Chapter 13: Cultivating the Soul

Chapter 13: Cultivating the Soul

After entering Flame City, Xiao Tian made his way to the Curious Objects Tower by asking around. Upon entering the grandiose tower, he found himself in a vast hall filled with various counters displaying an array of items: spiritual herbs, elixirs, weapons, beast crystals, martial arts manuals...

In one corner of the hall, an elderly man in gray clothes sat dozing. Despite the mess around him, contrasting with the tidy hall, no one dared to disturb him. Everyone passing by tiptoed to avoid waking him.

As soon as Xiao Tian entered the hall, the old man suddenly opened his eyes and focused on Xiao Tian.

"Hmm?" Xiao Tian felt someone watching him and looked in the old man's direction.

"What powerful spiritual strength!" The old man was deeply shocked. He had never seen a young man with such strong spiritual power. "And this boy hasn't even started on the path of the Symbol Master. He's a good prospect!"

Delighted, the old man disregarded the potential breach of decorum and approached Xiao Tian, speaking in a loud voice that drew the attention of the surrounding people: "Young man, are you interested in becoming a Symbol Master?"

The crowd fell silent, their eyes filled with envy as they looked at Xiao Tian. They knew how esteemed the old man was and felt that Xiao Tian was incredibly fortunate to be noticed by him.

To their surprise, Xiao Tian shook his head and declined, "Sorry, I already have a master."

The onlookers stared at Xiao Tian as if he were a fool.

"Your master hasn't taught you how to become a Symbol Master, has he?" Despite Xiao Tian's refusal, the old man continued to persuade him. "You must know, the path of the Symbol Master allows one to inscribe symbols to create weapons and tools, and even control the elements effortlessly."

Seeing the old man remain calm and persuasive despite the rejection, everyone was astounded. When had Master Yan become so approachable?

Just as everyone thought Xiao Tian would accept, he refused again, "I'm really sorry, but I already have a master."

"Sigh!" Master Yan sighed, taking out a symbol token and a dry book from his robe and handing them to Xiao Tian. "Meeting you is fate. Take these. If you ever change your mind, come find me."

"Thank you. I'll consider it," Xiao Tian said as he left. He had come to the Curious Objects Tower to get the soul cultivation method for free. As for later techniques, once he became a Symbol Master, Master Yan would teach him without needing to formally become his disciple.

Finding a secluded spot in the city, Xiao Tian opened the gate and returned to the Xiao family's back mountain. He sat cross-legged in the cave and took out the book.

"Spirit Movement Chapter?" Elder Yao appeared, looking at the booklet in astonishment. "This is a soul cultivation manual!"

On the Dou Qi continent, due to the lack of inheritance, only a few superpowers like the Pill Tower and the Soul Hall possessed soul cultivation methods. Everyone else had to rely on natural treasures and self-exploration. The fact that an unremarkable old man had given Xiao Tian a soul cultivation method for free shocked Elder Yao.

"And what is a Symbol Master?" Elder Yao, puzzled, looked at Xiao Tian. "Disciple, what kind of world is that? Their cultivation seems different from ours."

"Master, that world is no less than the Dou Qi continent!" Xiao Tian replied.

"What? A world comparable to the Dou Qi continent?" Elder Yao's face changed dramatically. He had thought it was a small world created by a Dou Emperor. He hadn't expected it to be as vast as the Dou Qi continent. As a Dou Sovereign, he knew the Dou Qi continent's immensity. He had never traveled it entirely, and now he learned there were other worlds beyond it.

Elder Yao asked, "Disciple, how did you get that key?"

"I don't know. I used it to open doors, and one day it could traverse worlds," Xiao Tian replied honestly.

"I see." Elder Yao, not fully convinced, returned to the storage ring to digest this information.

After Elder Yao left, Xiao Tian began reading the booklet, which contained the first three layers of the cultivation method. Thanks to his powerful soul, Xiao Tian quickly memorized the incantations.

"Spirit divides into Yin and Yang, the movement of the spirit, the beginning of life..."

Closing his eyes, Xiao Tian began cultivating the technique. He felt his soul energy condense and spread out. Though his eyes were closed, the entire Xiao family compound came into view in his mind.

Unaware, people were being observed. As his soul energy passed by Xun'er's courtyard, an old man in the shadows suddenly appeared and shouted, "Who?"

Xun'er asked, "What's wrong, Ling Lao?"

"Miss, a soul force just probed here and discovered my presence," Ling Ying replied.

"Soul force?" Xun'er quickly understood and said, "No need to worry, that's Xiao Tian's master."

Back in the mountain cave, Xiao Tian abruptly opened his eyes. His soul strength had enabled him to complete the first three layers of the Spirit Movement Chapter in no time.

"Time to open the Mud Pill Palace!" Xiao Tian knew that the most crucial step in soul cultivation was opening the Mud Pill Palace, the nurturing ground for the soul, also known as the Upper Dantian.

He directed his soul force toward the center of his head. Due to his strong soul force, he easily opened the Mud Pill Palace, and his soul energy flooded into it like a tide.

As the last bit of soul energy entered, Xiao Tian's tightly shut eyes snapped open. An invisible force surged from his Mud Pill Palace, causing the entire cave to collapse under its power.

(End of Chapter)