They really sent it over?
「A month later」
A copy of a Soul Forging Method appeared on the table in his bedroom, along with a note.
Yan Ming King had written the note. He stated that he had found a suitable Soul Forging Method for Wang Linchi and advised him to focus on his cultivation, perfecting the Soul Seed Boiling Soul Skill as soon as possible.
The Soul Forging Method was called the "Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method."
After glancing through it, Wang Linchi realized that this particular Soul Forging Method had a low upper limit; it could only allow one to reach the Black Iron Peak, not cultivate to the Mountain Copper Level. It wasn't incomplete; its limitations were inherent to the method itself. Wang Linchi wondered where Yan Ming King had managed to find it.
Actually, this was already very good. Unless one was the child of a major power, the Soul Forging Methods ordinary students could acquire were generally similar. This Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method was top-tier for condensing and enhancing spiritual power. However, its effects didn't align with mainstream approaches, as it wasn't suited for combat. Yan Ming King had probably selected this method carefully for him, knowing that Wang Linchi didn't need to engage in combat.
So this is how spiritual power is condensed and enhanced.
First, I need to visualize a mountain of books. When the mountain appears, I'll officially enter the White Porcelain level.
Then, once the mountain of books solidifies within my Soul Resemblance, and I visualize an ocean of knowledge within it, I'll step into the Black Iron level.
Once the ocean of knowledge solidifies, one reaches the Black Iron Peak. No further breakthrough is possible beyond this point.
And there's a catch! I always thought 10 points of spiritual power were enough to break through to the Black Iron level, but it turns out that's just the minimum. It's possible to break through with 10 points, but the success rate is only 1%.
A complete breakthrough can only be achieved by reaching 100 points.
Only when spiritual power reached 100 points could one fully materialize the mountain of books and achieve a 100% breakthrough rate. Therefore, the upper limit for the White Porcelain level was 100 points of spiritual power. Similarly, for the Black Iron level, one required 1,000 points of spiritual power and a solidified ocean of knowledge to reach the Black Iron Peak.
Of course, the Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method wasn't just a simple Soul Forging Method. Once the mountain of books and the ocean of knowledge solidified, two effects could be obtained. One accelerated physical recovery, and the other accelerated spiritual power recovery. The effects were indeed good and very suitable for Wang Linchi. However, from the perspective of Battle-type Awakeners, these effects weren't very practical, as they had better alternatives.
Activating his Cold Focus, Wang Linchi meticulously studied and memorized the Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method. The manual for the method provided many cultivation insights and a wealth of foundational knowledge on Soul Forging Methods. Wang Linchi was completely new to this. Clearly, Yan Ming King had anticipated this and included these details. Otherwise, learning would have required much more time spent on trial and error.
There's even a third effect?! Wang Linchi soon realized that after the mountain of books and the ocean of knowledge fully solidified within his Soul Resemblance, a third effect could be achieved. This effect could increase the toughness of book-type Soul Resemblances, making them more resistant to damage. This indicated that the Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method was likely designed specifically for those with book-type Soul Resemblances; otherwise, this effect wouldn't exist. Not all book-type Soul Resemblances were as peculiar as Wang Linchi's. Some were Magic Books capable of casting spells, while others were sealing scrolls capable of containing powerful entities, and so on.
"This is rather underwhelming."
After understanding the effects, Wang Linchi felt somewhat disappointed. If the method increased hardness and weight, that would have been acceptable. After all, he could have attached a chain to the book, reinforced its corners with iron, and used it as a bludgeon. However, merely enhancing toughness had little meaning to him. His Record Book Soul Image mostly remained within his soul. The abilities of the book form itself were not utilized; instead, the power of his Soul Kind could be released directly. Manifesting it without good reason was risky, as any damage to the Soul Resemblance would also impact his spiritual power. The Book of Records was made of ordinary book material. Unlike Awakeners with weapon or equipment Soul Resemblances, which inherently possessed decent defensive capabilities, his did not.
"Well, it was free anyway. I should be grateful regardless," Wang Linchi acknowledged, recognizing his situation. Being picky at a time like this would be ungrateful. "But I can't stop my applications to the Institute."
He didn't want to remain stuck as a Black Iron Level Awakener. However, he also knew that acquiring higher-level Soul Forging Methods wouldn't be easy. So, the best approaches were either to develop one himself or to find a way to climb the ranks. Wang Linchi planned to do both. He couldn't put all his eggs in one basket. Besides, if he wanted to develop his own method, he would need a sufficient number of existing Soul Forging Methods for reference. Moreover, the Book Mountain and Sea Soul Forging Method was enough for him for now.
He was likely better off than most ordinary people. However, without corresponding resources, his progress would be slow. Battle-type Awakeners could increase their strength so quickly because they fought desperately in Secret Realms to gather resources. They would then submit these resources to the Institute for credits, which they used to exchange for the resources they needed. Those in life-related professions operated similarly, though instead of fighting, they processed materials, forged items, and so on, to trade for what they needed. Awakeners in other professions had no channels to earn credits. Even if they somehow obtained them, they faced numerous restrictions when trying to make exchanges.
Wang Linchi faced these restrictions too. This world was dominated by martial strength; areas like scientific research and civilian livelihood were largely neglected. Necessary resources had to be obtained from Secret Realms and then processed according to established methods. Productivity itself had been replaced by Secret Realms and Awakeners. The prevailing ethos of this world was that all other pursuits were inferior; only combat prowess was held in high esteem. Fortunately, the Court, being the strongest martial power, possessed sufficient force to maintain order. After all, if chaos reigned, how could they gather enough resources for the nobles at Court to cultivate and grow stronger? They had long since abandoned such ruinous, one-time exactions, opting instead for a sustainable, long-term harvest that yielded far more.
"With this Soul Forging Method, if all goes well, I probably won't need to worry about becoming stronger before graduation. If things don't go smoothly, then even after graduation, I won't have to worry about finding another Soul Forging Method."
Even if progress was slow, he could still feel himself getting stronger, rather than being capped at a certain level, unable to make even the slightest improvement. Wang Linchi could accept any amount of progress. However, with cultivation now added to his existing routine of studying and research, his schedule was even more packed. He would need to carefully re-plan and manage his time.