Noah learnt a bit from those pages. He learnt the ranks of the body, which were simply grouped into, the glass stage, the stone stage and the metal stage.
He also learnt a disappointing truth about his current state.
Apparently the rank 1 speed essence was the lowest rank which were for beginners.
If he listened to the writers words, he normally should have access to rank 3 speed essence, which could put him directly on par with peak stage tier 3's or lower stage tier 4's, while still in the lower stage of tier 3.
It seemed the writer knew he would face this issue, and reassured him that he could catch up, but that was by letting the speed essence transform his body completely, and that could only happen after a lot of cultivation.
When the rank 2 essence stopped improving his body, he had crossed the threshold, and would be able to use the essence meant for his body.
But the author did mention another option, which was to try and cultivate the next rank of the speed essence that he had access to.
But according to him, that was a very dangerous and was basically an unorthodox method, that if succeeded in, would bring massive improvements, but could also kill the person if it failed.
Noah instantly considered the idea, but eventually disposed of it. He had recently just started cultivating the speed essence, he would most likely die if he tried it.
So because of this, Noah tried to map out a training schedule, but remembered that he hadn't learned how to cultivate his essence core.
"Ugh..! I'm tired," Noah pouted, "I hope I don't have to do a long process that would take me days worth of time to complete," He sighed immediately bringing out the third book, and storing the one in his palm.
"Core cultivation techniques of the ancient speedlings"
Immediately his sense's landed on the book, Noah could immediately tell that it was old.
Follow on NovᴇlEnglish.nᴇtAn air of ancientness poured out of its fabric, as Noah felt like he could literally smell its age.
"Thousands of years," he muttered.
Unlike the other manuals; this book wasn't golden in the slightest. He honestly wondered how he had mistaked all three to be golden in colour.
The book's cover was dark brown, and looked to have been smitten with age. Its title was the only thing bright on its fabric, being yellow in colour.
The most important point that made Noah believed even more that the book had been places, was the three inch long slash on its back.
Noah could immediately tell that he couldn't damage the book at his current strength, since the slash's mark radiated a slight aura that screamed power, but he couldn't grasp it completely.
Noah lifted the brown wooden, nigh-metallic cover. His eyes landing on a page that contrasted with the old look of its cover.
The page looked to have been printed a few seconds ago, even though Noah knew his age couldn't match it.
The old saying; "Don't judge a book by its cover" rang multiple times in Noah's head, but he knew for sure that the book was old.
The cream color of the book displayed a set of familiar words.
"Those who wish to obtain power must give in to speed"
He immediately flipped to the next page, which was totally full of words, the next one being the same, and he immediately began reading a few instants later.
The first page of the book, consisted mainly of things Noah already understood, like the ranks of the speed force energy, though it listed that there were 10 ranks of the speed essence, each level of purity far powerful than than the other.
According to the book, the cultivation of higher levels of purity became so hard that most Speedlings gave up, and simply kept advancing through the tiers of power, with a lower speed essence purity.
They would be powerful among those using lower levelled enegy, but among their mates they would most likely fall out in terms of strength.
The book even went as far as to give an example, which portrayed the scenario of a tier 5 existence who wielded rank 4 speed essence purity.
By all standards he was a tier 5, but when paired with tier 5's weilding rank 5 essence, the difference in their capabilities would be too much.
With that explanation Noah understood how bad his situation was. "A tier 3 utilizing rank 1 essence," Noah shook his head in disappointment.
Some of the explanations, he didn't totally understand, but he did get one thing: According to the book, once an individual had access to rank 4 speed they could continue advancing through the tiers of power with that essence, but that would result in a lower power level than expected.
The book eventually reached the main topic, which was the cultivation techniques.
Noah had noticed the pluralization in the word 'technique', so when the book mentioned that there were three basic techniques to practice, it did really surprise him.
The first technique, called the 'Breathing technique', was basically the process of breathing in a certain pattern while also calling on the energy around him.
It, according to the book, was the easiest and most used among all three, but had a 'little' lesser gain in improvements than the remaining two.
The second technique, which was the most astonishing one of all three, was named 'Dual cultivation', which in theory was performed between two people, who would do something he had never done before, have sex; while also gathering the the energy around them, to generate something unique during the intercourse, or something like that.
Noah didn't really grasp in understanding, the process of dual cultivating, but according to the book, it had the highest benefits.
The third technique, which was almost as weird as the dual cultivation, saw a speedling cultivate using their legs!
In theory, the person would basically absorb essence from their environment, send it up their legs, shuffle it a few times, then send it into their speed core, to enlarge it. The technique was on par with the breathing technique.
There were pages upon pages of the full explanation of their process, but Noah simply did a quick read, to gain a rough idea of their process.
Follow on Novᴇl-Onlinᴇ.cᴏmNoah Instantly chose the breathing technique, since it was the easiest, but an idea came up, which was to cultivate using both the 'breathing technique' and the 'lower limbs technique'.
And luckily for him the book made emphasis on that, and apparently it simply wasn't possible.
No speedling had ever succeeded in cultivating using both techniques, at the exact same time, because apparently their cores couldn't handle it, since the pressure coming from both techniques would crush it.
A sigh could only escape Noah's mouth at that point, but he quickly moved on to begin practicing.
Noah saw himself sitting cross-legged with his back straightened, and his palms open on his thighs.
The process started with him breathing in a rythmic pattern of six large breaths, then a powerful but smooth exhale.
When he had done this for a few minutes he began the real deal.
According to the book, he had to inhale large amounts of essence, which would then flow down his chest, seep into his black core, and enlarge it.
But to begin the enlargement he had to refill his core.
Noah felt essence rush in through his nose, barrel down his chest, but when it arrived at his core it swirled around it for an instant, before entering his core and settling at its base, a wave of energy filling Noah's body after that.
It took Noah over thirty minutes to refill his core which really annoyed him, but that annoyance vanished when a panel popped up immediately his corr was filled to the brim.
[You have unlocked a new skill]
[Speed essence regeneration[Passive]
[Speed essence regeneration[Passive]: When in the midst of speed essence, your core automatically begins to rapidly refill itself.
Cost: N/A, Duration: Until core is filled, Cooldown: N/A]
A grin immediately appeared on Noah's face when he read the skill's description, "Now that's very convenient."