Martin who was resting looked at Amory and didn't understand what he was doing, he only saw Amory sit down with crossed legs and close his eyes..

As Martin looked over he tilted his head with a confused look. Is Amory... cultivating? But he doesn't even know how to control spirit energy.. or does he?

On the ground Amory placed the two small wild beast cores he had collected from back at the area they awoke from. After having done so he continued with his original plan. Amory quietly focused on trying to feel the spirit energy around him. Normally, a person would need to learn about spirit energy and how it worked along with how it interacted with his body before attempting to reach the first step into cultivating, but Amory had already had experiences with it in past lives and he knew the basics of the basics. He already knew how spirit energy worked and what he needed to do.

Slowly breathing in he concentrated on trying to feel the energy around him. He needed to sense the spirit energy around him before he could do the next step. Spirit energy came from everything that made up the world like dirt, grass, water, anything and everything even humans, cultivators and beasts. The world would also receive spirit energy from the surrounding stars and planets alike.

Although things like dirt gave extremely small amounts of spirit energy they still helped fill the world with spirit energy. Whilst trying to feel the spirit energy in the world Amory would inhale and exhale in a rhythm. Slowly he started to feel like he could 'see' the spirit energy around him.

Unbeknownst to him an hour had almost passed as Martin was to the side just watching him with some shock visible on his face. Father must have implemented some technique in him to get him on his feet.. but it's much different from the one I used.

Amory who wasn't bothered by the outside world was about to commence the next step. As he felt all the energy surrounding him he started taking deeper breaths and would only exhale after a few seconds passed. He needed the surrounding energy to slowly be absorbed by his body, this couldn't only be done by breathing though. If it was that easy, anyone would eventually step onto the cultivation path.

Every breath he took in would have spirit energy mixed with other particles in the air. Inside himself he could see the spirit energy slowly floating in circles, he needed the spirit energy to stay inside but the other particles to leave. As they spun inside he would exhale when the currently unneeded particles would be closer the exit, leaving the spirit energy inside himself. Like this his lungs were slowly being filled with only spirit energy, as they got fuller it got harder as he also needed to breathe oxygen but couldn't allow spirit energy to leave or it'd lose its purpose.

After another hour passed the sun signaled it was still a few hours until dark. Martin who had been watching to the side decided to get a few things done. He was building a small campfire by the river bank. It was a bit rocky, but he couldn't be choosey as he needed to look out for his younger brother. Back then, he had once gone out with his father to look at the wildlife and was taught a few wilderness survival tactics. Having made the small campfire, he put his hand in front of it and a small ball of flame flew out, igniting the campfire.

Having done so he looked back at Amory and saw he was still doing his own thing. Using his martial power, he looked at Amory's body and was taken aback as he could see Amory's lungs were brimming with pure spirit energy.

This technique is really strange.. is it even a technique? How does he know this..? He also only has pure energy inside him..

Amory who wasn't inhaling any longer slowly stood up, his lungs were full of spirit energy. His face was slightly red as he held in his breath, standing up he slowly started to move in odd ways. Focusing on his movements would reveal it was actually a martial dance. It involved slow beautiful movements and Amory who was making them was sweating all over and his face was glowing red as he continued holding his breath.

Amory had to make perfect movements or else it'd all be in vain. The dance he was doing was a martial technique that'd open his meridians and allow the spirit energy inside him to flow through them, successfully stepping onto the trainee level of the martial student realm.

He could have started with this instead of the previous two steps he had made but if he succeeded it'd make a much better foundation as all the pure spirit energy he needed was already in him. If he had done the dance right away it'd open his meridians and allow pure spirit energy to flow through them along with any polluted spirit energy.

The world had pure spirit energy that would come from peaceful life like grass or good-hearted people. But it also had polluted energy which came from beasts or any wicked person, it'd also be born when peaceful life was killed or destroyed. Whereas pure spirit energy would be born when evil life was destroyed. Essentially the world was filled with pure and wicked energy. Although wicked energy would sprout in incredible amounts, only few different things could make it whereas pure energy would sprout from many things even though they were average amounts. This allowed for a perfect balance of pure and wicked spirit energy in the world.

Dozens of seconds passed as Amory continued making perfect moves. His face was now turning purple, but he didn't allow his mouth nor his nose to take in a breath of fresh air. After having done a final thrust his eyes couldn't hide his excitement as he still remained motionless.

He closed his eyes and examined the energy inside him. He could feel and see as it traveled through different channels all across his body, eventually his meridians started to absorb the spirit energy and as they did his previous crystal-like core started to turn into a white color.

His core was at the centerline of his chest, next to the heart, and was currently only the size of a pinky's fingernail. It was round and to a martial cultivator it was more important than their life. They'd rather die than have it destroyed by someone. After having it destroyed they'd have to restart from zero unless their meridians were also destroyed where they'd no longer be able to cultivate under normal circumstances.

Martin who had been watching on the side was dumbfounded as he looked at Amory with a shocked expression. He had been looking at Amory with his martial power and clearly saw when his core was made. It was extremely pure, even more so than when he had formed his own. Even though he had used a top martial technique, that made very small amounts of wicked energy be absorbed by him, Amory's martial technique was actually better, and it seemed like it wasn't even a martial technique but more like he himself had come up with his own method.

Amory's face was filled with joy and pride as he abruptly fell on his hands, he hadn't breathed for a few minutes and now he intensely gasped for air as if the world depended on it. His previously slight purple face returned to its natural color as he slowly breathed in normally once again.

Martin couldn't calm down as he continued staring at Amory before finally speaking, "A-Amory.. why-err.. what..uhh.." the shock had been too great for Martin as he couldn't place his thoughts in order.

Amory who was nude and laying on the rocky riverbank slowly stood up with a smile on his face. He quickly thought of something as he answered back in a clear voice, "When we were traveling you spoke to me about... spirit energy and how it interacted with us... so, I made my body absorb it! It worked!" as he finished he made himself look like a child, which he was, so Martin would believe him.

He could just as easily say that really, he had lived countless of millennia, but he didn't know how Martin would react and he didn't want to deal with anyone that learned of this for he didn't know if Martin could keep his secret. Worst case scenario he could speak to him about it if something ever happened where he just couldn't avoid it.

Martin thought back to a few hours ago and he had indeed spoken about those things with Amory, "..Ohh, then, t-that must mean you're a prodigy! Hehehe, we'll definitely be unstoppable!" joy couldn't escape Martin as he smiled from ear to ear. His childish heart carried a large burden and it seemed to get easier to withstand with Amory by his side.

"Amory, since we woke up we haven't eaten. I'll catch a few fish and we can cook them on the campfire." as Martin said this he jumped into the passing river and used his martial power to look through the water. With a swift hand he reached in and took out a large fish grabbing it by its mouth. It resembled a carp but had sharp teeth and red placoid scales. Its teeth looked sharper than some blades but as it tried biting off the hand that was in its mouth its teeth actually either broke or directly pierced inside its gum making blood fill its mouth and flow down its body before finally dripping into the river.

Martin quickly went back to the riverbank and walked up to the campfire, the fish would squirm around trying to free itself from his grip, but it was to no avail as it only hurt its bleeding mouth. Martin didn't seem to mind the fish's desperate attempts at escape, he even seemed to enjoy it. Looking around he picked a sturdy stick from the ground and fiercely pierced it straight into the fish's mouth piercing out from its tail. The fish hadn't died, however, as though he somehow managed to avoid all of its vitals.

Amory spectating this animal cruelty couldn't help but feel a shiver go down his spine. The fish was clearly in pain from the very start Martin had grabbed it and now it was just pure torture and yet Martin hadn't killed it clearly for his own amusement. Amory watched as Martin cooked it over the fire, slowly rotating it in the fire. Some of its muscles would tremble as it felt the fire gently caress its skin.

After a few moments the fish stopped making any movement and Martin let it cook on its own, placing its edges on two more sticks that were each on opposite sides of the fire. After a few minutes they each started to eat the fish. Amory's hunger had awoken after the first bite and he felt his strength rise up after eating. As he remembered how Martin had enjoyed the fish's pain he couldn't help but think.

He's indeed the son of an Emperor, I wonder if it's luck or misfortune to have him as an ally-err my brother. But Martin aside, now that I've reached the trainee level I should absorb the two wild beast cores..no, Martin might want one and I also can't bother with any more questions.

"Amory, let's keep going. It's still a bit from being dark and I want to set a foothold already." saying this Martin stood with his back towards Amory.

Silently agreeing with him, Amory jumped back on again. Together they speed forward once more, looking from above one could see some big buildings appear in the far distance.

UNKNOWN LOCATION

In a foggy dark room, four pairs of eyes were looking at a small evenly shaped puddle on the water. Looking closer one could see it actually demonstrated two different areas. In one area there were two boys running through a forest and in the other area there was a black robed man surrounded by darkness.

"How intriguing... how about we give him more time...hehehe. What fun!" a jolly voice echoed through the room as a red smoke flowed into the puddle and went into the black robed man's body.

"Y-you.. you made him stronger! What were you thinking?!" a sharp cry sprang through the room as the voice was filled with shock.

"Heheh, oh come on... it'll make it interesting, and he'll need a few years to absorb this power anyway." said the latter figure again, with a bit of playfulness in the voice.

Inside a cave, the robed man who had been absorbing the bloods power suddenly jumped up as he felt a red smoke rush towards him. He was much too slow, however, as it rapidly rushed into his nose and mouth quickly reaching his internal system. He desperately tried coughing it out, but it was to no avail as it had seeped inside his core already.

He was abruptly being filled with power amidst his confusion when he suddenly thought of a possibility. He had previously cursed life and had decided to fight back and now some sudden smoke had been absorbed into his body.

"Hahaha! Is this an apology! Hahaha! It's too late! I'll rule this entire province and anyone who stands in my way will die!" as he furiously mocked life he laughed maniacally. Unbeknownst to him, he was going to do exactly what life wanted.

THUMP

The man abruptly fell to the ground facing down. The red smoke that had swept into his core could be seen spinning around inside it as he fell unconscious. It was unknown or if he'd wake up.