Or Both?

After spending some time within the Wisp Realm—as he had taken to calling it—Su Yan came to a startling conclusion that all of these wisps held overwhelming amounts of knowledge. Even more surprising, though, was how he had casually stumbled upon a few cultivation manuals. Some even superior to his former cultivation method.

"Wait, if there are cultivation manuals in here, could I find something that would allow for both fast-paced and better cultivation base?" He contemplated while rubbing his chin in thought. But then shook his head. "Even if there were better manuals, how can I find one among this many wisps?"

It wasn't an exaggeration when deeming the space as near infinite. It would take Su Yan an untold number of years to even sift through the surface-level information. The thought of going through each cultivation manual in his limited lifespan was ludicrous at best.

Just as he was thinking of a way to parse all this information, he felt a wisp move and float toward him. Curious, he extended a mental probe and felt himself be assaulted with the knowledge of a cultivation method. This one was even better than all the others he had come across before. Su Yan noted a change in color, or more likely aura, to be the determining factor.

"But why did it hover near me?"

He tried to call toward the wisp and was pleasantly surprised when it answered his call. Feeling adventurous, he extended his thoughts and called for all the cultivation manuals. It was a mistake as he was suddenly swarmed by the wisps from all around. He had to stop the calling before he was buried under a mountain of knowledge, literally.

Shaking off the wisps, he moved toward a clearer area and concentrated. "The best cultivation manual, no, the best informational."

Yes, that's what he wanted to sift through first. His mere decade of experience meant he barely had any understanding of the cultivation world and the cultivation arts by extension. If he wanted the best for himself, he had to first understand what the best meant exactly. Basically, he needed the required filters to funnel all this information through so that he could only bother himself with the best.

As ghostly mist floated near him, he found himself drawn to it. As the mental bond formed, he felt a rush of knowledge travel from the mist to his mind. He sucked in a cold breath as his mind grew heavy from the sudden flow of information.

As time went on, he felt his mind come under strain. He sighed and relinquished his hold on the wisp, allowing it to float away. It was slightly diminished but not obviously so. Instead, his attention was on the information he had gained.

Cultivation was so much broader, and it was only now he realized just how much he was falling behind. It felt almost laughable that he had been willing to settle for mere 33 motes. If he had done that, his future would've been cut short and any hope of progression lost. It wouldn't have even mattered if he gained a superior cultivation art. He would've had to start over to even remotely have a chance of succeeding.

Su Yan also came to an astonishing realization that cultivation was not a two-way affair but a three-way one. Alongside body and Qi, there was also Spirit. An integral part of a being, it was said to be the bridge between soul and body. And now he was finding out there was an entirely new aspect to the cultivation. It both thrilled him and also left him feeling mortified.

"I'm already struggling with the standard cultivation, and now I have to worry about another thing." Sighing, he shook his head and focused on his needs. Now that he had somewhat of an idea as to what he needed, Su Yan had a much better chance of finding a good cultivation manual.

Concentrating, he formed a specific mental image of his desires while also keeping the requirements flexible. He felt a wisp come into existence before him, followed by another and then another. The process didn't stop until there were a total of twelve wisps floating near him.

This development had all but confirmed his theory. The Wisp Realm responded to his desires and thoughts. However, each piece of wisp had a specific requirement, and given his current state, he could only access a portion of their vast knowledge.

As he overlooked all the gathered wisps, he felt a curious gleam flash through his eyes. These twelve wisps had been chosen from among the near-infinite gamut of wisps. They had to be extraordinary.

Each of the wisps was different in color and shape. He picked one shaped like a shield with a red aura wafting from it. Information rushed into his mind.

'Nine Heavens Battle Sovereign Art' was the name of the cultivation method, and it focused on the aura and intent cultivation. It was such an intricate art that just looking at it made him feel dizzy. His heart thumped with greed and desire. In any other setting, he might have started cultivating without another thought, but as it was, he had eleven other similar or superior manuals waiting for him.

As Su Yan pulled himself free of the hold the wisp had on him, he focused on another wisp. This one was sky blue in color but somehow managed to look more domineering than the red one. He extended his awareness and felt a connection form. 'Mystic Azure Dragon Dao.'

This wisp was focused on emulating a dragon's cultivation method. In terms of what it could accomplish, even the previous manual paled in comparison. It was focused on the body and would help a cultivator forge their body like that of a dragon.

One by one, Su Yan moved through the cultivation manuals, each leaving him pleasantly surprised. By the end, though, he had made his choices and was ready to start over.