Life in the sect was all about routine. Every morning when I woke up, I ate breakfast and started my spiritual cultivation. It was much easier than I thought it would be. Or maybe Liu Feng was a better teacher than I gave her credit for. After a week, I was regularly drawing Qi from my environment. Cleansing and expanding my meridians was a long process, but after a week, I was in Early Qi Gathering rank 1.

After morning cultivations, I'd attend whatever lectures were scheduled for the day. There weren't any formal classes or training like martial art schools back home. The sect library had scrolls in many martial styles. You could ask an elder to take you as a disciple or ask another member to make you a disciple. I was a master of my family's style, but I had let myself get lax in my training. So after lectures, I spend at least a few hours of training or sparing with Liu Feng.

Around dinner, I helped Elder Wen cook for the sect. I showed them how to use their excess wheat stores to make wheat noodles. I taught them spaghetti and meatballs. Tomatoes were used as a snack in this world. Imagine that. They'd cut them into wedges and snack on them. So showed them how to grind and simmer the fruit in a pan to make a sauce. The exclamation from the hall as they devoured the dish made my day. Actually, every day whatever I cooked was met with exclamations.

I kept the meals simple. Recipes that they could make themselves without me. I was paid 100 contribution points every day I cook, which meant I didn't need to go to the Assignment hall if I didn't want to. Seeing as I had probably made an enemy of elder Chan, I'd keep my distance for now.

My evening was spent with Li Mei and Liu Feng. I taught them both how to play gin rummy. They loved the game. I was surprised to find that Liu Feng had a competitive streak in her. She and Li Mei were quickly becoming fast friends. Their mutual love of the card game helped things along.

Li Mei was great around the house. She could cook, clean, and do other chores but for the life of me, I couldn't get her to keep her clothes on. She promised to put them on when outside or if I had company over. But she was more comfortable without them.

I'm not really complaining, though. She's the very image of beauty. If you looked up desire in the dictionary, you'd see her picture next to it. I even found Liu Feng lusting after her. The Huli Jing was like a siren. Her naked beauty drew all eyes to her. Whenever she caught me staring, I could sense through our bond that she was waiting for me. After my time with Li Hua, I'd relaxed my compulsion from my other life. I would not go around sleeping with any random woman I met. But if I took the time to get to know them and at the very least feel some affection, then if they were willing, I'd sleep. With them. A simple rule that I could follow. Li Mei was willing and I had some affection for her already thanks to our bond, but I still wanted us to know each other better. After all, the last man she knew took what he wanted and left her for the wolves.

On days when I wasn't attending lectures or training, I'd visit Huan Ping. We'd enjoy tea and a good game of Go. He enjoyed testing my spiritual cultivation and offered advice. That, more than anything, made me very grateful to him. We had formed a friendship that I valued very much.

It was on one of these visits he did something very special for me.

"Alastair, why don't you sit in on one of my lessons? My family's Qigong is very good. Your spiritual cultivation is coming along faster than anyone could have expected. Well, the sect leader wasn't surprised. She mentioned in passing that one of the gifts all heroes are granted is the ease of learning. I admit I'm envious. But if your really Leandras hero comes to change our world for the better, then I want to be remembered as someone who helped you."

Huan Ping's family Qigong style was called Heaven's foundation. It was thousands of years' worth of refined spiritual cultivation. The techniques were simple to learn and to put into practice. He had only two disciples, that's how selective he was. "Thank you, Huan Ping. I'd be honored."

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Later, after his disciples arrived, I stayed and practiced his family's techniques. I could already feel my meridians cleansing. I could feel the ambient Qi flowing through me and filling my reservoir. After the lesson, I went home to cultivate some more and had two more breakthroughs, putting me at rank 9. After just one short month, I was already going to break through to the second stage. Or so I thought. After three more weeks of cultivating, I was stuck. I couldn't seem to break through.

At my wits' end, I went to go see Elder Chyou. I attended her lecture on my first day in the sect. I often attended her lectures and saw her frequently for advice. We were friendly, so I know she'll have answers for me. Today she wasn't lecturing. Besides lecturing on cultivation and the history of cultivation, she specialized in pill refining. She taught private pill refining classes to members that showed an aptitude for it. She'd be tending her herb field. I'd call it a garden, but it was too damn big to be just a garden.

When I approached her residence, I saw her sitting in her pavilion. I waved in greeting. She smiled and waved me over to join her. I smiled and took a seat across from her. "Good afternoon, elder Chyou," I said, bowing.

"No need for formalities. How can I help you today?"

I loved that about her. She was direct and informal. It was so nice since most of the sect seemed to thrive on posturing. "I've reached Rank 9 in Early Qi gathering. But I can't seem to break through to the next stage."

Her eyebrows shot up. "So fast? You really are a hero from the gods. I'd read in the old fables how heroes could achieve martial heights others could only dream of. At this rate of progression, you might even surpass the sect leader."

"That's interesting, but if I can't even break through to the next stage, I won't be achieving any heights."

She chuckled at me. "There are two ways. One is to take a pill. It will give you the power necessary to breakthrough. The other is the Yin Yangs special technique called the Joining energy." She told me.

Intrigued, I leaned forward. "How does it work?"

She smirked at me. "Come by tonight and I'll show you. I'll help you breakthrough."

I bowed respectfully and thank her for her help.

I went home feeling better than I had in days. When I got home, the girls were playing another game of gin rummy and I asked them to deal me into the next game. They picked up the game so quickly I lost to both of them regularly. Maybe I should teach them chess or checkers and see how well they did with those games. Hell, if I could make the board and cards, I might even teach them Monopoly. Actually, that might be another avenue for commerce. Board games. I was sure my folks kept some in the house. We could copy the art as best we could and maybe even mass produce them if we could expand our territory.

I'd think more on that later right now. I had to get back to elder Chyou's house. I said bye to the girls and ran to make sure I wasn't late. Thankfully, my high cultivation made running the distance child's play. I arrived at her house in minutes without even breaking a sweat.

I knocked on her door. She opened it and greeted me with a dazzling smile before welcoming me in. She wore a loose-fitting robe. I guessed she was going to go to bed after the lesson. She walked to her bed and let the robe slip from her shoulders. She stood there gloriously naked before she sat on her bed.

"Joining Energy is a technique unique to the yin yang sect. It was founded in this sect and while other sects utilize it many of our cultivating styles fully use its potential. " She said in her lecturing voice.

It took all my power to focus on her face and not the rest of the body. "Why are you naked, elder Chyou?"

She rolled her eyes. "I was getting to that. During the union of a male and female body, the energies of Yin and Yang combine. During the moment of climax, cultivators can harness the energy to break through or further enhance their Qi gathering."

"If sex can do that, when why didn't I have breakthroughs before?" I asked, now intrigued.

"Because it's not just about the sex. Now disrobe and come here." She ordered.

I hesitated only for a moment. Deciding to give her the benefit of the doubt. I stripped off my clothes and joined her on the bed.

When I had finished, I looked down at a smiling Chyou. "Congratulations. Not as easy as you thought, Keep practicing the Joining Energies technique and you'll progress even faster than you are now. It's the secret to the Yin Yang sect's success. The other sects find our techniques laughable. They're unwilling to admit how effective they are. The melding of the yin and yang energy is powerful." She ran a hand over my chest. "You can stay the night."

I chuckled and laid down next to her. "Thank you. I didn't just want to leave after that."

She caressed my cheek. "You're a sweet man. That's why I offered to help." She draped herself over me, laying her head on my chest. She soon fell asleep, and I followed.