“Break through to what?” Lan Jin asks the bewildered Sun Meirong.

He’s not trying to be daft, but he’s only certain about the Qi Cultivation stages and, though he has a general idea of the Body Cultivation stages, he’s never ascertained for certain what they are. As for the pop he just felt behind his glabella, if Sun Meirong says he broke through to something, then he believes it. He just doesn’t know what it is he was meant to have broken through to.

“Are…” Sun Meirong starts, “Are you trying to joke with me or are you serious?”

Shrugging his shoulders, Lan Jin says, “I’m serious. I believe you when you say I broke through, but I only know the names for Qi Cultivation and a bit of Body Cultivation. I barely know anything about Soul Cultivation. And since that’s where all of the energy went…”

Lan Jin shrugs again.

Her eyes close tightly and Sun Meirong starts shaking her head as her hand slowly raises to rub her temples.

“Do you really not know anything about Soul Cultivation?” Qiang Yu asks him.

When he looks at her, she doesn’t look like she’s condemning him for his lack of knowledge, she just seems genuinely curious.

“I’ve never really learned anything about it,” Lan Jin answers honestly. Then, he asks, “Does Soul Cultivation have stages like Qi Cultivation?”

Nodding her head, Qiang Yu responds, “Sort of. But the stages aren’t as clearly defined as Qi Cultivation because the measure of everyone’s soul is different and it’s impossible to clearly define the stages. Instead, someone’s Soul Cultivation depends on three qualities of their soul and whether they fall into specific categories or not.”

“Really? Then, can you tell me what qualities you’re supposed to look at?”

“This…” Qiang Yu hesitates. However, when she looks at Sun Meirong, who doesn’t say anything to encourage or discourage her, she slowly nods her head. “The three qualities are Spiritual Awareness, which is what you can sense and how much you can sense with the power of your spirit, the dimensions of your Spiritual Sea, or how much energy is inside of your soul, and… The third quality includes more… Um… I don’t really know how to say it. They are more things that are personally relevant but are only relevant to others when you associate with them.”

“Things like what?” Lan Jin asks.

“Um… Like if you have a more resolute personality, or if you have a more open mind...” Pausing, she shakes her head. “That doesn’t really explain it. Um… Do you know how some people have strong personalities and they seem to fill up a room just by being in it?”

Lan Jin nods his head.

“Well, it’s like that. Their personality is strong enough to make a fundamental difference to their soul, and sometimes that difference is enough to allow them to reach a level greater than what their Spiritual Awareness and Spiritual Sea can allow for.”

“Oh. How do you tell how strong your Spiritual Awareness and Spiritual Sea are?” Thinking back to the night prior, he asks, “Is that what that mirror was for? To test them?”

Qiang Yu nods her head slowly. “Yes, but that test only shows how large someone’s Spiritual Sea is, and it’s only good for weaker cultivators because the mirror is really small. And testing someone’s Spiritual Awareness doesn’t really rely on tools like that one, it relies on more observable information like how capable they are of paying attention to their surroundings, or whether they can sense people approaching them from a distance. Some people are even able to extend their senses away from their body and a powerful cultivator can judge their Spiritual Awareness in that way, but that requires you to know how to do that first.”

With a thoughtful look on his face, Lan Jin turns his thoughts inward and looks at the purple star in the Omega Browser’s Space. He knows it has grown, and from what he saw using the mirror last night, it is bigger than it seems inside of the darkness of the Space, but he can’t really tell how much energy it has inside of it other than to say that it still isn’t completely spent despite spending quite a bit of time searching for both Body Cultivation information and the Great Desolates Body Transformation.

Looking at Qiang Yu again, Lan Jin asks, “Is there a better way to tell how much energy is inside of my soul than using that mirror?”

Shaking her head, Qiang Yu responds, “My Mama told me once that there are, but they aren’t anything that the Qiang City has in its possession.”

Speaking up, Sun Meirong says, “There isn’t a reliable way of testing the energy within your soul, but at the very least, we can tell that your Spiritual Awareness has exceeded what is normal for a Qi Condensing cultivator.”

As soon as she says that, Qiang Yu and Lulu both look at Lan Jin like he is a monster.

“Mistress, is his Spiritual Awareness really that strong?” Lulu shouts out.

“At least,” Sun Meirong clarifies with a sigh. “This young man was able to see through your foundations with ease, and that is after having just broken through.”

Looking at Qiang Yu’s and Lulu’s suddenly-embarrassed expressions, Lan Jin feels a little awkward. But he still brings himself to ask, “Is it really that abnormal?”

Rolling her eyes at him, Sun Meirong sighs, “Do you seriously think anything about drinking a cup of wine and breaking through is normal? Regardless of whether it is Qi, Soul, or even Body Cultivation, people struggle for months, years, or even decades to make a breakthrough in their cultivation, and many of them are forced to rely on rare and expensive materials to do so. But, in a matter of minutes, you not only created the tonic that allowed you to break through, but you did so out of a common spirit wine while sitting in the back of a carriage on a public street.”

Lifting up his hand and running his fingers through his hair, Lan Jin doesn’t really know what to say. He doesn’t know how fast people normally cultivate, he only knows how fast he is cultivating— and in comparison to people like Qiang Yu and Lulu, who are several years younger than him, his cultivation is really low.

Looking at them, Lan Jin realizes that they still look embarrassed. But, he doesn’t know what it is that embarrassed them this time. However, when he considers that it started after Sun Meirong told them that he looked at their cultivation levels, Lan Jin asks, “Is there something wrong with looking at someone else’s cultivation level? I know people were commenting on my cultivation level last night, but your daughters seem a little…”

Scoffing slightly, Sun Meirong replies, “In principle? No. But, in practice, it is considered taboo to look at a woman’s cultivation unless you are their mother, a female elder, or their master.”

“Er… Why is that exactly?” Lan Jin asks while eyeing the two younger women.

“Because extending your spiritual awareness to look at someone’s cultivation can also allow you to look at things that are best not mentioned in public. Things that my daughter might not mind yelling about in a restaurant, but things that I don’t want to be spoken of.”

With a grimace appearing on his face, Lan Jin looks at the red-faced Qiang Yu and says, “I swear I didn’t—“

A case of content theft: this narrative is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.

“Oh, be quiet.” Sun Meirong laughs. “Do you think you would still have eyes if I thought you were trying to look at either of my daughters’ bodies? And they understand this as well, which is why they are only embarrassed but haven’t said anything.”

“Oh…” Lan Jin nods slowly. Then, turning back to Sun Meirong, he asks, “Do you know how to turn off spiritual awareness? I don’t know how, and I’d rather not have anyone think I’m trying to catch a peek.”

"What?” Sun Meirong blinks at him.

“Stupid pig head! What do you mean turn off your spiritual awareness?” Lulu asks him grumpily. “Spiritual awareness is something you have to intend to use. You don’t just use it on accident.”

Scowling at him, Qiang Yu nods her head and says, “Mmm. Lulu is right. Nobody would believe you if you said you used your spiritual awareness on them by accident. And not understanding a taboo and making a mistake once can be explained, but don’t seek out excuses to explain making the same mistake twice!”

While Qiang Yu and Lulu continue to be upset with him, Sun Meirong suddenly reaches forward and grabs him by the collar before pulling him toward her. Then, with her hand covering his eyes, she places her forehead against his and closes her own eyes as the other three inhabitants of the carriage are shocked by her action.

“Mama?” Qiang Yu asks in a panic.

“Ma’am?” Lan Jin asks breathlessly.

Lulu just gasps.

However, Sun Meirong hisses at the three of them, “Shh!”

Then, the carriage falls silent with the only noise being the rather distant sound of the wheels traveling over the smooth stone road outside.

His forehead pressed against the beautiful Sun Meirong’s, Lan Jin feels his blood rushing into his face and he is afraid to take a breath as the most he could do to brush his teeth was wipe them down with his shirt and gargle some water. Thankfully, this doesn’t last for long as Lan Jin begins feeling a strange energy enter his forehead through Sun Meirong’s own and, a moment later, she recoils violently as she shoves Lan Jin back into his seat and begins staring at him with a look of abject horror on her face.

“You’ve opened your spirit gate? How? How is that possible? You are barely more than a child walking into manhood! How did you open your spirit gate?”

“Huh?” Lan Jin asks, his thoughts struggling to catch up to what just happened. “Spirit gate?”

The words sound familiar, but between the alcohol in his system and, more importantly, Sun Meirong’s actions just now, he can’t remember why they sound familiar. He’s pretty sure it was something important, but he can’t stop thinking about how Sun Meirong’s face was touching his and how nice she smelled.

“You…” Looking around the carriage, Sun Meirong looks like she is in a panic. “You cultivate with that purple energy, correct?”

Lan Jin nods his head dumbly.

Nodding her head once in return, Sun Meirong gets up and grabs one of the decanters of amber alcohol from the storage compartment and then pours herself a glass of liquor that, once outside of the container, seems more like a beacon than an actual drink.

Then, shoving the liquor into Lan Jin’s hand, she commands, “Purify that.”

Lan Jin looks at Qiang Yu and Lulu, both of whom are sharing his shocked expression, but he doesn’t get to look for long before Sun Meirong excitedly urges him, “Hurry up! This is important!”

Not knowing what else to do, Lan Jin summons his flame and has it coat his finger as he dips it into the liquor and begins stirring it around to purify the Qi within. However, unlike what happened with his spirit wine, Sun Meirong’s alcohol quickly begins to look like a dark, purple cloud floating within a golden sea.

Lan Jin feels his mouth going dry as he looks at the large amount of Qi being converted so rapidly within the cup, but more than the trepidation he feels at having so much Qi literally at his fingertip, he is awed by the fact that the purple mist isn’t dissipating so long as it is held back by the liquor.

When he finishes, Lan Jin carefully hands the cup back to Sun Meirong. But, when he considers how much Qi is inside of it and how exaggerated of an effect it had on her own daughter, Lan Jin looks at her excited face and asks once again, “You’re not planning on drinking that, right?”

This time, Sun Meirong seems to be frozen as she looks at the purple cloud submerged in the golden liquid.

“Mama!” Qiang Yu says nervously. “It’s not safe to drink that! You don’t know how it will affect you!”

Still, Sun Meirong says nothing.

“Mistress! Sister Yu was so affected by that purple energy that she embarrassed herself in public! Even if you want to drink that, you shouldn’t do it here!”

Qiang Yu looks at Lulu with her eyes wide and her mouth open, but, finally, Sun Meirong pulls her gaze away from the liquor and turns back to Lan Jin.

“This… What do you want for this?” She asks him.

Confused, Lan Jin asks,“What do I want? To sell it?”

“To sell,” Sun Meirong states firmly. “This was made by you, but with my husband’s liquor. How much do you want for your service?”

“Uh…” Lan Jin finds it difficult to keep up with Sun Meirong, but when he thinks about all of the things he needs right now, he thinks the most important is probably vicious beast meat so he says, “I was planning on cultivating my body so…”

“Then you want a Body Cultivation method? No problem. My husband has plenty. I will give you one.”

“No!” Lan Jin quickly says while shaking his head. “I have one! I just need vicious beast meat!”

“You do?” Sun Meirong asks as she looks over his body. Then, shaking her head, she says “Very well, you will have it. But I will be limiting how much you can eat until I know for certain your cultivation method can keep up with it.”

Lan Jin is stunned. He hadn’t expected for Sun Meirong to agree so readily and he even feels like she would have given him a lot more if he asked for it. But, considering that it was her alcohol and all he did was stick his finger in it, he doesn’t know if asking for more would actually be appropriate. And, when he thinks about the situation and remembers what she said about him opening his spirit gate, he recalls that the words, ‘Spirit Gate’ were carved into the forehead of the man sitting within the stone monument in the Omega Browser’s Space.

Thinking back to two days ago, Lan Jin remembers how he felt like his eyes were opened to the world when he had absorbed what, at the time, felt like a large amount of Providence. Though, only a few hours later, he ended up using the Stone Monument and gaining the ability to see Qi. Judging by the words carved into the stone monument, Lan Jin thinks it is more likely that looking into the mirror caused his spirit gate to open. But, when he thinks about how he felt a small pop behind his glabella— right where the words were carved on the person’s forehead at the base of the monument—and it occurred twice while he was absorbing Providence, it could also be his absorption of Providence that caused this to happen. Unfortunately, without further context, he doesn’t know if he is about to accidentally swindle Sun Meirong.

Hesitating slightly, Lan Jin asks, “What is the spirit gate?”

Off to the side, Qiang Yu and Lulu both look at Sun Meirong expectantly. However, what she ends up saying is, “This… I want to say it is nothing for a Qi Gathering stage cultivator to worry about. But, since you already opened yours…”

Letting out a heavy sigh, Sun Meirong looks at the roof of the carriage. “It is not a secret children should know about, and I will not tell you exactly what its purpose is. But, suffice it to say, the Spirit Gate is a great dividing line— one that can mean the difference between being able to advance further along the path of cultivation or falling into obscurity with the passage of time. Some people say it is the gateway to opening your spirit to the world and it will allow you to see all manner of ghosts, spirits, and mystical energies. However, until you are able to…”

Her eyes fall to rest on Lan Jin, and her words seem to get stuck in her throat. Then, her eyes distracted, Sun Meirong lifts up her free hand and pats the side of her head softly before looking back at Lan Jin.

“I suggest you don’t mention the spirit gate to anyone.” Looking at Qiang Yu and Lulu, she adds, “Any of you. People who have opened their spirit gate are considered particularly valuable to select groups of people. And I can assure you, none of you want to draw the attention of those kinds of people.”

The three of them nod their heads in acknowledgment of her words. However, seconds later, Sun Meirong stands up and, with a wave of her hand, Lan Jin watches as a tight ball of Qi surrounds her cup of liquor.

Then, with a look back at the three of them, Sun Meirong says, “I have something I must do. Return to the estate and seal it. Do not allow anyone to enter until I return, and under no circumstances are any of you to leave without me. Do you understand?”

“Mama!” Qiang Yu calls out. “I don’t understand. Is that little bit of alcohol so important? Why are you acting so rashly?”

Shaking her head at her daughter, Sun Meirong says, “Because this is not something that can wait. In some things, every minute matters. And if this can…” She trails off and looks at the three confused faces watching her.

Then, she starts over and says, “I will ask the Great Physician to watch over the estate while I am gone. Until I return, you are to listen to him. Am I understood?”

Qiang Yu and Lulu both nod their heads, but Lan Jin just feels excited that the Great Physician might be showing up sooner than he had thought.

Without another word, Sun Meirong opens the door of the carriage and jumps out only to disappear as she jumps onto a stone wall and then races off into the distance.

After a few minutes pass, Lan Jin, Qiang Yu, and Lulu look at one another. It is clear from their faces that none of them understand what just happened. And each of them can tell that they are not alone in their confusion.

But, because he doesn’t know much about Sun Meirong in the first place, Lan Jin recovers quickly. Then, remembering what he had been asking that led up to this entire event, he says, “So… I was serious when I said I don’t know how to turn off my spiritual awareness. Can one of you explain how it works to me? Because I feel like it might get me in trouble one day. And it might have already done just that.”