Ken sat on a stone looking off of a cliff. The crows leading him through the mountain were resting, and for the first time in a long while, he was not meditating to receive qi. He was simply quieting himself and thinking. The goal he had been on for the past almost seven years of his life had been completed. He had lived for four months in ten minutes, and now had new qi channels all over his body. The entire day spent traveling with the crows hadn’t been hard. He felt absolutely full of energy and vigor, so much that it was almost hard to concentrate. His body, soul, and qi, had all advanced together. His mind was now lagging behind, and Ken could feel it. The immense dissonance he had been feeling the entire day became clearer. Ken felt as though the thoughts he was having fell into place as he began to make sense of what had and was happening to him: imbalance.


    Ken had lived his entire life without having a balanced cultivation between the three pillars. For most of his life, his soul was the dominant aspect, because from an early age it had received the stimulation of his Insight. EIS had told him that in order to break through to the First Domain of Soul, he would need to have all three pillars in balance. The cultivation of qi, and the constant changing in his cultivation levels had been a crazy ride. His body and particular, had risen an entire domain. He was changing so rapidly he couldn’t keep up. His body, mind, and soul had all reached previously unforeseen levels of power but he wasn’t doing anything different. He felt the need to explore all his new capabilities. There was also qi, of which he held a startling amount, that so far he had only used to moderately enhance his body''s basic processes. He knew it was capable of far more than that. It was an energy that suffused the world and bent to his will. If he could learn to control it and utilize more creatively the benefits would be endless.


    The goal of enhancing his soul had been with him for so long. It had become an all consuming goal, and he had failed to see the forest for the trees in some aspects. He had a vast amount of resources and power at his fingertips, but he had failed to bring them to bear in any meaningful way so far. The main part of what he had gained that he had truly utilized was his knowledge of Society Standard. All his body and qi training that had taken up the majority of his all encompassing schedule in CCC had been vastly unused so far. It was only after having such a massive breakthrough that he was able to see how much he had been holding back.


    He was still climbing and hiking through the mountains like a normal person, before his meeting with the crows. Now with his first domain body, and new qi networks Ken opened his mind to what he was capable of. His body had become incredibly resilient and strong. His muscles and organs could be injected with energy controlled by his will, which should allow extreme superhuman explosive movement, and endurance. He could move so fast that he could stimulate his nervous system to adapt and become more efficient. This would likely be the key to reaching the First Domain of Mind, and achieving balance once more.


    Besides improvements to his physical behavior, Ken also felt as if he should be able to effect change in the world around him with both his qi and his soul. His qi was so much denser than his surroundings that it made him feel a gentle pressure from his qi network at all times. It made him constantly aware of the fine line where He ended and the world began. If he eased open any of his apertures or channels, he was sure qi would come bursting out into his surroundings. Ken eased open the end of a tiny vein on the point of his index finger and watched as a small puff of qi exited his finger. When he closed the channel the qi dissipated rapidly, with a decent portion of it being reabsorbed back into his pores that when closed to the outside, were still drawing in qi automatically. He experimented with altering the “spray pattern” of the qi he ejected, and found if he focused, he could easily control the qi with his will, having it move to whatever pattern he imagined, as long as it stayed within about ten yards from him.


    Ten yards was a very familiar range. It was the same range as his qi sight, and it was also the same range as his Insight, which Ken had figured out after experimenting with the crows. Previous to meeting them, the only other creatures Ken had interacted with had been Sunshine and Rain, and the mountain goats. He never got close enough to sense the mountain goats with Insight because he hadn’t realized his gift had changed at all. He was surprised that his Insight had not discovered the goats, or the crows, until they were within close range. Both occasions his physical senses had alerted him to the nearby creatures before his Insight, which was a novel experience for Ken. He could only conclude that ever since he left CCC his Insight had been operating in a greatly reduced radius which brought up the reason that Ken had never noticed it until now: Sunshine and Rain. Despite the apparently reduced area of effect of Insight, it still worked on his longtime companions even when they were far outside of his new range. Something to make note of and test for the future.


    This tale has been pilfered from Royal Road. If found on Amazon, kindly file a report.


    Ken also hadn’t forgotten the words he had heard whispered to him while he was suffering in the elders’ cave. They were marked in his mind and unforgettable: The Law of Silence and the Law of Sound. He had no idea why he had heard them, or what they truly meant, but the very words felt important and weighty in his mind. He would have to spend more time meditating and trying to understand those two concepts, as they were obviously important to him in some way.


    Then, there was his soul. Ken had spent most of the time he had been carried by the crows sensing his soul and trying to understand the changes he had undergone. His soul now also made him feel a distinct pressure on his very being. It was very distinct from the pressure of his qi, which felt like the world was pulling him very slightly in every direction. The pressure of his soul felt the opposite, like his soul was gently pushing the world back in every direction, proclaiming his right to be individual and separate from the world. It was very comfortable for Ken. He had always felt different, but he had not found that his being different could be so powerful, and soothing. The pressure he exerted with his soul, and the fact that the world around him seemed to give way to it, filled him with a feeling of deep satisfaction. He felt acknowledged, and seen by the world. It didn''t matter that he was alone, sitting on a mountain side without a soul in sight. His very essence was being acknowledged by the world.


    In his relief, Ken began to experience insights into his own self. He became aware that he had been subconsciously seeking some kind of acceptance, from others, and especially from other humans. Human society had let him down. He had been forced to leave and live in solitude, and although he had made the most of it, he still felt that he had to prove himself. He felt the desire to show humans that he was valuable and prove himself worthy of being accepted. Even though the acceptance of other humans had never been a reason why he was isolated, he still felt this desire. His new breakthrough changed his perceptions. Ken for the first time felt something that filled that desire for approval he didn’t know he had been looking for, and it was so good.


    Ken roused from his thoughts to open his eyes and view the world. Vast jungles stretched out in front of him, covered in a dense cloud layer. Ken looked down. He was floating in the atmosphere with the cloud covered mountains stretched beneath him. He had ascended at least a half mile above the highest peaks that barely pierced the clouds. He couldn’t see the camp or the mountain he had just been on. Ken’s mind began to panic, but he maintained his place in the air, unmoving. It took him at least a minute to calm himself down, and sort out how he had gotten in this situation. The pressure of his soul seemed to be pushing against the earth in a very physical way. It was resisting the earth''s gravity field, and he was floating into the atmosphere.


    Once he realized what was happening he was able to take control of this pressure and bend it to his will once again. As he played with his pressure, and began to return to the ground, he began to notice the strain using his soul in this way had been causing him. It was definitely not an activity he could do for long periods of time. I must have started subconsciously increasing the pressure while meditating and was lost in my thoughts, and oblivious to the effects it was having around me. I’ve been gaining power so quickly that I’ve truly lost touch with my own capabilities. While the situation was definitely frightening, Ken’s fear was quickly overcome by excitement in curiosity. I can fucking FLY. What else am I missing?