12. World

"Good morning," Kheon spoke with a smile painting her face as she sensed movement coming from Clifford's body. Soon enough, his eyes snapped open, staring around the unfamiliar place. The depletion of dark force irritated him since he had always been used to the feeling of it coursing through his veins. Although he didn't feel hungry, he didn't refuse the meal Kheon prepared for him.

However, this meal didn't seem to produce any dark force. This prompted him to communicate with the core to get a definitive answer. Ultimately, it was because the food was cooked with the spiritual fire that exhausted all the life force in it. Another dismissed reason was the possibility that the corpse wasn't simply fresh.

Although his body didn't show any signs of worsening, Kheon didn't ignore the fact that he was mortal. Thus, she fed him one vitality pill each month, keeping his body in a decent state. What used to happen before the core's approval no longer occurred, allowing his body to absorb it.

Clifford felt itching all over his body due to the state he had been in for months. Time passed slowly as Clifford stretched, moving his body, and soon enough, he was back to normal. His eyes no longer displayed halos unconsciously due to the full control he had over their abilities.

"How long have I been sleeping, and how did you get this rope?" Clifford spoke, asking the question that had been bothering him since he woke up. His body was dressed in a new set similar to the one she wore, which was to his liking. Despite being female, the set she wore seemed like it would be more for males.

"You were asleep for nearly 9 months. However, your body has completely recovered by the third day, and the clothes you are wearing are called cultivator ropes," Kheon passed for a moment before pointing at him with her scaly claws ", Those were taken from the foolish ones who tried to stand in my way."

"I'm Kheon. Now, mind introducing yourself and explaining the reason you attacked me? If you were not a mortal, you would have been dead by now. You are around the prime age for cultivation so why didn't you cultivate? What are doing in this forest?"

"My name is Clifford. I precisely attacked you to measure my strength and break my limitations," Then he paused for a moment, remembering what happened in the past before continuing with a smirk as he thought about going back right away since his main problem was solved, "Let's say an accident happened before I could start cultivating, which led me to be in this forest."

'Hmm? I won't ask further since you don't want to tell in detail,' Sensing his wariness, Kheon decided to stop asking him further about things that didn't concern her much. Instead, curiosity pushed her to put him on the cultivator's path, given the potential she saw in him earlier.

Standing up, Kheon moved to Clifford and then laid her right hand on his shoulder while quietly muttering "Great Expanse." Before he could react, the reality around them started to distort as the scene slowly changed into something else completely.

Sand covered the ground they stood on, near them lay a small lake surrounded by palm trees. Dunes surrounded them from every corner, with rocks scattered everywhere. The bright light illuminated the world despite seemingly having no sun.

"A world is the cultivator's most important. Cultivation allows us to break our mortal shackles and transcend, extending our lifespan," Khoen spoke while staring at Clifford's soul form, which made her feel younger than him because of his height. This came as a surprise because she thought he was human; thus, his soul should have been a human soul as well.

"In my case, and for anyone below the fifth stage, the world would be illusory, and its best usage is trapping cultivators and preventing them from escaping since their only choice lies in killing their opponent or dying inside."

"Never drag someone into your world unless you are confident you can defeat them. By doing so, you are exposing your soul to them and risking its destruction. That's not all you can do by forming a world, but you'd learn along the way. That aside, do you want to learn? Although I can't guide you past the second stage, I can set you on the path. After that, you would be on your own," Kheon asked, waiting patiently for his answer, which came immediately.

"Yes, please teach me." Witnessing her power, Clifford nodded quickly in anticipation. Hearing his answer, Kheon recalled her world, bringing them back to the room.

"Sit down and follow my instructions," Kheon spoke and waited for him to comply. Once he had done so, she continued speaking, "Cultivators cultivate by absorbing an energy form called Qi from the atmosphere and then circulating it through their meridians. However, to do so, they need to open their meridians first."

"The most effective way is to use internal energy to open paths where the Qi can circulate, so mirror my sitting position and follow as you are told." Kheon sat in meditation for minutes before opening her eyes to check on him. Seeing him sitting in the correct pose, she continued her instructions."

"Clear your mind and try to find the internal energy inside you. You should be able to locate tiny green particles, each far from one another. The color may differ for you, but it will still be the same. Focus on the particle, then try to guide it so it can move. Once it moves, change its direction now and then until you encounter a soft blockage."

"Push through that blockage, and once you clear that path, leave the particle and focus on another until you've done them all. Now it all depends on you. If you are talented, you will do it relatively fast. If not, then it may take a few days, but always feel free to take a break." Kheon finished her instructions and got up from her place, leaving him alone to practice.

Unbeknownst to her, Clifford had already finished the moment she stepped outside. His wariness prevented him from alerting her early, pushing him to remain in his position for a couple more hours.