This Assessor thing wasn't the best in terms of foolproof user interface design. The failings of diminished competition, for sure. The creator was lucky there were no design awards in this universe. Well, not yet. Who knew what the Craft Arts future looked like?

"Can you expand on the various methods?" Myrkas asked.

[Acknowledged. Providing descriptions]

* Qi Leeches Sensitization

Enhances Qi sensitivity by active and near complete removal of a cultivator's Vital Qi. Can be achieved through common exsanguination, although the use of Qi Leeches is recommended for added efficacy. Other Blood and Vital Qi Vampire species, siphoning techniques, or draining artifacts are acceptable alternatives if no Qi leeches are readily available to achieve a similar result.

Warning: May damage body cultivation, cause irreversible weakness or death if an inappropriate amount of Qi is drained or if this method is used too often. Species, techniques, or artifacts which concurrently drain other Qi types, soul energy, and/or stored Qi reserves are contraindicated.

* Meditation in a high Qi concentration environment (external)

Method aimed to ease the initial sensing of Qi by flooding the cultivator's metaphysical senses with an overabundance of ambient Qi. While such an environment can be found naturally, optimal settings can be artificially made with neutral Qi gathering formations, specially made Qi-rich incense, and the use of particular natural treasures.

Warning: May cause Qi deviation, Qi overload, and/or excessive impurity accumulation with excessive usage or improper Qi sources and potency. Death can occur secondary to high ambient Qi concentration for inadequate cultivators with subpar meditation techniques.

• Exposure to noxious Qi (external)

Increases Qi-sense by stimulating Qi sensitivity with external exposure to a noxious and invading source of Qi. Similar technique to the above Meditation in a high Qi concentration environment with the major difference being the quality of the Qi used. Instead of generally neutral ambient Qi, here the source of Qi has to be actively nocive and invasive to the cultivator. Most commonly used are Ice Qi (or Deadly Ice Qi), Fire Qi (or Inferno Qi), Poison Qi, Death Qi, or Madness Qi (or Chaos Qi). As before, such environments can be found naturally or artificially created with cultivation resources.

Warning: Higher risk of Qi deviation, Qi overload and/or death compared to the use of highly concentrated neutral Qi. However, this method tends to impart a lesser amount of impurities if the noxious Qi type chosen is in line with the cultivator's preferred Dao. May cause permanent damage or crippling injuries to inadequately prepare individuals.

* Exposure to foreign Qi (Internal)

Increases Qi sensitivity by directly infusing foreign Qi in the cultivator's body, and their subsequent need to identify and purge or assimilate it before a Qi deviation, or other adverse events occur. In accordance with external types of exposures, noxious types of Qi tend to be more effective than neutral ones, with the minor consequence of carrying more risk of adverse events. Small quantities are preferred at first exposure.

Foreign Qi is usually inserted in the cultivator's body by either a Qi-filled injury (for example a sword wound infused with Qi), ingestion of a specially prepared concoction or natural treasure, delivery of a venom or poison (needles, injection, or through a spirit beasts' bite preferred), or through the use of an appropriately weak spirit parasite.

Warning: As expected, may cause Qi deviation, Qi overload, increased impurity accumulation, crippling conditions, and/or death. Unprepared fools, and weak-willed cowards should abstain.

* Physical sensory deprivation (adjunct)

Encourages the development of Qi-senses by minimizing physical feedback, giving space to properly notice any Qi surrounding the cultivator in question. The cultivator needs to neutralize his senses of taste, smell, touch, hearing, and sight concurrently. Then, through concentration and meditation, they can increase their sensitivity to Qi.

This deprivation is generally achieved with the use of a salted, body-temperature water bath into which the cultivator will submerge themselves. This bath should be placed in a dark and silent room, previously neutralized from any scents and smells. This particular technique is often used in adjunct to one of the previously mentioned ones. It is usually insufficient alone unless the cultivator is extremely talented.

Warning: Complete physical sensory deprivation may cause insanity with prolonged and uninterrupted use. Inferior minds better abstain. Some drownings may have occurred with its use.

[End of Beginner guide]

While details and actual warnings were welcome, they sounded a little too ominous for the boy's liking. Just a bit. Oh well. The path to power couldn't be all sunshine and rainbows or everyone would eventually become a powerhouse. The rainbow road of cultivation had no guardrail despite its many twists and turns. Only a steep fall awaited any who misjudged their own ability.

This narrative has been unlawfully taken from Royal Road. If you see it on Amazon, please report it.

Myrkas should have seen it coming. The good old trope of higher risks for higher rewards had to be maintained. Power wasn't found in accessible, but rare, candies, complete with pretty packaging, and a selection of artificial fruit flavours. If only gaining a level was as simple as eating candy—notwithstanding alchemical pills.

Also, Myrkas could not help but notice the Assessor turning up the snark and condescension as it went on. Maybe Myrkas had misjudged it and the old relic did have a remnant of personality. Indeed, the thing did seem to lack empathy towards every kind of failure. It almost sounded like a dolphin laughing at a swimming human. It wasn't nice to make fun of less talented people, not that Myrkas felt in any way singled out. Of course not.

Myrkas refused to be disappointed. Risks had to be a part of the equation or advanced types of cultivation techniques would be more readily found. For all the boy knew, not even every member of a sect or of the Imperial Family went past simple Body Cultivation. Body Cultivation at its most basic could be achieved without the practitioner having any developed Qi-Sense. They merely strengthened their bodies with specific exercises, medicinal baths, and alchemical concoctions.

The next steps, including the ability to precisely sense and manipulate Qi, were a fanciful extra, a mere dream for most. They basked in their mediocrity, relying on the general sense of Qi they acquired as their body improved. Their use of Qi was instinctual, not rational, more akin to muscle memory than anything else. Seldom did they use any advanced techniques, fighting more like superhuman athletes than mages and spellswords.

Almost none of those types of Body cultivators ever ascended to a higher Physical Realm, staying were Mortals for their entire lives. Most serious factions did not consider pure Body cultivators as actual cultivators. It did not matter to those leading organizations that most so-called cultivators found in the wilds of civilization were of the Body kind. Only absolute power conferred any importance to individuals and organizations alike. And if only the established nobility, sects, and crafting guilds had enough resources to spend on idle meditations, well, such was fate. Practitioners of Qi arts would rise while the common people lost their time finding food, seeking shelter, and enjoying the iota of leisure they had left.

That was without taking into account the fact that most cultivation knowledge was jealously guarded by the powerful. Finding a guiding artifact such as the one Myrkas had in his hands was truly a gift from the Heavens. The boy would not need to sell his body or soul to progress. Or to fumble blindly on his Path, at risk or deviating from his goals.

The limited numbers of higher Realms Qi-practitioners also diminished the probability of catastrophic incidents compared to the cultivation universes described in most stories from Myrkas' past life. It made for safer restaurants and tea shops, less subject to unavoidable complete destruction for the slight of having housed an easily insulted passing rogue cultivator. While devastating petty disputes still happened, they were minimized by the common knowledge that government officials and law enforcement were in general higher on the power ladder than any independent practitioner. Few could disturb the peace without immediate reprisal by the people in charge.

High matters of honour and face—the amalgamation of social standing, skill, reputation, and perceived power—were better dealt with by proxies. Better to fight wars through mostly mortal armies, ruining a few fields and farms, maybe burning a city or two, than to pit Kings against each other, with each of their blows razing mountains and carving new valleys.

It just made a lot more sense. Hard to harvest new, Qi-filled resources when the Ancestral whatever Forest had been uprooted for a misunderstanding between nations the preceding season. The whole point of having a subordinate nation was to ease the gathering of such resources. No point in destroying them willy-­nilly. Resources had to be gathered and flowing, less the true Hidden Monsters begin to crawl out of their dens.

From what Myrkas had gathered, a good quarter of all high-grade cultivation resources in the Allrin Empire ended in the hands not of the current Emperor, but of his Honored Grandfather. The Immortal kept in seclusion, in isolation, trying to Ascend to the next Existential Realm, the next Heaven. Fuelled by the blood and sweat of the Empire's citizens. To be replaced by his Granson upon his Ascension, and thus the cycle turned.

Reflections over, Myrkas was deeply impressed by himself. Self-proclaimed he might be, but he was a genius. His insight into general politics was wise beyond his years. And he had yet to reach his first official teenage year! However, all of Myrkas' thorough analysis of the world's state of affairs did not help the boy with his current dilemma: choosing the most appropriate method to obtain the ability to sense Qi.

After a few more minutes spent basking in his own intellectual glory, Myrkas forced his attention back to the shiny Assessor writings. He had to make a decision, to choose the best option. He refused to limit himself to basic Body cultivation, even if it seemed a safer option. Myrkas had not transmigrated in this web novel to be mediocre. He had a main character's destiny waiting for him. He needed to be prepared. If his uncle was able to sense Qi—a requirement for any proper alchemist, apparently—Myrkas should be able to do it too. So what if the process carried risk? Hadn't he risked his life the day before? The boy had resolve and courage. He wasn't a wimp or a fool. No, Mister Assessor! Myrkas only had to improve his risk calculations, a totally doable task.

As any self-respecting protagonist and budding cultivation genius, Myrkas decided on the only path matching his potential; he would combine all methods. Maximum calculated risk for maximum benefits. He was sure to unlock an uber-special- never-seen-before type of Qi-sensing ability with that. Something so precise and awe-inspiring that his uncle would fall on his butt, flabbergasted. It didn't look difficult to achieve. Start with Qi-Leeches—undoubtedly a breeze to acquire—then make a concentrated medicinal bath with a mildly aggressive Qi type, add two or three shallow razor cuts, and finish with a dark room and earplugs and voila! An all-in-one foolproof Qi-sense development session, graciously designed by Myrkas, the upmost-cultivator-to-be.

This new method would go down in history as the best to efficiently develop Qi-sense. Not for cowards or fools. For the deserving, the willing, the chosen ones. Myrkas only had to gather the materials left. So easy. A mere formality. He lived in an alchemist's abode. The boy could "borrow" anything. Invent his own bath. And incense too, why not?

Or maybe, just maybe, as an idea, I could ask Uncle for help. That might be smart. And a touch safer. Only to make sure I don't waste any expensive ingredients. To show I learned from my errant ways. Accept to rely on professionals. No need to try to reinvent the wheel on my lonesome.

Yeah, that was a smart move. Myrkas was again proud of himself, of his personal progress. If he wanted to become the very best, he had to use all of his available resources, including his—assumed reliable—Uncle. Knowledge was power, and power was power. So deep, so thoughtful. Determined, Myrkas immediately ran to look for his current father figure, not letting his furry friends' puzzled eyes slow him down.