My Cultivation Has a Progress Bar

Wang Ping was very interested in Ruan Chunzi’s theory. He had cultivated for over two hundred years. His practice began with sensing the qi in his body, followed by controlling that qi.

Throughout this process, he had never considered how the qi was actually controlled. Or rather, he had subconsciously assumed it was his own will doing the controlling.

Next came condensing his soul and gathering True Essence. Wang Ping naturally assumed his soul was what controlled the qi, and finally, his Primordial Spirit Consciousness...

As Wang Ping pondered this, a sudden chill washed over him. He formed a spell with his hands, activating his Primordial Spirit Consciousness. In that instant, a unique power seemed to expand his perception, instantly covering a region hundreds of miles across.

The first thing he sensed was the cold of early winter. The northern lands were already frozen, all life dormant. Withered yellow weeds and fallen leaves were everywhere; the world seemed to have lost its vitality. People in some counties ravaged by war were fleeing for their lives, and heart-wrenching cries could occasionally be heard along the roads.

On the ruins of True Yang Mountain, tens of thousands of Cultivators also entered his Primordial Spirit Consciousness. Some were working together to hunt for treasure; others were fighting over their finds.

Next, his consciousness swept south...

Finally, he turned his attention to the sky. His perception instantly pierced the clouds and reached outer space. The desolation here was many times greater than that of the north, and the sun was exceptionally brilliant.

Previously, Wang Ping had thought this was simply an inherent ability of the Primordial Spirit Consciousness.

But after Ruan Chunzi’s prompting, as he considered the origin of this power, he began to subconsciously wonder if that ethereal cosmic consciousness truly existed.

The next moment, his field of vision expanded to an incredible degree, and he felt as if he were the master of this world.

The sensation was extraordinary.

He began to carefully survey this cosmos that ’belonged’ to him.

He didn’t know how much time had passed. It felt like an instant, and yet it also felt like countless years. He saw that strange particles seemed to exist throughout the world.

’Are these... damn particles?’

’Spiritual particles?’

As these two questions formed in his mind, the sheer shock of the revelation caused his Primordial Spirit Consciousness to vanish, and with it, his all-seeing perspective of the world.

Then, a glowing panel appeared before Wang Ping’s eyes:

[Spiritual Vision Technique: A fundamental observation method of the Yuqing Sect. After successfully cultivating one’s soul, it allows one to connect to the Cosmos, observe its fundamental energies, and use this energy to condense an Inner Qi Sea.]

[You may attempt this an unlimited number of times per day until you can observe the world with a single thought. (Progress: 60/100).]

"Are you alright?"

Yu Lian’s voice came from beside him.

Wang Ping looked at Yu Lian, then back at Ruan Chunzi, and said, "I saw the fundamental energy of the Cosmos."

Ruan Chunzi looked slightly surprised. It wasn’t that Wang Ping could see the particles, but that he was only seeing them now. "I saw them back when I was in the Second Realm!" he said, incredulous.

"..."

"You mean the spiritual particles?" Yu Lian asked.

"..."

Wang Ping realized he had apparently missed a lot.

"To advance to the Third Realm in just two hundred years, you must have devoted all your time to cultivation. It’s fine to overlook a few details. Besides, Mystic Sect Cultivators don’t need spiritual particles to construct their Magic."

Ruan Chunzi said with a smile, "That’s the method of the Yuqing Sect. To construct their Magic, they need to observe those spiritual particles and then slowly try to manifest the Magic with them. For example, I’ve heard that their most basic spell, Palm Thunder, requires tens of millions of particles just to build its framework!"

"However, to even use Palm Thunder, they must first use spiritual particles to construct a Qi Sea within their bodies. That step is equivalent to our own initiation. But their advancement at this stage isn’t like ours in the Five Profound Sects. We might get by on a bit of luck; for them, there’s no such thing."

Yu Lian chimed in, "I think I understand. You observe it, then you construct it, right?"

"Exactly. In theory, we could do it too, but our Primordial Spirits don’t seem to have received that ’permission’ from the cosmic consciousness. The systems we cultivate are all based on pre-set permissions. For instance, the Fire Vein I fused with granted me the ’permission’ of the Fire Spirit, while the Wood Vein in your body granted you the ’permission’ of the Wood Spirit."

Ruan Chunzi explained in greater detail, "To give another example, if I take on a disciple who hasn’t yet cultivated a Fire Vein, I can grant him permission for some simple Fire Spirit Techniques."

Wang Ping committed Ruan Chunzi’s words to memory. "Then is the so-called ’True Fire Spirit’ the ultimate permission?"

"That’s exactly what I mean. But as for the specifics, I have no way of finding out."

"You have to advance?"

"Correct. Otherwise, even if someone told you, you wouldn’t be able to understand, because what comes next must be experienced personally." Ruan Chunzi looked at Wang Ping. "I enjoy delving into these topics in my spare time. I’ve discussed this with others before, but none of them accepted my theory. You’re the first person who’s listened to the whole thing."

Wang Ping didn’t respond, as he only half-understood it himself, and the implications were vast.

The atmosphere suddenly fell silent. Yu Lian seemed to be trying to construct Magic with spiritual particles, but she was only managing to mash a pile of them together.

Once Wang Ping had sorted through his thoughts, he looked at Ruan Chunzi and asked, "Fellow Daoist, do you plan to continue north with me, or will you return to Qianmu Temple to rest for a while?"

Ruan Chunzi answered without hesitation, "I need to rest for a while."

Wang Ping nodded. He took out a blank sheet of paper and, in front of Ruan Chunzi, wrote a letter to his master, Yu Cheng Taoist. He then handed the letter and an identity Token to Ruan Chunzi. "When you get to Qianmu Temple, give this letter to my master. He will arrange everything from there."

"Thank you!"

Ruan Chunzi rose to accept the letter. After a cupped-fist salute, he stepped back twice, then cast the identity Token towards the sky. He then transformed into a streak of light and flew south.

After Ruan Chunzi left, Yu Lian stopped her experiment. "Do you believe what he said?" she asked.

"I believe in facts!"

"And what are the facts?"

Wang Ping looked at Yu Lian with a self-deprecating smile. "When I advance to the Fourth Realm, or if I get the chance to reach the Realm of True Monarch, maybe then I’ll know what the truth is!"

After speaking, he took out the jade slip he used for notes, found a blank section, and recorded everything Ruan Chunzi had just said. Then, with a glance at Yu Lian, he manifested his Primordial Spirit Consciousness.

His perception once again became vast.

As he once again observed the spiritual particles filling the world, his consciousness naturally settled upon the ruins of True Yang Mountain. The Magic being cast by some feuding Qi Cultivators there became the focus of his observation.

The first thing he observed was an ’Earth Wall Technique’ cast by an Earth Vein Qi Cultivator. After his Primordial Spirit Consciousness swept over it, the wall’s structure of spiritual particles instantly appeared in his mind. It was incredibly complex, composed of tens of millions of particles. Although he memorized the structure, reassembling it himself was simply impossible!

After a moment of consideration, Wang Ping took out the ’Profound Jade Token’ he had just acquired. It too was composed of particles, and it was exceedingly complex. A single scan revealed at least ten billion particles, and a deeper look seemed to add tens of billions more. This was due to the complex Arrays within it.

’Alright, so playing creator really is impossible!’

He abandoned the unrealistic idea.

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