Energy Gathering

-FROZEN LAKE SECT-

Finally! I've traveled less than 2 hours this time but I feel very tired. I need some rest or I might collapse soon.

"So this is your sect. What a lousy tier 1 barrier, and tier 1 ice elemental barrier. I don't think that other sects would even have a hard time destroying this place." I don't know what to say, Master. I've been here my whole life but I haven't experienced anything more than what happened earlier.

"Well, sooner or later, you'll experience even worse than that. Humans are greedy and evil. It only depends on who judges us. Oh, don't forget to pull the girl out of your ring now." Right! We're currently near the gate now and it's the right time to do that.

I used my storage ring and she appeared on my arms. I could tell that she's pretty light. She needs to eat more.

"HALT! Who goes there?" The guards are somewhat agitated right now as there's no way to tell that who's currently at the gate since it's already at night time and the storm is getting worse. Even with the warm body pill's effect, I still feel cold now.

"I'm Liu Hei An and I'm with Liu Sheng Kai. Please open the gate for us." A few seconds have passed...

The gate finally opened.

"You, youngsters, are in deep trouble." What?! Did they already discover what we've done?

"It's already late. Why are you youngsters still outside?!" Oh... that's what the guard meant...

The guard looked at me suspiciously but after checking my cultivation, he somehow changed the way he looks at me.

"We were just gathering herbs but we realized that it's getting late. We were caught up by the storm and as you can see, even my friend right here passed out due to the extreme weather." Then I can tell that he just remembered us from earlier today.

"Right. You're doing the errands for Physician Cao Yao. Next time, don't get too late. Earlier today, they've found corpses deep inside the forest so you better be careful when gathering. You may go." Shit... I couldn't even look at him in the eye. I just nodded and went my way. They even discovered the corpses so fast.

"Boy, sooner or later, they'll figure something out. But don't worry, whatever happens, I'll get you through all of this. Do you trust me?" Cold sweats flow on my forehead. It dawned on me that I'm a murderer and I don't have a choice now but to trust you, master. But please, don't let me die...

"I won't let you die." That's reassuring...

"I've used quite a lot of energy earlier so I might as well rest for a while." See you later, master.

-FLOW PEAK ALCHEMY SHOP-

After a few minutes, I finally arrived at the alchemy shop where I found Physician Cao Yao pretty worried in front of the door.

"What on earth happened out there?! I was worried sick! What happened to Sheng Kai?!" Seeing that I'm giving Sheng Kai a piggyback, he must have thought that something bad happened to her.

"She's just tired. That's why I am now carrying her." Though, I can tell that he doesn't buy that.

*Sigh* "As long as you're both ok. I guess that would be alright. Also, Sheng Kai usually spends the night here after gathering to practice alchemy so her relatives won't look for her. For now, you can use the room you used last night and I will take care of Sheeng Kai. For now, let's not think about what will happen tomorrow. Just remember, I will be on your side." I can tell that he's sincere. It's like he knows something.

"This man, he knows something after seeing your girl's condition. Even so, he doesn't say a word. This girl must be really important to him." Well, he is her master for alchemy and probably the law of fire so maybe that's why.

"Thank you, Physician Cao Yao. Here's Sheng Kai's storage ring as well. We gathered quite a lot of materials today. I'm really tired and I wish to rest soon. I'll see you in the morning." He just smiled at me and walked away. I feel like he's saying "good job" from his eyes. Maybe, it's just my imagination.

"I can feel tomorrow will be a big day for you so I will be teaching you something new." Uhh... you don't have to scare me like that you know.

...

I went to my bed and... So? What was that something you'll teach me again?

"It's a cultivation technique called Soul Energy Gathering." For a master like you, it doesn't sound that cool.

"You idiot! Don't be fooled by the technique's name! Naming it cool doesn't make it strong." Yeah, yeah...

"So this cultivation technique requires the base foundation of energy refining realm and at least an early shapeless soul form." The question is, do I have both of it?"

"Everyone has the foundation of energy refining realm. It's like a seed in the body, the more you cultivate it, the more it grows inside your body. Once you reach a cultivation stage that you gathered a mass amount of energy, the energy inside you takes form." Wait... I don't get it? Can you explain how it takes forms?

"Let's start with the basics so you'll understand, as you may know, cultivation stages start at the innate energy realm by having a base energy foundation. This foundation is like storage inside a cultivator to store pure energy. After that, when enough energy is gathered, it takes form into a pristine spirit which is like a cloud of energy without form. Then once the energy started to condense, a spirit core will be formed. This is just the start of the refining realm." I think I've read it at the library from one of the books and it also said that higher realms can enter someone's energy realm as well.

"Yes, and you'll know why soon. When a spirit core's energy becomes too high, the energy starts to spread and make a large empty space and I'm not saying like the space of a country... I'm saying a space where hundreds of different realms can occupy but like I said, it's empty and it's called the Void Realm. After this, the energy needed will be vast to break through to the next realm which is called the Sea Realm as the energy starts to liquefy. Then I'm sure you know what happens next when the liquified energy starts to solidify, it forms land, it's called the Earth Realm. Though, just like an empty world, no lifeforms can survive here until a cultivator reaches the Life and Death Realm." Then that's the time it can contain life... so you are saying that within a person, there could be a different world inside?

"That's right. Someone who reaches the peak of the Life and Death Realm can create life slowly to an entire world but it requires a large amount of energy. Once this world holds enough life force and energy to maintain itself, it would start to join the universe. Even if the owner dies, just like an Energy Core, it stays. Unfortunately, the realm's owner still has to cultivate to increase the energy that the people who live in his realm can acquire. " So it's like a hierarchy. If I understand it correctly, if someone wants to reach a certain cultivation realm, they have to travel to another realm to gather more energy. Like right now, we are using the energy from an entity we don't even know and if we want to reach a higher realm, we need a realm that has more energy.

"You understand it pretty well. Unfortunately, for those who live in a lower realm, like you people, this world can only provide energy up to Sea Realm and rarely Earth Realm. Once you reach the Sea Realm, you have to go to higher realms to reach higher realms using a realm gateway. Where I came from, we have an entity of the Divine Realm." This is too much for me to understand. But I get your point.

"Enough with the basics of cultivation. Now, next is to have the early shapeless soul form. This one is a little tricky as most individuals have a fragment of soul. It needs to be awakened and cultivate to reach the shapeless soul form." So how am I supposed to check my soul form?

"Unlike the energy realm, the soul realm isn't easy to be checked by others. They have to enter your soul realm using their soul form making it risky. Some soul cultivation techniques require soul torture to train the soul and those souls going inside your soul realm will also suffer the same torture. Think of it as a technique to train your soul and to protect your soul. The soul is also related to someone's will power." So if a soul cultivator has a high soul form, they might hurt or even kill souls making their body a useless empty vessel.

"Yes. But soul cultivators are not common as I said, soul cultivating techniques are like torture to souls. Once a soul couldn't handle the torture, the soul might die. Anyway, I'm already a soul now so checking your soul realm won't be that hard." Well, if my body refining realm and energy realm is bad, I'm sure my soul won't be different.

"..." It started to get quiet all of a sudden...

Hmmm... you're taking too long there. Is everything alright?

"I'm not quite sure either... for you to have a Middle Shapeless Soul Form is beyond my expectation." Wait, what do you mean? How is that possible?

"I don't know either but your soul is denser than anybody else at your age. This must be the reason why you were able to enter my illusion array. This isn't about being a genius but instead, it's all based in your luck. You were born with a strong soul." To be honest, I don't have any idea what you are talking about now but I guess I can figure it out sooner or later but you need to continue about teaching me this technique or else we will not progress at all.

"Oh, right... Kid, you don't even know how lucky you are but I guess you're right. That will come later on. About the technique that I'm going to teach you so make sure you empty your mind. As your master, I won't let you learn it by yourself so instead, I will pour all the knowledge you need to use this technique but like any other technique, you'll start from the bottom." So it's not like a skill book but instead, a direct transfer of knowledge.

...

I closed my eyes to sit on crossed legs to concentrate. It felt like someone else's memories poured down in my mind and just like that... I understand a lot about the skill. All I have to do is use it as much as possible to develop and improve it.

Never have I thought that techniques can be transferred through memories.

"That's one of the perks for having a master like me." Yet, you underestimated your disciple based on his appearance and cultivation realm.

"A simple thank you would suffice, my dear disciple." Thank you, master.

So based on the technique I've learned just now, it seems like I have to use a fragment of my soul to gather energy. This would greatly help my cultivation when I'm not cultivating physically. I could also cultivate twice as fast using my physical body and my soul to gather energy at the same time. Though it's not advisable to do so when I'm in public as others would see the flow of the energy going inside me, it would attract too much attention. The best way to use this technique is when I'm alone or when I'm on seclusion.

"When you can improve this cultivation technique, you can use a larger portion of your soul to gather more energy. For now, you can only start with a soul fragment." So that's how it improves huh...

Now... to draw a fragment of my soul...

"Relax, just imagine yourself inside your soul realm. Create an image of yourself and once you were able to create a soul image, that's when you can start your-" Like this?

"Uhh... that was too fast... That was insanely fast... it took me a hundred years to create my soul image. Aheem... since you already created a soul image, try to control it and make it cultivate energy for you." I can feel it... I'm gathering energy!

"Now, keep calm and leave your soul realm and get back. Your soul image should still be gathering energy for you. Once you gather even a slight essence of energy, your base cultivation will be unlocked and, finally, step to the First Layer of Innate Realm." I opened my eyes and now... I see energy flowing around my body!

"Congratulations, my disciple. You are now officially a first layer of innate energy realm."