Wizard: I Have a Cultivation System-Chapter 117 - 111: Cultivating Mana

In the study.

By candlelight, Murphy closed his eyes in concentration, replaying the intel Saren had once shared.

Ghostly Touch had originally planned to attack the Hans Viscount Domain first. The reason was simple: as the only viscount’s domain in the border region, it was the most densely populated and therefore the most suitable for harvesting Wandering Souls.

The reason they had foregone attacking the Duval Territory first was that his persona, Sylvan, was seen as a coward, and the domain was expected to be converted into a church parish at any moment, which would draw the main forces of the Church Court.

However, the situation had now changed.

In the end, the Duval Territory was not converted into a parish. Coupled with Saren’s sudden disappearance, the future had become truly unpredictable.

The one thing Murphy could be sure of was that Ghostly Touch would not attack during the winter. Even if they wanted to, the Rosenia Kingdom couldn’t support such a campaign, and the nobles would never agree to it.

The reason couldn’t be simpler.

Logistical pressure.

Even in his past life, supplying an army during a winter war had been a massive challenge.

The most famous example was the Battle of Moscow. The German Army had originally planned to swiftly defeat the Soviet Army in the summer of 1941, but due to delays on the southern front, Operation Typhoon—the assault on Moscow—didn’t launch until October, pushing the campaign into winter.

The German Army faced immense logistical pressure and was repelled by the Soviet Army, shattering the myth of their invincibility.

And that was to say nothing of the later Battle of Stalingrad, which was known as the turning point of World War II.

In this world, although Supernatural Powers existed, even Official Wizards lacked the ability to directly transport supplies on a massive scale.

This was also why Princess Margaret and Archbishop John chose to collect taxes during the winter.

If they didn’t finish the tax collection during winter, it would be too late once the war began in early spring.

HUUH!

Lost in thought, Murphy took an unconscious, deep breath. Instantly, pale-gold Shaoyang Warm Qi and milky-white Central Peaceful Qi began to flow from the world around him into his body, circulating slowly along specific meridians.

Shaoyang Warm Qi was most abundant in spring and early summer, but it didn’t disappear completely in winter; it just took Murphy more time to absorb a sufficient amount.

The same was true for Central Peaceful Qi, which was most abundant at the end of the month in spring and autumn, and relatively scarce at other times.

The varying abundance of these two types of Heaven and Earth Qi meant they had to be cultivated at specific times of the day.

The period from seven to eleven in the morning was the best time to absorb Shaoyang Warm Qi.

Central Peaceful Qi, on the other hand, was best absorbed between nine and eleven in the morning, and again between three and five in the afternoon.

Shaoyang Warm Qi and Central Peaceful Qi were the most suitable for Murphy because these two gentle energies best suited his current state of Cultivation.

Shaoyang Warm Qi carried a spring-like vitality that could warm and nourish his meridians, while Central Peaceful Qi had a harmonizing effect, balancing the conflicts between the various energies in his body.

But beyond these two primary types of Qi, Shaoyin Cool Qi and Taiyin Cold Qi were also important.

To be precise, the Black Light Energy inside his body needed them.

Compared to the gentle Shaoyang Warm Qi and Central Peaceful Qi, the cold, yin nature of Shaoyin Cool Qi and Taiyin Cold Qi was better at stimulating the Black Light Energy, causing it to grow rapidly.

So, what exactly was the Black Light Energy?

After extensive observation and experimentation, Murphy had concluded it was a composite form of energy.

And why did it originate from Murphy himself?

The reasoning was actually quite simple. It followed the principle that ’the human body is a small Heaven and Earth, and Heaven and Earth is a large human body.’ Since Heaven and Earth could emanate Heaven and Earth Qi, a Cultivator could naturally produce their own unique "Human Qi."

The "Qi" produced by each Cultivator was, in essence, a type of Heaven and Earth Qi unique to them.

The Cultivator was the source of this Heaven and Earth Qi.

This was why the Black Light Energy was considered a composite energy.

Like the "Human Qi" Murphy cultivated within his own body, it was meticulously refined by fusing multiple types of Heaven and Earth Qi. Compared to the single-attribute energies found in nature, this composite energy was not only more powerful but also more versatile.

The difference was akin to that between pig iron and an alloy.

Pig iron is hard but brittle, whereas a carefully proportioned alloy can possess a combination of strength, toughness, and corrosion resistance.

To be more precise, Murphy had effectively become the source of two types of Heaven and Earth Qi.

One was the mysterious Black Light Energy; the other was the "Qi" he condensed through his Cultivation.

Furthermore, the "Qi" he refined could merge with the Black Light Energy when unleashed, forming an even more complex and powerful composite energy.

The only downside was that this resulting energy was unstable and difficult to utilize. However, he could just use the more powerful Black Light Energy directly when needed.

So, was it possible to infinitely increase the power of his "Qi" by continuously incorporating more types of Heaven and Earth Qi?

The answer, of course, was yes.

This was the very process of Inner Refining.

But the human body’s capacity was limited.

It was like an alloy smelting plant.

Its processing capacity was also finite, so it could only synthesize specific types of alloys; it couldn’t just endlessly combine all kinds of raw materials.

Initially, a Cultivator combined a few limited types of energy.

The type of "alloy" one could refine depended primarily on their cultivation method—that is, their Cultivation Technique.

Without a suitable Cultivation Technique, the outcome was determined solely by one’s innate constitution.

Clearly, Breathing and Guiding didn’t provide a method for refining a composite energy, only for absorbing it.

And Murphy’s own innate constitution was originally unable to process the Black Light Energy.

But thanks to that bizarre hallucination and the boost to his Spiritual Power from the system-granted skill, Horse Trainer: Ascending the Hall and Entering the Room, his constitution underwent a miraculous transformation. Only then did he gain the ability to process the Black Light Energy.

However, Qi Absorption and Eating Mist was completely different.

It was a veritable encyclopedia of Cultivation Techniques, or rather, a master guide to Cultivation. It contained a complete body of theoretical knowledge, instructing Murphy on how to forge a Heaven and Earth Qi perfectly suited to him.

This was the true essence of Inner Refining.

It wasn’t about passively processing with one’s innate constitution, but about actively creating a Heaven and Earth Qi that was entirely one’s own.

Or perhaps, it could no longer be called simple Heaven and Earth Qi. It could now be formally called "Mana."

Inner Refining, therefore, was the refining of Mana.

Murphy’s current "Qi" was still in an unranked stage; it couldn’t yet be called Mana.

But once it underwent a single refinement, it would officially be ranked, becoming what was known as First-Grade Mana.

However, Murphy faced another problem: he still couldn’t fully analyze the Black Light Energy.

This accidentally acquired energy was clearly a higher quality of Mana. Although it could fuse with him to some extent, Murphy couldn’t analyze it.

It was like a black box: Murphy could wield its power, but he couldn’t alter its fundamental nature.

Attempting to alter it rashly could lead to unforeseen consequences.

Fortunately, Qi Absorption and Eating Mist had an explanation for such situations.

Some people were born with special constitutions and naturally carried high-quality Mana in their bodies, similar to the Black Light Energy.

For example, the records mentioned the Crimson Flame Spirit Body, which could naturally condense True Sun Flame; the Profound Ice Dao Embryo, which could naturally refine Taiyin True Qi; and the Geng Metal Sword Bone, which could refine Metal and Stone Sharp Qi into Lifebound Sword Qi.

Therefore, there was no need to worry. Following the method provided in Qi Absorption and Eating Mist, Murphy treated the Black Light Energy as a type of high-quality Mana to be temporarily stored within his body while he focused on cultivating his own Mana.

Once his own Magic Power Quality improved, he would then attempt to fuse it completely with the Black Light Energy.

HUUH!

Murphy took another deep breath, his chest and abdomen rising and falling rhythmically.

The pale-gold Shaoyang Warm Qi seeped into his meridians like the light of dawn, flowing placidly along its designated path.

At the same time, the milky-white Central Peaceful Qi suffused his meridians like a thin mist, blending seamlessly with the Shaoyang Warm Qi.

Of course, Murphy still had questions.

Namely, why did circulating "Qi" through these specific Floating Meridians alter its nature?

Qi Absorption and Eating Mist had its own complete theoretical framework; otherwise, it would be impossible for it to guide a Cultivator in forging an exclusive Cultivation Technique and creating their own Mana.

The problem was, Murphy found it difficult to fully comprehend this system using the scientific principles from his past life.

It was like the conflict between classical physics and quantum mechanics; both could explain phenomena to a certain extent, but they described the world in fundamentally different ways.

The only parallel Murphy could draw was to complex phenomena like quantum effects in biology.

But in his current situation, he lacked the precision instruments and detection methods necessary to observe and verify such mysteries at the microscopic level.

Rather than waste mental energy on theories he couldn’t yet prove, it was better to focus on his immediate Cultivation.

Murphy reined in his thoughts and refocused his attention on the Inner Refining Technique recorded in Qi Absorption and Eating Mist.

HUUH!

Murphy continued to regulate his breathing. The pale-gold Shaoyang Warm Qi flowed through his meridians like a trickling stream, while the milky-white Central Peaceful Qi gently enveloped each channel like a thin veil.

The two streams of Qi intertwined and circulated, converging and fusing at specific nodes along his meridians.

With every full cycle, he could feel the "Qi" inside him undergoing a subtle transformation.

The once-loose energy gradually condensed, like countless fine grains of sand slowly settling in a stream to form a solid riverbed.

Although he was still a long way from condensing First-Grade Mana, this tangible sense of progress brought Murphy a measure of peace.

Once Margaret delivered the Wizard’s Scripture, and he succeeded in using Mana to power Magic, he would have a much better chance in the coming border war.

KNOCK KNOCK!

Just then, a gentle knock at the door interrupted his Cultivation.

"Come in."

Murphy slowly opened his eyes, drawing in the aura circulating around him.

The study door was pushed open gently. Bernard, the butler, entered holding an envelope stamped with an exquisite purple-and-gold Griffin crest. He bowed respectfully and said, "My lord, a letter from Her Highness the Princess has arrived."