Heart Of A Cultivator [VIII]

Caught off-guard, Ju Feng turned his head, sharply, to the source of the voice. Seeing his grandmother, he heaved a sigh of relief knowing she was the one with the familiar voice.

Heavens tears!

He didn't even know when his grandmother arrived. It was as if his grandmother and the air were one. Well, his grandmother could walk on the thin air anyway. She already told him everything would become easier than he thought, if he could work harder in his training.

"Water also provide mental benefits as well. It's a natural for us to feel at peace when we come near a water source. It's part of who we are. The sound of water is not only soothing, but can directly affect your mood. Even the sight of a pleasant water can also relax the soul."

With a slight flick of her head, Zhang Wang Jing indicated the pond to her grandson.

"Great energy is released from water by the power of nature, and is found anywhere water flows. We absorb this energy with each breath we take."

With a slight energy pull, Zhang Wang Jing drew another bamboo mat, placing it opposite her grandson and sat down in a lotus position.

"Mental training develops the health and strength of the soul. Weaknesses of the mind are conquered by mental training. And most importantly, Ju Feng, it helps you to make important decisions with wisdom."

Zhang Wang Jing moved her hand to form the shape of a human as she was speaking.

"Your character as a cultivator is developed during your early trainings."

Waving her hand gently, Zhang Wang Jing manifested fire in the shapes of beautiful fire-flies that captured the attention of Ju Feng. She watched the mesmerized look on her grandson's face as the fire-flies settled on his body without burning him.

"When you make right choices, you are slowly engraving certain tendencies into your mind. In the future, it will be more likely for you to desire and perform the right actions. If you make wrong choices, you can do harm to your soul. Even if you are not harming anyone else. Which brings us to Karma."

With compassionate eyes, she continued to observed her grandson and wondered what the immediate future held for him. At the least, they would try their best to put his mind in the proper frame regarding the consequences of bad karma. With good karmic virtues, even in death, there was a good chance of a better reincarnation.

"Do you know what karma is, Ju Feng?"

"Good and bad?"

"Close."

Zhang Wang Jing nodded her head with a bright smile.

"It's the principle behind the good and the bad things we perform. Everything we do will always have effect on our life in the future. Karma is part of creation. It affects every soul in the universe. Either good or bad karma, we can't escape it. You see, in the cultivation world, especially in the martial world, killing is inevitable. Sometimes, it's even more than necessary. Nevertheless, it brings the ultimate karma. That's why a true mind will help you in making good decisions in the future."

Smiling assuredly at her grandson, Zhang Wang Jing gestured at the fish in the pond.

"Look at the fish in the pond. Do you see the way they move about in the water peacefully? It's in their mind to do that since they came into existence. Now they do that as part of their lives. Everything you put in your mind from a young age, will continue to grow there if you continue to nurture it. Enough with that for now, let's practice the mystical arts."

Zhang Wang Jing released a trace of soothing energy as her voice lowered to whispers. She might not inherit the Asuran bloodline, but she received the Soul-Whispers traits.

"Free your mind as before, and let your mind be at peace. After that, start the Serene-Worldl technique."

Ju Feng quickly closed his eyes and freed his mind of any distractions. Gradually, just like the peaceful pond, he felt his mind at peace as he started practicing the soul pith technique. He remembered what he had discovered before, during his training. His soul was getting more and more stronger whenever he practiced this technique, and the followed it up with the Timeless-Soul breathing technique. The two techniques were from the same Skyworld manuscripts.

No wonder why they complemented each other.

The more stronger his soul, the more clearer he was seeing things. He continued to practice as sparse threads of positive energy continued to stream into his soul. Eventually, he was lost in meditation as he saw himself being surrounded by a faint white light and flickers of lightning.

After regaining his awareness, he looked at his grandmother with surprised large eyes. He was about to explode into million fragments when his grandma smilingly responded softly.

"I saw them too, Ju Feng. Those are your astral spheres. Light elemental energy and lightning element energy. Two elemental energies. I'm really proud of you, Ju Feng."

"But no fire, grandma."

"Yes, no fire. But you have two elemental affinities. That's a blessing, Ju Feng. None of us has two affinities, not to mention light and lightning. It means you are special, very special. And it's not the affinity you have that matters, it's your heart that does. Now, lighten up and appreciate the gifts."

"Okay, grandma. Thank you."

Ju Feng nodded his head and smiled at his grandma who was regarding him happily. He wondered why he should be different from the rest of his family. Oh, fire. How he wanted to be able to make flaming bird like his mother, or giant fire wyvern like his grandfather. He could even make fiery claws like his grandmother, although there was something about those claws that scared him.

He would have preferred fire affinity to a thousand other elements. He even wondered how a lightning bird would look like. Never as great as a flaming bird. But light and lightning he received, and they were the elements he had to live with.

And two of them? His smile brightened as he considered himself truly fortunate.

Leaving the pond area, they walked slowly in the direction of the cave while enjoying the gift of nature. Halfway back, his grandmother told him she wanted to check the goat farm, so he decided to follow her. They collected some goat milk before heading back towards the cave.

Several minutes later, Zhang Li Qiang was in the small book chamber, going through some manuscripts while Zhang Wang Jing and Zhang Xiu Ying were discussing about the upcoming village event.

Seeing that everyone was occupied, Ju Feng quietly left for the cultivation chamber where he sat down in a lotus position and started practicing the Timeless-Soul technique. Already at the stage he was at, his dantian was extremely large.

The heavenly spiritual energy was needed in large amount to advance in cultivation stages. That was why cultivators would always look for places rich in heavenly spiritual energy to cultivate. Since those places helped in supplying the needed energy. But he had a couple of fragments of the blue crystalline containing pure refined chi.

Not long after, his mother found him in the cultivation chamber just as he was advancing to the late stage of Chi gathering. With all the energy he had absorbed over the past years, he was still at the stage of Chi gathering. However, it gave him great comfort to know he was advancing the stage's step at the least.

"Congratulations son, It was about time. You are now at the late stage of the Chi gathering level. If you continue to work harder, you'll soon be able to refine the Chi you have gathered."

Zhang Xiu Ying sat down in front of her son, briefly staring at him with her divine sight. She watched the ripples of energy coming from his body, and smiled. If not for the Timeless-Soul cultivation technique which required high amount of heavenly energy, Ju Feng would have advance further than the Chi gathering stage. The early stages were the easiest ones on the path of cultivation. Soon, the road would be of extreme difficulties.

"Continue gathering the Chi into your dantian. We're still gathering Chi into our dantian also. Your soul will continue to benefit from the Chi you are gathering no matter the stage of your advancement. So, you can continue."

"Okay, Ma."

"You know what, son. The antique sellers, you know, those rare items sellers? They'll be arriving in our village later today. So, tomorrow, we're going to the market place."

"Yes!"

Ju Feng had heard a lot about the incredible items of the merchants, and he would be seeing them with his own eyes. After calling a day on his cultivation, Ju Feng went to his room and crashed on his bamboo bed. He kept thinking about the market place and the antique items he could get. He would take any opportunity he could get to leave their cave and see the people beyond. Struggling to sleep, he remembered his crystal pagoda, and quickly brought it out.

Holding it delicately, he wondered about the treasures he was told resided inside the pagoda. Still holding the pagoda in his hand, he didn't know the time he fell asleep and found himself in a dreamworld.