The world around Shang gained new color. Qi blazed around the remaining treasures in multicolor flames—violets, purples, greens, and shades he didn't have a name for. The sheer multitude of shades was shocking—the glow was bright, nearly blinding. Beyond the expolsion of color, he could feel a slight tingle against his skin. His whole body had gained a new awareness. For the first time in his life. He could feel qi.
You should practice turning that on and off. The essence is weak here, but in areas where qi exists in greater concentrations, it can be a bit overwhelming to look at.
Shang stopped his gaping and pulled back. It helped to visualize the energy leaving his eyes, though he knew spiritual sight had nothing to do with his physical sight. He couldn’t help but feel an ache of disappointment when the world returned to normal. It seemed so much duller somehow now that he’d been exposed to the brilliance of true sight.
You just opened your first meridian which is often called the meridian of sight. It is the first of your lower third meridians. As each meridian opens, you will be able to store more qi in your body.The amount of qi a cultivator can store in their body and the rate of qi intake from the environment will largely determine their strength at this stage, Rue dutifully lectured. Shang nodded along, he’d heard some of this before. His best friends had been cultivation fanatics afterall. His mood dampened significantly at the thought. His friends. Taken like everything else in his life.
Rue continued, Rate of cycling is determined primarily by two factors, meridian balance and affinity balance. You're in luck, your meridian balance is perfect, because, well, they’re mine. The latter is innate to you. Every cultivator has predetermined affinities for yin and yang at birth. When they cycle qi from the environment, their body will instinctively draw qi from the environment in those percentages of dark and light qi to maintain equilibrium.
Though dark and light are not the only categorizations of qi. The qi in the environment will also have aspects of earth, fire, water, wind, and other base elements. Earth and fire essence tend to coincide with yin and water and wind with yang, though not always and never completely. How these affinities align with the ambient qi will determine the cycling speed of the cultivator. Does that make sense?
Shang’s head was swimming. He was beginning to regret not listening more closely when Xin and Mei talked about cultivation theory. “So, basically if your qi affinities match closely with the surrounding environment, your cycling speed will be faster?” he asked.
You know, you’re not as dumb as you look.
Shang was getting good at ignoring his snide comments. “And cycling speed changes depending on the environment you're in?”
Precisely! Though there is little deviation in most of the continent. This world was created to have relatively equal Yin/Yang concentrations. More stable that way in the long run. The difference comes when you enter Chaos Zones.
Shang pondered all that he'd been told. Making note of questions to ask later. “Is it best to have balanced affinities since it matches the environment most of the time?”
Ah, you’ve touched on a central debate in cultivation theory. Some say it’s best to be balanced, but others would disagree, but we’re getting ahead of ourselves here. What matters right now is that you get used to cycling qi at all. It needs to become automatic for you, as easy as breathing.
He sat in a lotus position and cycled trying to process the rest of the lumen fruit. Despite the normal discomfort of the breathing technique, he was exultant. He felt strong, his body whole. He lost track of time as he breathed, cashing the last of the electric energy through his body. He could feel the energy push against his second meridian, but it failed to open completely.
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When his eyes opened, the sky was dark. The night was cold, and his breath misted in the chilled air. While his joints were stiff from sitting still for so long, he didn’t feel the chill. Even without mittens, his fingers were warm and pink with blood. He moved to his sleeping roll, his eyes already half closed from exhaustion.
What are you doing? Rue asked.
He gestured lamely at the blanket, “sleep?”
Rue barked a short laugh. Sleep? It’s barely nightfall, and you want to sleep?!
Shang guessed this was one of those questions he wasn’t supposed to actually answer. He rubbed at his face fiercely, trying to fight back the drowsiness. “So, what’s next?”
Rue gestured at one of the remaining treasures, a transparent crystal in the shape of a star. When he picked it up, Shang was surprised at its weight. Though it was clear, it felt like it was made of solid lead.
Smash that on the ground and get ready to cycle.
Shang turned the treasure in his hand. He marveled at its construction, it was perfectly clear, devoid of any bubbles unlike regular glass. With some hesitation, he threw the treasure on the ground, and it easily shattered. Shang felt a rush of energy hit his spiritual senses as the air around him filled with a fine dust that reflected the moonlight in an iridescent shimmer. The shimmer cloud surrounded him in a cocoon, and he could feel the cold energy seeping through his skin.
Quickly, cycling position.
At Rue’s tone, Shang dropped immediately and began to cycle. The first breath had him gagging. It felt like breathing in glass. The energy around him was so bitingly cold. The qi entered his systems as small knives stabbing into everything it touched. Shang coughed into his hands, expecting to hack up red, but there was no blood.
Invigorating isn’t it. The Starfire Orb. You wouldn’t believe how hard this was to get. I had to climb up a waterfall and beat it out of this old turtle’s claws. Honestly, such a waste to give it to you at this stage. You can’t even condense qi. If you were a water cultivator, the essence the Orb would give you could level a village.
Shang breathed out shakily and began to cycle again. The pain was just as bad, but at least he expected it. His teeth ground together as his jaws clenched at the sensation. It felt like breathing in the stinging cold of midwinter amplified a thousand fold. It wasn’t long before his whole body began shivering.
Your breath is too shallow. You’re not following the breathing method properly. The timing is all off.
Shang could hear Rue counting off in his head, instructing him how long to breathe in. He tried to maintain tempo, but it was all he could do to not fall into a gasping heap on the ground. If not for his clenched teeth, they would be clattering from the bone-chilling cold coursing through him.
Your breathing technique should be so entrenched in your being that you could be on death’s door and you will still cycle properly. If you can’t even manage it with a little discomfort, how will you cycle when you’re mid-fight with your guts hanging out. You think your opponent will be gracious enough to wait for it to hurt a little less?
“I’m trying. It would help if you weren’t nagging in my ear,” he managed to get out.
Oh, I see. This is too hard, is it? Being given invaluable treasures and the time and the attention of your venerable Master is just too difficult for you? And here I thought you had some passion, some drive. I think your mother would be disappointed in you to say the least. Shang’s strained breath stuttered at Rue’s words.
“Rue.”
Yes?
“I really hate you.”
That’s good! Hate is a great motivator. One of the best.
This continued throughout the night. Shang wasn’t sure what was worse, the pain or Rue’s encouragement. As the sun rose above the horizon, he'd just managed to open the last of his lower third meridians. Opening his second, third, and fourth meridians made his body feel lighter though none of them brought about the same visceral change as the first.
What had taken others years, he’d done in one night. Even in his half-delirious state, Shang could muster a mild giddiness. His thoughts wandered to his parents. Would they be proud? He wasn't so sure. As he drifted into unconsciousness, he wished again for a dreamless sleep.