The Forest in Kishkindha had no real life counterpart. Dasha Pang was a living, breathing GPS yet still he was not able to identify where its Earth counterpart was. Kishkindha should have been in Karnataka, located north-east of Hampi, however the forest did not seem to reflect that.
‘If a forest of this scale was destroyed, then there should be archaeological evidence of its existence. Ancient plants and seeds, for example.’
Dasha shook those thoughts off as he entered a large glade. A rock presented itself at the centre, a perfect place to sit down and meditate...
“Hrn.”
...if not for the Slime Jack in front of him. Petrified by the crackles of power from his gauntlets, the Slime Jack instinctively knew its place: it was prey and Dasha was the predator.
Luckily, he was in a forgiving mood.
"Out of the way."
The Slime Jack promptly did, leaping away into the forest. The tender quietness of mother nature returned and natural Qi seeped into the space.
‘This is it.’ Inhale, exhale. ‘Yes, good.’
The forest was the closest thing to purity at hand. The Whispers did not have a place for him to meditate. In general, there weren’t many Chinese cultivators, likely as a consequence of the Sects’ secrecy. Self-taught cultivators like Dasha were anomalies. To be able to make meaningful progress without hundreds upon thousands of years of history should have been impossible.
Dasha was different. He had always been different.
NASA themselves had invited him to work at their labs at the age of seven, after a revolutionary thesis in theoretical physics where he presented groundbreaking insights on wormhole dynamics. He was and always would be breaking convention.
Safely stored in his inventory was the almighty pill. He muttered, “Open inventory,” and pulled it into the palm of his hand.
[ Xuanwu's Ascension Pill
Rank: S
Current Value: 250,000,000 PP
Description: Made of Xuanwu’s innards, it is a pill of divine serenity. Without proper understanding and a deep foundation, consumption can lead to death or Ascension. ]
Even with the Game System narrowing the energy levels to a digestible amount, it was still a great risk. As per Li Xuanming’s advice, “Do not rely on it—let the pills rely on you. The honour should always be with the man.”
He was right. If Dasha was truly something special in this world, then he would be able to accomplish something no one else has: consume an S-class pill at the Foundation Stage.
‘Otherwise, I deserve to die.’
For him, it was either perfection or death.
‘Open skills.’
He scrolled down to his latest achievement: Foundation Establishment.
[ Foundation Establishment (Early Stage)
Subtype: Support
Cost: —
Rank: A
Bolstering Qi through the meridians has been successful. Following this comes the Foundation Establishment where Qi has reached a certain quality and quantity. Qi physically materializes and training on the first Dantian begins. Increase all stats by 40 points. ]
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‘If I don’t formulate a proper foundation, my potential will forever be stunted and I won’t be able to form a Nascent Soul.’
Nascent Soul, where a cultivator’s soul becomes partially independent of the body. This was the last practical stage. The level that Li Tianlu and the Emperor had reached. It was the source of their superb regeneration. It was how they managed to fight without needing to worry for their bodies and Qi levels. Their souls were literally on another level, nearly independent of their mortal bodies.
Dasha determined that with Xuanwu's Ascension Pill he would break through to the Middle Stage, if not Late Stage. The Middle Stage was marked by the ability to learn to manipulate Qi to heal. Going one step further into the Late Stage meant to focus one Dantian. Specifically, the lower Dantian.
‘I have to be able to focus on the lower Dantian, or else I won’t ever be capable of progress. Nearly every journal from a cultivation master mentioned that those that don’t have a full grasp on the lower Dantian lag behind in every aspect of cultivation.’
It was the root of life. The beginning of the end. The foundation to which everything else followed. It was the centre of Qi. The crowned seat that allowed martial artists to gather their Qi in full and unleash terrible powers.
To some, it was merely a belly.
To Dasha, it was two finger widths below the navel and parallel with the perineum.
With his medical knowledge, meditation for his foundation was that much easier. The ordinary person couldn’t visualize, but he could. He had seen these organs and studied them deeply.
He put the pill back in his inventory and did some prep first. Focus on the lower Dantian. Carve it into your systems.
Eyes closed, he breathed deeply, absorbing the forest's energy. He pretended that the pill’s power was at work and illuminating his being. Focusing intensely, he visualized purification, exhaling dark impurities like wisps of smoke.
Everything could be broken down. The world, spells, alchemy, gods, and even Qi. Scientific applications of problem solving had a universal scope. He assumed it was impossible to do. He let himself believe he was like the scientists before him.
He wasn’t.
With these resources, with his mind, with his never ending lust for power, he would achieve that which his predecessors could not. In a manner of speaking, Dasha was the amalgamation of a thousand years of scientific study, not just in the White Abyss but on Earth. He was a complete package with foreknowledge rivaled by the best in every field.
He was perfection in human form. He was the kind of beauty and strength that modern society longed for. An indifferent coldness thawed his heart. He was the Yin and the Yang. His element was fire yet his mind was steel.
Imbalance did not exist. No master could tell him he was flawed or required further training. In the Foundation Stage, the necessity of Yin and Yang was emphasized deeply. Too much Yin and the body becomes cold. Too much Yang and the body will overheat.
Dasha, however, did not need to address that common weakness. He did not care. He did not yearn for the hot intensity of Yang or the icy darkness of Yin. Human error did not find him as it did others.
It was as though his very existence was intended for cultivation. No, rather, that he had planned for it, which of course he did to a great extent. The fire element was a coincidence that he turned to an advantage. It was why he chose cultivation—he understood its merits with his current circumstances, with his heart and mind.
Therefore, it shouldn’t have been a surprise that manipulating Qi was like math. Swimming, running, martial arts, all took time and effort because the body was not like the mind. Mistakes were bound to occur.
Yet all fell in wake of a complete analysis.
Yet all fell to mortal intelligence.
Yet all were feeble compared to him.
Mistakes were rectified. Corrected.
He went through the Eight Extraordinary Meridians: the Conception Vessel, Governing Vessel, Penetrating Vessel, Girdle Vessel, Yin linking vessel, Yang linking vessel, Yin Heel Vessel, Yang Heel Vessel.
He went through the Twelve Principal Meridians, divided by Yin and Yang. Through the hours, he found a balance between the two and let it leak into the lower Dantian.
Dasha Pang reached a level of ability and understanding that would take fifty weeks to achieve for a great genius guided by a faithful master. Fifty weeks in less than ten.
He exhaled. There was no mistaking it, he had grasped the lower Dantian. He hadn’t completely tapped into it but the beginnings of it were there.
Now, it was time to amplify an ordinary Dantian into the extraordinary. An act that the gods themselves would bear witness to in reverence.
He opened his inventory and took it out once more: Xuanwu's Ascension Pill.
Ten days. That was how long he estimated for him to process Xuanwu's Ascension Pill. Theoretically, he could swallow it and let the natural effect take hold, but that would scratch the surface of the S-class item. It deserved so much more—it WAS so much more.
‘Ten days. Depending on how long the raid is, I might not make it on time.’
Gate 9 had already opened and was on its second day, the 16th of February. By the time he was done digesting the pill, which he would, Gate 10 would be on its fourth or fifth day. The raid might be over by then.
‘Doesn’t matter.’
He emptied his mind, consumed the S-class pill, and began his long meditation.