It's been a week since I woke up, since then I've messed around a bit with the System and found out some cool stuff about it, such as the Traits section. I have no idea about how these "traits" work, but one thing is for sure, they break rules. As in breaking the Laws of the World. Be it in this world or in my previous one there was nothing that even came close to it, although I've heard there are some cultivator who can bend some rules, the traits are on a completely different level. They directly ignore the Laws, I realized this when I gained the trait "Mind of the Sage" as part of the Kindred Spirit Bond package, which I gained by fusing souls with my Kindred Spirit.

Mind of a Sage

Smoke and mirrors shall become mere children's games in front of you.

See throught this world with the Mind of a Sage.

Insights are only part of the Journey to understand your Way, nevertheless crucial.

Understand that the Moon you see is just a reflection in the lake.

The trait itself is already overpowered, but how can you just change drastically the way someone sees the world like it's normal? It's like it rewrote time to fit everything into my current perspective, even the memories of my past life were slightly altered to adapt to how I see currently. This is a unthinkable level of power, nine heavens above the stories of the strongest cultivators I've heard of.

Another interesting thing I found is regarding the Quests and Store sections, which are closely connected. First, the Store won't open until I reach a certain Cultivation Realm, it's unknown which. Second, the quests are reward based, some vary between Battle Skills, Cultivation Methods, Elixirs and whatnot, the similarity being that they are all incredibly rare, another example of the System ignoring rules, as it cloned Cultivation Methods never record, only known by their creators.

I sigh as I give up on trying to understand how it works, by now. I walk out from my study and go to the training courtyard where Dad is waiting for me with his usual bright smile and baggy robe.

"And here I thought you ran away"

"I still want to learn cultivation"

"You do know what it implies, right?"

He frowns a bit while saying this, not that I blame him for being serious once in a while. Because, after all, he worries and loves me too much not to care about such a huge decision, but I remain unmoved.

"Yes, all the good and bad parts"

"I'm happy you are still as determined as always. Let us start from the basics, tell me, what is cultivation?"

"I think it's the process of how we absorb and concentrate Heavenly Energy to become stronger, of course, not forgetting the study of the laws and the mental components of it."

"Good, but what are these components?"

"Mental fortitude, perception, ample mind, focus, etc... it all depends of what you believe in"

"That's what I wanted, 'it all depends of what you believe in'. That's the base of cultivation, belief and will, without these two cultivation is impossible."

"But why? It just makes me think of cultivation as a religion..."

"Well, you aren't exactly wrong, but also not correct. Cultivation and religion share many similar points, but their goal and means are different. Cultivation is much more about the inner self than the outer self, many people confuse their fundamentals because of how the changes in people who pratice them happen. Cultivators usually change from inside to outside, but the believers are the opposite, from outside to inside. Not very perceptible, isn't it?"

"You still haven't answered my question..."

"That's more like your usual self, sighing as if you depended on it to live. I got a bit sidetracked but you'd have to learn that anyway in some point of your life. The 'why' is because without your Will holding your focus you won't even be able to move the Heavenly Energy, not to mention absorbing and taming it on your Dantian."

Well, that's surprising to say the least. I read in some novels of people going beserker of suffering from "Qi Deviation" or whatever, but I've never though it would be something even more serious. Imagine if your Cultivation Realm rises but your Will Realm doesn't, the Qi you refined you'd just run rampant and destroy your innards and meridians. I thought the explanation was over but he actually continues talking.

"Therefore, Will is what you use to control Heavenly Energy and Qi. I can seen in your face the multiple questions, but that's something you have to figure out on your own, so I will give you the best training schedule of the world"

He proceeds to hand me a paper in which is written four words of great wisdom, Self Study all day. My face twitches like I got electrocuted but he just gaves me an innocent look.

"You know that's the best for you, and even if I gave you a real training schedule, you wouldn't be able to follow it or just would do what you thought it was best."

Can't argue with that. I definitly would do that.

I've finally understood why they say knowledge is the most dangerous weapon, how I saw this world a week ago when Dad gave me full acess to the library and how I see it now are worlds apart, pun very much intended. But the biggest achievement of this week is my first skill.

Reading Comprehension Lv. 2

Understanding and information extrapolation of texts is increased

It doesn't say much, but means a lot. When I first unlocked it i didn't feel any difference. However as I continued reading and leveled it up, I suddenly felt the books being easier to understand and speculations naturally formed in my mind, just like when I first read books after unlocking the trait Mind of a Sage.

But I can't forget about the reason of why I came here. To learn how to cultivate, and I'm getting somewhere, but I first need the 3 essential things for a mortal trying to cultivate, a Affinity Stone, a Qi Pool Stone and Elixers/pills.

Affinity Stones test your affinity with the Laws, or the elements normally, as the majority of people have elemental oriented affinities. And Qi Pool Stones measure the size of your Dantian and how much Qi it can store. Knowing both your affinity and Qi Pool size are essential for choosing Battle Skills and Cultivation Methods, as practicing some technique that doesn't suits you would just be a waste of time and potential.

I hope that I have good affinities and Qi Pool size, even if I have the System there's never enough cheats, right? With that thought I lie down on my makeshift bed and let the sweet darkness of dreamland take me.