0030 - The First Spark.

Lu Sheng was not sure if Ming Mei believed his words or not.

"What did you mean 'idiot'?" 

[She gave you those books a day ago and you have read all of them, if you boast things like these people either chase you out thinking you are mad or they will dissect your body to look for your secret.]

Lu Sheng smacked his head, he forgot that those books were given to him just a day ago. He now feels fine that Ming Mei does not believe him at all.

He quickly cleared his thoughts and looked at the large metallic token. "This feels like a headache, don't you think?"

[No comments.]

"What? Why? If we learn about this token then we will have to work and shoulder that new responsibility she was talking about…I am getting a headache thinking about it, don't know what kind of responsibility it will be, what a chore, why am I getting dragged into so many things?"

[...]

"Okay, okay. Fine. I understand. I am going back to my bad habits. Now help me with this, let's do this as quickly as possible, and then let's go eat."

[Automation Initiated.]

At first, he did not feel anything but slowly a fume started to rise from the metal as if it was getting hot but it did not feel hot in his hands. 

"What? What is going on? System?"

[I am here, Host.]

"Why do I find myself in a situation like this? Always?"

[If you do this on your own then you will have the answer to everything but this is all automated so that's why you feel and find yourself in a similar situation, always.]

"Then how about from now on, you will teach me? You can? Right?"

[Of course, I can.]

"Then why didn't you do that from the start?"

[You never asked.]

"Then start from now on, explain things to me so that I know what is going on."

[Acknowledged.]

"Well, what is this grammar all about?"

[It is as it is. Let's begin. I will share everything.]

Lu Sheng braced himself for a ton of boring xianxia lectures on dao and flowery nonsense, but instead of words, he got something far different. "What? What is this?"

It wasn't conveyed through language—it was an immersion, an experience that engulfed him entirely. Understanding surged through him, a convergence of senses and emotions. A flood of unfamiliar visions, images, sounds, and sensations drowned him as if he was living myriad lifetimes in the span of a single moment.

[You want me to continue?]

"Yeah? But I am not sure what I just experienced." He felt out of breath.

[To summarize, it's a cultivation method.]

"A method?"

[Technically it's a detailed blueprint on where to start, how to start, and also why to start cultivation. It also has detailed information about what to cultivate, not just spirit essence but anything.] 

"Anything?"

[Yes, this path, this formula, this philosophy, The Dao in this will let you cultivate anything, the only limitation would be how practical it is in a sense to a useful one. In a sense, this philosophy can let you cultivate a nuclear power within you if we remove a lot of problems with practical physics, however, in fact, it would resolve those physics-related issues too but that would be a lot of other different cultivation paths but yes, its possible.]

"Does it not sound like bullshit to you?"

[No, not at all. Here, let me show you how advanced this philosophy is. Extend your hand out.]

Lu Sheng extended his right hand out when he felt a hot liquid flowing in his right-hand veins. His fingertips started to burn sharp.

"What are you doing?" He felt pain.

[Hold.]

Suddenly the center of his palm sparked like a tiny cracker which vanished.

[Stop resisting, let it go.]

"It hurts, what are you trying to do?"

[It's better if I show you.]

"Okay, fine."

He didn't resist this time and it felt to him that his fingertips were getting pierced by hot searing pins as he could see the spark coming out of the tips. Then a floating, glowy point lit up at the center of his palm.

"AAAAHHHH!" He was not able to continue.

[Sorry.]

"No, I am sorry. Let's try again."

[let's try with both hands.]

"..."

[I thought that would look so cool, you would look cool like a protagonist holding a glowing spark in his claw.]

"I wonder who's the protagonist here."

He brought both of his hands closer, and this time the pain was much more bearable as it spread out across all ten fingers.

At the center of both palms, a single point lit up as energy started to collect. His eyes widened in awe as his face lit up because of the sparky, glowy phenomenon in front of his eyes. It felt dangerous yet thrilling.

Somehow he felt attracted to it, no fear or apprehension, just a sense of wonder and curiosity. The energy kept getting accumulated at the center and the sparkling orb kept getting bigger and bigger.

From a point, it got bigger into a small pearl size and kept growing bigger without any slowdown, and so was the terror of concentrated energy within. Deep inside he could feel the raw destructive power in it, he had no physics or mathematical inclination to understand any of it, it was his instinct, it was screaming for him to beware, one wrong move and it would be the end of him.

Nevertheless, he had an opposite emotion, a thrill, a sense of witnessing the birth of the raw power, seeing its unfathomable potential. It was like standing on the edge of a ridge, feeling the pull of the emptiness below, both terrifying and exhilarating at the same time.

Yet, despite the danger, he couldn't resist the allure of the energy. It was like a beautiful voice, beckoning him closer, tempting him to dive headfirst into the unknown.

The pearl turned into a small ball when its expansion slowed down and the sense of danger started to vanish as he could feel the destructive element within it had been tamed. A glass-like sheen enveloped it and with a snap, it stopped floating.

His connection to it broke and it fell onto the white marble floor.

*TINK* *TINK* *TINK* *TINK*

It rolled away under the bed. He quickly dove under the bed and caught it. He opened his hand to look at it and he saw a wondrous sparkling round glassy marble gem, swirling with blue silver particles within it. He stared at the orb in wonder, marveling at its beauty. 

He could feel the energy pulsating beneath his fingertips, feeling its warmth seep into his skin. 

"Senior Brother!" Lu Sheng snapped out of his awe as he heard Tu Peng's voice entering his room.

Lu Sheng panicked for no reason, his guilty conscience kicked in as he quickly stuffed the orb in his robe, in his chest pocket. 

"Senior Brother? What happened? What are you doing under the bed?" Tu Peng quickly put down the tray he brought full of hot meals, which he and Tu Rong cooked for him.

"Um…nothing?" He tried to make excuses but then found his own shaky guilty tone of voice not convincing or right. "Just fell from my bed, that's it." He still didn't fail to make an excuse.

"You fell and rolled under the bed?" Tu Peng was not convinced.

"Yeah?" He tried again to sound convincing but still failed. He quickly tried to get out from under the bed but then found his fat body was now stuck and the bed was not a stretcher but a solid heavy low framed wooden bed. Now even he is confused about how he got fit under it with his fat body.

"Are you stuck?" Tu Peng asked worryingly but behind Tu Rong couldn't help giggling. To which Tu Peng shushed her immediately.

"Yeah, I am stuck." Lu Sheng saw no point in dragging this out as he admitted his fault.

Both siblings quickly helped him as he wiggled out of the bed. Fortunately, the Physician Hall was kept impeccably clean, so Lu Sheng emerged from under the bed without a speck of dirt on him. Sensing his discomfort and desire to avoid their curious gazes, Tu Peng refrained from pressing further on how he ended up under the bed.

To divert attention from the awkward situation, Lu Sheng eagerly delved into the food brought by the siblings. Without uttering a word, he ate his fill, grateful for them to bring this delicious food and not bullying him with questions.

After eating his fill the room was still awkward. "I think everyone got disappointed today."

Tu Peng, who was also finding a way to kill the silence, breathed a sigh of relief. "No, they are eagerly waiting for you to resume the practice."

"Really? Are you saying this to keep me from feeling bad?" Lu Sheng chuckled, appreciating Tu Peng's attempt to lighten the mood.

"Of course not!" Tu Peng replied with a smile. "Everyone is very eager to resume, they were fascinated by that tale you shared of the Physician defeating that metal demonic creature, the Ironshard Fiend."

"Really?"

"Yes, they are now all in the library searching and reading more about any other such individuals, you have shown them not to look down on our way of life, the path we all have chosen, be proud of it. The way you fought, has inspired all of them."

Lu Sheng did not believe it, it was just a small tale that he didn't even use good eloquence to deliver and that fight with Lu Zhan was more of a running away and then he broke his hand. If Ming Mei did not come in between then the next thing would have been a serious thrashing of himself.

He questioned whether it was easy to motivate others? Maybe he hit a bullseye or something.

"What would you teach us then?" Tu Peng eagerly asked, his excitement was shining from his eyes.

"Teach? I…" He thought for a moment.

"What can we teach?" He quickly asked 'The Automated System'.