At Farjan's house...

Farjan was sitting cross-legged as he contemplated upon the changes within his body. He discovered that, now, he could vaguely sense the different fluctuations of energy on his surroundings, but only at a very minimal level. Afterall, he just started when his spirit was unsealed. But still, the great shock could be seen on his face, because he could now see some things that shocked him. For example, the different colors of glowing dust floating in the surroundings that represented different types of elements.

If other people could see what he had seen, surely, they would have the same reaction.

After a few more minutes, he decided to take a rest, because that is what his doctor said, master rather.

The next day...

Unexpectedly, Farjan got up late, and when he saw what time it is, he quickly went out and headed to the top of Mt. Tri-mus.

It was not because Tromer might get angry and scold him, but Farjan just wanted to start early and take advantage of having much more time. After all, Tromer didn't say an exact time on when they will start.

A few minutes later, Farjan arrived at Tromer's house. Tromer was working on something in his makeshift laboratory. The laboratory itself was small, but the apparatus are high quality. He was working on some potions for his injuries and the curse. After hearing the knocking sounds coming from his door, he let Farjan open it.

As Farjan walked inside, the makeshift laboratory piqued his interest.

"You're an alchemist?" Farjan had that idea, thanks to the books he read.

"Uhm... Yes? And partly no. I am only an apprentice alchemist so; I don't have deep knowledge about this branch."

Tromer was indeed just an apprentice alchemist. Before, Tromer was just a low-level cultivator and he didn't have many resources. So he decided to go to an alchemy school and there, he became an apprentice alchemist of his master in alchemy.

"Why is there a problem?"

"It's just from what the books said, alchemy is helpful for cultivators. Alchemists could make potions of different kinds and variations that could help us on the path of cultivation."

"You're right kid, but alchemy is not as easy as it is said. There are only a few grandmasters in alchemy, why? Because it is so hard that even I, am only an apprentice alchemist."

Farjan looked at the apparatus in the room and the glowing liquid inside of some of them. He reached towards a certain potion with a dark-violet color, but before his hand touched it, Tromer slapped his hands.

"Do not touch anything here without knowing it first and asking for my permission."

After that, Tromer got something from his spatial pouch and gave it to Farjan.

"That's all the books regarding alchemy that I have. I know that you are interested in it. So take them and study. They are all about the fundamentals of alchemy." Tromer gave eight books to Farjan.

Tromer didn't have enough time to clean his spatial pouch so that's why he still had those books regarding the introduction to cultivation and fundamentals of alchemy. Thankfully, that was the situation, if not, then Farjan might not have had something to read as a basis.

"Don't mind those books, for now, your goal is the enter the spiritual stage and advance to the first level of it."

After that, Tromer instructed Farjan on what he was going to do.

Farjan sat down cross-legged immediately. He was so excited because this was the time where the true cultivation will start. He started to do what Tromer instructed him to do.

'Feel your surroundings and become a part of it. Let the energy of the surroundings flow into your spirit. Refine the elements and let it circulate through your body. Make the energy yours and take control of it.'

As Farjan was cultivating, he felt the surroundings and the energy in it. He felt refreshed by the sensation of doing this.

Different colors of elements were circulating around him. As if he was the center of it all. More and more elements and energies surrounded him as time passed by.

His spirit started to shake, and if he continued this, when the night comes, a change would probably happen to his spirit.

I'm feeling it!

By that time Tromer went back to what he was doing in the laboratory.

The Mortal World is not a world of cultivators, but it could be said to be a huge treasure trove for the alchemists. The reason is that, although the people here are 'crippled' the world itself is not crippled and many medicinal plants are growing here. So that's why it's a great help for him.

Even the rare plants in other worlds are common here.

As for why no alchemists nor cultivators are going to this world to seize it is unknown.

This world has many mysteries that are not yet solved.

When the night came, as to be expected, something happened to Farjan. The energy in his surroundings is started to build up and form something.

It was a figure the same as a human. This figure was formed by yellow motes of light and was translucent. It was Farjan's spirit.

When reaching the first level of Spiritual Stage, one must form their spirit outside their body using the energy and the refined elements.

Tromer was working on potioneering, so he didn't have time to spend on these trivial things. Besides, he already gave the instructions to Farjan so, there was nothing left to worry about.

Following Tromer's instructions, after the spirit is formed, Farjan will now start to absorb it carefully. This will become his cultivation base.

Cultivation base is the foundation of a cultivator when they start cultivating. Without it, advancing to the next levels would be impossible.

Farjan earnestly absorbed the energy from his surroundings while his master is made some potions.

At the same time...

Tromer was putting all of the medicinal plants in a particular laboratory apparatus. Many rare plants could be seen in it. Clearly, Tromer put all of the medicinal plants that he thought would help in his treatment, especially for those curse healing medicinal plants, without even thinking if it might have a bad result.

Just as Farjan was absorbing the energies and refined elements, the medicinal plants in Tromer's flask that he held started to melt. But when the time came where it would be completely melted, suddenly, the flask started to show signs of collapse, as it is slowly breaking apart.

It couldn't handle the energy coming from the combined medicinal plants. After a few seconds, the flask exploded!

When it exploded, Tromer immediately put down the potion and let it go fearfully, as it might sever his one and only arm left behind.

Farjan, who was currently absorbing the energies, was completely clueless on what has happened. He needed to focus on absorbing and no one could stop him. If someone disturbed him, it might have a bad result in the foundation of his cultivation base.

Because all Tromer had said was to absorb the energies from his surroundings, Farjan didn't notice that he was absorbing the energy originated from the half-finished potion that exploded, along with the energies and elements.

Tromer didn't know what to do. He was adept in fighting, but not in these kinds of things regarding alchemy. He had no way to remove the scattered medicinal plants' energies at all. All he could do was to watch worriedly as Farjan absorbed the random energies.

Farjan's facial expression was now different from before. You could now see that he was having a difficult time absorbing the energies.

Farjan kept on absorbing until the next day.

It was now around morning and the sun has risen. In contrast to the light, Farjan's face had become dark and grim because of the increased in difficulty.

After some hours passed, Farjan's difficulties gradually lessened as he already absorbed most of the energy from the medicinal plants.

After a few more moments, he finished absorbing the energies. He then felt something in his body. The flow of energies and elemental particles through his spirit.

He had already successfully entered the first level of the Spiritual Stage. As for the effects of the failed potion, Farjan didn't know a thing about it.

Farjan suddenly heard a voice saying, " Are you okay, kid?"

"Do you feel something strange?"

After looking at the source of the voice, Farjan saw Tromer. As he saw his master, he couldn't believe what he was seeing. His master's clothes were tattered, the surroundings were in a mess, and the makeshift laboratory was gone!

"What happened here?"

"Just some potioneering problems," Tromer said.

He told Farjan the whole story of what had happened.

"And that's what happened. So, do you feel something strange in your body? Tell me."

"Nothing, I just feel the changes of advancing to the first level, the flow of energies inside me."

"So, no effects huh? Let's see when it will make its move."

A month passed since Farjan entered the first level of Spiritual Stage. In the month that passed, he decided to spend half of his days cultivating and the other half working back again in the city.

Before, only a few people could see him in the vicinity, only his friend that he asked to sell his vegetables and some others. But now that he was back, many people started to give him a some work like what he always did before.

Only then, he understood more about cultivation. When someone becomes a cultivator, great changes will happen. It gave them more strength far above the norm and their vitality would also increase greatly. Now, even if Farjan was constantly working, no weariness could be seen on his face. Instead, he was more active than before, to the point where he could do some things simultaneously and lift heavier things using only his arm.

At first, Farjan was shocked by this discovery but after some thought, he realizes that it was normal. The abnormal thing would be when he becomes a cultivator but nothing extraordinary happens. That would bring up the big question, 'Did I really become a cultivator?'

When the people in the city saw the changes in Farjan, their jaws dropped from the shock. This teenager before was normal in many aspects but now, from what they saw, a lot of changes happened when he disappeared for how many times.The townsfolk couldn't believe it and many exaggerated stories are made.

Half a month has passed and an astounding thing has happened in the Dowter clan that left all of its members stupefied.

Bathar, a part of the Dowter clan, the son of the second elder, was a miner who discovered a rich mining location in the land owned by the clan.

The mining site was rich in gold, silver and many other valuable stones and materials. There were some diamonds too. The Dowter clan quickly dispatched people to the site to help in mining.

The whole clan became lively and active. Many men were mobilized. Soon enough, after many days passed, the overall wealth of the clan increased by tenfold! They could now be considered a middle-class clan.

The clan members rejoiced because of the good fortune they have. However, nothing could be permanently hidden in this world. Even if the Dowter clan tried their best to conceal the matter, because they know that if anyone notices this, a huge setback will absolutely happen Unluckily, the thing that they feared the most transpired.

A young master from the Sofori clan noticed the matter. The Sofori clan was a high-class clan, or should we say the highest-class clan within the Bigfield City. Why? Because the City Lord who ruled this city is a member of this Sofori clan.

Soon enough, this particular young master, known as Michael Sofori sent some subordinates to the clan.

They reached the clan and had a 'conversation'.

"We know the matter about the mine of your clan, and young master Michael sent us here to discuss with you properly to hand-over the mining site to the City Lord." One of Michael's subordinates said to Farjan's grandfather.

"Why would we hand this over to you? What right do you have to get OUR mining site INSIDE our territory?" The clan leader said indignantly.

"So, this trifling low-class clan dared to offend the Sofori clan huh?!" The man said mockingly. Although the Dowter clan now could be considered a middle-class clan, they still haven't laid foundation yet. "We will return and let's see where this courage of yours takes you." With that, he and the other subordinates turned back and headed to their master to report the incident.