In this world, a variety of natural treasures exist that, in their own unique ways, can greatly enhance a user's ability to cultivate The Fractured Path. The relative difficulty of acquiring these treasures, as well as their individual usefulness, varies greatly. Like all rare and precious things, natural treasures are fiercely coveted by powerful cultivators and magic users in every realm, making the likelihood of personally receiving any one of them very low. However, this cultivation journal would be incomplete if I failed to educate readers about the existence of the treasure most singularly useful to those developing this technique. That treasure could only be the Stone of the Mind…

  —Excerpt from The Fractured Path

  Anthony spent the next five minutes trying to steady his breathing, his excitement making it difficult to focus as he read over the details of the Stone of the Mind again and again, probably dozens of times. He was having trouble believing that such a fortuitous thing was possible.

  I take back all the bad things I thought about you, Aurum. You are a good boy!

  After realizing that this treasure was almost certainly what had caused Aurum to lead them to this awful place, Anthony wasted no time preparing himself to reap the benefits of his timely boon.

  There existed countless highly detailed techniques designed to extract the greatest possible benefit from such a precious item. No doubt, if Pom were here, Anthony could use her expertise to attempt one of those more sophisticated methods. Right now, however, he was forced to rely on the simplest and crudest of usages.

  Anthony prepared himself mentally for what he was about to do, meditating solemnly until his breathing and heart rate became as stable as he could manage in such a situation. Then, gripping the stone in one hand, he used his nexus to empower his sword.

  For a few moments, he held still, his expression steadily hardening with determination. Then, with careful precision, he pressed the stone against the glowing blade, slowly rotating until he had completed one full revolution, carving a shallow groove around the entire surface of the stone.

  A metallic scent filled the air as Anthony cautiously separated the two halves of the Stone of the Mind, holding his breath as he worked to make absolutely sure none of the precious liquid inside was spilled. Within each half, nestled in the smooth and hollow interior, was what looked like a droplet of blue liquid—one that continuously shifted and morphed, forming intricate, snowflake-like patterns for only an instant before melting back into a single, glistening bead. The two drops of liquid seemed to dance and change in unison, taking on the exact same detailed patterns in a harmony that felt too perfect to exist.

  Anthony felt a sense of wonder as he stared at the mysterious liquid, forgetting about his deadly serious situation for a moment as he tested the limits of the connection between the two drops by slowly moving them apart. Next he tried covering one drop with both hands to conceal it from the other, but the synchronized dance still continued unfazed.

  While considering what other methods he could use to test the liquid, Anthony suddenly shook his head roughly as he refocused his mind on the more important task at hand. Wasting no more time, he took one stone half in each hand, raising them up in front of his face on both sides to position them just below each of his eyes.

  Okay… I can do this.

  One. Two. Three!!!

  At the count of three, Anthony forced his eyes open as wide as they would go and tilted his head back, allowing the two drops of magical liquid to fall into each of his eyes. He executed the motion with expert precision, before swiftly clenching his eyes shut in anticipation of the consequences.

  A few breaths passed without any change. Anthony's heartbeat pounded in his chest as doubt began to creep in—had the descriptions of the stone's effects been wrong? Maybe the stone had lost its potency after sitting locked in this foul pit for so many years, he thought.

  Then, without warning, a flash of white-hot pain exploded through his skull, so intense that he accidentally bit his tongue in his shock.

  Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.

  “Agh-AHHHHH!”

  The pain was far worse than he had expected—like dozens of long tendrils stabbing into his brain through his eyes. His entire body convulsed as he collapsed onto the dirty stone floor, slamming his hands against the sides of his face in a misguided effort to stop the agony. Tears of blood slowly trickled down the tortured young man's tightly shut eyelids.

  Thankfully, the overwhelming agony did not last long, fading almost as suddenly as it had arrived. Anthony gasped for breath, his chest rising and falling deeply as he said a silent prayer, expressing his gratitude for having been delivered from the unbearable feeling. Beads of sweat still clinging to his forehead, evidence of his body's raw reaction to the suffering.

  A shiver ran through him in the next moment as an intense cold seeped into his core, bringing with it a clarity of mind unlike anything he had ever known. At the same time, an eerie, light-blue glow began to emanate from his eyes. Wasting no time, Anthony pushed himself up into a seated position the instant he felt the intense mental sensation he had been waiting for.

  Okay… The first step is done. Now for the hard part!

  Closing his eyes as he settled into position, he focused inward, and a familiar, star-like ball of sheer power manifested in his mind. The effects of the Stone of the Mind were, unfortunately, temporary, meaning he had to make full use of the incredible mental control it granted him while it lasted.

  The single most difficult aspect of The Fractured Path cultivation technique was the necessity of creating multiple nexus keys—an almost impossible feat for most people, as it required flawless control over one's own thoughts.

  While creating a nexus key, the single most important thing one must never do was think about a separate nexus key. Even for a moment. A single lapse in attention, and the associations would entangle, unraveling the entire process. This was why forging a single key was simple, because no entanglement was possible, but creating more was nearly impossible.

  Attempting to form a second nexus key without recalling the first was not something normal humans could do. It was like being told not to think of the color blue while coloring a blueberry—an exercise in futility. Worse yet, if a cultivator somehow managed against all odds to create a second key, the difficulty of creating the third would rise once again, because now there existed multiple keys that could become entangled and disrupt the creation process. So even the elites of the past who cultivated The Fractured Path rarely created more than three to five keys, while the absolute geniuses never surpassed the number seven.

  That was what made the Stone of the Mind such an invaluable treasure for practitioners of this cultivation method. Among its most potent effects was the ability to bestow perfect mental discipline for a short period of time.

  Thankfully, Anthony had already spent time considering what symbols he would use when he eventually attempted to create more nexus keys. Because of that, he didn’t need to waste time making those decisions now.

  I’d better start with the most powerful key—just in case the effects of the stone wear off sooner than I’d hoped.

  The moment he made the decision, a look of steely concentration overtook his face and he quickly began his first attempt. He was striving to create the nexus key that would be used when he needed to trigger the full power of his nexus.

  The effects of the Stone of the Mind were truly wondrous. The instant Anthony willed himself to push the memory of his first nexus key out of his awareness, it vanished—suddenly and completely, as if the thought had never existed.

  He sat in his meditative position as he completed the key making process in his mind with superhuman precision. To an outside observer, it would have appeared as if Anthony had merely closed his eyes a few moments ago. Then, without warning, a crack of invisible pressure exploded outward from his body as a burning red inferno overtook the sword in his hand—the room lit up like a beacon fire was shining brightly beneath the statue of the demon god.

  Success!

  The sudden surge of power was undeniable proof that he had done it. Anthony’s grip tightened around his sword as exhilaration surged through his chest. He had just overcome a gargantuan cultivation boundary that had severely limited the power of nearly every cultivator who had ever practiced this technique.

  But the joy was swiftly pushed from his mind just as quickly as the memory of the nexus key had been erased earlier. Drawing on the power of the Stone of the Mind, he exerted perfect control over his emotions, as well as the immense energy flowing into his sword.

  He pressed the tip of his glowing blade into the stone floor a few feet in front of him, and a moment later the solid rock melted into a half-molten mess as the excess power discharged from the weapon. Only once the energy released from the creation of his second nexus key was safely dispersed did Anthony settle back into position.

  Closing his eyes once again, he prepared to create key number three.