"Oh, I haven't checked this achievement yet. It even got upgraded."
—––
[Above and Beyond]
Type: Achievement
Grade: Special
Description: Going above and beyond is your motive. You have done something not attainable so easily.
•Effect (1): Harmony between mana, qi, and prana.
•Effect (2): You can strengthen and nourish your Meridians perfectly and more easily.
•Effect (3): You can more easily practice destructive-type tempering arts.
—––
There was nothing too special added to the upgraded Achievement, but reading the third effect gave him a few ideas that he could later incorporate into his cultivation.
After he was done assessing all the changes...
"Shall we start?"
He got serious, as now was the main event of his plan. Now that he could sense qi and was only at the start of his cultivation, he would be able to do what he always regretted not doing. Without realizing it, he remembered his time when he was just starting on his cultivation.
"All cultivators are fools, and so was I." He mocked inwardly, as he was also once swept in their foolishness.
Cultivation, in essence, was the process of building power through absorbing the spiritual essence of the world—that was qi—and that required being in tune with the world. Enlightenment and Dao comprehension—two important pillars of cultivation—couldn't be realized without your mind and spirit resonating with the world.
Now came the problem. The cultivation mindset of every cultivator was itself flawed. They assumed or rather believed cultivation to be an act of going against Heavens. That it was the heavens that obstruct them from time to time from achieving greater power, and so it was only fair that they steal from the Heavens themselves what they want.
It was a foolish and extremely conceited way of thinking. It was foolish because they were only cutting their path to godhood by following that mindset. Conceited, because cultivators thought that they were entitled to everything, even if something didn't belong to them.
Rihan was once also swept in those foolish and conceited thoughts for only one reason: it stimulated the most primal and bestial instincts of humans to dominate everything.
But, just as every effect had a cause, Rihan also thought that it was not a mere coincidence that such a flawed and question-raising mindset even survived for such a long time.
It couldn't be the Innate Gods, as it only motivated those cultivators to harm the world.
"Damn those so-called Ancestors who dare trick me."
He was sure that those self-proclaimed Pioneers of Cultivation were the culprits. And as for the reason? It was not important. He just knew that they did this because of their sorry ass of talent—that they couldn't even become Gods by passing the Divine Tribulation. The result? They blamed the Heavens for their incompetency.
"If they were alive, I would have already killed them myself." Alas, they died while vainly pursuing the Divine Realm. Even a sliver of their Karma couldn't be found in the Saha World anymore, except for their false teachings.
𝘊𝘩𝘪𝘭𝘭.
"Hm...? What's this? Why do I feel a chill suddenly? Is it because of the cold? It can't be... " He found it strange. Even if his existence was degraded to the lowest, the wisdom and knowledge of two thousand years still remained with him. He was sure that he just felt a premonition for something, but since his Soul was still immature, he couldn't pinpoint it exactly.
"Hmm... It looks like I will have to visit the Saha World after reclaiming my power."
'For now, let's communicate with the world.'
*****
Every being innately possesses qi. Even mana and prana existed in us, safely sealed inside our Dantians. The path to godhood opened up with the presence of these energies, but only when the world in which you were born also had them. Otherwise, without an environment filled with mystical energies, a normal existence could only reincarnate endlessly to accumulate enough experience and karma to be 'reborn' as a God.
Did you know this story is from Royal Road? Read the official version for free and support the author.
Without qi, cultivation was impossible. Without mana, magic was impossible, and without prana, body evolution, or metamorphosis, was impossible.
But then a question arose. Why would some world have these energies and some not? The simple answer was that they all had. In fact, one of the prerequisites to being a Living World was to have the ability to produce these mystical energies. Though not every World with mystical energy needs to be necessarily a Living World with beings living on it.
Now comes the interesting question. If qi was the mystical energy of the Spirit, how could a non-living thing like a planet produce it?
'In fact, they are not. Every Living World has spirituality and a will, and the energies they produce are the byproduct of their existence.'
Of course, just like how the qi or other mystical energies remained unawakened inside of us, it was the same for Living World–just like how Earth awakened after the stimulation from the appearance of the Tower of Trials.
Even in the Saha World, the so-called Heavens was actually the will of the world. Though it was questionable how many were aware of this, given how ignorant they were.
[You are attempting resonance with the World.]
[Your Endless Spirit guides you.]
[Your will is spreading through your qi.]
[Attempting to establish a connection with the will of the world...]
[Failed.]
[The world rejects your attempt.]
'As expected, the world is angry.'
How could it not be? It was quite obvious after all the atrocities humans had done to nature in the name of development and what not.
'The world is dying.' It was not a metamorphic statement referring to the degradation of the livable environment on Earth. In actuality, it was the truth. The world was dying, slowly, from a disease called humans.
And now? After the awakening of mystical energies and people with special powers. Now that these energies have restored nature to what it once was. After the monsters appeared, the existence of the Tower of Trials compelled those scientists to develop new technology based on these energies that was more clean and efficient.
'The world is progressing to its destruction even more quickly.'
Ultimately, the culprit was human greed, which ignored everything before profits and luxuries.
"It makes me seriously want to kill them." Genuine killing intent oozed out of him as he said that. It was a miracle that he was actually not spilling blood after learning of this.
"How dare those insignificant fools try to harm their own world?"
Just like those barbarians.
'Humans are not that different wherever you go... Maybe I am not so different either.' It was a thought that came so naturally to him.
But he would make sure to do better, at least.
...Even if he had to sacrifice his own flesh.
𝘚𝘩𝘪𝘪𝘯𝘨. 𝘊𝘶𝘵!
𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘱. 𝘋𝘳𝘪𝘱.
[You are offering your blood essence as the sacrifice.]
[Your life shortens.]
[You are continuously losing your lifespan.]
...
Mother. It is such a mysterious word.
[100 years of life force have been offered.]
"Oh, Earth!"
[120 years of lifespan have been offered.]
It is a word associated with the one who birthed us.
"The world that birthed me!"
[200 years of lifespan have been offered.]
[Your life force is being damaged.]
[Prana stat has been permanently reduced by 10 points.]
To the one who nurtured us. Who guided us during our childhood. Who provided us food, shelter, and protected us from any harm?
"The world which nurtured me and accepted my mischiefs."
[300 years of lifespan have been offered.]
The one we abandoned and hurt after we gained just a bit of strength and the ability to survive on our own.
"I offer my blood to such a world that I have harmed."
[500 years of lifespan have been offered!]
[Your life force is being damaged excessively.]
[Prana stat has been reduced by 10 points permanently.]
To the one who will always forgive, smiling even while being stabbed by her own blood and flesh.
"Please accept my apology for all of my wrongs and forgive this child."
[1000 years of life have been lost!]
It was this land, which we walked upon and trampled mercilessly. The soil, which provided us and gave us the ability to survive, The Earth which supported us even while bleeding herself.
If this wasn't, who could we even call our 'mother'?!
"Oh, Mother Earth. I beg you. Please give your child a chance."
[Your blood carries your sincere feelings.]
[The weight of the offering has increased severalfold by the density of your emotions.]
[Your warm blood penetrates the cold exterior of the world!]
[Your sacrifice has reached the will of the world.]
[...]
[The Avatar of the World holds your blood offering.]
|How impertinent of you, oh my self-proclaimed child, to give me something like this. Do you think a small offering like this can make any difference?|
A clear feminine voice sounded in his surroundings. There was anger evident in her voice, as if angered by the actions of her child.
𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘯.
"But I got to talk to you... my Mother Earth." Rihan grinned mischievously, like his prank was successful in surprising his mother. Strangely, there was a feeling of longing and loneliness in his voice.
|How cheeky. Even if you call me mother, I do not acknowledge a child who calls me just for his own benefit. Just leave before I myself kick you out of this planet.| The World's Will said in faint irritation.
"Hehe." He laughed slyly, as if he had caught his mother doing something silly.
𝘍𝘳𝘰𝘸𝘯.
|Why are you laughing?|
"Haha... because I know you don't mean what you just said."
|Oh? How so?|
𝘚𝘦𝘳𝘪𝘰𝘶𝘴.
"Because if you really didn't care, I wouldn't have found Earth even if I used my full abilities." He replied with a soft voice.
He found it quite strange when he first arrived near Earth. Even though there was a barrier isolating Earth from God's perception, he was still able to find it. Even if he shared a connection with this world, it was impossible—at least if the will of the world itself didn't interfere.
|...|
"Because I know."
How much you are suffering right now.
|...|
"That you have given up on us. You no longer cared what happened to us or yourself."
|Hah...|
"But please give us...give me a chance to repay you. You don't have to burden yourself alone anymore."
|What do you know? That I still want to live and prosper.|
"... What do you mean?" Shocked by such a reply, Rihan asked with a bad feeling.
|Every being has a time to die. Even the so-called Immortals and Gods have to die one day. It is just that—my time has come, and from the hands of my own children. Now, I don't want anything. Leave me, oh, my sincere child. Leave and take refuge somewhere else because I do not have the ability or right anymore to embrace you anymore.|
What did she mean by those words? Give up on her? Abandon her? Or, was she still caring about him after all this?
"Please wait a moment!"
|Oh, and take this. I don't want it.|
[The world has returned your blood offering.]
[You have fully recovered.]
|You want this, right? Take it; at least you deserved it. Oh, one of my few sincere child.|
[You have been given the 'Blessing of the World'!]
[You have acquired the Title 'Acknowledged by the World'.]
[One of the objectives of the quest 'Reclaiming Lost Authority' has been fulfilled.]
—––
[Acknowledged by the World]
Type: Title
Grade: A
Description: Since you called me mother, accept this as my final gift to you, oh pitiful child of mine.
•Effect (1): The Universe acknowledged your path.
•Effect Skill 'Calm Mind' has been created.
•Effect (3): May the Universe bless you.
—––
"..."
...This was not what he expected. Such a farewell, he could not accept.
𝘎𝘳𝘪𝘵!
"...Do you think I will accept it? I will change your mind; I bet my existence on it!"
[You have declared an Existential Oath!]
[Breaking the oath may damage your existence permanently.]
...