Song Ciwan sat by the charcoal basin, clutching her head in pain for a long time before finally recovering from the overwhelming flood of information.
By now, she was drenched in sweat and so weak from the pain she could barely move.
And that was just from receiving the cultivation mantra for the First Layer of the Divine Power Observation Technique. Song Ciwan couldn't even imagine how difficult it would be to learn the Second Layer, the Third Layer, or even higher levels. 'Could my brain even handle it?'
Of course, thinking about higher levels was just a fantasy. She hadn't even figured out the First Layer yet.
Besides, she had no idea how to obtain the subsequent mantras. She just had a feeling it wouldn't be as easy as getting the first one.
It was an indistinct feeling, a sense that made Song Ciwan understand that with her current limited realm, the level of things she could obtain was also limited. Thus, even with the miraculous Heaven and Earth Scale, there was a ceiling on what she could gain from her sales.
To break through that ceiling, she first had to break through her own limits.
Song Ciwan exhaled softly. She took out a Strengthening Pill she had saved from before, swallowed it in one gulp, and sat down to meditate and regulate her breathing.
She meditated for a full half-hour before her energy finally returned. The Power increase from a Strengthening Pill was negligible for her now, but it was still quite useful for helping her regulate her breathing and recover her True Qi.
Song Ciwan began to carefully ponder the Divine Power Observation Technique she had just received. 'What exactly is Insight?' Song Ciwan felt it was a Divine Technique related to observation and calculation.
Explaining it in complex terms might be hard to understand, so Song Ciwan tried to analyze the operational principles of Divine Power Insight using her own way of thinking: through the combined permutations of 0s and 1s.
Insight Technique, First Layer: See the Self!
A massive amount of information began to arrange and combine in Song Ciwan's mind. Countless 0s and 1s spun and flew about, purifying and simplifying the complex world, then evolving it once more. Within her thoughts, a Star Sea gradually formed, then a Cosmos, and finally, the Self.
The Star Sea was still vast and boundless, the Cosmos immense and ethereal. Only in that void was the single point of "Self" pure, bright, and dazzling!
What was it?
This was what it meant to See the Self!
Don't assume that seeing the self is easy. There are far too many people in this world who might not be able to see themselves clearly even if they spent their entire lives trying.
If everyone could truly achieve self-realization, how could there be so much confusion and suffering in the world?
Song Ciwan's brain operated at high speed, and her body felt like it had transformed into a furnace, with True Qi burning rapidly within it.
Finally, at a certain moment, she closed her eyes.
Within the silent world of her self, she wove a screen of light into existence.
On the left side of the light screen, a three-dimensional image of herself appeared, as if a mirror were reflecting her current meditating, cross-legged posture.
On the right, however, her current general information was listed in text form.
Song Ciwan:
Age: 15 (Lifespan: 6,523 years)
Main Cultivation Method: Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting (First Layer Beginner 685/1000)
Cultivation Realm: Refining Essence and Transforming Qi (Late-stage Qi Transformation 6230/10000)
Skills:
1. Side Door Taoist Skill: Void Illusion Demon Sword, First Layer Heart Demon Illusion (Skilled 236/1000)
2. Side Door Taoist Skill: Escape into the Night, First Layer Shadow Transformation (Skilled 568/1000)
3. Basic Taoist Skill: Dream-Entering Technique, First Layer Dream-Entering (Beginner 89/100)
4. Basic Taoist Skill: Palm Thunder (Beginner 23/100)
5. Basic Taoist Skill: Blazing Flame Technique (Beginner 86/100)
6. Magic: A Grain of Sand in the Sea (Skilled 356/1000)
7. Magic: Puppetry Skill: Substitution (Mastery 123/10000)
8. Magic: Illusionary Art: Stone-to-Gold Transformation (Beginner 78/100)
9. Basic Divine Communication Technique: Infinite Power (Beginner 69/100)
10. Basic Divine Communication Technique: Insight, First Layer See the Self (Beginner 23/100)
11. Sword Technique: Illusion Breaker, First Layer Soul Cutting (Beginner 1/100)
Elixirs: Strengthening Pills (23), Fertility Pills (2)
Marvels: Tongyou Mirror (1), Chaotic Wind Pearl (1), damaged Level One Whetstone (1).
Magical Artifacts: Low Level Magical Artifact Black Armor Saber (1).
Talismans: Level One Exorcism Talismans (9), Level One Light Body Talismans (8), Level One Bright Light Talisman (1), Level One Home Protection Talisman (1).
Other: ...
It was all simple and crude, just like the most basic kind of game interface from Song Ciwan's past life.
She had used the Divine Power Observation Technique to arrange her information into a data panel!
This panel didn't have any specific use. It didn't allow her to add points or digitalize her body's stats, but it did help her understand herself more intuitively!
That was enough. It was already incredible.
The path of cultivation is vast and boundless. If a person can see themselves clearly, it's like having an extra guiding lamp. All confusion and wrong turns will be illuminated by this lamp.
It's not that being ignorant is a rare blessing, but that being truly clear-headed is a rare achievement!
For instance, as Song Ciwan examined her information panel, she had an epiphany—
'No wonder I always felt that even though I've learned so many things, I still seem so weak. It turns out that while I've learned a lot, I've mastered very little!'
After all, she was just starting on the path of cultivation and had no teacher to guide her. Song Ciwan could only rely on herself to figure things out.
The Heaven and Earth Scale could provide Cultivation Techniques, and she could quickly reach the Beginner level in what she learned through it. But the Cultivation after reaching the Beginner level still required her own hard work.
'The road ahead is long and arduous, I will seek my way high and low!'
Song Ciwan exhaled slowly, another layer of fine sweat breaking out on her back.
She swallowed another Strengthening Pill, regulating her breath to recover her True Qi, then summoned the Heaven and Earth Scale to continue making trades.
She could cultivate anytime, but the ten daily trading opportunities with the Heaven and Earth Scale could not be wasted.
This time, the "qi" she was selling came from Wang Yi.
[You have sold human desires, greed, hatred, delusion, the pain of separation, and the suffering of unfulfilled wants, weighing two jin and one tael. You have gained 21 experience points for the First Layer of the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting.]
A wisp of bright light, carrying a profound, flowing essence, slowly streamed into Song Ciwan's heart. She closed her eyes to receive it, feeling her mind clear and her spirit brighten. She gained an indescribable sense of clarity that was simply wonderful.
She had no teacher for her cultivation, so her understanding of the Sutra of Sitting and Forgetting was actually full of crude and mistaken notions.
If she hadn't used the Heaven and Earth Scale to trade for Cultivation multiple times and forcibly raise her Power Realm, there's no telling what kind of mess she would have made of her cultivation by now.
Thankfully, Wang Yi, this "treasure boy," had delivered a timely rain. The 21 experience points didn't bring any major change to Song Ciwan's Power Realm, but they clearly helped her sort out many points of confusion on her cultivation path.
This was truly excellent!
Half an hour later, Song Ciwan finished her session.
With a wonderful sense of tranquil clarity, she continued to operate the Heaven and Earth Scale.
[You have sold a Scholar's Illusion Text from its Spiritual Light Formation, "Doubt," Level Qi Cultivation. You have obtained the Reflected Text "Doubt."]
What?
This time, Song Ciwan was truly stunned. She had clearly sold something, yet it felt as if she hadn't sold anything at all.
A moment later, after carefully sensing the changes within herself, a slightly dazed Song Ciwan opened her palm.
Then, in the center of her palm, the illusory character 'Doubt' slowly rose.
A faint golden glow scattered across the small space of her palm, illuminating the burning charcoal basin and old furniture in the room, suffusing everything with a dreamlike, hazy quality.
What was even more fantastical was that Song Ciwan was clearly not a Scholar, nor had she produced any Talent. Yet, by possessing this "Doubt" character, it was as if she had truly mastered a power unique to Scholars: Illusion Text!
So, what was the use of this "Doubt" character?
"SQUEAK! SQUEAK SQUEAK!"
Just then, a low squeaking of rats came from far away in the silent night.
Song Ciwan snapped back to her senses, a chill running through her heart.
An inexplicable feeling of dread rose up behind her. She immediately stood up and looked around.
Before she could see anything, the Big White Goose that had been pacing and patrolling under the eaves suddenly flapped its wings, let out a startled "HONK," and leaped from outside into the room.
It rushed to Song Ciwan's side, squawking loudly, "GAK GAK GAK!" Its cries were filled with panic and anxiety.
Song Ciwan quickly bent down to hug it, but the Big White Goose spread its wings, honked loudly, and stood before her protectively, head held high.
The next moment, a shadow appeared, crouching in a corner of the Song Family Courtyard.
The gate to the Song Family Courtyard was closed, but the door to the house was not. Standing at the doorway, Song Ciwan saw the shadow slink out from the corner, arching and rolling as it moved.
A moment later, the shadow went from crouching to standing upright.
What was it? It was a giant rat, about a foot tall, standing upright like a person and draped in a strange, patterned garment!