Chapter 5

The young woman’s voice washes over me like a cool wind. It’s a strange feeling I’ve never experienced before, like her every word is filled with cold energy. It reminds me of the [Cryokinesis] psychics on Earth, their very being lowers the temperature around them. The same way that [Pyrokinesis] psychics raise the temperature around. All elemental psychics have this effect on the world, though some are more subtle than others, like my own. She honestly reminds me of a former comrade I fought with in my second deployment. They didn’t make it back with me though, we never did recover their body. I shake the thoughts from my head as I refocus on my new guest.

“Yes ma’am, I am Peter.” I bow deeply to her.

“I see, so you are the thing that Yijun has picked up.” Yijun snaps her eyes at the young woman with a glare, prompting the woman to click her tongue.

“Don’t mind her Peter, why don’t we start with something we haven’t covered.” Yijun gestures to the open seat. She sets aside the book she had had open in front of her.

“Aren’t I still learning to read and write?”

“I thought we could change it up a bit! I also thought you might remember something.” Since I can’t explain what happened to me, even to myself, I’ve simply told them I can’t remember anything. Since I truly am ignorant of this world and its customs, it’s better to have them think I suffer memory loss.

“Okay, what do we start with.”

“Let us cover something everyone knows, what do you remember about cultivation?”

“I’m afraid I don’t remember anything like that.” Yijun’s eyes soften with worry. It doesn’t feel great to lie to her but it’s for my safety and possibly hers. I can only hope the Sun Lords don’t have a grip on this world too.

“I see, don't worry though. I can explain it to you again and maybe you’ll remember something more!”

“May I write this down? I’m not confident in memorizing it just from listening.” Yijun brightens at my suggestion. With that confirmation, I pull out the blank book I asked Doctor Chao for and a piece of wood with the tip burned black to write with.

“To begin, cultivation is the pursuit of immortality. In the [Mythic Era], a group of people created something to gather and store the energy of Heaven and Earth within their bodies. These were the first cultivation arts of the world. The cultivation arts we use today are far more refined than the ones used back then.”

“How long ago was the [Mythic Era]?”

“Oh, several millennia ago. There aren’t many records from that time so we aren’t sure how long ago exactly it was.”

“Is there really nothing left? No tools or buildings?”

“Well, I suppose there might be, but no one has found anything yet.”

“I see..” I make a small note in the margins of my journal. Though nothing has been found yet, if someone does find something, that could be worth a lot.

“Now in cultivation, there are various stages each divided into ten levels every stage. The first stage is [Qi Gathering], this is where one begins to gather the Qi of Heaven and Earth into their dantian. Once one has reached the tenth level of [Qi Gathering], they must use the Qi inside their dantian to create a foundation. Then they will break through to the [Foundation Building] stage. In this stage, one will build their foundation so that they can awaken their Qi in the next stage. Each individual has a unique Qi they are born with, though only a few like us cultivators can harness it. When one can awaken and use this Qi, that is when they enter the [Qi Awakening] stage. Here one can use their awakened Qi and can begin practicing alchemy and blacksmithing as both require a lot of Qi and the special properties of one’s awakened Qi to be successful. Martial brother Zemin and I are both in the third level of [Qi Awakening], with myself possessing [Ice Qi] and Zemin possessing [Fire Qi]. The next stage is called the [Origin] stage. During this stage, one must look inwards to find their origin, their soul. Once one can find their origin, they will advance to the next stage, [Divine Soul]. Once one has reached this stage they gain a second life and live for hundreds of years! Our masters are in this stage. Then one must reflect upon themselves and the world before breaking through to the next stage, [Enlightenment]. This stage allows one to learn one of the truths of the world, giving them insight into the rules of Heaven and Earth. One is said to live for more than a thousand years once they reach this stage! It is said that once one reaches the end of their life span, one can ascend to the [Upper World]! Though currently only five are known to exist in the entire world.”

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“If someone can live for more than a thousand years, how old are those five?”

“No one knows for sure but they are said to be the oldest and most powerful beings in the world. They are called the [Sacred Lords], with each one possessing enough power to wipe out most of the world.”

“It sounds like they are dangerous.” Yijun flinches slightly while Zemin and the woman stir in their seats.

“Be careful of what you say, many hold the [Sacred Lords] in high regard. They won’t be as, ‘understanding’ as martial sister Yijun has been.” This is the first time Zemin has said anything since showing up every day. His tone is condescending, though I expected nothing less from him. I guess he is one of the people who hold those [Sacred Lords] in high regard.

“I’ll be more careful then. Now what is this [Upper World]?”

“The [Upper World] is where the divine cultivators and sects live. Unlike here, the [Upper World] possesses endless [Divine Qi]. It was said one could travel between the Upper and Lower worlds whenever one wanted in the [Mythic Era], but that is no longer possible.”

“Well, why not?”

“Because there isn’t enough [Divine Qi] in the [Lower World], without enough [Divine Qi], one cannot walk across worlds safely. And the [Upper World] has no interest in the [Lower World].”

We go back to my lessons on reading and writing after I finish the last of my notes. After a while, the young woman leaves while Zemin picks out a book himself and reads silently next to us. We finish my lessons just as the evening begins. I bid Yijun and Zemin farewell before walking back to the [Pill Hall]. Along the way, I take in the scenery and buildings. The buildings are large ornate buildings in the style of ancient Chinese architecture, each one as beautiful as the last. Seeing trees and plants not being grown in underground farms is a welcome change. They not only look more healthy but also give a pleasant view. I take a deep, full breath as I step back into the [Pill Hall]. A couple of new patients are lying down with varying wounds.

“Is there anything I can do to help?” I stop one of the passing doctors before they zip by me again.

“Hmph, follow me, and don’t do anything I don’t tell you to!” I give a nod before following behind him. We stop in front of a patient with a couple of slash wounds. Though the wounds aren’t life-threatening they will still put him out of commission for a while. Duels between disciples take place all the time so the beds are seldom empty. Not to mention the missions they take on, like subduing bandits or hunting down monsters. I didn’t even know monsters existed here before I heard about something called the [Red Tusk Boar]. Which is something called a ‘demonic monster’, a creature that possesses [Demonic Qi]. These things just appear in nature all the time and their parts are highly sought after. After wrapping up with the first, we work down the left wall of beds, with me being allowed to bandage and apply basic first aid to some of the less injured.

Once I finish wrapping the leg of a teenage boy, the sun has already set. The room is quiet with a snore every few minutes in between from a particularly large disciple. He stands far taller than six feet with the body of one of those muscle heads who only lifted weights back in the military. I still don’t know his name despite seeing him almost every day. I walk up to the second floor bidding Doctor Chao a good night as he pours over the herbs on his table. My room was once a spare storage room on the second floor. It isn’t much to look at, with a sleeping mat laid out with a pillow at the head. The blanket they gave me was cheap and scratchy but kept me warm at night. I light the candle in the room as I sit down. I haven’t tried meditation since the first time I woke up here. I’ve been holding off on purpose since I needed to give myself some time to recuperate. I let the thoughts filling my mind slip away, letting them come and letting them leave. I fall into the same rhythm, falling into that trace again, only for pain to shoot through my body again. My breath comes short and ragged while my blood feels like it’s on fire.

Before I can yell in pain, Doctor Chao bursts into the room. His wild eyes lock on my crumpled form as it gets harder to breathe. His hands move in a flurry, striking several spots on my body. The burning feeling stops spreading through my body, but it still rages in the places it was already. Steam begins to lift off my body as I start to feel hotter. A couple of doctors rush in lifting my body into a sitting position. Doctor Chao sits behind me, stabbing needles into the spots he struck before. The pain is unbearable, it’s hard to stay conscious at this point.

“Stay with me, boy! If you pass out now you could die. Now do exactly as I tell you.” Doctor Choa’s voice brings me to my senses somewhat. I try to focus on his instructions but they make little sense to me with some bits being words I still don’t know. The world starts to blur a bit just as Yijun bursts in as well. She moves behind me so quickly I almost miss that she moved at all. Taking Doctor Chao’s place, cold energy starts to flow through my body, numbing the burning. The pleasant cool washes over me as my vision darkens, lulling me unconscious.