The Strongest Businessman

Chapter 5 5: The Mansion in My Mind, is it a Treasure Trove or a System?

During his crazed training, Dylan also experienced the fatigue and pain of training. If this goes on, he will be no different to his past self and die overexerting himself. He then realized the need to advance in cultivation. He then discovered that within his Spirit core there was an exceedingly large amount of natural energy accumulated. He pondered why he was able to possess such large amounts of energy. This energy was sufficient for anyone to be able to advance to the peak of the Fourth level just one step away from the pinnacle. It was the unconscious absorption of energy during the continuous training his past self, made.

Then, he wondered what was the reason why his past self was unable to advance in cultivation. Maybe there was something wrong with his cultivation method? He checked his memories again. The cultivation method he was practicing was one of the most popular and most common methods of every cultivator at the Mystic Clouds Country, the Mystery of Clouds Cultivation Manual. Many cultivators in the city would cultivate this manual because it guaranteed entrance to the sixth level Spirit Veins in just a few years.

So, there was no problem with his cultivation, then what was? Feeling helpless, he shook his head. Then, he remembered something. "On several novels, I have read the MC who gains overflowing power suppresses their urge to breakthrough and finds a way to balance out the energy to not damage their foundation and halt his progress in the future. They then, refined the remaining energy to produce an even purer type of energy compared to their peers!"

"I can use this method on myself since I am currently incapable of breakthrough. I can use this to refine the overflowing energy in my Spirit Core to produce a 2nd level Spirit Core energy that is several folds purer than my peers. So that as I progress, I get stronger and stronger!" he exclaimed to himself and laugh heartily in his brilliance. As a diligent reader of various light novels and manga, he felt proud as his favorite pass time could help him in his present situation.

`Mwahahaha. I, Dylan Ford, with my knowledge of thousands of light novels and manga, will be able to conquer this world.` he flattered himself in such a manner. But he then bitterly laughed at how childish his thoughts have been.

Then after some thought, he began testing his hypothesis of refining the energy within his body. Using the Mystery of the Clouds, he began meditating. In his Spirit Core, he saw that large blob of natural energy and started to suppress the energy and refine it. The refinement could be defined as painful. As the energy was already part of him, it would feel like how you feel lively at morning but once you exhaust yourself, you need to replenish it through eating and resting.

Exhausted energy could be replenished through absorption. The absorbed energy is then refined to become a cultivator`s own energy. This being said, the already refined energy would be further refined to create something purer but it is an extremely arduous and painful task to do so. But of course if one is in possession of a higher grade of cultivation technique compared to Dylan they would easily be able to refine natural energy into energy purer than what Dylan could normally refine.

Technique is also categorized into three levels; Spirit, Earth, and Sky and is then further divided to low, middle, high. The Mystery of Clouds is a High Spirit-Class technique but only if one could obtain the three scrolls. Dylan is in possession of the first scroll which is produced nationwide but the second and third scroll are fewer. The first guarantees your entry to the Spirit Veins Realm, the Second Scroll guarantees your entry to the peak of Spirit Veins Ream while the Third Scroll could guarantee your entrance to the level 13 Awakened Spirit Realm. As for how much you could precede after then is up to how talented you are.

It was like peeling the skin of a human but Dylan gritted his teeth as a thought continuously reminded him 'No Pain, No Gain'. The torture-like refinement lasted for over an hour, any random human would breakdown in front of this kind of pain but Dylan persisted. He managed to refine it three-folds which then resulted to a purer energy that a Middle Spirit Class Technique could produce but the original blob only had 30% of its previous size. He then did one round of routine for each skill for the last time that it was not as painful as it was before. Excited, he rejoiced and enjoyed the joy of training.

After doing that last routine, he decided to rest. He went to his room and entered his small but comfortable bed. He closed his eyes as he slowly immersed himself to the darkness.

Just as he was about to be fully asleep, he discovered a bright light on the corner of his mind. As he further sank to his dreams, he discovered that the bright light became brighter. He slowly approached the light and it left him wondering, what kind of dream would this be?

It piqued his interest because slowly it outlined a building. Quickening his pace, the building became much clearer. Then he stopped several meters away from the building. Stunned, he saw an extremely grand mansion shining brightly. The light it emitted was not that blinding type of light instead; it was pleasant to the eyes and had a warm feeling to it.

The mansion could be compared to a high-class building as it size was massive. Its height spanned about a few thousand meters with a width spanning hundreds of kilometers. The door of the massive mansion had decorations that had an alternation of diamonds, rubies, sapphire, emeralds, jades and many jewels that he could not recognize as it formed ancient runes that gave of an archaic aura. The mansion was mainly vibrant gold in color. It had two massive golden pillars in front of the mansion designed like the pillars of the Greeks as many pillars, though a little bit smaller in size, continued endlessly in a horizontal manner. The gate outside the palace was made of crystal glass as it caged the entire massive mountain. and had a an ark above it with herbs that emitted aura vastly stronger than him as it formed a hanging gardens that may be greater than the hanging gardens of Babylon. Between the door and the gate, a luxurious fountain can be seen as water as clear as a cloudless sky forming a pond comparable to a lake. It felt like it was ambrosia gushing out of the mouth of the fountain. Beside it was a heavenly garden that filled up the remaining space which was designed as beautiful as though a work of art.

"Majestic... Beautiful... and ... Grand." Dylan marveled at the massively large mansion that suddenly appeared in his mind.

He was shocked to see something like an immortal`s abode in his mind! This must be the blessing of the heavens to him. He proceeded forward until he was right in front of the door. Excited by what marvelous things he might obtain from inside, he put his hands on the smooth crystal gates and tried to open it.

"Now, to enjoy my good fortun... what?... Why isn't the gate budging?" He indignantly said. He tried with all of his strength to push the gates open but it did not budge by even a small inch. He tried again and again. He tried various ways to open the gates but to no avail, he failed. He tried attacking it, pushing it, injecting energy to it; he even smeared some of his blood hoping to form a contract with the gate.

"What should I do to open this stupid gate?"

"Maybe it only opens with a... password? That`s it. That`s gotta be it!" Dylan had an idea.

" So let`s try it."

" OPEN SESAME!!!!" he shouted.

"..." No response from the gate.

"Maybe I said it wrongly? Okay. Again!"

"OPEEEEEEEN SESAMEEEEE!!!"

"..."

"Still no response? Again!!"

"OPEN SAAAYS MEEEE"

"..."

"WHAAAT?!"

"..."

"AGAIN!..."

"..."

Several attempts later...

"Open... please..."

"..."

Dylan had the impulse to cry. He tried to do different passwords. He almost said every possible way you can speak 'Open Sesame' with but he still failed. He was truly in the verge of tears as he felt like a peerless woman undressed in front of him but could not touch her. That was what he currently felt, a gigantic palace-like mansion in front of him that was bound to have varieties of treasures inside, he felt dismal to this matter. He felt like the heavens were playing a cruel joke on him.

"Heavens, I can see that you are laughing at me, right now. But can`t you at least give me something? Even just one thing at the very least?!" Dylan pleaded.

Then, he suddenly thought of something. 'It can`t be... can it? Half of those stories which the MC transcended from earth gained... a system?! This system is in a form... of a mansion?' But he could not think of anything more feasible than this. Since he already tried everything he could, just trying one more time, would not hurt, wouldn't it? So he strengthened his resolve and said.

" System... OPEN!!!" He cried for one last time.

"..."

"I knew it I pushed my luck. haha" He laughed bitterly at himself. Then on careful thought, there is no free lunch in this world. It does`nt mean a treasure appears in front of you that you can necessarily get it, some might even rob you or even kill you for it. So, he consoled himself with this line of thought. But suddenly...

*Shake* *Shake* *Shake*

His dreamworld was shaking violently. Dylan was in a daze because of this. It felt like there was a Magnitude 10 earthquake happening exclusively on his own world

`Could it be... It really opened? Hahahaha` Dylan laughed heartily with his thoughts. But after several seconds, it stopped. But there were no signs of opening on the gate. `It did not... open`. Then what was that quake supposed to be.

"Prrrrrrrrrt" a noise reverberated throughout his dream world

Then, he suddenly woke up because he smelled something ominous. As a foreign odor entered his nose. Then, he knew that someone farted at his face.