**Chapter 5: Natural Cultivator**
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Guan Li and Kong Paike ended up picking a house of middling size. The male and female housing each formed a circle around the inner workings of the sects, where the market, library, archive, and various other administrative buildings and training halls were located. The wilds below the tree line and the icy peak of the mountain were outside the compound.
Of the five rings of housing, they were in the third. It was a nice enough building, having a living area with a kitchen, two bedrooms, and a cultivation chamber. If they were any lower, they would either have to give up on a cultivation chamber or individual bedrooms.
He was uncomfortable picking anything higher as, with his lacking talent, he expected to fall behind eventually. However, given his time getting up the stairs, he felt that he had earned a decent place.
Paike didn't feel the need to speak much, and neither did Guan Li, as they mostly held quick conversations. This suited Paike just fine as it gave him time to study his new roommate. Guan Li moved with a strange pattern. It wasn't like the trained fighters he'd grown up around, nor the nobility who had people to do their fighting for them and didn't cultivate combat arts. No, it was as if someone had no training at all. How he had managed to make it up the stairs at all was a mystery.
As they settled into their rooms, Paike finished and walked out into the common room, finding his new roommate sitting at the kitchen table. He stood in the doorway and watched for a second as the boy sat there, tracing something on the table with his finger. After a moment, he cleared his throat.
The boy shot up, turned around, and gave a polite bow. "Kong Paike. Is there something I can help you with?"
"No, just wondering what you were doing," Paike replied.
"I was just contemplating," Guan Li said, his words coming slowly as if he was picking each one with care.
Paike nodded, allowing the boy his privacy. "I'm going to the sect market to stock up on supplies. Would you like to come with me?"
He spoke a bit more casually than was perhaps acceptable to a stranger. Still, hopefully, it would allow their relationship to soften a little and put the other boy at ease.
The formal sect robe the boy wore was indistinguishable from the others. He wore them mostly correctly, but the sash was tied wrong. Paike debated if he should correct him. He had the feeling that if he had met the boy before he came through the test and received robes like all of the scholarship students, he would likely have found him just like the other disciples he passed. Raggedy clothes that barely held together were the norm.
Paike and his sister had received their robes at home, so naturally, they wore them through the test.
The boy nodded. "Yes. I would also like to pick up my allowance?"
The statement came out slightly more as a question, and Paike nodded. Certainly, if he remembered correctly, all outer sect disciples received five Ruby cultivation stones once a week when they were in the first stage. Of course, the sect wouldn't deliver them, so they had to pick them up at the administration building.
This was fine for the first week during orientation, but once things became a little more combative, you had to be strong enough to hold on to them. He had certain funds provided by his local sect and family, but the stipend would be nice to supplement them as well. He really didn't know what he needed for cultivation, as doing it the traditional way didn't seem to be working for him.
The two of them left the house and marked the door as theirs. Hopefully, they wouldn't find any squatters when they came back.
---
With Guan Li now wearing his sash correctly, the two boys carried their grocery haul into their house with no fanfare. They stored their food in the pantry and sat in the kitchen, wondering what to do. They had tried to stop by the archive and the library, neither of which were open without special permission. However, on the central bulletin board, it was announced that there would be two classes available for students. Each class was offered in the morning and afternoon.
The first was the basics of cultivation, where students were instructed on the fundamentals and given the possibility to earn rewards based on their progress. The second was martial combat and physical cultivation, where students would learn how to fight. Neither were mandatory, but that didn't mean they weren't useful.
Certain families had their own methods of cultivation. The students would practice that or maybe something unique or secret that they wouldn't want to do in front of others, or they just wouldn't benefit from the lessons. They had no reason to attend.
This was not true for Paike at all. His family was very standard, and he could do with some refreshers. Before awakening, he'd spent so much time researching and reading methods for forming one's Dantain that what had come after had kind of slipped his mind.
When Guan Li asked what his intentions were, Paike could tell that the question was a little bit more than what it seemed. "Yes, I plan on going to both of them," he said. "At least to start, at least once, to see what is being offered."
It was likely that he wouldn't get much from them, but he wanted to see what was going on. He definitely didn't expect to win any awards. But maybe he would learn something that would help his unique situation.
The boy nodded, but a certain amount of nervousness was present in his eyes. Paike could guess what he was unsure about, but he wasn't so rude as to ask. So, instead, he gave a little nudge to get the conversation flowing.
"I do think that you'll benefit from them and should definitely go," he said.
Guan Li nodded as if that was obvious. "Yes, I'm a bit concerned about what I might need to know ahead of time. Do you think there's any prerequisite knowledge?"
"Well, I assume everyone should know a basic cultivation technique that you practice when you're awakening," Paike began. Still, at the blank look in the younger boy's eyes, he paused. "You do know a basic cultivation technique, right? Basic cycling? Something like that. There are different terms for it, and I don't know what you might have heard."
Guan Li just shook his head.
Paike started again, "How did you awaken if you don't know any cycling technique?"
Guan Li looked down at the floor and hunched his shoulders slightly defensively. His answer came in a near whisper, "I don't know. I just did. A couple of days ago, I was sitting and waiting, watching for--" He cut off before explaining the rest. "All of a sudden, things became clearer... Minutes later, a member of the ministry found me and told me I had to come here."
Kong Paike blinked in absolute astonishment. He was a natural cultivator. Someone who awakened with no technique. Awakened from just sitting and breathing. He couldn't help but feel his blood boil in jealousy. This boy had everything handed to him, and Kong Paike had to work and fight for his entire life. But he quashed those feelings down. Just cultivation talent didn't mean everything. He had plenty of other advantages that many other people couldn't claim, and it didn't fit him or his family to be jealous.
"Well," he said after a moment, "I don't want to teach you a particular cycling technique." Not because he didn't want to, really, but because he pretty much couldn't as he couldn't perform it himself. "But also," he continued aloud, "I don't think it would be good for you to copy mine. Maybe you could have an elder instruct you, but learning something rote that doesn't match your style might hinder your cultivation. If you were lucky enough to awaken without assistance... well, that is outside of my knowledge."
Guan Li nodded seriously and looked as if he wished he had a notepad. But Paike continued, "However, I will help explain the basic theory."
He launched into an explanation of the process of gathering qi from the world and pulling it into one's dantian to fill it for power and stretch it out. The explanation was entirely in general terms. If Guan Li was some sort of genius, he might develop his own method that was perfectly suited to him. Even if not, it should at least let him understand what he saw when he found a cycling technique.
That explanation turned into how one would reach the next stage of cultivation. Then, how to cycle qi through your body and carve channels through your flesh such that the qi could flow and reinforce the body, soaking into the very cells, strengthening them, and empowering them. Paike explained how meridians could be carved between the spirit and different parts of the body or soul that would then be tuned to certain flavors of chi. These meridians would then be used to perform arts of varying effects that would get more complicated as they rose through the realms of cultivation.
"So," said Guan Li, after listening to the explanation and thinking on it, "that asshole you fought used a fire-attuned meridian in his hands?"
Paike smirked. "Yes, but you probably don't want to let him hear you calling him an asshole. Also, that was not just a simple use of a single meridian. Likely, he opened one or two before he even came to the sect. His family is known for their fire techniques, after all."
"Is he a big deal?" Guan Li asked with a frown.
Paike nodded, feeling a sense of deja vu, thinking about the conversation he had with his sister not more than a couple of hours ago. He should go check on her and make sure she was doing all right. "Very much so. You should avoid him if at all possible."
---
**Chapter 6: Cold Wind in Ruby**
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The two boys finished eating their evening meal in silence. Despite Guan Li being a near-total stranger, Paike didn't mind the company. The silence didn't feel awkward, forced, or anything other than companionable. He could get used to this. Unlike when he was with his sister, he didn't get the sense that Guan Li was waiting for him to fill the lull in conversation with something insightful.
Guan Li occasionally shot him an indecipherable look, but Paike let it slide. It would have been odd if he had been trusted right away. It's not like Paike had stopped studying the other boy since they met. Besides, the look wasn't hostile but more assessing than distrustful.
As they were putting away their dishes, Guan Li spoke up. "This Han fellow, are you going to face any repercussions for fighting him?"
Paike frowned, thinking about it. "hmm, maybe," he said after a moment. "For the most part, it'll likely not go beyond being an inconvenience."
"Really? You humiliated them pretty thoroughly." Gaun Li stated with the slightest hint of incredulity in his otherwise flat tone.
Paike nodded. "True, but it was in a duel. At least the pretext of one. This will constrain any official retaliation to formal actions. If he starts attacking me out of nowhere, it'll make him look extremely petty. If I had surprised him or something, it would have been acceptable for him to ambush me. But now, he likely wouldn't do something like that. Besides, he wouldn't want to offend my family by taking it too far."
Guan Li frowned. "Family? Should I—" He paused, thinking through his words carefully. Paike hid a smile. It was good to see that he was wary of stepping into the politics of cultivator's families. That was always something to be approached with care. It could get messy otherwise.
"Kong Paike, what should I know about your family?" Gaun Li asked after some consideration.
Paike was faintly surprised that he didn't know about his family. Still, if he supposed he was right about Guan Li's origins and apparent lack of education, it wasn't that surprising.
"Maybe a few things. Amongst the right circles, we are fairly well-known."
"Well, are you some sort of lords?" Guan Li asked, a hint of suspicion in his voice.
Paike shook his head. "No. Some number of great-grandparents ago made it a point to reject any such titles. A tradition in my family has kept that left us a bit mercenary."
He didn't explain more, and Guan Li seemed to understand, simply nodding.
"Speaking of family," Paike said after a couple of seconds, "I should probably go talk to my sister."
"The girl you were with earlier?"
"Yep, I'll introduce you tomorrow at class... Well, I'll see you tomorrow then," he said as he left with a wave. Guan Li was left still sitting thoughtfully at the table.
***
The sun was sinking toward the horizon, casting long shadows all over the mountaintop, when Paike finally found his sister. Liming was not far from where they had parted, standing in the courtyard by herself. She had a bubble of nearly ten feet around her where people skirted, no one daring to approach her. She watched the top of the stairs with an icy expression on her face.
When Paike got too close, he could feel the sharp bite of cold wind around her and was surprised. He knew she was talented, but usually, this sort of manifestation around someone, intentionally or unintentionally, didn't happen until Topaz, not in Ruby. And she had just awoken a week ago. Was she trying to do this, or was it subconscious? He didn't know, but still, he pushed through, much to the shocked gazes of everyone around her.
He forced his qi throughout his channels, just underneath his skin, and began to feel the difference. It took a while for his qi to complete one revolution, but once he had it flowing, it worked as armor against foreign influence. The cold didn't seep deeper than the first layer of skin for him as he strode through the mystical effect and touched his sister on the shoulder. She jumped slightly, whirling to face him. But even as their eyes met, her face softened somewhat, and the chill in the air diminished significantly.
She greeted him with a polite bow. "Hello, big brother."
"Little sister," he said. "Any notable entrances?" He indicated the entryway to the sect's courtyard with a tilt of his head.
She shrugged one shoulder in an elegant motion before bouncing slightly on her toes, ruining the display of poise she had been managing so far. "Not really. A few members of notable families, but so far, no one's beaten our time."
"Really?" he said with a raised brow.
She nodded. "You're just too fast."
"I'm pretty sure you beat me." He teased her slightly, and she looked down, blushing while covering her face with a raised sleeve.
"Oh, stop it," she said, not willing to get into the why in front of so many people.
Giving her a break, he changed topics. "I just wanted to find you and check in to make sure everything was going all right." He gestured to the area around them that had been filled with the biting wind. "You seemed slightly upset."
"Oh, that was nothing." Liming lowered her arm and gave him a smile. "Yes, I found a lovely roommate."
He raised an eyebrow and looked around. If she didn't want to talk about it, he wouldn't press.
"She's getting the house ready," Liming said slightly defensively, slightly misinterpreting his look.
"Oh, who? Would I recognize her name?"
She shook her head. "No. Likely not. I think she might be from a much smaller house, if not a first-generation cultivator, but she clearly has talent. She's around my age, maybe a little older, and is very serious about her studies."
Paike nodded in approval. Making good friends would keep her on track. He was glad his sister didn't find anyone too rambunctious. She didn't need any help looking for adventures.
"Good to know, good to know." He mused while watching the people stream past.
"What about you, brother? Did you find a roommate?"
He nodded. "Yes. Guan Li is a fascinating young man. I'll tell you about him later," he said, gesturing to the audience they had.
"Of course. Would you like to explore a little?" she asked, already taking a step towards the inner parts of the outer sect compound.
Paike fell into step next to her. "Of course," he said as they walked towards a hopefully more private speaking area.
They found a mostly abandoned training yard, a wide-open area stadium filled with a mostly open field, and some training dummies. A little way up the peak and off to the side, it was isolated by a screen of windswept trees and slightly set into an impression on the hill. A few of the disciples were running laps around the training ground, and a couple more were practicing on the dummies. The two siblings found a seat in the stands where they would mostly be left alone. He quickly filled her in on what he learned bout Guan Li.
"Classes start tomorrow," Liming commented, and Paike nodded.
"True. What are your plans for them?" he asked.
"I'd like to go, I think. Well, I think it'd be good to meet people there."
He frowned, not having considered that angle. "I suppose you're correct."
"Will you go with me, brother?" she asked with a pleading expression on her face.
Paike nodded, having already decided to try them out. But if it was about making connections, maybe he would go for longer. "Sure, I'll definitely be going to the physical ones. I still need to awaken my physical cultivation, after all," he said, and she nodded.
"True. I don't suppose there's much more of the basics of spiritual reality or spiritual conservation for you to learn."
Paike grimaced. "Mhm. More than you'd think, probably."
She looked at him disbelievingly, but he let it go.
"You need to make sure you make more friends than I do," he said in a slightly challenging manner. It was selfish to keep her to himself, but it would also hurt her in the long run. He knew his advancement was going to be slow, and he would likely fall well behind the pack. She needed strong allies, especially if she wanted to test into the inter-sect at the end of the year through the grand tournament. And if she spent too much time trying to make sure he was all right and getting dragged down by his lacking talent, well, it would hinder her after a while. Besides, maybe if he could skip classes after a while just to cultivate, he could keep up better. He wasn't exactly sure, but, well, it wouldn't hurt.
"I also want to make sure we explore the area," he said. "We need to look for all the advantages the elders have hidden amongst the mountains, farther down the slopes, and in the valleys."
Liming frowned. "Isn't that dangerous? There should be spirits and wild beasts out there."
"True," he said. "But isn't that the point of cultivation? To get stronger, to meet challenges? How do we get stronger if we don't face any opposition to sharpen ourselves? Besides, I think I'm going to need a lot of lucky encounters in order to keep up."
She looked at him without an ounce of pity and rolled her eyes. "You'll be fine. You're big and strong."
He stayed silent, not wanting to burst her bubble. It felt nice to have someone look up to him, even if he knew he didn't deserve it.
"Yeah, well."
They sat watching the few disciples train for several minutes as the sun set off in the distance. Eventually, he stood up and offered her a hand, pulling her to her feet in one smooth, easy motion.
"We should probably get back to our rooms. We have a long, interesting day tomorrow."
---
**Chapter 7: To Those Who Have Everything**
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When Paike settled down, he had expected it to take forever to calm himself and fall asleep. But to his surprise, the stress of the day didn't impede his slumber in the slightest. His head hit the pillow, and he stared at the ceiling, wondering if he would ever drift off. Then darkness swallowed him.
He found himself once again climbing the stairs to the sect.
For some reason, a sword pig ran alongside him while cursing him out. After an indeterminate period of time, his sister was carrying him, and he watched as his severed hand faded away as they left it behind. All the while, an eerie calm smothered any objection to the absurdity.
One dark dream led to another—dreams of failure, disgrace, and letting down his family. He saw his siblings, his parents, and all those who had given him opportunities he didn't deserve, they all turned away and ignored him. They agreed with all his detractors. He wasn't worth anything and might as well have given up. Perhaps he would have been better off leaving the sect years ago to live as a mortal. To be doomed to never taste the life of an immortal or feel the thrill of qi powering his body like he had dreamed his whole life.
His mind suddenly became clear. He was aware of his body in a way that didn't feel like a dream, yet it was apparent he wasn't awake.
The wild ride stopped when he found himself in a dark room full of people. The darkness around them seemed to go on without end, but the space stopped not more than a few steps past the furthest person.
There were nine others around him, one of whom was very familiar. Liming gave him a small wave across the room. He attempted to walk over but found that his steps refused to move him in relation to anyone else.
Looking around, he studied the others. They all appeared serious—young children, older children, or young adults, with the classic signs of talented cultivators, those who had awakened early but not so early that it was crippling. He recognized many from descriptions. Han Saiyan was there, glowering at him.
Then there were others: a tall boy with a severe face and dark eyes, holding a sword at his hip. Paike wasn't sure which member of the Feng clan he was, but he knew he belonged to them. A young woman in a dark gown, her face covered, suggested she was affiliated with the Shadow Empress. A boy with glasses, whom he thought might be Wu Chen, a prodigy alchemist he had read about last year.
Before he could finish studying the rest of the occupants of the dream space, an elder appeared before them. The disciples of the outer sect turned and gave a respectful bow.
"Greetings, disciples," the Elder said. Her voice rang high and clear, cutting through the dreamlike haze muffling their surroundings.
"Greetings, Elder," they echoed in unison.
"I am Elder Chu, and I am in charge of the outer sect program this year. I will also be teaching the Spiritual Cultivation class during orientation week. You might be wondering why I have pulled you from your beds to meet here."
No one spoke, and she continued as if she had never expected an interruption. "One of the laws of cultivation is that to those who have everything, everything will be given. To those who have nothing, everything will be taken." She paused, allowing the words to sink in. "We elders like to help those who have helped themselves. Prove that you will use the resources we give you efficiently, and you will receive more. Waste them, and you won't see any more."
"Many will scream that this is unfair and that it makes it impossible for those behind them to catch up. This is simply resentment talking. Certainly, it's more difficult from behind, but why should we waste time helping slackers? Besides, most of you, if not all of you, will hit a bottleneck at some realm and never advance farther than that. But people need to remember that cultivation is a marathon, not a sprint. Moving up to the next realm is all that matters. So while we'll help you more than those who do not perform well, it's important to remember that if you get stuck, slow down, or stumble, you will be left behind."
She said all this with a sweet smile as if her warnings were not just as much a deadly threat. Looking around, Paike could see it having the intended effect. All the serious young cultivators looked even more focused, determined, and unflappable. He knew that her words would encourage many to make foolish, shortsighted decisions, but that was part of the test, too. All these first-round resources were nothing to the sect, but it was a proving ground. They needed those with ambition who were also willing to look at things in the long term. People who wouldn't crack under pressure but simply became stronger because of it.
Maybe there were other ways of doing it. Still, this matched his experience at home reasonably well, so he was comfortable with it.
"Li Feng," Elder Chu called.
The serious-looking boy Paike had noted earlier stepped forward. "You are first. With the fastest time climbing the stairs, you will start at rank one." She handed him a jade token. "Each of you in the top ten will receive one of these. It is a pass to the archive, where you may redeem it for one common Ruby stage technique. Rewards like this will be available later on, but for now, it will give you a bit of an edge. This isn't to say you should rest on your laurels and hope that the rewards for being highly ranked will push you farther ahead, but rather that you should use it to give yourself enough breathing room to try something more difficult. Never stop exploring."
Zhao Liantian, the affiliate of the Shadow Empress, stepped forward to receive her mark as well. Then, the alchemist, Wu Chen, was followed by a healer named Mei Lingchi. Xia Jun was fifth, and then Kong Liming, his little sister, was the sixth-ranked disciple this year.
Paike knew it was coming, but he was still surprised when he was ranked seventh. He stepped forward to receive his own pass. The Elder's words washed over him, a slight ringing in his ears overwhelming his hearing. He could get a technique right away. He didn't feel ready. He still had so much to do and learn. The token would last, and hopefully, he would be ready soon.
Yue Mingli received the eighth-rank token. As she stepped forward, the moon and stars shone down from above. Someone named Ren Shu, wearing martial arts robes, was ninth, leaving Han Siyan to come forward as tenth. His face was red as he absolutely fumed at being the weakest in the room. Paike suppressed a smirk.
After the awards were done, Elder Chu continued to speak. "Your spot is not secure. The next week will be for orientation, where we will give classes on the basics of spiritual and physical cultivation. But after that, the truce ends. We will no longer be stepping in for excessive conflict. Duels can be issued to challenge someone for their position. You will need to keep your spot and challenge yourself to move up. This will be announced later, but you are receiving special treatment and must be prepared."
Paike felt his brows pinch together in worry as the dream faded around him. He sat bolt upright in his bed, sweat running down his brow as he panted. Swinging his feet to the cold stone floor, he got up and paced.
Should I even try to keep my ranking in the top ten? Right now, everyone is level at the start. I'm never going to be able to compete with them as they grow, though.
They were all at the Early Ruby stage, but some geniuses spent less than a month in all of Ruby.
Would it be better to take it slow? Paike wondered. Go one piece at a time rather than rush through with shaky foundations?
He wasn't sure, but he knew what his sister would do, and he did want to be strong enough to help her for as long as he could.
Eventually, he sat down on the side of his bed and closed his eyes, focusing on his breathing and feeling the qi run through the channels he had carved in haste. Slowly, he began to correct and finish them, realigning the channels closer to his actual shape, pushing the ones near his fingers out a little farther so that they weren't just snarls of tangles at the edges of his hands.
The meditation was relaxing, and by the time he opened his eyes, light was beginning to peek through his window. As the dawn came, he decided he would see what would happen and take each challenge as it came. And that first challenge was going to class.
---
**Chapter 8: Cold Honey**
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By the time class finally started, Paike's anxiety from the previous night's dream had receded. That dreams could be as impactful as the waking world was a truth he had long been aware of. This, though, was his first time confronting it for myself. Waking from a veil of mist and mystery had occupied his mind for the rest of the morning.
Paike had spent a decent amount of time staring at the token in his hand, thinking through a plan. So, when he walked through the door to the classroom building, he was focused. Looking around, he was one of the first students in the room, but the seats filled up quickly over the next couple of minutes.
Just before Elder Chu arrived, Liming dashed through the door and pushed past a couple of people to squeeze in beside him. She gave Paike a brilliant smile and subtly moved her hand to reveal her sleeve slightly. Within, he saw the flash of the jade token. She gave Paike a subtle wink, but before they had a chance to talk, Elder Chu arrived.
A swirl of shadow appeared first by the lectern, giving everyone a chance to stop talking. But surprisingly, not everyone did. There was a fair amount of whispering that persisted from the girls around their seats, and Paike could feel many eyes on the back of his head.
Paike looked around, meeting several gazes directed at him, but there was a decent amount of curiosity in them. However, he also sensed a certain amount of hostility from some. More than once, he even caught someone looking at his sister rather than him.
He gave Liming a curious look, but her eyes were focused on Elder Chu's coalescing form. Only a faint redness high in her cheeks gave me any indication that something was off. He made out one half-sentence before Elder Chu's physical appearance fully materialized, creating a soft clap of air that silenced the room.
"---monster has a brother."
That sentence sent a chill down his spine. Apparently, Paike's sister hadn't told him something. As far as he knew, she didn't really have a reputation. She was too young to have been involved in any significant inter-sect politics from their local sect. He'd have to question her about that comment after class. There was an hour or so break before physical cultivation started, so there would be time. He just had to make sure she didn't get out of his sight.
Elder Chu cleared her throat, and the last rustling of shifting students stilled. Unlike the odd shadowy form she'd taken in his dream, she was now dressed in a strange combination of graceful garb and rough-spun woolens. It looked like a laborer's tunic, one that extended well past her waist and down to mid-calf, where leggings took over. Her hair was pulled up into a bun. In her hand, she held a straw hat as if she had been out working the fields before bothering to come to the class. No one dared to comment on her appearance, though.
"I'm glad to see many of you made the wise choice to come and attend the free lessons offered by the sect," Elder Chu said.
Paike couldn't help but agree. Even with the support of his family, he might still benefit from their explanation. He was glad to see Guan Li had made it. Paike had considered waking him earlier but felt it would be rude.
Still, there were several of the people he'd seen in his dream last night who weren't here. Maybe they felt like going over the basics again wasn't valuable, or their families had some particular cultivation method they believed would be superior to the one taught at the sect. Han Sayian's absence was a notable example.
The sect's method was very good for beginners, but eventually, it would need to be replaced. As far as his family was concerned, the Imperial Breath cultivation technique they would learn in these lessons was good enough for Ruby stage cultivation. Maybe some highly specialized techniques some families practiced wouldn't benefit from it. Still, the Kong family always appreciated versatility in their disciples and members, leaving them to choose their own path.
Elder Chu had just finished explaining the very basics, like what a dantian was and how to carve qi channels. She then went through the breathing techniques and cycling method of the Imperial Breath cultivation technique. Paike did his best to follow along like all the students, but his qi just didn't move. He tried, and slowly, qi pushed into his dantian from the world around him. Nevertheless, the surface tension prevented it from fully entering. It was like pouring cold honey from a jar. Maybe in a few days, he would make some progress. However, compared to the flow that the elder described, it was heartbreaking.
Frustrated, he continued to attempt this version of cultivation. Despite the lack of progress, he was not willing to risk doing anything against the teacher's instructions with her right there to witness. He knew how to do it his way, greedily grabbing a glob of power all at once to digest later rather than seamlessly layering it into his spirit the way the technique she was teaching described. It would be a waste not to at least try to learn this technique.
It actually working was a long shot. He had hoped that it might miraculously fix his problems but knew that wasn't the case. Still, it was good to have confirmation. And besides, this wasn't the only thing they'd be learning in the class. That meant it was best to keep trying and stay on the teacher's good side for now.
Elder Chu moved through the class, helping disciples. When she got to him, she looked at him, clicked her tongue, and moved on without saying a word. Paike felt a flush of shame run through him. He wasn't even worth helping. Did she not think he was trying? Or worse, did she think this was all he could do? She should have known immediately by his age that something was wrong with him and that he was not worth her time. Still, he had dealt with the disappointment of his teachers for a very long time and didn't give up.
Eventually, she called an end to the practice. "Many of you have done quite well. Others require some work."
He felt her eyes land on him, and he flinched slightly. Her eyes moved on in a heartbeat, and she continued without paying further attention to him.
"Tomorrow, we will be talking about how to carve and attune meridians and how to maintain your qi channels. And for some of you," she said to no one in particular, "About correcting mistakes made in carving your qi channels. We'll spend at least tomorrow on it and maybe the day after."
Paike grimaced. He knew the qi channels he had carved in haste were not perfect. Hopefully, he could spend some time productively tomorrow fixing that. It would take a long time to correct those mistakes at his current pace, but still, it was a good reason to come up tomorrow, not that he'd planned on missing anything. Any scrap of information like this could be useful.
With that, Elder Chu dismissed them. She stayed behind, and several of the students up front rushed forward and formed a queue to ask her questions. Paike didn't want to ask any of the questions on his mind, like why he was so slow and how he could get his qi to behave normally, not in front of everyone else. The elder likely wouldn't know anything more than he had been taught in the first place. So he and his sister simply left.
As they were walking, he studied her from the side, from his peripheral vision. She was surprisingly quiet, which forced him to ask the question that had been on his mind since the beginning of class.
"What did you do to gain everyone's attention, little sister?" he asked.
She flushed ever so slightly, to the point where if he hadn't spent so much time around her, he never would have noticed. "Nothing much. I simply had a bit of a tussle when claiming my house."
"I thought you said you and your roommate cleaned up without much trouble?" Paike asked, confused. He was pretty sure she had explained that.
"It wasn't much trouble," Liming said, but she was being clearly evasive.
Paike thought about pursuing it and then let it drop. If it had really come from that, she likely had just fought some people. And, seeing that she had won, it was probably okay. Technically, it was against the rules, but if she hadn't been reprimanded, then they might be looser than he had expected. "If you need any help, just let me know."
"Okay. I know I can count on you," she responded with a smile.
Paike felt a small bit of pride swell in him. For now, he'd be able to help his family for at least a little bit longer.
Physical cultivation started somewhat similarly, except instead of in a classroom, they were all gathered around a training arena. Many sat in the amphitheater, some stretching or doing small warm-ups in the grassy field. When Elder Ji arrived, he made it clear in the first several minutes that this would not be the same class as Elder Chu taught. The tall man clearly didn't have her grace.
"Line up!" He bellowed. And with that, the class started. He didn't give any lectures. They just started doing exercises without any explanation. Simple things like press-ups and also more complicated balance exercises, holding themselves in twisted positions, made his muscles burn.
Paike was familiar with many of these exercises and flowed through them with ease, but it was clear that many of his fellow disciples were not so prepared. Many collapsed or gave up. Those who did were immediately expelled from the class and told in no uncertain terms not to return tomorrow.
Evidently, future classes would be held in the evenings rather than afternoons. This was to give them a chance to work through the lessons in the spiritual class before coming to the physical class. Elder Ji apparently didn't approve of distracted minds during his training.
After several hours of grueling training, he found his sister and Guan Li at the water barrels. They each took a ladle and drank. Guan Li had stripped off his shirt at one point, and his scrawny frame glistened with sweat. He was so skinny that Paike could count his ribs all the way up to his collarbone.
"Glad you made it," Paike said.
"Takes a little more than pain to stop me," Guan Li said with a smile.
"Yeah, well, hopefully, we learn some actual physical cultivation tomorrow," Paike said; he didn't mind as the exercises weren't too hard for him. "Because, well, this can only help cultivators so much."
"I hope you're right."
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**Chapter 9: Before Others Realize**
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Paike left his spiritual class the next day and immediately headed towards the sect library, his jade pass tucked into his belt. He was relatively hopeful after the morning's instruction. They hadn't had another cultivation session, so he hadn't had to feel the disapproving gaze of Elder Chu nor the weight of failure. Instead, they had talked about the qi channels he had already carved, and he found that he hadn't done as horribly as he had thought.
Sure, around the more delicate parts like his hands, fingers, and feet, there was a tangled mess he'd have to eventually fix. But the core of it wasn't so bad. It seemed like he'd done slightly above average for a first attempt. Unfortunately, they hadn't gotten to the corrective measures that class, only mentioning that it was possible to fix them and that constantly improving the shape of one's qi pathways was an important part of cultivation. That had given him hope.
What they had talked about, though, was carving meridians, which had sent him to the library with his jade pass. To carve a meridian, one needed to have a technique in mind. Most students didn't have access to the library yet. Later, they could earn access, but it was still early, and no one had the power to do sect missions. So, for the most part, the class had been spent just reviewing the theory.
If Paike could learn something now, he would get a head start on everyone—or almost everyone. Many had some instruction from their family. It depend on how early in the year they had awakened. That wasn't something he could afford to worry about, though; any advantage now would help him keep up for as long as he could.
His actions went against the elder's advice to not rush choosing techniques. Meridians were complicated things, and they were particular about how they were made and what they were made for. But he didn't think that it applied to him. Meridians had several different variables, but what it came down to was that meridians were the path between the spiritual and the physical, allowing one's qi to affect the world through some sort of technique. Not every art needed them, but most of the superhuman feats did.
Meridians were paths carved from one's dantian to some part of their body, whether it be the arms, the spine, the heart, the head, the legs, or any other dozen parts. The location determined the purpose of the technique. Attacks typically came from the arms, enforcement from the heart, and so on.
That wasn't the only thing to consider, though. There was also the attunement of the meridian. It could be attuned to any one of the five primary elements. Many people preferred a water-attuned meridian for healing, or maybe a fire or wood meridian would be better for attacking or reinforcement. But that wasn't to say that attunements were limited to those. Rather, those were just the most popular. Nearly endless attunements existed as some variation of them. Things like a wind attunement, or even stellar or moon attunements to certain meridians, were entirely possible, if slightly rare, in early realms.
The meridian was a fascinating concept to think about, but it was also practical. Meridians formed a connection to the world that would allow one's qi to flow out with an attunement. The pattern the qi made would create a technique. Just like the fire he had blocked that first day with his clumsy dispersed mist of qi.
He was going to the library to get an art—some sort of art usually used as a combination of one or more techniques, which would form some fraction of a fighting style. It wasn't necessarily always fighting; cultivating crafters was in high demand as well. Someone had to make the pills and refine the natural treasures into something usable.
Whatever kind of meridian he wanted to experiment with, though, his level of talent forced him to pick the easiest path. This vastly limited his options. Besides, it wasn't as if he had much of a choice if he wanted to keep up as best he could. There would be no avoiding risks for him.
Right now, he didn't expect to get anything more than a single-technique art. Hopefully, he could find one unattuned because the process of attuning sounded extremely tedious. He'd have to force his qi along the meridian over and over again while holding certain concepts in his mind to force the attunement. This could be overridden later, but with his sluggish qi, he could expect it to take months to attune a meridian where many people could do it in a few hours. So if he could find something unattuned, that would be best.
It might not be possible for him to maintain this strategy going forward, but for now, it might be his best bet.
For now, Elder Chu had suggested that they use the shortest and thinnest possible meridians when they were still learning how to carve them. When they added more, they could get more complicated and maybe even restructure old meridians at higher levels of cultivation. But if they ever reached that point, their initial choices wouldn't have nearly as much effect anymore.
Guan Li stopped them after class to ask a question. If their initial choices didn't matter at all because they could always change things, what did it matter what they were doing? Liming and Paike explained that there were several reasons.
One was that the vast majority of cultivators never made it past the next stage. Less than 10 percent of Ruby cultivators ever made it to Topaz, and similar percentages from Topaz to the next stage, and from the third stage, even fewer made it to the fourth stage or beyond. So it was best not to make a choice assuming you'd be able to overwrite it later because you might be stuck with it for the rest of your life.
Guan Li hadn't seemed very receptive to that idea, and his unshakable confidence that he would make it past Ruby made those concerns relatively inconsequential. Of course, Paike had to agree that Guan Li's chances of getting past Topaz were much, much higher than average. A natural cultivator like him would be a disappointment if he stalled out anywhere below the Fourth Realm at a minimum. Paike, though... Well, if he didn't take every advantage he could, he was unlikely to make it to Topaz, let alone past it.
The second reason, though, was that not only would you be stuck with your meridians, but these choices now were what you used to grab the advantages that would push you to those higher realms. So even with all the potential in the world, a person who squandered it and chose frivolous or poorly matched arts might never actually make it to that point. Those mistakes could be the reason for a person stalling in the first place.
This made more sense to Guan Li, and Paike was relieved to see that his new friend was taking the classes seriously. But he had explained that he wanted to check something out and left his friends behind, heading to the library.
When he entered through the doors, he found an older outer sect disciple waiting to greet him. The bookish young man didn't match the image that Paike had of a cultivator at all. The glasses and slender build made Paike think that he could take him in a fight, even being a realm below.
This was someone who had given up on moving past the outer sect and had decided to take a full-time position rather than a learning role. Despite the lower station, the disciple seemed entirely content, being a keeper of knowledge for the sect. He guided Paike through the library, enthusiastically explaining the layout as they walked.
Paike found himself sitting on the floor next to one of the beginner shelves, looking through various books, trying to find an art that matched him. The flashy fire arts did not strike him as a good fit. Neither did the graceful styles of water. Maybe an earth one? It still didn't feel right.
Eventually, he found something interesting. It was unattuned and only required a single meridian, but the book had more than just the art. There was the technique, but also deep instruction about how to use it, how to best make it last, and how to incorporate it into battle. It was like a pseudo battle form guide.
The technique itself was how to create a floating disk of compacted qi. It was fairly straightforward but seemed to be highly versatile, and the author of the art had clearly put a lot of effort and thought into explaining why such a simple thing could be so effective. Paike couldn't help but agree. Something like that could be used to block physical attacks and potentially do a lot more later on. It sounded exactly like what he was looking for.
Getting his token marked for the withdrawal, he left with a copy of the book tucked under his arm. He still had several hours before the evening's physical cultivation class, so he headed home to attempt to awaken the technique.
However, as he was walking back, he found his sister waiting for him.
"Liming," he greeted her as she fell into step with him. "What can I do for you?"
"Well," she said, "I wanted to ask for a little bit of assistance if you wouldn't mind."
Paike looked down and frowned. He'd wanted to start working on opening his meridian right away, as he expected it to take him quite a long time, but, well, he wasn't going to get to it now. Not before physical cultivation class.
"Of course. What is it, sister?"
"Well... I'm looking for a specific resource with a specific attunement for my most recent project. And well... I may have found a certain location that might have it," she said.
Paike frowned. His little sister had always been a particularly gifted student when it came to certain types of alchemy. While she had never actually had her own pill furnace, she had often borrowed the family ones to do experiments—many of which hadn't worked out, but some of which had. Many of his family's elders had hailed her as a young genius and bemoaned that her true focus was on combat.
Based on her nervousness, it was clear she wanted to go gather something from the wild grounds of the outer sect, which was something Paike had expected eventually. Of course, he had thought they might have some time to settle down before she dragged him off adventuring, but, well, getting practical experience was a good idea. Besides, maybe they'd find some other treasures he could use.
He had always heard rumors that many of the outer sect's wild grounds were seeded with treasures for them to find and fight over. The philosophy that competition bred the strongest warriors ran deep.
"Should it just be us, or do you have any others you want to bring?"
"Just us," she said with a slight smile. "I think there might be more than just what I'm looking for there. Maybe something that can help you as well."
"What are you looking for?" Paike asked as they continued walking.
"A bit of Grim Veil Coral. From what I read, it should grow around here. I checked it out, and it seems there's a powerful concentration of environmental qi not too far from here. The coral I'm looking for only gathers in such locations." Liming said with a confident voice. "It emanates a sense of dread, and I want to collect it before others get over their fear and realize what is sitting right outside our door."
"Well, just let me put this away first," Paike said. It sounded like it would be risky, but he trusted his sister's judgment when it came to locating treasures. She knew her stuff.
"Ah! You picked out an art to learn?" Liming asked, some excitement creeping into her tone.
"I did. It has the technique I want, one that I could learn and would be useful. Have you taken a look at the library yourself?"
Liming shook her head. "Not yet. I have a few arts in mind that elders at home advised me to look for. But I'm not ready to practice any of them yet, so I'm not in any rush. Besides, I'm hoping that my most recent project should allow me to attune the meridians I might need to carve better."
Paike nodded in understanding and disappeared into the boys' section of the housing department for a few minutes. He dropped the book off at his house while taking a few of the minor healing supplies that he and Guan Li had purchased on their first day. He found his sister waiting for him by the exit of the housing section, and together, they headed off down the mountain slightly to find the valley that she had been talking about.
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**Chapter 10: Five on Two**
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Paike and his sister left the periphery of the established buildings of the sect and started descending into the wilderness lower on the hillside. According to Liming, the presence she had detected wasn't much farther down. Paike couldn't sense anything yet, but his sister's senses were undoubtedly more astute.
There was a valley in that direction, based on the rough maps they had recently studied of the outer sect grounds, so they had a general idea of where they were headed. As they walked, they chatted casually.
Liming had apparently been getting along well with her roommate, which interested Paike. He was curious as to why her roommate hadn't been attending the spiritual classes. Apparently, her family had strict expectations, but she had been attending physical classes. Paike just hadn't noticed her the last time.
They speculated about what they might be practicing in the physical cultivation class tonight. They had some foreknowledge about physical awakening, but neither had attempted it yet, as it was best done under an instructor's supervision. They had been immediately sent to the sect upon awakening their spiritual cultivation.
Engrossed in their conversation, which had shifted to analyzing their competition, they failed to notice the presence closing in around them. It was only when one of the subjects of their discussion stepped onto the path in front of them that they realized something was wrong.
The boy standing before them was older than Liming but younger than Paike, as most of the new sect members were. Paike recognized him from the dream; he was the ninth-ranked disciple of the outer sect.
He wore the robes of a martial artist and stood almost as tall as Paike despite his young age. Muscles were clearly defined even through his robes, and Paike could almost taste the earth rolling off of him. He stood silently as Paike and Liming stopped about ten meters away. Around them, other young martial cultivators appeared on the sides of the trail—one on either side of them and two more blocking the retreat. The four lackeys were dressed similarly to their leader. Probably disciples or lesser members of his family.
"Ren Shu," Paike said, stepping forward to shield his sister slightly. "Why are you blocking our path?"
Ren Shu blinked as if not expecting to be recognized. "The Kong family and the Ren clan have a score to settle," he said. "It does not bring me great pleasure to do this, as you are not directly involved, but I have been instructed to send a message."
Paike blinked. His family had both friends and enemies, but most didn't feel the need for revenge. However, this was taking things a bit far. He looked around, noting their surroundings. "We're still under the elders' truce for the first week of orientation. There aren't supposed to be any duels or fights. Even afterward, it's supposed to be duels, not outright fights. And not five on two."
Ren Shu's expression hardened. "This is not a duel. This is not a fight. A just little lesson, really."
"You really want to risk that?" Paike asked, but inwardly, he doubted there was a chance they would care. Not if they had come so far already.
"I don't think the elders would approve if this happened within the sect compound, but out here in the wilderness, I'm sure they'll look the other way—as long as no one gets killed." Ren Shu waved his hand dismissively. "Again, not my choice, but I will apologize for what is about to happen to you."
Paike frowned. "If you say so."
Nudging his sister, he gave her some of their family hand signals, instructing her to take on the two at the rear. Without warning, he pushed off the ground, fueling his movements with qi stored in his channels. It wasn't efficient or advised. Qi should be in the dantian. But it took him too long to move it, so he was working on always having some ready. Ren Shu was caught off guard, clearly surprised but not wholly unprepared. He took several steps back, giving himself a chance to fall into a proper stance to receive Paike's charge.
Paike felt his sister engaging the two in the rear while the two flanking members of the Ren clan closed in on him. He braced himself for what was clearly not going to be a pleasant fight. All five of the opponents were in Early Ruby, barely better than mortals. Still, any fight between cultivators was not to be taken lightly.
He did nothing to disguise his approach, landing a crushing overhand right on Ren Shu's raised forearms. The backward momentum cushioned the blow slightly, but Paike had a significant weight advantage. Even his blocked punch crashed heavily against his opponent's guard. Keeping with his martial arts training, as soon as he landed the blow, he dropped into a low kick, striking the outside of Ren Shu's knee, causing it to buckle. Using the momentum, he spun to face the two flanking opponents from the side and chose the one on the right.
Behind him, Ren Shu fell to the ground with a startled cry. He had clearly trained, but the brutality of the assault had caught him off guard. Paike almost felt grateful for the harder lessons he had learned in his extra time growing up.
Running at a wiry-looking lackey, Paike intercepted him before the guy two could close in from behind. Several quick strikes landed, ending with a hip toss that allowed Paike to turn and face lackey number two. But by then, Ren Shu had regained his composure and was closing in as well.
Paike backed up slowly, making sure to keep all three opponents in sight, even as the first lackey got back to his feet. The two lackeys fell back slightly, flanking Ren Shu as they approached as a group. Paike started to circle them, ensuring they couldn't come at him from a single direction. He occasionally threw a strike, but for the most part, he simply deflected and absorbed their attacks. Taking several punches and kicks to the stomach and legs, he blocked what he could with his forearms and slipped out of the way of others.
"Give up," Ren Shu said after a particularly nasty kick slipped through his guard, barely letting him slip out of range of the group of fighters. "You're outnumbered and making this more difficult than it needs to be."
Paike ignored him and examined his surroundings, looking for some sort of advantage he could grasp. They were decent fighters, but they didn't need to be exceptional to inflict serious harm. Being outnumbered was something mortals, without techniques or arts to handle such odds, weren't well equipped for.
If Paike had some sort of wide-area fire technique or something else geared for defending or moving quickly, then multiple opponents might have been more manageable. But for now, no one even had any weapons—those would come later as people learned arts geared toward wielding one weapon or another. For now, Paike was lucky that most of the fighting was non-lethal.
He dashed backward several steps, risking a glance over his shoulder to see his sister fighting her two opponents. She wasn't faring much better. Two-on-one was more manageable than three-on-one, but Liming was not as strong a martial artist as Paike. However, she was clearly using her qi to power her limbs far more efficiently than Paike was. She must have carved qi channels in the brief time they had after class. Despite her being rushed for time, she must have done a better job than he had.
The lackey one decided that simply landing occasional punches wasn't enough and went for a lunging tackle. Paike barely managed to slip out of the way, receiving several blows to his head from another opponent. His ears rang, and his vision swam slightly from the impact. He knew he was running out of time—there was no way he could win this. Especially if they took the fight to the ground. It was something that wasn't popular with higher realm cultivators, but grappling was a sound strategy before combatants had access to potent arts.
Thinking about Liming's success, Paike had an idea. He turned, accepting a blow across his back, and then dashed forward, executing a lunging tackle that took Liming's first opponent out of the fight for a few seconds, leaving her with only one to focus on. He heard the crunch of cartilage, more so than saw it, as Liming's stiffened fingers smashed into her opponent's throat. Reinforced by qi, her hand sent him doubling over, gasping and clutching his throat, struggling to breathe.
Paike pummeled his surprised opponent beneath him, doing his best to force qi through his channels in time with his strikes. His flow was slow but unrelentingly sturdy, and he soon battered aside his opponent's defense. Just as he was about to finish him, Paike was tackled off, and the fight devolved into a rolling brawl with two opponents. It seemed that lackey number two from his initial confrontation had joined in, and now he was barely holding on. He felt a foot connect with his ribs as two more opponents pilled on. Focusing on nothing but defense, Paike wasn't even able to identify who was striking him.
Coming out of nowhere, Liming crashed into his attackers, sending them scattering in surprise. In the scramble, Paike managed to kick clear and roll to his feet. His sister pulled two combatants away from him. One of which was Ren Shu. This left only the two less talented combatants to fight him. He gratefully gulped in painful breaths as he evaluated the new situation.
Now, it was an unfair fight in his favor. They were significantly smaller than him and didn't know how to work together properly. Instead of flanking him, they came at him as a group, allowing him to keep them both in his focus with little effort.
Paike set up a telegraphed kick, so obvious that the first opponent dodged, not realizing he wasn't the target. His body blocked his ally's view, and Paike's qi-infused shin crashed into the ribs of the second lackey. The impact was brutal—Paike felt several ribs crack beneath his attack.
This started their downfall. With one trick after another, Paike beat the two into the ground. He even managed to pull off a move one of his instructors did all the time and cracked their heads together. Eventually, one of them managed to flee, leaving the other wheezing on his knees.
Paike turned and saw Ren Shu and another lackey still fighting Liming. He dashed forward, grabbing the lackey from behind and wrapping him up in a choke. His opponent struggled with futility as he slowly lost consciousness.
From the sidelines, Paike encouraged his sister, cheering her on as she picked apart her talented but clearly unpracticed opponent. Just as the unconscious body of their last opponent slipped out of his arms, he watched as the ninth-ranked outer sect disciple fell to his knees, his will to fight cut short.
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That's all **Chapters 5 through 10** of *Qi Like Tar* by breadvirus. The clean text file is also saved if you need it again later. Want me to fetc