The First Gate of Cultivation
The realms of a cultivator are strictly delineated. This is because the difference in power between each stage is so vast that it cannot possibly be ignored.
Naturally, such a gap in ability is not granted for free. Each realm has its own trials that must be overcome, and tasks that must be completed to reach the next. They are incredibly difficult, take an extraordinarily long time, and are brutally demanding.
Sensing spiritual energy is one such barrier. Anyone who knew how many people throughout the long history of the cultivation world had fallen at this very first gate would be horrified.
And yet.
Han Yujin succeeded in sensing spiritual energy in less than a few hours!
At first, he thought it was a mistake.
But the more he instinctively focused on that sensation, the clearer it became—like something waking from a long slumber—and a shiver of awe ran down his spine.
Once he realized it, the spiritual energy around him was so vivid and dense that it was impossible to ignore. It filled every direction, so clear that he wondered how he had never noticed it before.
It felt almost like it had mass, yet it didn’t. It seemed cool or warm, yet it had no actual temperature. It looked like something he could reach out and knead softly, yet it possessed no physical texture.
With every breath, the rich spiritual energy rushed into him, making him feel like he might suffocate—only for it to spread through his lungs into every corner of his body, washing away his fatigue with a refreshing coolness that left him in pure ecstasy.
One hunter had once described the first time they felt mana as a “baptism.” The exact moment varied depending on the awakened ability, but most hunters agreed with the expression.
And now, Han Yujin could agree with it quite fiercely.
Just as a religious baptism washes away sin, this baptism brought a sensation that seemed to cleanse every impurity within a person.
‘I am now an Initiation Stage cultivator.’
The path of cultivation began at the Initiation Stage, then progressed through the Dharma Soul Stage, Core Formation, Nascent Soul, Soul Formation, Body Integration, Tribulation Transcendence, and finally True Immortal.
The most important information to consider right now was how to ascend to the Dharma Soul Stage. In his current state, it still felt a bit awkward to call himself a true cultivator.
The primary task of the Initiation Stage was to sublimate the soul into a Dharma Soul. Only after completing that could one truly be considered to have entered the Dharma Soul Stage and become a genuine cultivator capable of wielding Dharma Power freely.
Of course.
That didn’t mean an Initiation Stage cultivator was no different from an ordinary person.
Han Yujin raised his palm upward, focusing on the feeling of drawing in the surrounding spiritual energy. As if responding to his will, the energy slowly gathered and formed into a sphere.
Though invisible to the naked eye, it felt as clear as if he could see it.
Staring at the sphere that seemed to possess an indescribable color, he traced one of the basic techniques he knew and lifted it slightly higher.
Basic Flame Technique
Whoosh—!
A streak of flame burst into existence in the empty air, flickering wildly. The vivid heat of the fire was incredibly satisfying.
He had just caused a supernatural phenomenon for the very first time in his life!
“Hahaha…!”
A low laugh escaped him involuntarily. If this had been a safe zone, he might have burst into mad laughter.
He had only created a single fireball, yet an overwhelming sense of omnipotence surged through him, as if he had become a god. It was probably due to the brilliant hope that he could become even greater in the future.
Bursting with excitement, he dispersed the flame and swung both hands around him. The spiritual energy responded, whipping up a sudden gust of wind. The dry leaves he had carefully arranged for his shelter scattered wildly, turning the place into a mess in an instant.
“Kek…! Cough…!”
Han Yujin coughed after inhaling a mouthful of dust and hurriedly calmed the chaos. Even that process felt mysterious and impressive—once he used spiritual energy, the inside of the shelter quickly settled down.
Anyway.
Thanks to that, he was able to calm himself. He sat down in the now-quiet shelter, composed his mind, and thought.
‘Just handling spiritual energy doesn’t make me any different from a regular hunter.’
No, it wasn’t just that—he was still lacking. His awakening ability couldn’t be used directly in combat.
Therefore, it was time to seriously prepare for the sublimation of his Dharma Soul.
With his eyes closed and focused, he recited the formulas of the Hoe-won Gong in his mind while breathing deeply.
Breathing was the easiest way for a cultivator to draw spiritual energy into the body. The energy that entered through his breath no longer scattered randomly as before. Instead, it began to follow a set path.
It wasn’t just drawing a path. The formulas were both the method and sequence of drawing mystical patterns, and those patterns themselves were mysterious crystals containing unfathomable power.
They tempered and elevated both the body and soul of the cultivator.
In short, practicing a cultivation art was not about accumulating external energy somewhere in the body like in many genre novels.
‘It’s meaningless.’
No matter how hard one accumulated it, the energy would simply disappear once used. In the end, it was nothing more than an external resource.
‘The soul can generate spiritual energy on its own.’
That was true personal power.
The more it was used, the more it was trained, the more spiritual energy the soul could produce—faster and more efficiently. Just like how intense exercise allowed one to exert greater strength more explosively and for longer periods.
And just as exercise required plenty of food and proper equipment, training the soul required abundant external spiritual energy and excellent cultivation formulas.
‘The same applies when recovering after exerting full strength.’
If one didn’t eat and rest properly, no matter how good the equipment or how perfectly the exercises were performed, muscles wouldn’t grow. The body might even break down from overwork.
The soul was the same. After using a great deal of spiritual power, it was essential to nourish and care for it with external spiritual energy. Only then could it grow stronger instead of growing weak.
It was only natural to be clumsy at first, but Han Yujin remained largely unshaken and diligently continued his Hoe-won Gong training.
It was here that the subtle brilliance of Hoe-won Gong revealed itself.
It was truly a cultivation method designed for beginners.
It was structured so that minor mistakes caused no harm at all, and while prioritizing safety, it still provided a respectable speed of progress for both body and soul.
The techniques included in it were also quite decent. In fact, when it came purely to training, there could be nothing better.
One was the Purification Technique, capable of washing away all contamination and impure energies. The other was the Clear Mind Technique, which prevented mental disturbance and enhanced concentration.
This was also why the technique book he had acquired from the library did not contain the common Cleaning Spell. The Purification Technique was a higher-grade art.
Especially since it could melt away impurities even within the body. The concentration-enhancing effect of the Clear Mind Technique went without saying.
Above all, its greatest advantage was that it had been designed so there would be no loss no matter which formula one switched to later.
Thanks to that, he could focus solely on training without any worries.
At this very moment, he had forgotten even the outside world, sitting as still as a statue.
When he opened his eyes again, it was the middle of the night and everything was pitch black.
It was his first night in the heart of the Primordial Forest. Even though he had become an Initiation Stage cultivator, he had no techniques he could use yet, so he felt a bit nervous.
‘I can’t believe I was able to concentrate this deeply.’
The chirping of insects nearby, the faint cries of mountain birds in the distance, and even farther away, the howling and roaring of unknown beasts.
With his vision completely swallowed by darkness, it was hard to relax.
Obviously, what he needed in this situation wasn’t to start a fire, but the Spirit Eye Technique that could pierce through the dark. Who knew what kind of beast lighting a fire might attract? This wasn’t the safe Earth.
He used the Clear Mind Technique included in Hoe-won Gong to calm his mind and sharpen his focus. Then, following the knowledge in his head, he carefully directed his spiritual power into his eyes.
It was only a basic technique, and the pattern used wasn’t particularly dangerous, but because it involved such a sensitive and vital organ, the tension was no joke.
Fortunately, his worries proved unnecessary. He succeeded almost immediately.
‘Oh…’
It was his first attempt, so the activation was a little imperfect, but even so, his completely dark vision suddenly opened up.
It wasn’t bright enough to look like daytime, but it was more than enough to survey his surroundings.
‘So this is the power of techniques.’
It wasn’t just that he could see through the darkness. He could even vaguely gauge the density of spiritual energy contained in each object with a glance.
If there had been a ghostly entity nearby, its location and shape would have appeared clearly.
As he thought that, it suddenly occurred to him that his current state might be quite visible to any dangerous creatures nearby.
Since he had only just begun leading his energy and practicing the cultivation art, there must be a corresponding aura around him.
‘I need to learn the Concealment Technique first.’
After all, the most important skills for survival were, first, not being noticed, and second, being good at running away.
Being good at hitting and blocking came much further down the priority list. After all, the act of fighting itself carried great risk.
The seemingly hopeless prospect of surviving in the Primordial Forest began to feel like an exciting game thanks to the existence of these techniques.
Just as he focused and tried to activate the Concealment Technique—
Rustle—
A distinctly different, alien noise sounded from outside. It was quite close, and Han Yujin felt a chill run down his spine.
His hand moved reflexively, grabbing the Five Elements Sword at his waist. Only then did he feel a pang of regret.
‘Now that I can handle spiritual energy, I should have tested this magic tool first…!’
If he had at least learned the Concealment Technique first, he would have had the option of holding his breath and staying still.
He shouldn’t have happily started with Hoe-won Gong like an idiot.
Feeling cold sweat break out, he gripped the Five Elements Sword—whose blade wasn’t even properly sharpened—tightly and stared at the entrance of his shelter.
The boulder he had used to roughly block the entrance looked terribly flimsy. When he first found it, he had thought it would be fine, but now he wanted to slap his naïve past self.
He knew that even if he died, he would simply wake up in reality, but that didn’t mean he could die recklessly. The pain would still be vivid, after all.
Clatter—!
At that moment, the boulder blocking the entrance shook violently. He hadn’t heard it approach at all, so he was startled.
Through his Spirit Eyes, he caught a glimpse of a pitch-black beast’s paw on top of the rock.
‘I’ve really been found out!’
As shock and regret swirled through his mind—
The boulder he had struggled to move flew backward and disappeared as if it weighed nothing. What appeared through the newly opened hole was the face of a monkey-like beast with glowing yellow eyes.
It locked eyes with Han Yujin, who was gripping the Five Elements Sword with all his strength, and grinned hideously. The claws at the tips of its outstretched hands looked terrifyingly thick and sharp.
At that moment, Han Yujin poured every ounce of his will into channeling spiritual power into the Five Elements Sword and thrust it forward.
The infused spiritual energy awakened the function of the ‘mid-grade magic tool’ known as the Five Elements Sword.
Complex and intricate mystical patterns rose to the surface of what had been nothing more than a blunt, edgeless club, resonating powerfully. The light that flowed from them instantly transformed into blazing flames and shot forward.
There was no explosion.
Like an illusion, an overwhelming heat surged along the path of his thrust, piercing straight through the monkey-like beast’s head.
It then spread out like a fan behind the creature, reducing everything it touched to a handful of ashes.