Courtyard Houses: From Bronze Compasses to Global Reach

Chapter 4 The Universe Stabilizing Disc and the Adorable Little 7

Lin Yan's mind was completely immersed in the flood of information surging in his mind, which were fragments of memories belonging to the Lin family patriarch, as well as the true origin and function of this mysterious compass - the Qiankun Dingshi Pan.

When the ancestor left behind the Qiankun Dingshi Pan (a legendary artifact), he set the key condition for its activation as the eight spiritual roots, a rare occurrence even in ten thousand years, just like himself! He did not expect a lucky person to reap the benefits without sowing, but rather a descendant who could forge a path out of the impossible, with a temperament and perseverance far exceeding that of ordinary people, so that he could inherit his mantle and live up to the prestige of the Qiankun Dingshi Pan.

However, despite all their calculations, the ancestor hadn't anticipated that the probability of possessing eight spiritual roots would be so incredibly low—one in a billion! Often, it might take thousands, even tens of thousands of years for a single member of the Lin family to appear. As time passed and the world changed, the descendants of the Lin family gradually forgot the glorious past of their ancestors, including an immortal, and even more so, the legend of this heirloom compass. Later, the degenerate age of spiritual energy arrived, and endless wars raged in the human world. The Lin clan scattered and dispersed across various regions, completely unaware of their ancestor's immortality or the compass's true purpose. They simply regarded it as an old, ordinary antique, passed down through generations.

Until Lin Yan's generation, this "outlier" was actually born in the Lin family bloodline that had been dormant for countless years—a standard eight spiritual roots! And by a twist of fate, when he was on the verge of death, he dripped his heart's blood onto the compass, which finally triggered the ancient mechanism that had been dormant for countless years.

The terrifying spiritual energy that swept through his soul earlier was not a backlash from the compass, but rather the Qiankun Dingshi Pan recognizing its master and executing the final inheritance activation procedure to protect his nearly disintegrated remnant soul!

Unfortunately, in the Dharma-ending Age, spiritual energy was depleted, and the initial setting of the Qiankun Stabilizing World Plate was only a first-grade low-level spiritual vein, which was insufficient to send him back to that prosperous era of cultivation with abundant spiritual energy—the energy cost required was unbearable even without unsealing the Qiankun Stabilizing World Plate. What it could do was use its last remaining power to extract the spiritual root from Lin Yan's body, tear apart the spatial barrier, and send his remnant soul to a parallel universe where energy consumption was minimal and where it was easiest for him to possess another body and be reborn.

Thus, Lin Yan arrived in the 1950s and 60s, a time when technology was just emerging but also devoid of spiritual energy, and successfully possessed the body of a boy with the same name.

"So that's how it is... So that's how it is!" Lin Yan was filled with mixed feelings. He was grateful for the good intentions of the Lin family patriarch, sighed about his own experience, felt lost about the future, and had a hint of excitement that was hard to detect.

Just as Lin Yan finished processing this information and his mind was in turmoil, a furry, warm little creature nuzzled affectionately against his calf.

Lin Yan looked down and saw a small beast, about the size of a palm, covered in fine golden fur, gently rubbing its newly sprouted, adorable little horns against his trouser leg. The little beast resembled a miniature Qilin, with a round head, large, bright, watery eyes full of intelligence, and making soft, whimpering sounds. It was incredibly cute and cuddly.

"You are...?" Lin Yan's heart stirred, and a faint sense of spiritual connection arose spontaneously.

"I am the spirit of the Qiankun Dingshi Pan. My old master hatched me and left me here!" The little Qilin raised its head and responded in a childish voice, its voice resounding directly in Lin Yan's mind, carrying a hint of pride.

"A spirit?" Lin Yan was both surprised and delighted. He quickly squatted down and carefully reached out his hand, wanting to touch this legendary being.

The little Qilin didn't flinch; instead, it nudged its head closer, letting Lin Yan gently stroke its soft golden fur. It squinted its eyes in comfort and let out a contented purr.

"From now on, you'll be following me?" Lin Yan said softly.

"Of course! You are the new master!" The little Qilin nodded vigorously, its little tail wagging happily.

"Then I'll give you a name." Lin Yan pondered for a moment, looking at its small and exquisite appearance, and smiled, "Since you are the spirit of the Qiankun Dingshi Pan and have the form of a Qilin, how about calling you... Xiao Qi?"

"Xiao Qi?" Upon hearing the name, the little Qilin tilted its head, its big eyes clearly showing dissatisfaction. "No, no! This name is too ordinary! It's not majestic or imposing at all! I am a dignified Qilin spirit!" It pawed at Lin Yan's fingers with its little paws, protesting in a childish voice.

Lin Yan was amused by its human-like reaction and couldn't help but burst into laughter: "Protest denied! We'll call you Xiao Qi, it's catchy and endearing. When you grow up and become majestic and powerful, we can give you a more impressive name later."

Seeing Lin Yan's resolute attitude, the little Qilin could only let out a pitiful "woof," drooping its little head, barely accepting the name it found "not majestic enough." However, it quickly perked up again, rubbing against Lin Yan's palm, conveying a sense of comfort.

"Alright, Xiao Qi," Lin Yan's smile faded, his expression becoming extremely serious, with an undisguised urgency. "We're in a very bad situation right now! This body not only has poor aptitude, but also has very serious problems; it could die at any moment!"

He pointed to his chest and described it to Xiao Qi in the simplest terms: "My heart here was born deformed; its structure is flawed, it lacks proper function, and it's extremely fragile. If I get even slightly tired or emotionally agitated, it might shut down, and then I'll die! Xiao Qi, among the things left by our ancestor, is there any magic cure that can immediately heal my problem? Or any other method? I must survive first!"

Xiao Qi tilted its round little head, a hint of confusion flashing in its big, dark eyes, seemingly unfamiliar with the mortal concept of "a heart that hasn't grown properly." But as a spirit, it had an extremely strong understanding ability and quickly grasped the crux of the problem through Lin Yan's description and the feelings conveyed through its spirit.

"Ah! Master, you mean there's a congenital deficiency in the 'heart meridian,' and damage to the source, right?" Xiao Qi patted the ground with its little paws, looking like it understood. "Don't worry about that!"

It raised its little head, "In the first floor of the Inheritance Hall, the old master prepared a 'Supreme Marrow Cleansing Pill' for you! Although it's not a pill specifically for the heart meridian, the effect of the Marrow Cleansing Pill is to cleanse the physical body, eliminate acquired impurities, and repair congenital deficiencies!"

"A top-grade Marrow Cleansing Pill? It can cure my heart?" Lin Yan asked eagerly, his heart racing with anticipation, which brought him a moment of discomfort.

"Of course!" Xiao Qi nodded vigorously, conveying her certainty. "As long as you begin cultivating the 'Heaven and Earth Creation Technique,' guiding the first level of the technique, spiritual energy will naturally flow through your heart meridian. Before that, take the Supreme Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill. Under the guidance of the technique, its immense medicinal power will not only cleanse impurities but also primarily nourish and repair the most vulnerable and flawed parts of your body! Your heart meridian deficiency is more than enough to be repaired by the Supreme Grade Marrow Cleansing Pill! It might even make your heart meridian stronger than an ordinary person's! You don't need to worry at all, Master!"

Hearing Xiao Qi's confident and detailed explanation, Lin Yan's tense nerves finally relaxed, and he let out a long sigh of relief, overwhelmed by joy and a sense of relief. There was finally hope! Not only could he survive, but he could also turn misfortune into blessing!

"Great!" he murmured to himself, feeling as if a heavy weight had been lifted from his chest.

"Waaah! So, Master's primary task now is to open the first level of the Inheritance Hall, obtain the Marrow Cleansing Pill and the basic cultivation technique! Then you can cultivate and step into the first level of Qi Refining. Once you reach the first level of Qi Refining, you will be a cultivator, not a mortal!" Little Seven pointed with its little tail in the direction of the spiritual spring, reminding him.

"First level of Qi Refining..." Lin Yan clenched his fists, sensing the mysterious compass in his mind where his soul had merged with his. "I must cultivate as soon as possible, heal myself, and embark on the path of cultivation!"