Mountains and giant beasts, cabins in the woods

"Cultivate both?" Liu Xingmo exclaimed in surprise. "Is it really possible? But... I'm afraid I lack the talent."

"No! Your talent is more than enough." The great-grandfather stared meaningfully at his eighteenth-generation descendant, using telepathy to transmit his voice, "If you want to cultivate two paths simultaneously, you must have the aptitude for dual souls. Those with dual souls are either old things who have been reborn in another's body, or their souls have been tainted by evil thoughts. Our act of branding souls also falls into this category."

"Huh? You mean...?" Liu Xingmo was at a loss.

"One body, two souls. There's another possibility, like you, a reincarnated person whose memories of their past life haven't been completely forgotten." Great-grandfather chuckled teasingly. "Don't you think so, Liu Xingmo?"

"Huh!?" Liu Xingmo was speechless, and finally could only stammer, "When did you find out? So it was my novel that gave it away...?"

"That has nothing to do with it. We detected it when you went to school at the age of five. The reason we pretended not to know was to secretly observe you."

Liu Xingmo smiled wryly: "So, what were the results of the investigation?"

"Do you want to hear the truth or a lie?" Great-Grandpa asked with a half-smile.

"I'm happy with the lies. As a writer of vernacular novels, I know all too well that lies are the cornerstone of interpersonal relationships."

"Hmm!" Great-grandfather cleared his throat and said solemnly, "Liu Xingmo, a member of the Liu family, is of upright character, without any evil thoughts, and is exceptionally intelligent and quick-witted. He should be carefully nurtured."

"Thank you for your appreciation!" Liu Xingmo bowed deeply.

"Is that enough? Don't you want to hear the truth?"

"Well, it's definitely not something nice to say. Never mind, please give me a heads-up."

"It's basically confirmed that you come from a world where cultivation is impossible, and you don't know any unique secret techniques from other worlds. You're not worth much."

"I knew it would be like this..." Liu Xingmo replied quietly.

"Hahaha! You're an interesting lad. Even without secret techniques, you can still make a living in this world with your witty and humorous writing." Great-grandfather carefully examined Liu Xingmo. "So this is a reincarnated person? Truly extraordinary."

Su Mali and Liu San Niang stood to one side, at a loss.

To them, the two people who had been chatting and laughing suddenly fell silent, constantly winking and making unpredictable expressions, occasionally uttering a nonsensical phrase. What were they trying to hide by speaking?

Liu San Niang couldn't hold back any longer and asked, "Elders, is what you just said about cultivating both the Blood Path and the Wood Path true?"

"Yes, that's absolutely true." Great-Grandfather spoke up. "Third Aunt, your innate sword grass needs to be nurtured by a wood-cultivation practitioner to reap the benefits as soon as possible. Now, you have two choices."

"First, Liu Xingmo can cultivate the Wood Dao and take it as a contracted seedling; you can discuss the profits yourselves. Second, a strong member of the clan can cultivate it for you, or I can do it myself; the profits will be split 50/50. Choose one."

Liu San Niang's gaze swept back and forth between her great-grandfather and Liu Xingmo's faces, and she hesitated, unable to make up her mind.

Liu Xingmo advised, "Third Sister, you'll regret it if you don't listen to your elders. Just leave it to Great-Grandfather. With his skills, he can cultivate Xuan-grade or even Di-grade spiritual herbs. If you leave it to me, I don't know when I'll be able to reach that level."

Looking at Liu Xingmo's serious expression, Liu Sanniang felt a surge of inexplicable anger.

She roared, "Liu Xingmo, I'm leaving this to you! Don't try to shirk your responsibility! You stole my lucky beast and now you think you can get away with it?"

"That's not what I meant," Liu Xingmo said earnestly. "I'm saying this for your own good."

"What? I've eaten more salt than you've eaten rice! What do you mean by doing this for my own good? Humph! Aren't you ashamed?" Liu San Niang turned her back to Liu Xingmo, not wanting to pay him any attention.

"Oh, it's so good to be young, still able to shout in the street." Great-grandfather stood aside, "I'm an old man now."

The elderly man, who looked like a young man, then beckoned: "Liu Xingmo, come here, I'll open up your wood meridian."

"Yes, thank you for your trouble," Liu Xingmo replied respectfully.

We are both practitioners of the same path; I never expected to have such an opportunity.

Given the current situation, taking on a woodworking skill as well would be the best option.

Whether it's the path of blood or the path of wood, ultimately, they are both paths of life. The difference lies in that one emphasizes animals, and the other emphasizes plants. If one's cultivation reaches a profound level, they can naturally arrive at the same destination through different paths.

Black Dragon Village has readily available wooden cultivation techniques, which share the same origin as the blood cultivation method. Cultivating both simultaneously will minimize problems.

If the two paths are too different, such as the Blood Path and the Refining Path, one will likely waste time and achieve nothing.

Liu Xingmo took a deep breath and prepared himself. His great-grandfather placed his hand on his stomach.

A warm aura permeates the body from the navel, tracing pathways along the limbs and bones, cleverly avoiding the blood and qi within the body, and forming entirely new energy channels.

This new force is the energy of wood. It is completely different from the energy of blood, like flowers and birds, insects and grass. The two are clearly distinct, with subtle friction and repulsion between them.

Great-grandfather gently pushed Liu Xingmo away, turned him around, and then reached out to press on his lower back.

The fierce blood energy spreads from the spine to the whole body, and the blood vessels and meridians circulate smoothly, improving the pathways in some small areas.

This great-grandfather, for some unknown reason, is also a practitioner of both the Blood Path and the Wood Path! He is truly not to be underestimated.

Liu Xingmo fully cooperated in regulating his own Qi channels. After a while, his blood Qi and wood Qi circulated smoothly between his muscles, bones, and skin without any conflict.

A brand new force has emerged!

Liu Xingmo turned around and bowed: "Thank you, Great-Grandpa."

"I only did the simplest thing; the difficult challenges are still up to you to overcome." Great-Grandpa took out a thick book, as big as a dictionary, and handed it to Liu Xingmo. "You will write the last part of this book, 'The Evolution of the Dragon Tree.'"

Liu Xingmo glanced down and saw the elegant, flowing characters, and his heart skipped a beat.

This handwriting belongs to the Mountain Goddess! It matches the manuscript treasured in the library; there's no mistake.

Liu Xingmo solemnly declared, "I will do my utmost!"

"Very good, very good. With energetic young people, the village has a future." The great-grandfather patted his descendants on the shoulder with satisfaction.

"By the way, Grandpa, I have something else to report. On our way out of the city to search for treasure, we encountered a wild boar and a pack of gray wolves." Liu Xingmo recounted the events of the past few days in detail.

"Oh, is that so? Those ankylosaurs of the Great Plains are getting more and more arrogant, relying on their thick hides!" Great-Grandpa's expression turned slightly serious. "I am aware of this matter and will gather people to discuss countermeasures."

Liu Xingmo watched the elders of the clan disappear down the main road.

He turned to his companions: "Alright, let's go home too. We have a lot to do!"

Sumali said in a deep voice, "He's the great-grandfather you mentioned? He's truly unfathomable..."

Liu Sanniang sighed in a trembling voice, "Oh no! Judging from his tone, is the old man preparing to fight the armored dragon?"