Upon returning to the real world, Gerald was instantly swept by feelings of relaxation as his mind acquired newfound understanding. As it turned out, returning from that white dimension was the final step for him to gain this understanding.
Looking at the soul bamboo before him, Gerald then lifted his hand… and with a swift strike using the side of his hand, he sliced the soul bamboo clean in half!
Pleased to have snapped his first soul bamboo, Gerald was now a hundred percent sure of what the first soul bamboo meant.
Essentially, one couldn’t just expect to see instant benefits. Things needed to be done in proper order, and only then would success come… After all, while Gerald did lose the first two Go games, after learning the rules a bit better and observing how things went on the board, step-by-step, he was eventually able to win against that old man.
Regardless, upon seeing that the soul bamboo had been snapped, Tomie—who had been watching over Gerald this entire time—couldn’t help but smile as he said, “Congratulations on breaking your first soul bamboo, Gerald!”
Smiling in response, Gerald then headed over to the next soul bamboo before placing his hand on it again. The sooner he got all this done with, the better.
Soon enough, Gerald found himself transported to yet another dimension. Compared to the previous white space, however, Gerald was greeted by the sight of several quickly alternating beautiful scenes…
Shortly after, another old man made his appearance before smiling warmly as he said, “Good day, mister. Tell me… What do you think these scenes symbolize…?”
Surprised by the sudden presence of the old man, Gerald quickly shook his shock off before asking, “…Before that, how should I address you, sir?”
“The spring scene displays a sprout which I’m assuming symbolizes the moment one is born. The summer scene, on the other hand, shows how hot it can get. From what I can gather, it’s a way of saying how hardships and distresses are normal experiences as one grows older. Moving on to the autumn scene, it depicts the harvest season, which should be when an individual feels the most accomplished they’ve ever felt in their life. Finally, winter, the period of reminiscing. For me, winter symbolizes the moment when one nears the end of their life cycle…” explained Gerald.
The second his explanation ended, the psychic spirit instantly began clapping as he declared, “Not bad at all, mister! As you’ve said, the four seasons do indeed symbolize a person’s life. I have to say, you truly are extraordinary to be able to have such a deep understanding of life! You really are different from the others! Regardless, you’ve completed my test so you can leave now!”
And just as before, Gerald’s consciousness was quickly transmitted back to reality…
Upon seeing the second soul bamboo before him again, Gerald immediately repeated the slicing action on it!
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