He excitedly wandered around the cultivation room alone for a long time before suddenly realizing that his whole body was already drenched in sweat.

A foul, putrid odor was emanating from him.

This, Eric Clark understood well—postnatal cultivation, cleansing the marrow and washing the bones, all the filth and impurities of the human body must be expelled.

Eric Clark lightly pinched a hand seal, and with a simple “Cloud and Rain Technique,” he washed away all the grime from his body. His robe was impervious to water and fire, repelling all things, naturally spotless and clean. With his body refreshed, Eric Clark’s spirits were also lifted.

He looked inward, examining his cultivation, and was startled to find that the spiritual energy in his dantian had surged significantly, seemingly brushing against the barrier of the second postnatal level. Just one more step, and he could smoothly enter the third postnatal realm.

Chapter 3: Is This What Cultivating Immortality Is Like?

He had experienced the wonders of cultivation.

Eric Clark was starting to develop a taste for it. He was not the original owner of this body, who only knew how to brag, chase girls, act shamelessly and lecherously, with no ambition, muddling through each day.

Eric Clark was exceptionally intelligent, always planning before acting, with every arrangement interlinked. Once he committed to something, he devoted himself entirely, and that drive was truly formidable.

Through cultivation and constant study of ancient texts, Eric Clark discovered that this body actually had outstanding aptitude.

According to the current classification of spiritual roots in the cultivation world, Eric Clark should be second only to the Heavenly Spiritual Root.

The only flaw was that two of the eight extraordinary meridians in his body were severely blocked, making cultivation of the “Longevity Sutra” extremely difficult.

However, the “Pangu Diagram” seemed to have a peculiar effect. Meditating on this diagram during cultivation appeared to allow him to ignore the existence of the meridians; as long as the diagram circulated, his body could continuously absorb vital energy.

Even more wondrous, Eric Clark was surprised to find that with daily cultivation, those blocked meridians were showing signs of clearing. Although still far from fully restored, spiritual energy could now slowly circulate through them.

On this issue, Eric Clark searched through countless texts, yet still couldn’t figure out the reason.

He knew well that his current knowledge was insufficient, so he didn’t get bogged down in it, instead focusing his limited energy on the most important matters—this was Eric Clark’s way of doing things.

Postnatal cultivation is divided into nine realms.

Whether a Qi Refiner or a Body Cultivator, postnatal cultivation focuses primarily on the physical body.

Eric Clark’s cultivation progressed rapidly. A few days ago, he had already broken through to the third postnatal level, and his cultivation had soared ever since. He was now basically at the late stage of the third level.

The first three postnatal levels are also called: “Strength Training,” “Internal Fortification,” and “Divine Strength.”

The first level trains the skin, muscles, and flesh. After breaking through, physical strength increases greatly, far surpassing ordinary people. The second level moves inward, training the periosteum and internal organs—this is “Internal Fortification.”

Once “Internal Fortification” is achieved, the body’s functions immediately become extraordinary. Not only does strength increase again, but one becomes immune to heat and cold, free from all diseases, and lifespan is extended.

For ordinary people, living to a hundred is considered great longevity.

But for cultivators, even a Qi Refiner at the second postnatal level can easily live past a hundred.

After “Internal Fortification” comes “Divine Strength.”

With skin, muscles, periosteum, and internal organs all greatly strengthened, the body’s functions leap forward, and extraordinary strength is naturally born.

At the “Divine Strength” level, some body cultivators are said to have the exaggerated ability to lift several thousand jin with one arm.

This number was enough to astonish Eric Clark, a mortal from Earth. Li Yuanba, the greatest hero of the Sui and Tang dynasties, possessed boundless strength and could lift a thousand-jin stone lion with each arm—that was already unprecedented, an incredible martial powerhouse.

But if Li Yuanba were placed in the Great World of China, his strength would be nothing worth mentioning, not even as good as a rookie cultivator.

Currently, Eric Clark had reached the late stage of the “Divine Strength” realm. As a Qi Refiner, he couldn’t be as exaggerated as a body cultivator, but his single-arm strength definitely exceeded five hundred jin.

He could uproot a tree as thick as a bowl with both hands, which should be a strength level of over a thousand jin.

Next, for Eric Clark, the realms he needed to break through would enter the stage of “Comprehension.”

“Comprehension Form, Subtlety, Hardness and Softness, Spirit Communication, Divine Sense, Half-Step Innate”—these are the next five realms.

Physical cultivation is not just about brute strength, but also about learning to use that strength.

Eric Clark summed it up in eight words: “Train the body, understand the body!”

As for cultivation, Eric Clark was no longer a complete novice—at the very least, he had a basic grasp of the fundamentals.

Now, every day was extremely fulfilling for him, and cultivation was just one part of his life.

Everything in the world of cultivation was convenient. Dormitory building 103, though a gathering place for losers, had a large-screen “Xin Gui” for every five single dorm rooms.

With this device, Eric Clark could easily look up cultivation knowledge and basic materials.

Eric Clark also hadn’t forgotten that he was a disciple of the “Talisman Hall.” In fact, ever since he saw the “Wind-Riding Paper Crane,” “Sound Gui,” and “Xin Gui”—these novel gadgets—he had developed a great interest in “spirit talismans.”

With his super-genius intellect, Eric Clark had a natural advantage in learning “spirit talismans.” In just a few days, he had already figured out most of the functions of the large-screen “Xin Gui” in the dormitory building.