Name: Yu Han (Johan)

Level: 0

True Qi: 106 (+1)/110

Pure Qi: 9 (-1)/110

It’s just like when I killed that dog.

Pure Qi had decreased by one, while True Qi increased. Did this meditation turn Pure Qi into True Qi? Or was there another kind of relationship?

True Qi feels like experience. I gain it, and after the progress bar is filled, I should level up. Yu Han opened his eyes. When they had started meditating, it was early dawn. The air had been filled with fog, and the barest hint of the sun could be seen through the occlusion light. Now, the sun hung overhead.

Did I meditate for about five hours? Judging by the sun’s position, that seemed to be the case.

But it didn’t make sense that Yu Han was so skilled in meditation on his first try. Was he some kind of genius?

Yu Han looked around. The other recruits were still deep in their trance. Only Yu Han had woken up.

"Don’t worry, child. Not everyone has the same talent. Close your eyes again, and let the qi flow in you," the old man’s voice sounded. He still had his eyes closed, the pelican napping on his head. Was that telepathy?

So much for having talent.

Yu Han closed his eyes. He imitated the breathing technique, and as if by magic, the old man’s chant was heard again.

Definitely telepathy.

Whatever the case, until now, Yu Han had only gained True Qi after a night’s rest, as if whatever he had done through the day would be assimilated with a night’s sleep. He would only see the True Qi gain notification the next morning.

But now, after this meditation session, he earned True Qi.

He was so close to levelling up. Or at least hitting the Tribulation Bottleneck like everyone else.

That reminded him of the system message from the first day.

What was it?

Demonic Taint Purified.

Pure Qi Acquired: +110

Pure Qi: 110/110

Tribulation Overcome (Preemptive): [Purify Tainted Entities: 1/1.]

It had said he had overcome a Tribulation.

What were tribulations in the first place? In the novels, they were lightning bolts falling down on cultivators trying to break through. But here, that didn’t seem like the case.

Did he gain the Pure Qi back then because he preemptively passed the Tribulation? Or was it because he killed the dog? Or were there different types of Tribulations, and clearing each one, like completing missions in an RPG game, would grant him different amounts of points?

Pure Qi?

The boy on the boat had wanted to pass his Tribulation by drowning himself. Yu Han had asked others what their Tribulations were, but no one replied, as if silenced by some unwritten rule.

The chant receded into the background like a low drone.

Clap!

Yu Han’s attention snapped into focus.

"That will be all," the old man said.

Noise returned like a tide. The chirping of birds, the leaves brushing in the wind, and the voices of the other recruits.

"T-True Qi, I earned True Qi," one boy said.

"Me too."

Me three, kid.

"I meditated so well on the first try. Am I a genius?"

I thought the same.

"Earning True Qi now means you weren’t talented enough to hit the Tribulation Bottleneck before today. Some talent you have." Another boy laughed, and others joined him.

Oi.

Other than these two types, there was a third type of recruit that was neither in their Tribulation Bottleneck nor did they earn True Qi. Like the guy with the cleft lip and his group.

Would I be like them if I didn’t have Pure Qi? I didn’t earn any True Qi in the second meditation session.

"Now, now, children. No need to squabble. Take your seats." The old man clapped. The sound was gentle, but it seemed to slap away all distracting thoughts from their minds. Everyone resettled.

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"The first ritual. It is a gift to you new recruits," the old man said. The pelican opened its giant mouth and yawned.

Whoa. That’s gross.

"The zabuton and the mats. This yard is engraved with a trancing array, and with the power of this old man’s spell, you have now felt how it is to go deep into meditation. Remember the feeling, grasp it with all your heart. You’ll have to do that without the aid of formations and spells if you want to make progress in the path."

There were a few sighs, including Yu Han’s. No wonder. Back when he was Johan, he meditated every day because the podcasts said so. It was helpful, especially with his temper problems. But he’d never gone into a trance like this before.

"To those who have earned True Qi, this is the power of meditation. Unlike pills and passive True Qi gain, you actively will the power to act within. Train diligently. You will soon hear the voice of the Dao when you reach the Tribulation Bottleneck."

The recruits stirred.

"To those who are in your Tribulation, worry not, even if you haven’t gotten any True Qi like some of your peers have," the old man continued. "Meditation refines your Spirit just as exercise refines the Body. It may refine your Mind too."

The way the old man said it, he might have been referring to the three primary stats rather than body, mind, and spirit in their literal meaning.

Or maybe both.

"When you level up and reach the next realm, the Body Tempering Realm, your qi will flow smoother, your attacks will hit harder, your senses will work stronger, than someone who merely relied on passive assimilation of qi into True Qi."

Qi into True Qi? Yu Han jotted every piece of data down mentally, hoping he wouldn’t forget.

"To those who have had no gains, worry not either. Every being in this world has their own part to play. We are but specks floating in the ocean of life. Why worry?" the old man said.

Geez, geezer. Thanks. You’re so good at consolation. Yu Han rolled his eyes.

"Your meals are ready in the west-wing hut. Your journey to the rookie camps will take three more days. Your seniors will guide you down the mountains," the old man said. "Cultivate well. The next time we meet, perhaps you will be in the Qi Gathering or even Foundation Building stage."

Body Tempering, Qi Gathering, Foundation Building. The hooded man had called the guy with the red sword light a whelp in the Qi Gathering Realm. But he ran away after that. Was he in that realm too? Yu Han stood and stretched, his back popping. Some kids laughed. When their eyes met, they tutted and walked away. Jerks. Okay, what realm are Duan Xiaolong and Qiao Jinhai in? Their abilities were so vastly different, it’s hard to get a conclusion by comparing. I need more data.

Brunch was rice porridge with deep-fried fish and stir-fried veggies. It was a hearty meal, and after eating, his stomach felt warm.

They walked down the mountain trail. Dew drops still clung to the grass, and in the distance, the other mountains were still covered in fog; the sun had failed to chase it away.

Insects buzzed, birds chirped, small creatures burrowed under bushes.

"Damn bugs!" Li Yao groaned.

Yu Han felt a sense of déjà vu. When he looked behind him, he saw that they had come down quite a bit. He couldn’t see the gate to the small village anymore.

It was a quiet, peaceful night. No partying, no staying up playing video games. Falling asleep after physical exertion, then meditating in the morning.

It’s not so bad.

"Hey, we’re leaving you behind, tubs," Li Yao called out.

How nice would it be if my whole cultivation journey was so peaceful.

Sima Yan was walking at the forefront, with other noble scions. The boy glanced at Li Yao and Yu Han.

There was something in that gaze.

Can’t hurt to hope.

They got back into the Drizzle again. Same number of people as last time. Same faces, too.

The boats gently wafted through the tranquil waters between mountains, each going their separate ways. The mountains stood green all around, most appearing the same. They were covered in strangely familiar yet unknown trees, with birds and beasts all around. The land between the mountains would have been lush valleys if they weren’t underwater. But now, the mountains had turned into islands.

The first day, most islands were disjointed, neither bridge nor roads on them.

Yu Han had tried to meditate the whole time, as did everyone else. But that same feeling of timeless trance did not return.

After the night, he earned True Qi.

+1 True Qi.

The next day, he saw a bridge connecting two mountains.

"A village," Li Yao said. "I could use a drink." He had gotten a stick from somewhere. He stabbed it into the water and pulled a fish out. "Nice."

There were villages on both islands connected by the bridge. On the roads were villagers leading donkey carts. But the donkeys looked strange. One had two tails. Another had a small horn. Otherwise, they looked identical to the slothful creature Yu Han knew of.

When the Drizzle passed by, a man heaving large jars with a stick across his shoulders raised his hand.

"Good luck!" he shouted.

The villagers wore similar clothes to the sect disciples, indigo and white.

"Tubs, you think they’re all part of the sect?"

"Wouldn’t be surprised. Xia—nevermind." Slip of the tongue. Why would Yu Han know about Xianxia Sects?

"You keep saying these cryptic things. Sounds fishy."

"Fuck, clean that fish elsewhere. You’re getting scales all over me!"

"Now you smell fishy too."

Yu Han kicked Li Yao’s butt, and Li Yao jumped away.

They passed by many lakes. On their way, they saw a large Bodhi tree rising from the water, solitary like a giant and as big as a hill. There was a mountain with hundreds of waterfalls gorging down from impossible heights. Birds circled the peak, their call drowned out by the crash of water. In one “valley,” the Drizzle drifted over transparent water. Underneath were the remains of a long-abandoned town.

+2 True Qi

Night passed again and dawn broke, golden light shining through the fog.

"Crazy magic," Li Yao murmured. The Drizzle sailed upstream, on a river up the mountain. It reached up for kilometres and finally broke through the clouds.

The view was breathtaking. Yu Han and the others gathered around the railing.

All around, there were mountain peaks. Some peaks had ice, some had rock. The Drizzle was now near the impossibly huge peak Yu Han had seen from the sea. So close Yu Han felt like he could touch it.

Smoke rose from many mountains. Maybe villages, maybe towns. In one direction was the boundless sea with the moss-coloured water. Far away, the sky was dark, as if a storm lurked there.

It seemed the Drizzle had never travelled too far inland, away from the ocean. Judging by the distance to the ocean now and the direction they had come from, they had been sailing at the outer edges of this primordial mountain range. Far inland, there were silhouettes of peaks even taller than the one nearby.

"Look over there." A boy pointed towards the mountains that bordered the ocean. There was a crescent-shaped bay there, and on the shore of that bay, there was a city. Tall walls, high spires, spreading out beyond the mountains and away from Yu Han’s sight. Perhaps it went all the way up to the nearby tallest peak. A city that big could house millions.

The Drizzle moved that way. It sailed down the mountains and river, towards the city. This world was amazing, so different from Earth.

Yu Han sat down and meditated. He had a feeling he would succeed.

Pure Qi Assimilated!

+1 True Qi.

Name: Yu Han (Johan)

Level: 0

True Qi: 110 (+4)/110

Pure Qi: 8 (-1)/110

The True Qi bar was filled. Finally, Yu Han heard the Dao’s voice.

And he levelled up.