Chapter 20: The Price of Power
Away from the refugee groups and temporary shelters, I found a small side chamber branching off from the main cavern system. The rough-hewn walls offered privacy, and the single torch I'd brought cast just enough light to work by. Perfect for some probably ill-advised cultivation experiments.
"Your soul essence remains stable at 450 units," Azure reported as I sat cross-legged on the cold stone floor.
I closed my eyes, focusing on my inner world. The familiar space felt... different here. Empty, like someone had swept all the spiritual energy out while I wasn't looking. My seed of creation pulsed sadly, its two reality-bending leaves drooping like houseplants I'd forgotten to water.
"Right," I muttered. "Time to try something probably ill-advised."
I reached for my soul essence, feeling that deep well of power that had somehow survived the dimensional hop. I then pulled on it, trying to convert it into something my cultivation could actually use.
You know how they say you can't really describe a color to someone who's never seen it?
Try explaining what it feels like to turn a piece of your immortal soul into knockoff spiritual energy. It's like trying to turn a Shakespeare sonnet into interpretive dance – technically possible, but probably not what anyone intended.
The conversion... worked? Sort of? My spiritual pathways filled with something that felt like spiritual energy's cousin who'd learned about cultivation through game tutorials. Not quite right, but hey – better than nothing.
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