Even though Ethan felt an overwhelming urge to cough out blood, he still managed to endure it. His chest burned, his throat felt dry, and his breathing was uneven, but he did not collapse. He remained conscious, grounded, and—most importantly—alive.
The reason for this was not his willpower alone.
It was that mysterious golden energy that had appeared within his body during the activation of the
That golden energy was profoundly strange.
It did not behave like ordinary Spiritual Energy, nor did it resemble Soul Energy, Nature Energy, or any other cultivation force Ethan was familiar with. It felt ancient, benevolent, and impossibly stable, as if it existed beyond the normal rules of the cultivation world. From the moment it appeared, it wrapped around Ethan's Spirit like a protective cocoon, isolating it from catastrophic damage.
Under normal circumstances, attempting to split one's Spirit was nothing short of suicide.
In fact, even among ancient cultivation records, Spirit splitting was often listed as a forbidden taboo, something that only madmen or desperate cultivators would even consider. The reason was simple: the pain generated during Spirit splitting was not something the human mind or body was designed to endure.
It was not physical pain.
It was not even mental pain.
It was existential pain—the sensation of one's very self being torn apart.
Many cultivators who attempted similar methods did not die because their bodies failed. They died because their consciousness shattered under the unbearable agony. Even those with iron wills would scream themselves into madness before the process reached completion.
In comparison to that, what Ethan was experiencing was… mild.
That golden energy suppressed nearly all of the pain he should have felt. It neutralized the destructive feedback that would normally surge through the Spirit during the splitting process. Instead of unbearable agony, Ethan felt something far stranger—an indescribable, surreal sensation, as though part of him was being gently peeled away rather than violently ripped apart.
It was uncomfortable.
It was unsettling.
But it was not fatal.
Because of that unfamiliar sensation, Ethan felt nauseous, as if he were about to vomit blood, even though his body had not actually reached that limit. His instincts screamed danger, but his rational mind understood that he was being protected.
Slowly, steadily, the process continued.
His Spirit—an existence he could not see, yet could vaguely sense—was cleanly divided into two parts.
One half remained as his original Spirit, glowing faintly with a golden radiance. It pulsed rhythmically, full of vitality, awareness, and stability. This was the Spirit that had carried him from Earth to this cultivation world, the Spirit that had endured transmigration, despair, fear, and countless near-death experiences.
The second half, however, was different.
It lay within him like a silent shadow.
It did not glow.
It did not pulse.
It felt… empty.
Lifeless.
To an uninformed observer, this split Spirit would appear dead—an inert fragment severed from its source. Under normal circumstances, this would have been disastrous. A lifeless Spirit fragment could destabilize the entire spiritual foundation of a cultivator, eventually leading to collapse.
But Ethan was not left to face that danger.
The golden energy moved again.
It detached itself from Ethan's gathered Spiritual Energy and flowed directly toward the lifeless Spirit fragment. The moment it made contact, the change was immediate and unmistakable.
The second Spirit lit up.
Golden radiance surged through it, identical to the glow of Ethan's original Spirit. Vitality flooded the fragment, restoring its awareness, stability, and existence. In mere moments, what had been a hollow shell transformed into a fully living Spirit.
Now, there were two Spirits within Ethan's body.
Both alive.
Both complete.
Both filled with vitality.
Ethan, however, was completely unaware of the intricate details of what had just transpired inside him.
He was still only an Elementary Stage cultivator, someone who had barely stepped onto the path of cultivation. He did not possess the perception, insight, or spiritual vision required to observe his own Spirit directly. If he were at a higher realm, he might have witnessed the entire process clearly—every fluctuation, every transformation, every moment of danger and salvation.
But he could not see it.
That did not mean he was ignorant.
Even without direct perception, Ethan could feel the change.
It was similar to how a person knew they were alive without needing to see their heart beating. He could sense two distinct centers of awareness within himself, each independent yet connected, like two voices harmonizing within the same body.
If someone asked him what exactly had happened, he could describe it.
But if they asked him how he knew, he would struggle to explain.
He simply knew.
The Spirit had been split.
And it had succeeded.
[Spirit splitting has been completed successfully]
[User now has two Spirits. Both are under the User's control]
[Because the User has split their Spirit into two parts, the original Spirit Energy has been halved]
[Heaven Cultivation Spirit Energy: 5]
[Soul Cultivation Spirit Energy: 5]
…
The System's confirmation removed any lingering doubt.
Even though Ethan could not see his Spirits, he could clearly feel their presence. They were independent, distinct, and yet entirely loyal to him. It was as if his consciousness had expanded, branching into two parallel streams of thought.
The System further explained that both Spirits were created by evenly dividing his original Spirit. This meant his total Spirit strength had been halved and distributed equally between the two Spirits.
The drawback was obvious.
His comprehension ability had dropped significantly.
Learning techniques would now take longer.
Understanding complex cultivation principles would become more difficult.
Breaking through bottlenecks would require more effort.
For most cultivators, this would be devastating.
For Ethan, it was barely an inconvenience.
He had the System!
As long as he could earn Golden Points, he could raise his Spirit Power whenever he wanted. Temporary loss meant nothing when permanent growth was guaranteed. The disadvantage was real, but it was not something he feared.
However, the true consequences of Spirit splitting manifested almost immediately.
The moment the process fully ended, Ethan felt his entire body weaken.
His limbs trembled uncontrollably.
Cold sweat poured down his back.
His muscles felt hollow, as though all strength had been drained from them.
He staggered, barely managing to remain upright.
This weakness was not something he had ever experienced before—not even back on Earth. It was deeper, heavier, more suffocating. Even breathing felt like a chore, as if his lungs refused to cooperate.
"What… is happening to me?" Ethan asked, his voice hoarse.
[Since the User's Spirit has been weakened, the User is suffering from severe aftereffects]
[User's Spirit Energy has dropped by a large margin, resulting in the current state of weakness]
[User must rest to recover from this condition]
[Estimated recovery time: 2000 days]
Ethan froze.
"Two thousand… days?"
His mind went blank for a moment.
That was more than five years.
Five years of weakness.
Five years of stagnation.
Five years wasted doing nothing.
"What the hell is that?!" Ethan almost shouted. "System! Show me the quickest way to recover from this weakness!"
[The quickest method is to cultivate in an area where Soul Energy is extremely dense]
[An even faster method is consuming high-grade Soul recovery pills]
[The fastest method is for the User to find a Spirit Pool]
[Coincidentally, the User is currently located within a Spirit Pool]
[User is strongly recommended to absorb the energy of the Spirit Pool]
Relief flooded Ethan's chest so intensely that he nearly laughed.
Waiting five years was not an option.
He could not afford to waste time like that—not when he was carrying debts, enemies, and a System that rewarded speed and progress. From his years of reading novels on Earth, Ethan firmly believed one thing:
Anyone transmigrated into a cultivation world with a System was meant to grow quickly.
Slow growth was equivalent to death.
Fortunately, fate was on his side.
He was already in the place he needed most.
The Spirit Pool.
This was the very same pool that had healed his injuries earlier, the same pool that had nourished the giant monster and allowed it to reach the Physique Strengthening Stage.
Without hesitation, Ethan began absorbing its essence.
The moment the Spirit Pool's energy entered his body, he felt a dramatic change. The oppressive weakness began to recede, replaced by warmth and stability. His Spirits—both of them—responded eagerly, absorbing the pure Soul Energy like starving beasts.
Strength slowly returned to his limbs.
Clarity returned to his mind.
The System immediately began displaying his recovery progress.
[Heaven Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 6%]
[Soul Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 2%]
…
[Heaven Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 28%]
[Soul Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 21%]
…
[Heaven Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 49%]
[Soul Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 44%]
…
[Heaven Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 86%]
[Soul Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 78%]
…
[Heaven Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 92%]
[Soul Cultivation Spirit Recovery Status: 98%]
…
Less than ten minutes later, both recovery bars reached 100%.
The weakness vanished completely.
Ethan stood up, flexed his fingers, and felt an overwhelming sense of disbelief.
Five years of recovery… erased in less than ten minutes.
He stared at the Soul Pool, then at his own hands.
"…Isn't this speed a little too fast?"
For a long moment, Ethan could only stand there, completely dumbstruck.