"Awakening of Talents?" murmured Rylan, his eyes fixed on the Natural Breathing Method.
"The first step to becoming a cultivator is to awaken your talents. On the Celestial Star Planet, talent is shrouded in mystery, without a clear classification of good or bad. For many cultivators, it is seen as a divine gift. However, awakening this talent is not simple. It requires connecting to the Spiritual Space, a mysterious and immutable domain that has existed since the birth of the planet."
Rylan continued reading, intrigued. According to the text, the most accepted theory among the Emperors — the most powerful beings in the world — was that the Spiritual Space was an ancient artifact fused with a star, which gave birth to the Celestial Star Planet. Though there were other hypotheses, this one was the most respected, especially after a renowned Emperor shared it.
He revealed that during his journey through the starry skies, he discovered that only the Celestial Star Planet possessed such a space. No other world had anything like it.
"This raised many questions," the method continued. "Why is our planet unique? Are we destined for something greater? To this day, no answer has been found."
Having finished reading, Rylan became pensive. "This planet is truly a mystery. Could we, upon reaching a certain level of cultivation, travel through the starry skies? And the Emperors... The War Emperor's Academy must have an Emperor. After all, the name says it all..."
He shook his head and lightly tapped his cheeks, trying to push the thoughts aside. "Focus, Rylan. The test is almost here. What's important now is to cultivate."
With determination, he adjusted his posture and returned to the Natural Breathing Method. The instructions were clear: "To awaken your talent, you must enter a calm state and attempt to connect with the world."
He took a deep breath and closed his eyes, letting the silence take over. The isolated corner where he was with Lucy seemed to disappear as he tried to push aside his wandering thoughts. All that mattered was this moment.
---
Outside, Lucy watched carefully. His fists were clenched, and beads of sweat dripped down his face.
"Quickly, little one... the ten minutes are almost up," he murmured, looking around. About ten thousand people were scattered throughout the area, all in meditation. Rylan didn't attract their attention, but the examiners seemed to have noticed something different. Still, they remained silent.
---
Meanwhile, Rylan delved deeper. The darkness filling his mind began to shift. Small points of light appeared, one by one, like stars shining on an endless night. He felt a wave of energy flow through his body, and soon the emptiness was filled with a starry sky, vast and infinite.
"Incredible..." he thought, breathless. For a moment, he felt small in the face of such immensity. But then, something changed.
The stars began to move. Slowly, as if guided by an invisible force, they traced lines and formed patterns. Gradually, a figure began to emerge. He held his breath, his heart racing.
"A... dragon?"
Before him appeared a majestic creature: a blue dragon formed of stars, each one shining like a tiny sun. It seemed to breathe, and each movement emitted waves of light that made the surrounding space pulse. Its eyes, vast and deep, locked with Rylan's, and he felt his body tremble. It was as if the dragon was looking directly into his soul.
Suddenly, golden words appeared above the creature, glowing like divine fire:
Talent Awakened: Primordial of Beast
Rylan felt a mixture of shock and reverence. "Is this my talent?" Before he could comprehend, a torrent of information flooded his mind.
"You are the Primordial, the firstborn of beasts. Your talent allows you to use your blood to grant evolution to ordinary beasts. But why ordinary? How could a progenitor accept beasts that do not share his lineage?"
The words echoed like thunder in his mind. "I... the Primordial? Of the beasts?" he murmured, confused. He tried to organize his thoughts as the vision began to fade.
---
"Quickly... quickly!" Lucy watched anxiously. When he saw Rylan open his eyes, he was surprised. "Already? That was too fast..." he thought.
Rylan looked around, and upon meeting Lucy's gaze, he smiled. But something was different. His face no longer looked like that of an innocent boy.
"Is it just me, or does this kid have a different aura? He seems... like an Emperor." Lucy shook his head, trying to dismiss the thought. "What am I thinking? He's still the same little boy. It's impossible for a talent to change someone like that."
"Congratulations on your awakening, little one," Lucy said with a hesitant smile.
"Thank you," Rylan responded. Despite the simplicity of his reply, there was something in his voice that left an impact on Lucy.
"Little one, may I ask? Is this change... part of your talent?" Lucy asked, curious.
"Who knows? Maybe I've always been this way, and you just didn't notice," Rylan replied with a slight smile.
"So majestic... Damn, what am I thinking? He's just a child!"
While Lucy was still stunned, Rylan returned to the Natural Breathing Method, where he read about the next step:
"After awakening your talent, to become a cultivator, you must absorb spiritual energy. This energy, present throughout the world, can be absorbed through a breathing technique. The Natural Breathing Method allows you to draw energy from nature, being most effective in environments like forests."
Determined, he walked over to a tree and tried to sense the energy around him. After a few moments, he murmured, "What if I become a tree?" He laughed at himself but sat in the lotus position and imagined that he was one.
In his mind, he saw himself growing in a forest, absorbing nutrients from the earth and water from the rain. Then he understood: "Natural energy is everything that is part of nature."
With this thought, he began absorbing the natural energy around him — from the water, the earth, the trees. Outside of his mind, it was possible to see an energetic aura flowing into his body.
Lucy watched in surprise. "What a talent... Even I took days to achieve this. He managed to awaken and absorb energy in less than five minutes!"
Unaware of his achievement, Rylan had just entered the first realm of cultivators: the Human Spiritual Realm.
---
The Human Spiritual Realm is the first realm in the world of cultivators. In this realm, cultivators use spiritual energy to refine the human body. At the peak of the realm, with a strengthened body, they can force the opening of their meridians.
Realm Divisions:
Bone Tempering → Early Stage
Skin Tempering → Intermediate Stage
Organ Tempering → Late Stage
Meridian Opening → Peak