The outsider was doing a good job of appearing unconcerned, lounging back in his chair as if he didn’t have a care in the world. However, the way his hands kept curling into fists told Travis the man was more concerned than he appeared.
Who wouldn’t be, with their entire future on the line? Kevin had bet everything on succeeding at cultivation without knowing his limitations. And now he was about to find out.
For outsiders cultivation blockages were common, even more than most of the public. Without the expensive services of specialists like Dr. Grange, many would be unable to advance.
Where would he be now if his family had been able to afford a checkup like this? How much further would he have risen with earlier access to focused advice?
Pointless thoughts to have, but difficult ones to banish. No wonder then that so many people complained about the resources the OIM put into managing such people.
Yet working there, Travis knew that their complaints were groundless. While the OIM’s investment might not pay off with every outsider, when it did, they often struck gold.
Not just in powerful cultivators to help the country, but in potential threats guided toward gratitude. Caldain becoming a welcoming new home, instead of a country they couldn’t care less about.
“I see,” Dr. Grange said, eyes snapping back to focus on Kevin. The mind-tinged aura around his head faded as he did so; his technique complete.
“What’s the damage, doc? Kevin asked, the strange choice of words betraying his hidden nerves. It seemed the outsider had quickly forgotten the newfound respect he’d shown the doctor.
Then again, the beacon of power in front of them would be invisible to the mortal. To Travis’ eyes, the Golden Core cultivator loomed over the room, demanding respect without having to move a muscle.
“Nothing too terrible,” Dr. Grange leaned back, hand running through the snowy beard that extended to his chest. “No more than most who come through my door.”
“Your meridians are blocked, that’s the first and most obvious issue. But any doctor could have told you that. If two or three had been an issue, I might have recommended forcing them open, but with all twelve, the damage would be too significant.”
Kevin wilted as the man spoke, no doubt unaware that almost every one of Western descent had blocked meridians. They were tied to the specific style of the Xi’anian conquerors; unless you could draw your ancestry to them, you were out of luck.
“The larger issue is that your Dantian is shriveled. It’s strained enough managing the Qi you need to stay alive, and I wouldn’t risk straining it further.”
Travis winced at the stark news. Now that was an issue; even he had a working Dantian. At least they’d found out before the outsider could kill himself trying the more common styles.
“So what does that mean for me?” Kevin asked, voice wavering. “That’s my Qi sea, right? I need it working to store enough energy to advance.”
Dr. Grange nodded, his face taking on a more gentle look. “That is correct, if a little simplified. It’s a less common problem, but still one you can overcome. The key issue you will face is finding an alternate place to store Qi.”
“Tell me about your goals,” the doctor continued, pulling a notepad from his storage device with a casual flick of his wrist. “Depending on what you’re after, there are options. Body cultivators store Qi in their muscles and bones, while many mystics use their aura.”
“Immortality,” Kevin breathed in that expecting, half-awed tone he’d used before. “I believe Agent Travis called it the peak.”
Travis had to resist the urge to drop his head into his hands. Did the outsider have to lead with his delusions?
“A worthy goal,” the doctor chuckled, shaking his head. “If ambitious for one who has yet to even spy the mountain. You understand that very few reach it in this era?”
Ah yes. Sometimes he forgot how ancient some of the more advanced cultivators were. As if they’d stepped out of a forgotten age when people regularly screamed such nonsense to the heavens.
“Yep,” Kevin leaned forward, eyes gleaming. “And despite what some people think,” he turned to glance at Travis. “I don’t think it's going to be easy or quick. That’s why I need to focus on living as long as possible.”
“The longer I can stick around, the more time I have to push further.” The outsider grinned as he finished; as if he’d figured out some clever trick.
Dr. Grange nodded wisely, “Well, you’re off to a good start there. My readings suggest your body is five years younger than your soul’s current incarnation.”
“Oh yeah,” Kevin laughed, “Max does good work, he rolled back all those years I was sick.” A shadow passed across the man’s face, his good cheer fading. “There weren’t any… growths, or anything were there?”
That’s right, the man had said he was dying before this all started. Perhaps Travis should have been a little more understanding of his choices.
The doctor paused, glancing into space again, before shaking his head. “No, you’re in as close to perfect health as a mortal can be.”
Kevin sighed, relaxing in his chair. “Phew, I have to admit I half-expected you to tell me I was dying. That seems to be the first thing on most doctor’s lips.”
Within moments, he’d bounced back with a speed Travis found dizzying. “Now then, what have you got for me, Doc?”
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Kevin had to rest his hands on the arms of his chair to hide how much they were shaking. He’d believed in Max before, but talking to a doctor again had pulled up all his old experiences.
Hearing confirmation nothing was wrong with him felt like being cured all over again. Now he just needed a way around the cultivation issues.
Only the continued scratching of the doctor’s pen on paper kept him from cursing his bad luck. The man was doing his vacant stare routine again, and Kevin could only hope he would dig something up.
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“Ah, yes. That should work,” the doctor said, his attention snapping back to the two of them.
Kevin inched forward in his seat, heart in his throat as he waited for an answer.
Instead of continuing, the doctor shuffled through the drawers in his desk, eventually pulling out a stack of booklets. As if to keep drawing the suspense out, he flicked through those before settling on a single one.
With a last glance at the title, the man slid the booklet over. It was perhaps three dozen pages, each a little smaller than an A4 sheet, bound at the edge by cord wound through punched holes.
The cover read Sealed Land Cultivation Method but provided no other clues about the booklet’s contents. Despite the lack of information, Kevin’s eyes remained locked on the pages.
This was it. An actual cultivation method, chosen by an expert at that. If anything could get him started, this would be it.
“I believe this will serve as a foundation for your requirements,” Dr. Grange said, tapping the booklet’s title. “Let me take you through the basis of my reasoning.”
Leaning back, the man continued, “With your focus on longevity, I had to discard many of my usual suggestions. If you wished only for increased health, I would have recommended body cultivation.”
“If you wanted physical power, I would select body cultivation again. For mystical abilities, aura or spirit cultivation would be perfect. Divine cultivation enhances one’s spiritual life, and so on.”
“But for longevity, my recommendation is almost always traditional Xi’anian cultivation.”
Kevin’s face fell as he took in the doctor’s words, but he rallied himself with another look at the booklet. The man had pulled it out for a reason; even if it wasn’t as good, it should still be close to what he wanted.
“The key reason why Xi’anian cultivation is so beneficial for life extension,” Dr. Grange continued, being roundabout in that way doctors always seemed to. “Is that it works on both the body and the soul.”
“When you enhance the body, you increase your vitality and physical health. When you increase the soul, you boost your life force and thus extend your life. The Dantian is within the body, yet also not within; a paradox that perfectly benefits both aspects.“
“Whereas body cultivation only works on the body, and the other methods touch on the soul without focusing on it. Are you with me so far?” Dr. Grange asked, calm patience written across his face.
Kevin pursed his lips, fascination warring with growing impatience. That matched Susan's description; her body cultivation boosted her health and maintained her physical age, but did little to extend her life.
The other styles the doctor mentioned sounded like they would provide some measure of increased lifespan. However, they would be lacking in health improvements as he aged.
That was an issue he hadn’t realized himself until he’d talked to Susan, yet the doctor had picked up on it with ease. If he wanted to not just live a long life but continue pushing forward, then he needed something to stop his body from fading as he aged.
If such a thing existed beyond the Xi’anian style he was blocked from. Still, the doctor was leading up to something, so he gave the man a firm nod.
After a momentary pause, Dr. Grange continued. “That booklet holds a method of the Inner Realm cultivation style. The method was created a few centuries ago with the aim of creating an artificial Dantian.”
“That experiment was successful, however, the method has several weaknesses. For many people, it would be unsuitable but you should find that it works well.”
Kevin glanced at the booklet with renewed interest. “Do I need to be worried about those weaknesses?” He asked, trying to avoid becoming too excited before he had the full details.
The doctor shook his head with a chuckle. “For you, they may as well not exist. The first weakness is that the artificial Qi container doesn't connect to the body's meridian network.
“Ah,” Kevin nodded, “and all of mine are blocked, anyway.”
“Exactly. You will need a way around that issue in time, but for now, it means you are no worse off using the Sealed Land method. The second weakness is how it could conflict with a natural Dantian.”
“Those with a still functional Dantian found themselves with two destinations for Qi. Torn between them, they had found it almost impossible to channel energy with accuracy.”
With the bare minimum functioning of your own Dantian, you will again not have this issue.”
“I can see why that would be problematic, but even so, there have to be people in the same, or similar circumstances to me. Why wasn’t it more widely used?” Kevin asked. It sounded perfect for him, but then that was the point of visiting an expert.
Dr. Grange shook his head, a hint of sadness crossing his face. “Laziness, for the most part,” he snorted. “This isn’t the kind of method you can spend a couple of hours a week on and still progress.”
“It requires vast amounts of focused, mental effort. Nor is it the kind of cultivation focus you can sink into for hours or days. You will need to hold the image of your sealed land in mind for weeks or months with little proof that it’s working.”
“But if you persist,” the doctor continued, “one day your land will become more than a mere mental image. It will grow inside you, becoming part of your body, yet separate. A facsimile of a Dantian, with most of the benefits the real thing provides.”
“Awesome,” Kevin breathed, grinning across the desk. The smile faded a moment later, as all the potential issues flashed through his mind. Dr. Grange had covered most already, but one stood out.
“That sounds amazing, but what about later cultivation realms? If this replaces my nonfunctional Dantian, I’ll still need a style for the Body Cleansing realm, right?”
“Correct,” the doctor nodded, smiling at him. “If created successfully, your Sealed Land should allow the use of most cultivation styles requiring a Dantian. Having it active with a little Qi inside should be enough to interest a few sects.”
“And you will need a sect’s backing if you’re serious about that goal of yours,” Dr. Grange laughed with a shake of his head. “Once you get in, you will find yourself with access to a vast array of Body Cleansing methods.”
“If possible, it would be best to use one of their methods to take you further. If not, come back and see me,” the doctor finished.
“Got it, thank you for all the help, Dr. Grange.” Kevin grabbed the booklet, then stood and bowed low.
The doctor waved him off, sending them on their way with a brief farewell.
Kevin could hardly wait; he had a real cultivation method to practice.
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Kevin was still staring at the booklet as Agent Travis led him back onto the street. “Where can I get started on this?” He asked, turning to stare intently at the other man.
“I suppose we’d better find you somewhere to stay,” Agent Travis scratched his chin, his eyes focused on something else. “Out in the country is what we usually advise. There’s more available Qi without as many people dragging on it.”
“I’m not sure if that’s as important in the early stages of your method, but it can’t hurt,” the man finished with a shrug.
“Makes sense,” Kevin nodded, “somewhere I can get a part-time job would be good. I don’t want to keep wracking up that debt forever. Even if I can’t pay for everything, adding a little income would help.”
Agent Travis paused for a moment, shaking his head. “How can you be the most delusional person I’ve ever met in one moment and one of the most grounded in the next?”
“I would have thought you’d want to put all your focus on that,” the agent continued, pointing to the booklet clutched to Kevin’s chest.
Kevin snorted in response. This again, Dr. Grange hadn’t been nearly so dismissive of his goal. Perhaps that was the difference between a more advanced cultivator and a weaker one.
He still couldn’t detect a cultivator’s realm, but being around Agent Travis was a decent substitute. The man’s nervous respect shot through the roof whenever someone strong was around.
“Having some money coming is just sensible,” Kevin shrugged. “Besides, no matter how dedicated I might be to cultivation, I don’t think I could do a single thing all day, every day. I’ll need something to break up the monotony, and it might as well be productive.”
“Fair enough,” Agent Travis’ voice was approving for once. “We should head to the Department of Jobs then, they track work requests from the various outer towns. The OIM has an in there, so we should be able to get what we want.”
Kevin blinked, then hurried to catch up as the other man strode off. “Shouldn’t we have access to that information as members of the public, anyway?”
Travis turned his head and raised an eyebrow without stopping, “Then how would the DOJ keep their influence? They would give you a few options for work if you signed up and paid their fee, but not the kind of in-depth access we need to pick a suitable location.”
“Not unless you have some pull, at least,” he chuckled, shaking his head.
“Huh?” Kevin responded, unsure how to respond. That kind of secrecy was another facet of this new world; one he was not so fond of.
Still, as long as he got a place to stay, he couldn’t complain.