[WARNING: Explicit depiction of Self-Harm]

Ayame was able to enter the campus thanks to the guards calling the principal.

"Ayame, why are you here? Did you escape the hospital?" The principal said as he noticed Ayame, dressed like a patient, wearing a long gown covering her entire body. The bright blue hospital bracelet around her wrist indicated that she was not a regular visitor.

"Yeah, I did," Ayame replied as she walked past him.

"Are you sure you're alright? Shouldn't you stay and rest? Or take care of your wounds? You have a huge gash across your chest and a couple bruises everywhere". The principal asked.

"No thanks, I can still manage," Ayame replied as she walked through the hallway.

"Is instructor Keiichi here? I would like to get in contact with him." "Yes, he is here. Just wait for him in the faculty room. I'll send him a message." Ayame waited for Keiichi in the faculty room.

It took quite some time before he arrived.

"Hello, Ayame.", Instructor Keiichi greeted with a small smile. "I see you've gotten hurt. Are you feeling better now? Is the wound healing?" Instructor Keiichi asked, looking worried about her health.

"I'm fine. How many lessons did I miss?" Ayame replied.

Instructor Keiichi paused for a moment before he replied.

"Well, today is Wednesday. You missed a few days. So, I'm sorry, Ayame, but you don't look like you're in a state to participate in the class. We'll let you rest for a few days." Teacher Keiichi explained while assuring her.

"Can I get a copy of the lessons I've missed and the lessons that will be taught this and the following week? I would like to study in advance.

Also, may I borrow some books on combat techniques and such?" She requested.

"Oh sure, I'll bring them right away...I should be right back". The instructor said as he hurried to his office.

Ayame sat on the sofa in the faculty room as she waited for the instructor to return.

After a few minutes, Instructor Keiichi returned.

He had three books in his arms and placed them on top of the desk in front of Ayame. "Thank you," she thanked Instructor Keiichi before going to her dorm.

When she reached her dorm room, Ayame changed her clothes into some new clothes before sitting down on her bed and began reading her new textbooks.

It was an introduction to cultivation.

There were nine stages of cultivation: Spirit Awakening Realm, Spirit Transformation Realm, Spirit Desolation Realm, Spirit Enlightenment Realm, Spirit Communion Realm, Spirit Ascension Realm, Spirit Sovereign Realm, Spirit Tyrant Realm, and finally, Spirit Emperor Realm. Each stage has four substages to reach before reaching the next stage. The four substages were: Initial, Intermedial, Half-Terminal, and Terminal.

In the Spirit Awakening Realm, the cultivator begins by using their own method of qi gathering. Storing it inside their body without any specific form and location. In the Spirit Transformation Realm up to Spirit Communion Realm, the cultivator will begin to slowly compress their qi and store it on a single point in their body while also gathering qi. The location of the qi depends on the cultivation art the cultivator uses. Still, most cultivation art uses the center of the body, somewhere on the belly.

In contrast, others compress it somewhere in the center of their chest. As for quantifying the amount of qi the cultivator has, they can just meditate and sense their qi inside their body. It can be somewhat inaccurate when the cultivator's qi has not been compressed yet, as the level of qi concentration varies from person to person.

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The other books the instructor gave included a cultivation book containing how to break through each stage and a qi-gathering method. The manual included different ways to increase the size of the qi in the body and how to use it to enhance and improve oneself. The author talked about how to best use the qi within one's body and harness it properly.

The other book was a martial art that contained a martial art. It only had two moves. A punch and a kick. Both of the moves were garbage. The punch described in the book was like an average punch done by someone who hasn't fought before. It doesn't use the torso and the lower body properly. Punches were powered mainly by the lower body and the torso; without mastering how to do those, the punch would fail to move the sandbag.

Ayame walked to the sandbag in her room.

She let the qi flow through her hands and balled them into fists. As she pushed the qi out. "Hah!" Ayame punched as if she was striking an enemy.

"I see... so they minimized the detail and optimization on the punches so the cultivators would focus on how to utilize their qi... Well, this is a martial art for beginners, after all." Ayame looked disappointed as she continued practicing her martial arts techniques.

"Good, now I can begin learning the Asura Warpath Sutra and Divine Origin Manual," Ayame said before accessing the book inside her head. It was weird how she could accurately remember every bit of information in those two books Lin Feng gave. Divine Origin Manual was a qi-gathering method. Unlike the other qi-gathering methods, Divine Origin Manual was able to absorb any qi around the cultivator.

Some forms of qi could be harmful or beneficial for other qi-gathering methods. In contrast, others are unable to absorb a specific form of qi. Divine Origin Manual also has better efficiency allowing any cultivator who uses it to quickly reach the next stage.

Ayame began activating the Divine Origin Qi Gathering technique, absorbing all kinds of energy, including light, dark, fire, water, etc., around her.

Ayame felt like there was a heat in another world welling up and gushing out, striving for release.

Ayame's breathing became rapid and heavy, and sweat drops fell from her forehead over time as she continued using the Divine Origin Qi Gathering Technique.

Ayame's qi flared a bright blue as she sat down to practice. Her qi expanded at such a fast rate she could sense their expansion. It felt like a warm wind and smelled like the summer wind with a hint of rust.

The results indicated that her qi had grown considerably since entering the system. Her qi was now almost double its original size. She broke through the Intermedial Stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm.

She kept going.

She felt like puking, a severe headache splitting her head's insides. It was a side effect of Qi Overdrawing. The amount of qi she absorbed was far higher than her body could handle.

She needed to rest. Her body was completely exhausted. Ayame was already losing consciousness, but she refused to go down.

Ayame leaned on her knees, breathing heavily. Her body ached with stiff muscles, and her legs felt like they were made of jelly. Her arms tingled, and her jaw clamped shut as she forced down the urge to vomit. She didn't need to rest. She needed to get stronger. To do that, she needed to push herself relentlessly, to leap over her own shadow!

Ayame decided to harm herself and use the pain to wake up her groggy consciousness.

Ayame dug her fingernails into her skin. The sting of her wound and the warm sensation of blood trickling down her skin made her head clear.

She continued cultivating, knowing she would not survive another encounter with the Nishizumi family. She must find a way to escape this fate.

The blood that oozed out was pure red, magnificent in its simplicity.

A thick layer of blood trickled out of the wound.

The metallic scent of her blood was a contrast to the sharp fragrance of the room.

She felt the warmth of the blood spreading and tickling her skin.

The sensation of the wound was even more intense than the smell. The hot feeling of dripping blood was enough to keep Ayame awake, if only for a little bit longer.

Ayame pushed through using the pain. A long line of blood dripped off her fingers.

She licked her fingernails and tasted her blood's warm, salty tang.

She closed her eyes and meditated.

She sensed the qi within the room.

The qi around her was prickling and sharp. As if it was tingling in anticipation for her to do something to it.

The sensation was comforting and familiar.

Just like before, the nauseating feeling returned.

Ayame scratched her skin again, drawing blood and intense pain.

The red blood trickled to the ground, mixed with the puddles of crimson that had formed before. Its luminescent color stood out against the grey concrete, its scent filling the room.

The metallic scent of the blood filled the air.

The metallic taste of her blood lingered on her tongue. It was salty and warm. The scent of her blood was like the carrion of a rotting animal, like a forest fire licking at dry tinder.

Ayame continued gathering qi, repeatedly harming herself in the process before continuing once more. She had finally broken through the Half-Terminal Stage of the Spirit Awakening Realm.