C2 The Master of the Book Spirit Dispels My Doubts!

The old man looked at Ho Liao with satisfaction, nodded, and said, "Kid, the path of cultivation is a long and arduous one. It's not as glamorous as you might think. In fact, you could face danger at any moment, and there's a chance you might never return. Are you afraid?"

"Sir, every day at home, I face the possibility of encountering wild animals that could devour me, and I've never been scared!" Ho Liao replied with determination.

"Good!" the old man exclaimed with delight. "To cultivate, you must first learn to harness the spiritual energy of all things for your own use. This grants you powers and abilities beyond the ordinary. Not everyone can cultivate; only those with a spiritual core can absorb the world's energy. You're fortunate to possess an excellent spiritual core, perfectly suited for my foundational technique. You'll understand this more as you progress. For now, let me explain the stages of cultivation. The first step is to refine your spiritual core and activate your spiritual roots. Once fully activated, you'll be able to absorb the world's energy, entering the Spirit Nurture stage. After solidifying your foundation, you'll form energy nodes in your dantian to store spiritual energy, known as the Soulkeep stage. This stage is divided into nine levels. Each time you form a batch of energy nodes, it's considered one level. From this point, differences between cultivators emerge. Some can form multiple nodes in one batch, while others form only one. Consequently, some cultivators, after reaching the ninth level, have fewer nodes than others do in a single batch, resulting in vastly different levels of power. Do you understand, kid?"

"Sir, is this gap impossible to bridge?" Ho Liao asked curiously.

"Not at all!" The old man, with a look of approval, continued to explain, "When you reach the Spirit Shedding stage, which is when the individual energy points in your core connect and transform into a larger energy field, there's a chance to narrow the gap from the Soulkeep stage. With a bit of luck, you might even surpass it!"

Ho Liao nodded in understanding.

"The Spirit Shedding stage is divided into nine levels. Each time the energy field expands, you advance a level. However, progressing from Spirit Shedding to the True Spirit stage isn't guaranteed. Many cultivators, or rather, the vast majority, find themselves stuck at Spirit Shedding," the old man said thoughtfully.

"What makes the True Spirit stage so challenging?" Ho Liao asked with curiosity.

"The True Spirit stage requires a cultivator to release and retract the energy from their core at will. Only then can they truly ascend and fly freely. Many cultivators can release their energy, but they can't retract it. Without the ability to pull the energy back, the energy field in their core quickly depletes. Even if they try to replenish it, it never returns to its original state, leading to a decline in their abilities. What's more alarming is that this decline is irreversible. Eventually, the energy field shrinks until it disappears completely, leaving them powerless. That's why many cultivators end up losing their potential," the old man explained.

"Hey, do you think reaching the True Spirit stage means becoming a real immortal?" Ho Liao asked excitedly upon hearing about the ability to fly.

"No," the old man shook his head. "The True Spirit stage is divided into nine levels. Each level is marked by how many times you can control and release your energy. Some cultivators can do it many times in one go, while others only once. That's the difference between them. After reaching the ninth level, a cultivator can use the energy from their core to impact their mind's sea of consciousness. When this sea forms, they're called a Lightbringer, and only then can they barely be considered an immortal. But, very few can actually form this sea of consciousness; most end up losing their minds under the energy's impact."

As soon as the old man finished speaking, he noticed a figure approaching from a distance. Smiling, he said, "Your sister's back. Let me hide for a bit. Remember, don't tell her about me!"

With that, the old man transformed into a flicker of light and disappeared into Ho Liao's waist. Suddenly, Ho Liao felt the presence of a book, neither too thick nor too thin, at his side.

Setting aside his curiosity about the book, Ho Liao ran to greet his sister, calling out happily, "Sister, why are you back so late?"

Hearing the joy mixed with concern in Ho Liao's voice, the figure felt a warmth in her heart. She quickened her pace, clutching her cloth bag tightly, and replied, "Little brother, I was working at Mr. Wang's place in Noucwell today. He just got married and had me embroider red drapes for him, so I got back late. But he was generous and gave me a pound of beef to bring home for you!"

Ho Liao watched his sister, her steps unsteady, knowing she hadn't eaten a bite all day. His heart ached, and he nearly shed a tear.

After returning home, the siblings had dinner together. Exhausted and not in the best health, his sister retired early to her room. Ho Liao went to his own room and finally took out the book he had tucked at his waist.

In the dim light, Ho Liao noticed the book was quite unique. The slightly yellowed pages emitted a faint glow, allowing him to clearly see the four bold words etched into the bark cover: "Return to the Source."

Unable to resist, he opened the cover and felt the thrill of unlocking a treasure trove.

In his mind, the voice of an elder echoed: "Kid, this 'Return to the Source' is a very traditional cultivation method. It can guide you from the Spirit Nurture stage to the Lightbringer level. It combines both cultivation and technique, and you'll appreciate its benefits over time. This method was created by the founding master of the Sword Sect thirty thousand years ago. With it, the old master roamed Cegleania, unmatched. Unfortunately, after the master left, he left 'Return to the Source' in the sect. However, the disciples, eager for quick results, relied too much on supplements, neglecting the method's emphasis on personal breakthrough. As a result, none could master it, and they even claimed the real method left with the master, dismissing this as a fake. It infuriates me! Luckily, as the Book Spirit left by the master, I gained a physical form and can move freely. To prove I'm the real deal, I left the Sword Sect in search of a worthy successor!"

"Book Spirit?" Ho Liao exclaimed in surprise.

"Don't shout. Just think, and I can sense your thoughts. Otherwise, it'll be troublesome if you wake your sister!" the Book Spirit quickly stopped Ho Liao from speaking aloud.

Hearing this, Ho Liao was amazed and couldn't help but wonder: Why did the old man choose me, and why did he search for fifty years?

Sure enough, the Book Spirit seemed to hear Ho Liao's thoughts and sighed in his mind, "Kid, Cegleania is vast and boundless, but there are countless sects within it. Each sect must continually replenish its number of cultivators to survive, as many are lost during their training. That's why each sect has a Soulkeep Hall, overseen by a great elder, dedicated to finding those with Spirit Nurture within their territory. They even venture into other sects' territories to search. With so many sects searching back and forth, finding someone with the Spirit Nurture that meets the requirements of the True Spirit technique is incredibly difficult!"

"Book Spirit, how do I practice this technique?" Ho Liao couldn't help but think.

"That's easy. First, I'll help you activate your Spirit Nurture, but not here. We need to find a spacious, undisturbed place!" the Book Spirit replied with a cheerful smile.