The Summoner And Contractor System 2 Three Basic Cultivation Stages; Wilhelm's Scripture

A tensed feeling filled Rentaro's mind, [Lil' Bro, I need you to listen carefully to the three cultivation stages. I'll glaze over the three basic stages of this realm, but it is imperative that you listen to the stages of the cultivation technique I teach you.]

Understanding the importance of Wilhelm's words, 'Understood, Big Bro, I'll listen carefully to everything you say.'

[Alright, if you need me to slow down, repeat myself, or have a question, just let me know.] Wilhelm couldn't help but soften towards Rentaro's sincere phrasing of, "Big Bro". [The first true stage of cultivation, the most basic of all, is Qi Condensation. Qi Condensation is the act of absorbing the qi from your surroundings, then refining it in your own body, more specifically the dantian.]

'What do you mean by, "the first true stage of cultivation"?' Rentaro asked sharply, taking on the air of a young scholar who thirsted for nothing less than truth.

[Hehehe, Lil' Bro, glad you pointed it out.] Spoke Wilhelm in a jolly manner.

'You don't plan to keep testing me to see if I'm listening, do you, Big Bro?' Muttered Rentaro in an exhausted manner, dropping the air of a scholar in a heartbeat.

[Of course, of course. Back to the topic at hand. There are naturally two requirements to begin cultivation.] Wilhelm paused, waiting for Rentaro's answer.

After a brief, and quite awkward moment of silence, 'Oh, you're waiting for me. Well, the first step is to train the body.'

Grunting, [Yes, that is the first step. One must first train and strengthen the vessel before filling it. I've already went over this step indirectly earlier. Do you know the second step, however?]

'They can only fill the vessel with qi if they can feel the qi. So, they must first learn to sense the qi in their surroundings... right?'

[Hehe, That is correct. Factored into this step are innate talent, which is something from birth that can't be changed without miraculous treasures, and repeated meditation to connect oneself with nature. Naturally, those with higher innate talent are able to absorb more qi from their surroundings and the time they take to sense the surrounding qi is substantially lowered. Furthermore, when they take in pills, medicines, beast cores, and any treasured ingredients, they absorb more of the essence, unlike lower innate talents who would lose more of the essence in the process of absorption. You understand everything so far?]

'Understood, Big Bro!'

[Good. As I've mentioned however, you won't be cultivating the same way as everyone else in this realm. You'll be cultivating the Scripture of Summoning and Contracting, a cultivation technique put together by yours truly.]

Feeling as if his currently non-existing eyes were s.h.i.+ning and mouth agape in joy, Rentaro's thoughts immediately poured out, 'So cool! You actually made a special scripture for me.'

[Simmer down, I need to finish my explanation.] Wilhelm spoke in a smug manner, clearly proud of his achievement, [The first stage of the Scripture is known as Affinity Awakening. Instead of feeling the qi in your surroundings, you need to sense the elements around you and which ones are closest to the root of your life, your soul.]

'Affinity Awakening... am I stuck with a specific affinity my whole life? I'd rather choose which one I like the best, if that's possible of course.' Rentaro spoke in a cheeky manner.

[We'll discuss the idea of you choosing an elemental once your body has finished reconstructing. Back to the topic at hand, the second stage of cultivation for the people of this realm is known as Foundation Establishment. Foundation Establishment occurs once a cultivator has refined enough qi and formed a Qi Pond in their dantian.]

[As a cultivator continues to refine more qi from their surroundings, the Qi Pond in their dantian slowly expands. The nine levels of Establishment Foundation are Pond, Creek, Stream, River, Lake, Lagoon, Cove, Sea, and Ocean.]

[The second stage of your cultivation is Affinity Establishment. During Affinity Establishment, you need to increase your affinity with nine different elements, but with my help and the missions to guide you, don't worry about the difficulty too much. The higher your affinity with the nine different elements, the stronger your foundation will be.]

'Only nine different elements, huh? There's quite a few of elements, especially if we look at different sub-types, aren't there?' Mumbled Rentaro, as he unconsciously thought about which elements he'd pick.

[Naturally, the nine you pick should be your basic affinities. Just pick nine elements that will help you use the sub-categories of elements through the combinations of your basic affinities or that are directly under the basic elements. Furthermore, these are for your foundation establishment. You can still gain affinities with other elements in the future.]

'Huh, seems like I over thought the situation. Thanks Big Bro.'

[No problem, people always over think everything in their mind and it takes someone who's on the outside to give the simple answer.] Spoke Wilhelm in a rather n.o.ble fas.h.i.+on, but with a slight-bit of narcissism in his voice.

'So, what's the third stage of cultivation?' Rentaro feverishly asked.

[Huh? Oh, yeah, Core Formation. Once a cultivator reaches the peak of Qi Foundation, Qi Ocean, their dantian starts to overfill and crumble. If a cultivator isn't careful and lacks willpower, then they might be crippled or even die if they fail during core formation.] Wilhelm spoke in a, as-matter-of-fact type voice, as if such consequences in case of failure were rather simple.

Taking in a rather deep breath, "Thankfully, I don't have to cultivate such a technique. Thanks, Big Bro, for making the Scripture for me, Core Formation sounds a bit too extreme.' Had Rentaro reformed his body, they'd see his eyes glistening, on the verge of tearing up, as he thought of Wilhelm's act of creating him the Scripture.

Startled by his Lil Bro's reacting and realizing there was a misunderstanding, Wilhelm could only come out with the truth, [Uh, Lil' Bro... sorry, but... your third cultivation stage is Paktierer Core Formation....]

'...' Stunned into silence, Rentaro didn't know how to respond and felt as if one of his five senses was back, the sound of touch, as he thought he could feel tears pouring out of his eyes uncontrollably and down his cheeks.

[I... I can only change the normal cultivation technique so much for the Scripture of Summoning and Contracting. The core is an essential part to every cultivation technique....] Wilhelm, feeling as if he failed to properly provide for his Lil' brother, immediately tried to remedy the situation..

[Don't worry, Lil' Bro, that isn't for a long time. We'll definitely find another way by then! Furthermore, there are plenty of items in existence that will guarantee you success and minimize any possible pain.] Rentaro's condition slightly improved after hearing Wilhelm's words, after all, Rentaro had no desire of putting himself in a situation where he might die for a second time.

Realizing that Rentaro was feeling a bit better, Wilhelm decided to go all out and throw a little white lie to make Rentaro feel better. [Heck, I even have a mission that offers a special item that will guarantee your success, you'll just have to complete the mission in the future when you're strong enough.] Thinking to himself, 'Rentaro will definitely be okay with the idea of core formation after living in the Perpetual Realm for some time, so this little lie of mine shouldn't cause much trouble.

Deciding to wrap-up the three basic stages, [Unlike Core Formation which uses the nine sub-stages, Paktierer Core Formation uses the nine different elements to form a perfect elemental core. The Paktierer Core allows a Paktierer to have a small army of summons active at the same time as their existence has gained more acceptance from the world laws which sustains the summon's presence in the physical world.]

'I- I understand. We're not going over any other cultivation stages for now, right?' Rentaro spoke in a hesitant voice, hoping to relax for a little bit.

[Nah, not now. That'll have to wait for the future when you're closer to those cultivation stages.] Wilhelm spoke in a tired manner, giving relief to Rentaro who needed time to digest all the newfound knowledge, while also allowing himself to take a break from explaining.

'Hey, Big Bro, do you think I'll be able to reach the peak? Becoming the strongest in the realm?.' Questioned Rentaro, who seemingly forgot about his earlier distress and found it impossible to stop their conversation after finally having a companion in life.

[Eh? Of course, you'll have me on your side after all. Just wait till you see and unlock my other system functions in the future. You'll get to the peak as long as you stay strong, regardless of what you experience in the cultivation world.] Rather surprised by Rentaro's sudden question, Wilhelm gave an answer filled with inspiration.

'Alright, Big Bro, I swear that I won't give up along the way!' Rentaro spoke, tone filled with resolve.