The offer to have Cecilia show him around was shut down quickly. Her groaning beforehand when it was brought up didn't help. No need for pity. Not like Rexford needed to be shown around by her considering the look of the map showed the City only had a few store name changes.

General topography was the same after looking at a map. Small street intersection changes but nothing serious.

"I am sure she has stuff to do with friends. After all, you both came and picked me up from the airport ." Rexford excused himself taking the notebook with him. "If I get lost, I will make sure to ask for help, or just take a run around until I find where I need to go."

Feeling his Qi trying to Condense more and more he held it back. He wanted to boost it even further to eliminate any possible issues with having the Meridians Connected first. Going outside he took in a deep breath and focused on the Black Gold Vortex inside him to suck in wildly without abandon.

Rexford took off at full speed pushing the physical strength as much as possible, with the shitty body fading away more and more due to this. The real reason he ate such a big helping at lunch was because of this.

He needed more protein, iron, and calcium. His tempering could only go so far without more Rich Qi to supplement it. Not like he could ask them for a lot of food that went beyond of what was normal to take in.

Running all the way to places was only caught by a few people as weird. Most just think they imagined someone running that fast by them.

Stopping every now and then when a large flood of Black & Gold Qi came his way, at least he was able to keep providing for the growth of the Giant Gas Cloud inside.

"I... need some water again." Stopping once he was dizzy, the change picked up on the street and was used to buy more drinks. The sweat on his body was nowhere to be seen. 'I have taken in even the sweat from my body to feed the Vortex inside me, not like it was doing me any good since my body became too hot causing evaporation!'

The salt crystals that formed on his skin were used too after a slight adjustment.

Finding a good spot, Rexford sat down to cultivate and learn more about the Black Gold Vortex just a little. He got up periodically after taking large chunks of Qi in some spots of his location.

The Qi from the park felt refreshing and made him more relaxed out of all the types he came across. The other one that was really good was when he found himself at a high rise and was close to the Sun more.

Even the cigarillo he took out to smoke tasted better. The smoke not even floating up but disappearing inside him for some reason. It was not a type of energy but the particles had his breath entwined inside.

He was learning so much about his cultivation that it led to more questions about what he could do. How many hobbies could change and how much he could learn to push further in what type of person he wanted to truly be.

.

Encounter-

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Finding a good spot that was over-saturated, Rexford sat down crisscrossed and started to devour the rich spirit energy quickly in the place once he caught on to the higher levels in the atmosphere.

In a few minutes, his Qi Condensation Realm formed and was destroyed, reformed, and destabilized then swallowed by the Black Gold Vortex to produce Rich Qi. If he couldn't prevent it completely he would take it apart and start over.

Which gave him insights a little on the way it condensed.

The Black Gold Vortex was growing in size each time along with the Gas Giant within. The Rich Qi that the Black Gold Vortex produced was sent to his Meridians. Each Meridian tore as the Rich Qi was too much for it.

With each tear and healing done, they were stronger than before when reforming.

'It's gonna suck to Connect all of these!' With each tear and reforming he had to will the Qi to go around everywhere to keep it from destroying his body parts. 'I need to push this body more still! But... no money for resources!'

Slipping into the Pillar Establishment stage early would be a terrible thing, the rich qi was spread wide with several methods in place to support it later. One does not build an Establishment without making room for support and adjustments later.

As the Black Gold Vortex spun, it churned the dregs in the area into viable energy. The ratio was not ideal but, it gave useful energy from useless material. Something like 10 pieces of filth for 1 piece of pure material.

Unknown to him, a few of the trees and soil lost nutrients. But they also lost a good bit of the pollution that infected the roots down below. Not to mention any smog damage and pesticide damage.

"Haaaa!" Exhaling deeply he took a large inhale afterward. Black and Gold spirit energy came into his body from far away. 'Just a little more!'

A few trees twisted a little toward his direction. His muscles tensed up as well as his body grew just a little more in physical definition.

This tale has been unlawfully obtained from Royal Road. If you discover it on Amazon, kindly report it.

The hours passed as he greedily devoured the energy from far away even further. The park acting as a cleanser for the trash energy produced in the city. A few supernatural entities thought the phenomenon was creating something.

But with the disturbing energy surrounding the park, they thought it better not to go just yet.

As time passed by he went from establishing his Qi Condensation I-IX Stages, he forced it to collapse feeding his Meridians once more. They were already strong and durable but something just made him want to do it again to test them to the highest point.

The constant pressure on his body pushed to its limits causing it to need more nutrients.

'Need better food damn it!' Rexford felt his hunger kick up more than he ever felt before, no amount of willpower would allow him to break free of this.

The instinctual need to eat was going to win!

Never had he wanted food like this since he was a kid missing meals when fighting with his parents in fits. Fists balled up, he reached down carving out some dirt. At first, it was to release the hunger pains.

'Need sustenance!' Then it became a necessity.

The dirt was swallowed up by the handful. Not minding the taste at all, he kept eating with a scorched tongue. Worms and bugs provided all that he needed for now nutrient-wise.

Rocks and stones broke apart by the power of his teeth and jaws.

Shoveling dirt almost nonstop, a large hole was now on both sides of his body. His fingers barely even bleeding from the shovel work. He finally had all that was needed.

Pushing pass he started to connect the first three Meridians within Body Tempering IV, then the next three Meridians within Body Tempering V, he was about to stop there but pushed it further after feeling a vibration in the Black Gold Vortex.

'Is my Soul actually encouraging me?'

No sense in wasting the chance and having to eat a bunch of dirt again or the chance from his own "being" wanting it. The last three Meridians within Body Tempering VI Stage.

As night time passed, Rexford entered the Body Tempering VII Stage having all the Meridians linked and circulating at the same time. The speed matched that of the Black Gold Vortex churning away.

"Grrr!" Rexford ground his teeth a little as a pain like no other started in his body. The feeling didn't match the memories of the "Butcher's" cultivation times. 'Is this why he didn't believe in this style? Because it hurt more? That is foolish, the Magic Immortal way.. is different than the Earth Immortal way. It feels more natural than just getting the strength from Qi from the outside! '

The Body Tempering VIII Stage was all about the bones. Strengthening for the final time to match what the body needed to keep up with the Soul. But that was not the only thing that came with the bones strengthening.

*Babump! Babump!* Two strong beats of the heart then it ruptured. Blood poured from his wounds. The force it was expelled from the tempered skin was scary. The force needed to push through was intense.

"Haa!" Biting back the pain, Rexford stared blurry eye at the blood burning in the air. Mist left his skin as it blistered before healing to the naked eye. "What..." The bones in his body exploded before reforming underneath.

The push against his muscle tissue and skin was unbelievably painful. But the movement underneath was odd as the nerves fired off with a sensitive sensation.

The reformed bones produced stronger blood that could keep up with the demands of the body. He thought it was over and tried to stop cultivating. But that didn't happen as his body literally vibrated after freezing briefly.

The Body Tempering IX Stage brought unity to changes one usually went through over the years. However, he did it all in about two days by brutalizing the body and having it forcefully healed by Rich Qi.

'I am going to need to develop Longevity Pills or Elixers later if this burnt through my cellular division.' Racking his brain for the different things that could help was pretty optimistic. Not to mention the increase in lifespan gained this way anyway.'

The way of Earth Mana Immortal Cultivation suited his understanding more than Magical Immortal Qi Cultivation. Even with the memories of the Butcher highlighting that of Magical Immortal Qi as the way to go.

It helped that the time spent training and fighting with his friends required an understanding of fighting and taking care of one's body. That and all the nagging from the different doctors in his friend group to eat right at least once a day. Strict regiment when he was a kid by strict parents laid the foundation overall.

'If they could see me eating dirt, what the hell would they think?' Rexford scowled at the state of things. A quick look over his phone and a few emails that were returned was all that he needed to do before getting back to it. 'The damage to my clothes is soso. Good thing I was able to suck in all the damage to keep it from scattering.'

Qi Condensation was allowed to start up. Just massive stores of it until he decided on which Immortal Cultivation Arts to use from the choices of the Butcher. The Earth Way was easy since it was mostly the use of the Body itself in the starting stages.

Stretching and standing up, Rexford went over the methods he had at his disposal now one more time. The ability to create herculean feats, run faster than a vehicle, and lift several tons with the combination of the two forces made his prowess even higher.

Not to mention being able to Condense Rich Pure Energy from within.

"Time to get some real food though." Leaving the area, he bumped into a trio of people. They were ignored as he really wanted to eat something. His hair was now completely jet black with gold tips, eyes matched it in a way. The rim changed to gold with a type of Violence that was warm and carried burning sensation if you stared, the black with the intensity of staring into a Gravity well of Space. 'I wonder if I can eat solid metal? Nah, might hurt my teeth.'

The idea was pretty absurd. But so was Immortal Cultivation and Dimension traveling to most people. If he would have paid close attention, Rexford would have noticed he was completely devoid of dirt on his clothes everywhere.

Considering how much dirt he ate, he should have been filthy, at least around the neck and fingertips. He thought back on what happened when he really finished the cultivation.

*Woosh!* The Black Gold Vortex had removed every trace from his clothing as it churned away slowly. Pulling into the Internal Space and into the Black Gold Vortex to create Pure Rich Energy in return.

With a sharper mind and the nourishment that came from becoming completely in synch with his body. The thoughts of education popped up to get for plains, degrees he had needed to be re-obtained. It would be easy to pass the tests and them even more so now.

Scheduling some testing and online courses would be the best thing to do to fill in credits further down the way. He was incorrect about the time frame he was in, mostly from three different Souls becoming one.

'I can sort through all these blasted techniques easier now. Using what I know best that worked for close-quarter combat is the ideal. Increased strength I will need to be mindful of this. I am even above that of Olympians and then some back home.' Thinking over how to use his mind more, the technique Tortured Mind was still the best option to grind away thoughts and strengthen the Willpower. 'Visualisation of horrors and atrocities to shock the Mind... Yeah, this will end well.'

As he worked away on his Mental Cultivation, the next day arrived unnoticeably. People had come and gone through the park.

Three people, in particular, had entered the range of his senses. One, in particular, was aware of what he was doing.