"Can I still cultivate even if I have no spiritual roots? And… is there a solution to this problem?"
Hong Wei asked. And while the question was indeed important, this time, because he didn't hold the same anticipation as before, he asked it more casually.
Anyway, his current situation was problematic, and he needed a solution.
So, the only thing that mattered to him was whether they could fix his problem… or would he have to wait until he pulled a stronger character? That was the only thing on Hong Wei's mind.
Catching onto his tone, Seren didn't feel the same weight in answering as she did earlier, and so, she immediately began speaking.
"If it's just cultivating, then actually… you can."
"But, if there would be any results? Then that's another issue."
Noticing Hong Wei's expression, and understanding that her answer wasn't quite enough, Seren went on to explain further.
"Master, to make things simple, to cultivate, one must first sense the Qi in the air, then absorb it, and finally refine it."
"But then, how can you sense the Qi in the air?"
Seren didn't seem to expect an answer from him, and was about to continue, but Hong Wei still replied, "Through a cultivation technique?"
"Well, that's naturally true. But at the end of the day, cultivation techniques; what do they rely on?"
"It's the spiritual roots… or more specifically, the affinity one has with Qi."
"And no matter what, every person has this affinity. It might be infinitely small, but it would still exist."
"So, while you don't have spiritual roots, you still have that affinity. And that, in turn, will allow you to attempt cultivation. But you could spend a lifetime… and with your current affinity, you'd probably only reach the first or second stage of the Qi Refinement realm, at best."
Hong Wei pondered her explanation for a while. And be it Seren or Shan Mei, both of them remained quiet, giving him time to process and digest the information.
After a moment of silence, Hong Wei finally asked, "Then, how can I solve the spiritual roots problem… or the affinity problem?"
"There are many ways," Seren said, before she began explaining once again.
"The simplest one is… we could strip the spiritual roots from another cultivator, and transfer them to you."
Hearing that first method, and it being such an obviously evil one, spoken so calmly from the mouth of the beautiful Seren, Hong Wei blinked his eyes in a quiet surprise, unsure whether to laugh or be speechless.
But Seren, seemingly not noticing his reaction, continued speaking without pause.
"But using this kind of method, stripping the spiritual roots of someone else, would limit your potential in the later stages, and carries many complications. So, I wouldn't recommend it."
'Oh, that's more like it,' Hong Wei thought, as he continued listening to Seren's explanation.
The subsequent methods she mentioned were many, but if he were to mention the simpler ones among them, then they would be things like consuming natural treasures or certain alchemy pills that could enhance his Qi affinity… or even rarer ones that could bestow spiritual roots altogether.
She also brought up other methods, like forsaking Qi cultivation altogether, and instead tempering his body… which was similar to the martial arts path, though a little different in nature.
Her speech continued for nearly an hour before it finally ended, but aside from the simple method she mentioned at the start, all the others felt like things too far out of reach for him.
So, he didn't bother with them much, and instead concentrated on the more attainable ones, the ones he felt he had a real shot at acquiring… because at the end of the day, Seren was a Spiritual Core Realm cultivator.
And according to her, the cultivation realms were as follows: Qi Refinement Realm, Foundation Establishment Realm, Golden Core Realm, Spiritual Core Realm, and the higher stages to follow.
Meaning, the Spiritual Core Realm was actually quite high up.
So with her help, things that could affect mortals, like natural treasures or low-level pills, should be easily obtainable.
But the real problem was that he was currently in a mortal town, where there were no cultivators at all.
That meant, if he wanted to acquire such things, he would either have to venture out himself… or send Seren alone.
But he didn't want to go with either of those choices!
The first option was dangerous, and he had no way of knowing how strong Seren actually was compared to other cultivators out there. The Spiritual Core Realm sounded impressive… but what if cultivators at that level were as common as dogs in the outside world?
And the second option, sending Seren away, he didn't like that either.
Because once again, it could be dangerous. For her, who would be heading out alone, and for him, who would be staying behind without the protection of a Spiritual Core Realm cultivator.
Hong Wei still had fifty-five years of lifespan left, so if possible, he wanted to take things carefully.
Not to mention, he had his gacha system… meaning he would eventually pull many more characters.
Some of them might present him with different methods, or even entirely different paths.
Anyway, there was no need to rush. He could explore things slowly.