Seeing the price of the item, Lin Tuo's feverish excitement instantly cooled.
Although his Ether reserves had broken past 500 points for the first time, it was still nothing compared to such a steep cost.
"So, should I just wait a while longer? Let the Sand Table's Ether recover, then absorb again until I reach 1000 points?"
Lin Tuo turned his gaze toward the shifting light-and-shadow of the sand table's continent.
The pale blue-white aura had already begun to recover, and he started running the numbers.
From his observations so far, he realized that hoarding too much Ether inside his body wasn't actually efficient.
First of all, while Ether could temper his body, the process was extremely slow. Even with daily martial practice and constant refinement, the speed-up was minor.
In other words, the path of tempering one's body—human evolution itself—could not be rushed.
In addition, he also noticed that using the Martial Ancestor's Weapon-Forging Fist consumed Ether.
For instance, when he gathered the pale aura to form phantom weapons, it depleted his reserves.
The small demonstration on the rooftop downtown earlier had already cost him a little Ether. In peaceful times, there was no need for such expenditures—and deliberately wasting it would be foolish.
Given these circumstances, the wisest move was to spend Ether quickly on investments rather than letting it sit idle.
Right now, the shop only had one item left. It felt like he had no other choices.
"No… I can also release Ether outward to increase the concentration in specific regions!"
A sudden flash of inspiration struck Lin Tuo.
If Ether could be absorbed, it could naturally be exhaled.
In fact, the Breath of Sustenance technique contained such principles.
Normally, one would never willingly release hard-earned Ether. But this situation was different.
He actually needed it.
He had already disseminated the cultivation method. Soon, people in Yang City would begin practicing it.
But the problem was—because of his last harvesting, the Ether concentration over Yang City had not yet recovered.
It remained at a "low" state.
In other words, Yang City was barren, Ether-starved ground.
That made it impossible for locals to practice effectively.
Even if the Ether were at normal levels, ordinary people would progress painfully slowly.
From the information the Sand Table provided, Lin Tuo knew that meditating and breathing exercises to absorb Ether from the environment was inefficient.
Only a few with exceptional talent might succeed. For most, even sensing Ether's existence could take months.
And since Yang City was already Ether-deficient, the difficulty doubled.
If left unchecked, most would try a few times out of curiosity, fail to see results, then quickly give up.
If that happened, his vision of creating a testbed for humanity's collective evolution would collapse.
"At least in the beginning, I need to ensure that people see the Azure Spirit Breathing Technique as real and effective."
The simplest, most direct method was to forcefully increase Ether concentration over Yang City.
"If I channel Ether into the city via the Sand Table, will there be loss?"
He asked quietly.
A moment later, knowledge poured into his mind.
Yes—there would be some loss, but much less than when absorbing.
That answer reassured him. The plan made sense.
"Then I'll invest these 500 points back into Yang City, raise its Ether density, and let cultivation progress rapidly. Once people experience real results, the technique's value will be undeniable. Even if I stop boosting later, it won't matter."
As for the other option—saving up 1000 points to expand observation range? Lin Tuo thought about it.
Not worth it.
A thousand points only expanded coverage by 10,000 square kilometers.
That might include the nearby metropolitan area.
But since he didn't intend to harvest Ether outside Yang City anytime soon, the expansion had no real value.
"Well… I guess the only perk would be teleporting directly into the neighboring city without taking a bus."
He chuckled at the thought.
Decision made.
He closed the shop panel and switched the Sand Table back into Observation Mode.
Then, staring at the vast, machine-like modern metropolis below, he reversed the Breath of Sustenance technique.
Puffing out his lips, he slowly released streams of pale aura into the Sand Table.
Evening.
As the sun sank in the west and warm light spread across the horizon, Yang City's streets grew busy with cars and pedestrians.
At Lin Tuo's former company, in his old department, it was nearly quitting time.
"Brother Li, heading out?"
"Not yet. I still have some things to finish. You go on ahead."
"Alright then—have a good weekend.""Weekend, yeah."
When the office finally emptied, Li Tai exhaled, then quietly returned to his desk.
After checking no one was around, he furtively opened a bookmarked picture on his computer.
As a department manager, Li Tai was mild-mannered. The company's relaxed culture meant he was friendly with colleagues.
But years of high-intensity work had left him with ailments.
His cervical spine was misaligned; he relied on medication just to get by.
Earlier that day, his young coworkers had been discussing the mysterious event in the city center, debating whether to try cultivation.
He hadn't joined in, but curiosity had stirred inside him.
After all, the idea of strengthening the body through martial practice was deeply ingrained.
If the technique worked, maybe it could improve his health.
"Just a test… it shouldn't hurt, right?"
He muttered, adjusted his glasses, and carefully studied the digital copy:
"Azure Spirit Breathing Technique"
"Step one… adjust posture to…"
Because Lin Tuo had written the instructions to be concise and beginner-friendly, they weren't difficult to memorize.
After reading twice, Li Tai had the essentials down.
He pulled a cushion onto the floor, sat cross-legged awkwardly facing the window, and closed his eyes.
He began regulating his breathing according to the technique.
"Exhale… inhale… exhale… inhale…"
At first, the rhythm was awkward. Humans weren't built to shift their breathing cycles easily.
But gradually, he adapted.
The setting sun faded. The office grew silent.
Leaves swayed in the evening breeze as Li Tai's breathing settled into a deep rhythm. His mind slipped into an indescribable state.
Meanwhile, across town in a residential district—
Jiang Yishan, Zhou Mo's close friend, stepped out of the bathroom drying her hair.
Glancing at her phone, she spotted the viral cultivation method.
"Should I try it?"
On impulse, she tied up her hair, glanced through the instructions, then casually sat cross-legged on her yoga mat.
Within minutes, her breath steadied.
From high above, threads of pale aura trickled down unseen, entering her nose and mouth.
"Inhale… exhale… inhale… exhale…"
Night fell over Yang City. Neon lights glittered across the streets.
At first glance, everything looked ordinary.
But across the city, in apartments, parks, offices, and even rural villages—
Countless individuals sat cross-legged, hidden from others' sight, quietly attempting the Azure Spirit Breathing Technique.
Back in the study at Lishan Martial Hall.
Lin Tuo gazed down at the Sand Table.
Thanks to its powers, he clearly saw the city's Ether.
Under his reverse infusion, Ether had gathered into a massive cloud over Yang City.
From it, countless fine threads descended, connecting to individuals immersed in practice.
"Hmm?"
Looking closer, he noticed that some threads were thicker, brighter than the rest.
"Could this be the difference in talent? The thicker the line, the higher their cultivation potential."
Realization dawned.
After a moment of thought, Lin Tuo waved his hand, stirring the Ether cloud. He deliberately enriched the concentration around the most gifted individuals.
If he wanted people to believe in cultivation quickly, he needed visible examples.
The talented ones were the best candidates to become living proof.
He sighed softly, recalling Laozi's words:
"The Way of Heaven is like drawing a bow—pressing down the high, raising the low.It takes from the surplus to supplement the lacking.The Way of Man is different:it takes from the weak and serves the strong.Who then can give their surplus to serve the world?Only those who follow the Dao."
A wry smile touched his lips.
"The ancients did not deceive me."
End of Chapter 25