cultivate for revenge

The Path of Cultivation

Floating next to Jong Ji and looking into the starry sky of the cave, he asked: "Did you see the particles of the elementless spiritual energy?"

"I did," Jong Ji replied, looking into the starry sky.

"Good, sit down again. Instead of just imagining the white dots, now concentrate and imagine that the white dots are flying toward you and are entering your body."

"Mhm!" Jong Ji nodded and immediately sat in a lotus position.

...

Fifteen minutes had passed, but Jong Ji had made no improvements.

Drops of sweat were rolling down his forehead as he concentrated on moving one white dot toward himself in his black-white world.

Seeing no progress after fifteen minutes, he was about to give up. However, suddenly in his black-white world, the white dot he stared so hard at flickered.

His hope returned, and his heart raced. He felt all refreshed. It was not a magical thing. He probably placed too much pressure on himself. But seeing the white dot flicker, his worries disappeared from his heart.

With newfound strength, he pushed his concentration and imagination to the limit. Veins popped on his sweaty forehead, and he started to feel a slight headache.

But it was not in vain. The white dot he was focusing so hard on slowly moved toward him.

It didn't take long for the white dot to arrive above his forehead.

'What a monster.' The master thought as he observed Jong Ji from the side. 'Even a divine genius would take at least one week to be able to see the particles and another to move them. But he did them in merely a day.'

The white dot entered Jong Ji's body through his forehead, and he finally sighed a sigh of relief.

However, he couldn't even imagine the hell that awaited him.

"AGHhhhhhhhhhh!" He screamed, holding his head with both hands. He rolled on the ground in pain.

Tears flowed down his eyes, and he screamed constantly. But after a dozen seconds, he lost his voice due to pain.

Crack! c***k! c***k!

A bone-cracking sound came from his body. He was unable to scream anymore. He could just roll on the ground in horrifying pain as he felt his muscles tearing and broken bones piercing his insides.

"Endure it!" He heard his master. "You wanted strength overnight and were rushing and did not give the body any time to prepare to absorb spiritual energy for the first time. Now you must endure the pain!

If you endure this pain, you will be much stronger in the future." The master said as he watched Jong Ji lie down on the ground.

He no longer rolled. Maybe because his bones broke and he couldn't move even if he wanted to, or he just gave up.

'This is too much pain!' Jong Ji thought as his vision blurred. He slowly closed his eyes. 'Let me rest for a while." He lost hope. The pain was too great for him.

When closing his eyes, the scenes of the previous days flashed through his eyes.

He opened his eyes wide open. The unbearable pain was still there, but he must bear it. He gritted his teeth, biting his mouth in the process.

He was determined to endure the pain. He cannot die. At least not before he revenge his mother. 'Quin Qi, I will kill you. I will exterminate the whole Qin clan that gave you power. Exterminate the snakes of the Dead Sea. Only then can I be satisfied.' Jong Ji thought as he battled the pain.

...

An hour or so passed, and the pain finally disappeared. Jong Ji just lay on his back and stared at the ceiling with tired eyes.

"Your body has strengthened. Now, you are officially a cultivator of the first-level mortal realm."

Jong Ji didn't say anything. He still stared at the ceiling. Yes, he entered the path of cultivation, but at what price?

During the process, his bones were broken and repaired several times. He had enormous dark circles under his eyes. Like he had not slept for a month. His hair was also a mess.

He slowly closed his eyes as he watched the moon in the replicated sky in the cave and fell asleep.

His master looked at him floating from above.

"Ah!" He sighed. "Will you save the world? Or will you destroy this world?" The master asked. Of course, not expect an answer as Jong Ji was asleep and unable to move a single muscle.

He shook his head. "I gotta prepare a meal for when he wakes up." The master muttered as he then floated out of the cave.

...

Eight hours passed, and Jong Ji was still asleep. After two more hours passed, Jong Ji slowly opened his eyes.

It was bright in the cave. Looking at the sky on the ceiling, it was probably the middle of the day.

He lifted his arm and covered his eyes with it. "I'm a cultivator now." He muttered. "It is only a matter of time before I get stronger."

He stood up. After resting, he didn't feel any pain anymore and could move normally. No, that was not right.

He felt stronger than before. He felt that he would be able to pull a small tree out of its roots now.

He then slowly walked towards the first cave, expecting his master to be there. And he was right. After he passed through the Illusionary Array, he saw his master floating in the cave.

Inside there was now a new table and one chair.

Rice, fish soup, and steamed buns were placed on the table and were still warm.

Just from looking at it, Jong Ji salivated.

The master smiled. "The dishes will get cold. What are you waiting for?" The master said.

Jong Ji didn't wait for his master to repeat a second time. He was starving. He rushed to the table, sat on the chair, and started devouring the food.

"Mwaster..." Jong Ji said, still chewing the steamed bun he just took a bite off.

After chewing it enough, he gulped it and asked: "Master, why do you say I entered the first-level mortal realm? I mean, I was a mortal before."

"You entered the path of cultivation, but you are still mortal.

That's because even a person in the tenth-level mortal realm has a lifespan of only a hundred and fifty years at most. On the other hand, a first-level spirit realm person has a lifespan of at least three hundred years.

We call it the mortal realm because the lifespan is too short, even though you have much more strength than knights. Even ordinary knights who trained their bodies to the limit can live up to a hundred and fifty years. So you are still considered a mortal." The master explained.

"I see," Jong Ji said, and then continued eating.

After Jong Ji finished the food, the master placed a jar of water on the table and a cup.

Jong Ji drank a little water and then asked: "Master, why didn't you tell me about the pain I would have to suffer if I am too rushed to cultivate."

"That's because it wasn't necessary," the master replied.

"How can it be unnecessary? I almost died..." Jong Ji complained, but his master cut him midway.

"You would still have chosen it. And before you ask me why, I will tell you.

By going through that much pain, there will be more benefits. Your body is now much stronger than a person in the same realm. Your body is now comparable to the bodies of the people in the fifth-level mortal realm.

And if you want to take revenge as soon as possible, this is the only way. With this, it shortened at least a year you needed to cultivate to take revenge." The master said, stroking his long white beard.

Jong Ji was left speechless. He couldn't complain anymore as his master was indeed right.

Even if he knew that he would suffer pain that would make him wish to die, he would still have chosen it because it helped him get stronger quicker.

"Master, I'm sorry for doubting you. I will return to cultivating." Jong Ji said as he cupped both his hands in front and bowed. Then he headed to the second cave.

He entered the cave and sat on the soft grass. The sound of the splashing water filled the room, but that didn't deconcentrate him. Instead, it somehow relieved him.

He closed his eyes, and the bright and colorful cave disappeared and was replaced by darkness as he concentrated. Soon, the black-white world appeared again, and Jong Ji began cultivating.

The white particles of the elementless spiritual energy entered his body one by one.

The time passed fast,

and he became more proficient in moving them to himself and absorbing them.

After an hour, his heart raced in fear. He was going to explode. His arms and legs swelled up almost thrice their size.

'What is happening?' Jong Ji immediately opened his eyes. He was frightened when he saw his swollen body.

"Close your eyes and concentrate. Feel the elementless spiritual energy in your swelled parts and move it towards your abdomen."

Jong Ji heard the voice of his master and immediately obeyed. He felt the spiritual energy in his body and moved it slowly toward his abdomen.

There, a strange thing happened. The spiritual energy started spinning and formed something like an orb.

Then the spiritual energy from around his body started flowing through his body toward the orb and entered it. It was strange because Jong Ji had nothing to do with the flow of spiritual energy. After forming the orb, the spiritual energy in Jong Ji's body moved on its own.

Soon, his body returned to normal, and he opened his eyes. He looked around, but his master was nowhere around. Jong Ji was not shocked. After all, he had seen so many strange things in just a few days, so this much was nothing.

He immediately got up and headed toward the first cave. His master was there.

"Master." Jong Ji cupped his hand in front and bowed. "What happened to my body? And why does spiritual energy move on its own?" He asked.