In the early spring of his fifth year, Lin Yuan underwent the Enlightenment Ceremony and began studying characters and books with Master Chen. But what truly gave him an understanding of how this world functioned was the daily guidance from his mother, Su Wan—Spiritual Power.
That evening, Su Wan called Lin Yuan to the backyard and sat on the stone steps. The setting sun painted the courtyard walls a warm orange, and the jujube tree in the corner had just sprouted new buds.
"Yuan'er, do you know why some people can fly across the sky and traverse the earth, while others can only farm and trade?" Su Wan asked.
Lin Yuan blinked, pretending to be an innocent child: "Because they have spiritual power?"
Su Wan laughed. "You remember quickly. Has Master Chen mentioned it to you?"
"Just once," Lin Yuan replied. In truth, he had been curious about this term for a long time. In his previous world, nothing like this existed, and in this life, he wanted to know exactly what it was.
"Then today, mother will explain it properly." Su Wan held his hand, letting him sit beside her. "Spiritual power is a fundamental energy that exists between heaven and earth. You cannot see or touch it, but it is everywhere—like the air."
She picked up a dry branch and drew a circle on the ground. "Our bodies are like this circle. We are born with the potential to hold spiritual power, but most people's 'containers' are sealed, never opening in a lifetime. Only through cultivation can you open them, absorbing the spiritual energy from the world."
Lin Yuan listened attentively. "And after opening it?"
"Then you can use spiritual power to do many things." Su Wan thought for a moment and gave an analogy: "Look at our oil lamp—the oil is spiritual power, and the wick is the spell. Oil by itself doesn't emit light, but with a wick, it can shine. Spiritual power is similar—it doesn't have effects by itself, but through spells, it can become fire, ice, wind, or thunder…"
The analogy was vivid. Lin Yuan asked again, "So the more spiritual power you have, the stronger you are?"
"Not exactly." Su Wan shook her head. "Let me put it this way: spiritual power is like… like the copper coins your father uses in his business. The more coins you have, the more things you can buy. But what to buy and how to buy depends on your skill. Some buy cloth, some buy grain, some buy land to build houses—coins are just a tool, not the goal."
Lin Yuan pondered: "So spiritual power is just energy, and spells are how you use it."
"Exactly," Su Wan said, smiling as she patted his head. "You're a clever child."
"How can we tell how much spiritual power someone has?"
Su Wan paused, then took a small jade token from her bosom, only thumb-sized, smooth and translucent.
"This is what your father bought in the capital last year, called a 'Spiritual Tier Token.' It can roughly measure the level of one's spiritual power." She placed the token in Lin Yuan's palm. "Hold it and think of nothing else."
Lin Yuan followed her instructions. At first, he felt nothing, but after a few moments, a warm sensation rose from his palm, slowly traveling up his arm. The jade began to glow faintly—first white, then gradually a pale cyan.
Su Wan's eyes lit up. "You truly have a spiritual root."
"What's that light?" Lin Yuan asked.
"Cyan, the Light Purification stage." Su Wan took back the jade, her tone full of restrained delight. "Yuan'er, you have a spiritual root. You can cultivate."
Lin Yuan froze.
In his previous life, he had been the most ordinary person imaginable. And now, in this life, he had the potential to cultivate? Was this… a reincarnator's perk?
But he quickly suppressed his excitement and asked, "Mother, what is the Light Purification stage?"
Su Wan led him back inside, lit the oil lamp, and took a yellowed handwritten book from the cabinet. She opened the first page, which showed a ladder-like diagram with labels on each step.
"The realms of spiritual power, ten in total." Su Wan pointed to the lowest step. "This is the first stage, Light Purification—the one you just measured. It means the body is beginning to purify and can hold spiritual power."
Her finger moved upward:"Second stage, Hai Xin (Calm Heart Stage). Spiritual power gathers in the Dantian into a 'sea of qi,' as calm as the night waters.""Third stage, Li Huo (Fire Ignition Stage). The heart fire ignites, some spiritual power liquefies, increasing explosive potential.""Fourth stage, Pi Xin (Bone Tempering Stage). Heart fire tempers bones, light yet strong, forming indomitable skeletons.""Fifth stage, Peng Luo (Divine Insight Stage). Mental power transforms into divine perception, like a great roc spreading its wings, sensing heaven and earth.""Sixth stage, Tan Su (Carbon Stage). Reshape the body structure with primordial energy, forming a carbon-like framework, the foundation of all techniques.""Seventh stage, Dan Bo (Tranquility Stage). Primordial energy returns to calmness yet contains immense strength, immovable as a mountain.""Eighth stage, Yang Shen (Spirit Nourishing Stage). Begin nourishing the soul, extending lifespan.""Ninth stage, Fu Jin (Law Touch Stage). Touch the laws of heaven and earth, movements draw on natural power, devastating in effect.""Tenth stage, Nai Xuan (Profound Stage)." Su Wan closed the book, her tone reverent. "At this stage, one can supposedly manipulate the rules of the world and harmonize with the Dao. But this is only legend; in all my life, I've never heard of anyone truly reaching it."
Lin Yuan stared at the ten names and suddenly noticed something interesting—Qing, Hai, Li, Pi, Peng, Tan, Dan, Yang, Fu, Nai.
He repeated them quietly, a twitch at the corner of his mouth.
"Mother, these ten characters…" he carefully chose his words, "were they chosen deliberately?"
Su Wan frowned. "Deliberately? How so?"
Lin Yuan scratched his head. "Nothing… it's just… quite a coincidence."
What he didn't say was: Qing, Hai, Li, Pi, Peng, Tan, Dan, Yang, Fu, Nai—Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon.
This world actually used the periodic table to name cultivation stages?
Lin Yuan didn't know how to react. Was it an Easter egg left by a previous traveler, or pure coincidence? If the former, then this world had— or still has—people from his homeland.
"What's wrong?" Su Wan waved her hand in front of his face.
"Nothing, nothing." Lin Yuan shook his head. "Mother, how does one advance through these stages?"
Su Wan patiently explained: "The essence of each stage is the transformation of spiritual power. In Light Purification, the spiritual power is like mist, loose and thin. In Calm Heart Stage, the mist condenses into water droplets, storing more power in the same Dantian. In Fire Ignition Stage, the droplets compress into flames, denser still…"
Lin Yuan nodded. "Like… a container of the same size, but one with cotton and one with iron, the weight is completely different?"
"Exactly!" Su Wan laughed. "You always find a metaphor for everything."
Lin Yuan thought: energy density. His physics lessons from his previous life weren't wasted.
"And what if the spiritual power runs out?" he asked again.
"There are four ways. First, absorption—from daily cultivation, slowly drawing the free spiritual power from heaven and earth. This is the safest method. Second, conversion—consume foods or elixirs imbued with spiritual energy, converting them into your own power. Third, recovery—depending on how wide your meridians are, the quality of your future Golden Core, and your environment. Near spiritual veins, recovery is fast; in desolate mountains, slower."
She paused, her tone serious: "Fourth… is overdraw."
Lin Yuan noticed the change in her tone. "What happens if you overdraw?"
"Exhausting spiritual power damages your foundation," Su Wan said, meeting his eyes. "Like running too much, using all your strength, and feeling sore the next day. Overdrawing spiritual power is far worse—mildly, you are weakened for months; severely, your cultivation drops a stage. Repeatedly overdrawing can even destroy your spiritual root, making cultivation impossible."
Lin Yuan nodded earnestly. "I understand."
"That's good." Su Wan's expression softened. "You're still young. No need to rush. Mother will teach you the basics first—sensing spiritual power."
She had him sit cross-legged, hands on his knees, eyes closed.
"Think of nothing else. Feel the air around you. Spiritual power is lighter than air, warmer, like… like the spring breeze brushing your skin."
Lin Yuan closed his eyes and focused.
At first, there was only darkness, nothing to feel. Slowly, he sensed something—not wind, but a faint tingling like static electricity sliding across his skin.
"Do you feel it?" Su Wan's voice was gentle.
Lin Yuan nodded.
"Good. Now try to draw it in. Not with your nose, but through every pore, like a sponge absorbing water."
He tried to "inhale"—hard to describe, not breathing, but a pull of thought. The tingling sensation converged into his body, flowing along a path he had never noticed, down to his abdomen—his Dantian.
That area began to warm, subtle but real.
After some time, Su Wan softly said, "That's enough. Open your eyes."
Lin Yuan opened them. It was already dark. Mother had lit the lamp, looking at him kindly.
"You sensed and absorbed it on the first try. Your talent is better than I imagined," Su Wan said. "But remember, cultivation requires patience. A little practice each day is enough. You're young, your meridians aren't mature—too much will harm you."
Lin Yuan nodded. He looked at his tiny hands and clenched them—still small, yet he could feel something in his body, faint and warm, like a small flame flickering in his Dantian.
Is this spiritual power?
He looked up. "Mother, what about spells? How do you turn spiritual power into fire?"
Su Wan chuckled. "You're impatient. Spells are the next step. You must first stabilize your spiritual power. And spells aren't casually used—they require a medium."
"A medium?"
"Yes. Spiritual power is energy, but to turn it into effect, you need incantations or talismans." Su Wan picked up a teacup on the table. "See this cup? Without a hand to pick it up, it won't move. Spiritual power is the hand, incantations and talismans are the 'picking' action."
She whispered a short syllable while tracing a symbol in the air with her index finger. Lin Yuan saw a faint glowing trail appear in the air, like a simplified sigil. The symbol existed only briefly, but in that instant, the oil lamp flickered on.
Lin Yuan's eyes widened.
Su Wan withdrew her hand. "This is the simplest 'Fire Ignition Spell.' Using spiritual power to drive incantations and talismans consumes power in proportion to effect. Want to light a lamp? Use little. Want to burn a house? Use much—it's all proportional, no magic without input."
Lin Yuan thought: "So the power of a spell depends on the spiritual energy invested?"
"Not entirely." Su Wan shook her head. "It also depends on your understanding of the spell. Two people may know the same spell, but one understands only superficially, the other masterfully. Same energy, vastly different effect. That's why people of equal realm may differ enormously in combat strength."
She added: "Your realm determines how much spiritual power you can store, but insight determines what you can do with it. Both are vital, neither can be lacking."
Lin Yuan looked down at his palms. The faint flame in his Dantian flickered quietly, tiny and fragile.
But he knew—this was a beginning.
In the spring of his fifth year, he not only learned to read, but also touched another layer of this world's rules—the rules that could turn an ordinary person into a cultivator, that made a mundane life no longer ordinary.
That night, lying in bed, he gazed at the moonlight outside, suddenly recalling the periodic table coincidence:Hydrogen, Helium, Lithium, Beryllium, Boron, Carbon, Nitrogen, Oxygen, Fluorine, Neon.
Was this a signature left by a predecessor? Or was this world secretly connected to Earth?
He did not know. But one thing was certain—in this life, he was no longer merely an ordinary person.
At least, someone with a spiritual root should live longer than in the last life, right?
He turned over and slowly closed his eyes. The tiny flame in his Dantian flickered gently with his breathing, like a seed planted, waiting to take root and grow in the future.