Sogen returned to Mr. Rudriger's workshop.
As usual, the old craftsman stood behind the counter—yet today a bronze cauldron rested in his hands.
"Boy, you've arrived at the perfect time."
Rudriger walked to the door and hung a small wooden sign:
Closed.
He turned with a rare serious expression.
"Today—we begin your true training."
They entered the familiar pocket realm hidden behind the garden, a quiet space where Sogen practiced every day.
"Sit in the lotus position and close your eyes," Rudriger instructed.
Sogen obeyed.
"Release all your spiritual energy. Feel its flow within your body. To understand the world's energy, you must first understand your own."
His voice grew steady like a master lecturing scripture.
"Everything in existence contains spiritual energy. You may draw it from heaven and earth, refine it, and make it yours. That is the foundation of a Spiritualist."
Rudriger began explaining the meridian pathways—how to guide energy through the heart channel, gather it at the dantian, and condense a spiritual sea.
"Pain will come," he warned. "Unbearable pain. If you lose focus, your meridians may tear. Recovery would take months."
Sogen inhaled deeply.
"Begin."
Thirty Minutes of Hell
The moment he circulated the energy—fire ignited in his veins.
His muscles trembled. Sweat soaked his clothes.
Hold on…
Minutes stretched like hours. His body went numb; dizziness clawed at his mind.
Memories from his previous life surfaced uninvited.
I had a good family… dreams of becoming rich… of achieving something great.
His teeth clenched.
But I wasted it. I wasn't a good son, a good brother, or even a decent person.
The pain grew sharper.
It wasn't fate—it was my laziness. I chose comfort over effort.
His consciousness wavered.
This time… I won't fail. Even if I must crawl through hell, I will achieve something worthy.
With a final surge of will—
the spiritual sea stabilized.
Ding!
Hidden Quest: Master control of spiritual energy.
Reward: 300,000 System Coins.
The moment the process ended, darkness swallowed him.
Sogen collapsed.
Rudriger caught him before he hit the ground.
The old man smiled faintly.
"I was prepared to intervene… yet you surpassed my expectations. To gain power, one must endure pain. And pain bows only to willpower."
He placed a pill into Sogen's mouth.
"This will hasten your recovery."
Rudriger left the realm, leaving the boy to rest.
Sogen opened his eyes sometime later.
"Did it work…?"
He channeled his energy—and it obeyed like a trained beast.
"Easier… smoother…"
Joy burst from his chest.
"Yes! It's a success!"
"Host has officially become a Spiritualist.
Reward issued: 300,000 System Coins."
"Three hundred thousand… that's a fortune."
He continued examining the new flow inside his body, amazed by the transformation.
In Felix Mercenary Headquarters
Inside a grand hall, a middle-aged man paced anxiously.
"Father, why did you summon us so urgently?" Gale asked, with Siana standing behind him.
The man stopped—Rovald, leader of the Felix Mercenary Group.
"Terrible news. The Dima Loan Sharks… have been completely annihilated. Not a single survivor."
Gale frowned. "They weren't strong. Why such worry?"
Rovald's gaze darkened.
"Because the investigation shows something horrifying—every member was killed by a single weapon. All evidence points to one person."
He clenched his fists.
"Even I, a King Realm Fourth Stage Peak cultivator, couldn't wipe them out alone."
Gale's heart skipped.
A youth flashed in his mind—
calm eyes, dense blood aura.
No… impossible. He was only fifteen or sixteen.
He shook his head.
"I must be overthinking."
Rovald noticed. "Gale, what were you thinking?"
"Nothing, Father."
The man continued.
"I called you because I want you to find this person. With Siana's D+ Innate Skill: Step Vision and your D Innate Skill: Blood Perception, you may track him."
His voice turned grave.
"If we gain his support, we might win the Crimson Dust Competition. Find him—at any cost."
"Father, why are you so worried about the competition?" Siana asked with a hint of irritation. "Do you not believe in our strength?"
Rovald shook his head slowly.
"It's not that I doubt you. What concerns me are the methods the Letinca Mercenary Group will use. I've received word that Khamas has hired a disciple from the Golden Hawk Sect."
Gale's expression changed instantly.
"The Golden Hawk Sect? One of the five strongest sects in Hamar Town?"
Rovald nodded grimly.
"Khamas has promised that disciple the right to absorb the Crimson Dust, along with a vast sum of money. With such temptation, the Letinca Group will stop at nothing."
Silence filled the room.
"That is why you must find the expert who destroyed the Dima Loan Sharks," Rovald continued. "If we can gain his support, the balance may tilt in our favor."
Gale cupped his fists. "Yes, Father. We will do everything to find him."
Rovald dismissed them with a wave.
Outside the hall, Siana walked beside her brother, her brows furrowed.
"Brother, who do you think that person could be? And how are we supposed to find someone who left no trace?"
Gale exhaled.
"How would I know? An expert capable of wiping out an entire organization alone… such people don't walk around announcing themselves."
He paused, a shadow crossing his eyes.
"But every time I think about it, the face of that boy from the Pilaaf Estates Association appears in my mind."
Siana blinked. "That youth? He looked ordinary."
"Ordinary people don't carry that kind of blood aura," Gale replied quietly. "If he had shaken my hand, my Blood Perception could have told me whether the scent came from cultivators or common men."
He clenched his fist.
"Something about him felt… dangerous."
Siana fell silent, recalling the calm, indifferent gaze of the masked youth.
"Do you really think he could be the one?"
Gale looked toward the distant streets of Hamar.
"I don't know. But my instincts have never lied before."