Day after day passed until a full month had gone by since my transfer to this world.
Finally, after exhausting efforts and endless fatigue, I managed to absorb the spiritual power contained within the stone.
It was like drawing a roomful of water from a lake and then transferring it into my body, although the process itself was far more metaphysical.
"Finally… I finally succeeded. A month of diligent work has proven worthwhile."
I feel an overwhelming urge to cry because of this achievement,
even though it was merely a tiny drop.
"The absence of distractions like a phone and a computer has indeed proven that it truly allowed me to focus."
"Ah, how I miss my phone."
My phone addiction proved difficult to get rid of, as I nearly died of boredom during my first week here, but having no option other than cultivation forced me to focus on the spirit stone.
Nevertheless, I comforted myself with dreams of a long life and superhuman power.
"Now all that remains is purifying my body and forming a dantian."
"Still, it's time to take a short break."
I sigh in relief as I stretch my body.
Attempting to perceive and control spiritual energy required sitting in the lotus position for several hours, with intense focus on sensing the spiritual energy, which caused tremendous exhaustion to both my body and mind.
Unfortunately, there were no activities in the sect other than wandering around the empty building and listening to Li Chen's chatter.
"I hope Li Chen is busy with his cultivation today, because I can't bear listening to his random chatter for three hours."
Even though I did gain a lot of information about the world through his chatter.
As I absentmindedly wander through the deserted sect building, I notice someone other than Li Chen.
"This… disciple greets Elder Yi."
I bow toward Yi Guang, who is sitting in the middle of the deserted sect courtyard, watching the stars.
"Oh, it's the boy Salim. What are you doing here at such a late hour?"
"Um… nothing in particular, just wandering a bit to clear my mind."
"Hmm."
Yi Guang seems deep in thought as he looks at me from behind his broken glasses.
"Oh, it seems you've managed to absorb a bit of spiritual energy into your body. Am I correct?"
"Yes, the elder's insight is precise. This incompetent disciple barely managed to absorb a drop of spiritual energy after a month of work."
"Hmm, it wouldn't be accurate to say a month of work, as you spent most of your time absentminded. Be honest with me, Salim—Is there something occupying your mind?"
I feel Yi Guang's gaze piercing through my body, as if he were looking directly into the depths of my soul, while I try to remain as calm as possible.
"I apologize to the elder if my laziness caused any trouble, and I promise to put more effort into my training."
Yi Guang shakes his head calmly as he speaks in a gentle voice.
"That isn't necessary. You may cultivate at your own pace, just as Li Chen does. In the end, forcing yourself to cultivate diligently may lead to the emergence of heart demons. I'm asking whether I can help you resolve what's troubling your mind, such as taking revenge on someone."
"Many thanks, Elder, but that won't be necessary."
"Hm… very well, but this may help you."
Yi Guang takes out a small green sphere, which I assume to be a medicinal pill based on my knowledge of xianxia works.
"This is a medicinal pill called 'Clear Mind.' Consuming it increases concentration and helps eliminate heart demons."
Yi Guang tosses the pill toward me, and I hurriedly catch it and bow in gratitude.
"Thank you, Elder. This disciple will never forget your kindness as long as I live."
Yi Guang nods toward me without replying, and his eyes return to contemplating the stars. Having lost my desire to wander after my encounter with Yi Guang, I head back to my residence while looking at the medicinal pill in my hand.
"From Yi Guang's words, it seems it will be very useful for my training, especially for eliminating my lack of focus. However, I am already on the right path toward purifying my body, so it would be better to save it for something more important. The problem is that I'm not sure whether it has an expiration date or something similar."
While I am lost in my thoughts about the Clear Mind pill, I return to my residence.
After my strange encounter with Yi Guang, no other strange events occur, as my routine continues as usual: attempting to draw energy from the spirit stone in order to purify my body, while learning reading, writing, and general knowledge about cultivation from Li Chen.
And thus, the days follow one another, and the seasons change as three months pass since my transfer to this world.
---
I feel an immense euphoria surge through my body, and my mind becomes clearer, as spiritual energy moves through all my veins to eliminate impurities.
"Ah… finally."
A tremendous sense of accomplishment engulfs my body, as a foul-smelling black greasy layer begins to form on my skin.
"Now I'm finally close to leaving this cursed island."
Nearly three months of boring training almost drove me insane, to the point that I even started looking for Li Chen myself just to talk to him.
"Suddenly transitioning from the modern era to a primitive era is definitely a form of torture."
Perhaps the worst thing that happened to me was losing all forms of modern comfort, whether bathrooms, phones, or otherwise, and living in a place resembling the Stone Age.
"Well, that's not important. This suffering should disappear once I become a cultivator and obtain superhuman power."
As I think this, I take out the Clear Mind pill that Yi Guang gave me, my smile growing more excited.
"It's time to form a dantian and embark on the cultivation of immortality."
After chewing the pill and swallowing it, I feel a bit disappointed.
"It's less than expected."
I feel a small disappointment at the unclear effect of the Clear Mind pill, but in the end it still helps me increase my focus and my ability to move the spiritual power within my body.
Forming the dantian, as Li Chen described it, was a simple process. All I had to do was move the spiritual energy accumulated in my body from the body-purification process to my lower abdomen, then the spiritual root would appear, absorb that power, and transform into a dantian.
It was like my body was farmland, while spiritual energy was rain. The land might naturally store rain, but its storage is small and inefficient, so I had to build a reservoir to store rainwater more effectively.
"Hmmm, this is easier than expected."
I had expected forming the dantian to be more difficult than purifying the body, but whether it was easier or I had simply become accustomed to controlling spiritual energy,
in any case, the process went smoothly, as I managed to transfer all the spiritual energy gathered in my body to my lower abdomen, where I felt the formation of a new organ within my body.
"Huff… now I feel capable of storing the spiritual energy I draw from the spirit stone and moving it freely within my body, but I wonder how it's used to create spells. I don't feel capable of releasing it from my body."
"Ugh… has my smell always been like this?"
A strange smell spreads throughout the room, similar to the stench of a rotting corpse, making me nearly vomit as I look at the concentrated black greasy layer covering my body.
"Damn it, I need to bathe… wait, hold on a moment. This isn't my smell?"
Indeed, the stench of rotting corpses was coming from outside.
"…!"
"This… this…"
Outside, a crowd of living corpses with dark blue, bloated, and rotting skin was moving frantically through the sect building,
destroying anything they saw in their path.