Spiritual energy.

A mystical force that exists in all things yet one cannot simply see it with the naked eye. In its most basic form, it has no influence on the outside world. Yet many are after it, the purer it is, the more they desire it.

Because of the ease of molding it to one's imagination, the possibilities it could present are almost limitless.

Almost every aspect of life has spiritual energy in it. The electrical lamps and appliances use lightning spiritual energy and the shower heater that uses fire spiritual energy for the warm water. 

The thing that intrigued Richard is not these things but the use of it on a much deeper level.

Formulating the hollow blocks using earth spiritual energy which is then heated using fire spiritual energy, resulting in a house built with it to be more resistant than normal hollow blocks and has a degree of resistance to spiritual attacks.

But all of that is not possible without the painstaking research of millions of years in spiritual techniques. Or precisely the subtopic called spiritual cultivation techniques. 

Yes, this world he traveled into has the concept of cultivation, cultivating not the qi Richard is familiar with but with spiritual energy instead.

To get a clearer understanding of it, he opened his backpack and began reading "Basic Spiritual Cultivation Technique". A book that is given to every high school freshman nationwide.

This book is the culminated research of the National Research Institution of the United States of Noriis. Simplifying and removing any unnecessary contents, they created a basic and common cultivation technique that only increases the quantity and quality of spiritual energy of the body with no addition of elements or weird characteristics.

"Spiritual energy is simply an energy that exists all around us. It does not have special attributes but the fact it is easily influenced by the outside environment and vice versa. However, primarily, it is created by the soul. Any activity of the soul, be it moving or the moment of dissipating, spiritual energy is released."

"Only if spiritual energy is refined and totally controlled by the user with the dual effort of the soul and body, can be it called spiritual power."

"Spiritual power is a different matter all along as it is required in order for various spiritual techniques to work. Walking in water and air, unleashing various deadly sword arts, or even breathing fire out of your lungs, all of it requires spiritual power..."

Not only the book has a basic cultivation method and the inner workings of the inner world of a person but it also plainly explains how and what the differences between spiritual energy and spiritual power cause him to nod.

"So, basic spiritual energy is ownerless and attributeless while spiritual power is the combination of spiritual energy, the user, and their control of it."

After having a basic understanding, Richard then sat down on the bed of his small apartment.

He closed his eyes and stabilized his breathing in a special rhythm. Focusing his mind to think of a blank space, Richard started the most basic and only cultivation practice he knows of.

Then there was darkness, all around darkness. A weird darkness that didn't devour anything or retreat but firmly locked in place. And in the middle of this darkness is a giant bright lamp.

A giant sphere of light, ten times larger than usual.

Gazing at it, Richard knew it at once it is his soul. He didn't know why but maybe it is because of the ten consecutive fusions of souls, resulting in such a bright soul. 

This is what spiritual practitioners call the inner world, a special space that stores the soul and any soul-related things. 

"The safest place in the world isn't anywhere but the inner world."

Reading such a sentence in the book, Richard couldn't make an accurate judgement about it for now. Maybe such a sentence is now obsolete as someone out there has researched something to search the inner world without disturbing the soul in any way possible.

Not to mention the fact he only took a minute to enter his inner world for the first time. Unlike what was written in the book that it usually takes about ten minutes to half an hour just to feel the existence of it for first timers.

Around his soul is extremely tiny drops of unknown matter, so tiny if he isn't here, his inner world, where he has total control of everything, he wouldn't know its existence at all.

With a mental command, all the tiny drops surrounding the sphere were collected to a single point, forming a small drop comparable to a water droplet. 

A little probe on it and a helpless smile are hung on his face. 

"What a tiny amount of spiritual power..."

That is right, this is none other than all the current spiritual power he could control and manifest. This tiny volume represents what his body could carry at the moment. Exceeding this droplet, even for a minute, often results in gruesome deaths like the whole body bursting, the body turning into a vegetable, or even his brain eating itself.

If not for the numerous huge red warning printed on it, he could also possibly die in a horrible way.

In addition to that, their instructors also often remind them not to exceed what they could handle.

With this amount, there is nothing to do, not even a simple cast of the lowest level spiritual technique.

Heck, even if he has ten more drops, there is no difference in manifesting it in reality.

Getting out of his inner world, Richard then concentrated on controlling his breathing and then started a common practice all children that go to public school will have to experience.

Hoooo...

Haaaa....

Hooo....

Haaaa....

Breathing in a steady rhythm, spiritual energy all around him began to gather around him. Big and small, they all went along each breath after which they followed a weird yet simple path inside his body, centering on four points, fully integrating with his body.

If he could simultaneously see his inner world at the same time, he would be startled.

New water droplets are visibly being generated at an incredible pace. It is too exaggerated that the same practitioners of the Basic Spiritual Cultivation Technique would start to doubt their lives.

One drop, two drops, three drops.

Ten drops.

Fifty drops.

One thousand drops.

An extremely small puddle...

Feeling relaxed, it was unknown when Richard suddenly decided to stop. 

The blasting rays of the sun illuminated his room, telling him that it is probably around noon already. Another night with nothing special has passed.

There was this stiff yet gratifying feeling in his body that made him at peace, somehow clearing his anxiety of impending death.

Stretching for a minute or two, Richard he could feel his spiritual power increase but how much is still unknown and so, he sat back again and once again entered his inner world and then couldn't help but shout a profanity.

"Holy shittt!!!"