With his decision made, Jin Eryndor felt his path ahead become clear and straightforward. His next goal was to absorb all the knowledge contained in the books from the first floor of the sect’s Library.

His father, Jin Valen, had brought home one-fifth of the books from the pavilion’s first floor. These books represented an ocean of knowledge that Eryndor needed to explore and understand thoroughly.

The books covered a wide variety of topics, including history, geography, spirit beasts, alchemy, forging, strange phenomena, miscellaneous records, and unique occurrences. Jin Eryndor approached them like a sponge, greedily soaking up every bit of information they offered.

Of course, not everything in the books was accurate. Using his own judgment and reasoning, he discarded ideas he deemed flawed or incorrect. He read thoughtfully, questioning and pondering the content to discern what was useful and what wasn’t. Whenever he encountered something he couldn’t understand or was beyond his current grasp, his mother, Serene Skyshade, was always there to help clarify it for him.

Since Eryndor’s birth, Serene had rarely left the house, devoting most of her time to taking care of him. She spent many of her idle moments learning to cook. While her culinary skills had only been average before, her determination to prepare delicious meals for Jin Valen, who often came home for dinner, had greatly improved her cooking. The result was a warm and nurturing household where Eryndor could grow in both body and mind. His days were filled with reading, learning, and spending precious time with his mother, who encouraged and supported his thirst for knowledge.

In the kitchen, there was even a former royal chef who Serene had invited to teach her advanced cooking techniques.

Although the dietary needs of cultivators and mortals differ slightly, the fundamentals of cooking remain the same. Low-level cultivators still need to eat regularly, while those at the Foundation Establishment stage and above begin practicing fasting techniques to purify the impurities within their bodies.

Serene combined the principles of mortal cuisine with cultivator-specific dietary needs to create spiritual dishes. She studied methods to prepare food suited for cultivators, removing impurities from ingredients and incorporating spiritual herbs and fruits. Spiritual dishes are meals infused with spiritual energy, prepared using herbs and medicinal plants. These meals not only nourish the body but also provide a slight boost to cultivation. While the effects are minimal, consistent consumption can gradually lead to noticeable benefits. For Serene, this endeavor wasn’t particularly challenging. As an alchemist, she was already well-versed in medicinal ingredients and their properties. Her expertise allowed her to seamlessly integrate her culinary experiments into the family’s daily life, further enriching their meals with both taste and spiritual benefits.

Eryndor was completely hypnotized in his books, reading nonstop. With every book he finished, his understanding of this world deepened. The more he learned, the more he marveled at the immense power of cultivators. To him, they were like walking bombs, capable of moving mountains, overturning seas, capturing stars, and plucking moons—all seemingly at a mere thought.

The book “Compendium of Spirit Beasts” broadened his knowledge of all sorts of strange and fascinating creatures, detailing their habits and behaviors.

The “Collection of Oddities” was a treasure trove of curious stories, detailing peculiar places, forbidden zones, and fascinating tales about this world.

Eryndor's routine revolved around his books: reading in the morning, napping at noon, reading again in the afternoon, and sleeping at night. He avoided reading in the evening since the lighting wasn’t ideal.

The books his father had brought back were mostly from the outer sections of the archive, meaning there was almost no content directly related to cultivation techniques. This made it easier for him to absorb and memorize the information quickly, as it focused more on general knowledge and fascinating stories.

Eryndor didn’t mind. Every page brought him closer to understanding the vast and wondrous world he was now a part of.

After a month and a half, Jin Eryndor finally finished reading the entire collection of books his father had brought home. His knowledge had expanded significantly. To him, books were a source of knowledge, and knowledge was power. With the information he had gained, he was confident that his future cultivation journey would be less perilous and more likely to lead to unexpected opportunities.

Now five months old, Eryndor had officially weaned off milk. From this point forward, his meals consisted of three daily servings of spiritual dishes lovingly prepared by his mother.

This morning, he accompanied his father, Jin Valen, back to the Library to borrow more books.

Elder Willow’s gaze carried a slightly different light this time. There was a hint of admiration and encouragement as he looked at the young boy. It seemed that even the elder could sense Eryndor’s unusual intellect and potential, and his approval was now evident.

If you discover this tale on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.

This time, the books Jin Eryndor brought back included some that were related to the systems of cultivation, martial techniques, and spells.

The martial techniques and spells in this world had some unique characteristics:

* Martial techniques without elemental attributes could be used by anyone. For example, techniques like White Tiger Fist or Dragon Claw Strike could manifest their forms as long as the user had sufficient spiritual energy.

* Spells without elemental attributes were similarly universal. Techniques like Object Control or Lightfoot Technique could also be performed as long as spiritual energy was available.

* However, elemental martial techniques and spells were heavily influenced by the user’s cultivation method.

* For instance, if someone trained in a fire-based cultivation technique, using fire-based martial techniques or spells would provide a significant boost in power.

* Conversely, attempting to use ice-based martial techniques or spells would lead to a severe decrease in effectiveness. In the worst cases, it could even backfire, causing internal injuries.

Thus, choosing compatible cultivation methods and techniques was extremely important.

Jin Eryndor, like a diligent bee, tirelessly read through the books. Whenever he encountered something he didn’t understand, he would ask his mother, Serene, who happily explained everything to him.

Since he started eating proper meals, Eryndor had also begun physical training.

Every morning, he dedicated himself to exercising: running, push-ups, sit-ups, jumping rope, pull-ups, and other basic exercises.

This daily routine not only strengthened his body but also laid a solid foundation for his future cultivation endeavors. His discipline and hard work made his progress noticeable even at such a young age.

He pushed himself to exhaustion each session before returning home to rest, bathe, and dive back into reading.

By evening, he would head out to train again, maintaining a disciplined routine of twice-daily physical activities.

This rigorous regimen produced noticeable results. Over two months, Eryndor’s body transformed. The soft baby fat that once defined him began to fade, replaced with a firmer and leaner physique. The “cute baby” look was gradually giving way to a more refined and strong appearance.

At seven months old, Eryndor finished reading all the books from the second batch his father had borrowed for him. Once again, Jin Valen took him back to the Library Pavilion to borrow more books.

This third batch contained an even greater focus on cultivation. Among the new materials, Eryndor encountered numerous basic spells and martial techniques, along with two manuals for internal energy cultivation.

It was clear, however, that books on internal energy were scarce compared to the vast number of texts on the first floor of the Archive Pavilion. This scarcity reflected the sect’s policy—they didn’t encourage cultivators to spend time on internal energy training, which could slow their progress on the path of spiritual cultivation.

The manuals and the operation routes for the martial techniques and spells were intricate and took time to memorize. It took Eryndor three months to commit all the contents to memory. Even he was amazed by how good his memory was.

On his fourth trip to borrow books, the collection had shifted entirely to cultivation-related materials, with a few basic texts on alchemy, artifact crafting, talisman drawing, and other foundational topics. There were no more casual or miscellaneous books in this batch.

It took Jin Eryndor four months to finish reading through them all. By the end, he had gained a basic understanding of the pill-making process, artifact forging, talisman creation, formation crafting, and even restrictive arrays. He also familiarized himself with common materials used in these practices. He felt confident that if he encountered these in the outside world, he could easily identify them.

At one year and two months old, Jin Eryndor made his final trip to borrow books from the first floor of the Archive Pavilion.

Elder Willow, who had grown quite familiar with Eryndor by now, praised his dedication to learning:

“It's rare to see a child so eager to read and learn. Eryndor is truly a promising seedling.”

Jin Valen, standing proudly beside his son, smiled and said, “Dori has loved books since he was little. We simply let him follow his interests.”

Eryndor, ever quick on his feet, responded with a smile: “Di...Elder Willow, you flatter me. I just find books fascinating. But compared to you, who must have already read every single book in this pavilion, I’m just a beginner. You are the true inspiration!”

“Haha, you cheeky little rascal! Even at your age, your tongue is already so smooth. Alright, enough standing around wasting time. Go borrow your books,” Elder Willow chuckled.

“Thank you, Elder Willow!” Jin Valen acknowledged with a nod before heading into the pavilion with Eryndor.

This final trip marked the end of Eryndor’s exploration of the Archive Pavilion’s first floor. More importantly, it solidified his understanding of the cultivation world and laid the groundwork for his personal worldview in this realm.

Although his understanding of the cultivation world wasn’t yet complete, Jin Eryndor felt that he had grasped 70-80% of the picture. With time and maturity, he would gain further insights and uncover more layers of this complex world. For now, however, what he had learned was more than enough to guide his current endeavors.

After another five months, Eryndor finished reading the final batch of books.

Sitting at his desk, surrounded by the towering stacks of finished texts, he couldn’t help but sigh in satisfaction. The past months had been a period of immense growth and discovery for him. Now, it was time to apply his knowledge and carefully craft a cultivation path tailored specifically to his strengths and goals.

At just one year and seven months old, Jin Eryndor was still very young. Yet, his ambitions burned brightly. His objective was clear: to become a peak-level martial artist with over 80 years of internal energy before the age of six, at which point he would transition into cultivating spiritual energy as a proper cultivator.

It was an extraordinary goal for someone his age—young, but with grand aspirations. The pressure was immense, but Eryndor thrived on it. His resolve was unshakable, and his determination to succeed pushed him forward with relentless focus.