Inside the Cosmic God Space.
As soon as Dylan Ford arrived, Vastocean had hurriedly told him something, "Sir Ford something amazing happened while you were absent!"
Ford was understandably taken aback but he asked Vastocean to calm down first, "Settle down first. What had happened when I was not here?"
"Earlier as you were serving the customers, the Cosmic God Mansion had reacted once more. It violently shook the moment you received payment. Those gigantic doors of the mansion opened ever so slightly and shot out this stone that hovered in front of me! It shot out six at the same at first!" Vastocean pointed to a dozens of floating white colored stones behind him.
"A Stone? No, a bunch of stones? Is that the new perk we can receive from the Mansion?" Ford's eyes scrutinized the stone. He was shocked what this strange stone was, it had the same feeling as Divine Energy!
"It must be! This stone..." Ford followed up as he was enticed by the look of the stone
"Indeed, this white colored stone possess the same divine energy from the Cosmic God Manual. They are definitely connected!"
There were seventy five white colored stones, mystically floating behind Vastocean. It was as though they were waiting for Vastocean to do something. Each stone possessed a gradient like pattern from a light blue hue from the outside to a whiter and brighter color the closer it got to the center.
He continued, "At first, I thought it must have been nearly a coincidence that six of these white stones shot out of the mansion giant doors the moment those six craftsmen brothers paid. But the more customers ate and paid their dinners, I became even more certain!"
"So the number of stones are directly correlated to the number of customers we've served or at least has rendered payment." Ford inferred.
Pointing with his thumb, Vastocean gestured to Ford to pay attention on these unknown white stones, "Precisely, there were exactly seventy-five customers that we've served during the day and there is exactly seventy-five of these stones! It cannot be just a coincidence!"
"You had accurately predicted that there is a correlation between the business and the mansion!" Vastocean had excitedly brought up his previous assumption.
"Indeed, it seems my theory was correct." Ford was elated, knowing that his previous inferences were right.
He looked at the mansion and contemplated based on this system-like hypothesis by murmuring, "This mansion is rather peculiar and unique, it operates like a reward system... Is it a system? But it does not have a status window or a character profile? Or maybe its because I've not really talked to it..."
Ford began shouting, "System! Open!
"..." The mansion did not respond.
"Status Window! Open!"
"..." Once again, it offered nothing but silence.
"Alas, that seemed too naive... I can't always be right haha. " Ford had some expectations due to the nature by which the Cosmic God Mansion awarded these peculiar white stones to them but judging the non-response from the mansion, he already knew the answer.
"Uhm... Sir Ford, are you okay?" Vastocean's voice sounded unsure. He looked concerned about Ford's mental state.
"Uh no, worries. I'm fine." Ford scratched his cheek with his index finger because he felt a little embarrassed by his sudden actions. "I must have looked insane to you just now?"
"Well, you started talking by yourself and shouting some words... So... Are you trying to get the mansion to open? What's a system? Or a status window?" Vastocean did not even try to deny that he thought Ford went insane but he still asked the reason for his strange behavior.
Ford did not know whether to laugh or cry, sensing Vastocean's implications, but he still answered, "Remember the stories that I have read which are accompanied by pictures and words?"
"Yes, though I never went in depth with them yet. They seemed quite interesting!" Vastocean nodded. He immediately knew what Ford was referring to.
"You should go through my memories and read them when you are resting. It's an addicting and fun pastime." Ford encouraged before arriving to his point, "Anyways, a system is an ability that some Reincarnators have in those stories. Once you say things like "System Open" or "Status Window", a holographic screen in fronts of you that quantifies your current abilities. It gives you tasks called quests that you have to complete. Once you do, you are rewarded by the system with not only strength but also treasures and different abilities. It helps makes easily overpowered."
"Whoa, that sounds convenient and efficient! It sounds like an easier method of cultivation. I want to try reading them!" Vastocean was very interested in that sort of setting that Ford brought up.
"I thought for a second that the Mansion might operate like a system just like in my world's stories but it seems that would have been too convenient, applying logic from my culture's fiction to this world's mystical realities." Ford could only wryly laugh.
"I see. So that's why you started shouting crazily earlier." Vastocean now understood Ford's behavior earlier.
"..."
Ford merely dismissed those words with a glare as he continued on with the conversation, "Well, at least it was worth a shot. If it worked, we would have an easier time cultivating."
"Hahaha, I was just kidding, sir Ford." Vastocean laughed it off as well.
Ford laughed as well as he spoke excitedly, "I know I know, hahaha. With this, we're understanding and we will continue to understand the mechanisms of the mansion the more we progress in the future."
He approached and touched the mysterious looking floating stones as they moved with the slightest touch. Ford asked, "But I wonder what we are supposed to do with the stone?"
"Hm, Crush the stone?" A thought suddenly flashed through his mind and it said to crush the mysterious stone.
"Those instructions also entered my mind when I wondered what to do with them. But I held back and wanted to have a discussion with you first." Vastocean mentioned.
"Hm." Ford followed the instructions in his mind and crushed the stone.
*Crush*
Mist-like white energy was released from the crushed stone and enveloped Ford's entire body. It was not just Ford but also Vastocean. Before they could even react, the mis-like white energy entered their bodies!
It seemed like it had a mind of its own as it flooded their bodies, eventually reaching the Spirit Core.
*Crack*
As it reached their Spirit Core, a crack was heard as though a seal had just been broken! A mysterious line suddenly appeared between Ford and Vastocean that connected their Spirit Cores.
*Boom!*
A large explosion was heard as a burst of energy flooded throughout their bodies! They could feel their body changed. No. It was more accurate that they were able to vividly sense the insides of their body. An entirely knew sensation different from sight, smell, taste, touch, or hearing had emerged.
They felt it and subconsciously knew what this was: "Spiritual Sense...!"
They knew at that very moment that they had finally entered the path of cultivation!
It did not just end there. In Vastocean's body, something had awoken. His heterochromia eyes had shone along with the awakening of his Spirit Core.
It started with his deep blue eyes and extended to the left side of his body, producing a deep blue Innate Energy. A large body of water was gradually being formed behind him as the energy from his Spirit Core fed its release. It felt immeasurable and unfathomable, like the vast ocean.
Then, his Innate Energy glowed from his crimson orange eyes and extended to the right side of his body. Crimson Orange Energy had transformed into boiling hot lava as it formed magma chamber appeared behind him! Within that magma chamber, the boiling magma sheer heat was even causing space to distort!
On Ford's side, he was being enveloped by a pure black energy. It was slightly larger than the two auras Vastocean was producing combined. It was to the point that it felt boundless! Yet within that endless dark void, specks of brilliant light flickered like distant stars, mimicking the vast beauty of the night sky.
What these two were currently experiencing was the manifestation of their Martial Spirits. Once a cultivator awakens, a Martial Spirit is a corresponding power that manifests with it. They now have experienced such awakening!
After quite some time, Ford and Vastocean's auras had gradually settled down as their bodies absorbed their Martial Spirits. They felt that their Martial Spirits had now inhabited their Spirit Cores. They both felt exhausted after awakening their martial Spirits as they both knelt on the ground.
They finally received the names of their Martial Spirits in their minds. After the awakening, a cultivator is inherently granted this knowledge, as if it were divine revelation.
Vastocean was the first to utter: "The names of my Martial Spirits are Ocean and Magma..."
Ford had also whispered under his breath: "Martial Spirit: Starry Night..."
With their Martial Spirit Awakening finally concluding, these two had officially started their paths to cultivation.