Murmuring like a frantic and mentally unstable lunatic, the old geezer continued blabbering the same words in a stupor.
"One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels..."
Oris is astounded to witness such a rapid shift in a person's personality in just a few minutes. The old geezer appeared to be an elegant divine leader a moment ago, but now he resembles an insane hospitalized patient.
'Is one million spiritual channels truly shocking? But... wait a minute! The geezer claimed that the divine beast should have at least 600 to 700 spiritual channels. If the spiritual channels exceed 800, the purple appraisal stone shutters, which is a rare occurrence in this world, I assume. What then does it mean to have a million spiritual channels? Is this why the old man went cuckoo after seeing my profile on this odd artefact?'
"One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels. One million spiritual channels..."
The old man continued to repeat the same words while sitting in the same position in which he had fallen on his bottom just moments before.
"Moo!" Concerned by the elderly man's condition of craziness, Oris said something to jolt him out of his daze.
The old guy finally regained his composure and glanced at Oris as if he were witnessing a freak of nature. "Hahaha! This is genuinely unprecedented. I have never heard or seen anything like it. There is a myth that some geniuses have spiritual channels that extend beyond a thousand, but one million? That is impossible! How can a person have one million spiritual channels in their body? That is like having 1250 bodies of geniuses in one body. How can one not be shocked?"
"Hahaha! Please forgive me for displaying that terrible side of myself. I am astounded to witness such an inconceivable miracle. How then can you cultivate when you have these impossible spiritual channels? How can your body collect and cultivate spiritual energy without exploding? How can one withstand the spiritual energy collected by one million spiritual channels?"
The old man spoke as he stood up to resume his usual and domineering stature. Indeed, geniuses with more than 800 spiritual channels frequently suffer because they cultivate faster than ordinary cultivators, and if their cultivation base is not stable enough, gathering too much spiritual energy can even harm their bodies; however, one million spiritual channels is akin to having a nuclear bomb weapon body. With only one mistake in cultivation, the body will explode with enough force to raze a mountain from the earth's surface.
The old geezer's horror was justified. Something like this has never happened in this world of immortals.
In this universe, immortal cultivators are those who gather the energy of heaven and earth into their bodies through the opening of spiritual channels. This group of people outlives ordinary people, and some may even achieve actual immortality and live forever.
The immortal cultivators gather the energy of heaven and earth, which the natives refer to as spiritual energy. This energy is used to increase their cultivation levels and to control external objects and weaponry. Unlike the natural elements used by powerful cultivators, spiritual energy has a limited external function.
Stroking his white beard like a divine leader who had recently attained enlightenment, the old man regained his majestic poise and solemnly voiced his thoughts. "I want to teach you how to open your spiritual channels. Unlike humans, beasts do not really need to utilize methods or cultivation techniques to open spiritual channels, but this is necessary for your future cultivation."
When the old man regained his composure, the anxious Oris let out a sigh of relief. What will happen to him if the old man suddenly goes insane?
'This old geezer terrified me when he suddenly went frantic on me. Fortunately, he is back to his normal self.'
"Those bothersome cultivators will be looking for us shortly, so we do not have time to spare." The old guy spoke while he made signs with his hands, then reached his hand and pushed his forefinger against Oris' glabella.
Oris felt unusually cold, with goosebumps feeling all over his leathered skin.
"It takes about a month or so for regular cultivators to open their spiritual channels. It usually takes about a week for geniuses--"
BOOM!
As the old man was still speaking, he was interrupted by an enormous explosion of spiritual energy as Oris' spiritual channels opened immediately.
"Oh! What is this?" The old man is dumbstruck by what just happened.
For Oris, at this moment he acquired new knowledge about a method in his mind, he felt as if something had become a part of his body that he could control by his will.
"An instant channel opening breakthrough? You will be the death of me. My frail old heart cannot handle these perplexing and unimaginable surprises you are bringing to me. I wonder what kind of cultivation monster you will become. Geniuses spend a week opening their spiritual channels, and you only require a moment?"
BOOM!
"A-another breakthrough? Impossible!" The old man bellowed in terror.
It generally takes geniuses another week or more to make the transition from channel opening to full channel opening within the Channel Opening stage, but Oris simply needed just a moment.
The Channel Opening stage is separated into two minor stages: opening and full opening. Oris is oblivious to the event; his eyes are closed, and he is preoccupied with the strange alterations occurring within his new cattle body.
BOOM!
Oris has begun the Vitality Roots stage's formation stage. The vitality roots are constructed by absorbing the energy of heaven and earth known as spiritual energy. Oris reached a whole new realm from the Channel Opening stage using the new approach he learned from the elderly man through knowledge impartation.
Experts at a certain level who are skilled in telepathic communication can employ methods to teach others, and this shocked old man is one such expert.
BOOM!
"Impossible!" The elderly guy staggered. He did not have enough time to react as Oris entered an entirely different realm from the Channel Opening stage. Just as he was going to speak, Oris entered the second stage of the Vitality Roots, known as the solidifying stage.
BOOM!
"No!" Oris, oblivious to the occurrences around him, continues to advance to the final stage of the Vitality Roots, leaving the old man feeling as if he is in a dream.
The old man continued panicking and slapping himself to ensure that it was not a dream.
"No, that is impossible!" It took me two years to get from Channel Opening to the final stage of Vitality Roots, yet this brat did it in a single instant. No! He is not a brat; he is the young lord. How could I disrespect such an incomprehensible genius? Though I can still squash him with just one finger, with this cultivation speed, he will surpass me in no time." The frenzied old man said agitated.
The Vitality Roots stage is divided into three subsidiary stages: formation, solidifying, and mature roots. Oris has just entered the maturing roots stage, in which the next realm marks the start of the actual immortal cultivation stages.
Many people never have the opportunity to open their channels, let alone form vitality roots, but Oris accomplished it with ease. It is important to note that if the number of spiritual channels is fewer than 100, opening them guarantees death because the body will require more spiritual energy to stabilize while the supply will be insufficient. Many mortals are born with spiritual channels less than 100, which is why the world has more mortals than immortals.
With the means, some mortals have fortuitous encounters that mysteriously expand their spiritual channels; nonetheless, such instances are extremely rarer than ordinary fortuitous encounters.
"Do not tell me that this young lord would proceed straight to the first stage of Spiritual Seed Shaping on the same day? He is already the first in the world to open the channels to reach the mature Vitality Roots in a single go. If I had not witnessed it, I would not have believed it if someone told me it was possible." The old man expressed his astonishment, not believing in this reality.