The MC steadied his breathing and began to recall the technique engraved deep within his mind.
Soul–Body Unity.
"This technique is divided into three parts," he murmured."First—Body Harmony.Second—Soul Harmony.Third—Harmony of Heaven and Earth."
His eyes slowly closed.
"Let's begin."
According to the technique, spiritual energy had to be absorbed through breathing itself. Not forcefully, not greedily—but naturally, as if becoming one with the surroundings.
He sat in a meditative posture, spine straight, legs crossed, hands resting calmly on his knees.
Inhale…Exhale…
His breathing gradually slowed, falling into a steady rhythm. As his focus deepened, his senses expanded outward. With each breath, faint threads of spiritual energy were drawn into his body.
A soft silvery glow appeared around him.
"So this is it…" he realized. "The silvery aura I saw in the rhino's cave—this is true spiritual energy."
His thoughts drifted to the yellow mist he had encountered before.
"And that yellow mist… it was impure spiritual energy, released from the beast meat."
Understanding dawned on him.
"No wonder I couldn't absorb it, no matter how much I tried. It was impure.""But my mysterious land… it could still absorb it."
That realization sent a chill down his spine.
As the pure spiritual energy flowed through his body, he followed the first stage of Qi Refining—strengthening the body simply by absorbing and circulating energy.
His body slowly began to glow, wrapped in spiritual light.
After a long while, he opened his eyes.
"This feeling…" he muttered. "It's similar to when I meditate after eating beast meat."
Then he clenched his fist.
"But this time, it's better."
A hint of excitement appeared on his face.
"I should test how much I've improved."
He stepped forward.
The moment his foot touched the ground, the earth beneath it sank half an inch.
"…So strong."
His heart raced.
He walked toward a nearby tree and stopped in front of it. Standing firmly, he took a deep breath.
"I'm excited," he said softly. "Let's give it a shot."
He adjusted his stance and punched forward.
Bang!
The tree shook violently. A deep hole appeared in its trunk, wood splintering outward.
"…I destroyed it."
He stared at the tree in disbelief before letting out a quiet laugh.
"So this is Qi Refining."
For the first time in a long while, genuine satisfaction filled his chest.
His expression soon hardened with determination.
"Now… it's time for martial arts."
His thoughts turned to the old man.
"That old man was a master of stealth and movement techniques."
Among them, one stood above the rest.
Shadow Phantom Step.
"It's a peak Earth-level technique," he recalled. "But practicing it is extremely difficult."
The advantages were obvious.
"It allows the cultivator to blend into shadows, harmonize with Heaven and Earth, and move at incredible speed while consuming very little spiritual energy."
He took a deep breath and tried.
Once.
Twice.
Again.
Failed.
"With my yellow eyes," he muttered, "I can barely perform it… and only for ten seconds."
Sweat rolled down his face as his breathing grew heavy.
"And even then, it drains all my spiritual energy."
Yet the result was terrifying.
"In ten seconds… I can travel almost one kilometer."
He bent over slightly, gasping for breath.
"…That's my limit."
Straightening up, he shook his head.
"Maybe it's because I've only just begun cultivating."
His gaze turned toward the cave.
"If I continue like this, it should take me at least two years to reach the ninth level of Qi Refining."
He nodded to himself.
"That's enough time to study arrays and artifacts… especially those needed to control the flying boat."
"Let's continue."
But then his expression darkened.
"Now… the most important matter."
His consciousness turned inward—toward the mysterious land.
"So this is the biggest difficulty."
He clenched his fists.
"I thought I wouldn't be able to interact with this place… but thanks to that old man destroying the barrier, I finally can."
A trace of hesitation appeared in his eyes.
"But what if I get sucked in as well?"
He let out a bitter laugh.
"If that happens, my luck would truly be trash."
"I'll try from a distance."
Carefully, he concentrated his spiritual energy and sent it toward the land.
The result was immediate.
The land violently absorbed everything.
His spiritual energy vanished instantly.
His cultivation collapsed.
"…What?"
His eyes widened.
"My Qi Refining cultivation… it's gone?"
He checked again.
He was back at the mortal stage.
Cold fear spread across his face.
"If this keeps happening… how am I supposed to cultivate?"
For the first time, despair crept into his heart.
"…I'll search through that old man's memories again."
He reviewed them—once, twice, hundreds of times.
Slowly, understanding emerged.
"So after Qi Refining comes the Foundation Realm," he muttered."Qi becomes purer because the human body can't store unlimited energy."
"And in the Golden Core Realm, we condense a core—a sphere that can store ten times more energy than Foundation Building."
He fell silent.
Then his eyes lit up.
"Humans are made of cells," he said slowly. "Death occurs when the energy inside those cells runs out."
"Cultivation is replenishing that energy—extending lifespan and forcing evolution."
A bold thought surfaced.
"What if… instead of filling the body like a vessel, I inject spiritual energy directly into the cells?"
His heart began to pound.
"Cultivation techniques usually fill the container," he murmured."But this technique… it doesn't follow that path."
Activating his yellow eyes, he focused intensely.
Slowly… carefully… he attempted to inject spiritual energy directly into his cells.
And then—
Something completely unexpected happened.