Baby Steps Part 1

With each bite of porridge, Shen Xia could feel its warmth as it flowed down into her belly. This odd sensation actually relaxed her even more. "It's good to see that you still have an appetite."

Shen Xia pursed her lips. "How could I not have an appetite for my grandma's cooking? Not even a five star chef could match your cooking skills."

"Listen to you trying to butter me up. Xiaxia. Do not worry about what happened earlier. Everything has already been dealt with. But you should know now what our family is and what has happened to you now that you have received the manual, right?" She had gotten word that the area was already cleaned up and no bodies were found on site, which concerned Zi Shu, but with no evidence of who helped, she could only put it aside for now.

"Mmm… I know what I have to do now. Although a lot of this seems to be a dream, I know it is real, and I will need to wrap my head around it. But if it will help my current situation and keep my new animal instincts from taking over my actions, then I will do what I need to do. Plus, this now gives me the means of fighting back against those who wish to target me." Shen Xia did not wish to be a tool for people to look down on all her life. She wanted to rise up like a phoenix and be someone who can hold her head up high.

It was only Fei Yan who knew her true personality. She was her best and only friend that she had. They had met in the park near her house one day when she was younger and was lost. It had happened when she first moved to this new house and did not know the area well. She was excited about seeing the new area where she could roam free and ended up lost in the process. It was Fei Yan who found her and helped her get home. Although Fei Yan was four years older than her, they still became childhood friends and have been in touch with each other even after Fei Yan left for college.

Fei Yan came from a prominent family that was big in business, but even still, she took Shen Xia as her younger sibling and treated her like a little sister. Even Fei Yan's parents doted on her like she was their child. So while in school, she was tormented by Shen Bai, out of school, she had a peaceful life and people who cared about her.

Zi Shu smiled, seeing the determined look on her granddaughter's face. She was hoping this would happen. If her granddaughter really could grow stronger and begin to shine, then everything would be for the best. "Then finish up eating and begin your first round of cultivation. When you are down, let me know if you got a grasp on your animal instincts or not."

"Mmm... I will… I want to work hard so I can go back to school. I want to finish what I started." Shen Xia would not let all her hard work go to waste. Not after all the studying, she did trying to make it so she could go to a college on a scholarship.

After eating, Shen Xia went back into her room and sat on her bed with her legs crossed. She closed her eyes and brought up the first mnemonic, and read the directions above it. " Earth has many kinds of particles floating in the air that are invisible to the naked eye. But the things told to normal people are not everything that can be seen. There is also a source of energy that is emitted from every object one can see. Whether it be the grass under your feet or even the clouds in the sky, this energy is emitted and can be used to strengthen one's body and allow one to reach new heights.

"It is hard to sense such energy, but every living being is able to sense it. For humans, they could once also harness this energy and became what were called cultivators. Now there are very few of such humans. But for our fox clan, it has always been the case that the one with the purest bloodline would need to use this energy in order to evolve and control their animal instincts.

"In order to feel this energy in the air, you will need to clear your mind and open it to the realm of all possibilities. Feel the air around you and feel the energy as it escapes your body. Allow yourself to relax to a state of semi consciousness. Only then will the fine line between the reality that you know and the true reality will cross and combine." Shen Xia frowned. The explanation was vague and difficult to understand.

"Couldn't they have made it so that I can like press a button or something? Streamline it instead of telling me a bunch of confusing information." Shen Xia complained as she pursed her lips and closed her eyes once more. She did her best to clear her mind. Once she did, she sat there in a motionless state, trying to figure out how to get into a semi conscious state.

She had no idea when it happened, but at some point, she felt a flow of energy flowing out of her body. It was a weird feeling, almost like a tickling sensation. But as soon as she felt this energy, she could easily feel the same energy surrounding her, and it was very abundant. "The next part would be to recite the mnemonic while following the breathing technique, right?"

Shen Xia took a deep breath and began reciting the mnemonic slowly at first in order to not mispronounce the strange words before slowly quicking her pace. Soon the energy that she felt escaping her was turning around and flowing into her instead. She felt a warm flow sensation on her skin as the energy entered her body and into what the information in her head called meridians. This energy made her feel warm and fuzzy, so she decided to call it the 'fuzzy wuzzy energy' since the information she had didn't give it a name. But as she took in more and more of the 'fuzzy wuzzy energy' she felt a sharp pain as if something was tearing her nerves out of her body as the energy reached her abdomen area! This pain was so strong she couldn't keep the scream of pain from leaving her lips: "Ahh!"