The Imperial Medical Academy has conducted numerous research studies on the correlation between Spiritual Roots and the speed of Cultivation, eventually culminating in a medical classic entitled the "Theory of Spiritual Roots".
Research shows that there is a positive correlation between spiritual root attribute points and the speed of cultivation.
Every normally born cultivator, given sufficient Innate Yuan Qi, has 100 points of Spiritual Root Attributes. These are then distributed into the Five Elements attributes, thus forming the "Spiritual Root" that every cultivator possesses.
The quantity of the Five Elements Spiritual Root attributes determines the efficiency of the Cultivation Technique.
For example, there's a prodigy with extraordinary luck where all 100 points are allocated to the Wood Element of the Spiritual Root. This results in the legendary Perfect Wood-type Heavenly Spiritual Root. His Wood Attribute Cultivation Technique training is twice as efficient as an average person's.
What would take an ordinary person 100 years to master; he would only need 50.
Chen Mobai's current Spiritual Roots are: Metal 23, Wood 27, Water 30, Fire 17, Earth 10.
Take for instance now, his highest being Water Attribute Spiritual Root; if he practices the Dark Water Cultivation Technique, based on the Theory of Spiritual Roots' formula, his efficiency in refining Spirit Qi is only 1.3 times the average person's.
Of course, the actual efficiency of cultivation also depends on the concentration of spiritual energy, the cultivator's attitude, as well as whether or not any auxiliary spiritual objects are used, etc., it's not a one-size-fits-all.
Based on the most ideal circumstances, Chen Mobai, with his aptitude, would need at least half a year's time to break through to the sixth layer of Qi Cultivation using the Five Elements Cultivation.
However, the Water Mansion is a Rank-2 intermediate grade Spiritual land, its Spiritual Energy is five or six times denser than that of a Rank-1 top-grade. The efficiency of practicing in this place is, compared to practicing at school or home, akin to an upgrade from riding a bicycle to riding a rocket.
Regardless of this, based on Chen Mobai's previous calculations and due to his Spiritual Root restriction, he would still need approximately a hundred days, close to the college entrance exam, barely making the breakthrough to the sixth level of Qi Cultivation.
This was before he watched Master Qing Ping's lecture video.
Master Nascent Soul truly lived up to his reputation. Although he rambled about a bunch of irrelevant matters at the beginning when explaining the basic Five Elements Cultivation, the moment he started explaining the essence of Cultivation Technique, it felt like an enlightening moment for Chen Mobai.
He realized when the spiritual power flows through this meridian, if it vomits seven times clockwise within the orifice, it can easily open and unblock the passageway.
During the absorption of Spiritual Qi through the mouth and nose, it needs to repeatedly go back and forth in the 12-storey throat canal. This way, impurities in the external Spiritual Qi can be intercepted by the 12 segments, stopping them from entering the body's meridians and can be spat out at the end of the cultivation.
When the refined Spiritual Qi accumulates into the Dantian Qi Sea, it can be carefully inserted in a clockwise motion.
Because clockwise motion is considered progressive, it can help in condensing Spiritual power. As for future Foundation Establishment, the Spiritual power will be transformed into a liquid state. By starting this step early, the success rate of Foundation Establishment in the future could be increased by 10%.
Using the same logic, the counter-clockwise motion is considered regressive and is meant for dispersion. When Spiritual power operates in some congested and narrow meridians, it shouldn't be forced in. Instead, it should be dispersed into thin gentle Qi and slowly advance.
Chen Mobai, after finishing his cultivation, rewatched the videos of Five Elements Cultivation's Qi Cultivation first and second layer, only then did he realize how rough his understanding of this basic cultivation technique was.
As dawn approached, he reluctantly switched off his phone.
However, last night during his cultivation, he used the offline download function and downloaded all 28 videos of Master Qing Ping explaining Five Elements Cultivation to his phone.
This offline download function is an authority given only to Auxiliary Cultivation users of Rank-3 and above. Chen Mobai, as a Rank-5 user, naturally had access to it.
However, just to be on the safe side, he switched off his mobile network before going to school to avoid getting tracked by the Auxiliary Cultivation operator.
"Did you know, Yan Bingxuan dropped out of the school."
In the morning, before the teacher had arrived, Lu Hongsheng, Chen's deskmate, leaned over to Chen Mobai in a mysterious manner. Unable to contain the secret, he blurted out the shocking news.
"Oh? Why? The college entrance exams are soon; did she drop out because she couldn't deal with losing to Song Zheng?"
"Highly possible, she's usually aloof. After losing this time, she couldn't save face, so she simply decided to drop out."
"That's not right; it's not like she hasn't lost before?"
"Perhaps she's using dropping out as an excuse to secretly give her all at home."
The two beautiful female desk mates leaned over, the back desk students didn't want to be left out either. Instantly, a gossip circle formed around Chen Mobai and Lu Hongsheng with them at its center.
Chen Mobai could only roll his eyes. Normally, he would participate in the discussion, but now, during his senior year of high school, when it was vital to work assiduously, he had no interest in wasting time on gossiping.
He was planning to make a high leap, a break into the sky...
Just at that moment, Yan Bingxuan walked in. The entire gossip circle immediately quietened down.
Her cold gaze looked towards them. Chen Mobai depicted an innocent look to indicate he had not participated in the discussion. Yet, the beautiful Yan only gave a cold look for two seconds, then returned to her seat. She quietly packed up her things, took up her blue backpack, and left the classroom.
The classroom was silent for roughly ten seconds, then everyone began whispering frenziedly again.
All the students who initially had doubts about the news Lu Hongsheng announced are now amazed by it. Suddenly, all eyes were on them, and Chen Mobai's deskmate, buoyant, was grinning from ear to ear.
A click sounded.
Chen Mobai stood up, dragging his chair along the floor, making a grating noise.
"Where are you going? Class is about to start."
Lu Hongsheng asked, puzzled.
"I forgot to bring the textbook, going to the library to borrow one."
After Chen Mobai finished speaking, he avoided the wilder and even more outrageous gossips coming next. After all, the students at the back had already forcibly conjured up a saga of love and hatred between Song Zheng and Yan Bingxuan, which could easily make up a 20-episode drama series.
He just couldn't bear hearing them any longer.
He had planned to borrow a Five Elements Cultivation textbook from the school library, so he left.
The Immortal Gate No.5 High School has a small library with a collection of about 3,000 books. It houses common historical biographies, books on the local culture of Red Sandstone City, as well as self-learning manuals on small spells, cultivation techniques, alchemical formulas, artifacts, and formations, etc.
Though the highest grade content is only Rank-1 top grade, it provides a comprehensive view on all fundamental aspects. If there are any diligent and hardworking individuals who read and comprehend all the books in the library, they can easily acquire a Rank-1 professional certificate as an Array Master, Alchemist, Treasure Appraiser.
Unfortunately, hardly anyone visits this library.
What era are we in now, who still reads paper books?
Only those who forgot to bring their textbooks would come here and use their student cards to borrow a book for half a day and return it after school.
If it was not for his unwillingness to spend 10 points to download the digital version of Five Elements Cultivation from the National Digital Library of the Immortal Gate, Chen Mobai would not come to this library to borrow.
Yesterday, he benefited greatly from Master Qing Ping's lecture. However, when he was reviewing the earlier contents, he found them somewhat vague and felt it necessary to go through the original Five Elements Cultivation textbook once again while comparing it with the video content.
"Five Elements Cultivation one copy, student card borrow, free for one month."
The librarian, an older woman wearing round glasses, took Chen Mobai's student card and swiped it professionally.
Just as Chen Mobai was thanking her and leaving, someone walked into the library.