C6 Advance Spirit Nurture!

As the sun set in the west, Ho Liao placed a large bag of gold and silver in front of his sister, saying, "Sister, you can enjoy life here in this courtyard. Although buying this place cost a lot, we still have plenty of money. Even though we've moved far from the mountains, I'm still worried someone might recognize you and cause trouble with the Wang family. If you need anything, try to have Faye go out and get it, or I can do it. Just relax and stay home for now."

The move from the mountains to this new place was a journey of over 600 miles. Throughout this time, the Book Spirit, who had secretly witnessed the entire event, admired Ho Liao's ability to handle significant matters with such maturity at a young age. Of course, Ho Liao had been continuously training during this period.

Faye was the young girl Ho Liao had rescued.

A-Chou still felt like she was dreaming, unable to believe what Ho Liao had told her. How could the brother she watched grow up suddenly become someone capable of driving away the wealthy and powerful Wang family on his own?

Ho Liao knew his sister needed time to process everything, but due to his agreement with the Book Spirit, there were some things he couldn't tell her.

On the third night after moving to the foot of the new mountain, Ho Liao was training alone halfway up the hill. This mountain, like the previous one, was part of a larger mountain range, but both were just small, low peaks, barely reaching 300 feet in elevation. The land was barren and desolate, so it rarely attracted attention, and there were very few homes nearby.

Ho Liao practiced on the mountainside at night, undisturbed by anyone. It was a natural retreat, as serene as any secluded training sanctuary. As he became more adept at absorbing the energy of the world around him, Ho Liao felt a growing comfort in his core. The energy he drew in became more manageable, and aside from the energy flowing through his spine and into his bones, a significant portion swirled gently within him, like a soothing massage. He couldn't help but let out a contented sigh.

This sound caught the attention of his mentor, the Book Spirit, who mused, "This kid must be feeling incredibly at ease in his core to make such a sound. Could it be that he already has excess energy circulating and nurturing his core? If that's true, achieving such mastery in such a short time is something even the disciples of the Sword Sect, with all their elixirs, haven't accomplished in thousands of years!"

Suddenly, the Book Spirit worried that Ho Liao's rapid progress might be too much for his body to handle and quickly advised him to pause his training. After all, Ho Liao was a rare find, a student the Book Spirit had spent fifty years searching for.

Ho Liao stopped his practice and couldn't help but ask, "Master, why do you want me to stop? I was just getting into a great rhythm!"

"Kid, do you have extra energy swirling in your core, no longer channeling into your spine?" the Book Spirit asked.

"How did you know, Master?" Ho Liao responded, surprised.

"So it's true!" the Book Spirit murmured. "Kid, you're a genius to have reached the peak of Spirit Nurture in such a short time. But you've done it in just three months, and I'm worried you won't withstand the pain of breaking through to Soulkeep. Many independent cultivators have died from the pain without the aid of elixirs."

"Do you want me to take elixirs, Master?" Ho Liao asked curiously.

"Of course not. I want you to take it slow, build up your stamina, and prepare for the pain of the breakthrough. It's called not fighting a battle unprepared," the Book Spirit explained earnestly.

"Thank you, Master!" Ho Liao said gratefully.

"But you better be ready, kid. Once you break through to Soulkeep, you can't just stay here and train in isolation. You'll need to come with me to train and gain experience out in the world," the Book Spirit suddenly instructed.

"Why?" The thought of leaving his sister made Ho Liao feel like his heart was being torn apart.

"Kid, you can't become a true cultivator by just training in isolation," the Book Spirit explained slowly. "A cultivator must both train and fight. To be a true cultivator, you need to combine both aspects."

"But what about my sister?" Ho Liao asked, still worried.

"Don't worry," Book Spirit replied confidently. "I'll set up a third-level protective barrier at your home. No cultivators below the True Spirit realm will be able to get in! Plus, the world outside is vast, with many rare herbs. Some can extend your sister's life, and others might even remove the birthmark on her face..."

"Really?" Ho Liao interrupted eagerly.

Book Spirit, as a mentor, truly understood his apprentice. He knew Ho Liao wouldn't leave because of his sister, but he also knew that for her sake, Ho Liao would agree to the training without hesitation.

So, he simply said, "Yes," and saw Ho Liao's young face light up with joy.

The foundational technique couldn't rely on elixirs for Ho Liao; it had to unlock his full potential. So, over the past few days, Book Spirit made sure Ho Liao ate well and repeatedly taught him little tricks to handle the pain of breaking through to a new level. Book Spirit knew these might not help much, but at least they would prepare Ho Liao mentally.

Five days passed quickly, with Ho Liao resting during that time. On the fifth night, Book Spirit took Ho Liao to the back of the mountain, ensuring that no matter how loud things got, they wouldn't disturb his sister and the others.

Ho Liao was full of confidence, believing that even if the pain was several times worse than when he first entered the Spirit Nurture realm to activate his spirit bone, he could endure it.

Finding a flat spot, he sat cross-legged. The Book Spirit began guiding Ho Liao on how to channel his energy to impact the Soulkeep realm. First, he needed to gather enough energy, directing it toward his spine. Naturally, the energy left in his core would reach its maximum capacity. Then, in the shortest time possible, he had to maximize the energy flow. The Book Spirit also taught Ho Liao a mantra to reverse the energy flow from his spine to his core, creating a dynamic interaction between the gathered energy, the swirling energy in his core, and the energy reversing from his spine.

Suddenly, Ho Liao felt an excruciating pain in his abdomen, as if his internal organs were being twisted and ground into dust. He couldn't help but scream in agony. His cries were so heart-wrenching that even the Book Spirit frowned, thinking, "I hope this kid doesn't die from the pain; finding a disciple isn't easy!"

Despite wanting to give up, Ho Liao thought of Sister A-Chou and the longevity elixir and scar-removing remedy his master mentioned. He told himself he had to persevere, for Sister A-Chou's sake, he must keep going!