Reaching for the Stars

Chapter Twenty-Five

Cultivating was different than pill refining or potion brewing, it relied on one's innate talent just as much it did on their environment, one could have a high talent for cultivation but never get the chance to go somewhere with rich spiritual energy, resulting in them being fairly weak, or one could even have a low talent but the result of being in a rich spiritual environment meant they could still attain a rather high level.

My previous difficulties in cultivating were due to some sort of poison or toxin I was affected by when I was young, at least that is what Orpheus said. Resulting in my inner foundation decaying and stopping me from ever ascending a cultivation level without most of my life's efforts. Thankfully Nero's power, or rather the small bit I dared to take from it, had broken through the cultivation blockage that had happened to me because of the poison, and now that the Qi Block pill had finally stabilized my inner foundation, I could finally begin to cultivate again.

Except when I went to cultivate in front of the cultivation crystal Cato had left to me, I was stopped by Fluorite, the crystals spirit. "No, Mistress! You cannot cultivate here right now, the energy is too rich for you to withstand at your current level, I am afraid you would be grievously injured if you attempted it. Only when you reach the cultivation level of Peak Spirit General or higher will you safely be able to cultivate here. But I have sensed a strong cultivation stone near you, the fire and ice crystal will allow you to cultivate easily, though remember to start at the highest level of the tower so as not to injure yourself, once you've reached the bottom level, you will then be able to cultivate here with ease." I was slightly frustrated I couldn't cultivate here, but I understood.

After all I doubt the twelve anticipated such a weakling would receive their blessings and having a cultivation crystal capable of helping me ascend past the rank of Spirit General and above was a rarity. My own parents had been stuck at the rank of Martial Lords for years, seemingly unable to surpass it, and that was only a single rank above Spirit General. To meet someone who was above the rank of Martial Lord was uncommon, the Martial Emperors were extremely strong and very uncommon, almost rare even, but the Martial Supreme rank above them was almost non-existent, let alone the ranks of Immortals above even that, which seemed to exist solely in legend.

Evidently my parents had reached their cultivation blockage and were unlikely to surpass it during their lifetime without a huge opportunity, of which I would never help them have, as far as I was concerned, they were my parents in name only, there was no longer any ties between us, and for what they likely thought, I was already long dead in the Silver Woods.

Knowing that in order to cultivate I would have to leave the Spatial World, I left without further issue, it was close to morning anyways, maybe I could finally let my mind rest for a little while. Of course, my hopes were quickly dashed by Orpheus abruptly pouncing on me as soon as I opened my eyes. "You feel different, stronger, the fox bead is no longer draining so much of my energy, did you finally succeed in making the Qi Block pill?" I don't know why I was surprised he had noticed something was different, he was usually much too observant for me to get away with anything.

Annoying little beast. "Yes, actually I did indeed succeed, now can you remove the fox bead?" He sat back down immediately, having calmed down now that he knew the reason for my change.

"No, of course not. It makes it much easier to force you to do what I want, why would I ever remove it?" I scoff, knowing it had been a very thin hope that he would actually remove the fox bead now that I no longer needed it to stay alive and pain free, but I had hoped maybe he wasn't as manipulative as he seemed, I was of course very wrong, but that couldn't be helped.

Now I just had to cultivate until I was strong enough to make him take the fox bead out, I just hope that I am as talented in cultivation as I was in herbalism. I look at the sun just rising over the horizon and since my body had rested while I was in the Spatial World, I didn't actually feel tired at all, knowing sleep definitely wasn't going to happen, I decide to get up now rather than sit here and listen to Orpheus pestering me, at least in public he quieted down so that I would be able to properly pay attention to my surroundings. I had been at the academy for a little under two weeks, and while many students used their free time around classes to descend from the academy and into the city, I found myself much too busy for anything like that.