Once all formalities with this sect were done, Min-Su and Jin went solely to the training grounds. As they went there this time, Min-Su asked Jin: "By the way, why do you still have those space bags with you? I mean, you're clearly wearing a spatial ring and able to use it" and Jin told him: "I haven't found a place to sell them yet. And yeah, I'm using the space ring now. It's quite spacious inside"

Min-Su nodded and asked something else: "And? Was there some good stuff inside? I mean, since you took it from some high-status guy" Jin was slightly surprised. He never told Min-Su who the ring belonged to. So, instead of answering, he asked him about that first. And Min-Su explained his guess to him. Since most of the people going to the border war were poor, they would not own a space ring, especially considering they weren't spiritual warriors yet. Only someone wealthy or powerful would be bringing one. Which was why he thought it belonged to someone with high-status. He wasn't wrong.

"So, what was in there?" Jin shrugged as he decided to answer: "Spare clothes and a big jade ball the size of my hand, nothing else. Only kept the jade though" As he opened it back then for the first time, Jin had been both mesmerized and disappointed. The sheer size of the space inside amazed him however the emptiness of it left him sad. The Prince really had nothing. Maybe his advisors were the ones holding onto the good stuff? Regardless, Jin didn't find anything. Except that jade.

It had made him quite curious as to why the Prince would have such a thing when he had nothing else. He had asked Hae-Hyuk about it. His new master told him to never take it out or speak about it unless he considered himself capable of protecting himself. Which meant that it was either a very good thing worth a lot and enough to trigger people's jealousy and greed OR it was something useless yet dangerous due to its origins. Regardless, Jin decided to keep it for now.

As long as no one knew, it was fine.

So, he sent Min-Su away, not daring and wishing to answer him further. Instead he focused on learning the two principles he had yet to learn. It wasn't that he reached the level he wanted in Fine Tuning. However, Hae-Hyuk told him that only after reaching a certain level in all four principles would he teach him about the secret technique... The allure of the secret technique was slightly a lot brighter.

As such, he began to work on it. Until they left this sect for another and even over there.

Time went by and, it was not at the next sect but the one after that that he reached the required mastery in all four principles. Min-Su had long began to train something further but it was fine. Jin wasn't in a rush and neither was this a race. What mattered wasn't the present but the future. And so, he was facing Hae-Hyuk for his one-on-one lesson about the next step.

"First, congratulations on reaching the required attainments in the four principles. Not every new spiritual warrior manages to do so. And now, let us start. Do you know what differences there are between a spiritual warrior of the first stage and one of the second stage?"

"The last one is stronger"

"True but why? Is it due to his body? Or something else?"

Jin pondered for a moment before he answered: "It's spiritual energy isn't it?"

Hae-Hyuk nodded as he continued: "Yes. As you know, the body refinement stage is all about bringing your body to its peak state. Whether we like it or not, once we finish cultivating through those stages, we have reached the pinnacle when it comes to our bodies. As a matter of fact, body-wise, be it you or me, we aren't much different in might"

This was quite unexpected. Jin knew that what mattered in this world of cultivation was the spiritual energy but he still thought that the strength of the body would grow along. He didn't think it would remain stagnant and that truly perplexed him.

Hae-Hyuk saw it and elaborated: "The body is an anchor and a container, little Jin. After some time, it can't be grown further. There is nothing strange about it. There are limits to physical things. Which is why your previous answer, spiritual energy, is right"

Jin asked: "So, we both have the same strength?"

"You are quite fixated in this, uh? To answer you...No. We have not. Because of spiritual energy. Let me explain. Our bodies are linked to our soul seas, ok? And inside our soul sea is our core. You can think of the soul sea as your parallel body and the core as another heart. This one pumping out spiritual energy instead of blood. The difference is that while everything related to the organic body only affects the organic body itself but the soul sea affects the organic body. The core pumps the spiritual energy not in the soul sea but in your organic body. Which is why, while our bodies have similar strength themselves, the sheer amount of energy inside them differs. Due to that difference, our might is worlds apart. My container is filled further than yours"

That's how it was. The body itself didn't change but what it contained did. The energy would be sent into it from the core and grow its strength little by little. It wasn't the body evolving but the contents of it changing. Still, it was quite weird and many questions popped up in Jin's head.

Fortunately, he had a teacher to ask and receive answers from now. He would not miss the opportunity.