8 Monster Cores

After practicing the cultivation technique, Lucas finally had a grasp of it. When he started to feel the spiritual energy coming to his veins, he cleared his mind as the technique says.

A few minutes later, he felt a click inside his spirit. It was as if he hit something in his thoughts, more of a strange soothing feeling. But something was off.

"This isn't good if my passive abilities activate on their own. I must seal my core to feel the cultivation base rising." He mumbled after feeling defeat in his soul.

Having his core open, he won't feel the progress of his cultivation. Furthermore, it would be bad if the dominant magic core he has will try to reject the inferior amount of Qi in his body.

Since he can't merge both energies, he might try to seal it partially so that he won't be left powerless in the harsh world.

"Just after seeing earlier, I grasped a little about cultivators' mindset. I'll just partially seal my core so that spiritual energy won't be rejected and I can see my progress."

Deciding that he will just use magic in emergencies, he chanted a spell that would inflict a cooldown to his core's reaction.

Sealing the passive abilities, his core within his body glowed in tremendous light. As the chant continues to be mumbled by Lucas, his body gradually weakens.

"This is also a remedy so that I won't drain my mana. This world lacks mana, so if I use it from time to time, I would reduce the speed of its recovery. Worse, I can't live for other years in this unknown world. Who knows what's the limit of their expert cultivators since cultivation can attain immortality." He continued.

Unlike his previous world, the way he got infinite longevity was by consuming different dragons' blood who are known for their long longevity.

Of course, he didn't kill them as he got to befriend some of them. He even became the master of all dragons because of his caring nature. Thus, he attains immortality from his pet dragons.

When he finally saw his core being sealed in half, he sighed in relief.

"I might try to create a way to merge mana and Qi. If I can achieve such a feat, maybe I can reach the place where immortals live. I can finally live without being alone."

Lucas felt lonely when he was the only one remain from his generation. Even his pet dragons left him, only left to take care of their children.

It was a depressing moment for him. Even the darkest era he has lived in his life.

Now that he has a clue to be in peers with immortals, maybe his passive immortal blood would jump in joy.

"I must continue cultivating. I can finally feel the Qi in the air." He muttered after going back in mediation form.

He gathered all of the spiritual energy he can. Keeping his dantian regulated to not amok, he breathes according to the technique's method.

Hours later, he stepped on 5 levels of the Apprentice Spirit Realm – making him reach the 6th level of this stage.

When he noticed that the spiritual energy coming to the energy can't keep up with him cultivating, he made his absorption slower than usual.

"Haa… This weak formation. Why can't it keep up with my absorption? Does it mean that I can absorb more energy than what it can get for me?" He mumbled his dispirit when he reached the 8th level.

If this continues, he can break through the next stage.

More hours later, when his progress starts to get slower, he patiently gathered spiritual energy to make another breakthrough.

Woosh!

Energy flamed to his body, making him feel lighter than usual.

"I reached the peak, huh? How many hours did I use to reach this feat? Is this slower than what is supposed to be is usual?" He questioned as he felt the spiritual energy becoming more sluggish.

Moments later, the door of his room opened automatically, flashing his closed eyes the light coming from outside.

"Hm… my time is already done."

He stood up and fixed his wrinkled clothes. After it, he finally went out of the room.

'I must know the average growth of cultivators. I feel I'm too slow.' He thought inwardly when he can finally see some partial cultivation base of the staff in the area.

Lucas continued venturing his eyes to see others' cultivation base.

'Maybe it was a bad idea to merge my founded absorption body and the cultivation technique.' He added more.

His body has different abilities. One of them was naturally absorbing mana in the air. However, since the mana in the air is scarce, and can't even reach his core, he just tried to convert it to focus on the spiritual energy, even it was absurd.

He tilted his head when he saw a young man just his supposed age. He peeked a little on his cultivation base and partially saw that he was at least at the second stage – Warrior Spirit Realm.

'I'm really slow! Or maybe this is because I just started? Ugh! Never mind, I just have to enjoy this world's offer.' He shrugged before leaving the building.

Unbeknownst to him, someone saw Lucas leaving, and was surprised to see Lucas' cultivation base.

'What the heck! He was just a mortal earlier! Don't tell me he reached the peak of the Apprentice stage with that 30 hours?! How is that possible!' The staff cried inwardly as his eyes are gawking in surprise seeing Lucas's growth.

Alas, he can't continue since Lucas disappeared from his sight.

'Where is he?! Maybe this one is a talented person that might join master's sect!' He continues.

When he finally can't see Lucas's figure, he surrendered and went back to the building.

'I must report this to master.'

***

Meanwhile, Lucas was about to leave the city when he remembered something important, he must do.

'If I will continue to become a cultivator, I must join a sect! In my previous world I was a rogue mage, but this time I won't let it happen again. I'm too lonely for that!'

Deciding that he might join a sect, he reached out to the guard that assisted him earlier.

But in the middle of his walking, he took a halt when another idea popped up in his mind.

'But I can at least try being free again. If I join a sect, I will be obligated to follow their commands. I can't let that happen too!" He exclaimed inwardly.

When he finally decided that he will try to venture into the world first before settling in one place, he entered a forest to hunt some monster that he might use for his pocket money.

As he only has 65 gold coins left, it might be not sufficient since he needs resources for his cultivation.

"Wow… I will be starting from scratch in this world." He scoffed when he found his words funny.

Who would've thought that the most powerful human in his previous world, would try to crawl to reach the pinnacle of cultivation?

When he finally reached the deepest of the forest, he noticed some chimeric monsters, and also a normal-looking one akin to animals.

He remembered that not all monsters drop monster cores. Monster core at least materializes when a monster reaches the 7th level of Apprentice Spirit Realm. And the continuation starts from chances of the materialized core.

One of the monsters noticed Lucas's presence. Thus, it pounced to attack him, however, Lucas has a little talent in his reflex, which his instinct swayed his arms to the monster.

Since it was inferior to his cultivation base, he immediately slew it without using any weapon. But the downside was his arm be covered with sticky red blood.

He crinkled his nose when he finds it disgusting and swayed it to lessen the volume.

He checked the monster if it has a core, but alas, he didn't find one despite the monster's cultivation reaching 7th level.

More hours later, he continued slaying the monster. In those time frame, he gathered almost 10 monster cores.

He smiled when he saw these resources on his hands. If he'll be lucky enough, he can reach the middle of the next stage.

But little did he know, the effectiveness of cores lessens when there's a disparity between their stages. Thus, if he wants to reach the middle level of the next stage, he must use the same stage of cores to breakthrough.

"The sun is about to rise, I will visit the nearest city to buy some weapon or martial technique. I really need it anyway." He mumbled before jumping on every branch of the trees he passed through.