Guan Zhenyan had pushed him into an introspective journey. What was the reason he did it all? What continued to drive him? Why hadn’t he just given up and settled down for an easy life? What made him put himself into danger? Couldn’t he have just returned to a pure human body and peacefully adapted the inventions of earth into magical tools? Why did he even bother to attend dangerous auctions and compete over treasures? There were many times he didn’t have a chance, but to keep rolling with the punches. There were also many more times he could have turned away from a dangerous objective and kept himself out of any danger or attention.

Did I really put myself into so many situations out of a desire for safety? Was it the pursuit of riches? What would I want to be rich for? The money is just a means to an end, but what end have I sought?

For all the thinking, planning, and plotting he did, he realized he was truly lacking an endgame. He’d been running from goal to goal, doing what it took to reach the next mile marker without any awareness of what his true destination was. Escaping from danger, paying back those who helped him along the way, fighting to survive, but where was his own path leading to?

Wealth? No, that was only a path to something else.

Power? Even if you control others, you can’t ever truly guarantee their loyalty.

Safety? In this world, there wasn’t anyone you could trust to completely guarantee your safety without losing a lot in return.

Freedom? It was something he took for granted on Earth, but it became so very important here. In a world where ‘might makes right’, only the strong could truly find freedom.

Strength? With enough strength it is easy to gain wealth, power, safety, and even freedom from the control of others. Long ago, he’d chosen to push himself towards the highest levels. Was that his most important goal? To acquire the greatest strength?

In a world governed by the strong, it made sense to aim to be the strongest. The only way to keep from being under someone’s thumb is to be more powerful than them. Sage realized this idea had always been important, even when he didn’t consciously focus upon it. On the other hand, it was too simple. There was a reason it couldn’t drive him on. ‘To be the strongest’ is something a twelve year old declares with fervor. If his future ambitions and motivation were framed around something, it would need to be a little more nuanced than that.

He would rather aspire to something that could be his source of strength. A trait embodied by those with ultimate strength. Something that would constantly drive him to always become stronger.

Willpower? Many of the most powerful were said to have an Iron Will. They wouldn’t lose their focus no matter the difficulty, pushing past problems with their stubborness.

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Resourcefulness? Making the most of any situation, adapting to the conditions and not just surviving, but thriving.

Was his goal to become a Marine? Improvise, Adapt, and Overcome? That motto actually seemed quite fitting. Even as different as he was from a soldier, the concept was in line with his own aspirations. Adaptation. Not just accepting a situation or adjusting to unusual conditions, but using them to your own benefit. Sage could feel this nascent concept taking hold within him. Not a concrete goal, but a mindset that would guide him. Not a destination to travel towards, but the vehicle he would use to get there.

Evolution. Continuously changing over time. Of course, the idea is originally related not to an individual, but the progress of a species. Each new generation showing slightly different traits than the last and the one with the most fitness will have more offspring than others. Those with the greater ability to succeed become more prominent.

Within Sage’s mind, there were sudden changes. The vast Spiritual Sea started to stir. It had always been a sea of dark water with roiling stormy clouds above. It was the default state of all people, the depths of their minds were undisciplined and operated without their conscious control. Sage’s own mind was slightly different as it had once been occupied by the Seed of Life. It shined a bright light upon the center of the Spiritual Sea, protecting him from inner turmoil and boosting his Spirit Power. It was no longer there in his Spiritual Sea, but the central region was still clearer and calmer than the rest even now.

Only now that he’d found his way did he realize the tangible benefits of his contemplation. When he finally found his internal compass, charting his path to the top, he realized it resonated so deeply that it caused a real change. Within his Spiritual Sea the clouds began to rumble and swirl. A vortex seems to form in the direct center, both above and below. The water started to circle, forming a whirlpool. Spinning faster and faster, the waters parted to form a funnel downwards, sinking down into those unfathomably deep waters. Then with explosive force the water rocketed upwards, a terrifying eruption. The sea and sky reflected the state of his mind and emotions, which now scattered into a thick mist.

Slowly, the mist began to clear and the vortex in the sea and sky were gone. Instead, there was now a small island in the middle of that vast sea. A rock for him to stand upon. An island to shelter him from the storm.

Is this real? A cultivator can literally form a stronger mind? Can I create an actual mental palace? Isn’t that just a thing people say?

“It’s not just a saying.”

A voice penetrated deep into his mind. Sage felt it bore into him, realizing that he didn’t hear it with his ears, it embedded into his mind, echoing across his Spiritual Sea. He felt an ephemeral presence behind it, recognizing it as the man who had been talking to him, Guan Zhenyan.

Is this real? Can he actually speak into my mind?

“Of course I can.”

Hah, I suppose I shouldn’t be surprised. I’ve already seen Telepathy mentioned before, this is just my first time actually running into it.

“Looks like you’ve got potential. With just one mind altering cloud you’ve already formed a mental foundation.”

Wait, I’ve formed a what? Hold on, what do you mean by mind altering cloud?

The presence in his mind abruptly vanished and Sage felt his consciousness pushed back out from his Spiritual Sea and returned to the real world. Interrupting his internal inspection and forcing him to face the man eye to eye. He took another puff of his pipe and then gave a wink to Sage.

“It seems you’re more than meets the eye. I’m afraid we’ll have to be taking him back, Luchih. Come along, let's discuss terms, but don’t you try and ask for too much! Without advancing, a World Core isn’t all that valuable.”

That was it? Sage felt a bit uneasy as he’d been mentally invaded and now the choice of his future seemed to be taken away from him. Before he could get used to the idea of becoming a resource farmer for the Shou Empire it now sounded like he was going to be taken away by Guan Zhenyan. Where was he going to be sent to? What were they going to do with him? Why did it sound like the man was bargaining for him like a horse trader?

Don’t I get a say in any of this?