Could I be a cultivation genius?

Only after Zhang Qingshan explained it did he grasp some of the basics of Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy and the five-element Spirit Root.

Everything in heaven and earth was composed of the five elements. At its root, everything was made up of some portion of those five elements...

Cultivators absorbed the spiritual energy of the five elements from heaven and earth to strengthen the corresponding element within themselves.

Ordinary mortals actually had five-element Spirit Roots too. When someone was said to have no Spirit Root, it meant the elemental attributes within their body were too chaotic and disordered, with no single attribute standing out. That was effectively the same as having no Spirit Root.

Those with Spirit Roots had clearly defined, orderly elemental attributes within their bodies. By practicing cultivation arts, absorbing Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy, consuming heavenly treasures, and using other methods, they could strengthen the power of a particular Spirit Root's attribute. Cultivators called that power magical power or spiritual energy.

For example, the Golden Spirit Art Zhang Qingshan practiced was a metal-attribute cultivation art. Practicing it strengthened the metal-attribute magical power within him, allowing him to cast metal-attribute spells and use magical artifacts for defense and attack, among other things...

Of course, this was only a shallow, basic understanding. The details a cultivator truly needed to understand were countless times more complicated than Ye Han had imagined.

Zhang Qingshan did not explain all of this very clearly either, since his own understanding of the subject was only basic.

At any rate, Ye Han understood that he could not practice Zhang Qingshan's Golden Spirit Art because he probably had no metal-attribute Spirit Root.

Zhang Qingshan could not practice the Azure Mystic Art because it was a wood-attribute cultivation art. It was not that he lacked the wood attribute, but rather that the five elements nourished and restrained one another, and metal restrained wood.

He practiced a metal-attribute cultivation art. If he practiced a wood-attribute art as well, the two would conflict and prevent his cultivation from advancing.

Thus, he could not practice it either. However, he could incorporate the profound cultivation methods contained within it into his own practice to improve himself.

Over the next two days, Zhang Qingshan stayed with Ye Han, explaining the cultivation art and the path of cultivation, and passing on his own insights.

As it turned out, while explaining things, Zhang Qingshan gained some new insights into cultivation himself.

After two days of explanations, Zhang Qingshan questioned Ye Han point by point about his understanding of the Pure Mystic Art. Only after confirming that Ye Han understood it completely did he let him begin cultivating.

Zhang Qingshan began cultivating as well. Through his continued study of the Azure Mystic Art over the past few days, he had gained quite a few insights. He intended to try them one by one and see whether he could break through his current cultivation bottleneck.

Ye Han sat cross-legged in the cultivation room and tried to circulate the Azure Mystic Art as Zhang Qingshan had taught him.

Since he had never successfully cultivated or sensed spiritual energy before, he could only try to absorb Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy with his mind...

Fortunately, the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy in his cave abode was plentiful. Although the sensation was very faint, he occasionally felt a wisp of soothing energy slip into his body...

He had never felt anything like this while practicing the Golden Spirit Art.

Though he sensed only the faintest trace, it filled Ye Han with excitement. It seemed he had found a cultivation art that suited him.

It looks like I have a wood-attribute Spirit Root. This must be the sensation of spiritual energy Zhang Qingshan kept talking about, right?

At that thought, Ye Han grew excited and worked even harder at his cultivation.

Strangely enough, though, despite only sitting in meditation and doing no physical labor, he felt dizzy before he had cultivated for even two hours, and he could no longer circulate the art.

Zhang Qingshan had told him about this. Because he was young and his meridians had not yet been tempered by magical power, he could not cultivate continuously. He had to rest before continuing.

Feeling exhausted in both body and mind, Ye Han ended his practice and stood up. He opened the cultivation room door and saw Zhang Qingshan sitting cross-legged in the main chamber.

Specks of golden light surrounded Zhang Qingshan, slowly flowing into his body.

Ye Han keenly noticed that the golden specks surrounding Zhang Qingshan were a little brighter than those he had seen before...

It seemed that, just as Zhang Qingshan had said, studying the Azure Mystic Art had helped his cultivation too.

Without disturbing Zhang Qingshan, Ye Han went straight back to his room to sleep.

After cultivating for more than two hours, his head was already heavy and muddled.

He entered his room, lay down casually on the stone bed, and soon fell asleep...

Ye Han had a dream. He dreamed that he had become an Immortal who could soar through the skies and burrow beneath the earth, who could do anything, move mountains, and overturn seas. Clad in imposing, majestic armor, he beat the monster that had bullied him last time until it scurried away with its hands over its head, howling and screaming...

What he did not know was that, while he dreamed, tiny specks of purple light kept drifting out from inside his robe and entering his body.

When Ye Han woke, he savored that wonderful dream, unable to get enough of it.

When he went outside, he was surprised to find Zhang Qingshan still cultivating. This session had lasted far longer than his own.

He could not tell what was going on, but Zhang Qingshan had mentioned that it was best not to disturb others during cultivation or be disturbed oneself. Otherwise, it could disrupt one's state of mind and even cause cultivation deviation.

Naturally, Ye Han would not carelessly disturb Zhang Qingshan's cultivation. There were still plenty of things he would need his help with in the future.

So Ye Han ate some fruit and a little dried meat left over from yesterday, then went to the cultivation room to practice.

Ye Han sat cross-legged and tried to circulate the Azure Mystic Art.

To his sudden surprise, he discovered that the results of this session were completely different from yesterday's.

He could distinctly sense the wood-attribute spiritual energy within the Heaven and Earth Spiritual Energy as he cultivated.

This wood-attribute spiritual energy carried a sense of life and flourishing vitality. As it entered his body, even his meridians felt a soothing sensation brimming with life.

The feeling was simply wonderful, even more marvelous than the pleasant dream he had had last night...

He lost himself completely in his cultivation. It felt so comfortable that his entire body and mind were bathed in pleasure.

Zhang Qingshan had told him that cultivating felt wonderful. That was why so many cultivators went into seclusion to practice. It looked arduous, but it was actually very comfortable.

Ye Han sensed tiny green specks of light, barely visible to the naked eye, slowly flowing into his body...

Suddenly, he understood. This was what Zhang Qingshan had told him about: entering the Qi Refining Realm through cultivation.

I've actually entered the Qi Refining Realm this quickly.

Zhang Qingshan had told him that even highly gifted cultivators needed a month or two to enter the Qi Refining Realm from nothing. Those without much talent might cultivate for six months or a year and still make little progress.

Could I really be a cultivation genius?