[NR] Next Stage Is The Body - Chapter 759

Rosha, “So you might get stuck at 99?”

Jason shakes his head, “I didn’t say that. Just that there would still be a bottleneck. In fact, neither of you should have much trouble either.”

Rosha, “Okay, this I got to hear. How can the bottleneck which filters out even the lucky and skilled? Which is the bane of players the world over. Be so simple for us?”

Jason shrugs, “Like I said, it is a true bottleneck based around a qualitative change. And guess what? Cultivation is all about growing and those sorts of changes. I will not claim that we can hit 99, complete the quest, and be done within a day. There is a reason some people take over a decade.

“Moments of enlightenment can magically bring you over the line. But don’t expect that kind of thing. We’ll have to meditate our butts off to get there. What I Will claim? We won’t be stuck for years. In fact, depending on how long we stretch getting there, we might just need to do the quest. Oh, and you two will likely get to form a core early.”

Courtney, “Okay, I can see that. If the qualitative change makes forming a core easier, then getting close would lower the bar. Except wouldn’t that be true for most people trying to break through to level 100?”

Jason shrugs, “If a person never learned a language, will they be able to write a poem in that language just because they know poems exist? I’m giving you tools to handle your spirit.

“Cores? It’s like having a piece of furniture that hasn’t been put together. Some people have it easy. They don’t actually need tools, it all slots together and uses connectors that can be tightened with your fingers. This doesn’t mean they’re of lower quality. It could be an elegant piece of furniture that uses friction joints to fit perfectly together.

“Most people aren’t that lucky. Maybe most of the core can go together, but you still need a screwdriver to actually tighten the screws, so it doesn’t fall apart. I got a core because I came in with a set of tools already. Not just a screwdriver, but wrenches and whatnot. And now I’m giving you a set of those tools through my teachings.”

Courtney, “But will they be the right tools? It worked for you, but what if you got lucky? You had a flathead screwdriver, but it fit in the philips screws. What if we need one of those fancy tamper-prevention star screwdrivers?”

Jason shrugs, “Comparing it to screwdrivers is a bit of a leaky metaphor, I will admit. Maybe think of it as more of an adjustable wrench? Meh, it will work and at the very least, you’ll be ready for the bottleneck. Even if you don’t make your cores early, you can just wait for level 100 and have the System come along and put it together for you.”

Courtney, “How soon can you teach us?”

Jason sighs, “It’s a bit early.”

Courtney, “But you had it already?”

Jason shrugs, “I’ve had it all my life and then some. I would prefer you both clear your meridians first. And that includes the extraordinary ones.”

Rosha pouts, “That’s boring! What’s so special about that?”

Jason gestures at himself, “Meridians are to the spiritual body what veins and nerves are to the physical body. Actually, I’d say it goes even deeper than that. They connect the body, mind, and soul. Though yeah, on a basic level they’re nerves and veins while the dantian is heart, bone marrow, and then some.”

Courtney, “And you want us to have full access to the meridians before we start poking around our spirits?”

Jason nods, “Exactly. In fact, the next stage after meridian clearing is spirit development. Err, can involve spirit development. You don’t need to and in fact, it is generally advised for normal cultivators to not do so. We aren’t normal, bodybuilding though. All it will take is finding the right plants and we’ll drug our way to success. The ‘young master’ classic.”

Courtney, “So, what is the core of the next stage?”

Jason shrugs, “Well, you start with energy gathering, then you clear out the pathways for said energy, which brings us to actually using said energy. Except, it needs to be proof against errors because this is your first real work with the power. Which means we finally refine the body.

“Well, some people include a stage before gathering which is basically body building, but that’s purely ‘mortal’ techniques. Mostly used by sects focused on body cultivation and places that take children before they’re ready to actually start cultivating. That way they feel like they’re doing something.”

Rosha tilts her head to the side, “And what is the age to start cultivating?”

Jason, “Well, I guess it is less about age and more about mental maturity? Even the first step to gathering has pitfalls if you aren’t disciplined enough. And a physical fitness routine will generally instill a certain amount of discipline by default.

“At the third stage though, you get into destruction and regeneration. Cultivators can be strong and slim because of this step. While it is perfectly possible to build up muscles and there can be advantages to that. Body refinement involves breaking down the body and rebuilding it the same, but stronger.

“So instead of bulking up, your muscles can stay slim while growing innately stronger. There’s of course a balance with this. At the third stage, there are a number of limits. The most famous being the skin. You can keep hardening the skin, but if you go too far, it stops feeling like skin. To the point where it actually restricts your movements.”

Courtney, “Weren’t you going to wait till we were in private before you told us all of that?”

Jason shrugs, “Eh, this is mostly warnings, so having it out there won’t hurt. I’ll leave the actual exercises for private.”

Rosha, “Wait, if our power is supposed to reinforce our bodies, how can it also destroy?”

Jason, “Too much of a good thing? It’s like that saying about how the difference between poison and medicine is the dose.”