CHAPTER 23: 5 MONTHS LATER…

Five months had passed quickly for Zen. They were all filled with the same activities, hunting with Jiahai, impressing lecturers, spying on Chen Jian with Bao and other members of his posse and struggling with meditation. The struggle was beginning to grate on him, which only made the process worse. Even with the odious meditation technique, he was still able to make it to Beginner Rank 5 but he was still the weakest, at least in his class of weaklings as everyone had moved ahead of him. Even Jiahai, who was at Beginner Rank 5 when they met, had advanced to Intermediary. Other than that, he had one other major problem, he could not advance past Beginner level no matter how much he cultivated.

He had hit a bottleneck.

He tried to research in the library about his bottleneck but it was seemingly unheard of for a cultivator to bottleneck so early in their cultivation. He could not share this with anyone else for fear of being ridiculed and targeted by stronger cultivators. This reminded him of a saying his grandfather had told him, ‘Secrets are for the strong and knowledgeable.’ He was neither of those, so this secret he could not keep… at least not for long. But there was no one he trusted enough that he could confide in, until he thought of someone who seemed to have as much invested in his cultivation base as he did, the examiner who cheated to get him in.

By asking around, he was eventually able to find out who and where the examiner was. His name was Lu Daomeng. He mistakenly stumbled upon him in the hallways of a building that was said to be where his offices were. He was talking with three other adults when Zen approached him.

“Excuse this, Wang Zen’s, interruption sirs.” Wang Zen said, placing his fist to his palm and bowing before the group. “I wish to speak with Lu Daomeng, only if you can and are available.” It felt strange to Zen to be this polite, he was after all a noble speaking to commoners, but at his current strength with his current problem, he knew he should not attract too much attention to himself, especially by acting arrogant.

Lu Daomeng had a horrified look when he gazed at Zen but he quickly dismissed it with humoured look. “Excuse me,” Daomeng smiled at his collegues, “Please let me help this respectful young sir.”

His colleagues nodded, also nodding approvingly toward Zen, who still had his head respectfully bowed.

“Follow me to my office, young one.” Daomeng said with a stiff smile before leading the way.

He opened the door for Zen to walk through and as soon as he closed th door behind him, he clasped Zen’s ear and dragged him deeper into the office. Zen hopped after him, unsure what to do as he was led forward by the ear.

‘What is wrong with you?” Daomeng spat, shaking his ear around for good measure.

“I’m sorry! I’m sorry!” Zen said, unsure what he was apologising for but hoping Daomeng would let his ear go.

“Why would you contact me in public?”

“I didn’t know I was not suppose to!”

Daomeng seated him in a chair before letting his ear go and sitting across him from his desk.

‘You know,” Zen said, rubbing his red ear, “I could tell my father about this. to think, a commoner like you treateing me like this.”

“You threatening me, boy? What happened to the respectful kid outside my office!”

“It was an act that you obviously did not deserve!” Zen said, wincing at the pain still present in his ear.

“I should end your insolent life, brat! I don’t care who your father!” Daomeng said. “Now, what do you want? And speak fast before I change my mind and end you.”

“Well,” Zen let his ear go, “It’s kind of embarrassing.”

Daomeng’s anger turned to confusion. “Are you growing hair in places where there was no hair before?”

“What?” Zen stiffened at the suggestion. “No!”

“Because if you are…”

“It’s not that!” Zen said. “I’m-I’m having a problem with my cultivation.”

Daomeng placed his hand on Zen’s head… actually, he smacked his hand on it and for a moment, Zen suspected he was following through with his promise of killing him but he later understood that Daomeng was scanning him.

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Daomeng sighed in relief before taking his hand off Zen’s head. “You’re at Beginner Rank 5, you can rest easier now.”

“Yes, but I’m struggling to get to Intermediary.”

“What? But getting to Intermediary should be effortless.”

“So all the books I’ve read keep saying. But I can’t!” Zen said. “I think there’s something wrong with my cultivation technique.”

“Well, some cultivation methods are based on astrology, so their effectiveness may increase or decrease when the stars shift. But most of those techniques have been forgotten, replaced with much more stable cultivation methods.” Daomeng rose from his chair, sitting on his desk. “Show me your cultivation method and explain it to me.”

“I can’t do that,” Zen said. “It’s a family cultivation method heirloom. Only a few people know of it.”

“Do you want my help or not because I don’t have to help you.” Daomeng said. “You are at Beginner Rank 5, which means I don’t have to worry about you. So either stay weak or you let me see this precious family heirloom and try to help you.”

“Fine,” Zen said. “The name of the meditation technique is called The Cracked Earth Technique and I got it from my grandfather.” Zen explained the meditation technique to Daomeng.

“I see,” Daomeng said. “To me, the technique seems stable. Therefore, the problem is not with it but with you.”

“What should I do?”

“Find a new cultivation method,” Daomeng said with a smile.

“Oh good,” Zen said. “Do you know any good ones?”

Daomeng frowned, “I was being sarcastic. Don’t you know anything about cultivation methods? Don’t you attend classes?”

“I don’t have Cultivation Method classes?”

“If you’re having trouble with your cultivation method, then why did you not choose to attend any cultivation method classes?”

“I didn’t know I had a problem until it was too late!”

“Fine, I’ll explain the basics to you,” Daomeng said, sitting down on his chair again. “Imagine a spectrum and on either end of this spectrum is a cultivation method type. On one side is Meditation, which is when a cultivator willingly absorbs mana from his surroundings and refines it through will and thought. The other end of the spectrum is Action.”

“Action? I’ve never heard of that before.”

“If you don’t disrupt me, maybe I’ll tell you about it!” Daomeng snapped before continuing, “Have you ever noticed the more you exercise the more your body absorbs mana and naturally refines it?”

Zen kept quiet, staring at Daomeng.

“I asked you a question!”

“You said not to disrupt you!”

“How is answering a question disrupting?” Daomeng spat.

“You are confused,” Zen said under his breath. “Yes, I have noticed.”

“Well, this effect is increased when you reach your limits. Your body absorbs so much mana, that it becomes like a mana vacuum, naturally refining the qi and adding it to your diantian. Some call this the Mode of Survival, your bodies way of trying to replenish and increase your qi stores in a tight situation.”

“So that’s why my cultivation method is called meditation,” Zen concluded. “It’s a meditation type..”

“Not purely. You see, the types of cultivation methods have their own advantages but serious drawbacks. Meditation types refine qi of high quality but low quantity while Action types refine qi of high quantity but low quality. Therefore, there are few efficient types that lie at the extreme ends of the spectrum. I’ve only met two individuals who’ve grown strong by applying types at the end of the spectrum. You’ve seen a burly man with a moustache, right. Always in a blue vest.”

“Yes,” Zen nodded, “He teaches one of my martial arts class.”

“He has achieved his strength through a purely Action type cultivation method.” Daomeng said. “The other man, who you’ve probably never seen as he doesn’t move around much, is an old bald man with a white beard and wears robes all the time. He achieved his strength through a purely Meditation type. Two individuals who used a type that lies at the end of the spectrum and succeeded, two rare individuals indeed. But most individuals would fail using this method, so most useful cultivation methods lie somewhere along the spectrum. Yours for example leans more to a meditation type but it has elements of Action type, based on the constant changing of hand signs.”

“So I just need to find another cultivation method like that.”

“Have you ever wondered why the cultivation you have has been closely guarded by your family?”

“The method is the way to power.” Zen repeated the words he has heard many cultivators utter.

“Exactly,” a knowing glint entered Daomeng’s eyes. “Yes, that means most of the ones that are publicly known are not very good and those that are truly powerful are hoarded by families. You can look and I’m sure you’ll find a few Cultivation Methods but I doubt many of them will be better than the one you have now.”

“So what do I do?”

“Ask your family for another cultivation method.”

Zen shook his head. “I was lucky just to get this cultivation method from my grandfather. I doubt he’ll find it in his heart to give me another.”

“Then the other option you have is to fix yourself,” Daomeng said. “Meditation type cultivation methods are not like Action types which encourage you to feel all your raw emotions. Meditation types need you to have some measure of peace of mind. Whatever peace of mind you could muster before has been shattered, meaning you have to deal with your problems, whatever is troubling you, or you may not grow stronger.”

Zen felt sad at this.

Daomeng smiled encouragingly. “Give it time, Zen. I know your father and if you’re anything like him, you will make it through this with perseverance.”

All Zen could do was nod sadly before he got up. “Thank you for your help.”

Daomeng smiled, “Next time you need my help, be more secretive about it.”

Zen nodded before he left.

Daomeng fished a storage crystal from his drawer. Using Thought Messaging, he committed the cultivation method, Cracked Earth, that Zen had showed him into the stone.