Many years ago, Rong Xiaoman's courtyard at Qin Manor.
"Gravity, magnetism, heat?" Rong Xiaoman repeated in confusion. "Mistress, what are these concepts you speak about?"
[Yes, Gravity, magnetism and heat or you could call it energy, either one would suffice. These my cute little Xiaoman will be the foundation of my incarnation's strength!] Rong Xiaoman heard Ariels reply in her head.
"Are they supreme magical techniques? or godly cultivation scriptures?" Rong Xiaoman replied in excitement as various thoughts and imaginations were flying through her mind.
[Uh..um.. not really.] Ariel responded albeit, briefly.
Rong Xiaoman showed a confused expression as her golden brows knitted. "What could they be then Mistress?"
[Tell me Xiaoman, how is the path to power structured in your realm of existence? A quick explanation, no need to go into details.] Ariel asked a question in reply.
Rong Xiaoman opened her mouth wide in speechlessness. "Forgive me mistress for asking but...shouldn't miss Fei have taught you that?"
[Hehe..I wasn't listening.] Ariel replied with a hint of embarrassment in her voice.
Truthfully, her overwhelming pride and arrogance demanded she not listen. [An ant dares teach me! An almighty omnipotent goddess?! She's lucky I don't wipe her from the face of reality...humph!] Were her precise thoughts at the time.
"Well mistress...let's start at the beginning." Rong Xiaoman collected her thoughts and explained.
"The beginning stages of cultivation first start with the body tempering realm with the goal of refining the body, next is the resonance realm which is unlocking the 12 meridians through resonance and lastly foundation building where you take what you cultivated in the two previous realms and temper them through Qi training. After enough tempering, the Qi sea can be safely created and filled."
Rong Xiaoman licked her dry lips and continued. "What is said to be the true start to the journey of cultivation is the next realm which is labelled as the innate realm. A dao fruit will be cultivated and give tremendous power when it blooms. Next is the nascent soul, depending on how many dao fruits were cultivated previously one may have several nascent souls increasing strength exponentially."
A soft snoring sound could be heard within Rong Xiaoman's mind causing her to stop speaking.
After Rong Xiaoman paused she asked. "Mistress are you still listening?"
[Ah!] A startled gasp resounded in her mind.
There was an awkward silence before she heard her mistress say. [Uh.. Ahem! continue on..]
Black lines appeared on Rong Xiaoman's forehead, she shook her head and continued explaining in a duller less vibrant tone. "Next is the pearl formation realm, the more pearls, the more power. After that is the dawn realm where you fuse all the pearls you cultivated into a core, 2 or more pearls are required for the ignition of the core to enter the next realm which is called the nova realm."
"The realms beyond the nova realm are the highest powers in the heaven realms. They are respectively, avatar formation, paragon and half-step celestial; the last realm I cultivated before my death." Rong Xiaoman said seriously with a hint of anger and sadness flashing in her eyes. Within her mind she was recalling some painful memories. She collected herself and finished by saying. "Beyond that are the celestial realms which I have no knowledge about."
[What does all of this tell you Xiaoman?] Ariel asked.
Rong Xiaoman put her finger to her lip in thought before replying in a serious voice. "These are the steps to godhood mistress?"
"...pfft ahaha!" Ariel's cackle resounded in her mind.
Rong Xiaoman frowned with a red ting appearing on her cheeks.
[No silly girl. It's bothersome isn't it? Too hard, too long, too much work.] Ariel replied in amusement.
"But that's just how it is mistress...if you don't put in the time or effort you'll be just another weakling to be exploited by the strong." Rong Xiaoman solemnly replied.
[Bah! That's true for others but not for you my cute Xiaoman, you have something others don't! Hehehe.]
"What is that mistress?" Rong Xiaoman asked curiously.
[You got me!] Ariel said proudly.
Rong Xiaoman sighed with a wry smile. She could just imagine her mistress arrogantly pointing her nose skyward like a haughty young miss.
[Okay, now listen carefully Xiaoman. I'm about to tell you on how to gain unimaginable power with just a few steps. Complete the instructions exactly how I say them.]
Rong Xiaoman nodded eagerly with her ears perked. "Yes mistress."
[Oh, and what I'm about to tell you will only work once and only for you so don't think about trying it again because it won't work.] Ariel said with a hint of knowing in her voice.
"Why mistress?" Rong Xiaoman asked.
[Because I said so. Now first, complete these simple movements.] Ariel replied briefly.
Rong Xiaoman got ready as she heard the first instructions.
[Up!]
Rong Xiaoman thought for a bit before jumping up three feet.
[Up!]
She jumped again. Her cheeks were turning red from embarrassment.
[Down!]
Rong Xiaoman crouched before standing again.
[Down!]
She repeated what she did before only with a redder face.
[Left!]
She stepped to her left. Various thoughts were filling her mind on how absolutely embarrassed she was, she hoped nobody was watching her.
[Right!]
She stepped to the right, back to her original standing position.
[Left!]
She repeated her previous movement, quickly stepping to the left.
[Right!]
Once again, Rong Xiaoman was standing at her original position.
[Now repeat after me.] Ariel said seriously with focus in her voice.
Rong Xiaoman gulped and mentally nodded.
[Say B!]
"B!" Rong Xiaoman repeated the foreign letter aloud, her voice a little weak from the embarrassment she was feeling.
[Say A!]
"A!" The moment Rong Xiaoman repeated the letter, her body was bathed in a blinding light as a mysterious but boundless power filled her body.
After the light disappeared, Rong Xiaoman collapsed onto the ground. She dizzily sat up in a lotus position and asked. "Mistress! What was that?"
[Hehe just a cheat. Now close your eyes, there should now be three pillars in your consciousness.]
Rong Xiaoman nodded slowly before closing her eyes. As she entered her conscious realm she discovered three large marble pillars with the words 'Gravity, Magnetism and Energy' carved on them. Below those words was the number zero.
"What are these mistress?" Rong Xiaoman asked.
[These pillars will give you godly powers, Gravity to crush your opponents to death, infuse your fists with the weight of stars or warp space and time. Magnetism to tear apart the structure of your enemies bodies or lift, pull or push mountains and even worlds. Energy to accelerate your body with speed that none can match and fire beams of power strong enough to disintegrate the very continent you stand on!] Ariel said excitedly.
Rong Xiaoman's eyes began to sparkle as she listened to her mistress's explanation. "Mistress! How do I obtain these powers? I don't feel that much different."
[Simple, gather Qi and send it into a pillar to level it up. The stronger your cultivation, the faster the pillars of power will gain levels.] Ariel replied.
"But mistress, don't I still need to cultivate? I thought you said it was hard work?" Rong Xiaoman asked as she rolled her eyes.
[Cultivate? Peh! My incarnation is already easy mode my little naive Xiaoman, you could just breathe and your realm would increase automatically. My pillars of power essentially replace any techniques, or other special methods you would usually train. You just need to level the pillars up and you got instant power! Try it and you'll see.]
Rong Xiaoman skeptically sent Qi into the Energy pillar and after ten minutes it had reached level one.
[Now point your finger at the artificial mountain in the center of your courtyard while drawing on the power of the Energy pillar.] Ariel instructed.
Rong Xiaoman pointed her finger at the small 4 meter mountain. Her finger glowed with an orange light radiating an immense heat. A two inch beam shot forth from her finger at the speed of light hitting the center of the small mountain in an instant. As soon as the beam came into contact with it, the small mountain exploded into a large fireball sending rocks and dust everywhere.
Rong Xiaoman gasped in shock! That attack was powerful enough to threaten a peak foundation realm cultivator and that was only the first level of the Energy pillar!
[You understand now right. There are no limits to how much you can use the pillars, you could shoot those little beams till the end of time and you still wouldn't run out of power.] Ariel remarked.
Rong Xiaoman gulped as she stared blankly at her finger.