Spiritual Sense

Time flew by, and in the blink of an eye, six years had passed.

In a cave dwelling halfway up Jade Spring Peak, by a stream, a heroic young man sat cross-legged, eyes shut, breathing steady and deep.

Wispy streams of water-blue energy gathered from his mouth, nose, and skin into the Twelve Meridians, then flowed through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians into the Guanyuan Acupoint, three inches below his navel.

The Guanyuan Acupoint, also known as the Dantian, was the very foundation of a cultivator's being.

Half an hour later, a surge of energy burst from him, rippling outward. The young man opened his eyes, a broad smile on his face, and muttered to himself, "Persistence pays off—finally broken through to Qi Refining Layer Four."

This young man was Wang Daoyuan, now sixteen, his cultivation just reaching Qi Refining Layer Four. Thanks to his early start, he ranked slightly above average among his peers.

Breaking through to Qi Refining Layer Four meant he could begin cultivating his Spiritual Sense.

Spiritual Sense was the power emitted by the soul and spirit. It was innate, and its strength was closely tied to the robustness of the soul. Cultivating Spiritual Sense was also a process of strengthening the soul.

For cultivators, even without deliberate effort, Spiritual Sense would gradually improve as their cultivation realm advanced. Naturally, having a cultivation method sped up the process.

The relationship between Spiritual Sense and the soul was akin to that between spiritual power and the physical body.

Having grown up on Jade Spring Peak for over a decade, Wang Daoyuan knew the importance of Spiritual Sense from all he had learned and seen. So, after briefly stabilizing his new realm, he hurried straight to the Scripture Repository.

The Scripture Repository stood west of Jade Dragon Spring, which was the Spirit Eye of Jade Spring Peak's spirit vein. The peak itself took its name from the spring.

Beside Jade Dragon Spring grew a thousand-year-old peculiar pine, and beneath it lay the Scripture Repository.

At the repository's entrance, an old man with white hair and beard lay on a recliner, feigning sleep.

This old man was Wang Jize, of Wang Daoyuan's great-grandfather generation. He was the Wang Clan's Supreme Elder and the last surviving member of the Ji Generation.

Below the Ji Generation, each generation spanned fifty years. Even the youngest of the Ji Generation had long passed one hundred twenty years of age and had already Achieved Nirvana.

Ordinary people lived no more than a century. Qi Refining Stage cultivators, with unobstructed meridians and robust qi and blood, never fell ill, so their lifespans stretched slightly longer—to one hundred twenty years. Foundation Establishment cultivators lived two hundred forty years, Violet Mansion cultivators five hundred, and Golden Core cultivators a thousand...

Wang Jize's case was unusual. He was said to have once been a Foundation Establishment cultivator, but while away from home, he was ambushed and nearly crippled. Barely escaping with his life, he fled back to the clan, managing to survive, though his cultivation plummeted to Qi Refining Peak, unable to advance further.

Though he lacked the strength of a Foundation Establishment cultivator, having once been one granted him a longer lifespan than typical Qi Refining cultivators, so he still lived.

Yet, with his ruddy complexion, sharp glint in his eyes, and calm, steady breath, he hardly seemed gravely wounded.

After his realm fell, Wang Jize had guarded the Scripture Repository ever since, withdrawing from worldly affairs.

Within the clan, cultivators greeted each other based on seniority, regardless of cultivation level.

Facing an elder of his great-grandfather's generation, Wang Daoyuan dared not be careless. Straightening his robes, he approached Wang Jize and bowed respectfully. "Your junior, Wang Daoyuan, pays respects to Great Grandfather."

"So it's you, little one." Wang Jize opened his eyes and spoke kindly. "Not bad, breaking through to Qi Refining Layer Four. Your aura has just settled, yet there's no hint of instability. Your foundation is solid—clearly, you've put in real effort.

In the path of cultivation, good talent only makes the road smoother. How far you go depends on perseverance and opportunity. Your aptitude may be lacking, but with hard work, you might still achieve something."

Wang Daoyuan bowed again. "Thank you for your guidance, Great Grandfather!"

Wang Jize waved a hand. "No need to be so formal. You've just broken through to Qi Refining Layer Four—you're here for a Spiritual Sense cultivation method, aren't you?

Our Wang Clan is a small household; we have no formidable techniques. There's only one Spiritual Sense cultivation method, and it's with me. Memorize it, go back and cultivate it, and remember—don't pass it on.

Learning this method costs one hundred Family Contribution Points, but underage disciples are exempt."

With that, he produced a Jade Slip and handed it to Wang Daoyuan.

Family Contribution Points were the currency used within the Wang Clan, awarded based on a member's contributions to the clan. They could also be exchanged for Spirit Stones, with one Spirit Stone worth one point.

Wang Daoyuan pressed the Jade Slip to his brow. Moments later, a scripture appeared in his mind, titled Soul Tempering Art.

He held the Jade Slip with both hands and returned it to Wang Jize, bowing again. "Your junior has memorized it."

Wang Jize put away the Jade Slip. "You've chosen the path of talismans. For you, Spiritual Sense is even more critical. Its strength directly affects your success rate in crafting talismans. Go back and cultivate diligently. If you have questions, come ask me here."

Once Wang Clan disciples turned fourteen, they were required to study the Hundred Cultivation Arts, provided it didn't hinder their cultivation.

For those with Wang Daoyuan's mediocre aptitude, Foundation Establishment was hopeless. Most focused their energy on the Hundred Cultivation Arts to earn resources for the next generation.

Wang Daoyuan was no exception. At fourteen, he began learning the Hundred Cultivation Arts from the clan elders.

After trying several crafts, he showed decent talent in alchemy, talisman-making, and planting. But with limited energy, mastering multiple skills was impossible.

After weighing his options, Wang Daoyuan chose talisman-making. Though its profits were far below alchemy's, talismans directly boosted combat strength.

He knew that with his talent, qualifying for Foundation Establishment would require every ounce of effort to raise his cultivation, leaving little time for learning spells. His combat ability would be low, so he had to compensate with external means.

Talismans were the only way to directly enhance combat power without relying on one's own cultivation. Using one required only a sliver of Spiritual Sense or Spiritual Power. Even a Qi Refining cultivator could easily wield a Tier Two Talisman with power rivaling a Foundation Establishment cultivator's strike.

Moreover, compared to alchemy or artifact forging, talisman-making had much lower costs—perfect for someone as poor as Wang Daoyuan.

After making his choice, Wang Daoyuan studied under Ninth Uncle Wang Zhide, the clan elder skilled in talisman-making.

Over two years, he learned to make Talisman Paper from several spirit herbs, produce Spirit Ink from Demon Beast blood or Cinnabar, recognize common Tier One Runes, and practice drawing talismans.

Of course, practice meant using ordinary brushes, ink, and paper. Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink cost money—they weren't for apprentices to waste.

Wang Daoyuan wasn't one to blindly obey. After a year of study, he learned to make Talisman Paper and Spirit Ink, mastered common Tier One Runes, and had a clan member on an errand buy him an Inferior Talisman Brush. He officially began crafting talismans.

Perhaps because he'd learned to draw talismans under the Old Daoist in his past life, his talent for the art far exceeded expectations. In just three days, he successfully crafted a Tier One Low-Grade Talisman...

Returning to his cave dwelling, Wang Daoyuan immediately began studying the Soul Tempering Art. After all, it would determine how far he could go in talisman-making—he couldn't afford to take it lightly.

The Jade Slip contained little content, only about five thousand characters. The first thousand or so covered basic knowledge and techniques for using Spiritual Sense. The next thousand were the main text, detailing the specific method for cultivating the soul. The remaining three thousand or so were Cultivation Experience notes from clan elders.

This was part of the clan's heritage. With these insights, cultivators could avoid many detours.

After finishing the review, Wang Daoyuan composed his mind and began the first step of Spiritual Sense cultivation—Inner Vision.

A person's soul resides in the Niwan Palace between the brows, also known as the Sea of Consciousness. All Spiritual Sense cultivation takes place within this Sea of Consciousness.

Therefore, before cultivating Spiritual Sense, one must first use Inner Vision to locate the Sea of Consciousness and find the training ground.

Following the method recorded in the Soul Tempering Art, he calmed his mind and focused his awareness on the Niwan Palace.

In just a short while, Wang Daoyuan saw a gray, hazy world. Looking in all directions, everything was a uniform gray, seemingly endless—this was the legendary Sea of Consciousness.

Looking upward, he suddenly discovered that the Pearl passed down through his previous life's sect was actually inside his Sea of Consciousness.

He extended his Spiritual Sense toward the Pearl and unexpectedly entered its interior, where it contained its own space.

It was a hemispherical space with about ten mu of land on the ground, and thin spiritual energy filled the air.

Beyond the space, everything was shrouded in a gray, misty haze.