Chapter 78: Cultivation Path

The way interstellar people use mental power is extremely crude. Mental power is only used for releasing and retrieving, even though its basic function is similar to that of spiritual consciousness. Yet it lacks the flexibility and versatility of spiritual consciousness.

Even top-level alphas like Xi Ming, whose mental power had already undergone qualitative change, had only mastered a bit more—such as the ability to target specific releases of mental power.

As for the two completely different effects of deterrence and soothing that mental power could achieve, even interstellar people themselves were baffled. In the end, they chalked it up to being influenced by the user’s “emotions.”

Upon learning this from Xi Ming, Shi Chan didn’t even know what to say. It was like handing a butcher’s knife to a toddler. No wonder mental power riots in this era could be triggered by so many factors.

In the cultivation world, only cultivators could cultivate spiritual consciousness. As an ability produced by the cultivator themselves, spiritual consciousness was naturally more valuable than external magical artifacts. After all, no matter how good the artifact was, it could still be taken away, but spiritual consciousness would always remain with the cultivator.

So, figuring out how to best train and utilize spiritual consciousness was something all cultivators constantly thought about. Many major sects had courses dedicated to developing and utilizing spiritual consciousness, teaching cultivators how to enhance their control over it.

Shi Chan had never formally studied these courses, but the basics of spiritual consciousness usage were common knowledge throughout the continent. Like general knowledge, even rogue cultivators like Shi Chan who couldn’t master deeper applications would still frequently practice the fundamentals—especially since it could one day be used to save his life.

“…Close your eyes and calm your mind, feel…” Shi Chan translated the awkward cultivation chants into simpler, more understandable instructions. The first step was to help Xi Ming sense the “spirit”—no, the mental power—within his body.

While guiding Xi Ming, Shi Chan was also trying to control mental power the way he would spiritual consciousness.

Having had spiritual consciousness for many years, Shi Chan had rarely used mental power. The last time he used it often was when he first met Xi Ming and used it to soothe him. Thinking back, he had already been subconsciously controlling mental power back then—which explained why he had been so effective at soothing Xi Ming. But because it felt so natural, Shi Chan had quickly forgotten about it.

Thanks to his prior experience controlling spiritual consciousness, Shi Chan progressed rapidly when attempting to control mental power. The usually dormant mental power that seemed to “disappear” inside him quickly became active and began to “flow” under his command.

Xi Ming, however, had never controlled this kind of power before. Even though his mental power was far stronger than Shi Chan’s and had undergone mutation, he still progressed much more slowly. His mental power would constantly burst out randomly and then retract again…

After once again observing the difference between Xi Ming’s and his own mental power, Shi Chan finally realized that the so-called “mental power mutation” so widely publicized in the interstellar era was essentially just the accumulation of more and more mental power—until it surpassed the body’s capacity, and then became “compressed” into a denser form of mental power. This “dense” mental power would then overpower others in head-on clashes—which, in Shi Chan’s eyes, was what all mental power battles boiled down to.

To be precise, spiritual consciousness also had a “compression” process, but cultivators had already incorporated this process into their daily cultivation. Since they were constantly refining the strength of their spiritual consciousness, they never had to wait until it overwhelmed them before being forced to compress it.

That mental power and spiritual consciousness had so much in common made Shi Chan more confident than ever in the method he had devised.

Xi Ming trained all night. Before dawn, he finally managed to sense the dormant mental power within him. After exerting tremendous effort, the usually lazy mental power finally seemed to understand his intent and stirred slightly.

In that instant, Xi Ming felt a power he had never experienced before—flowing within him, energetic and full of vitality, both unfamiliar and alive.

Xi Ming’s “success” delighted Shi Chan. His own ability to manipulate mental power wasn’t particularly significant—after all, his body was probably different from that of ordinary interstellar people—but Xi Ming was a pure interstellar native. The fact that he could activate the dormant mental power in his body confirmed that their direction was correct.

“The first step is the hardest. As long as you remember this feeling, it’ll get easier and faster from here on out,” Shi Chan said with a smile.

During the day, Xi Ming still had other responsibilities. Shi Chan, however, was free and decided to focus on mental power as well. Last night he had only activated it—now, during the day, he wanted to try guiding it along cultivation paths and spell routes to see what new discoveries he could make!

Not long after, Lan Ying finally woke up, groggily calling out to his little buddy through his terminal.

When Shi Chan arrived, Lan Ying was still curled up in his blanket, half-asleep and ready to drift off again.

“Chanchan…” he mumbled a greeting and yawned a long yawn before patting the space beside him on the bed. “Pretty boy, come sleep with me.”

Shi Chan sat down beside him. “You better ask your alpha if that’s okay.” Back when they were in school, Chi Wenyu wouldn’t even tolerate Lan Ying getting too close to Shi Chan. The man’s possessiveness was off the charts.

Chi Wenyu wasn’t around now, so Lan Ying got bolder. He pounced on Shi Chan with a mischievous grin and hugged him. “Heh, little beauty, let’s not tell him. We’ll keep it a secret~”

Shi Chan pressed a finger against Lan Ying’s forehead. “Get up. I’m going to teach you something.”

“Don’t tell me it’s the same stuff from yesterday. Spare me, I really can’t learn it.” Despite saying that, Lan Ying obediently got out of bed.

“Nope, it’s something new.” That’s right—Shi Chan planned to have Lan Ying try mobilizing his mental power too, to see if ordinary mental power that hadn’t undergone a qualitative change could also be activated.

“Alright,” Lan Ying agreed offhandedly, treating it like a way to pass the time.

As he slowly taught Lan Ying, Shi Chan also continued controlling his own mental power, guiding it to circulate according to his cultivation method.

After an entire day of repeated failures, Shi Chan finally succeeded in completing the first full cycle of energy flow in the afternoon. The moment it was completed, his spiritual power remained unchanged, but his mental power instantly surged to life. It was as if a dormant being had finally received its first life-giving rain. Shi Chan immediately entered a state of enlightenment.

Lan Ying, seeing Shi Chan frozen in an obviously unusual state beside him, panicked. Fortunately, after chatting with Shi Chan before, he had learned a bit about cultivation, so he quickly… contacted Xi Ming.

Xi Ming arrived swiftly. When he saw Shi Chan in a meditative state, he recognized what was happening and let out a sigh of relief. Waving his hand, he ordered someone to escort Lan Ying to another room, then locked the door.

This kind of enlightenment was rare and precious. Since Shi Chan couldn’t move, Xi Ming had no choice but to take over Lan Ying’s room. However, he had no interest in any other omega’s space—his entire focus was on Shi Chan.

Shi Chan came out of his trance quickly, opening his eyes in less than two hours. Seeing Xi Ming in front of him, he froze for a moment.

“How did it go?” Xi Ming asked, gazing steadily at Shi Chan.

Shi Chan couldn’t hide his excitement. “My mental power increased a little, and its intensity… well, it moved a bit toward qualitative transformation.” Though the enlightenment wasn’t long and the gains not massive, to Shi Chan, it was the discovery of a “second spiritual sense.” It meant a new path for cultivation. If he managed to strengthen his mental power, he could surpass most cultivators of his level in soul-based combat.

And if he eventually possessed “double spiritual senses,” wouldn’t that make him even stronger than a typical Golden Core cultivator? In future conflicts, he could crush opponents with his spiritual sense alone.

Thinking of such a promising future, Shi Chan’s eyes sparkled and a smile never left his lips.

Seeing that expression, Xi Ming knew Shi Chan had definitely gained something. But this wasn’t the place to talk. “Let’s head back first. Your friend’s still in the next room.”

Only then did Shi Chan remember he had entered enlightenment in Lan Ying’s room. Feeling slightly embarrassed, he rubbed his nose. “I’ll go talk to him. You go on ahead—I’ll be right behind you.” Having gotten kicked out of his room, Lan Ying was probably upset. He needed to go appease him.

“Alright.” Xi Ming, aware of the need for propriety with other omegas, agreed without hesitation.

After soothing Lan Ying, Shi Chan returned to his room, still buzzing with excitement. He threw himself onto Xi Ming. “Brother Ming! It really works! Let me teach you—we can cultivate together!”

Seeing his usually composed omega so cheerful, Xi Ming’s gaze grew deep and tender. He picked Shi Chan up and gently placed him on the bed.

The hope of cultivation lay right in front of Xi Ming. All those once-unrealistic dreams—holding Shi Chan, being with him, cultivating together, sharing cultivation techniques, using his own abilities to help Shi Chan—were now becoming reality one by one. Dreamlike, beautiful—it was a world Shi Chan was happy to be lost in.

“Brother Ming…” Shi Chan nestled into Xi Ming’s arms, rubbing against his scent glands like a small animal, enjoying the strength and warmth of the man holding him. His voice came out soft and shy. “…When… are we going to do the permanent mark…?”

Xi Ming’s hand, which had been gently stroking Shi Chan, suddenly froze. His gaze shifted downward and all he could see was the bright red tip of his omega’s ear.

“…Chanchan.” Xi Ming called his name, his tone a mix of guilt and surprise. Shi Chan, however, clung to him even more tightly, clearly too embarrassed to look up after what he’d just said.

Xi Ming had a thousand things he wanted to say. But in the end, he only said one sentence: “Give me another six months.”

The Empire was on the verge of collapse. Those six months were the time the Federation and the space pirates needed.

Xi Ming didn’t want Shi Chan to be wronged. He wanted, after everything had settled, to give his omega the grandest wedding imaginable.

“…Okay.” Pulled firmly into Xi Ming’s embrace, Shi Chan lowered his eyes to avoid the other’s scorching gaze. “Got it…” No matter how long it would take, he would wait for Xi Ming. Other than him, Shi Chan couldn’t imagine ever letting another alpha into his life.

Xi Ming, heart aching with love, held him even tighter, kissing his forehead, his ear tips… whispering over and over, “You’re mine, Chanchan, Chanchan…”

Shi Chan’s face was still flushed, but he didn’t hesitate to respond to Xi Ming’s affection.

From admiration to love. Once a dream haunting his nights, now he was held in his arms.

The more time they spent together, the deeper Shi Chan’s affection grew.

He loved Xi Ming’s deep eyes, his low voice, his silent strength, his burning need for revenge. He loved the scent of his pheromones, the chance to calm his volatile mental power, the simple act of being by his side. He loved Xi Ming’s occasional affectionate touches, his passion, his everything…

As he embraced the alpha who kissed him again and again, Shi Chan’s scent began to spill out. Though he appeared the submissive omega, his eyes held a resolve every bit as fierce as that of an alpha.