’ve become these days! Now that you’re back, Aunt Yang and I have something to discuss with you. Building a business isn’t something you rush—it’s like practicing Tai Chi. Sometimes, you need to use external forces to your advantage.”
“Mom, just go ahead. I’m listening.”
Shui Miao smiled gently, holding his mother’s hand as they sat on the sofa. It felt wonderful to have this heart-to-heart moment with her.
Yang Min smiled too. “Mom knows you’re smart, and I don’t need to say much about business. But business requires capital—you can’t make big moves without money. So Aunt Yang and I came up with the idea of an arranged marriage. These past few days, we’ve already selected several wealthy young ladies for you. Since you’re free today, let’s go on a few dates and take a good look at them.”
Parents naturally worry about their children’s marriages, and Yang Min was no exception.
Hearing this, Shui Miao was momentarily stunned. He hadn’t expected his mother to spring this on him. Still, he had to admit—it was a decent idea.
The method was good, but he wasn’t interested.
After a brief pause, he nodded from various considerations. “Alright, I’ll take a look. It won’t cost me anything.”
Though reluctant, he didn’t want to disappoint his mother.
Shui Miao was no longer a stubborn fool—he knew how to accept others’ feelings.
Seeing Shui Miao agree, Yang Min and Aunt Yang were instantly delighted.
However, Chen Xiang, who overheard this from the kitchen, was not happy. In her heart, she saw Shui Miao not only as a brother but also as her boyfriend. Now, her boyfriend was going on dates with other women—how could she be happy?
As Yang Min and Aunt Yang went to change clothes, Chen Xiang pulled Shui Miao aside. “Brother, are you really going on dates?”
“Silly sister, this is just a temporary measure. Brother is fully devoted to cultivation—how could I have time for such things?” In truth, Shui Miao understood Chen Xiang’s feelings for him, but he saw her more as a sister. This was his indirect way of telling her not to wait for him anymore—she should find someone suitable for herself.
Hearing this, Chen Xiang stood still for a moment. “Brother, don’t lie to me. I know you like Lin Qing’er from that big hotel.”
“You must’ve heard that from that brat Chen Bing, right? Can you really believe what that guy says? I didn’t even know about this, and he knows it?” Shui Miao shook his head and gently patted Chen Xiang’s shoulder. “Alright, don’t think too much. Thinking too much will only make you tired. As cultivators, we should follow the natural way. Don’t always dwell on love and emotions, or you’ll never achieve the Dao.”
“Brother, you’ve really changed. You sound like an old Taoist priest now!” Chen Xiang huffed and playfully punched Shui Miao’s chest.
Shui Miao laughed. “What’s wrong with being a Taoist priest? It’s about cultivating oneself and nurturing one’s nature…”
“You! Even Taoist priests should marry and have children. Otherwise, forget it!” Before Shui Miao could finish, his mother Yang Min interrupted. Wearing glasses and holding a notebook, she walked out of the room, pointing at the notes. “Today, we have eleven dates. The first one is her—the youngest daughter of the Party Secretary of Zhonghai City, Chen Yuanyuan.”
“Master, master, come change clothes. This is specially chosen by your mother…”
As Yang Min finished speaking, Aunt Yang hurriedly came out with a set of clothes, also telling Chen Xiang, “Xiang’er, go change too. We should all go together to show how much we value this.”
“Okay…”
Chen Xiang had just been comforted by Shui Miao and wasn’t as upset anymore. She would go along with it—after all, it wouldn’t work out.
“I’m not a master!” Shui Miao scratched his head. “Auntie, please don’t call me master anymore. Just call me by my name.”
“Oh, right!” At the mention of his name, Yang Min quickly added, “Son, you should change your name. You’re surnamed Chen now. From now on, you’ll be Chen Shui Miao officially, and you can use Shui Miao as a nickname in private.”
“Uh… okay, fine.”
Names were important matters not to be taken lightly. Shui Miao agreed without objection, though he found the name Chen Shui Miao strangely awkward to say.
“My dear master! Hurry up and change! Put on the clothes!” Aunt Yang hurriedly helped Shui Miao undress, excitedly saying as she did, “That little girl Chen Yuanyuan is quite pretty. We’ve seen her. She’s a well-mannered young lady, educated, beautiful, with big eyes, cherry lips, fair skin, a sweet smile with dimples, and not short in stature either. She even studied abroad for a few years. Just… her butt is slightly small…”
These two old friends had gone to great lengths to help Shui Miao find a match.
In Aunt Yang’s mind, Shui Miao was like her own son. They always said a woman with wide hips could bear sons well, and Chen Yuanyuan’s only flaw was her small butt, which had always been a concern for Aunt Yang.
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