Watching Rin wake up, Yuuna approached him and asked, "Did you manage it? What is your essence?"
"If I told you, you wouldn't believe it," he replied with a mysterious smile. Then he continued, "After awakening the innate essence, what's the next step? How do we cultivate the core?"
Yuuna remained silent, gazing at him deeply. No one could guess what was on her mind.
"Hey, are you daydreaming?" Rin walked over and lightly tapped her forehead.
"Don't touch me!" she snapped, returning to reality.
"Then answer me, sensei. Why so lost in thought?"
"Nothing... After awakening your innate essence, you need to connect to the world and try to visualize the particles around you. But on this mortal continent, you should know that particles are scarce. If you can't cultivate them, ask Luna to send you to the Immortal Continent. She has the Essence of Void, which allows teleportation."
'Ah... So that's why I disappeared from the sect,' Rin thought.
Looking at Yuuna, he asked, "Sensei, do you know who kidnapped me? Does she also have the Void power?"
"Yes... it was the sect leader. But she doesn't possess the Essence of Void; her essence is Concealment. She approached and kidnapped you without Luna noticing. Be careful, master, she might come back for you!" Yuuna teased with a playful tone.
However, Rin's reaction surprised her. He didn't show panic but instead laughed. "Relax, now that I'm cultivating, I won't fear women like that anymore! Besides, I have Luna."
"True. My master won't let it happen again. She's even strengthened the protective formations."
"Alright, enough idle chatter. How do I visualize the essence?"
"Sit in the same position and use your innate essence to perceive your surroundings."
"Okay... Is there a pill to help with that?"
"Master, do you think pills are cheap? They're expensive, especially those made by the Alchemy Saint. The cheapest one costs a thousand spiritual coins."
(Note: 1 spiritual coin = $1,000 USD.)
"But you'll help your master, right? After all, I'm kind to you," Rin said, walking over to Yuuna and patting her head.
Immediately, Yuuna brushed his hand away.
'This evil master wants to kill me? And rob me? When will I ever get the money to go to Paris?' she thought bitterly.
Reluctantly, she pulled out a yellow pill and handed it to him.
"This was expensive, master. I spent all my savings."
"Relax, I'd never treat my dear sensei poorly," Rin said, taking the yellow pill. "What's it called?"
"Meditation Pill."
"Thanks." After learning the name, he swallowed the pill. Instantly, he felt an indescribable calmness washing over him.
Closing his eyes, Rin tried visualizing that dragon again. After much concentration, the majestic dragon reappeared in his mental space.
"How do I visualize the particles of a dragon? And what will its attribute be? Little guy, you've given me work, but let's go," he murmured to himself.
Forgetting everything around him, Rin entered a deep state of concentration where his mind and body became one. In this tranquility, he began perceiving golden particles around him.
Wasting no time, Rin started absorbing them, directing them to the area opposite his heart, where a small golden sphere began to form.
As the sphere grew, he felt his body strengthening. When the sphere reached five centimeters, a wave of transformation coursed through his entire body.
Feeling revitalized, Rin opened his eyes and looked at Yuuna. "Yuuna, what's the specific size of each core stage?"
"Small: five centimeters. Medium: ten centimeters. High: fifteen centimeters. At the perfect level, you must compress it and fuse it with the human heart, thereby reaching the second realm—the Realm of Transformation."
"This is amazing! Cultivation is so unique compared to the webnovels I've read… But now's not the time to think about that. Let's test my current power."
Feeling invigorated and at his peak, Rin began punching the air, noticing faint winds swirling around him.
'Is this what it feels like to be superhuman? And magic… I can use it, right? Now that I have a core...'
With these thoughts, he stopped punching and focused on the core. Observing the golden energy, he tried extracting it. As he did, the core stirred, and golden energy flowed up to his hand.
He imagined a fireball, and a golden flame, about five centimeters in size, appeared on his palm.
'This is so small… But I can't complain. I just started cultivating; one step at a time.'
With this in mind, he launched the flame at a nearby tree to test its destructive power. To his surprise, the small golden ball incinerated the tree completely.
'Huh? What… That tiny flame has this much destructive power? Imagine if it were bigger?'
"Hahahahaha!"
Overwhelmed by the limitless possibilities, Rin let out a wild laugh.
Yuuna, watching from a distance, stood speechless. 'Master is insane! He hasn't even acquired a proper method, yet he's already extracting energy… And it's so destructive. What is his essence?' she wondered, only to feel a surge of frustration.
"Master, don't burn down my garden!" she yelled.
"Sorry, sensei. I didn't think this power would be so destructive… But admit it, isn't your disciple amazing?" Rin said with a smug grin.
Yuuna didn't reply, glaring at him silently as he basked in his own abilities.
"Jokes aside, Yuuna, what are the initial benefits of the Celestial Dragon Physique?" He had some guesses, especially after what just happened, but wanted confirmation.
"Master, your power is pure, with no impurities in its energy, allowing for greater damage. That's one of the initial advantages. The second is that your energy regenerates faster, depending on the environment."
"Oh? That's amazing. But I still don't know my attribute. I tried using flames, but I feel like I can do more."
"Master, what's your innate essence?"
"I can tell you, but promise not to share it. It'll be our little secret..."
"Then I don't want to know." Yuuna refused, crossing her arms. She wanted to maintain some distance from Rin, fearing the consequences of getting too involved, especially with Luna.
"You're such a coward, sensei."
"Shut up! I just value my life!"
"Okay, don't overthink it." He teased as she stormed out of the training room.
After Yuuna left, Rin continued experimenting with his new abilities until a familiar voice echoed through the room.
"You seem to be having fun," the voice said, cold yet sweet.
Rin stopped immediately, turning toward the sound.
"My dear, you're here!" he said, smiling as he recognized the owner of the voice: Luna.