0040 - Touch Grass.

Ming Mei had seen her fair share of geniuses, but seeing an oblivious genius was a first for her. She looked at Lu Sheng as a jeweler might look at an uncut and unpolished gemstone, her eyes sparkling with excitement. In her eyes, her junior brother was the genius among geniuses.

"Let me take a look," Ming Mei offered, extending her help. "Close your eyes, I'm going to use needles," she informed Lu Sheng, aware of his fear of them. Although he felt a bit uneasy at the thought of needles being used on him, he agreed nervously.

Ming Mei plucked a few needles from her hairpins and imbued them with her verdant green essence – the Eternal Life Core Elixir Essence that flowed from her fingertips. With practiced ease, she inserted the needles into specific points on Lu Sheng's skin. Each touch met with a flinch from Lu Sheng, yet curiously he felt no pain. It was as if the needles never pierced his skin at all.

Tu Peng and Tu Rong came closer, this was a rare chance to learn from someone as skilled as Ming Mei, and they didn't want to miss it.

Ming Mei's movements were fast and precise, her hands moving with a grace born of years of practice. As she worked, a soft green glow enveloped Lu Sheng's body, illuminating the room with its gentle radiance.

"I have never read about this, what is this?" Tu Peng murmured, curiosity clear in his voice.

"I'm performing an examination," Ming Mei replied, her focus steady as she continued her examination. "I'm checking for any abnormalities or imbalances in his meridians and energy channels."

Tu Peng nodded in understanding, watching intently as Ming Mei performed her inspection. He had never seen such a method before, and he couldn't help but marvel at her skill and precision with the needles.

Meanwhile, Tu Rong stood by, her eyes wide with awe as she observed Ming Mei's every move. She had always admired her senior sister's abilities, but seeing her in action was a whole new level of inspiration.

As Ming Mei finished her examination, she withdrew the needles, inserting them back as her hairpins, and stepped back, her expression thoughtful.

"Well?" Lu Sheng asked anxiously, his heart pounding with anticipation.

Ming Mei paused for a moment, her eyes scanning his face before she spoke. "Your meridians and spirit channels appear to be in good condition," she said finally, a hint of surprise in her voice. "However, there is something...different about them."

"Different?" Lu Sheng echoed, confusion evident in his expression.

"Yes," Ming Mei confirmed, her brow furrowing slightly. "It's as if they've been...reinforced somehow. Strengthened, even."

Tu Peng and Tu Rong exchanged puzzled glances, unsure of what to make of Ming Mei's assessment. Reinforced meridians and spirit channels? They had never heard of meridians getting strengthened.

"What does that mean?" Lu Sheng asked, his voice tinged with concern. Seeing everyone's eyes had the same question, she decided to explain further.

"Do not share this with anyone, but there are many secret and obscure methods that focus on cultivating the body," Ming Mei shared as she waited for them to understand the meaning of it.

"Body Cultivation? Body cultivation is obscure and secret?" Lu Sheng asked.

"You know about Body Cultivation?" Ming Mei was surprised to know that Lu Sheng had knowledge of Body Cultivation.

"Of course, why?" Lu Sheng was a little confused as to why Ming Mei sounded surprised.

[You idiot! Why are you confusing your Wuxia and Web-Novel lore and knowledge with this world's real knowledge?]

"How do you know?" Ming Mei's voice held a hint of suspicion.

Lu Sheng's heart skipped a beat. He realized he might have blurted out something he was not supposed to know. Quickly recovering his composure, he stammered, "I mean, I didn't hear it from anywhere! But it just seemed like one of the logical paths of cultivation, wouldn't you agree?"

He adopted the air of an oblivious genius who had made an honest mistake in his moment of brilliance.

Ming Mei narrowed her eyes, then a sly smile tugged at her lips. Reaching out, she playfully pinched Lu Sheng's plump red cheeks. "Such a clever junior brother you are," she cooed.

Lu Sheng, a middle-aged man's soul trapped in a teenager's body, gritted his teeth internally at the childish treatment. He understood the importance of keeping up the facade of being an oblivious genius. Showing any signs of maturity might raise questions. So, he endured the playful pinch, hiding his internal frustration behind a forced grin.

"Yes, Body Cultivation is one of the paths, but it's a very frowned upon path because it's a very tough path. People who cultivate it tend to go mad, evil, or die early in comparison to Spirit Essence Cultivation. The meridian strengthening is one of the side effects of such cultivation methods," Ming Mei explained, her tone serious now as she released Lu Sheng's cheeks. "It's not something to be taken lightly."

"How? Strengthening the meridians is good, right? Doesn't it sound right? Even better than normal meridians?" Lu Sheng still tried to defend his wuxia and web novel knowledge because, in those novels, meridian strengthening is one of the perks the MC gains, turning his meridians like steel and diamonds.

"The meridian pathways aren't just for breathing in and out Essence," Ming Mei spoke with serious intent. "They're crucial for transforming and refining natural essence to match your cultivation path. What if strengthening them actually hinders your ability to cultivate your chosen method, making it much harder or even impossible? Every step builds the foundation for the next. A careless mistake now can ripple through your entire cultivation journey. Be careful with methods that promise quick and explosive results—they might seem tempting, but they're often flawed."

Ming Mei looked at all three with a firm expression. "Hard work is the key. Shortcuts might seem appealing, but they often lead to short-lived outcomes when you need them the most."

"Life is a marathon, not a sprint," Lu Sheng murmured, feeling inspired by Ming Mei's words.

"What's a marathon?" Ming Mei asked curiously.

"Ah, it's nothing. Just random babbling," Lu Sheng replied, quickly reverting to his act of oblivious genius.