"Does the God's Tears ritual make otherworldly beings appear as rare talents in the Church?" Adam pondered deeply, internalizing this thought. His current priorities were still focused on escaping Saint Sound. Only after that would he focus on learning, and lastly, stirring trouble.
However, escaping from Saint Sound and heading towards the Kingdom of Loken still seemed incredibly difficult at this point.
The cooperation between Jin and Mansura had not progressed far. Though his new teacher, Anthony, was kind to him, Adam did not wish for others to know of his existence, and it would be even more inappropriate to ask Anthony to take him away.
Thus, while planning his escape from Saint Sound, he could not afford to slack in his studies. He had to continuously absorb this esoteric knowledge to gain more leverage in dealing with the difficulties ahead.
After analyzing the God's Tears ritual, Jin did not stop there. Instead, he continued teaching Adam.
"Bloodline sorcerers and knights share similarities in the initial stage of their cultivation. Thus, my training method is the same in the first stage," Jin explained in detail.
Adam adjusted the weight of his soul to favor his body. While a focus on the soul would enhance his understanding, both the knight's and bloodline sorcerer's training methods were inherently tied to life. Having constant awareness of one's physical state would significantly benefit learning these disciplines.
"Endurance—most extraordinary professions follow this path in the first stage. It's the first step in laying a foundation, requiring you to attune yourself to the rhythms of life through movement."
"There are three key elements: breathing, heartbeat, and immersion."
"As humans are constantly interacting with the natural environment, breathing is the most frequent and fundamental interaction."
"Air enters the lungs with each breath and interacts with the blood, which circulates and moves towards the heart. With the heart's guidance, it spreads throughout the body."
"Blood is often regarded as the symbol of life, the most essential element for sustaining life. It is through the blood that one can most easily sense the vital energy sustaining the body."
"Through countless movements, you block out the external world, immersing your will in the blood, delving deeper into life itself. As you become aware of the flow of blood, you'll realize that much of your vital energy is wasted. Injuries that seem healed often continue consuming your life force due to hidden internal damage."
"Every action in life expends energy—from improper sitting postures to incorrect running form. These bad habits all increase the depletion of your vitality."
"Thus, a knight's training is divided into two parts. One focuses on external physical exercises and daily habits, known as 'the training method'. The other involves merging one's will into the vitality, actively regulating its flow—this is the 'life chart'."
"Vitality is finite, but the mysteries of the human body are as numerous as the stars. Through ongoing study, various schools of thought have emerged, each offering its own methods for optimizing vitality's use."
"Some early practitioners believed that much of the body's structure was unnecessary. They manipulated vitality to sever the flow in certain areas, redirecting that energy to other organs, improving vitality efficiency threefold. Theoretically, this could allow one to live over 300 years."
"However, this reckless severing of life energy caused the body's structure to collapse, leading to sudden death at 40."
"Though this seems foolish now, we must acknowledge that it was through individuals like him—who dared to take risks—that the knightly schools have flourished into what they are today."
"The method I will teach you is the most widely practiced and the one with the least flaws: 'The Heart of Life'."
"This method cannot grant you infinite strength, make you impervious to blades, enable you to fly, or regenerate lost limbs. But it can minimize unnecessary vitality loss, allowing you to maximize the vitality you can accumulate."
"This is ideal for us werewolves. If we need to fight at close range, our transformations already surpass any other school. Thus, it is enough for our human forms to accumulate more vitality."
"It's also well-suited to you. Your bloodline ability allows you to convert vitality into mental strength. In your human form, you are effectively using two methods to enhance your mental power."
The vitality and mental strength accumulated by the human body have their limits, as they are necessary to maintain life and the soul's functions.
"Neyther, your talent is truly extraordinary. You are qualified to become an extraordinary being," Jin's voice carried an air of excitement.
After a moment of calm, Jin continued, "The first stage of bloodline sorcery and knightly cultivation is identical, except for one additional step: stabilizing the connection between life and bloodline."
"Bloodlines are inherited through life itself, hidden within life, growing alongside it, nearly becoming one with it."
"The power accumulated within a bloodline is like existing in a separate layer of the body, only emerging when called upon through the life connection. This is the transformation process."
"Bloodlines are incomplete rituals, containing both sin and the spirits of ancestors."
"A knight must merge his will with his life force, while a bloodline sorcerer first stabilizes the link between life and bloodline."
"In the second stage, bloodline sorcery doesn't overflow but continues to maintain. The sorcerer then engages with the will of the ancestors within the bloodline, ultimately mastering the sin-based energy within."
"At this stage, the bloodline sorcerer bypasses the overflow and enters the refining stage. By restructuring the chaotic bloodline, they reach the return stage."
"Other professions would likely still be crafting their own ritual blueprints at this point."
"The essence of rituals is the communication between humans and the Threefold, and the essence of rituals is stabilizing this communication."
"Knights complete their feats, sorcerers forge their own ritual arrays, such as how the Reflective Tower is likely Anthony's ritual array. Shamans seek to create the Universal Cauldron."
"These are templates, but individuals must adapt them according to their own situations. Many who lack a legacy must spend tremendous effort to construct a basic template."
"Bloodline sorcerers, however, are born with a template—one that is inherently suited to them."
"Thus, once bloodline sorcerers find the right direction, they can rapidly forge their own ritual. Once the ritual is complete, even a weaker sorcerer is considered a hero."
"Different professions vary in how they construct their rituals, even if they forge them in the same way. The resulting strength varies, and this leads to different classifications, such as hero, legendary, and epic."
"The mythic stage, however, remains under the control of the priests, who possess unique rituals. Even a knight at the first stage can enter a 'with God' state, which is the precursor to the return stage."
"As priests deepen their understanding of the divine, they complete their personal divine arts, which are essentially a part of their ritual."
As Jin continued teaching Adam the fundamentals of the Heart of Life, he also explained how various professions differ in their approaches. For each stage, he offered guidance on how to overcome others' weaknesses with one's own strengths.
"Neyther, your task is simple: master your bloodline, then combine the strengths of the sorcerer and knightly rituals, forging your bloodline into the most powerful ritual."