*Swish*

Vayu suddenly covered his mouth with his hands. His eyes widened ins surprise as he found himself surrounded by water. The corner of his eyes didn't sting even a little as it would do in the sea surrounding the Community. He blinked. He looked up to find not a single source of light but the ocean was lit up naturally. He gently moved his feet. He wasn't wearing any clothes. But his chest glowed with soft red light.

Looking down, Vayu found a small red bead sticking out from the center of his chest. As the moments passed, the red bead would grow smaller in size.

'This is... the Ocean of Souls?' Vayu removed his hand from his mouth and tried to exhale softly. Nothing happened. He then inhaled without hesitation and still, nothing happened.

'Amazing,' Vayu's eyes brightened. His dark hair naturally floated up, signifying that slowly and surely, he was descending deep into the ocean. 

'Now, the Instructor Vitski said that to move in the Soul Ocean, we don't have to move our bodies... but think. So... forward!' Vayu shouted in his heart and his straight body was pushed a little forward.

'Time to find a spirit for myself!'

Vayu grew determined. Everybody has a chance at Cultivation. The world is fair. But to achieve this chance, one must find a spirit within the soul ocean and bring it back to the real world. A person can only arrive in this location once their entire life and for not more than 40 minutes. A chance of a lifetime!

Finding an appropriate spirit will lay the foundation for future Cultivation. The spirit becomes a Cultivator's greatest companion in the later stages. How could Vayu not be excited?

'Not to mention the fact that the effect of the Spirit Manifesting Pill will work as a bait to attract better spirits!'

Soon, Vayu grew accustomed to the situation of soul ocean. It was strange not being able to breathe, and proved a major source of psychological anxiety to many cultivators in the beginning but Vayu only had one thing in mind.

One obsession.

A spirit.

*Whoosh*

He shot deep into the ocean and felt no pressure whatsoever. His eyes glittered as the surroundings grew darker the deeper he penetrated into the surface.

---

"Boss, you never told anybody about your spirit acquiring experience. Did you give good suggestions to Vayu?" Kol, who finally returned after 'relieving' herself, seemed absolutely refreshed and inquired with a bright smile.

Glancing towards her, Trilok snorted. 

"What benefit my experience will give him? It will only fill his head with unnecessary thoughts and let's be honest, he cannot afford to lose the pitiful amount of thinking capabilities to somebody else's situation," Trilok supported his cheek with a palm while placing his elbow against the creaking counter.

Still, the question made the dark memories resurface.

*Gasp*

"Where am I?!"

"Dad!!"

"Help! I don't want anything!"

"Please, I'm sinking! Move up! Move Up!"

"I hate you! Fucking drunkard!"

"Mom left us! Fucker, don't you get IT?! She hated us! She hated me, Vayu, and you! I hope she's dead! And I hope you die, too!"

"Ah... that's a spirit? So deep down?"

"... down..."

"... et... down..."

"Boss!"

Trilok's eyes snapped open. He looked into Kol's eyes. As expected, from afar, she looked dumb but she was blessed with a beautiful set of eyes.

"What?" Trilok inquired without missing a beat.

"I need to clean the area beneath the counter. Could you move so I can get down?" 

"Huff... Whatever. I'll give you a hand today."

Kol's eyes violently twitched. She now expected a disaster to strike the boat. Boss? Helping? Why would the heaven break its routine and give this young man a compassionate heart?

---

"Another green?" Vayu scowled.

His surroundings glittered with balls of green and white glow. Some were larger than others and within them, Vayu could even see three orbs of blue color moving around him stealthily.

While the Spirit Manifesting pill made sure Vayu got at least one spirit of the same quality as his spiritual vein, he wanted something better. Purple spirit or greater!

The spirits in the Soul Ocean had their own qualities. White being the most ordinary and common quality of spirit a cultivator can possess. Greater than white were green, blue, and purple-colored spirits. However, the absolutely rare and Legendary ones came with Orange, Red, and Cyan hues!

But not even cultivators with Orange, Red, or Cyan spiritual veins could easily contract with spirits the same quality as their veins.

At least, that's what once the Middle-aged Roa had told his youngest sister with Vayu in the vicinity.

'Your fragrance...' 

A hollow, slithering echo suddenly whispered into Vayu's ears, making him stop dead in his tracks. Even the green and white balls of light dissolved into the ocean.

It was a popular theory that the Soul Ocean was instead comprised entirely of spirits and the spirits will show them as they see fit. However, Vayu was not happy at all to see such a theory being proven right in front of his eyes as the blue spirits soon dissolved, too!

'Whenever encounter something incomprehensible... run.' One of Trilok's warnings echoed within Vayu's mind. It rang harshly.

Vayu instantly leaned forward, fully content in running away but disastrously, he realized, he couldn't move. Not any longer.

*Hiss*

Something... something soft suddenly brushed past his left cheek. Vayu turned his face quickly and suddenly, a thick grey figure materialized. Its body coiling around Vayu, leaving his neck and face only for Vayu to face a large serpent. Grey scaled. Red-eyed. And it's thin tongue flickering and smacking Vayu in the cheeks.

"Youhhh... smell of ittthhh," Vayu heard everything clearly this time. With the soft hissing in the background, too.

His lips trembled as he continued to watch the Serpent's red eyes. Soon, Vayu looked away, as if peering past the snake and revealed an even greater expression of fright.

"No... what is that..." Vayu whispered. He didn't know if his voice could be heard but the large Serpent head turned to its back and its coiled body moved just a little to loosen around Vayu.

'Psyche!'

Vayu shot out from the coiled prison and swam upward. He didn't look down. He was too afraid of looking down. His heart still shivered.

'Brother... I'm scared! I'm terrified! This is Cultivation, isn't it? I will face more monsters!'

"I... hardlyhhh doubt ittthhh," Vayu's body came to a stunning end as he saw a gray blur zipping and coiling around him.

"There aren't manyhhh monsterssss like meehh," The large Serpent flicked its tongue against Vayu once again.

"You're... cunning enoughhhh," The whisper blew against Vayu's cheek. Even in the ocean, he felt it.

"For what you—" Vayu blinked, "monster!"

He shouted, only seeing Chieftain's dark gaze flickering and his hand raised once again.

'Uh-oh...' Vayu gulped.

---

As it turns out, forty minutes in Soul Ocean passes quite quickly but waiting for others to go through the same process was amazingly destructive to the young minds of the excited, newly born cultivators.

This was much more evident for Vayu as he continuously tried to feel the spirit like other cultivators but aside from a warm feeling close to his chest, he could find nothing of value.

'What do I smell like in Ocean? Barbecue? Why did I attract that monstrosity?' Vayu bit his lips.

"Hey, it'll affect you in the competition if you grow irritated because of impatience," Chief's youngest daughter snickered and smacked Vayu's back. The flat of her palm extremely cruel as the fleshy *pah* sound was accompanied by Vayu writhing in pain.

"I told you not to do this, Jeli!" Vayu glared at the cheerful girl. Just like her brother, Jeli wore her headful of black hair into a ponytail with her brown eyes shimmering with delight.

"I managed to snag a green spirit!" She grinned, "What about you?"

"Not gonna tell you!" Vayu stuck his tongue out, and now, he had the perfect excuse, "You hit me!"

"Cheh! Petty much!" Jeli snorted.

"Anyway, I'll win the competition with one hand," Vayu smirked.

The tradition of the community was simple.

Survive for twelve years and get a chance to find a spirit in the Soul Ocean. Next, have a competition to beat every other youngster of the age of twelve to prove one's utter dominance and in the hollow glory which provided no material reward, all the youths, including the champ, would be taught the cultivation technique simultaneously.

---

"Tsk, tsk," A deriding tone erupted the calm interior of the [Bitter Medicine; Healthy Life] alchemy store. Still, Trilok continued to drink from his flask of juice while the sweaty Kol continued to fan him.

"Hah, Boss! I need to make my daily rounds. Can I leave?" Kol begged, carefully hiding the look of absolute joy in her beady dark eyes.

"I suppose so... Sure," Trilok waved his hand while looking towards Noland and then carefully observing the mercury hourglass. Seeing the lower section of the hourglass only 10% filled by the dripping red granite mercury, Trilok frowned.

"The Ceremony ended so quickly?" Trilok inquired and looked at Noland who sniffed a few times before shuddering. The two didn't bother the escaping Kol as Noland snickered with a heavy blush, as if already drunk.

"Your brother truly is something. But... such a liar. Even with a Spirit Manifesting pill, he continued to claim that he brought a green-quality spirit with him! In such case, he truly resembles you," Noland glared at Trilok.

"But no, the ceremony still hasn't ended. They all are learning the Sea God's Ascension. Man, it shouldn't even take long, right? It's the easiest technique out there!" Noland chuckled, pulling the spare stool from where Kol sat a few moments again before sitting on it. He frowned and scowled.

"The seat is too warm, damn!" He groaned, "Anyway, what you up to?" Noland inquired with a grin.

"If nothing, why don't we go to my store? It's spacious. And cool, might I add. I've got all the things to treat an alchemist like you juusst right!" 

"I swear to god. If there's any butt plug shaped pills again," Trilok narrowed his eyes.

"I sold them all!" Noland laughed, "And would you chill? I was just testing my new pill shaping technique! Heck, those shapes earned me a fortune the last time we encountered a Trading Ship," Noland mused.

"Actually, I'll make more batches of spirit pill in that shape. Say, want to help me?" Noland inquired.

"Only with the research of Spirit Manifesting Pill," Trilok grunted, "Let's go."

"Sure!" Noland's face split into a smile.

---

'Eh? Now what's this Devouring Serpent Technique?' Vayu exclaimed internally the moment he began absorbing spiritual energy based on Sea God's Ascension Technique.