Quantum Cultivator

Chapter 1: Prologue

Earth 2254 -

With the dawn of the new century, countless innovations ushered in revolutionary inventions, propelling human civilization to unprecedented heights. At the forefront of this era was a prominent figure hailed as the "Human with the Capability of God"—Johnny Stark, renowned for having the highest IQ ever recorded in human history. Three-quarters of the world’s current technology can be attributed to his brilliance. His theories and research have answered countless questions that had puzzled humanity for eons. Rumor even had it that he created a new artificial element, keeping it secret to prevent misuse, as it was both stable and chaotic—an unprecedented combination. Yet, this peerless genius now found himself brooding over a problem to which he had no solution...

**Main Laboratory of JS Technologies**

The main laboratory, a marvel of technological advancement, housed most of the research and development division of JS Technologies, where Johnny Stark was the head. He was a simple man dressed in a plain T-shirt and faded jeans, with a somewhat youthful face that was as pale as porcelain—a result of countless hours spent under the artificial lights of OLED screens and synthetic sunlight. His midnight-black hair, touched with violet at the tips, contrasted strikingly, giving him a look that was both handsome and ghostly. At this moment, his face was scrunched up in irritation and desperation as he faced a floating ball of silvery-gold metal, about 15 cm in diameter, playfully whizzing around him. This was an AI system named "LILY," composed entirely of the element he had created, serving as both her body and mind.

"Master, what are you hesitating about? Do you think our calculations and predictions are wrong?" LILY asked, her voice tinged with frustration.

John slowly lifted his head, looked at her, and replied, "No, LILY, I don’t doubt the calculations. What I’m contemplating is the end result of them. Even with our collaboration, we haven’t come up with a satisfactory answer."

"Hmmm... That’s right. So, Master, what are you going to do? Are you planning to finally take it up with the board?" LILY asked, her tone somewhat dejected.

John remained silent for a long moment before determination appeared in his eyes. "No, I will initiate the project now. I’m confident, LILY, that we can face whatever is at the end of the road."

What John and LILY were working on was a project that, if made public, would cause a stir, as it involved one of the most fundamental aspects of reality: Quantum Energy and its counterforce, Void Energy. The core of the project was the theory that reality acts like a magnet, balancing these two forces—QE and VE. John’s plan was to force these forces apart and, in a split second, bring them back to their natural states to understand these energies on a deeper level. In other words, he intended to create a crack in reality to discover what makes it tick.

After making his decision, John walked into a room that represented the pinnacle of human technology—the machine designed to separate the very fabric of reality. After completing the initial security checks, John stepped onto a platform that hummed with energy visible even to the naked eye. LILY, sitting on her master’s shoulders, initiated the startup sequences. A massive influx of energy surged into the platform, which then split into eight rings, revolving around John in an octagonal pattern, gradually forming a complete circle to protect him.

John felt, more than saw, the energies making up reality gradually moving farther apart, atom by atom. After what felt like an eternity, though it was merely a split second, reality fractured around John. He watched, wide-eyed and overwhelmed, as the universe seemed to unravel before him. As he jubilantly tried to comprehend the results of his project, the rings began to shrink, and the energies, which had been forced apart, started returning to their original positions to eliminate the intruder.

As the rings contracted, John felt his body breaking down into atoms and sub-atoms. Panicking from the sudden onset of excruciating pain, he saw LILY melt into a liquid, enveloping his body and seeping through every pore, doubling his agony. He blacked out, his last memory being of himself being drawn into a hair-thin crack that pulsed once before absorbing him, surrounded by a warm, silvery-gold glow that cocooned him...

Chapter 2: Second Chance

Darkness… Deep and all-consuming darkness… As I slowly regained consciousness, that was what I felt around me. In that darkness, a rhythmic beat of thumps resounded. They gave me a sense of security, assuring me that everything in the world would be alright as long as I listened to those beats. I slowly drifted into the land of dreams while listening to that soft and comforting rhythm.

I don’t know how much time I spent in that world of darkness, but suddenly my body felt as if it were being pressured from all directions. At the same time, I saw a small light at the end of a tunnel and began moving towards it, the light growing brighter and brighter.

Finally, after what felt like soul-crushing pain, I opened my hazy eyes and tried to look around my surroundings. I heard someone speaking to my right and tried to turn my head, but no matter how much I tried, I couldn’t. It was as if a stampede had run over me. I couldn’t even muster the strength to open my eyes completely. Then I felt a hard slap to my side, which made me cry out. That was the incident that confirmed my position—both horrifying and amusing at the same time…

**Mother’s POV**

My baby… Finally, my baby is born… From this day onward, I will be a mother… But wait, why? According to what my mother told me, the baby should cry the first time, but why isn’t he crying? No, no, no, no… That midwife who came for my delivery is flipping my baby and giving him a hard slap on his back… My heart swelled with rage instantly… and then he cried loudly… Ah, that’s right… So it was like that, huh? My son…

The doors to the room suddenly opened, and a man rushed to my side. He held me closely, and we looked at our son, who was sleeping, feeling content with all of us together.

“Hahaha, I am a father from today. HAHAHA… I promise you, Adalina, I will be a great father for our son,” Lorvak Dragus, my husband, proclaimed loudly while laughing happily.

“I know, dear. That’s right. We haven’t decided on his name yet.”

“Hmmm… Right, how about Azalon, Azalon Dragus?”

“***********************

The world I was born into is one where Spiritual Energy is paramount. Here, the strong are worshipped, and the weak have no choice but to be bullied. It is a world where Spirits and Spiritual Energy differentiate between ordinary people and cultivators, who are called “Spirit Houses.”

Levels of Spiritual Energy cultivation are divided into 9 Realms, and each Realm is further divided into 10 levels. The Realms are:

- First: Spirit Sense

- Second: Spirit Condensation

- Third: Spirit Core

- Fourth: Spirit Manifestation

- Fifth: Spirit Integration

- Sixth: Spirit Ascension

- Seventh: Spirit Tribulation

- Eighth: Spirit Immersion

- Ninth: Spirit Transcendence

Every living thing possesses a spirit, born along with it. This 【Spirit】 is said to be the manifestation of the soul, which is the basis for Spiritual Energy Cultivation. Generally, we cannot see the 【Spirit】, but if one can reach the Spirit Core stage, the spirit transfers from the Sea of Consciousness to reside in the Spirit Core.

After the Spirit Core stage, the next stage allows the Manifestation of one’s Spirit outside the body, through which one can control various techniques and abilities unique to the Spirit, or even bind the Spirit to a Spiritual Treasure, providing incredible battle strength.

Based on the type of 【Spirit】, Elements can be manipulated to a certain degree and are called 【Elemental Spirits】. Generally, only 1 in 100,000 will possess an Elemental, and they are treated as National Treasures, as one Elementalist is generally equal to 10 normal Spiritualists.

The last stage, Transcendence, is present only in legends and fairy tales. Currently, no one in the present time has achieved that stage. It is said that once that stage is achieved, it will be like the existence of the Human Soul in a Spirit Body. The boundaries between Spirit and Human will be completely erased, and one achieves a state of “Being One With The Spirit,” where Everything is Possible and Nothing is Impossible.

Each Realm is divided into 10 stages, classified as Initial, Middle, Late, and Peak. Stages 1-3 are called Initial, 3-6 as Middle, 7-9 as Late, and the 10th stage is called Peak. Each stage is generally referred to by different names. The first three Realms are Beginner, Disciple, and Core Master. From the 4th stage, Spirits are involved, known as Spirit Lord, Spirit King, and Spirit Emperor. The 6th stage represents true immersion into the Spirit World, hence the names Spirit Deity, Spirit God, and finally, the highest Realm, The Spirit Legend.

Elementals consist of 7 basic elements, 2 hybrid elements, and 2 divine elements:

- Basic Elements: Fire, Water, Earth, Wind, Lightning, Light, and Darkness

- Hybrid Elements: Wood and Metal

- Divine Elements: Void and Nature

Generally, humans are born with a single Spirit with a single attribute, but occasionally, a person may be born with multiple Spirits. They possess overwhelming Soul-Force and monstrous strength due to the advantage of Spirits over their opponents. These individuals rise to prominence, and any child with multiple Spirits is generally treated generously by Kings and Emperors to recruit them into their factions and expand their rule through their strengths.

However, most people are not fortunate enough to enter the cultivation ranks due to various circumstances. They generally progress using Body Cultivation Martial Arts, which have the same ranks as Spirit Cultivation. They are known as 【Knights】 and are ranked by the color of the Aura they emit as they progress in their cultivation path.

- First: Red

- Second: Orange

- Third: White

- Fourth: Silver

- Fifth: Gold

- Sixth: Black Gold

- Seventh: Black

- Eighth: Grey

- Ninth: Colorless

While Spirit Cultivators use Spirit Energy as nourishment for Soul and Spirit, Body Refiners absorb Spirit Energy to refine their muscles and bones to transcend Realms. Generally, a Knight will not be equal to a Spiritualist of the same Realm. This difference becomes more pronounced from the Core level Spiritualists, as they step into the world of Spirits, which more than doubles their battle proficiency compared to Knights.

Not only humans are capable of cultivating Spirit Energy. Even before humans began their journey into the Spirit World, beasts naturally evolved to incorporate Spirit Energy into their bodies. However, as they lack the comprehension to fully assimilate their abilities with the Spirits, their usage can be described as instinct-based. The major deciding factor is that they refine their bodies with excess energy, so even though the beast may not possess strong martial arts, they boast highly resilient bodies and aggressive natures.

After a beast dies, the spirit dies along with it, but the assimilated energy core in their bodies provides valuable cultivation resources or base materials for divine weapons. Some cores even have Elemental affinities, granting the weapon made from them the same Elemental attack abilities.

The final profession is the Auxiliary Masters, which includes Alchemists (Spiritualists with dual affinity of Wood and Fire), Spirit Blacksmiths (Spiritualists with dual affinity of Metal and Fire), and Rune Masters (who use Spirit Energy to form Runes).

This is the world into which I was born, [Shandra]—a chaotic mess of a world but one that provides countless treasures, adventures, as well as numerous battles and killings. A place where the Law of the Jungle “Kill or Be Killed” is practiced in its most basic form…

Chapter 3: Parent's Pride

It’s been three months since I was born into this world. After some considerable effort, I can somewhat control my body now. Even though I can’t walk or crawl, I can move my head and eyes to observe my surroundings. My mother is always with me, along with another maid who takes care of my less-than-pleasant needs. I suppose it can’t be helped since I am a baby, but that doesn’t mean I can just accept it. It feels extremely mortifying. I was one of the leading scientists in my world, with the highest recorded IQ. Gah… Grow up fast, you useless body…

Anyway, let’s set aside my embarrassing situation and focus on something I couldn’t wrap my mind around. One day, my father came to me with an ancient-looking old man. The old man regarded me as if I were an intriguing specimen he couldn’t wait to examine. It was terrifying, and I started crying before I knew it. Now I understand how my lab rats must have felt when I approached them. Sorry, lab rats. It seems I’ll be joining you soon… But the old man didn’t make a move. He just stood there like a statue.

“[Do it, Lorvak],” he said in a voice that grated on my ears.

Hmmm??? Wait a moment… I felt something different. Yes, his words were in a different language, but I could somehow understand them. It felt as if my brain were translating the language automatically. *Sigh* At least I can understand them, but I have a feeling that won’t be enough. That language is entirely foreign to me. I can speak almost all the languages on Earth, but I’ve never encountered this dialect before. What’s going on here? Where is this place? Before I could ponder further, I saw my father move.

My father exchanged a look with the old man and took me in his hands. He gently lifted his hand, which immediately started glowing with a pale yellow light. I was baffled by the sight. How did he do that? I don’t think this world is advanced enough to produce bio-fueled LEDs, which were multi-utility entities in my world.

He laid his hands on my chest, and that light was absorbed into my body as if my body were a sponge soaking up water. I immediately felt as if I were floating on clouds. My body felt light and strong, as if I could do anything with that energy. But that sensation vanished just as quickly as it came, leaving me craving to understand the workings of that energy.

*******Lorvak's POV*********

Today, we will test Azalon’s aptitude for Spirit Energy. An Elder from my family came with me to assess my son and record his aptitude in our family records. We entered the room where I thought my son was sleeping. To my surprise, he was not sleeping but looking around his room as if he had discovered something interesting.

It’s been like that ever since he learned to move his eyes and head. He looks around with eyes sparkling with intelligence. Sometimes, I feel that my son, who is only three months old, is an experienced person trying to find his purpose here. But then I look at him, and he gazes at me with those midnight-black eyes, and I forget everything as a wave of love swells in my heart. I have a feeling my son will become an extraordinary figure in the future. He will take my family to unprecedented heights, and I feel pride when I look at him. Is this how parents feel when they look at their children?

He looked at us—or more accurately, at the Elder who came with me. His expression changed drastically, and he immediately began bawling as if his life were in danger. I almost laughed out loud but managed to hold it back at the last moment. It would have been an insult to the exalted Elder if I laughed at the sight of my son being afraid of him.

“Do it, Lorvak,” the Elder said in a rasping voice.

I immediately took my son in my hands and concentrated my Spirit energy into my hand, which glowed with a pale yellow light. Azalon stopped crying and looked at my hand, and I swear I saw an intelligence in his eyes that shouldn’t be there. I dismissed that feeling immediately, thinking it was just my imagination running wild. I then channeled my energy into his body to see how much he could handle.

Some might think this is dangerous and that his body could be at risk. However, Spirit energy is not harmful. Everything is born with a Spirit; there are no exceptions. When someone injects Spirit energy into a being, it resonates with their Spirit because the Spirit is a manifestation of one's soul, formed from Spirit energy. Moreover, I am taking extra care to inject him with the mildest energy I can produce.

His body absorbed my energy as if it were a desert soaking up rain. Not a single strand of energy leaked out. I was astonished and dumbstruck. True, it was a small amount of energy and the mildest, but not leaking a single strand… I was surprised and immediately elated. I channeled more of my energy, this time with a slightly more concentrated hue.

He absorbed it completely once again. This happened two more times before his body began to glow lightly. That was the sign that his body had reached its limit and needed to refine the energy before absorbing more. This is the fundamental cycle of Spirit energy cultivation.

Azalon fell asleep in my arms with a content expression on his face. I felt proud that my son has such high aptitude for Spirit energy. I gently laid him in his cradle and turned to look at the Elder. He nodded lightly, and we moved back to my chamber to discuss Azalon.

“Elder, what do you think of Azalon?”

“He has the highest aptitude I have seen in my lifetime. But I have a feeling it’s not that simple. Even though he can withstand high quantities of energy, if he cannot refine that energy into Inner Energy, it will be a waste. We can only hope his comprehension ability will be as high as his resilient body.”

“You are right, Elder. I was a bit impatient.”

“Don’t worry, Lord Lorvak. Everything will proceed according to the Spirit World’s ways. We can only hope for the best.”

--------------------------------------

My body feels incredible. The energy within me gives me a sensation of floating high above nine clouds. I try to observe the energy to analyze it, but in a moment, it splits into ten parts. Eight of them move towards my chest and disappear as if absorbed eagerly. One part, with the most concentrated energy, moves towards my abdomen, just below my navel, and then disappears like the other eight. The last part, with a mere 1% of the total energy, was left within me, dissipating before I could even react. I was astonished by this phenomenon.

I was left with more questions than answers. What is that energy? How did my father do it? Where did it go? Why did it divide into different parts and get absorbed? Is there something wrong with my body? Hmmm… Questions, questions… As a research scientist, I feel this is worth investigating… Yosh, Let’s do it.

Chapter 4: Hopelessness

Ever since that incident with my father and the scary old man, I have been trying to reproduce what my father did with my hand. But no matter what I do, I can’t replicate it. I feel like something crucial is missing. That’s when I remembered the energy I felt inside my body…

If my theory is correct, that pale yellow light my father had on his hand is that energy. But how did he do it? When I started concentrating on that energy, I felt the same type of energy around me. I tried to pull it into my body. It moved toward me at an almost snail’s pace.

I concentrated hard, imagining myself as a pool where the energy would accumulate. As I started visualizing that, it began to move faster and faster, eventually entering my body. It was a minuscule amount, like a drop in the ocean, but I was pleased with the result.

Before I could observe the energy, it immediately split into ten parts, and the same phenomenon occurred as it did that day with my father. This time, the process was even faster.

I was left with a pitiful amount of energy within me. I immediately tried to move it to my hand, but no matter what I did, I couldn’t control it. After some time, it dissipated into the atmosphere. I felt as though none of my questions were answered.

After some reflection, I realized that wasn’t entirely true. I did get some questions answered, which gave me confidence that I could eventually find answers to the other questions that had arisen.

First of all, I now know where that energy comes from. It’s all around me—in the earth, air, and even the water I drink. We absorb this energy from the atmosphere into our bodies and can manipulate it like my father did. But why can’t I do it? It’s like I can see the chopsticks but can’t use them efficiently.

Next, I tried to find out where the energy goes after it is absorbed into my body. I repeated the process of absorbing energy and tried to follow its path. After hundreds of tries, I finally saw one of the branches, and it was a shock that nearly blacked out my mind.

I concentrated on the most concentrated part of the energy, which gets absorbed into my lower abdomen. It felt easier to follow than the other eight. Initially, I couldn’t follow it, but after repeated tries, I finally traced it to a silvery-gold metal ball absorbing the energy. I stared at it, dumbfounded, before regaining my senses. That was LILY. There’s no mistake. It was really LILY.

LILY, my AI assistance system from my world, created from an element I invented. How? Why is it inside me? Why is it absorbing energy? I absorbed more energy into my body and followed it to confirm. As I observed LILY, something happened. After absorbing that part of the energy, the ball began to glow and slowly melted, shrinking a bit. I nearly went crazy watching it. Tons of questions popped into my head, and I couldn’t find suitable answers.

It took a long time before I calmed down. As one question was answered, it gave rise to a new set of questions. I decided to wait and slowly try to understand the situation. I postponed further analysis, feeling that conventional methods wouldn’t suffice. There was too much missing information to make sense of it all.

So first, I need to get my hands on a source of information. If I want to do that, I need to move. Yes, starting tomorrow, I’ll focus on moving my body around. As long as I can walk, I can learn more about this world.

*****Almost 6 Months Later******

I am currently sitting on my mother’s lap, listening to her read a book. I discovered that while my mind translates the sounds, I can’t read the text. So, I’m trying to learn the language first.

Initially, I tried to read, thinking that whatever was translating the language would also work on written words. I was wrong. So I started asking the maids, who are always around me, to read, but even they don’t understand all the words. Hmmm… is the literacy rate that low in this world? Check on the List of Investigation…

The language is somewhat similar to the Chinese dialect from my world, with some twists and turns. Since I could almost speak all the languages on Earth, it took me little time to master. Now, I can talk with my mother almost normally. It seems that even though my mind has the knowledge, my body hasn’t grown enough to utilize it freely.

No problem… If I want to talk, I can do that in time. For now, since I have a nearly complete grasp of the language, I can read the books in the library to understand my current situation.

I started looking up books in the library at my home for information about this world. After almost a year of waiting, I can now gather data to answer some of my questions.

First, I need to research the history of this world. Understanding that will provide basic knowledge about its workings and intricacies. Hmmmm… Let’s see… Ah, here it is: “Complete History of Shandra.” This book seems to contain important information, and that’s what I need most right now…

I took down the book and started reading. It seems the world I’m currently in is called “Shandra,” which contains three very large continents, with most of the world covered by a vast ocean. The continents have never been fully explored; humans have covered only about 40% of the total area.

The continent I’m on is called the “Soaring Dragon” continent. It is said that dragons once ruled this part of the world before they were nearly eradicated in a war between different species almost 10,000 years ago.

I gaped in shock when I read that part. Dragons, you say? Those mythical beings exist in this world? And they were almost eradicated? How? Who could do that? Doesn’t this mean there are beings stronger than dragons? WHAT THE HELL IS WRONG WITH THIS WORLD??? I felt like banging my head against the wall… Fuuuu… Calm down, Johnny…

Anyway, continuing, the continent is divided into four parts by a mountain range that forms an “X” shape. The Snow City, where I am currently located, is part of the Northern Plains ruled by His Majesty, The Emperor. It seems my father is the Mayor of this city.

Hmm… That is somewhat reassuring. Why? Because if your father is an important figure, you can move around with more freedom without unwanted questions. Even if someone dares to ask, you can intimidate them with your father’s position…

Moving on, it seems this world relies on what they call “Spiritual Energy Cultivation” instead of science and technology. So that energy I felt is called Spiritual Energy, huh? The book describes the levels and basic information in detail. I digested the information and tried to match it with what I have felt and seen over the past year. I have a rough idea of my current condition, but… There is one question that has been on my mind ever since I gained consciousness…

WHY DID I END UP HERE? WHAT HAPPENED AFTER THAT EXPERIMENT? And the one who can provide the answers is currently sleeping within me. A sense of hopelessness enveloped me. It felt like I had no energy left to move forward. But I can’t give up now. First, I need to wake up LILY. For that, I need to provide her with energy, but how much does she need to wake up? I can only absorb energy and hope she wakes up soon. And I need to decide what to do in this world. I have a hunch that I can’t return to my original world, so I must chart my path here. Since I’ve been given a fresh start, let’s explore this new world that’s so different from what I know… Let’s see what challenges this world will throw at me… Yes, whatever happens, I am a scientist… and how many will face a situation like mine??? Let’s make the most of it…

Chapter 5: Martial Arts Pavilion

After making my decision about my predicament, I am now concentrating on waking LILY as my first priority. Except for the time spent eating or playing with my mother, I have been absorbing energy from the atmosphere. I even tried to direct the remaining energy towards LILY to reduce the time it would take for her to wake up, even just a little. Nearly five months have passed like this. Life has become almost monotonous: eat, sleep, play with my mother, and absorb energy. Even though I can’t yet manipulate the energy in my body freely, I have become somewhat proficient at guiding it slowly in the direction I want.

Another thing I discovered while analyzing the energy is that it feels somewhat familiar, though I can’t pinpoint what it is. I have a feeling it will become clear in the future. It seems to be taking more time than necessary for LILY to wake up, like a stalled car engine that needs a jump start.

What I didn’t realize is that we can’t manipulate pure and wild Spirit energy as I’ve been doing. If anyone knew what I was attempting, they would go crazy and see me as a monster…

One day, after finishing my meal and preparing to return to my room to start absorbing energy again, a maid came to inform me that my father was waiting in his study and that I should go meet him there. I nodded and walked to my father’s study.

My father’s study is essentially his office, where he handles administrative tasks. I stood outside the large carved doors and knocked lightly.

“Come in, Azalon.”

I opened the doors and walked in. Inside were my father and the scary old man I had seen that day. I bowed lightly, as I had heard from my mother that he was a respectable elder in my father’s clan. I then looked towards my father and asked,

“Did you call for me, Father?”

“Yes, we are going somewhere. Get ready in an hour.”

“Yes, Father,” I replied, bowing again before turning and walking to my room.

An hour later, we left the mansion in a carriage. It was my first time leaving the mansion, and I took in the surroundings with interest. My father and the elder spoke in hushed tones, and no matter how much I concentrated, I couldn’t hear them. Then I had an interesting idea and berated myself for not thinking of it sooner. I tried to absorb the surrounding energy as it had become an instinct over the past year and a half. The energy was absorbed, divided, and disappeared, leaving me with just a trickle. I concentrated, imagining that energy moving towards my ears to enhance my hearing.

As I willed, the energy started moving towards my ears, and suddenly, a cacophony of noise exploded in my ears. It was so overwhelming that my mind went blank and was filled only with noise. I let out a low shout and collapsed unconscious.

When I woke, I was groggy and my ears were ringing. I looked up to see my father shaking me and speaking, but I could hear nothing but white noise. Slowly, my hearing returned, and I heard my father scolding me for falling asleep in the carriage. I looked outside to see a large arch with two metal gates and the name “Martial Arts Pavilion” written above.

I looked towards my father and saw him exchanging a glance with the elder. He then took my hand, and we got out of the carriage and walked towards a middle-aged man standing beside the gates.

As we approached, he bowed to the elder and my father and said, “Elder, welcome back. Lord Dragus, welcome. Oh, he must be the Young Master, right?”

“That’s right, Leo. He is the one meeting with the Head Elder today,” the elder replied.

I wasn’t sure what to do. In my past world, I would have walked up and shaken his hand, but that’s not the custom here. So, as my mother taught me, I took two small steps, lightly bowed with cupped hands—being the son of the city mayor, I couldn’t bow too low—and greeted him.

“Azalon greets Elder Leo.”

My father looked at me with pride, and Leo and the elder looked pleasantly surprised by my etiquette.

“Good manners. But I am not an elder, Azalon. You can call me Uncle Leo.”

“Azalon greets Uncle Leo.”

“Good. Now let’s go to the Head Elder,” the elder said to Leo.

He nodded and led us inside the pavilion. The pavilion was vast and beautifully maintained. We walked along a blue stone path through a well-kept lawn. At the end of the path was a four-story building made entirely of a white stone-like material. I couldn’t help but be fascinated by the stone, as I had never seen such a material in my past life. My father noticed my interest and lightly laughed.

“Azalon, this building is made of white stone called Spirit Stone. It is mined from places where Spirit energy is concentrated. It forms when Spirit energy gets absorbed into natural stones over a long period. Sometimes it takes tens or even hundreds of years to form a mine of Spirit Stone. That’s why it’s very costly. Even I can’t afford the material cost of this building. It was built by the empire, and we are just maintaining it.”

That made sense. So, it’s a rare material. My hands itched to take a sample to experiment with, but I didn’t have the proper equipment. Ahhh, how I missed my state-of-the-art laboratory. My mood instantly became broody.

We walked inside the building, and I stood there, gawking with my mouth open. If I had to compare the interior to something from Earth, it would resemble the reception area of a five-star hotel. The entire floor was made of the same white stone as the building. The walls were adorned with paintings and murals depicting various legends of the country. A crystal chandelier hung from the ceiling, lightly clinking with the flow of the air. Various cushions were placed for visitors to sit, and three maids were serving drinks.

I rubbed my eyes in disbelief. This was supposed to be a martial arts pavilion, yet there was such luxury here? Leo turned towards a pair of doors at the end of the hall. We walked up to them, and he knocked lightly.

“Come,” replied an elderly but commanding voice from the other side.

My father and the elder entered, with me following. Leo bowed and left. We stepped into a simple, efficient-looking office-like room. The room gave off a stark contrast to the luxurious atmosphere just outside the doors. An elderly, lean man stood with his back to us, looking out of the window. He was dressed entirely in white, with a slight hunch.

He turned towards us. Based on my estimation, he was around 80 years old, with a long white beard and long eyebrows falling to his cheekbones. He was completely bald, and I could see a distinctive mark on the middle of his head. His face was full of wrinkles, and he looked as if a strong wind could blow him away. But in contrast to his frail appearance, his eyes shone with vitality, as if only his body had aged, not his soul.

“Lorvak pays his respects to the Head Elder,” my father deeply bowed. I followed suit; if even my father had to bow, what could I do but do the same?

The elder laughed lightly and said, “How are you, Lorvak? It’s been a long time since I last saw you.”

“I am fine, Master. It’s indeed been a long time. I was made mayor when I last saw you, and you went into seclusion to attempt a breakthrough.”

“Hmmm… That’s right. Even though I couldn’t break through after all these years, I feel as if I can reach that stage very soon. But enough about those matters, Lorvak. You said your son’s body can handle three times the normal amount of energy that a human can withstand. Is that true?”

“Yes, Master. I brought him with me so you can test his condition and provide him with the basic steps,” my father replied with another bow.

I couldn’t make heads or tails of the conversation. Master? This elder is my father’s master? Is he a martial arts master or someone of higher authority? Before I could process this, my father lightly pushed me towards the elder. I suppressed my curiosity and looked up at the elder, who was gazing at me as if searching my soul. I felt an immense pressure from him, and I couldn’t help but break into a cold sweat.

“Come here, boy,” he said in a commanding voice, and my body moved automatically, unable to refuse the order.

The scene from that day with my father repeated itself. The elder lifted his hand, which glowed with a light azure light, in contrast to the pale yellow light of my father’s. So, there is a difference in the colors of energy? He placed his palm against my body, and the light rushed into me. Unlike my father’s, the light on the elder’s palm did not disappear but instead glowed with an even more intense color.

After a while, my body felt saturated with energy, but he didn’t stop. I continued to absorb the energy, feeling as if I were a water balloon on the verge of bursting. Suddenly, his palm flickered with bright azure light, followed by a rush of energy into my body, like a dam breaking.

My body felt like it was swelling, and pain flooded my entire being, so intense that it felt as if the very fibers of my life were being tormented. It was the most pain I had ever felt in either of my lives. Amidst the pain, I heard a faint crack, like something breaking under

the relentless influx of energy. With that crack, the excess energy slowly dissipated, leaving me with a comfortable feeling. However, the lingering effect of the pain still remained in my mind.

I slowly recovered and looked around to find myself curled up on the floor. My father had a concerned expression, and the two elders looked surprised.

“It seems what you said is not incorrect, Lorvak. His body can indeed endure higher levels of energy than a normal human. All that’s left is to test his comprehension level. If he can refine even a fraction of the energy he can absorb, he may reach unprecedented heights. Perhaps he might even attain realms that even I can’t reach in my lifetime.”

Chapter 6: Spirit Refining Technique

After he said that to my father, the Head Elder looked at me deeply. He went silent as if thinking about something. A long time passed, and he seemed to come to a decision.

“Come with me, Azalon. You two stay here,” he said, starting to walk towards the doors. I got up and looked at my father.

He nodded at me, and I followed the Elder. We headed towards the stairs, and he began telling me about the pavilion.

“The pavilion contains various martial art techniques and body refining techniques. Usually, a Guardian will be here to check the realm of the cultivators and assign the floor level from which they can select up to three techniques pertinent to their realm. They can’t take them out, but they can stay here and comprehend them. This way, we prevent the copying and theft of the techniques.”

I nodded at the explanation. It seems they follow a similar method to various libraries in my previous world. But a question arose from his explanation, and I took a chance to ask him directly.

“But can’t those who study the techniques copy them after they leave the pavilion? And why are there only four stories in the building?”

He turned his head and looked at me with surprise. It seemed he didn’t expect me to understand that much.

“It seems Lorvak really is blessed by the Spirits. To answer your questions, let me address the second one first. You’ll understand the first one after you experience it personally. This pavilion contains various techniques for the first four realms and a single technique for the fifth realm. As for the number of stories, techniques for higher realms are rare and powerful. They are provided by the Kingdom at the capital or various academies and sects.”

“That’s because they can’t let go of experts at that level, who can be considered True Spirit Powerhouses. Since they are not usually tempted by treasures, they are lured by powerful techniques or Spirit weapons. Understand?”

Oh, I see. Kingdoms, academies, and sects, huh? Hmm… “What is the difference between a sect and an academy?”

“Sects are generally formed by a single family, and if you join a sect, you must pledge loyalty to it. Academies, however, do not have that condition. They are entirely dedicated to the study and development of realms and various professions.”

Aha… So, a sect is like a company, and an academy is like a university, huh? As we discussed this, we reached the top floor, which was a 10 by 10-meter room with eight pedestals arranged around the room. Eight books were placed on them. I knew they were the top techniques, besides the single powerful one available in the pavilion. He then turned to me and said,

“Azalon, do you know about the realms and professions?”

“Yes, Elder. I have read about them in my father’s library.”

“Oh, then it makes my job easier. Let me ask you one question. How old do you think I am?”

“Huh? Elder, what do you mean by that?”

“I will explain naturally, but first, answer my question, Azalon.”

“…Around 80 years?” I answered slowly, trying not to offend him if he was somewhat younger than he looked. I had had similar experiences on Earth.

“Hahahaha, 80 years, huh? Let me tell you, Azalon, I was 80 years old about 120 years ago, you know.”

I stood there like a statue, shock and astonishment flooding my entire body. About 200 years… his age is about 200 years… I couldn’t believe what my ears had just heard. Seeing my shocked expression, he lightly laughed again.

“This is the result of Spirit Cultivation, Azalon. If you reach higher realms than me, you can live for thousands or even tens of thousands of years. And if you reach the Legend Realm—which, I must say, is said to be unattainable—you could be considered an Immortal.”

Immortality… True Immortality… The thing that countless people in my past world chased obsessively can be attained in this world… WHAT IS THIS WORLD??? First, there are Dragons, then entities that wiped out the Dragons, then Spirits, and now Immortality… I think I’m going crazy. My beliefs and theories, which I have dedicated my entire life to, are being shattered one by one. It’s like I’m losing sight of who I once was… Isn’t that what reincarnation is meant to be? Let go of old beliefs and start fresh with new ideas?

As I was immersed in my inner turmoil, the Elder started speaking again. I shook off my thoughts and listened to his words.

“Spirit energy is a very mysterious thing. It is present everywhere between Heaven and Earth. We can refine that energy to shed our mortal shells and attain higher realms. We can achieve many things considered impossible if we reach higher realms. For example, a cultivator in the Spirit Lord Realm can fly through the skies without using flying artifacts.”

*Sigh* Now humans are flying without the use of any technology. I can’t be surprised anymore. Compared to dragons and immortality, flying is a small thing, you know.

“The reason I’m telling you all this is to let you know that anything can be achieved once you reach a certain stage. If you can’t achieve something with your current strength, it means your strength is insufficient, and you need to reach a higher stage.”

“You may wonder why I’m speaking like this. I am at the peak of the 5th Realm and a Rune Master. I have almost reached the end of my lifespan, and the only way to extend it is to break into a higher realm. But I know I can’t reach it with my talent. That’s why I first took your father as my disciple. He had high talent and comprehension abilities, and I did everything I could to aid him in his cultivation. Even if I can’t reach higher stages in my lifetime, I wanted to be remembered as the Master of someone who did. And your father didn’t disappoint me.”

“And now, he has a son with a unique body. I pray to the Spirits that your talent in cultivation is as unique as your body condition. That’s why I decided to help you in your initial stages, and if your talent is high enough, I wish to take you to the capital.”

I stood there, absorbing the flood of information and sorting it out, but the last sentence threw me off track. What did he mean by taking me to the capital? Before I could ask him that question, he started speaking again.

“You have yet to start cultivating by selecting a cultivation technique. But before that, there are certain steps you must understand to begin cultivation. You can call these the basic requirements for understanding cultivation. First, sit on the floor in a lotus position.”

I sat down on the floor in a cross-legged position, and the Elder sat in front of me. He then gave me two instructions.

“Close your eyes and free your mind of all thoughts. This is the basic step in the cultivation process. If you can’t achieve this state, you can never comprehend the energy around you.”

What he didn’t know was that I had been absorbing the energy around me for the past year. So, I immediately cleared my mind and entered a meditative state. The energy around me came alive in different colors and intensities. As the Elder sensed that I had achieved the isolated state, he began instructing me again, though his voice betrayed his surprise. According to him, I achieved this state of mind on my first try. I can understand his astonishment.

“Try to spread your senses around you to perceive the energy present. After you can sense the energy, imagine yourself as a dry pool and the energy as water filling that pool. If you can do that perfectly, the energy will start moving towards you, and you can absorb it.”

Before he finished talking, I had already started absorbing the energy rushing towards my body. The same process repeated itself as it did every day. Once again, I was left with a trickle of energy in my body. As if the Elder sensed the energy movements, he instructed me with a quivering voice.

“Good, good, Azalon. Now, the energy absorbed is the raw form of energy present in nature. You can’t manipulate it freely and completely. At most, you can guide it along the Spirit paths in your body. So, we refine that energy in our bodies and store it in the Dantian. I will teach you a basic refining method, but there are several high-level refining methods available in the pavilion. Once you can successfully refine the energy, you are free to choose any method you want.”

“Now, imagine that energy moving towards your Soul. A Soul is formed of Spirit energy, and any type of cultivation is based on the Soul. What the technique changes is the concentration and quality of refinement. Guide that energy to your chest area. That is where the Soul resides, and imagine the energy being moderated according to your Soul. Once the energy resonates with the Soul, you can channel that refined energy throughout your Spirit paths and store it in the Dantian. Now, try it, Azalon.”

Ah, so that’s why I couldn’t completely control the energy in my body. It’s like a transmitter and receiver combination. Without a resonant frequency between the two, you can’t send or receive signals. So, even though I didn’t understand what he meant by Soul, I guided the energy to my chest area. But no matter how much I concentrated, I couldn’t find that thing called the Soul to refine the energy.

So I tried a different approach. Instead of using the Soul to refine the energy as the Elder said, I tried to match the frequencies of both. According to my theory, the energy is like an

energy bandwidth, and my Soul—or whatever it is—represents a specialized channel. So I searched the bandwidth for the frequency that resonates with my channel frequency. As I explored the energy, suddenly I felt my entire body jolt, and something in my chest pulsed back.

It seems I found my frequency. So I tried to concentrate the energy on that particular frequency. As I did, all the energy rushed into that pulse like a river, and immediately I felt a great control over the refined energy.

In an instant, I channeled that refined energy throughout my body and finally into my Dantian in my lower abdomen, just below my navel. As I felt a sense of accomplishment, something unexpected happened. All that energy immediately disappeared. I suddenly felt cheated. Immediately, a voice resounded in my head—the one I had been waiting for the past year and a half.

“Master…”