Sun Moon Empire, Mingdu, Kong Family Residence.
As the head of the Hall of Worship of the Sun Moon Empire, a pillar of the Empire, and the most powerful person under the Emperor, Kong Deming's residence was not as luxurious as one might imagine; in fact, it was somewhat "simple" compared to the mansions of other imperial dignitaries.
Of course, anyone who knew this was Kong Deming's residence would inevitably say, "Elder Kong is indifferent to fame and fortune; he is truly a pillar of the Empire."
Inside the room, Kong Ming'an sat on the bed, meditating cross-legged.
At this point, nearly 60 hours had passed since he awakened his "Energy" Spirit and proved himself.
Information regarding his awakened Spirit, his Innate spirit power Rank, and his ability to craft a Rank 1 Soul Core with only 0.5 Rank Innate spirit power after Awakening—all of this was completely sealed off.
The many Rank 9 Soul Engineers present at the time were all trusted confidants of his grandfather, so sealing the information was not difficult; it was merely a small indulgence within the scope of his power.
Of course... none of this currently concerned Kong Ming'an.
At this moment, his mind was immersed in the faint yet incredibly clear spirit power within his body, and the formless, intangible, yet seemingly omnipresent Spirit—"Energy."
What is Energy?
In the understanding of the Douluo Continent, spirit power is the foundation for driving one's Spirit and unleashing Spirit Abilities; it is the source of life and power.
mental force, on the other hand, is an extension of will, a bridge for perception and control.
And both of them are forms of Energy.
Flow, transformation, burst... these fundamentals constitute the cornerstone of the Spirit Master System in this World.
And the special aspect of Kong Ming'an's "Energy" Spirit lies in its powerful control and insight over this "cornerstone."
After more than two days of initial exploration, he had provisionally summarized two core abilities demonstrated by his Spirit:
Firstly, powerful internal control.
He possessed near-perfect control over the Energy he wielded, specifically "spirit power" and "mental force."
This was evident from his demonstration two and a half days ago, when he manually forged a Rank 1 Soul Core in front of numerous Rank 9 Soul Engineers.
That 0.5 Rank spirit power, though as faint as a flickering candle in the wind, under his will, showed no dispersion or delay, meticulously outlining the shape he desired without any flaws.
Secondly, external Energy vision.
He discovered this recently while attempting introspection.
When he concentrated, he could "see" the flow of Energy within approximately five meters centered around himself.
He could clearly "see" the trickling stream of his own spirit power flowing with difficulty but steadily through his Meridians, and his mental force, like invisible ripples, surrounded his body.
Similarly, he could perceive the spirit power fluctuations and mental force fields emitted by other life forms in the outside World, like observing various shapes and intensities of light halos or air currents in the darkness.
Undoubtedly, his Spirit was, in some sense, extremely overpowered.
But... was it merely control over "spirit power" and "mental force"?
Kong Ming'an was skeptical.
His Spirit was named "Energy," yet it could only control his own "spirit power" and "mental force"; that was somewhat undeserving of the name.
Therefore, he speculated,
Either his Spirit had some unmanifested flaw due to his extremely low Innate spirit power.
Or, precisely because he currently only possessed spirit power and mental force as forms of Energy, the scope of his Spirit's abilities was temporarily limited to these.
And these required him to verify them one by one.
Kong Ming'an felt a rare surge of excitement... This was far more interesting than dealing with the messes his mentor and junior classmates created in the lab every day in his previous life!
Waking from meditation, Kong Ming'an's gaze fell upon several exquisite jade bottles in front of him.
These had been sent by his grandfather, Kong Deming, after learning of his ideas.
There were a total of three types of Medicinal Pills that could, to a certain extent, boost Innate spirit power without side effects.
Two of the bottles contained Medicinal Pills developed by the Sun Moon Empire itself, while the other bottle, faintly wreathed in a gentle mist and exuding a cool aura, contained "Xuan Water Pill."
Picking up the jade bottle, information about this Medicinal Pill from Kong Ming'an's memory surfaced:
A top-tier Medicinal Pill for strengthening the Origin and cultivating the foundation, it purifies the marrow and transforms the tendons, having miraculous effects on enhancing Innate spirit power Aptitude, especially effective for low-Rank Spirit Masters.
The gentle water-attribute life Energy it contained could nourish the Meridians, flush out Impurities, and gently raise Innate spirit power by 1 Rank.
Although this Medicinal Pill was a specialty of the Xuanming Sect, the Sun Moon Empire had secretly purchased a considerable amount to cultivate imperial talents.
And in the bottle before Kong Ming'an, there were a full five Xuan Water Pills, enough for him to develop a resistance to the Medicinal Pill.
This was the manifestation of his own value, coupled with his status as the sole heir of the Kong Family, leading to a significant allocation of resources.
Pulling out the stopper, a refreshing medicinal fragrance diffused. Without hesitation, Kong Ming'an put the lychee-sized, entirely azure Medicinal Pill into his mouth.
The Medicinal Pill melted instantly upon entering his mouth, transforming into a gentle yet vast, cool torrent that surged through his limbs and Acupoints.
In his perception, this azure medicinal torrent gently and swiftly flushed through every tiny Meridian.
Wherever it passed, the "channels" that were stagnant and narrow due to Innate deficiencies were gently widened and reinforced.
And the subtle "Impurities" adhering to the Meridian walls, under the flush of this clear stream, receded like melting snow.
The most concentrated life Energy, thread by thread, integrated into his faint spirit power Origin.
After an unknown period, the surging medicinal torrent within his body finally subsided, transforming into a gentle stream, nourishing his refreshed Meridians.
Kong Ming'an slowly opened his eyes, a glint of sharpness flashing in their depths. He once again introspected.
At this moment, the previously faint stream, almost imperceptible, had visibly grown thicker. Although its flow was still far from smooth, it was much less obstructed than before, gaining a sense of steadiness.
"Innate spirit power... has roughly increased to around 1.5 Rank..."
In the original work, Huo Guai consumed a Xuan Water Pill, and his spirit power went from newly entering Rank 11 to the Peak of Rank 12.
Aside from Huo Guai's own firm will, there also seemed to be the Mysterious Heaven Skill and the absorption bonus from his unawakened ice Spirit.
His situation, however, seemed to be quite average, neither perfect absorption nor a poor absorption effect due to his Physique that didn't even reach the minimum.
However... this was not a big problem.
"It's nothing more than taking a few more Medicinal Pills."
Kong Ming'an said casually.
A low starting point is only a minor issue; resources can compensate to some extent. Moreover, it's merely Innate Aptitude.
It wasn't his first time attempting to defy fate; it was merely another attempt.
Getting up, he carefully put away the Xuan Water Pill and the other bottles of similar Medicinal Pills, intending to take them after the Xuan Water Pill's effects were fully absorbed by his body.
Kong Ming'an went into the bathroom to wash away the Impurities expelled due to the Xuan Water Pill. After a while, he dressed, gathered his belongings, and then opened the door.
Outside the door, a figure in the Sun Moon Empire's standard dark gold armor, whose aura was as solid as a mountain, had been waiting for a long time.
Although the invisible pressure was deliberately restrained, in Kong Ming'an's Energy vision, he could still see the opponent's spirit power aura, burning like a vast furnace and as dense as mercury, within his body.
Undoubtedly, a Titled Douluo.
This was the guard and guide his grandfather had arranged for him.
Without extra words, Kong Ming'an nodded slightly. The Titled Douluo immediately understood, turned, and led the way with steady steps.
Destination—the military camp... on the outskirts of Mingdu, the garrison for the reserve soldiers of the Sun Moon Royal Soul Engineer Legion.
On the vast military training ground, earth-shattering shouts, heavy thuds, and the whoosh of weapons intertwined, forming a raw and fervent torrent of power.
Under the scorching sun, the scent of sweat and dust permeated the air. Thousands of robust soldiers, stripped to the waist, were undergoing rigorous physical and basic Spirit Ability training.
This was a daily essential training for reserve soldiers.
Kong Ming'an did not enter the center of the field but, led by the Titled Douluo, quietly sat on a shaded step at the edge of the training ground.
The Titled Douluo stood a few steps behind him like a rock, his aura blending with the surroundings, yet acting like an invisible barrier, isolating external disturbances.
A moment later, about a dozen Spirit Elder-Rank soldiers, led by their officer, arrived at the open space in front of Kong Ming'an.
After respectfully performing the Sun Moon military salute, the officer, with a straight posture, knelt directly.
"Young Master Ming'an, I am Wang Meng, your subordinate, waiting here by order of the Hall Master! Please give your instructions!"
That look of eagerness to improve... Kong Ming'an involuntarily lingered on Wang Meng for a moment, then waved his hand.
"Begin. Show me your Spirit Abilities that can strengthen the Physique. Hmm... one by one."
"Yes!"
Wang Meng quickly responded, then turned to look at the soldiers behind him and gestured.
The soldiers immediately understood. The first one in line stepped forward, let out a fierce roar, and a gray bear phantom emerged behind him.
In an instant, the soldier's muscles rapidly swelled as if inflated, coarse brown fur appeared on his skin, his hands transformed into giant bear paws, which he slammed against his chest, producing a dull thud.
Then, the soldier took a deep breath, and his first spirit ring instantly lit up. Yellow light surged into his limbs and Acupoints. His already bulging muscles tensed further, veins protruded like earthworms, and a sense of power rushed forth!
Kong Ming'an watched silently, his Energy vision already activated.
His gaze ignored flesh and bone, clearly seeing the soldier's spirit power circulation throughout his body at that moment.
He noticed that while the soldiers' spirit power circulation paths were crude, the points of eruption overlapped with certain Acupoints known in his previous life for strengthening the Physique and stimulating potential in traditional Chinese medicine.
For instance, Acupoints like "Jianjing," "Quchi," "Zusanli," and "Yongquan" where spirit power surged during exertion.
"spirit power stimulates Acupoints and certain specific locations, and then spirit power protects the Meridians from overload, thereby achieving short-term Physique enhancement..."
Kong Ming'an murmured softly, his eyes gradually brightening.
He clearly knew his shortcomings. The "Energy" Spirit was indeed powerful, but relying solely on the Spirit would absolutely not be enough.
With his Innate Aptitude of 0.5 Rank, using various Medicinal Pills for enhancement would definitely have limitations.
Therefore, if he simply followed the traditional Spirit Master path of increasing Rank, absorbing a spirit ring for Breakthrough, then increasing Rank again, and absorbing another spirit ring, it would absolutely not work!
He had to do something big... something really big!
And the first step in doing something big was to have a sufficiently powerful Physique!
This was not only the beginning of his secondary development based on the Spirit Master System but also the beginning of obtaining an ideal configuration for his first spirit ring.
"Spirit Ability... Physique enhancement... spirit power circulation route... Acupoint stimulation... drawing in external Energy..."
Kong Ming'an watched as soldiers, one by one, began to possess their Spirits and activate similar Physique-enhancing Spirit Abilities. His brain started to churn rapidly.
The "underlying code" provided by Energy vision, the knowledge of Chinese medicine Meridians and Acupoints accumulated in his previous life, and his experience with powerful control over his own Energy—
These three began to collide, dissect, and recombine in his calm consciousness.
"What if... the spirit power circulation route is optimized?
"What if... those Acupoints that can maximize potential and strengthen tendons, bones, and flesh are precisely stimulated?
"What if... mental force is used to guide, more efficiently drawing in and refining the elemental power of the World during Body Tempering, accelerating cultivation speed?
"What if... combining my powerful control over internal Energy, I create a 'method' that doesn't rely on high spirit power Ranks, focuses on excavating the human body's own Treasure Trove, and systematically and efficiently strengthens the Physique?"
A never-before-seen concept gradually became clear in his mind.
He sat there quietly, his eyes as deep as an abyss.
His Energy vision continuously scanned the soldiers' spirit power flow trajectories with each exertion and the spirit power stimulation of their Acupoints with each breath.
Unconsciously, his fingers lightly traced lines on his knee, as if outlining more efficient and intricate circulation routes in the Void Realm, marking each critical Energy node within them.
Time passed by, minute by minute, and soon, several hours had gone by.
Even with rotating Spirit possession and Spirit Ability usage, the dozen or so soldiers in front of him had now exhausted their spirit power, one by one lying on the ground.
Kong Ming'an's fingers suddenly paused, and he unconsciously frowned.
"Not enough samples, too much repetition, and too single. I need more..."
He murmured softly, then casually pulled out more than ten cards from his storage Soul Engineer bracelet and threw them into the hand of the officer, Wang Meng, who was standing nearby.
"A thousand for each person, the rest is yours. Switch people tomorrow and continue."
Officer Wang Meng instinctively caught them, only to see more than ten gold cards, each worth 1,000 gold coins, and one purple card worth 10,000 gold coins in his hand.
Immediately, his expression became fervent.
"Yes! Sir!"
Another standard Sun Moon Empire military salute, eager for advancement.
Kong Ming'an completely ignored him, merely standing up and pondering as he slowly walked away, protected by the Titled Douluo beside him.
The basic framework for the "Body Tempering Method" he envisioned was already established. What he needed now was a massive amount of real samples to fill it in, then actual cultivation for verification, and finally, to achieve results.
However... "Since the foundational framework has been built, this new System also needs a name..."
He murmured softly, a flicker of thought in his eyes, then... his eyes slightly brightened.
"Let's call it... 'Body Cultivator.'"