Seeing this smile, my mood instantly relaxed, and the sense of oppression that had been there before didn't seem so strong.
Seeing my smile, the Shepherd's smile faded a bit. "This matter is of great importance. The cause planted was too heavy, and I still cannot predict what kind of consequences it will trigger. I only hope you can bear it!"
I nodded slowly and earnestly, "Since it's something I did, I will definitely take responsibility!"
Actually, when the Shepherd spoke of this matter, I already felt something was amiss.
Although my main target was Vici at the moment, after hearing these words, I felt that this Shepherd's Art might be related to something even more terrifying.
But now that I had already done it, there was no room for regret.
Even if I were given a chance to choose again, I would still choose to teach others without hesitation.
Vici was constantly expanding his influence in his own way, and my relationship with him was already irreconcilable. He possessed immense power, and if I didn't, the outcome was self-evident.
So, to some extent, I had no other choice. Expanding my team and increasing my combat power was my best course of action right now.
"Don't overthink it," the Shepherd smiled. In such a peaceful place, it all seemed like a paradise. "Since it has already happened and cannot be changed, why not prepare more..."
"Prepare for what?" I asked, a little puzzled.
"You don't actually think your current strength is enough to handle everything, do you?" The Shepherd looked at me, his gaze strangely intense.
"Of course not..." I quickly replied, "But I don't know how to improve further..."
"This..." The Shepherd glanced at me. "Continue cultivating the Shepherd's Art, and..."
He stopped abruptly, placing a hand on my arm.
This sensation was, to be honest, rather strange. In my memory, I recalled entering the room, entering a state of cultivation, and then arriving here.
To some extent, this place should be like a dream. httpδ:/m.kuAisugg.nět
But for some reason, I could feel the Shepherd's hand on mine at this moment, and I could even feel the coldness from his fingertips.
He held my pulse, closed his eyes, and remained silent.
I watched nervously, not daring to make a sound, for about five minutes. Then, the Shepherd opened his eyes. "No wonder you are so weak..."
Hearing this assessment, the corners of my mouth twitched involuntarily.
Logically speaking, my current strength should be considered quite good. At the very least, on the entire deserted island, I felt that no one could be stronger than me.
I never expected to be evaluated as weak.
"I can only say you live in a good era. If you had lived in that era where cultivators were everywhere, your current strength would, heh heh..." The Shepherd trailed off, leaving the rest unsaid.
But I could generally understand what he meant.
If nothing unexpected happened, there would have been many powerful cultivators in that era, which was the true age of cultivation.
"Have you ever thought about what cultivation truly is?" The Shepherd suddenly asked, seeing the expression on my face.
"Uh..." I paused. What is cultivation?
To be honest, I had never truly pondered this question. Ever since I obtained the power of the Shepherd, I had been cultivating blindly, never considering the root of it all.
It didn't seem like a problem before, but now that the question was raised, I realized that I hadn't fully understood many things from the beginning.
"I don't know..." I replied, looking down.
"So-called cultivation is nothing more than gathering the power between heaven and earth into one's body, using the power of heaven and earth to enhance one's own strength, and thereby continuously improving oneself," the Shepherd said, not sounding angry. "However, even though the power of heaven and earth in this world is already very thin, making it very difficult for cultivators to be born..."
"In that era of abundant spiritual energy, there were countless cultivation methods, but as spiritual energy dwindled, those methods also disappeared," the Shepherd continued. "And the reason why the Shepherd's Power could rise is only one..."
"What is it?" I immediately asked.
"Inclusivity!" the Shepherd looked me in the eyes. "The Shepherd's Power can draw strength from anywhere. A flower, a blade of grass, a mountain, a stream, a grain of sand, a stone, all can contain power. The Shepherd's Power can absorb them perfectly to enhance oneself. There are no special requirements for cultivating the Shepherd's Power!"
I nodded slowly.
"However, all changes stem from the same root. The fundamental principle of the Shepherd's Power is also to borrow the power of heaven and earth to continuously strengthen oneself!" the Shepherd said. "Therefore, you still have room for improvement!"