Jensen nodded at Xal'Zyraeth's response.
He contemplated his new skill, which he promptly named Mind Link.
He tried to think about the limitations of the skill, and one of the first things he realised was that he couldn't use it on random people with weak minds.
The skill involved forcefully smashing his way into someone's mind through repeated brute force.
It was too… barbaric, and he planned to find a better way in the future.
Now for the next thing, he had to break through to Level 2. This was required for all his subsequent plans.
Closing his eyes, Jensen tried to feel his Blood Storage.
The energy in the blood revealed itself almost instantaneously, but something about it felt off.
It didn't stop him from absorbing the energy, but it was clearly a bad idea.
First, the energy in the blood had to be refined. It was very simple… removing what he felt to be impurities.
If he were to liken it to something, it would be like running a comb through tangled hair, not only straightening it but also removing broken strands and dirt.
Or better still, pouring dirty water into a filter… the clean water comes out the bottom, while the waste remains behind.
He pushed the blood energy with his mind, feeling for the impurities.
They were relatively easy to find once he knew what to look for… they were like little chunks of wrongness floating in the current.
Jensen did not have a definite explanation for the feeling he was experiencing, but from what he could tell, these impurities would only grow stronger at higher levels, although it might vary.
These impurities could be any or all of several things.
Some were just regular bodily waste, the kind that builds up in anyone over time.
Others were far worse.
Potion or pill residue, along with other substances the dead cultivators had put into their bodies years ago, still lingering like bad guests who wouldn't leave.
And diseases… yes, disease, even traces of poison.
Some of this might not affect him instantly, but considering the kind of diseases cultivators might carry, passing it through his own body was a serious risk.
Although much of this waste had no use, some of it actually did.
One of these useful impurities was called lingering will, spirit, or intent, whatever name one chose to give it.
When a strong person died, a small piece of them remained in their blood. Not truly their soul, just… an echo.
It wasn't very useful to most, but to someone on the Mind Path, they were essentially unrefined packets of mental energy.
The rest of the impurities were pushed out of his body as he focused on the lingering spirits.
They were gathered slowly, then forcefully smashed with his own mental energy, ground into fine dust… and turned into pure mental energy.
He guided it into his mind in drops, and it felt like drinking cold water on a hot day.
His Mind Path rose from Middle Level all the way to Peak Level 1.
Then his attention shifted to the rest of the purified blood energy. Once he started refining it, he quickly got the hang of it.
Next Path he focused on was the Bloodline Path, which turned out to be even simpler.
The cleaned blood energy was poured straight into his bloodline, and it drank it up like a thirsty animal.
His Bloodline Path rose from Early Level 1 to Peak Level 1 even faster.
For the Space Path, the energy was pushed into his mana core.
It responded immediately… growing, expanding, and improving in quality.
As for the Body Path, the remaining energy was allowed to spread through his limbs, bones, and skin.
It was painful, but the sensation of growing stronger made it worth it as every part of his body absorbed the energy.
Soon enough, he had reached Peak Level 1 in every path.
But Peak wasn't enough… he needed to break through.
Jensen sat still for a long time, meditating and trying to understand his state.
Then, when ready, everything he had left was gathered.
The energy split into four streams… one for the Mind, one for the Bloodline, one for the Space, and one for the Body.
And then, all at once, it was pushed forward.
The invisible ceiling blocking Level 2 cracked.
Another push.
It fractured further.
One more… and it shattered completely.
He broke through to Level 2 successfully.
When Jensen finally opened his eyes, the room looked the same, but everything felt different.
His mind reached farther than before.
At the edge of his awareness, things that were once invisible now became clear… from people moving in distant rooms to tiny insects crawling within the walls.
His body felt lighter… stronger.
Stamina had improved, and as his fist clenched, strength flowed through it with ease.
The mana core had grown… not by a little, but significantly. Its size had nearly tripled, and its quality was on an entirely different level.
And his Blood Storage… it had expanded too.
But when he checked inside, his heart sank slightly.
The blood energy was almost completely gone.
Too much had been used for cultivation, leaving very little for his Bloodline abilities.
This energy had come from Level 2 cultivators he had taken.
It should have been enough for both his cultivation and his plans but clearly, that wasn't the case.
"It is only going to get worse from here," Xal'Zyraeth chuckled, sensing Jensen's reaction.
(A.N: Just to clarify, from now on, anytime Jensen and Xal'Zyraeth are speaking, it is through the Mind Link unless stated otherwise.)
It was a simple truth and a frightening one.
Stronger cultivation would require stronger enemies.
Jensen took a deep breath, and only then did he notice the stench coming from his body. It wasn't his own, but the result of refining the blood.
His head lifted slightly and then his gaze locked.
Someone was sitting on the couch to his far right watching him.