Paul sat cross-legged on the bench again, the full moon above him and the cool night air around him. The rain had stopped, and the world seemed to stand still for a moment. It was the perfect time to begin his cultivation.
"System, open Inventory," Paul said quietly.
The familiar window opened before him, and he navigated to the slot containing his cultivation technique.
[Primordial Chaos Cultivation Technique]
[An ancient and powerful method of cultivation deeply rooted in the origins of the universe. This technique allows the practitioner to harness the purest and most primordial energies of the cosmos to maximize their physical, mental, and spiritual abilities.]
[Info: The effect of the technique scales with intelligence and cultivation talent.]
[Quality: Primordial]
[Quantity: 1]
[Use] [Cancel] [Drop]
Paul hesitated for a moment, then pressed [Use]. A warm, golden light enveloped him, and he felt the energy of the technique flow into his body. It was as if an ancient power had awakened within him, and he immediately felt stronger and clearer in mind.
He closed his eyes and began practicing the breathing techniques described in the Primordial Chaos Cultivation Technique. With each breath, he drew the energy of the universe into himself, letting it flow through his body and feeling it permeate every cell of his being.
[Ding, Congratulations, you've entered the Path of Cultivation]
[Ding, you've entered the Qi Gathering Realm]
[Ding, your Realm increased]
[Ding, your Realm increased]
[Your Lifespan has increased]
[Your Health, Stamina, Strength, Defense, Agility, and Endurance have increased]
Time passed, and Paul lost himself in meditation. He felt his strength grow, his thoughts become clearer, and his mind expand. It was as if he was forming a deeper connection with the universe, a connection that granted him access to infinite knowledge and power.
After a while, Paul opened his eyes and looked around. The world seemed brighter and more vibrant, as if he was seeing it for the first time. He stood up and stretched, feeling refreshed and full of energy.
"That was incredible," he murmured to himself. "System, open info."
Seconds later, his system opened.
[Info]
[Name: Paul Klein
[Age: 18
[Lifespan: 140]
[Height: 6'3
[Level: 1
[Exp: 0/100
[Wealth: 37.51€
[Bloodline: Human
[Realm: Qi Gathering III
[Constellation: None
[Blessing: None]
He then opened his phone. "It has only been 20 minutes since I started, and I've already progressed three stages. This technique is simply ridiculous."
Paul wasn't surprised for no reason. In his last life, the strongest realm humans had achieved after 10 years was the Gold Core Realm, which was only two major stages higher than the Qi Gathering Realm. Now, Paul could probably cultivate to the Foundation Establishment Realm by the end of the night.
"System, what cultivation stages are there?"
[Ding, with your current level, the cultivation stages you can view are the following six realms:]
[1. Qi Gathering Realm: The starting point where the cultivator gathers Qi and opens their meridians.]
[2. Foundation Establishment Realm: The foundation for future progress is laid here. The better the foundation, the greater the future talent and potential.]
[3. Gold Core Realm: The cultivator forms a golden core, significantly increasing their power.]
[4. Soul Wandering Realm: The cultivator can separate their soul from their body and wander the world.]
[5. Nascent Soul Realm: The cultivator's soul becomes a young soul, more powerful and stable.]
Satisfied, Paul closed the system, pleased with his newfound power and excited about what lay ahead.
Nearly an hour had passed since Paul called Hannes and Thore, and as promised, seven new faces came through the front gate. Among them were Jere and Karsten, two of Paul and Hannes' closest friends from sports, along with their families, including Jere's and Karsten's parents and Jere's sister, who was only eight years old.
"I've laid out mattresses, blankets, and pillows for all of you in the living room. Join the others and rest for now," Paul said to the families.
Then he turned to Hannes, Thore, Jere, and Karsten. "You four stay here for a moment. I have something for you."
Once the parents had left, Paul opened his system and searched for a cultivation technique that he could give to the four of them to make them stronger and pillars of the shelter.
"What's going on?" Thore asked.
"Just wait a moment," Paul said, focused on the system and stressed by the question.
A few seconds later, Paul found a suitable technique that was neither too expensive for him nor of too poor quality for the four.
[Essence Gathering Technique]
[A cultivation technique that allows the practitioner to gather essence from heaven and earth to train the body and mind.]
[Info: This technique can be cultivated to the ??? Realm.]
[Quality: Rare]
[Quantity: ∞]
[Cost: 200 SP]
[Buy] [Cancel]
Paul chose this technique because there was a second part to it that he could give to the others when the time was right, allowing them to reach even greater heights.
Before he could buy it, he quickly went to his "Money Printing House" to get the printed money, as he currently had only 542.8 SP left and couldn't buy a technique for everyone.
The machines had been running for 40 minutes since Paul's last emptying and had earned him a total of 600 SP.
Paul stored the money, exchanged it for system points, bought the cultivation technique, and returned to the others with four thick books.
"Take these scrolls, familiarize yourselves with them by tomorrow morning, and try to understand and possibly apply them."
"Tomorrow, I'll take care of separate sleeping places for all of you, so don't worry about that," Paul said to the four, curious to see if any of them would manage to understand the cultivation technique by the next day.
"I'm tired. Do I really have to do this tonight?" Thore asked, not thrilled about not being able to sleep after all the effort and exhaustion.
"Wait a moment, I think I have something for that."
[Fatigue Reducing Pill]
[A pill that can reduce fatigue and exhaustion by up to 100%, a pill from World 2002.]
[Info: Repeated consumption without regular sleep can lead to additional stress and fatigue.]
[Quality: Uncommon]
[Quantity: ∞]
[Cost: 5]
[Buy] [Back]
Paul reached into his pocket, and suddenly, eight small pills appeared in his hand, which he then offered to the four.
"Here, take two each, but don't overdo it. Only one per day, and you should get proper sleep in between."
"What is this?" Thore asked.
"Are these drugs?" Jere asked, shocked and excited at the same time.
"No, they help with fatigue. Take them if you can't handle the tiredness anymore," Paul said, handing the pills to the four.
Paul then bought a small wooden house for each of them with nameplates above the entrance and placed them in a row next to his "Money Printing House." He also bought them beds and bedding and set them up in their houses for cultivation. All of this had cost him a total of 185 SP: 40 SP for the pills, 140 for the four houses, and 5 SP for all the other things he needed for the houses.
After sending everyone to their houses, Paul sat down in his Money Printing House on a mattress he had bought for 0.1 SP. He then closed his eyes, and began cultivating again.