By the riverside, Tang Ling was doing push-ups with a massive two-ton stone on his back. Xiao Lao sat nearby, watching closely. Every time Tang Ling's movements slowed, Xiao Lao would bark, "Slow down again, and I'll double the weight!"
With those words, Tang Ling's speed shot up. He had no intention of letting the weight get heavier again.
Xiao Lao nodded in approval. "You're doing well, boy. In the past month, your body has improved a lot."
Then his tone shifted. "But… you dare to cheat during fish-catching training. After catching a fish, you toss it back and catch it again before it escapes."
Tang Ling grinned, tapping a finger under his nose. "Master, there were barely any fish left! I just… recycled one. Technically, that's still catching, right?"
Xiao Lao ignored the excuse, but his tone turned serious. "You think it's just about catching fish? That task trains far more than you realize."
He pointed toward the river. "Catching fish with your bare hands hones your reflexes, strengthens your grip, and teaches you to move with precision. You learn to read the current, predict movement, and strike with timing. That's no different from reading your enemy in battle."
Xiao Lao paused, his eyes narrowing as he added, "Your body learns patience. Your mind learns focus. When the water's cold and your arms ache, you build endurance. Resilience. Awareness. All of it is foundational for any true cultivator."
Tang Ling blinked. What he thought was a silly chore… was actually a lesson wrapped in river water and frustration.
"So," Xiao Lao said with a faint smirk, "next time, don't cheat yourself out of the lessons hidden in the pain."
His tone shifted again, now carrying a trace of genuine approval. "Still, you did well. Your instincts have sharpened, and your reaction speed has clearly improved. That kind of precision and timing will serve you well in battle—especially in close combat. Even your body's balance and coordination have grown stronger. So, there's no need to continue the fish-catching. That part of your training is complete… and soon, your entire foundational training will be as well."
"Really, Master?" Tang Ling's face lit up, his heart lifting at the idea of moving on.
Xiao Lao smirked. "Don't you agree that was just basic training?"
Tang Ling immediately caught on and nervously agreed, "Yes, Master! Very basic! I didn't even get tired once!"
At that moment, Tang Ling collapsed onto the ground, the weight slipping off his back.
Xiao Lao put a hand on Tang Ling's shoulder. "Then the real training begins today."
Tang Ling's stomach twisted. "If that was just the basics... I've been living in hell and didn't even know it!"
So compare with this rate 10 out of both
Xiao Lao narrowed his eyes. "Are you cursing me, boy?"
Tang Ling quickly responded, nervous, "N-No, Master! You're such a great teacher—who would dare curse you?"
Xiao Lao folded his arms. "Your next task is to bring me three items: the monster core of a Bone Marrow Raccoon, a Magma Life Lotus, and at least three Red Butterfly Recovery Grasses from the forest. You have one month. Once you leave, you're not allowed to return until the task is complete."
Tang Ling furrowed his brow. "A Monster core? What's that, Master?"
Xiao Lao explained, "It's the condensed energy found inside powerful beasts. Usually in the head or chest. It holds spiritual energy, or life force. It can be used for cultivating, powering spiritual devices, or crafting high-tier tools."
Tang Ling blinked. But… didn't we kill the Silver Jade Snake? Why didn't we get a core from that?
Xiao Lao smacked the back of Tang Ling's head. "Fool! You think you absorbed energy from that beast without it having a core?"
Tang Ling laughed sheepishly.
Then Xiao Lao added seriously, "And one more thing. Don't be fooled by their size. Many cultivators have died chasing these cores. Handle them right, and they can push you forward by a whole star. But mishandle them, and they'll fry your veins to ash. The energy inside is always chaotic. The ones you absorbed earlier were refined by me. So don't get cocky."
Tang Ling grinned, though his smile was less confident now. "Master, this task is easy. With my gun, I'll finish it in twenty days. I know the forest well and have a wild guess where all three items are."
Just two days ago, Tang Ling had broken through the first two meridians near his dantian. Though the process was painful, under Xiao Lao's guidance, everything had gone smoothly.
However, he hadn't used spiritual energy directly yet. Control in the first realm, Lingqi Tu, was still too difficult. For now, he relied on his gun gifted by Uncle Dan.
His cultivation had progressed steadily. Tang Ling was already at Lingqi Tu, three-star. Each realm had nine stars, and he was climbing fast.
Xiao Lao nodded. "Yes, you're right. I forgot you had that gun."
Then his tone changed to something mischievous. "Hehe… now hand that gun over. I'll upgrade it to a tier-three spiritual device."
"Tier three?" Tang Ling asked, eyes widening.
Xiao Lao cleared his throat, as if preparing to give a lecture. "Of course, a forest brat like you wouldn't know. You see, spiritual energy is difficult to control until you reach a certain realm. For years, people struggled with this limitation, and after many decades, they finally found a solution."
"They began using external devices to help channel spiritual energy. But there were three major problems. First, these devices were expensive—requiring rare metals and minerals. Second, there weren't enough to satisfy the growing number of spiritual masters. Third, as cultivators progressed, their energy became too powerful for low-tier devices."
Xiao Lao paused, watching Tang Ling's reaction before continuing. "To solve all this, we created a tier ranking system for devices. It worked because most spiritual masters stay within the first three realms—Lingqi Tu, Lingqi Zhe, and Lingqi Shi. Higher realms are far harder to reach."
"Tier-one devices are meant for Lingqi Tu. Tier-two covers Lingqi Tu and Lingqi Zhe. And so on. Higher tiers need rarer materials but support stronger users. There are ten tiers, and the cost increases with each level."
Tang Ling felt his heart race. "So many tiers? That's beyond what I imagined…"
"So give me that gun. It's only a half-finished product; Dan probably didn't have the rare metals at the time to complete it. Once I finish it, it'll become a tier-three spiritual device. Boy, if you're eager to die, you can keep that gun. Honestly, using it in its current state is a death wish. You were lucky it didn't explode when you fought the Silver Jade Snake."
Tang Ling handed the gun over without a word, palms sweating. Excited? Yes. Terrified? Also yes.
Xiao Lao thought to himself, Haha… this kid is too naive. The gun was already complete. I'll just upgrade it from tier two to tier three, and he won't know the difference.
But unknown to Xiao Lao, Tang Ling knew the truth. He had studied spiritual device designing under Uncle Dan and read every book Dan gave him. But he didn't say anything—he understood Xiao Lao's intent. His master wanted him to complete the mission with no crutches.
Xiao Lao then tossed over a stack of books. "Of course, I won't let you walk into danger unprepared. Read these."
Hundreds of books landed in front of Tang Ling—each one about the basics of spiritual device crafting.
"I know you're already a tier-one spiritual device designer," Xiao Lao said, "but knowing how to design isn't enough. You must also learn how to create. After you finish reading these, I'll teach you how to forge what you design. Knowledge is useless without application."
Tang Ling stared at the towering pile of books, his mouth slightly open. "All of these… for me? Just how many days will this even take?"
Before he could finish his thoughts, Xiao Lao's voice rang out sharply, "Boy, you have to finish those fast."
Tang Ling stared at the mountain of books, stunned into silence. A weak smile tugged at his lips as he replied, half in disbelief, "Y-Yes, Master… I'll… definitely study all of them… before I die of old age."