Chapter Six: The Root of Life

“Success!”
“Really successful?”

Old Meng felt the qi cluster in his palm, as if it were enveloping something. Upon closer inspection, there was nothing visible, yet through his perception, Old Meng knew that tens of thousands of bacterial colonies dwelled within the qi cluster.

It seemed he could control their reproduction or decay and death at will.

Old Meng’s eyes widened, bloodshot and glistening with sweat on his brow. Was it joy, excitement, or a sense of triumph?

More than anything, it was fear.

He understood deeply that if this method were to be exposed, it would be unimaginable—and behind that wonder lay immense danger.

If used for good, it might be tolerable, but if used for evil…

A shiver ran down Old Meng’s spine. Thousands upon thousands of lives could be at stake.

Now, he even felt that not even the masters from the Celestial Masters’ Mansion could wield such a dangerous power.

He stared at the qi cluster in his hand, trembling slightly. Fortunately, he had chosen a harmless bacterial colony for safety. Had it been a highly virulent strain, one careless move might doom the entire zoo.

Different bacteria survive in the air for varying lengths of time, depending on factors like temperature, humidity, and light.

Although these bacteria couldn’t survive long once separated from Old Meng’s qi, he resolved then and there never to use this method unless absolutely necessary.

Even then, he would envelop and control the bacteria with his own qi, minimizing any chance of leakage.

He must ensure the damage remained strictly within controllable bounds; one misstep could lead to an abyss of ruin.

Old Meng extinguished the bacteria in the qi cluster with a focused thought, then exhaled deeply, striving to steady his mind, though disbelief lingered as he gazed at his hand.

—————

That evening, during dinner,

Meng Fan noticed Old Meng’s frail appearance and lack of appetite, seeming anxious and uncertain. Concerned, he asked, “Dad, what’s wrong?”

Old Meng served Meng Fan some food and hesitated before asking, “Xiao Fan, tell me, if one day you suddenly acquired a tremendous power, what would you do?”

Old Meng confided in Meng Fan because from a young age, Meng Fan had been exceptionally intelligent and independent, behaving more like a little adult than a three-year-old.

Being naturally honest and straightforward, Old Meng often found Meng Fan could cut through problems that left him baffled.

Gradually, Old Meng had grown somewhat reliant on him.

Meng Fan’s eyes sparkled as he replied, “A tremendous power? That’s like a divine skill, right? Like Sun Wukong! Riding clouds, seventy-two transformations, fearless of heaven or earth?”

Old Meng’s lips twitched, his gaze wandering evasively. “Something like that.”

“Is that really powerful?”

Old Meng nodded slightly.

Meng Fan grew more convinced that Old Meng had made a breakthrough in developing his biological techniques and was aware of the potential dangers—otherwise, he wouldn’t be so unsettled.

Suddenly, Meng Fan jumped up from the table, rummaged through a cabinet, and returned with a copy of the original Journey to the West. He flipped to the passage where Sun Wukong is reprimanded by Patriarch Bodhi and pointed it out to Old Meng.

“Dad, look. Sun Wukong said that true skill is immortality; everything else is insignificant. To me, his greatest power was simply being able to live.”

“To live?”

Old Meng’s expression froze.

Meng Fan nodded earnestly and said, “If he couldn’t survive, he would have died long ago, trapped beneath the Five Elements Mountain.”

Old Meng chuckled silently, then seemed to awaken to a realization.

Is life truly the foundation?

No matter how impressive his method, it was just a technique—a minor branch of magic—merely the skill of a beast master, hardly worthy of notice by the ancient sects.

Is the art of a beast master truly precious?

Compared to the legacies of millennia-old sects, it amounted to nothing at all.

What was he so anxious and uncertain about?

Old Meng smiled as if a weight had been lifted. “You understand better, son. For Sun Wukong, immortality is the great path; the great path is fundamental. All these minor techniques are beneath notice.”

Meng Fan added, “Dad, what if Sun Wukong, after leaving Lingtai Fangcun Mountain, hadn’t shown off his powers and instead lived quietly with his monkey offspring? Would anything else have happened?”

“Yes, yes, nothing would have happened!”

Old Meng seemed to agree wholeheartedly, as though a knot in his heart had unraveled. As long as he himself didn’t use the method, who else could know?

Retreating into a small tower to govern his realm, regardless of winter, summer, spring, or autumn.

Meng Fan gazed at the somewhat naive Old Meng and sighed inwardly. Sometimes, concealment is merely a temporary strategy. If you possess power, exposure is inevitable.

Just like Sun Wukong—no matter how cautious he was, the multitude of gods and Buddhas behind him would eventually force him to repeat his old ways.

Yet, a temporary strategy is still a strategy!

There was still time left for growth. Judging by the trajectory ahead, Old Meng’s joining the Everywhere Pass was a sure thing. Meng Fan had only accelerated the timeline for his development slightly.

Even if he didn’t intervene, Old Meng would have eventually developed this method himself.

Now, Meng Fan’s meridians were gradually forming, though there was no sign of awakening innate power. This was hardly surprising, given his body still belonged to the realm of the undesirables.

To be honest, Meng Fan doubted he could cultivate the innate primordial qi.

As for why he hadn’t begun cultivation as an infant, despite its advantages—his meridians were incomplete and unsuitable for practice.

In truth, for those with supernatural traits, the optimal time to begin cultivation is around six years old, when the meridians are fully formed and qi perception is easier.

Even a slightly later start is acceptable, but starting too early could be harmful, as primordial qi—also called the original ancestor qi—is the primal energy from which heaven, earth, life, and all things arise.

From the void emerges a single qi, which gives birth to yin and yang—the very essence of life itself.

Yin and yang combine to form the three treasures: essence, qi, and spirit.

Another reason is that young children’s minds are not yet settled; their understanding of cultivation practices is shallow. Forcing qi perception and cultivation too early risks damaging the body.

Of course, for supernatural beings, the earlier the cultivation, the better, since qi accumulation equates to strength.

Hence, the age of six was chosen as the ideal time to begin cultivation, one of the main reasons behind this tradition.