Chapter 4, Early Stage of Spirit Gathering

What does it matter that he was once a master at the level of a real person? The teachings of a master are entirely unrelated to what is taught in ordinary secular universities

Even in this mundane world where spiritual energy is scarce, the difficulty of cultivation is more than ten times greater than in the spiritual realm. Under normal circumstances, it would be impossible for him to progress from the initial stage of Spirit Gathering to the mid-stage in just four months. However, possessing a robust physique greatly aids him in achieving his goals

Guo Zhengyang remained seated, motionless, until the figures in the classroom gradually thinned out, at which point he suddenly let out a low sigh

Studying hard? It is easier said than done.

"You go ahead, I will sit for a while longer," Guo Zhengyang waved his hand, indicating to Zhang Hang not to wait for him

Is it really necessary to review knowledge from middle school? With only four months left, I have to self-study the six years of middle and high school curriculum across so many subjects

It is now February, and there are four months left until the college entrance examination. He is also confident in achieving that long-held aspiration

At first, the thought was not strong; it merely startled Guo Zhengyang. However, as he began to sense it more deeply, the feeling grew increasingly intense. In just a short moment, he could not help but feel a surge of strong ambition rising within him, as if he truly wanted to eagerly follow the guidance of this thought to a certain place, where it seemed that something very important was waiting for him.

... ...

With his physical strength greatly enhanced, he can completely treat these four months as five months, six months, or even seven months to utilize

What is happening? Why has such a strange feeling suddenly emerged in my mind? This feeling is as if a voice is calling me to go somewhere

After having set aside something for too long, picking it up suddenly, even if he is earnest, he finds that whether it is the content described by the teacher or the text in the textbook, it feels as if he is reading a book in an unknown language, leaving him utterly bewildered

This suddenly caused his expression to change, as he stood alertly looking around. It took him several breaths before he furrowed his brows sharply, reaching up to support his forehead, his eyes filled with an eerie expression

Since noon, Guo Zhengyang has been studying diligently. He listens attentively during class and earnestly studies the textbooks during self-study sessions

The initial stage of a cultivator's practice involves stabilizing the gathered spiritual energy within the body. At this stage, the absorption of the world's spiritual energy primarily serves to cleanse a person's physical form. As the cleansing progresses, one's physical attributes will gradually improve and strengthen. Even the most ordinary cultivator at the peak of the initial stage, lacking any martial arts skills, can still rely on their formidable physical prowess to defeat dozens of ordinary individuals

He has discovered that with his rebirth, both his memory and his comprehension of knowledge have significantly improved. This may be the result of years of understanding and practicing martial arts, or it could be due to the return of his soul from thirty years ago, which has strengthened his spirit. However, regardless of the reason, he has completely forgotten the contents of the books he once read, making his learning process equally challenging.

In the last row of the classroom, Guo Zhengyang also set down his book and helplessly rubbed his temples

Guo Zhengyang's qualifications are not lacking, but no matter how good the qualifications are, it also depends on the environmental conditions. In his previous life, it took him three years to reach the peak of the initial stage after entering the path of cultivation. If he were in the Spirit Domain, even in a remote area with thin spiritual energy, he could achieve that in just a few months.

Returning to fifty years ago, his greatest goal now is not to cultivate to any particular realm, nor is it to hastily pursue the Great Way; his greatest goal is simply to study diligently

After the initial stage, unless you are specifically pursuing the path of physical body refinement, there is no need to deliberately hone your physique. The significant changes in your body during each breakthrough will sufficiently enhance your capabilities to handle most situations, including transcending mundane existence and enduring sleepless nights for extended periods. As long as you reach a sufficient level of breakthrough, the immense force of heaven and earth will actively improve your body to that extent.

I have only just begun, and I still need to solidify my foundation. At the start, it is essential to find a quiet place, free from external disturbances. The subsequent cultivation can be carried out anytime and anywhere. However, the spiritual energy in the secular world is too thin... If I were in the spiritual realm, a few months would be sufficient for me to reach the mid-stage, but unfortunately, going there now would only mean certain death.

He is completely at a loss with many fundamental aspects and has no idea how to get started

Guo Zhengyang is a liberal arts student. The correlation between some subjects in middle school and high school is not significant, such as comprehensive liberal arts, which can be mastered through rote memorization. However, there are indeed subjects that need to be learned from scratch, such as English and mathematics. He has completely forgotten everything from middle school, so when he looks at these textbooks, it feels like reading a book in an unfamiliar language.

A few hours later, as soon as the bell for the last self-study session in the afternoon rang, the classroom of Class 5, Grade 3 at Yanhe County High School erupted into noise, accompanied by the sounds of desks and chairs being roughly moved. Some students rushed out of the classroom immediately, while many others either chatted and laughed with those around them while packing their books, or quietly gathered their belongings alone.

It is indeed necessary to first find a place to cultivate oneself, and then speak of embarking on that path

His greatest belief now is to hope that in a few months he can present a report that will surprise his parents, even if such a report is of no help to his cultivation, it remains the pursuit he cared about the most in his previous life

Even though he feels that his ability to learn and his expertise in the field have improved significantly compared to before, he is still just an ordinary person. The return of the soul fifty years later does not mean that everything from ten years later has arrived in the present.

Is it sorrow or joy? He is somewhat at a loss.

He glanced around a few times and noticed that there were no outsiders present. However, a wave of thought kept surging in his mind, as if someone was calling out to him, urging him to go somewhere.

"Zhengyang, are you not leaving?" Zhang Hang laughed heartily as he stood up.

Once missed, he will regret it beyond remedy

Forget it, thinking too much is of no use. I will first go have a meal to fill my stomach, and then take more time to cultivate. This body has just begun its training, and the changes are not yet obvious. I still need to absorb more spiritual energy for cleansing.

... ...

This feeling also left him with a multitude of emotions

After a sigh, Guo Zhengyang quietly got up and walked towards the outside of the classroom

Although he has lived through it once more and can foresee many future events, his understanding of the secular world is quite limited. In his previous life, he spent most of his years in a state of self-isolation, indifferent to the outside world. Later, after entering the spiritual realm and fighting for many years, he inevitably had to interact with people. He has learned quite a bit of hearsay, such as the discovery of an ancient site in the spiritual realm thirty-seven years later, where numerous true immortals and above would venture to explore and divide the treasures. This discovery would only occur thirty-seven years from now, and if he were to go now, he could almost monopolize the treasure. However, the problem is that he cannot go; he lacks the ability to enter the spiritual realm.

Bell bell

However, living again for just half an hour, he completed the entire process of his previous life

He currently lacks the ability to enter the spiritual realm; going to that place is not something an ordinary person can achieve

But if I start reviewing from the knowledge of middle school, will there be enough time

It is not feasible to enter the spiritual realm; outside of it, one must endure this slow pace. Although he feels helpless, the choices reality offers him are limited.

After a moment of reflection, Guo Zhengyang had just gotten out of bed when an inexplicable thought suddenly flooded his mind at https://www.hetushu.com

The initial stage of cultivation serves to provide practitioners with a somewhat stronger physique, laying the foundation for this extraordinary path. If one's physique is inadequate, how can one endure half a day of cultivation without becoming exhausted or hungry? That would be absurd.

Thud ~

Clenching his fist, he could feel that his strength had subtly increased compared to before

Now there is an opportunity for redemption, an opportunity to fulfill one's wishes, and this is what moves Guo Zhengyang the most

In his previous life, even after reaching the realm of a true practitioner, he possessed strength far beyond that of ordinary people, to the extent that he regarded mortals as mere ants. However, some regrets could only be realized in daydreams; upon waking from these dreams, he would either weep bitterly or remain in a daze for half a day.

There are various other situations that are quite similar to this. The treasures he knows of or events that may occur in the future are mostly within the spiritual realm

"Then I'll take my leave, ha, don't overthink it, some things are best left to nature." Zhang Hang was taken aback, gave Guo Zhengyang a light pat on the shoulder, and then turned to run out of the classroom

Only when a cultivator breaks through to the mid-stage can they cultivate the spiritual sea in their mind and give birth to spiritual consciousness. Spiritual consciousness is the fundamental strength of a cultivator. Whether using spells or activating spiritual tools, it requires the manipulation of spiritual consciousness. At the mid-stage of spiritual gathering, one can rely on various artifacts to transcend the realm of ordinary humans. From the mid-stage of spiritual gathering onward, the spiritual energy absorbed into the body no longer needs to cleanse the physical body; one only needs to continuously condense and strengthen the spiritual sea and catalyze more spiritual consciousness.

Fifty years later, he will be a true person, possessing spiritual awareness, and will instantly grasp common knowledge. However, at present, he is just an ordinary person, still needing to read, understand, and memorize.

Textbooks and the like are not urgent; it is better to find a place to cultivate first. One should gather spiritual energy into the body; once one has attained a certain level of cultivation, everything will become easier. Even if one can only give rise to spiritual consciousness in the mid-stage of spiritual gathering, the initial stage of spiritual gathering is merely about body refinement. However, having a strong physique is also an asset for learning

Half an hour later, in the boys' dormitory of County No. 1 High School, in the empty and silent dormitory, Guo Zhengyang suddenly opened his eyes and sat up, his body producing a crisp sound of cracking bones.

Most cultivators spend ten days to half a month in their training, relying on the foundational physical conditions established during the initial stage of spirit gathering

In his previous life, his father left with immense disappointment towards him, while his mother, despite having spoiled him to the utmost, cast a glance filled with tenderness yet tinged with loss before departing. This was the greatest source of pain in his life. This pain far surpassed the frequent pursuits by cultivators or demon beasts during his time in the spirit realm, and was much more intense than the lack of a stable place to call home for many years.

Although this is still vastly inferior to the physical quality of body refinement practitioners, specializing in the physical body is indeed not a pursuit that ordinary cultivators can undertake. Specializing in the physical body is not only difficult, but the challenges in advancing realms are also immense. It requires constant searching for various rare treasures to refine the body, allowing it to absorb and transform. If a body refinement practitioner achieves great success in their physical body, their combat power will naturally be more terrifying than that of ordinary cultivators. However, various conditions restrict this path; unless one is born into great wealth or possesses extraordinary opportunities, one simply does not have the qualifications to walk that path. It requires constant searching for various rare treasures to refine the body, allowing it to absorb and transform. If a body refinement practitioner achieves great success in their physical body, their combat power will naturally be more terrifying than that of ordinary cultivators. However, various conditions restrict this path; unless one is born into great wealth or possesses extraordinary opportunities, one simply does not have the qualifications to walk that path.

What he said at noon was not mere nonsense, but a heartfelt vow

In the previous life, having inherited the legacy of an unknown cultivator, after encountering this extraordinary path, it took him five years just to gain entry. If one includes the time spent studying the texts on cultivation techniques, that amounts to nearly six years. A single individual, through arduous exploration and experimentation, took so many years to finally discover the correct method to enter.

What Guo Zhengyang needs to do now is to first enter the initial stage of gathering spiritual energy, using the natural spiritual energy to strengthen his body. Once his physique is robust, even if his mental capacity is insufficient and he cannot utilize his spiritual consciousness to learn, he can still rely on tireless and persistent efforts to tackle various learning challenges.