With his acupoints fully opened, Tyler awoke from his meditation.

I wonder how long I've been out, wondered Tyler

Stretching his neck, he looked over and saw that Greg was patiently waiting there, a stern and serious look on his face. "Hey, how long have I been at it?" he asked.

Considering it was quite common to lose track of time while meditating and cultivating the higher levels you went, this wasn't too uncommon an ask. "About a full day. Are you finished with your breakthrough?"

Shaking his head, Tyler answered. "Nope. Only just finished opening all my acupoints, but I'm starving and my head is still quite a bit fuzzy from the experience."

This time however, Gregory was shocked and couldn't muster a single word as Tyler walked towards him. This young man is... I can't even tell anymore. Who in the hell was I assigned to guard? Does he even need protection..?

Seeing as the man was in a daze, Tyler brought him back from reality as he walked past. "Thanks for looking out by the way. I'm gonna go bother Annie for some food, want me to bring you some?"

Brought out of his thoughts, Gregory answered still half absent. "Oh. Yeah. Food would be nice, I'll be right behind you."

The whole walk over, which was quite short in retrospect, Greg looked thoughtful as if he had a burning question on his mind. Tyler, while he didn't purposefully look, saw the man's struggles through his divine sense as clear as day.

"Did something happen while I was cultivating?" asked Tyler, seconds after changing directions, noticing Annie in the distance who was tending to the large locust tree.

Uncertain of how to broach the subject, Greg ultimately opted for a candid approach. After all, Tyler had previously emphasized the importance of soul protection.

"Honestly," Greg began, "I half-expected you might be exaggerating the need for soul protection, but this... It's beyond what I could have imagined, even if I'd taken your warnings seriously."

With the proximity to Annie, Tyler decided to address his hunger first. "Hey, Annie, could you please prepare us a meal with plenty of meat? I'm starving and I don't think Greg has eaten either. Unless I'm mistaken?" Tyler inquired, casting a glance at Greg for confirmation.

Greg nodded, verifying that he had not eaten anything since yesterday.

Annie shifted her focus to the two men, putting her gardening tools aside. She wiped away the perspiration glistening on her brow, showcasing her well-defined muscles.

"Of course, I still have some Moonshadow Wolf meat and an abundance of Emberberry juice. Any preferences for side dishes, or would you like just the meat and refreshment?"

Tyler pondered for a moment before responding, "I'd love that purée you prepared the other day, the one with... what was it called again? Hornapples?"

Annie smiled and corrected him, "Honeyed Hornapples. Yes, that was the primary ingredient. I also included a couple of Glowing Figs, and washed the fruits with a few drops of tier 2 moonlit dew, adding a subtle calming attribute to it."

Returning Annie's warm smile, Tyler nodded. "In that case, I'll leave it to you. We'll be at the cliff."

"Certainly." With a nod, Annie turned and made her way to the kitchen.

Tyler strolled back toward the cliff, which offered a panoramic view of Edge City, gesturing for Greg to accompany him.

He then retrieved a pair of chairs and a table from his inner world, miraculously untouched by the tumultuous events of his cultivation.

Relaxing into his own chair, Tyler resumed their previous conversation. "Greg, as you've probably noticed by now, there are several weird things about me."

The sea formation cultivator nodded in acknowledgment but refrained from commenting further.

It was evident that regular individuals wouldn't receive frequent visits from the Lo family successor, have an entire estate constructed and financed within days, complete with servants bound by secrecy and more.

"I guess that's on me for not properly warning you, it won't happen again. Thought it wouldn't be too bad, but it seems like it was enough to scare you so I apologize. Hopefully this didn't hurt you?" asked Tyler, looking at the man.

From the edge of his divine sense, he noticed the old man also making his way over from his house at the edge of the property.

The elderly man, Bob the formation master, retorted instead. "Brat! You nearly gave me a heart attack! What possessed you to release soul attacks like that during your cultivation?"

Before Tyler could formulate a response, Bob continued, yanking out a chair and settling himself at the table close to Tyler and Gregory.

"I was in the middle of a peaceful nap, reminiscing about the most adorable of granddaughters, when all of a sudden, the detection formation around this place went berserk, as though someone was attempting to obliterate it!"

"Now, picture my astonishment when I hastily scanned the estate using that very formation, only to discover a hapless child struggling to cobble together some haphazard soul defense formation disks around the gazebo."

Tyler raised an eyebrow and turned to Gregory, inquiring, "Was it really that bad? I anticipated something could happen, but to the point where you struggled to erect a decent defense?"

Gregory scratched his head and was about to respond, but Bob interjected, "What do you think? This young pipsqueak is scarcely at level 21 and sure this wouldn’t have killed him but he possessed nowhere near enough formation disks to fend off an ordeal like that and prevent it from outright killing others.”

“You're lucky I happened to be nearby or our dear Annie would’ve been long gone from this world, you damned brat." The old man angrily spat out.

Bob continued to mutter to himself, his words nearly inaudible to Tyler and Gregory. The atmosphere had become somewhat awkward, leaving Gregory feeling a bit uneasy.

Tyler couldn't help but feel a tinge of frustration. Why am I so careless when the very reason for my relocation here is my unconventional breakthroughs? He sighed inwardly.

"I apologize, Bob, Gregory," Tyler said with sincerity. "I should have exercised better judgment and made preparations beyond just my own for these breakthroughs. I'm still relatively new to all this. Thanks for looking out."

From the corner of his eye, Tyler caught a snort from Bob, who grumbled, "Kid, do you think we're being paid to sit around? Forget about it."

Hearing this, Gregory had to agree with the grumpy old man.

However, from now on, he'd pay extra attention to Tyler's warnings and needs. "Don't worry about me. I also should have believed you when you told me about preparing proper soul protections..."

Bob launched into another rant about how Gregory had known about Tyler's potentially unleashing soul attacks during his cultivation from the beginning and hadn't warned him, leading to a spirited discussion that lightened the mood considerably, especially with the aroma of food filling the air from afar.

During their enjoyment of the hearty meal, the group consisting of Annie, Greg, Bob, and Tyler engaged in further discussions.

Tyler couldn't help but engage in self-reflection, I'm not alone anymore... Back then I used to do everything on my own. From my runs, weight lifting, video games, and my other few hobbies, I never had to rely on anyone in my life, and I made mistakes here.

As he delved deeper into his thoughts, he couldn't shake a tinge of sadness. Even with my ex-girlfriend, I had felt alone in life... At work, I was surrounded by others, but I isolated myself as a defense mechanism... Other than a couple of friends, I was truly alone.

Maybe it's finally time to let go..?

In his pursuit of personal growth and becoming a better person, Tyler firmly conveyed his decision not to keep them in the dark any longer. He had been isolating himself in the dark for long enough.

He acknowledged his past mistakes, recognizing how he had kept everyone around him at arm's length, and expressed his commitment to not letting that happen again at least for the sake of their safety.

They all live together, even if it was technically as employee and employer by proxy.

This time, when the moment came for Tyler to continue his cultivation breakthrough into the Qi Transformation realm, Bob was there to offer his guidance.

He recommended that Tyler wait for a few hours while he set up everything meticulously.

The gazebo had been designed with the flexibility to accommodate multiple formations effortlessly after all. It would be a shame to let it go to waste like this.

Bob's task was rather straightforward; he positioned a few disks in their designated locations and performed a series of tests using his own intent to ensure the formation's stability and reliability.

Gregory assisted him in the process, and both men requested Tyler to retreat to his room for the time being.

It wasn't until early in the afternoon that they completed their preparations. Annie was sent to summon Tyler, who had opted to meditate on the cliff.

He had been attuned to the ongoing shifts in the autumnal winds, trying to find solace as his usual method of calming his mind was no longer an option. The seas of his inner world were too turbulent.

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So, when that proved ineffective, he decided to immerse himself in the surrounding nature and soft whispers of the winds.

As Tyler walked back toward the gazebo, he couldn't help but ponder the ineffectiveness of his godlike powers within his inner world to stabilize the tumultuous seas.

During that very small period of time, he came to a realization.

This is exactly how I felt after my first experiences with meditation, he mused.

Back then, my restless mind struggled to find calm, constantly wandering and swiftly went back to its turbulent state. Now, it's as though the rapid surge in power my body is undergoing has left it unable to refocus into a more tranquil state...

Perhaps... I'm doing all of this too fast? Tyler couldn't help but think.

Tyler approached the waiting Bob and Gregory, who had completed their preparations. He sought their guidance, eager to convey his sincerity about not keeping people at arm's length.

"Do you think I'm progressing too quickly in my cultivation?" he inquired, his earnestness evident.

Gregory, being in his late 30s and relatively inexperienced, found himself at a loss for words as he would have never guessed Tyler could open almost all of his acupoints in one single day.

Bob, on the other hand, was an experienced cultivator pushing 300 years of age, known for his unfiltered opinions, as seen during lunch earlier. He let out a hearty laugh before responding, "Hah, he's not a lost cause after all."

Tyler pressed, "What do you mean?"

Bob grinned and continued, "Well, it's clear to anyone with half a brain that you're a talented brat. But it doesn't seem like you've put in much effort. You got everything handed to you!”

Pausing, he emphasized that point once more. “Most people take decades to reach the Sea Formation stage, and at your current pace, you're on track to get there in just a few years, tops."

Then, the old man offered further clarifications, "You're like a piece of obsidian trying to pass itself off as a sword, but you haven't been properly forged. Right now, you're about as useful as a paperweight."

Tyler remained silent for a while, contemplating the old man's words. Deep down, he knew the assessment was accurate.

I've always been a creature of habit, rarely venturing outside my comfort zone unless pushed. The military forced me into situations I didn't want to be in, and that's probably why it was the best thing that ever happened to me. But I never applied those principles to my personal life, he thought to himself.

Even here... I got extremely lucky, winning the lottery twice over lucky. Who else in this entire world could say that they met a Soul Shattering cultivator that essentially wrote them a blank check for anything and everything?

With his thoughts gathered, Tyler nodded at the old sea formation cultivator. "Thank you. You're right. It's time for me to revisit my approach here and step out of my comfort zone."

Bob chuckled, "Well, of course, I'm right, you twerp. You're not even a tenth of my age yet." Not done yet, he added, quite sarcastically, "I don't know who's taking you under his wing, but they sure did a bang-up job."

Tyler felt a tinge of awkwardness. He realized that Lin Jian had mostly allowed him to do as he pleased in this new world, perhaps respecting his desire to explore and experience things independently.

However, it was clear that he needed to take a more proactive role in his own personal growth and exploration of this world. He couldn't stay on this mountain forever.

I have been so used to just.. Existing? Without any drive forward, living on autopilot, I guess I lost sight long ago what that meant. Sure I can put my head down, learn something and get good at it... but for what?

What's my goal...?

Tyler stood there, quietly for a little while, mulling things over.

After a long awkward silence, he came back to reality and apologized once more today. "I'm sorry, I think I need some time to think about my next steps, forcing a breakthrough now feels like the wrong move."

Bob's usual attitude was gone as he nodded and left, directly heading to his little home near the bordering cliffside.

From afar Bob shouted, “I’ll be gone for a day or two, going to visit my dearest grand-daughter in Profound City. If you need me, well… wait.”

Gregory did the same and returned to the main house, leaving Tyler alone with his thoughts in the gazebo.

Even though it was the middle of the day, Tyler suddenly felt a wave of exhaustion wash over him. Guided by this onset of sleepiness, he headed directly to his bed and fell asleep.

His night wasn't really peaceful, nor was it particularly restful.

He woke up a bit past daybreak, which surprised Annie as she had never really seen Tyler get up so late.

The other thing that surprised her was that Tyler came directly to her for breakfast instead of going to work out. But, she didn't comment on that and simply served the man breakfast.

Once his appetite was satiated, Tyler found Gregory, who was meditating in the backyard. "I'm going into town to the Thunder Emporium, wanna come with?"

It was now Gregory’s turn to be surprised as Tyler had never sought him out before, he always had to chase after him after getting the protection formation's notification that someone had gone out.

"Sure," replied Gregory, getting up from his meditation and accompanying Tyler to the cliff.

Seeing as someone at the sea formation stage could fly, Tyler asked. "So, flying. How does that work exactly?"

Greg happily answered, surprised that Tyler actually sought guidance. "It will vary from person to person. But, for me, it's because of a telekinetic technique."

Interested, Tyler inquired further. "So you're manipulating your body instead of an object? Care to show me?"

"You're not exactly right, nor exactly wrong. Here, observe."

Tyler closely monitored every energy movement with his heightened divine sense, taking in every detail of the unfolding phenomenon.

While he had observed similar occurrences in the past, he hadn't paid much attention to them.

His divine sense required filtering to focus on specific energy manipulations, and these precise actions were often dismissed as background noise.

If he didn't do so, he'd simply be overwhelmed all the time.

As he observed the process, Tyler could clearly sense a thin layer of true essence enveloping Gregory's armpits, creating a kind of harness.

With a swift motion, Gregory propelled himself forward using a step. He had generated a small platform of true essence to serve as a springboard for his movement.

Confirming what he saw, Tyler told exactly this to Greg.

"You already got this much from just this small demonstrations? No wonder the old man said you're raw obsidian who lacks proper forging. Your comprehension is monstrous..." sighed Gregory.

Not willing to make too many waves, Tyler didn't explain that he had divine sense to help bridge that gap, rendering such observation trivial.

Instead, he asked a follow up question. "Has anyone achieved flight without True Essence?"

Greg paused to think and nodded. "Yes, though that's very rare. Only people with awareness of space laws or wind laws can do this usually."

Tyler smiled after hearing this. "Wind laws you say..."

Feeling adventurous, Tyler shifted his focus to his acupoints and his understanding of the wind.

Gradually, a gentle gust of wind began to swirl around his entire body.

Meanwhile, within his inner world, his soul avatar stood proudly in the skies, resembling a deity gazing down upon the world. Torrents of wind flowed from the sword clouds at the bottom of the ocean, creating a breathtaking spectacle.

Then, seeing how easy his soul avatar could fly around simply by manipulating the winds in this manner, he ventured to replicate it.

Looking at Greg with a serious look he said, "If something goes wrong, can you catch me mid-air?"

Greg pondered for a moment and then retrieved an item from his storage bag – a couple of belts with intricate carvings that glistened with a bright blue shine.

"Here, put this on. It's something my late master used to teach me flight three years ago." He paused, equipping his own.

"It's inscribed with a powerful telepathic rune, which is linked to the other belt which I will wear and I'll be able to assist you and ensure you don't plummet to your death," he offered, extending the belt toward Tyler.

Putting the belt on, Tyler felt at ease that at least, he wouldn't die. “Your master. He died?”

Gregory nodded, staying silent on the subject.

Tyler, accepting the man’s silence, simply answered. “For what it’s worth, my condolences.”

“Thank you.” He replied.

Then, without warning, Tyler jumped off the cliff.

Gathering all of his cultivation, he circulated it across his entire body, feeling the influence of the energy on the surrounding winds and through his understanding and connection to those, he attempted to lift himself.

The fall wasn't very long, as the cliff was merely 150 meters high. But, using the currents of wind, Tyler was able to slow himself down significantly and following behind, Gregory didn't even need to use the belt's rune.

Tyler landed hard, almost mimicking the traditional superhero landing.

He didn't die. Nor did he break anything.

Content with the results, he glanced at Gregory. "You didn't activate the belt right?" He inquired, though he couldn't sense any true essence emanating from the belt, it was best to confirm.

Gregory shook his head. "Nope. It's rather impressive, especially given that you haven't even reached the Qi Transformation stage yet."

Tyler chuckled. "Alright, I might have to trouble you in the future for some experimentation then. At the very least, knowing I won't kill myself is a promising start."

Following that small interlude, both men traveled on foot towards the Thunder Emporium in the city.

They didn't run, or fly. They walked.

This was, by far, Tyler's favorite mode of transportation.

Only this way could he truly feel connected to everything around him and appreciate the beauty of nature.

Greg had proposed many times to get them a carriage or to carry him on a specialty made treasure that he could manipulate with his technique.

Tyler flatly refused everytime.

With such a beautiful and calm world, absent of noise pollution and foul smelling air, Tyler would be disappointed in himself if he didn't take the time to properly appreciate it.

Navigating through the city, Tyler slowed down a bit. He didn't want to miss a single thing.

Every shop, wandering cultivator, hard working mortal, every restaurant and every meal served entered his senses as he slowly made his way towards the Thunder Emporium followed closely by Gregory.

When he approached said shop, he could tell that Bralok was inside, serving customers and Tyler went right in.

As he wasn't willing to disturb Bralok and his customer, he waved at the man and pointed out back, towards the man's forge.

Bralok, acknowledging him and Gregory nodded back and added on. "Ah! I was getting worried you'd forget me for a minute there. I'll be right there as soon as I'm done with Mr. Joakim here."

At the back of the shop, the familiar forge entered both men's sight as each and every tool were neatly placed and organized, without a single nail out of order.

Tyler, curious, walked up to the water container and peeked inside using his divine sense.

Only a couple million liters remained.

Gregory, curious, asked. "Why did we come here, if I may ask? This is the man whose breakthrough we saw the other day from Three Heritage Heaven."

Tyler almost wanted to wave the question away but a hearty laugh came from behind. "Hahaha! If it wasn't for him I'm not even sure I would've broken through as perfectly as I did! You’re here to settle that business, I assume?"

Tyler turned to Gregory, who was looking at him with raised highbrows and wide opened eyes, questions written all over his face.

"That would be why I came, but I must admit that I lied a few days ago, as I didn't break through yet." Laughed Tyler.

"Oh? You seemed pretty confident. What happened?" asked Bralok.

"Nothing too tragic, turns out opening all your acupoints in a single night and trying to temper your pathways in the same couple days might have been too hasty as it just felt wrong. So, I'm... Re-evaluating things."

Now it was Bralok's turn to raise his eyebrows as he turned to Gregory who still seemed to be filled with questions. "Is he lying or is he always this... casual about such outrageous things?"

Taking a few seconds to consider things Bralok quickly added. "Wait never mind. Don't answer that. He essentially waved away accidentally giving me ten million liters of Serene Dew, so I'll just assume the latter."

This was news to Gregory who couldn't hold back this time. "He WHAT?!"