Unlike other practitioners that cultivate in the lotus stance, the boys all have their own unique natural positions during training. Half the reason for it is because they were self-taught cultivators and did not know there is a standard method to this.
The other half is because in their own cultivation stance, their natural state of body, mind and spirit is reflected, and they naturally assumed such positions. It is difficult to say if there are any differences in their training compared to others, but it indeed did not show much of a difference in their training at this point.
Just by studying their stance, one could understand a little more about the person that they are. Kairos’ cultivation way is a calm and collected manner of sitting, with his hands resting on his legs and back leaned against something, just like reading a book under a tree.
His brother, Alan lies down on the flat in a dramatic manner, with his arms and legs wide apart to form the letter "Big" (大).
Right next to him is Tommy, looking as though he is asleep. With his face facing down, and his body straight like a log. When his friends asked why he chose such a position, he simply answered that it felt as though he is flying and it created a hilarious scene. But, nevertheless, Tommy continued his way.
Edward's stance is to sit cross-legged and cross-armed with his head slightly bowed down in thought showing his introvert nature. If one does not actively look for him, it would be difficult to spot him hiding in the corner. The archer says that only this way, he would feel safe even if he has to cultivate Heavenly Energy in the wild.
Jim's stance is the most unique among the guys as he squats with both his arms raised and two fingers of each hand positioned in the victory gesture.
Each of them took their place in one corner of the meeting room and started cultivating, trying not to laugh at the others' stance, although, somehow, they did not feel strange about their own.
Since they need to absorb the essence of the heavens and the Earth around them, staying too close together will slow down their cultivation speed. Though the difference is small, they sat away from each other.
Multiple hues started gathering and spiralled into each person. Each colour belongs to an element they have an affinity to. Kairos absorbed all sixteen different coloured energies, while the rest each called forth at least five different types.
Likewise, their recovery speed also increased depending on how many types of energy they can absorb, this means that Kairos has an advantage in drawing Heavenly Energy from the world.
After a while, Tommy and Jim who had the least wounds managed to recover most of their energies, and without tarry, they rushed to Alan’s side.
The two boys looked uncertainly at each other, then gingerly placed their hands on their friend’s body. Like they checked before, Alan had instinctively willed himself into stasis. Even if most of his superficial wounds have recovered and he is no longer in danger, without outside help, he will stay asleep indefinitely.
They started infusing a little bit of energy into him, worried if their actions might worsen his condition. But when their life force rushed into his Dantian, Alan started reacting, albeit only a little.
“It works!” The two cheered and began sending every bit of life force they could gather into their friend.
They each focused on one of Alan's arms as they tried to repair his blood vessels and broken meridian channels within.
While the meridian channels are used to hold energy and are much tougher than blood vessels, they are also the more difficult parts to restore.
After receiving the blow from the powerful Orc War Chief, not only his arms, but many parts of Alan’s Meridian System had received extensive damage. If they do not help him fix this, he will not be able to practice martial arts in the future.
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At the corner where Edward had went into deep cultivation, eight different lights representing the five elements of creation and three natural elements flooded into his body, restoring his energy quickly, and awakening him next.
Without a word, he rushed to Alan's side and started sending his life force to restore Alan’s Meridian Systems.
Now, only Kairos is left. Though he has the most affinities and ought to recover swiftly, he was also the most spent from all the battles they went through.
Perhaps because of how much energy he lacked, he fell into another trance, once again entering pure-self cultivation; one step above deep cultivation and one step below Selfless cultivation.
The pure-self cultivation is an introspective style which helps Kairos focus only on his internal energy and all of his abilities at this moment while allowing nature to infuse his body with energy.
Although all of them had entered Pure-Self cultivation once before, it requires a lot of discipline and self-control to re-enter it by will.
While in this state, Kairos was able to recover much faster, and even started improving his cultivation. After so many days of battles, his experiences had matured his martial way to the level of Mid Mortal’s way. And with it, his training sped up immensely, bringing him towards the gates of E rank.
The sixteen coloured energies revolved within him forming into a perfect spiral, symbolising both unity and individuality. The energies then charged towards the gates of E rank, one after another, and struck it with great force. With every hit, the gate cracks a little more under pressure.
What is blocking his progress are the meridian channels within himself.
With a large amount of power running rampant, Kairos felt that all of his meridian channels are bursting apart. Because his body was previously too weak and unable to hold onto this amount of power, the channels actually shredded under pressure but quickly enlarged and regenerated to become able to carry more and more power around his body.
Seeking a way out, the tyrannical power that is unable to be absorbed by his body after running a full cycle within himself dissipated into the air with an outburst of power expelled out. The energies that he did absorb strengthened his meridian channels and vastly improved his physical strength.
His blood became finer, refined by those pure forces and many of the natural pollutants residing within his body were expelled out as a coating of sweat and filth.
“Finally! Entry E rank!”
"Kairos you kind of stink" Jim said the obvious.
Kairos gave a sad face, he was in a celebratory mood about to tell the guys that he had ranked up, but then Jim immediately rained on his parade by mentioning usual stunk that accompanies an upgrade in rank.
It couldn’t be helped that filth will be dispelled out of the body through every pore, when each time practitioners improve in their cultivation stage, their body becomes purified and tempered to be stronger than before.
Kairos calmly walked forward to Alan's side, now that his powers are much stronger than before, the aura emanating from him became more imposing than before, and even his complexion has become clearer and brighter than before.
But instead of reaching for Alan, he turned and hugged Jim then kissed him on his cheek. "Brother, let's stink together", Kairos said in the same tone of voice as before, hiding the mirth in him.
Edward and Tommy couldn't help bursting into laughter even while trying hard to hold back while Jim stared wide-eyed in disgust.
The two almost broke their energy infusion into Alan because of a sudden bout of laughing, but with great effort and tears in their eyes, they managed to recover themselves.
*Ack*
Jim wanted to puke just from being hugged, and he really could smell a weird scent coming from Kairos.
"Well, don't worry about the scent Jim, we smell the same now. But if you think happy thoughts it will feel a bit better" Kairos said without intonation as if consoling Jim.
"Urghhhhh... think happy thoughts? Are you even trying to console me?" Jim says while he stuck out his tongue with a queasy look. He wishes that he had kept his big mouth shut. If happy thoughts can chase bad smells away, there is no need to take a bath.
Kairos quickly joined the group to help heal Alan. Though the life force absorption was slow at the start, Alan steadily recovers from his wounds. As his Meridian System returns to a level where it could work once again, he started being able to absorb more and more energy for healing.
After three hours, Alan’s ragged breathing finally turned steady. While his body is still weak, it eventually sought the Heavenly Energies by itself, and relief coloured everyone’s faces.
Most of the critical injuries that he had sustained have been patched up cleanly, with this, there should not be any permanent damage.
The worst of his injuries are the shattered bones in both arms. Though they are still badly broken, it is a vast improvement to before when the bones had been completely shattered into dust.
"Alan is kind of like a jellyfish right now," Jim says, while he wipes off some of the smudge on his face he received from Kairos' hug.
"Let's prank Alan back. When he is awake, we are always on the receiving end!" Tommy said out of his stoic character.
"Indeed, this is a rare opportunity. Previously he thought that I died in his room and he wanted to throw me in the trash bin. It’s time to get him back for that!" Kairos said with a small laugh.
After knowing their friend's condition is out of the woods, their tension fully unwound.
"That's just too mean. We should moderate a little or else Alan will be sad when he awakes" Edward says, but his eyes glinted brightly, suggesting otherwise.
"Well regardless what the reason is, this guy has given us such a big scare this time that everyone thought that he would die.
Even if he recovers perfectly right now, I have half a mind to beat him up again for worrying us." Jim laughs, and as he spoke, his shoulders finally relaxed, and relief is visible in his eyes.
Most surprisingly, Edward was the first to take action. Apparently he had been waiting for this chance for a long time. He squatted close to Alan, and he gingerly picked up both of Alan’s broken arms and then waved them about a little.
"Jellyfish," he says in a sing-song voice, while everyone looked at Edward in shock.
“Ouch!” They thought, “He’s merciless.”
Jim joined in next and squatting beside Edward and asking seriously, "Do you think Alan will be able to learn jellyfish martial arts after this?"
"Maybe his arms will become longer after healing if we pull them a little right now?" Tommy says as he too joins them.
"Oh gosh, I don't like where this is going," Kairos says, but his action already revealed his true intents.