"Little Feng! Tonight, Your father, I will teach you about cultivation."
Tian Lang began to explain the little Tian Feng in his hand. "Cultivation is an arduous task. To cultivate, one must have innate talent and potential. To progress further, one must have a strong determination. But that's not enough, you also need to have a path."
Tian Lang's voice was melodious and soothing. It actually felt nice to hear. Somehow it makes one remember it in their heart. This is different from his usual voice.
"A path?" Tian Feng asked in a low voice.
Tian Lang continued, "That's right! A path is a way that a cultivator has chosen to progress. It cannot be changed and It must be true to oneself otherwise it will hinder your future progress." He paused for a moment before continues.
"Little Feng, you don't have to worry about that for the time being. First, let's see if you can sense atmospheric energy. We call this energy 'Qi' which means vital energy. There's no technique for this. You have to depend on yourself."
"Close your eyes! Feel it!"
Tian Feng is lamenting in his heart. [A path! It's the same as all those novels that I read. It's not that hard to understand. However, just like those novels, my father didn't tell me the specific procedure at all. How am I even starting to sense Qi?]
Noticing that his son expression, Tian Lang seemed a bit helpless. "Little Feng! It's not that I want to make thing hard for you. Alright! I'll tell you about my experiences when I first start to cultivate. It's the most I can do for you. I hope it can help. When I first start to cultivate..."
He went on and on about his experiences while cultivating. Tian Feng was listening attentively but he couldn't make out any useful information at all.
After a long while...
"Alright, that's all. Now, It's your turn to try it out". Although he wanted to teach his son to cultivate quick, there's nothing he can do in this situation. He also noticed that his son doesn't seem to understand anything at all. But he can only hope for the best.
Tian Feng reluctantly sits down in the lotus position with his father's help.
In fact, this position is not necessary but he was influenced by many martial dramas that he watched in his previous life.
After which, he closed his eyes and tries to feel his body and the surrounding.
After some time has passed...
[Nothing, nothing...I don't sense anything different at all. Where is that energy???]
Tian Feng was crying inside his heart right now. But he still maintained his calm look on the outside.
[Could it be that I can't cultivate? Could it be that I have no talent for it? Isn't this where a system supposed to appear?]
It's almost midnight. His father doesn't look too well either. "Little Feng, let's go to bed. We'll try again tomorrow. It's normal to fail at first try."
---
He immediately fell asleep as soon as he got to bed. Even if he has a mind of an adult, his body is still of a baby.
In the morning, his mother comes in to feed him as usual.
"Mother, are you also a cultivator?"
"Of course! Although I'm not as strong as your father, at least I can extend my life to 100 years."
After answering a few more questions, she left.
He stayed in his room trying to sense the energy but there's nothing. He's become agitated. If he can't cultivate, he'll be bullied by others. No need to think about protecting his friends, he might not be able to protect even himself.
Last night, his father told him that most people would be able to sense Qi on the first try and that some genius can have a breakthrough to the next level in one go.
"Is there something I missed? or perhaps I do it wrong somewhere?"
He kept thinking about this for the whole morning. In the afternoon, when his mother came to find him. She was scared out of her wit because her son now looked so pale and weak.
She immediately asked him about what happened worriedly. Tian Feng told her everything.
After she learned about the matter, she hugged him and said softly
"Little Feng! Even if you can't cultivate, your mother will still love you. Maybe your body is still too young. When you grow older, you can try it again. Mother believes that you will be able to cultivate and become a great person in the future."
What he doesn't know is, he can't cultivate because he's actually a young man inside a baby body. He already lost his baby talent for leaning thing. His mind already got influenced by the outside world.
In that evening, he has decided to ask his parent if they have any book. He had spent that afternoon thinking about what to do and recalled that knowledge is also one kind of power.
He used to love studying. He loves books. There's only one problem, he doesn't have a good memory.
When he was 15 years old, he underwent a heartbreak experience. He was so stressed that it actually affected his brain. He started to become forgetful day after day. But now he was still a baby and his brain hasn't damaged yet.
[Maybe I still can change fix my memory problem.]
His parent didn't say anything negative. After dinner, his mother brought him some books for kids.
He opened one of the books and started reading. YEAH, he started reading in front of his mother.
Sitting by his bedside, his mother is now staring at him with a shocked face. "You... you know how to read?"
Earlier, she was about to read them for him. But who could have known that a baby can read by himself?
Hearing his mother question, he was stunned. He was so agitated that he totally forgot that he was a baby and a baby is not supposed to be able to read a book.
Previously when he talked with his mother, he didn't tell her that he comes from another world yet. It was not that he didn't want to but he didn't know how to start talking about it.
Knowing that his secret can't be kept anymore. He decided to tell her about his other life. Whether she believes him or not doesn't matter anymore. Since he can't even cultivate, he started to expect less and less with this new life.
The effects of instant gratification haven't worn off yet. One failure is enough to make him depressed.
He's actually a good liar. However, he doesn't like to lie to people closed to him. Lying to them make him feel really bad.
"Actually, I have this memory..." He began to tell her about everything from when he first came into this world and his life on Earth.
"No wonder why you can speak so maturely..." said his mother believed in her child completely.
Not daring to meet his mother's gaze, he lowered his head.
"Mother, would you believe me?"
His mother patted his head and smile. "Of course! I believe in you. I'm your mother after all. In fact, It's actually easier to believe in this than to believe that a baby can read without learning."
A moment later, she stood up and walked away. "I'll bring some other books." then she left.
Tian Feng was in a daze. He didn't expect his mother to believe him completely. His heart felt warm and guilty.
[In this life, I'll make my parent happy.] He firmly thought to himself and made a silent decision.
After waiting for a while, his mother came back with a basket of books. It's all necessary knowledge about the world.
There's history, geography, math, literature... just like school. The smell of the books filled the room. Tian Feng felt invigorated at the sight and smell of the books.
If he didn't love books this much, earlier he wouldn't let down his guard and read in front of his mother.
His mother was taking out those books one by one, allowing him to see the title. One by one, there were 120 books. There are all kinds of book laying on the floor of his room but there's one book that caught his attention.
Ignoring that book, he picked one history book and started reading. After he read for several pages, his mother told him to sleep and not to stay up late. He agreed and went to sleep.
He didn't pick the book that caught his attention first because it's a cultivation book "Steel Body". He can't even walk yet so he decided to take a look later when he can actually cultivate.
10 months later...
Tian Feng has almost finished all the 120 books. The total amount of books had increased to 130. There are two books about the academy and the rest is cultivation books.
As he read a lot of books, he came to know that while the geniuses can simply success at their first try in cultivation. The same can't be said about most of the ordinary people.
He had an idea that if he could somehow get to know more about what is actually cultivation, he might just be able to sense that atmospheric energy. It was hard to sense something you can't even imagine in the first place.
As such, last week, he asked his mother to buy cultivation books.
Today is his 2 years old birthday. Those books have become his birthday present. Last night, his mother already gave him the books but unfortunately, she also told him to sleep and read them later.
Normally, he would be able to read them by the morning inside his room but ever since he can walk some time ago, his mother started bringing him to the restaurant every day so that she can help out with the works there.
If it was before, she wouldn't bring him there even if he can walk but now that she knows that he's actually a young man inside, she didn't have to worry too much.
His mother already told his father about everything that night and they both believe him without question. They only said, "No matter what, you are our son, be it your previous life or this life."
His father didn't even have the slightest hint of disappointment. It was something that he didn't expect.
Riding on the motorbike, it didn't take long before they reached the restaurant. It felt great to ride this motorbike with his parents again. He remembers those times from when he was young.
He would always sit in the front seat until he couldn't sit there anymore. It was his favourite spot because he can see everything.
In the restaurant, he's able to observe many things. This is a world of cultivation but no one is walking around with a sword or any weapon. It wasn't a surprise as he had read about it before.
This is a rather peaceful era. The civilization is under control. Compared to what he read from those novels on Earth, this world is rather modern.
The foods in the restaurant looked good. There are many kinds of wines. It seems good just by smelling, he can't wait to taste them.
His father didn't cook by himself as much anymore as he hired a chef for the restaurant when he was born. His mother was only responsible for taking bills and orders. Most of the time, she would stay by the cashier table because that's where Tian Feng is.
Except for sitting in the restaurant next to his father's subordinates, he didn't go anywhere else. He's an introvert by nature. He only cared about his books and only looked around once in a while.
Tian Feng was a bit restless today as he finally decided to read that book by tonight. "Steel Body"
Day and night exchanged place. It's already time to close the restaurant. At night, it wasn't so dark on the road. There are lanterns that lid the way.
Tian Feng enjoyed the cold breeze that brushes his face as he's going back home.
After dinner, he walked toward that book and picked it up. At that moment, a series of notifications ring up in his mind.
"Ding...World Data initialization completed"
"Ding...data is analyzed"
"Ding...scanning host body"
.
.
.
"Ding...scanning completed and integrating"
"Ding...host obtained 'Steel Body' Skill Book"
"Ding...loading interface, please wait..."
Finally found a system suitable for MC.