Yu Lian pondered for a moment, took out the Courage Gem hidden close to his body, and then used Spiritual Vision to observe the first Star Ring, which was finally filled, letting out a soft sigh.
Cultivators have two branches: the Yang side is "Balance," and the Yin side is "Eternal." The concepts sound impressive, but the known end point for both paths is currently the Seven Rings.
However, the second ring of "Eternal" is "Stalker." Overall, it focuses on transformation, impersonation, infiltration, discovery, tracking, intelligence gathering, aura concealment, and so on. Also, there are no unscientific skills like a 15-fold damage increase from backstabs.
And the second ring of "Balance" is called "Adjuster" or "Energy Tuner."
It's not about using genetic modification to messily alter oneself from the womb, but rather through the resonance of spiritual energy with the body, performing a secondary mental and physical evolutionary adjustment.
Yu Lian closed his eyes, emptied his mind, and without any hesitation, inserted the tip of the Courage Gem into his heart. Even someone preparing for suicide would not be as resolute and decisive as Present.
The sturdy spiritual gem did not tear his muscle; instead, it seemed to have no physical form, directly merging into his body and slowly spreading out.
Within the Star Ring, the flickering stars illuminated a large circle of darkness once more. The boiling spiritual energy factors were active, jumping, and spreading like playful waves, rolling and surging in all directions with a sense of rhythm.
More than three months, from awakening to the second ring—if this got out, it would surely be astonishing.
Yu Lian felt an indescribable power flowing through his body. That power was like the source of life, seemingly treating every cell as a nascent universe, thus injecting the seeds of life into every primitive universe.
"Cellular Activation!" Yu Lian sighed.
If explained in a game context, this could tentatively be understood as a passive spiritual energy combat skill, considered the most direct change and advancement of spiritual energy on the body. Changes at the cellular level will bring extraordinary effects to the body's strength, reaction, dynamic vision, and even self-healing and resistance. At this stage, the physical quality of a spiritual energy user has even exceeded the understanding range of most medical nanomachines.
According to Yu Lian, a materialist, matter determines spirit, and physical enhancement will inevitably lead to mental enhancement.
Of course, the idealist fools who dominate galactic society certainly don't think this way.
Then, there are "Perception Derivation" and "Spiritual Pace." As the names suggest, one enhances the spiritual energy user's perception and Explore, while the other is an agility skill.
The previous ring had one each for strength, agility, and martial arts. In this ring, perception and passive enhancement types have been added.
However, compared to the "Wander" of his previous life, this life's "Balance" is not entirely useless.
After the second layer of Star Ring expanded, three swirling star clusters appeared within the brilliant white nebula, which needed to be lit by the spiritual energy user according to their own will.
Let's explain it in a game context again. Simply put, these are three blank skill slots that players can choose for themselves.
In comparison, when Yu Lian became a "Walker" in his previous life, there were only two such "blank skill slots."
Of course, what kind of skills are available is not determined by the system, but by "resources."
Treasures are resources, Zero Element is a resource, and similarly, gifts from outsiders are also resources! For example, the Spiritual Meridian Circulation Method obtained from Wang Jingyang.
If the "Spiritual Meridian Breathing Method" was their sect's foundational cultivation technique, Spiritual Vein Circulation was their advanced cultivation method.
Wang Jingyang believed that Spiritual Vein Circulation would create a new energy circulation within the spiritual energy user's mental world, thereby gaining additional physical and mental energy bonuses, as well as a higher spiritual energy limit and faster recovery speed. This is the so-called endless cycle, circulating back and forth.
It is said that Uncle Wang's teacher really wanted to name it "Tai Chi Skill" or "Divine Radiance Skill," but due to stylistic reasons, his disciples strongly opposed it.
Let's still explain it in a game context. Through the cultivation of the "Spiritual Energy Circulation Method," a spiritual energy user might unlock a passive skill whose effect is a longer blue bar and green bar, as well as faster blue and green recovery, plus an increase in mental power attributes.
More importantly, as the ability improves and the path advances, this internal energy circulation, called "Spiritual Vein Circulation," will become larger in scale and more effective.
Simply put, the earlier this skill is lit up, the more obvious its effect will be in the later stages.
Wang Jingyang's fellow disciples and their apprentices and grand-apprentices were so formidable in later generations, largely because they dared to fight protracted battles with opponents due to their long blue bars. Yu Lian felt that this was mostly thanks to the Spiritual Meridian Circulation Method.
However, this operation, in a sense, can be seen as a kind of soul remolding and tempering, and the risks and pain to be faced are also extremely great. The higher the ring, the stronger the soul that needs to be tempered, and the more arduous the test faced.
When Yu Lian accidentally obtained the Spiritual Meridian Circulation Method in his previous life, he was already near the Seven Rings. He hesitated until he was sprayed in the face by the Star Dragon King, never making up his mind.
Conversely, if it were an ordinary Two Rings novice, without experience in tempering the soul and without psychological preparation to endure such pain, the possibility of failure would naturally be greater than for those high-ring veterans.
According to Wang Jingyang's message in his letter, the reason he gave Yu Lian the "Spiritual Meridian Breathing Method" so early was to hope that the latter could take this opportunity to study and familiarize himself with it first. Note, it was "study and familiarize," not "attempt."
In addition, Wang Jingyang also felt that this Spiritual Vein Circulation was very powerful, fearing that one day the sect would revoke his so-called "full transmission license." So, he might as well just teach it first and be done with it.
Wang Jingyang believed that even with Yu Lian's genius, he should only attempt it in the later stages of the Three Rings. At that time, he could even come to protect Yu Lian or something.
Yu Lian was very touched by Uncle Wang's enthusiasm, but still mobilized his spiritual energy and, according to the requirements of the "Spiritual Meridian Circulation Method," stirred it within his sea of consciousness.
He was clearly in place, but the world around him began to spin, turning into fragments. He felt as if he was in a small boat about to capsize, with the terrifying waves around him threatening to swallow him and his boat whole at any moment.
Immediately after, he felt his consciousness leave his body, gradually no longer feeling the flow of blood in his internal organs and the touch of his limbs and skin. However, a deep, indescribable tearing sensation, accompanied by intense pain, directly bloomed within his soul and consciousness.
Yu Lian quietly felt all of this. He had suffered far more painful injuries than this. At that time, he even felt his soul was about to be annihilated.
However, he still endured.
This scene now is just child's play. Although Yu Lian was in pain, he actually wanted to smile. He could even spare a little thought to observe the changes in the Star Ring. Then, within one of the swirling star clusters, the light gradually became clear and discernible, finally truly forming a vortex of light.
Yu Lian's "Spiritual Vein Circulation," the second source of spiritual energy that Yu Lian never obtained in his previous life, was stabilizing.
But at this moment, above the starry sea of consciousness, a dark, indescribable mist was slowly condensing, forming a colossal entity overlooking the starry sky.
Ferocity, malevolence, greed, and infinite desire for dominance were slowly solidifying within the black mist, gradually taking shape.
The Virtual Spirit Temple believes that every evolution of spiritual energy expels impurities from the spirit. Some impurities will become formless, some will be exiled to the Void Realm. And some will become worldly evil demons that need to be suppressed.
The curator, on the other hand, believes that all "evils of the soul" are a phenomenon produced by the combination of spiritual energy's negative energy and the non-material nature of the Void Realm.
Yu Lian, however, felt that all of this was a necessary possibility arising from the agitation of the soul; it could be an illusion, or it could be mental fragmentation. But no matter which one, if these were not resolved, his spirit, already separated from his body, would truly be annihilated here.
"Tsk, I knew this would happen! Although it's not very scientific, it's actually quite mystical," Yu Lian didn't know whether he should be happy or troubled.
In his previous life, when he encountered these guys, he was already at the Five Rings.
Does this mean that my mere newly promoted Two Rings soul tempering is already on par with the saints?
So, let's smile!
Thinking of this, Yu Lian reached out and waved at the indescribable monster formed by the black mist opposite him.
"Come here!"
Oh, it's 1100 now, huh? The overall growth is still good... but I'm almost out of drafts. Not because I'm lazy, but because I talked to a colleague and found there's a possibility of hitting a landmine.
This is also why the second volume was a bit difficult to write; many parts were heavily revised, otherwise, it really would have been 404'd. Everyone should have already noticed that some parts feel a bit disjointed; that's because there are gaps left after the revisions!
Anyway, I'll still try to do two updates this month.
Next month, if my mother-in-law and father-in-law go back to their hometown and leave my two-and-a-half-year-old little cutie who hasn't started kindergarten yet for me to take care of, I might only be able to do short-long-short-long-short-short-short-short.
Perhaps everyone will be even more excited this way?