I have a Tantric panel

The afternoon sun shone through the curtains, bringing a touch of stuffiness.

Xia En sat at the table, a fine layer of sweat appearing on his forehead.

I've only turned a few pages of the ancient book in front of me.

This book is not only written entirely in Latin, but the language is also generally obscure and profound, as if encrypted with special grammar.

For beginners, reading this is like reading a book written in a foreign language.

Even though Shane had already read a lot of documents and was using the "Truth Candle" to accelerate his learning, he still found it very difficult to read.

But his heart was racing, and he felt a mix of excitement and anticipation.

Because the book contained exactly what he wanted to see—

rising.

More specifically, it refers to the ascent along the path.

The curtain is the thinnest boundary between this shore and the other shore.

The path to transcendence is the path that leads deep into the veil.

The opening two sentences state the theme, and then the main point is immediately addressed.

To achieve extraordinary things, you must leave your anchor point behind the curtain.

Mortals pass through the curtain several times a day, but never leave anything behind.

They passed by, and then forgot.

And you cannot simply walk by.

Xia En immediately sat up straight.

[Anchor Point]

This was a concept he had never encountered before.

Continue reading.

The world behind the veil is too vast and dark; it needs an anchor to anchor one's spirituality.

[At the same time, the anchor point also serves as a channel, allowing extraordinary individuals to access the power beyond the veil.]

The book summarizes it in one sentence.

Ascending without an anchor is like drowning; maintaining the anchor's stability is a mandatory lesson for every extraordinary individual.

Xia En silently kept this in mind.

But the next sentence made him gasp for breath.

The way to leave an anchor point is through ritual.

Painting, singing, public speaking, opera, sculpture... any act that evokes spiritual resonance is a ritual.

[Ritual is essentially a declaration, and it is key to determining whether the anchor is secure enough.]

The number of ceremonies varies from person to person.

Some people can anchor their existence in just one instance, while others need several or even dozens.

However, remember that more repetition is not necessarily better. Just like transmitting too much noise makes it impossible to discern the most essential declaration.

This statement confirms Shane's guess.

Freya's "Phantom in the Mist" is a ritual for stepping into the extraordinary.

The white canvas he is now preparing may also be part of the ritual.

From this perspective.

Aurora is now handing this book to him, perhaps because she feels... his knowledge has reached a new stage?

Turn a new page.

The book also details the requirements for some of the rituals:

First, whatever kind of ritual it is, it should be as suitable as possible for yourself.

For example, if a painter attempts to depict a combat-related ritual, it doesn't mean failure is inevitable, but it will certainly require significantly more effort.

Second, the ritual must be performed only after a certain amount of ether has been accumulated.

A ritual without a foundation is like a castle in the air; once built, it will crumble in the wind.

[Some beginners, aiming too high, force themselves to establish rituals, only to be discovered, corrupted, and polluted by certain entities behind the veil, becoming wandering ghosts behind the veil.]

Winnie, the missing teaching assistant.

A name popped up.

Winnie also seems to be someone Aurora has her eye on, possessing remarkable talent in the field of mysticism.

Now their fate is unknown.

It's probably because... she made a wrong move?

Third, confirm your path.

Choose from these nine paths that you will dedicate your life to.

Generally speaking, once a path is chosen, it cannot be changed.

However, in some vague records, I have seen accounts of people abandoning their own principles and joining the folds of other pillar deities.

He must have paid an extremely high price.

Below this passage is a very small footnote.

In the era known as the Golden Age, there was a sage who served two pillar gods simultaneously, thus wielding the power of two paths.

Whether his methods can be replicated, I do not know.

Or perhaps, it's just a legend...

Choose a path?

Xia En's expression turned serious.

Currently, in addition to the "Path of Silent Winter" which symbolizes the principle of "winter", there is the "Path of Ascension" which symbolizes the principle of "forging".

He has already contacted the extraordinary individuals (including potential ones) of the other seven principles.

Although Xia En has not yet made up his mind about which path to choose, he does have a certain inclination.

The first choice, naturally, is the path of seeking truth, which corresponds to the lamp.

His contact with [Si Zhou] and the implications of this principle both pleased him.

The second option is the "Path of Echoes" corresponding to the "Heart".

Professor Aurora followed this path.

Having a mentor who always stands at the forefront to guide you will undoubtedly make your future path easier.

To be honest...

The [Secret History] corresponding to [The Path of Guarding Secrets] and the [Opening] corresponding to [The Path of the Gate] can also be considered as alternatives.

Xia En silently kept each option in mind.

There's still some time; there's no need to make a decision now.

Then, the book begins to mention the hierarchy behind the curtain.

The article begins by introducing a term:

The one knocking on the door.

It means that the person lingering outside the door has just caught a glimpse of the outline of the curtain, but has not yet actually crossed that line.

Shane is clearly at this stage right now.

The second stage:

Practitioner.

They began to integrate the core principles of Taoism into their daily lives.

Master two or more secret teachings and be able to actively invoke the ether to complete mystical work.

A psychic named Ryan Sinclair.

Using ether to communicate with the artwork, performing simple divination, and regulating ether through breathing techniques...

He was at least a practitioner, and he must have spent a considerable amount of time reflecting on this stage.

The next rank is the Pathfinder.

Not only are we walking on the path, but we have also glimpsed a more distant route.

They go further and see further than practitioners behind the scenes, and have a deeper understanding of a certain field.

Immediately afterwards:

Reinventor.

Shane thought of Professor Aurora.

The professor was able to create mystical works of the level of "The Person in the Painting" when he was young.

Her rank is at least above that of a Seeker, but whether it is higher than that of a Reshaper, Shaen doesn't know.

And then—

Trailblazers, torchbearers, and...

Ascended beings.

The later ranks are almost entirely undescribed.

Especially for those who ascend, only a lonely term remains.

It seems that even the act of recording knowledge related to this word filled the writer with dread.

Xia En wanted to continue flipping through the pages, but a dull pain shot through her mind.

He stopped and paused for a moment.

The pain lessened slightly, but did not completely subside.

I looked up at the window and it was completely dark outside.

Only the kerosene lamp left by Alara shone with a dim yellow light on the table.

Xia En shook his head, feeling a bit dizzy, as if his head was filled with water-soaked cotton.

Knowledge has weight.

He remembered that sentence.

And suddenly he understood why Alara hadn't made him see these things from the beginning.

For someone without a foundation, the sheer burden of knowledge alone is enough to crush them.

After closing the book, Shane carefully locked it in the deepest part of the drawer.

He glanced at the panel out of the corner of his eye.

[Rationality: 1 (45%→42%)]

[Remaining candlelight: 25%]

[Erudition: 1 (86%→91%)]

It was just a thin book, yet it increased my erudition by 5%.

Knowledge of occultism seems to better fit the definition of the panel's "erudite" attribute?

At this speed.

It only takes three or four days to max out the progress, plus the points you just earned.

【Erudition (2) · Memory】It is right before my eyes.

With a soft sigh, Xia En stood up, closed the door, and walked out of the campus.

As the night deepened, those hidden, veil-like pieces of knowledge lingered in his mind, unwilling to dissipate.