Chapter 2552: Gaia’s Stone
Chapter 2552: Gaia’s Stone
"I’m sorry, but I still do not understand how you are cultivating," Yuan said after a moment of silence. "Where are you obtaining your energy from? It does not seem like you are absorbing it."
"Absorbing it? Like this?"
The next moment, Madam Mei began drawing in the energy from the air in the traditional manner Yuan was familiar with.
Yuan narrowed his eyes as he quickly noticed something peculiar. When Madam Mei began cultivating in the traditional manner, he had expected her to absorb Eternal Essence.
But to his surprise, she was drawing in spiritual energy instead.
Before Yuan could question her further, Madam Mei stopped cultivating and spoke.
"Although it is possible to cultivate in that manner, it is extremely inefficient. That is why nobody does it. Instead, we cultivate through the system."
"You have the system, right?" she then asked.
Yuan nodded.
"Then why not use it to cultivate and see for yourself how it works? It should help you understand things more easily," she said.
"How do I cultivate through the system? I just acquired it today," he admitted.
"..."
Madam Mei fell silent after hearing this for the first time, and she turned to look at Officer Mei with narrowed eyes.
"I do not mind helping you, but I am not someone who acts without gaining something in return," Madam Mei said, shifting her attention back to Yuan a moment later.
She continued without pausing, "Not only will I help you join the military, but I will train you as well. In return, once you are accepted, you must join the division of my choosing."
Yuan responded without hesitation, "I do not simply want to join the military. I want to take the path that will improve my credentials the fastest."
"That is even better. The division I want you to join offers the fastest promotions in the entire military, which means your credentials will rise faster as well," she said with a proud smile.
"Then I agree to your offer."
The next moment, a notification appeared before Yuan.
<You have been offered a contract by ’Mei Feng’>
[Contract Details: Mei Feng promises to help you join the military. Upon enlistment, you must join a division of her choosing.]
[Breaking the contract will result in penalties]
<Do you accept the contract?>
<Accepted>
"Alright, let’s get started," Mei Feng said shortly after confirming that Yuan had accepted her contract.
"In order to cultivate through the system, you must first consume this."
Mei Feng extended her empty hand toward Yuan before slowly closing it into a fist.
A second later, she opened her hand again, revealing a crystal resting in her palm as though it had appeared from thin air.
"T-This is?!" Yuan’s eyes widened with disbelief when he saw the crystal, as he recognized it.
"Gaia’s Stone," Mei Feng began to explain. "In order to cultivate through the system, one must first connect their Dantian to the system."
Despite Mei Feng mentioning an unfamiliar name, the crystal in her grasp was, without a doubt, the Heaven Refining Crystal, which had granted him the Heaven Refining Physique in the first place!
"To be frank... I have consumed a crystal like this before in my world," Yuan admitted with a weird expression on his face. "In fact, it was what gave me the Heavenly Refinement physique."
Mei Feng raised her eyebrows. After a moment of silence, she responded to his words.
"Gaia’s Stone has two functions. First, it connects one’s Dantian to the system. The second... only activates under certain conditions—when an individual is born with their physique sealed."
"Most people are born with the Heavenly Refinement physique, but on rare occasions, some are born without it. However, that does not mean they truly lack it, as their physique are simply in a dormant state."
"That said, the majority awaken naturally over time. Only an extremely small minority requires Gaia’s Stone to awaken their physique."
"..."
Yuan’s eyes widened after learning the true origin of the Heaven Refining Crystal. He had always assumed it was either a treasure left behind by an Eternal or a naturally formed treasure.
However, this only raised another question.
’How did it end up in my world?’ he wondered. "Also, this proves that there is a connection between the Nine Heavens and this strange world.’
Then he realized something else.
’Wait a second. Does this mean I always had the Heaven Refining Physique even as Tian Yang, and that it had been dormant until I consumed Gaia’s Stone, which awakened it?’
Yuan stared at the crystal resting in Mei Feng’s grasp for a moment before reaching for it.
However, just as he was about to reach it, she suddenly closed her hands and said, "Before you consume it, I want you to try cultivating through the system first, so you know what I mean."
"How do I do that?"
"Tell the system you want to start cultivating."
Yuan nodded and followed her instructions, mumbling, "System, start cultivation."
Ding!
<Error>
<Unsuitable Dantian Detected>
<Cultivation has been forcefully canceled for the user’s safety>
"Well?" Mei Feng asked a moment later.
"It doesn’t work," Yuan replied while shaking his head. "It says I have an unsuitable Dantian."
Mei Feng opened her palm and offered Gaia’s Stone to him again.
"Try again after consuming this."
Yuan accepted the crystal, tossed it into his mouth, and swallowed it without hesitation.
<You have consumed Gaia’s Stone>
<Perfected Heavenly Refinement has activated>
<Gaia’s Stone has been refined>
<Gaia’s Stone has merged with your Dantian>
<Your Dantian has begun to evolve>
<Your Dantian has evolved into True Heaven’s Dantian>
<You have unlocked Gaia’s Cultivation System>
"How do you feel?" Mei Feng asked shortly later.
"Quite frankly, I don’t feel much different..." Yuan replied.
"Then try cultivating through the system again."
Without wasting a moment, Yuan immediately began his second attempt to cultivate through the system.
"System, start cultivation."
<You have begun cultivating through Gaia’s Cultivation System>
<Due to your low cultivation and low Credential Rank, your Cultivation Speed has been automatically adjusted to Level 1>