With the next patient before me and the last one still on my mind, I’m back to moving qi through my body while treating the patient.

With one major change to the process.

Now that I’m getting close to the border of reaching Rank 2, I need to do the extra steps my particular path in cultivation requires.

I take an inward breath.

As both air and qi enter my mouth and lungs, qi also enters my body from every part of my body, funneling into my meridians and then dantians.

I take the opportunity to follow the path of one strand of qi, to watch how it travels.

While called a strand, this little strand actually seems more like a mote of dust. A little speckle of light when sensed.

But even as a speck, it still acts like a gas, as it floats around. And as expected, once I utilize my cultivation method to absorb the surround qi, it is quickly going towards my pores.

The moment it touches my skin, a transformation begins, stretching it out… just like a strand of thread.

Normally, this would take a deeper journey throughout the body to stretch it, but with my body characteristics, that isn’t the case.

But even in this state, this thread still acts the same. Just like a gas, it flows along the current it’s on. Similar to how light acts like both a particle and a wave, despite it appearing as an elongated thread, it still acts like gas, both in its movement and properties.

When it goes through my various meridians and their strange configurations, a different process occurs, which should happen later.

The strand becomes denser and denser, with other qi in the area is being woven into to it. Remarkably, without changing its size. Merging into one entity with a greater weight. Something that will continue to happen throughout the entire journey in the body.

While this happens, it still keeps the properties of gas.

The qi is just a little harder to move and causes greater metaphysical strain on the body to keep it in that form.

With something like this, I can see why some of these meridian changes are unsustainable for other cultivators. Their bodies just can’t handle the extra dense qi or the effects of it remaining in their body.

Remaining gaseous, but with a changed quality, as it follows my specialized meridians.

Making it that much easier to use for healing purposes. Something that could be called ‘healing’ qi, for simplification.

And while the qi around here is neutral, normal qi, it is possible to for both natural and manufactured areas to have specialized qi in the area, to make it easier to perform specific actions.

My guess is that this area is neutral, to allow for a greater range of cultivators to both work and cultivate here. As not all healers exclusively work off of ‘healing’ qi. There are water, air, fire, and many other types of cultivator healers. Using one property or another to help people.

And each can process qi, albeit slower, into a form that would work best for them.

Now, with the many changes I’ve made to all the parts of my body, my process to change the form of the qi is much easier, quicker, and effective than it normally would have been. The strain that it takes because of these adjustments expands the capacity and quality even more.

Something great for both my body and whoever I decide to use the qi on.

And this is just one step.

It goes through other meridian sections, which makes it speed up, move with more deftness, and become even more effective, not including several other changes before it gets to the lower dantian.

But when it finally reaches the lower dantian is when it really influences my cultivation.

As the dantians are primarily where qi is stored, I keep the qi circulating in these areas the longest. Systematically building up the pressure and size, while infusing the qi into them to expand.

Particularly for Rank 1, the dantians can be compared to an unfilled balloon. The work has already been done in Body Cultivation to build the balloon itself.

Now, the work within this first step is to prepare the balloon in a way, so that when I fill it, it can handle the stresses of being pressurized. So, moving from Rank 1 -> 2 means that the baseline level of qi is doubled… i.e. that the balloon’s volume is filled out.

But that doesn’t mean the balloon is fully pressurized and at capacity. Once all the bonuses that cultivators have built in comes into play, the Actual amount qi represents packing more and more qi into a now pressurized space, besides its quality and other factors.

Thus, being the exponential aspect of the amount.

However, this also means that every other Rank after Rank 2 is much harder and won’t have such a large increase. As the balloon is already filled and pressurized. Rank 3 and up is all about maintaining the balloon, while slowly increasing its baseline volume.

In terms of the dantians, each dantian does its part in refining the qi further into a purer form to be used. While all are ‘storage tanks’, of sorts, they still go through a progression of lower dantian -> middle -> upper dantian, before the qi comes back into the meridians and out of the body.

All with the additional increases that said meridians provide to outflowing qi for cultivation techniques.

Unfortunately, a permanent source of qi is not yet present in the Qi Condensation realm. Every piece of qi that I use, I have to recover from the environment.

Like gas held in an open balloon, it is a constant struggle to keep it inside. And any that is used for cultivation techniques leaves the body.

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For me, I just receive far more qi coming in than I use.

Once I reach Foundation Establishment, then I won’t have to rely on the environment. My body will naturally regenerate qi, with the quality of it changing, as well.

And this one piece of qi, that has traveled through my entire body and back out toward the patient, finally reaching them and healing them, resonates with the new qi just nestling in my upper dantian.

It’s time.

The balloon starts to fill.

Deep within my dantians, a change happens. The space within them expands and increasing the suction of qi around me. But instead of it letting it go out, I keep it in. Pushing the walls of my dantians further and further.

With every push, it gets bigger. Every pull strains my body a little more, with my healing constitution removing the negative consequences, but keeping the benefits.

I channel my healing aura into myself, optimizing at every step. Extending the boundaries of what’s possible from all my preparations even further.

And finally, using the cultivation method and technique on myself in the process. To complete the final step.

POP.

A small sound comes out. Almost unnoticeable, but loud for me and apparently Sister Nuan.

Even though the shape of my dantians and meridians haven’t changed, I can tell they are leagues different. If not for one reason.

There’s a cloud in each of them.

A thick, dense cloud.

One that’s still flowing out, but being replenished by my cultivation method, as I breathe in new qi. The space within seems fuller. Packed with an absurd amount of qi.

If I had 4 units available before, now I have 4096.

4096 units of qi.

8 to the power of 4.

As a comparison, a normal cultivator would be 4 units. 2 to the power of 2.

A genius, 36. 6 to the power of 2.

…yeah. This absolutely makes the pain worth it. And that I will still keep that ‘power of 4’ benefit as I go up, will make it so no one in this realm can beat me on qi.

But this also is a big risk.

Sister Nuan’s spiritual sense has been washing over me since the sound of the pop. Her eyes are wide and seemingly fearful. I feel that it isn’t of me, but of what would happen if others find out.

I’m now a loot chest. If not only because of the amount of qi I can store, but the fact I can collect it so quickly. Plundering the qi I have is like having forty spirit stones.

… and it’s only going to get bigger as I grow.

If I keep on this path and optimize to the best of my ability, I’ll be able to have 10,000 qi in the next rank. 10 to the power of 4.

I promptly use an enormous amount of qi to hide the amount of qi coming in and out of my body. A more intensive use of the technique I practiced hiding myself from spiritual senses in the last rank.

However, I stop when I see Sister Nuan shake her head sadly.

Her voice is soft and pained.

“No… I’m sorry, James. But you can’t hide this. And even if you could, at this point, you need every advantage you can get from the sect. Meaning that you at least need to stand out.

“You also need an excuse for why you can heal people’s qi back to full. Without such a large cultivation base… they’ll come to the truth. Which will be a far, far worse scenario than just trying to steal your cultivation.”

I see. She’s trying to prevent higher realm cultivators from focusing their attention on me too much. Having a cultivation base this large and growing will undoubtedly entice people from every realm.

But the alternative is for Core Formation experts and up to steal me away, to be a heal bot for their intensive projects. The number of experts that would come at me would be where even having these Nascent Soul experts watching over me might not be enough.

At least this option will give me time to get stronger.

… If I can get to Foundation Establishment, I’ll have a chance. But I can’t rush this process either. The way my body is built now needs me to slowly build up to it. Not only for the benefits, but to not have me go mad with constant pain.

At least it won’t really be that long, compared to other cultivators’ progression.

To my surprise, Sister Nuan moves away from the door and wraps her arms around my shoulders. Pulling me in for a hug.

“Don’t worry. We’ll make it through this. I’ll get everything I can out of them to make sure you succeed and make it through this.”

She moves in front of me, putting on a smile.

“Your master’s got this. You just focus on doing what you can and moving through the ranks. I’ll take care of everything else!”

The strain at the edge of her eyes tells another story.

She’s trying to cheer me up, though. And that means a lot.

So, I force a smile back.

“Alright. Thanks Sister Nuan. I will.”

There’s something else here. Something I’m missing. That I'm feeling, but can't fully express. I can’t help to pause, considering if I should do something bold.

I check, just in case, if it’s the wrong thing to do.

I’m good.

I go for it.

I shift my body to grasp my hands on her soft, delicate, and terrifyingly strong ones. Almost immediately, she grips them tightly.

My eyes travel up into her blue ones. I can feel warmth in the way they catch the eye, like the trailing smoke of a flame.

I hear heavy breaths and close my mouth, just to realize it’s not mine, as she stares just as intently at me. She’s excited.

My heart thumping furiously, I move slowly but with a bit more confidence. Wrapping my arms around her, pressing my body against hers. My hands are low against her back, but not too low. Just to enough to show this is a romantic gesture, rather than a normal one.

I can feel the side of her perfect face press against mine like a feline as she squeezes against me further.

…

The air has definitely changed with this. But there’s a reason I’ve done this.

I’ve made a commitment to change. To be honest with those around me. To not be afraid of making a deeper connection and all that comes with it.

“Nuan…”

I feel her shiver as I dropped all the titles I usually preface her name with.

She doesn’t rebuke me for saying it like that.

I feel a noticeably tighter squeeze. She definitely liked it.

“… I’m glad you are with me, Nuan. I’m sorry that I’m causing such trouble for you.”

There’s a blur before I realize she’s moved her lips to press against mine.

And then she’s standing away from me. Her face a shade of red, with the scent of vanilla and jasmine still lingering before me, making me dizzy for a brief second.

She coughs, biting her tongue when she speaks and stutters.

“W-we’ll talk more out of h-when- we get back.”

…

… this helps my head to clear a bit and pull back on the natural reactions from our compatibility.

I guess it’s easy to forget that she doesn’t have much experience with this stuff. From what I’ve gathered, her relationship with Elder Gu went nowhere and cultivators aren’t really known for focusing on romance.

Especially when they were geniuses that trained from birth.

I think this is good, though. I… want to do this right.

Which also means I will need to talk with the others. Show how I feel about them, too.

To not make her feel awkward, from the situation I’ve created, I turn to the side. Even as I try to keep cool, even my cheeks are burning right now.

“Okay. Thank you again.”

She nods swiftly before stretching out her hands. Closing her eyes.

She gives a slow inhale, before exhaling back out.

When she finishes this, her eyes are clear again.

“Alright.

“How many people can you heal now?”

Right. Back to business.

“All of them. Though, since this will be my first-time healing in this way, it may take a bit.”

She gives a curt nod.

“Good. The timeline is different, but it will only work to our benefit. All of us have experienced a sudden windfall, so they’ll understand it with this.

“Right after you finish, I’ll contact the Patriarch and Head Librarian. The slaves from that Long Clan Elder should arrive before we leave. I’ll arrange for transportation to the tower, for after we check over them.”

She looks around the room.

“In the meantime, I’ll set up some additional protections in this room. Just in case. As you’ll be using this one to heal the Patriarch and Head Librarian… and test out that jade slip from the Unsecured Halls.

“I suspect that will be something we should have them stay for.”

She clearly knows what is going to happen when I use the jade slip.

I'm really scared too.

Falling silent, she looks over at the door, while I start up one of my first dedicated cultivation techniques for healing.

Fingers of Life.