After making his choice, his understanding of this Cultivation Technique changed.
The original Cyan Pine Unmoving Technique involved embodying the senses of a pine tree, enduring wind and rain with unyielding spirit. It used self-torment as a means and willpower as a foundation to temper the Spiritual Power within one's Sea of Consciousness.
The latest revised version of the Cultivation Technique, however, had removed the word "Unmoving," leaving only "Cyan Pine."
The gales and downpours in Gu Ming's Sea of Consciousness gradually faded, replaced by the phantom image of a single cyan pine tree standing in the center.
The cyan pine's roots slowly descended, taking hold deep within his Sea of Consciousness. It was like a spiritual totem, its entire being emanating a cyan Dao Radiance that illuminated the hazy Sea of Consciousness.
Gu Ming understood the intent behind the new Cultivation Technique.
A person didn't need to become a pine tree. He just needed to take the cyan pine as a model: watch it grow, see it extend its branches, and use its crown to quell the wind and rain, remaining as immovable as a mountain.
Gu Ming felt a Spiritual Fluctuation. It was the result of the cyan pine's roots delving into his Sea of Consciousness, stirring its surface and creating ripples.
Such a fluctuation was far more logical than the external spiritual stimulation from Teacher Luo.
This was a Spiritual Fluctuation generated from within, a waveform unique to his own body, suitable only for Gu Ming himself.
All Gu Ming had to do was perceive the direction of the Spiritual Fluctuation and follow it to cultivate his Spiritual Power.
Gu Ming's thoughts stirred, guiding his Spiritual Power to move across the surface of the sea.
His consciousness was like the tip of a brush, constantly moving across the sea's surface. Each circuit consumed a significant amount of Spiritual Power.
In less than ten minutes, Gu Ming was drenched in sweat, his Spiritual Power completely depleted.
He hadn't expected the new version of the Spiritual Technique to be even more exhausting than the old one.
After cultivating the fifth edition of *Cyan Pine*, your Spiritual Power quality +10.
Comparing it to the old Cultivation Technique, you find that while this method is exhausting, its efficiency is astonishing—five times greater.
You learn that this Cultivation Technique can adapt its cultivation path based on the Beastmaster's own spiritual state, and you can't help but marvel at how times have changed. If you hadn't come back to repeat the year, you'd have no idea how much the world outside has changed.
Your cultivation teacher sees you can't even last a single Circulation and are clearly in need of an elixir. He quickly pitches a new one to you.
Faced with your cultivation teacher's enthusiastic sales pitch, you decide to...
Seeing the improvement in his Spiritual Power quality, Gu Ming felt that the exhaustion was worth it.
'So it has an adaptive path adjustment... future functions are actually this intelligent?' Gu Ming thought in surprise.
Just then, Gu Ming heard steady footsteps approaching from behind.
"Your Spiritual Power is depleted, isn't it? I have a Soul Reviving Pill here. It can restore your spent Spiritual Power within a single class period. Take it, it's free."
Teacher Luo took out a White Jade Bottle and from it tipped out a gleaming yellow elixir, about the size of a pinky nail.
In previous classes, Teacher Luo had only casually mentioned some elixirs.
Today, as formal cultivation began, he immediately ramped things up. He laid the elixirs out on the table—a move that was as proactive as it was suspicious.
"So generous, Teacher?" Gu Ming asked as he took the elixir. He vaguely recalled that Soul Reviving Pills sold on the market for several hundred apiece.
"If you want more later, you'll have to pay. I'm not running a charity. I can give you a 5% discount, which is five percent cheaper than buying online."
Teacher Luo capped the Jade Bottle, speaking as if it were a matter of course.
Gu Ming understood. It was the classic free sample tactic. First, they let you have a taste. Then, if you wanted to keep up with the pace before Beast Taming University started, you'd definitely have to buy from the teacher or order online.
But online shopping took time to arrive, and Teacher Luo had said his supply was cheaper than online stores. That must be the offline channel price.
Gu Ming pinched the elixir, waiting for the system's text prompts to update.
Seeing Gu Ming still hesitating, Teacher Luo didn't press him further.
Haste makes waste.
Those who truly need elixirs would never go against their own heart's desires.
Besides, the university was right there. As long as Gu Ming wanted to get into a Beast Taming University, he would definitely buy them.
A corner of his mouth tilted up in a slight smirk as he slowly walked away.
Holding the elixir, you are faced with this scene and find it all too familiar.
Thirty-two years ago, you took the sample elixir given to you by your cultivation teacher. From that point on, you were hooked. Your daily expenses started at five hundred, your Spiritual Power steadily increased, and you had something to look forward to every day.
You wonder to what extent the effects of the new-style elixirs have been enhanced after thirty-two years, and whether their addictiveness has been reduced.
'Good thing I didn't take it!'
So they were addictive elixirs. He knew the elixirs recommended by the cultivation teacher were unreliable.
However, the part the system mentioned about a steady increase in Spiritual Power was a bit tempting.
In other words, the teacher wasn't lying about the recommended elixirs; they were genuinely effective.
As for the addiction, that was just their way of maintaining sales.
If you didn't love taking the elixirs, how could they earn their kickbacks?
Gu Ming didn't know how addictive this stuff was, so he looked over at his classmate, Wang Teng.
Wang Teng was also cultivating. His family was middle-class, so he had started practicing Spiritual Techniques long ago.
Gu Ming waited for him to finish his cultivation, then tucked the elixir into his pocket to wait for it to change.
You stuff the Soul Reviving Elixir into your pocket, your eyes blank.
At fifty years old, you don't fit in with the young people in your repeater class and don't dare to ask anyone for help.
But, being eager to learn and wanting to avoid repeating past mistakes, you decide to ask your deskmate about the addictiveness of the new elixirs.
Just then, Wang Teng opened his eyes, drenched in sweat. His Spiritual Power was running low.
He subconsciously pulled a gleaming yellow elixir from his pocket, the same color as the one in Gu Ming's hand.
"Is that one the same as mine?" Gu Ming asked immediately, interrupting Wang Teng's train of thought.
Wang Teng nodded and replied, "I bought mine from Teacher Luo, too."
"Are they addictive?"
"No, not at all. I only take four a day, and only when I'm cultivating my Spiritual Technique. If I took over ten a day, my family would go bankrupt," Wang Teng said, shaking his head.
Gu Ming had a realization. 'So that's how it is.'
Your deskmate nodded. The new era's elixirs, in addition to being more potent, naturally come with a slight addictive quality.
If you take them carefully for a month, you won't get addicted. But after taking them continuously for half a year, you'll gradually develop a deeper dependency. This will slowly progress to the point where if you miss a day, you'll feel awful all over and even experience a regression in your Spiritual Power.
The reason is simple: the new elixirs temporarily boost one's spiritual activity. Only by taking them continuously can one maintain the growth in Spiritual Power, and the improvement is significant.
Taking them for just six months can guarantee a graduate will be able to contract a new Pet Beast, greatly advancing the timeline for a Beastmaster to possess two pets.
Gu Ming was a little stunned. The system's answer was the opposite of Wang Teng's.
Wang Teng shook his head, but the system nodded.
The addiction was slight. While it wouldn't get you hooked quickly, it was still there. Gu Ming hesitated.
'Should I take it?'
He thought about it. He had his system to exchange for Cultivation Resources; there was no need to take a shortcut.
But just because he didn't want to take it didn't mean someone else wouldn't need it.
After being transformed by the system, this elixir had become the latest model from thirty-two years in the future.
'Who could I sell it to?'
Wang Teng was out of the question. He already knew the elixir came from Teacher Luo and was no different from the one he had. There was no reason for him to buy it from Gu Ming.
Gu Ming thought about selling it on a second-hand platform or at a local Pet Beast shop.
There was no rush. For now, he'd just keep it in his pocket.
Besides, it was only one. He wouldn't make much from selling it anyway.