Cultivation is Creation

Elder Molric stared at me with an expectant look.

I fought back a sigh - we'd already done the whole "look at the strange Natural" show for the elder council, but I supposed he wanted a closer look.

"He's probably hoping to understand how you manage it," Azure commented. "The council meeting was more about verifying your existence than studying your methods."

Made sense. His earlier experiment with living runes showed he wasn't content with just accepting things at face value - he wanted to understand the underlying principles.

I closed my eyes and turned my attention inward to my inner world. The miniature red sun still cowered in the corner, but its power flowed easily enough when I called.

I guided the energy through the pathways the seed had created, feeling the familiar warmth spread through my body. Red lines traced themselves across my skin as my physical essence increased by a hundred points.

Looking down at my arms, I couldn't help feeling underwhelmed. Even with the boost, this body was still pathetically weak compared to my cultivator form.

I could have used the Tri-Essence Harmony technique to convert more soul essence into physical power, but what was the point? I wasn't here for raw strength – I needed to learn how to better manipulate plants for combat.

Besides, most Rank 1 Skybound seemed to focus entirely on physical enhancement. Even in this weakened state, my ability to manipulate elements should give me an advantage if it came to a fight. The painful process of remodeling this body's essence ratios just wasn't worth it.