It was almost dark when Alexander and his party emerged from the cave. Although some of them were injured, they all wore smiles, proud of their successful hunt.
They descended the mountain and met up with the scouts to share the good news. The scouts couldn't help but let out a sigh of relief. Over the past few days, they had been tracking the wolf's movements and witnessing the devastation it had caused. Some of them had even seen the wolf's strength firsthand. Staying near the mountain the entire time had made them sweat coldly with fear.
As they reached the base of the mountain, everyone began preparing camp. Some set up tents, others helped the injured, and some tended the fire. The most important task, however, was preparing the wolf's meat for food.
First, they removed the parts that could be sold, then severed the wolf's head. The claws, tail, fur, and especially the head with bull horns could fetch a very high price. The head was highly prized by collectors, and since it was perfectly intact, its value would skyrocket.
After extracting the valuable parts, they cleaned the meat and sliced it into pieces, then started cooking it over the fire. They added special oils and spices to soften the meat. High-level beast meat is very tough and contains a large amount of energy, requiring skill to soften it and mellow the energy within. Fortunately, they had the ex-hunter Bertram to handle all of this.
Fragrant smoke wafted over the campfire as people laughed, drank, and shared stories.
A group of knights, who had been saved by Alexander's timely warning, approached him and Sylvia. They sincerely thanked him for his help earlier. Afterward, they engaged in some conversation. At one point, the knights began recounting their experiences at the borders of the kingdom, speaking of the terrifying creatures they had encountered.
Alexander and Sylvia listened attentively to these stories, though for entirely different reasons. Alexander was taking mental notes of the terrifying creatures he needed to avoid, while Sylvia was listening to identify which creatures she might someday want to see.
From their stories, it was clear that there were many ferocious beasts outside the borders of the kingdom, in the Great Wilderness. They also recounted encounters with ravenous beasts, monsters that were a tier higher than ferocious beasts. Most of the time, it was the Knight Majors and Knight Commanders who hunted them down.
Alexander made a mental note never to venture into the Great Wilderness, while Sylvia made the opposite; she was now eager to explore it.
After waiting some time, Bertram announced, "Alright, everyone, the meat is ready. We can now start the feast."
Everyone cheered in response.
Sylvia was already drooling, imagining how delicious the meat would taste.
Meanwhile, Alexander stood to the side, his mind swirling with complex thoughts. "This beast ate humans, right? Would eating its meat mean I'm indirectly eating a human?" He felt a deep hesitation about partaking in the meal.
When his share arrived, Alexander stared at the steak in front for a moment. "Since this beast has already digested the humans it ate, any trace of those humans should have been broken down into nutrients and no longer considered human flesh, right?" he wondered. Then he thought, "Whatever. If it tastes bad, I'll just throw it into my inventory and find some time later to eat the meals I've stored inside."
He took his first bite. Although the meat wasn't as tender as the expensive steaks from five-star restaurants back on Earth, it possessed a different kind of beauty. Its flavor was extremely rich, and the aroma it released was very appetizing. Overall, he thought it was actually better than he expected.
The feast lasted about an hour, after which everyone began to rest in their tents.
Alexander and Sylvia shared a tent, but the little girl was already fast asleep upon entering. This gave Alexander some time to check his haul from today's escapade.
He first examined the rewards from the two completed missions: the Blocking Talisman and the Spirit Cultivation Talisman. Since there were no descriptions provided for either item, he decided to ask Sarah about them.
"Sarah, what is this Blocking Talisman, and do I need to channel spirit energy to use it?" Alexander asked, curious if it required spirit energy like other talismans. Since he didn't have spirit cultivation yet, he was unsure if he could use it.
"The Blocking Talisman is a defensive talisman that greatly reduces all damage the target would receive for three seconds. To activate it, you simply press it against the target and think about activating it. There's no need to channel any spirit energy during the process."
Alexander followed up with another question. "And the Spirit Cultivation Talisman?"
"The Spirit Cultivation Talisman is a cultivation talisman that drastically increases the target's spirit cultivation talents for three hours. However, it can only be used during cultivation and not in battle. The activation method is similar to that of the Blocking Talisman," Sarah explained.
Hearing Sarah's words, Alexander became ecstatic. Earlier, he had felt completely useless; besides detecting the direction from which the wolf would come, he couldn't do anything. He had no cultivation, and his attributes weren't high enough to compensate for it. With this talisman, he might be able to loosen the first spirit pulse, or even connect it directly.
Estimating the time, Alexander realized he still had enough hours left to complete his last task for the day: meditation. He planned to meditate and attempt to connect with his first spirit pulse using the Spirit Cultivation Talisman. First, he used the attribute points he gained from leveling up to increase his spirit talents. Then, he stepped out of his tent and looked for a safe, secluded spot where he could meditate for three hours.
After a while, he found a suitable place between some trees, a few dozen meters ahead of their camp and near where they had tied their horses. It was relatively safe from predators and also far enough from the others to avoid disturbance.
He then sat down on a flat rock and began to recall the contents of the Twelve Pulse Spirit Manual. After a while, he took out the talisman from his inventory. The unfamiliar symbols on its edges seemed to shimmer in the moonlight. He pressed the talisman against his chest, activated it, and then entered meditation.
Upon activation of the talisman, Alexander checked how much spirit talent the talisman provided. Turns out the talisman boosted all his spirit attributes by 100.
With the huge amount of increase in his spirit cultivation talent, he suddenly felt relaxed and comfortable. It was as if all the natural energies around him were ready to enter his spirit, unlike before, that the natural energies seemed to reject entering his spirit.
He then began to control the natural energies to open his first spirit pulse. The process was still slow but progressing smoothly—bit by bit, the pulse was gradually opening. This process had already taken him an hour.
The next step was to guide the natural energies from the pulse through the meridian and into the source. He did this one wisp of energy at a time. The first wisp passing through the meridian was somewhat painful; it felt as if the meridian had been stretched for the first time. Subsequent wisps became much more tolerable, eventually feeling somewhat comfortable.
He continued to increase the amount of energy he pushed through gradually. If he pushed too hard, he risked damaging the meridian. A tear could mean he'd need to wait months for it to heal before trying again. If the meridian were severed, his Spirit Mage Path Cultivation would be over. On the other hand, if he proceeded too slowly, the openings in the meridian might just close up. He needed to carefully control his pace.
Time passed slowly, and it was already almost three hours. If Alexander's spirit talent dropped again, he wouldn't be able to control and process the natural energies as smoothly, which could cause him to slow down and fail. Failing would mean the meridian and pulse would close up once more, though future attempts might be easier. Still, Alexander didn't want to risk a second chance and desperately hoped to connect his first spirit pulse now.
He gritted his teeth and increased his pace, but it still wasn't enough. Just a few more minutes, and the meridian would be fully open. However, there was less than a minute before the effects of the Spirit Cultivation Talisman would disappear. Just when he felt he might fail, a sudden soothing sensation washed over his mind, and his control of the energy became much smoother. He immediately focused and accelerated his efforts. A few seconds before the talisman's effects vanished, he heard an unlocking sound, and spiritual energy began to fill his spirit source. A wonderful feeling washed over him; he had broken through.
He slumped forward, gasping like he'd been underwater. "Holy hell, I actually did it."
'Ding,' 'Ding,' 'Ding,' 'Ding'—suddenly, he heard a series of notification sounds.
[ System Notice: Congratulations! Your soul has reached the Red Soul stage, and you have become an Apprentice Sage. ]
[ Achievement Unlocked: Path to Become the Greatest Sage (Apprentice Sage) ]
[ System Notice: Congratulations! You have successfully opened your first Spirit Pulse and become an Apprentice Mage. ]
[ Achievement Unlocked: Path to Become the Greatest Magus (Apprentice Mage) ]
Alexander, who was still in ecstasy from his recent spiritual breakthrough, became even more elated upon reading the notifications. It turned out he had achieved a double breakthrough, one in his spirit and another in his soul.
Earlier, when he was on the verge of failing to connect his first pulse, he suddenly experienced a breakthrough in his soul. This breakthrough allowed him to gain better control over the energies and salvage the situation.
"Whoa, what a wonderful coincidence! Without my soul suddenly reaching the Red Soul stage, I would have failed to connect my first spirit pulse. So, the part of the Starry Sky's Soul Manual that mentions the soul helping in the cultivation of the body and spirit must be real," Alexander thought with great joy and surprise.
He then checked the rewards for the two achievements they had unlocked.
[ Achievement Unlocked: Path to Become the Greatest Sage (Apprentice Sage)
Details: Reach Apprentice Sage level in the Soul Sage Path
Rewards: +5 to all Soul Attributes ]
[ Achievement Unlocked: Path to Become the Greatest Magus (Apprentice Mage)
Details: Reach Apprentice Mage level in the Spirit Mage Path
Rewards: +5 to all Spirit Attributes ]
"The rewards are quite decent, and it seems that the bonus attributes will increase further as I progress in my cultivation," Alexander muttered to himself.
He then reflected on his memories to understand what being an Apprentice Sage and an Apprentice Mage entailed.
Recalling his knowledge, during the Soul Tempering Stage of Soul Path Cultivation, the Apprentice Sage corresponds to reaching the Red Soul Stage. The next stages are Adept Sage at the Orange Soul Stage, then Advanced Sage at the Yellow Soul Stage, and so on.
For Spirit Connection, the first two pulses represent the Apprentice Mage level, the third and fourth pulses correspond to Adept Mage, then the fifth to sixth pulses correspond to Advanced Mage, and so on.
Afterward, he proceeded to check his current attributes:
Physique: 9
Agility: 9
Vitality: 9
Spirit Root: 17
Spirit Capacity: 17
Spirit Power: 17
Soul Sense: 46
Soul Sea: 46
Soul Force: 46
Attribute Points: 0
Although his body and spirit talents still aren't very high, he has come a long way from being completely trash in those areas.
He was celebrating internally; he had never felt this happy since arriving in this world.
Suddenly, he jolted upright and quickly looked up at the sky. However, what he saw was a clear, cloudless night, with the moon hanging above and stars shining like gems. Everything in the sky appeared to be very calm and tranquil.
He then murmured to himself, "Damn, the last time I got a double promotion, lightning quickly followed after. I really can't be complacent, I'd better get going back to the camp, lest something unexpected happens."
After his breakthroughs, Alexander went back to camp. Tomorrow will be a long journey, since they will be avoiding the Tree God's Path and instead take the long route. He needed to get a good rest.