Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System

In the study, candlelight flickered.

Murphy stood before a wide oak experiment table, on which two sets of custom-made cages were neatly arranged.

The cage on the left held three snow-white rabbits for the experimental group, while the one on the right held three for the control group.

This was an experiment he had designed to investigate the effects of Qi on the physiological functions of ordinary creatures.

’Why study Qi instead of Heaven and Earth Qi directly?’

The answer was simple. For creatures unable to sense Heaven and Earth Qi, this Energy was invisible and intangible, making it impossible to observe directly.

The only thing Murphy could do was use the Qi he obtained from refining Heaven and Earth Qi to indirectly affect these creatures that lacked a Spirit Root.

’Yes, a Spirit Root.’

The Tao Te Ching states: "The valley spirit never dies; it is called the mysterious feminine. The gate of the mysterious feminine is called the root of Heaven and Earth. It seems to exist eternally, and its use is inexhaustible."

The root of Heaven and Earth... the very foundation of the cosmos, the wellspring from which all things are born and nourished.

And Heaven and Earth Qi was the primordial Energy that composed all things in the world. It was the embodiment of the Law, the source of life and strength—the tangible form of the "root of Heaven and Earth."

’Then, by that logic, humans must also have a "human root."’

This would be the source from which Human Qi—or Mana—is born.

The generation of Mana is clearly inseparable from Heaven and Earth Qi. Therefore, whatever trait or organ in the human body allows one to sense Heaven and Earth Qi should rightly be called the "human root."

However, humans weren’t the only life forms in the world capable of sensing Heaven and Earth Qi.

From the knowledge Murphy had acquired from Wizards, he understood that this world consisted of thousands upon thousands of planes.

And Qi Absorption and Eating Mist contained records of all sorts of monsters and Demons. 𝒇𝒓𝙚𝒆𝔀𝓮𝓫𝒏𝓸𝙫𝓮𝓵.𝓬𝙤𝙢

Clearly, the term "human root" was insufficient to describe all life forms capable of sensing Heaven and Earth Qi (Dimensional Energy).

Thus, Murphy chose the word "spirit" to generalize this characteristic.

The Huainanzi says: "One’s essence and spirit are received from Heaven; one’s physical form is granted by Earth. The ’spiritual’ is that which connects Heaven and Earth, pierces through past and present, and is called spiritual clarity."

This word, "spirit," aptly summarized the common trait shared by all life forms capable of sensing Heaven and Earth Qi.

According to the knowledge within Breathing and Guiding, there were countless types of Heaven and Earth Qi, but not all were suitable for human absorption.

For instance, the Nine Nether Evil Qi: if a mortal were to accidentally inhale a single breath, they would be driven mad.

Red Flame Fierce Qi could grant a temporary boost in strength, but it would scorch the user’s meridians, leaving behind wounds that were nearly impossible to heal.

There was also the Corpse Rot Poison Gas; anyone who inhaled it would have their entire body fester and rot away, dying within three days.

These dangerous types of Heaven and Earth Qi were extremely hazardous, even for Cultivators.

For this very reason, Murphy took the "spirit" from "Spirit Root" and named the types of Heaven and Earth Qi suitable for human absorption "Spiritual Qi."

This term encompassed all gentle and pure forms of Heaven and Earth Qi that could be safely absorbed by the human body, refined, and ultimately converted into one’s Mana.

WHOOSH!

Murphy took a deep breath and slowly raised his right hand. A wisp of utterly pure Qi, stripped of his Black Light Mana, escaped from his fingertip.

The wisp of Qi was minuscule, glowing with a faint, milky-white halo in the candlelight.

He carefully guided the wisp of Qi toward one of the white rabbits in the experimental group.

The instant the Qi made contact with the rabbit...

POP!

The rabbit suddenly convulsed, its limbs spasming violently as white foam frothed at its mouth.

Just as in his many previous experiments, the rabbit stopped breathing in the blink of an eye.

Murphy immediately took out a set of surgical instruments and began dissecting the rabbit’s corpse.

The heart had turned an abnormal purplish-black. The lungs showed obvious signs of hemorrhaging, and both the liver and kidneys had large areas of tissue necrosis.

The damage seemed to have originated from within, showing no signs of being caused by an external force.

’Still not working?’ Murphy thought to himself.

He had tried various methods from Breathing and Guiding and Qi Absorption and Eating Mist to adjust and transform the nature of the Qi, but the results were always the same.

The Qi he produced after refining Spiritual Qi seemed only to possess the ability to destroy the electromagnetic bonds within matter; the specific manifestation of this destruction simply varied depending on the Qi’s form.

This property was in stark contrast to the nourishing and strengthening effects the Qi exhibited inside his own body.

It reminded him of the medical phenomenon of transplant rejection.

Qi that was not one’s own was not only unhelpful to others; it was fatally dangerous.

’No,’ Murphy’s thoughts shifted. ’Perhaps I can’t just say it’s ineffective. Maybe I need to find someone with a Spirit Root to verify it. Margaret...’

Just as his thoughts began to wander, a powerful presence suddenly erupted from the direction of the castle gate.

Murphy’s head snapped around, his sharp gaze fixed on the direction from which the presence emanated.

’Such a presence... Is this someone at the Grand Knight Level? The Royal Guard Captain? Richard de Monte, could it be...?’

Although Richard only held the title of a landless Baron, as the Royal Guard Captain, he was a distinguished military aristocrat of the court.

His actual authority was comparable to that of a Count, and even without a fiefdom, his social standing was equivalent to a Viscount.

In any case, as Baron Sylvan, he was obligated to go and greet the man personally. Such was the etiquette among nobles.

"My lord," the steward Bernard’s voice sounded from outside the door, tinged with urgency. "The Royal Guard Captain, Lord Richard, has arrived at the castle gate. He requests that you greet him in person."

"Summon ten Knight’s Attendants to accompany me," Murphy replied in a low voice, pushing open the study door.

A moment later, ten fully armed Knight’s Attendants were lined up in the corridor, waiting.

Arthur and Luca were naturally among them. Standing at the end of the line was the white-haired old follower, Lawrence.

He was the nephew of the late Roton Knight and had only been allowed to remain at the castle due to the Former Lady Baron’s strong support. He was also the father of Miss Lawrence, Edgar’s lover.

"Follow me," Murphy ordered curtly, leading the way toward the castle gate.

...

Before the castle gate, the wind and snow continued unabated.

Richard de Monte sat astride his signature black warhorse, his deep blue cloak snapping in the cold wind. His imperious gaze swept over the party that had come out to greet him.

Murphy stepped forward, personally took hold of the warhorse’s reins, and bowed slightly. "Lord Richard, you have traveled far. The Duval Territory is greatly honored by your presence."

Richard’s gaze fell upon Murphy. He gave a slight nod but neither spoke to stop him nor offered any pleasantries, as if accepting the gesture as his due.

Behind Murphy, the younger followers exchanged unconscious glances, their breath catching in their throats, intimidated by the Royal Guard Captain’s forbidding presence.

They watched their Lord calmly step forward to take the reins, yet in their hearts, it felt perfectly natural.

In the face of such an illustrious figure, even a respected Baron personally attending to him seemed like one of the unspoken rules of the world.

The older followers, like Arthur and Luca, understood this all too well. Although Lord Sylvan was a Baron, he was unlike his ancestors, who had built their legacy on martial glory; he lacked even the strength of a Knight’s Attendant.

Bowing to a Royal Guard Captain who wielded true power was an exceedingly wise choice.

Only Old Lawrence’s salt-and-pepper brows furrowed tightly as he watched their retreating backs, with Murphy leading Richard toward the reception hall.

A pang of bitterness welled up in his heart. ’If only Lord Sylvan were an Official Knight... if the Former Baron were still here... even if his uncle, Roton Knight, were still alive... would the Duval Territory have fallen so low that its Lord must personally lead another’s horse?’

Inside the reception hall, the fire in the hearth dispelled the winter’s chill.

Richard gestured for the attendant outside to unload several heavy chests from the horse’s back and place them in a corner. He then turned to Murphy and said calmly, "Have your people withdraw."

Murphy nodded and waved a hand at the servants in attendance. "You may all withdraw."

The moment the last servant’s footsteps faded outside the door and the great doors to the hall swung shut...

THUD!

The heavy sound of a knee striking stone tile echoed, piercingly clear in the silent reception hall.

The Royal Guard Captain, who had remained so imperious and as immovable as a mountain, was now on his right knee, his head bowed. He spoke with utter reverence:

"Master."