One unremarkable leaf on the talent tree bore the "Sharpness" spirit pattern, sending Leaf Gray's thoughts spiraling. If a single leaf could hold such profound knowledge of a spirit pattern, then couldn't each of the countless leaves on that colossal tree potentially contain a unique pattern of its own?

This idea spread through his mind like wildfire. He recalled the talent tree rooted deep within his consciousness—its canopy that blotted out the sky, its leaves as numerous as the stars... What would it be like if he could illuminate them all, gaining the infinite knowledge they held? Just the thought made his heart burn with fervor, and his breathing grew slightly ragged.

How could he illuminate the other leaves? He had vague, indistinct guesses—perhaps it was related to the improvement of his own cultivation base, or the quality and quantity of his spiritual power. But these were merely conjectures for now. With limited means, he couldn't verify them and could only postpone further exploration until an opportunity arose later.

The immediate priority was to keep his feet firmly on the ground, open more spiritual apertures as soon as possible, and enhance his cultivation strength. This was the foundation for establishing himself.

Based on the fragmented knowledge he had picked up over time, the first spiritual aperture a cultivator opened was fixed at the dantian location. This was called the "Origin Spiritual Aperture," the starting point of all cultivation paths.

Where subsequent apertures were opened and how they connected depended entirely on the cultivation technique practiced. Different techniques guided spiritual power through different pathways, resulting in completely different locations and sequences for opening apertures. The only commonality was that the more apertures a cultivator opened, the deeper their cultivation and the greater their strength.

Thinking of this, he solemnly retrieved the book "Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis" from Manager Miller's storage bag. This technique, obtained from an enemy, finally had a use.

After his excitement subsided slightly, Leaf Gray began to pack up the various items he had taken out earlier.

It was only then that he belatedly noticed the hand that had just imprinted the "Sharpness" spirit pattern was now riddled with holes, covered in dense, pinprick-like wounds. Blood had long since soaked through his palm, and now waves of piercing pain assaulted him.

Previously, due to his heightened emotions, he had completely overlooked this agony.

He silently admonished himself: it seemed that even though the spirit patterns granted by the talent tree were beneficial, they couldn't be applied to his own body lightly. The process of bearing and manifesting them seemed to place a significant burden, even causing damage, to his physique. In the future, if he obtained new spirit patterns, he must be more cautious and only attempt to use them after finding a safe method.

Enduring the pain, he carefully placed each item back into the storage bag and then cautiously moved away from the range enveloped by the strange Metamagnetic Field.

Now, two paths lay before him.

The first was to immediately leave this mining vein and seek out cultivators from The Firmament Palace. The reason Manager Miller had hidden here was precisely because The Firmament Palace's forces were pressing down on the border, and The Lunar Blight faction clearly couldn't hold this place. If he could successfully find people from The Firmament Palace, he might be able to use this chance to escape the control of The Lunar Blight and completely break free from the miserable fate of a mining slave.

But this option carried great risk. If Manager Miller could get the news and hide in advance, it was hard to guarantee that other disciples of The Lunar Blight wouldn't follow suit.

Right now was the most chaotic time in the mine. If he wandered around outside and accidentally bumped into any Lunar Blight disciple seeking refuge, the consequence was predictable—he would inevitably end up like those mining slaves whom Manager Miller had casually silenced, dying without a sound.

Weighing the pros and cons, he quickly made a decision: choose the second path, stay put for now, and remain in this place.

This location was secluded enough, carefully chosen by Manager Miller as a hiding spot, making it difficult for ordinary people to find. Moreover, the terrain here was special, allowing for both offense and defense. If some unlucky Lunar Blight disciple really did stumble in by accident, he could still use that Metamagnetic Field to gain an advantage, unlike when he faced Manager Miller and had no means to fight back.

Furthermore, the injuries on his body hadn't fully healed. Although the sword wound on his leg had stopped bleeding, moving was still somewhat inconvenient. It really wasn't suitable for long journeys. Staying here to recuperate quietly was the safest choice for now.

He carefully recalled the information Manager Miller had previously revealed. If he remembered correctly, Manager Miller's exact words were: "The Firmament Palace people are attacking, the mine vein can't be held for now... They won't stay long, but it will surely take a month or two."

The implication was clear: in Manager Miller's view, even if The Firmament Palace could capture the mine, they lacked the strength to hold it long-term. At most, within a month or two, they would withdraw, and then the mine would return to the hands of The Lunar Blight.

Synthesizing all the information, a clear plan gradually formed in Leaf Gray's mind:

Stay here, recuperate peacefully, and strive to cultivate diligently. Within one month, once his injuries were healed and his strength had improved, he would proactively leave the mining tunnel and seek out The Firmament Palace's team. This was the best, and possibly the only, chance to save himself and escape this bitter sea.

With his mind made up, Leaf Gray felt much more settled. The darkest, most helpless days were already behind him. Now, not only had he successfully opened a spiritual aperture, setting foot on the cultivation path, but he also had the mysterious talent tree to rely on. The road ahead might still be dangerous, but it was no longer completely hopeless. The future path was long; there was no need to rush for the moment.

He found a relatively dry and flat corner in the mining tunnel, took out a somewhat clean bedding roll from Manager Miller's storage bag, spread it out, and sat down quietly. Then, he took out the "Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis" again and began to study it carefully, relying on his faint vision in the darkness.

After successfully opening his aperture, his physical condition seemed to have improved in all aspects, including his eyesight. Deep in the mining tunnel where it was originally pitch-black, he could now barely see. Soon, he discovered an interesting technique: when he deliberately channeled the meager spiritual power within his body to his eyes, his vision became considerably clearer. Although it lasted only for a short time, it was a great convenience for reading.

When hungry, he ate the ready-made dry rations and clean water from the storage bag; when tired, he wrapped himself in the bedding and slept. Apart from the damp, dark environment and the lack of sunlight, there were no other major inconveniences. Moreover, Leaf Gray was now completely immersed in the excitement and focus of having just opened his aperture and stepping into a new world, paying little attention to the harshness of the environment.

In this absolute darkness, the sense of time became blurred. Leaf Gray could only roughly estimate based on his own biological clock and routine, feeling that roughly several days had passed.

The sword wound on his leg and the dense injuries on his hand had actually mostly healed over these past few days. After opening his aperture and becoming a cultivator, his body's recovery ability seemed to have significantly enhanced.

In the past, a stab wound like that on his thigh would have taken at least ten days to a half-month before he could walk normally. Of course, this was also related to him taking a Vermillion Dawn Pill daily to replenish his vitality and accelerate recovery.

Through his study of "Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis" over these past few days, Leaf Gray discovered a problem—this cultivation technique was something he couldn't use for the time being.

The problem didn't lie with the technique itself, but rather stemmed from his own current stage of cultivation.

If the spiritual apertures within a human body were compared to lakes, then the "water" accumulated in these lakes was the cultivator's spiritual power. Opening more apertures meant having more "lakes" within the body to store spiritual power, naturally leading to deeper cultivation.

However, to open the next spiritual aperture, there was a necessary prerequisite: the previous aperture must reach a "full" state. Simply put, he needed to fill the entire Origin Spiritual Aperture with spiritual power, making it so full that it overflowed, before he could use it as a foundation to impact the next aperture barrier.

Therefore, for the current Leaf Gray, the most urgent task was not to find the method for opening subsequent apertures, but to figure out how to continuously strengthen and accumulate spiritual power within his Origin Spiritual Aperture, making it reach full capacity as soon as possible. Only then would he truly need "Cicada's Transcendent Metamorphosis" to guide him on how to open the second aperture.

So, how to strengthen spiritual power?

According to his knowledge, there were several common methods:

The most common was taking specially designed cultivation spirit pills. Such pills, once ingested, transformed into pure spiritual power and directly supplemented the apertures, offering the highest efficiency.

The second method was inhaling and exhaling the spiritual energy of Heaven and Earth. Spiritual energy existed everywhere, only varying in concentration. After opening their apertures, cultivators could perceive and guide this spiritual energy, refining it into their own spiritual power through specific breathing methods.

The third method relied on spirit stones. Leaf Gray had only heard the name, never seen the actual item. It was said they contained large amounts of pure spiritual energy that could be directly absorbed.

There was one last method, called "Refining Essence into Qi." This involved first strengthening one's own vital energy and blood force through food, pills, or other means, and then using a method to refine and purify this abundant vital energy, transforming it into spiritual power, achieving the goal of cultivation.

These methods each had their advantages and disadvantages, and the choice depended on one's personal situation and environment.

Although Leaf Gray hadn't cultivated before, among the mining slaves, he had frequently heard his hopeful companions discuss these cultivation basics. In their hardship, they comforted themselves by yearning for these mystical matters, dreaming of one day leaping over the dragon gate. Through constant exposure, Leaf Gray had memorized some fundamental knowledge.

Analyzing his current situation:

The first method, taking cultivation spirit pills, was temporarily unavailable to him. Manager Miller's storage bag contained many bottles and jars; surely there were such spirit pills among them. But he simply didn't recognize them and didn't dare to take them recklessly. If the medicinal properties conflicted or he took the wrong one, the consequences would be unthinkable.

The second method, absorbing spiritual energy, he had also tried. Perhaps because this place was close to the Metamagnetic Field, he could barely sense any spiritual energy around him. This method was currently not feasible.

As for the third method, spirit stones, he simply didn't have any.

After much thought, the only method he could rely on was the last one—Refining Essence into Qi.