147 Chapter 147: Training at the Holy Spring (1/2)
Even though they told me that the Holy Spring would boost my training (I'm never going to use the C word), I had no idea how to go about it. What exactly was I supposed to do? It wasn't as if I had a loach necklace that could absorb all the mana from the Holy Spring or something. I didn't possess such convenient plot devices or cheat items. I was tempted to call that thing a McGuffin, but even though it was a device that was necessary to the plot, it wasn't exactly unimportant or insignificant because the protagonist used it extensively to improve his magic by absorbing monster essence, other magic items and all that.
Long story short, I didn't know how to train beside the Holy Spring. Was I supposed to drink the water or something? Or would I subconsciously absorb the mana from the Holy Spring if I trained normally next to it?
I realized I made a terrible mistake by not asking blockhead or Teacher Fielding about this. What a failure on my part.
”Oh, well…I guess I'll try this out then.”
Sitting cross-legged next to the Holy Spring, I closed my eyes and began accumulating mana in my hands. Probably this process would allow me to eventually draw mana from the Holy Spring and into myself. After a while, I stood up and began casting spells and executing my techniques within this enclosed but large space.
People tended to think that it was enough to sit down and meditate, and your magic would somehow grow more powerful. The same cliché was used for martial arts in trashy xianxia stories, where the authors made it look so easy. Sit down cross-legged for a few hours and suddenly your internal energy or qi become stronger and you make breakthroughs. The fuck? Since when was becoming stronger so easy? If all you needed to do was sit down and meditate, then anyone could become strong. There wasn't a need to physically train your body at this rate.
Reality was harsher and at the same time, simpler and more logical. If you wanted to get stronger, you practice. You practice casting your spells over and over again, and the more you cast your spells, the more proficient you become. It was like any sports or martial arts in the real world. You didn't get strong in kendo or aikido by sitting down and meditating for hours. You got stronger in kendo by swinging your sword and practicing your swordsmanship over and over and over and over again for hours. The same thing with aikido, soccer, or any kind of sport. Hard work trumped over everything. Reality had always been this practical.
Hell, never mind sports. Even theory and exams were the same thing. If you wanted to raise your score, you don't meditate. You practiced past years examination papers over and over again. You studied by reading the same textbook and your notes over and over again. You write your essays several times. Writing was the same thing. You didn't become an excellent writer on the first go. You practiced over and over and over again, experience frustrating failures and harsh criticisms from readers, but refuse to give up and continue rewriting, editing, and writing new stories until you finally come up with one that everyone enjoyed.
Everything was practice. Magic was the same thing. If you wanted to master your spells, you practiced them over and over again. You don't just sit there and ”meditate”. You think you'll suddenly become enlightened and comprehend the universe if you just sit there and empty your mind? Or if you circulate your mana around your body aimlessly? Don't just circulate the mana, convert them into actual spells!
After a few hours of practicing, I realized something.
”Oh, wow…I'm not exhausted…how is this possible?”
Normally, I would be dead tired after such a grueling session of training, but right now I felt as if I could go on forever. I realized that the principle behind the underground Holy Spring was simple. Training for an hour inside here was equivalent to training nonstop for three days outside, or something like that. In other words, I could accelerate my training pace inside here and make remarkable progress. The cliché time capsule or whatever they called it. Ah…Hyperbolic Time Chamber. Of fucking course.
”I can't believe that such a stupid cliché exists in this world,” I muttered under my breath. Then I noticed something.
My Constellation spirits were gathering around the Holy Spring and drinking from it. Some of them, anyway. Others, like Cetus and Pisces were literally swimming around in the spring and making waves. Serpens was joining them as well, his long body unwinding in the water.
”You guys…”
I was practicing my summoning magic, which was why they were all running around, but I didn't expect them to do whatever they liked. Even Black Tortoise was wading through the Holy Springs lazily, while Green Dragon and White Tiger sipped from it. Only Vermillion Phoenix kept his distance, probably because a fire-type spirit like him couldn't really handle water very well. On the other hand, Taurus and Leo had no problems drinking from the Holy Spring, despite them possessing the fire elemental attribute. I wondered why.
Cygnus was floating on top of the pool, like the swan he was. Above him, a flock of Corvus soared throughout the vast expanse of the underground cavern. While watching my Constellation spirits prance about, I started to get a headache.
”Oi, show some restraint, guys!” I complained. ”Don't drink all of the Holy Spring, otherwise I'll be in huge trouble!”
Fortunately, it seemed that the Holy Spring was limitless. No matter how much they drank from it, the water didn't disappear and the volume still remained the same. I was starting to understand why it was a magical pool.
Then something else hit me.
”…eh? Now that I think about it…”
Scrutinizing my army of Constellation spirits, realization finally dawned upon me. I had been so engrossed in summoning one Constellation spirit after another to practice my summoning spells that I didn't notice it at first, but I had practically summoned all of my soul beasts at the same time. Not only that, I was able to maintain their existences in the material world for an unusually long time – for a few hours. All of them. At the same time.
”How the heck…?”
I shook my head in disbelief. The answer was obvious. This was evidently due to the amazing effects of the Holy Spring. I should have known, but even so, I never expected the Holy Spring to be this miraculous.
”Man, I really should take advantage of this for the next week or so!”
Drawing Gan Jiang and Mo Ye, I gestured to my Constellation spirits.
”All right, guys. Break time is over. Time to train! I hope you don't mind sparring with me for a bit?”
The chorus of enthusiastic replies was a prelude to the rampaging stampede that rushed toward me.