The newfound power bubbled in Zhuge Lian's stomach, and he felt himself rising to a higher plane of existence.

◢I can feel a mysterious power inside me... could it be that mysterious power? Have I grasped Qi?◢

*Ding*

Host, Qi is not something so easily grasped. You have one wisp of Inner Force. This wisp is the creation of the excess muscle energy in you, and this Inner Force can be absorbed into your body for EXP. It is released when fighting, and you have been given your first wisp as a bonus for fighting.

Zhuge Lian tried to absorb it into his body via touch.

◢How do I absorb this damn thing?◢

He tried to absorb it via his mouth, ears, and nose. After all of his attempts, his face looked scarred by the powerful electric force discharged by the [Inner Force].

After trying numerous methods, he was exhausted. All he wanted was for the [Inner Force] to finally absor-

*Ding*

[Inner Force x1] absorbed.

+10 EXP

10/200 EXP to Redirecting Stage Two

◢So if I want to absorb things, I absorb them through the mind. Is it desire? That's good to know.◢

After thinking for a while, however, he grew increasingly worried about the scaling EXP requirements. Did the EXP requirement double each level? If it did, he'd be spending years, if not decades getting to the higher Qi Refining states. If it just went up by 100 per level, he'd be relieved, but it seemed like that might not be the case.

He could grind for days or weeks at his current state to advance to further cultivation levels, but when thousands of EXP were required to hit the next state, he'd be out of luck.

Zhuge Lian assessed his situation. Although he was now a Heavenly Cultivator, he still needed to eat, drink and have a place to stay. As a Redirecting Stage cultivator, he didn't even have a punching strength surpassing an amateur boxer, so he couldn't yet use his skills for monetary benefit. He looked up his bank account.

Bank Of China Checking Account

19,900 Yuan (Author's Note: roughly 2,000 USD)

Stolen from its rightful place, this narrative is not meant to be on Amazon; report any sightings.

Zhuge Lian's rent was 1600 yuan/week, and his living expenses were roughly 1200/week. This meant that he could only spend about five weeks cultivating in his house before he had to go out to earn money. After five weeks, cultivating on weekdays for 12 hours a day, he would be able to make 600 rotations of the Godly Bodhisvatta Art, giving him a baseline of 3000 EXP. Since he was little, Zhuge Lian played games such as Runescape and World of Warcraft, making profit and experience calculation second nature to him.

◢3000 EXP will help... but it all depends on the scaling. Perhaps I shall go into secluded meditation for five weeks, just like the cultivators in stories and novels!◢

Zhuge Lian decided that he would enter secluded meditation, as his level of strength was not yet enough to achieve anything with.

He brought out his yoga mat and then remembered that he still had to eat and drink. He decided to go out to buy goods to eat and drink at a supermarket near him. Zhuge Lian put on his favorite sneakers from his youth and pressed the elevator button to go downstairs. He looked at himself in the elevator mirror and was surprised by what he saw on the way down.

From years of studying over textbooks and gaming over computers, he had gained a permanent hunchback and around thirty pounds of excess fat. However, today, it was all gone! His face had even gained a chiseled and handsome look.

◢It must have been entering the Refinement Stage that caused these changes...◢

After Zhuge Lian entered the Refinement Stage, he had also begun to notice changes in his physique and body. His beer belly was replaced with a six-pack, and his permanent hunch had been replaced with a sturdy and robust posture that seemed ready to take on the world.

The elevator reached the ground floor, and Zhuge Lian exited his apartment building via the revolving door. Walking the four blocks to the supermarket used to be difficult and strenuous for his already overstressed body, but now it was as easy as floating on clouds. He felt different, unlike ever before, and slipped into the gentle caress of feeling better about himself.

At the grocery store, he began to check out his items. The cashier was visibly shocked and frightenedly asked: "S-sir, are you going to buy ten family packs of instant ramen and sixteen family packs of Gatorade?"

Zhuge Lian answered with "Yes. I desperately need them.", which only scared the cashier more. She hesitantly rang up the bill, and Zhuge Lian exited the grocery store.

Back at home, he was finally ready to enter secluded meditation. He entered the Cultivation panel and began to rotate the Godly Bodhisvatta Art. Six hours in, he had already become bored.

◢In cultivation novels, geniuses can cultivate for days, weeks, or years on end without emerging from a single cave! No one ever told me cultivation would be this f*cking boring...◢

The consistent hums from the System were the only light and sound he had in the world of cultivation, and after twelve hours of intense cultivation, he was done that day.

◢Only 24 more days to go...◢

He started up his instant ramen noodle cooker - a Japanese invention he bought as a student that allowed him to cook instant noodles twice as fast by having pre-prepared vegetable and meat packets. After two minutes, his noodles were done, and he sat down to eat. He had loved grinding for hours as a student and in-game, but...

◢As an elementary schooler, I grinded games to avoid paying. As a middle schooler, I grinded the school system to avoid doing my work. As a high schooler, I grinded my studies and tests to pass Gaokao. And now, after all that grinding, I have to grind my cultivation?◢

Resigned to the grind, Zhuge Lian sat down again to resume cultivation.

◢Modern Strength System? Modern Strength my a*s! This System should be called the Grinding Experience System!◢