Chapter 29: Hydrokinesis

According to the system log description, the disciple with the Heavenly Spirit Root, Sakura Kinomoto, has always persisted in justice and eventually became a legendary sword hero. Regardless of the circumstances, her cultivation level would never be low.

But what would be the point of Ye Hui, who adheres to the "Dao of Low-Profile Survival" and focuses on managing factions and his family, in the end? Even if he managed to grasp a shred of the Rule of Water, it was likely brought about by the fragmented records of the Narcissus Secret Script. Yet at this moment, his lifespan is nearing its end—could he truly break through to the next realm?

Ye Hui shook his head. Fortunately, the person described in those logs was not him.

"After all, I now possess a Water Spirit Root. Although it is only a primary-level root, it is a world of difference from my previous self. As expected, cheating is the right path!"

Why be some "ancestor of low-profile survival," competing with Heavenly Spirit Root peers by stretching the length of one's life? That lacks ambition! If one is to be something, one should be the "Child of Destiny" who cheats! A single harvest brings about a massive improvement!

The excitement in Ye Hui’s heart was beyond words, and it took a long time for him to calm down.

"Let me first test just how powerful water-type spells can be under the enhancement of the Water Spirit Root..."

Ye Hui sensed the moisture in the air. The water required for water-type spells certainly does not mean carrying bottles of water around. That method of casting is too slow. Most water-type spells involve absorbing moisture from the environment... At least for primary spells, environmental support is often necessary.

Ye Hui waved his hand, his spiritual energy moving as easily as his own arm. He gathered a cloud of water mist, which condensed into a water sphere floating above his palm.

"Hmm? Is this... Water Control?"

Ye Hui felt this power and was astonished. He had thought it would be just a primary skill with no big surprises. Now, it seemed the potential for this skill was much brighter!

"This spell that gathers steam into water might as well be called 'Water Gathering,' or perhaps 'The Field Camping Essential for Condensing Pure Water' works too!"

Ye Hui let his imagination run wild, controlling the water sphere to change shape. One moment it turned into an arrow, flying into the distance. The next, it transformed into mist, filling the surrounding area. A moment later, it condensed into a shield, rotating around his body.

Ye Hui even tried adding other things into the water. He mixed water with starch to create a paste for a shield, utilizing the natural "non-Newtonian fluid" properties of the starch paste. This kind of shield had excellent resistance against sudden impacts! If he didn't have starch, he could still control the properties of the water to make it denser, which could also increase his defensive capabilities to some extent.

Water Control seems like a primary skill, but in reality, it tests one's imagination! As for absorbing or releasing heat to evolve into steam or ice-type spells, he couldn't manage that yet.

"This must be the limitation of a primary spirit root and primary spells. I hope these can continue to improve!"

Ye Hui was not easily satisfied; he wanted to hurry and turn Tomoyo to his side, or fish for more rewards from Sakura.

Next, Ye Hui took the Wood Clow Card from his backpack. He had previously tried using the card to catalyze the rapid growth of trees for attack or defense, but it hadn't been very effective. He wondered if it was because he hadn't made the Clow Card acknowledge him as its master. Now, he decided to try stimulating a medicinal herb.

An hour later, Ye Hui looked at the plant in the flowerpot. Compared to its wilted state when the butler first delivered it, the plant was now a vibrant green, and its size had increased.

"It seems the age has increased? Good grief, is this the power of the wood element, or the mighty power of time?"

Unfortunately, Ye Hui did not achieve his goal. After many experiments, the limit of the Wood Card was merely to catalyze the growth of trees derived from its own essence. It proved unsatisfactory for stimulating external plants. Moreover, the card seemed to only accelerate growth without causing the herb to undergo a transformation from a common herb into a spiritual one. The problem was that the ordinary herbs stimulated in this way, despite their increased age, lacked the medicinal potency of naturally grown herbs.

"It seems a bit underwhelming!" Ye Hui shook his head; this card was useless for his current needs. "To truly achieve the stimulation of spiritual herbs, does it require Sakura to upgrade these cards?" A thought suddenly occurred to him, but the Clow Cards becoming Sakura Cards was still a long way off. Ye Hui clicked his tongue and stopped thinking about it.

With the experiments proving unsatisfactory, Ye Hui prepared to continue his cultivation. As for side occupations like artifact refining, talisman drawing, or cooking, he would set those aside for now. Over the next few days, he would practice his cultivation technique until he felt like vomiting, until his spiritual energy was overflowing!

Ye Hui closed his eyes and silently performed his breathing exercises. One inhale, one exhale. The refreshing energy of heaven and earth seeped in through every pore of his body. In the past, this spiritual energy would have slowly dissipated if not used. Now, guided by his intent, it flowed along the visualization channels of his basic breathing technique. Wherever the spiritual energy reached, his meridians felt strange—sometimes sour, sometimes numb, sometimes swollen, or painful. Yet, Ye Hui persisted, refusing to give up. In the game's settings, initial cultivation always yielded the best results.

This was actually the game developers lowering the difficulty for players in the early stages. When the strange sensations faded, Ye Hui opened his eyes. Outside the window, the morning light was just beginning to glimmer.

"It's dawn?" Ye Hui was stunned. Is this what they mean by "time has no meaning in cultivation"? The cultivation in the game finally felt real. He wasn't playing some mini-game where you trigger skills with a single click; he had truly stepped onto the path of cultivation!

Having not slept all night, Ye Hui instead felt full of energy. "No more sleep, time for school!"

...

During lunch, Ye Hui reunited with Tomoyo and the others. After capturing the Water Card, Kero-chan didn't want to stay home alone, so he crawled into Sakura's school bag and came to school. Taking advantage of the fact that it was just them, Ye Hui returned the Wood Card.

"Ah, it's the Wood Card!" Kero-chan looked at the card in Sakura's hand in shock.

Sakura took the card, gave Ye Hui a sweet smile, and then looked at Kero-chan. "I told you, Ye Hui was just wanting to study the cards! You were always urging me to get the card back while you were at home..."

[Sakura Kinomoto Emotion Value +9]

Kero-chan ignored Sakura and continued to urge her to write her name on the Wood Card. Sakura, helpless, had to sign her name. Once Sakura had the card acknowledge her as its master again, Kero-chan looked at Ye Hui. "You guy, was what you said last time true? Does Sakura really have two Clow Cards?"

[Cerberus Emotion Value +6]

Ye Hui raised an eyebrow and snorted. "Otherwise? Do you think the magic eyes of a cultivator are worse than the magic perception of a sealed beast like you?"

"Tch, acting like it's the truth... well! But since you voluntarily brought the card back, Sakura should thank you."

[Cerberus Emotion Value +8]

Ye Hui squinted at him. "Sakura already thanked me just now. As for someone else, are you taking someone else's gratitude as your own?"

Kero-chan glared. What more did he want? Did he want a handsome, powerful, and charismatic sealed beast like him to bow down to a human brat?!