Cultivation Session

It was late that evening that Chen Wei knocked on his door.

Lin Fei withdrew from his meditative state and went to open the door. Standing outside was the nervous form of Chen Wei, who now stood with his bandages removed.

"Finished already?"

Chen Wei nodded. "The party was interested and didn't probe much."

That was understandable. What he tasked Chen Wei to do was to basically find a buyer in the black market. And people from that side of the business rarely poked their nose where it didn't belong.

"They probably thought I got lucky and found them somewhere." Chen Wei explained. That seemed like a plausible explanation, considering how many of the cultivators chanced upon these blessed opportunities. Or as they were called—fortuitous encounters.

"Come inside."

After sitting on the bed, Lin Fei looked at Chen Wei with an expectant gaze. "Well?"

"Ah yes." He hurried to remove the bag from his waist and pulled out a small sack. "Ten Earth Essence Stones and ten Body Cleansing Elixirs."

Lin Fei accepted the sack and opened the strings to reveal a small glass bottle and ten crystalline brown rocks.

"And the rest?"

Chen Wei pulled out another small sack and handed it to him. There were a total of eleven gleaming, bright crystals within. "Mid-Grade Spirit Stones."

Pulling out one, he tossed it to Chen Wei, who caught the blue crystal with a startled expression. "This?"

Lin Fei smiled. "I'm a simple guy. Since I promised you will get your reward, I intend to fulfill it."

It was more than a matter of principle, but that certainly played a part. Lin Fei was prideful even in his first life, and after his reincarnation and spending years with his mother had instilled a bone-deep dignity in him.

"Do you need me to do anything, Boss Lin?"

Seeing his servile attitude, Lin Fei knew that he had accomplished his goal spectacularly. Before he was still an unknown factor, a weak disciple meant to be exploited. But now he was a possible Qi Gathering Realm cultivator with at least an apprentice Inscription Master backing him.

Chen Wei understood what he was being offered and didn't hesitate to let his pride suffer. He was a cultivator first and foremost, and advancement was the main purpose of their lives.

Holding onto this golden thigh that was Lin Fei would only serve him well.

"Nothing for now. Meet me early in the morning after three days."

"Yes, Boss."

After seeing him depart from the place, Lin Fei released a breath of air. This was just the first step. In the path of cultivation, one must never stop until attaining that elusive peak.

So, Lin Fei resumed his cultivation.

The first thing he used was the Earth Essence Stone.

From what he had gathered and his mother's prodding, the Earthly Essence generated by the Earthly Titan Body Art was pure, but it was minuscule. If he supplied it with an external source, then he could augment the present Essence and, by extension, enhance his cultivation speed.

More than that, though, it was the prospect of gaining an Essence Understanding—the very first stage to gaining a thorough understanding of the Laws and Force that govern the Aspects of Reality.

He circulated his cultivation art and grasped hold of the Earth Essence Stone.

Slowly, his body soaked in the radiating Earth Essence, absorbing it. His cultivation art helped in the circulation of this essence through his body, growing faster with each passing moment.

At last the Essence Stone in his hand turned to dust. Lin Fei let out a cloudy breath of air and took another Essence Stone in his hand.

Once more he cultivated using the Essence and felt his body grow a smidgen stronger. The pool of misty Essence in his dantian roiled with each circulation.

One by one, the Essence Stones were consumed, filling his body with more power. Until there were none left.

"Now comes the hard part." Lin Xinyue spoke, having manifested before him. "It's time to put to the test the reason why you were unable to cultivate in the first place."

When Lin Fei was born, his mother had been overcome with joy. Then she discovered his inability to cultivate, and the worry stressed her much.

They searched far and wide for the reason for his ailment. Until they came across a Sage with Heavenly achievements in the Dao of Medicine. For years the Sage studied his body and came to a startling conclusion.

"It's not that Young Master Lin Fei can't cultivate, but more like the Heavens won't allow it." He had explained. "The reason is his physique, or lack thereof. It's a bit confusing, but young Lin Fei somehow has a weird non-physique physique."

"What the fuck are you spouting, you old geezer?" His mother had been enraged at the nonsensical answer.

The old man, fearing that he would be slapped to death, had hurried to add, "What I meant is that his physique is made up of infinite layers of non-physique."

"You fucking quack, do you really—"

"Please listen to me first," he had almost pleaded. After his mother had calmed down, she motioned for him to continue. "Basically, any being only has one physique, or if they lack one, they can cultivate one physique. But only ONE. But young Lin Fie possesses an infinite layer of nothing, meaning he can theoretically cultivate infinite physiques."

--Back To The Present--

"Time to put that old ghost's hypothesis to the test."

Hearing his mother's words, Lin Fei nodded.

"How many do you need?" He asked.

"Give me half." She replied.

Lin Fei took out five of the mid-grade spirit stones and watched them crumble to dust. His mother would need her energy somewhat for the upcoming procedure.

Gritting his teeth, Lin Fei took out the Body Cleansing Elixir and downed it in its entirety. This was ten normal elixirs' worth, and the effect was instantaneous.

He felt a searing feeling take over his body, the feeling of a thousand ants crawling all over him. And then beneath his skin, in his muscles, and gnawing at his bones.

"Grhhh..."

"Embrace the pain. Remember the misery and fuel it into your growth."

Those were the last words he heard from his mother before he felt his body tear open and his vision swim.