CHAPTER 7: SPIRIT CULTIVATION

Meixing breathed, not too deeply though as the green steam would prove toxic if she breathed it in too deeply. The steam ended and the effects of the poison were off.

"Impressive," the voice of the sword said, "this is the third time you've done it today and you've extended it by 2 hours."

Meixing smiled.

"Don't get too cocky. It took you 2 weeks to get to this point, 2 weeks we do not have."

"Geez, you can never give me praise."

"I will give you praise when you survive the coming demon attack. Now, you should be ready for the next step."

"Next step?" Meixing tilted her head. "What's that."

"Heat up the rocks and make the potion again."

Her eyes widened. "Again?"

"Be quick about it!"

"But... but..." she said, tears beginning to form in her eyes.

"Be quick about it!"

She cried silently as she began preparing the potion of pain as she called it. Once the potion was prepared, she set it aside, waiting for the rocks to grow red again.

"Isn't this kind of unsafe?" she said. "This poison might be too much."

"You'll eventually grow immune to it so stop your belly aching and make the steam."

She put the pot on the fire and saw the steam rising.

"As I said earlier, this is to open up your pores but you still have a pathetic amount of Spirit Energy."

"Geez, you don't hold back any criticism." she said, gritting his teeth.

"To fix your pathetic spirit energy, you will need to meditate."

"Oh, so..."

"Quiet! Now focus." the voice said. "Now, look into yourself and find your dantian cave. This is the centre of your body, of yourself. This is where your spirit energy is contained."

It took her some time to find it because she had to fight through the pain of the green steam, which was both poisonous and hot.

She was able to become aware of her dantian.

"I-I think I'm here." she said.

"Good. Now form a Persona."

"A Persona?"

"Yes, a Persona is a representation of yourself. What you are now, what you want to be and what you were."

She concentrated. A black goo rose and bubbled from the ground. It stretched, forming into a shape. It formed limbs and a head, connected to a torso.

A face began to form and the image cleared. The goo gained colour and texture. What formed was an older looking version of Meixing, with long hair and big breasts.

"I think I've done it." she said, testing her hand by clenching and unclenching it. "This is so awesome!"

"Now locate the source of light on the room. Can you see it?"

"I think I can see it." she walked toward the small dot of light in the darkness. She stopped before a small dot of light, the size of a marble.

"That is your spirit energy."

"But it's so tiny!" she said.

"Now you know why I call you pathetic." Dong said. "We need to increase the spirit energy. Now smash the spirit energy in your hand."

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She reached out gingerly to the marble and crushed it in her hands with a surprising amount of ease. The light painted her palm. "Now what do I do?"

"You need to move the spirit energy around your meridians." Dong said. "Should be easier with it being on your Persona."

Meixing knew the tunnel she saw ahead was a meridian. It was a black opening that would sometimes flash with blue and yellow energy, illuminating it's long passageway.

She entered the tunnel running. She could feel the resistance as she ran through the meridian. The energy smear on her hand glowed brighter.

"Move your energy down to your stomach."

She found a meridian that she instinctively knew would lead her down to the stomach and dived headfirst. She imagined this was how it would feel falling from the clouds in the sky.

She landed in the ground, causing violent flashes of yellow and blue to illuminate the meridian.

"Now, around the stomach 3 times!"

She began running again. Going around the stomach. When she was about to complete the third lap...

"Now, up the heart once!"

As soon as she finished the lap she leapt up. She shot up a different meridian like a firework missile.

She landed and ran around the heart.

"Now, down to the liver and run twice!"

She found a meridian and curled into a ball as she dropped down a distance. She landed and did as she was told.

"Now, up to the brain where you'll make 9 laps!"

She found a meridian and jumped up again. This distance was too far to jump up, compared to the distance from the stomach to the heart. So she began running up vertically along the yellow and blue flashing meridian where she made 9 laps around the brain.

"Back down to the dantian, the centre of your body." she reached the centre and when she landed her spirit energy scattered from her hand, forming tiny lights around her.

"Now, gather the spirit energy back into an orb."

She gathered the energy between the palms of her hands. It collected, forming the same marble but it was different. She leaned in closer to inspect it.

"It looks the same... except for the cracks." she frowned as the marble had many cracks.

"I doubt it's the same. The change in size is just too small to notice." Dong said. "See why we need to work hard."

"But what about the cracks though?"

"Cracks are formed by either an error in technique, impurities in the meridians or an error in your Persona. I'll give you a clue on what's not causing them, the technique. The technique is mine and is as perfect as me."

"You're real humble, huh?" she rolled her eyes.

"We'll have to address it when we have time." Dong said. "For now, we are dealing with a tight deadline."

She nodded in understanding.

A loud scream invaded the dantian and her Persona rippled into nothingness. Her eyes flew open. She hugged herself to keep warm. Looking at the cold rocks and empty pot.

She heard the scream again.

"Gran Mama!" she quickly grabbed her dress and put it on as she ran to the kitchen as the scream pierced the air.