Chapter 4: Spiritual Sea

"Do you have a very money-saving idea that you want to sell to me?"

Old Sam pushed up the gold-wire glasses on his nose, his face bearing the signs of a recent shave. The grayish skin had wrinkles, and he looked at Duke with a somewhat amused expression.

"Yes, boss," Duke said, revealing a hint of nervousness and pride.

Old Sam, also known as Little Sam, was the owner of Sam's Card Repair Shop. He opened the shop when he was still called Little Sam, and after decades of operation, he had become Old Sam.

"Tell me, what's the idea?"

"It's an idea that can save you a lot of money on coating boxes," Duke explained in the tone of his predecessor. "I've calculated that one silver dragon coating box can coat twenty spirit cards. The shop uses two or three coating boxes a day, and over a month, it could be several tens of silver dragons or even a gold dragon. But my idea can save you at least half of that silver dragon."

"Haha, saving so much silver dragon? What's your idea, then?" Old Sam chuckled. He didn't think a fifteen-year-old apprentice could have a great idea.

Duke joined in the laughter. "This idea comes with a fee, boss."

Old Sam was a good boss. He had a reputation for running a respectable business and being a decent person. That's why Duke chose to sell his idea to him.

"How much do you think is a fair price?" Old Sam casually asked.

"How about five gold dragons?" Duke threw out a number.

"Five gold dragons!" Old Sam widened his eyes.

"It's not expensive. With my idea, you can save fifty silver dragons in a month, and in a year, you'll earn back the five gold dragons in knowledge fees alone," Duke analyzed seriously. "Moreover, you can sell it to other card repair shops or even register the patent in the Comprehensive Tower, which could bring you even more wealth!"

"Listen, Little Duke, I'm very busy..."

"Are you sure you don't want to hear my idea before making a decision? Just listen, and there's no loss. The choice of whether to pay five gold dragons is still in your hands."

Seeing that Duke made some sense, Old Sam couldn't help but stop in his tracks. "Alright, tell me."

"First, promise me that after hearing my idea, you'll recognize its value, and then pay the 5 gold dragons."

"Um, if it's worth that much."

"Of course!"

Duke said with certainty.

Old Sam nodded slightly more seriously. "Well then, I guarantee with Old Sam's reputation that if your idea is really good, I'll give you 5 gold dragons for it."

"This idea is a kind of technology, and I call it the continuous supply coating technique..." Duke spoke confidently.

Initially, Old Sam was somewhat skeptical. However, after Duke explained the technical principles, Old Sam's eyes quickly lit up. After outlining it in his mind, he was sure that this technology was feasible.

Moreover, the technical difficulty was almost nonexistent.

All that was needed was to connect a disposable coating box to one end of a tube, with the other end connected to a larger coating storage tank. This would provide a continuous supply of coating without exposure to air.

No need to constantly change coating boxes in the coating machine.

"Genius idea!" Old Sam exclaimed sincerely. Then, he looked around cautiously, pulled Duke into the warehouse, and said, "This idea is excellent, Little Duke. I haven't figured out how big its prospects are yet, but undoubtedly, it's worth five gold dragons... No, I'll give you ten gold dragons!"

Ten gold dragons?

It exceeded Duke's psychological expectations.

He deliberately showed an excited expression. After all, he was just a fifteen-year-old kid. "Thank you, thank you, boss!"

"This is what you should get. Also, Little Duke, if you're willing, I plan to officially hire you, and you can follow me to learn the skills." Old Sam suddenly reached out and patted Duke's head, saying with emotion, "I know you're eager to make money and want to open the third sea, but talent has always been elusive."

Duke showed a puzzled expression.

Old Sam continued, "Even if you can't open the Third Sea, I believe you're an extraordinary kid. Perhaps, with your wisdom, you can take the path of a scholar as an ordinary person."

"Thank you for your encouragement, but I still want to try opening the Spiritual Sea first," Duke smiled.

"Then go ahead and give it a try."

"Uh... You haven't given me the ten gold dragons yet."

...

Old Sam was an honest and trustworthy boss. Ten gold dragons weren't a small sum, but he quickly gathered them and handed them over to Duke, officially purchasing the continuous supply coating technique.

He even drafted a contract, making two copies. Duke signed his name on it and pressed his handprint.

"Looks like you can't wait. Go on, I'll give you three days off. Come back, and I'll arrange your official position." Old Sam put away the contract, smiling brightly.

This idea could make him a fortune.

"I'll be back soon."

Duke walked out of Sam's Card Repair Shop, carrying ten gold dragons.

Looking back at the shop's sign, he had mixed feelings. As Old Sam said, even if he couldn't open the Third Sea, perhaps he could still become a scholar.

The continuous supply coating technique was the best proof.

"However, compared to a scholar, I still want to become a mage!" Retrieving his thoughts, Duke walked down the street without looking back, heading straight to the town's apothecary.

He successfully obtained the Awakening Elixir for 23 silver dragons.

Upon returning to his rented house, locking the doors and windows, he eagerly sat cross-legged on the bed. After several deep breaths, he calmed his excited emotions.

A sharpness flickered in his eyes.

Tilting his head back, he drank the elixir from the glass tube in one gulp. Then, he rinsed the glass tube with prepared clean water, ensuring not a drop of residue remained.

While waiting for the elixir to take effect, he opened a worn book on the bedside table titled "Unlocking Spiritual Magic." It was a popular science book mainly explaining the spiritual magic system.

Among other things, it detailed the methods of unlocking the Qi Sea, Blood Sea, and Spiritual Sea.

The probability of opening the Spiritual Sea was the lowest, and there were two methods described in the book.

One was the natural genius method, unlocking the Spiritual Sea spontaneously through daily meditation, emptying the mind, and following the guidance of spirituality. This method was most likely to occur between the ages of ten and fifteen.

After fifteen, one had to rely on the second method. It involved forcefully increasing the affinity with spirituality using the Awakening Elixir and then, with the help of meditation, finding and breaking into the Spiritual Sea.

Success with this method was not very likely.

In reality, whether it was the Qi Sea, Blood Sea, or Spiritual Sea, they all required the use of elixirs to open them. The success rate was very low, and the future achievements were far less than opening them naturally.

"I have a golden finger; I can definitely open the Spiritual Sea!"

Duke held onto the belief of inevitable success. Feeling a cool breath rising in his abdomen, he decisively put down the book, adjusted his posture, and began meditating.

Emptying his mind and taming his soul.

Accepting the guidance of spirituality.

This was why people named extraordinary powers spirituality; this mysterious force possessed unparalleled spirituality. Like a small beast, a little flower, or a stream, it could guide all things to grow and be tamed by all things.

"Empty!"

"Empty!"

"Empty!"

The refreshing scent of the Awakening Elixir made it easier for Duke to clear his mind of distractions. He then began to empty himself without distraction.

When all distractions were cleared, he felt as if he couldn't sense his own thoughts. Time seemed to fade away, and there was no longer any concept of direction.

Just at this moment.

A faint light bloomed in the void, followed by countless stars, as if he had fallen into an ocean made of starlight.

Boom!

Returning to his original state of mind, Duke "saw" his Spiritual Sea.