《Eternity Beckons [Epic Cultivation Isekai]》


 Chapter 1 - Arrival

    Mist flooded across verdant paddocks and winding dirt roads, sweeping against the wind as if driven by something else. Pure white and haunting, it was the mist of tales and movies, rather than the mist of real life.


    A phenomenon that had no business being this far inland, or appearing on such a pleasant summer afternoon.


    Sheep stirred in the fields, bleating in fear, while cattle caught halfway across a road milled around. They jostled the old farm hand trying to hustle them along, even as he too shivered from the sudden chill and the primal terror that came with it.


    ¡°Bloody cultivators!¡± the man spat, squinting into the mist. When nothing came charging out he shook off the unnamed fear and whistled for his dog. He needed to get the cattle back in line.


    Several had wandered off in moments, lured away despite their instinct to stay with the herd. A faint whine came from nearby, the mist choking the sound to almost nothing. He¡¯d be getting no help until it cleared.


    Further along the road, the deepest part of the mist swirled inward, defying the wind to form unnatural curves. Formless at first, it clumped and grew, forming a ball, then a flat wall hovering above the earth.


    The wall was not large ¡ª only a few feet wide and seven high ¡ª, yet the shape and density were far behind any natural occurrence. For a moment, the movement paused, as if taking stock of its progress. Then it swirled into motion once more.


    The next stage brought more delicate changes as if carved by an unseen artisan: Artful curves around the top, intricate carving along the edges, and scrawling words across the face. Before long, it had completed a replica of a wrought iron doorway in breathtaking detail; so lifelike, you could have mistaken it for the real thing, if not for the odd material.


    If it had stopped there, the incident would have remained a curiosity. Just another note in a bureaucrat¡¯s records; at most, a research project for a sect or mystery order.


    Then the door cracked open, revealing a swirling white void beyond. Silent as a grave, it slid outward as a single bare human foot stepped through. The foot shuddered as it hit the damp ground, almost slipping in the fresh mud.


    For a moment it scrabbled, then it found traction and held firm, supporting the weight of one still beyond the door.


    <hr>


    Freezing mist clawed at Kevin¡¯s body, dragging him back from the last threshold. He shuddered as it leeched his remaining heat but held firm, drawing strength from the single foot that had escaped.


    Cold mud squished between his toes, threatening to unbalance his one hold on a new world, and he smiled, so large it dragged at his cheeks. It felt incredible to be touching real ground again, so different from the plain, vinyl floors he¡¯d grown used to.


    It was also confirmation something was out there beyond the near-endless mist. He would never know how long he¡¯d been wandering here, but it felt like an age.


    All that remained was one more step, one final push through and out. His front foot shifted in the mud, searching for balance as his back foot strained against the yielding surface.


    Kevin¡¯s heart beat like a drum, every muscle tightening as he struggled through the clawing vapor. It worked against him, holding and pulling, tendrils wrapped around him like a living creature.


    Soon the strain peaked, and Kevin screamed into the endless white, playing his last card.


    ¡°You promised!¡±


    The words vanished as if sucked into a void, yet the tendrils loosened for a moment as if he¡¯d been heard. That was all he needed.


    With his opposition lifted, Kevin¡¯s push turned into a tumbling lunge through the doorway. Unprepared for the sudden motion, his feet slipped on the mud, sending him squelching to his knees.


    The mist had faded, leaving a warm light that caressed his face. A damp, earthy scent filled his nostrils, and a loud mooing came from nearby.


    Soaked, shivering, and now covered in mud, Kevin lifted his head and laughed like a madman.


    Even here, back on solid ground, he felt alive and well. Breath came without pain, his body moved with ease, and his mind was sharp. As he¡¯d been promised, though, he¡¯d struggled to believe until now.


    Tears formed at the corners of his eyes, but Kevin dashed them away. With a deep breath, he stemmed the last outpouring of joy and pushed himself to his feet, reveling in the feeling of mud oozing through his fingers.


    While he¡¯d experienced a veritable miracle, he was still alone and without resources in a strange land.


    It was time to take stock.


    He¡¯d arrived on a dirt road flanked by green pastures dotted with livestock. None of it would have been out of place in the countryside back home, and his heart sank at the sight.


    Even the fences look similar; metal wires strung between square wooden posts driven into the ground. Had he been mistaken? Was it all a bluff?


    The clink of metal on metal came from nearby, drawing Kevin¡¯s attention to the left. An older Caucasian man was securing a gate set into the fence, a cattle herd milling around him. Another sight that should have been common, yet the man¡¯s clothing gave hope.


    His white t-shirt was normal, but the sleeveless green vest he wore over it was covered in intricate embroidery. The pants were odd as well, reaching below the knee and flaring out at the edges.


    It was not a style Kevin had seen before; perhaps he had traveled to a strange land.


    An open-backed hospital gown was not the best attire for polite company, all he could do was try to ignore the embarrassment as he strode over. He''d have to remember to change first the next time someone offered him the chance to jump dimensions.


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    The man¡¯s eyebrows shot to his forehead at Kevin''s approach, his tanned face twisted between fear and offense. Would he understand English? If he was in a new world, there was no telling what they spoke.


    ¡°Hello,¡± he addressed the man, holding his hands out and open. ¡°Can you point me toward the next town? I¡¯m a little lost.¡±


    The man stared in obvious bemusement before raising a shivering hand and pointing along the road to Keven¡¯s right. ¡°That way; half a day on foot,¡± he said, his accent sounding European, though not one Kevin could place.


    While the words came out as understandable English, the shape of the man¡¯s lips was always wrong; as if watching a foreign movie with a translated voiceover.


    It was a discordant, bizarre sight, and it brought a fresh smile to Kevin¡¯s face.


    Translation magic. Nothing else made sense. Proof that it hadn¡¯t been a dream, or at least not one that had ended yet.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kevin responded, trying to fill his voice with sincerity. ¡°I¡¯ll get moving then,¡± he said after an awkward pause. Still no response. A little worried he¡¯d offended, Kevin turned to walk away, only to realize he¡¯d just mooned the poor fellow.


    ¡°Fucking cultivators,¡± the words came as he began walking away. Low and angry, spat out in a near whisper, but beautiful despite all that.


    Kevin had to suppress a second burst of laughter as he strode off, the insult still echoing in his mind. Cultivator: the word hummed with potential and the promise of eternal life.


    This world was not what he¡¯d expected, but perhaps he was in the right place.


    Whistling, he walked onward, luxuriating in the sensation of mud drying under his bare feet. The wind rustled hair he¡¯d been missing for years and carried the scent of cattle, manure, and something odd he could almost imagine was Qi.


    There were so many experiences to re-learn and so many more to discover. Even the long walk ahead did nothing to mar his good mood, not when every movement was so easy, so free. How could the trip be anything but enjoyable?


    He made it less than fifteen minutes before the first vehicle descended.


    <hr>


    Probationary Agent Travis Baldwin dropped his head, hands covering his ears to get a respite from the piercing shriek of the incursion alarm.


    It didn¡¯t help. Why couldn¡¯t he ever remember to bring earplugs?


    ¡°That has to be the fourth time this week,¡± he shouted across at Susan, trying to make himself heard above the noise. The senior agent was sitting on her side of the joint desk in serene calm, a large pair of pink earmuffs covering her ears.


    He must have beaten the alarm as she glanced up and shook her head. ¡°The fifth," she mouthed, not bothering to raise her voice.


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± he said, the words lost in the cacophony as he leaned back in his chair. That had to be a record, he couldn¡¯t remember a time they¡¯d had more than three in the same week.


    Then again, six months as a probationary agent didn¡¯t make him an expert.


    He just wished they could isolate the offices from that awful alarm. Forget about policy, there was no point in bothering them every time it happened. It wasn¡¯t like they were on one of the response teams.


    Sighing again, he returned to his paperwork and tried to look like he was getting work done. Susan was doing an admirable job, and he couldn¡¯t afford to keep falling short of his mentor.


    After ten minutes of staring at the same form, words blurring together, the alarm fell silent. "At last," he said, luxuriating in the sudden quiet.


    ¡°Mustn¡¯t have been too serious,¡± Susan responded, laughing as she removed her earmuffs and slid them into a draw. ¡°That¡¯s one of the quickest clears I¡¯ve ever seen from a response team.¡±


    ¡°Maybe they¡¯re just getting a lot of practice.¡± Travis stared at the ear protection as it vanished. Next time, he¡¯d have something ready for sure.


    ¡°That they are, Agents.¡± The voice was loud and authoritative, confidence filling every word. It also came from right behind him.


    Travis¡¯s spine snapped straight, his heart thumping in his chest. He hadn¡¯t heard them arrive, not even a hint. Susan looked just as shocked, her jaw dropping open.


    She hadn¡¯t noticed either, despite already looking in that direction. Not even with her superior advancement. That meant someone in a higher realm; someone important.


    With care, he stood and turned, doing his best to remain composed and respectful. A hard task even before he recognized the man behind him.


    Assistant Director Warner ¡ª the most important person in the building ¡ª waited just long enough for him to perform a low bow before continuing. ¡°We''ve confirmed that the latest incursion consists of a single, non-hostile human. That means you¡¯re up, Agent Baldwin.¡±


    Travis glanced left and right, trying to figure out who Warner had meant to address. It had to be a mistake, yet the man¡¯s eyes pinned him in place with laser-like focus. Had the man just grabbed his name off a list?


    ¡°Sorry Sir,¡± he said, flinching at the waiver in his voice. ¡°I¡¯m only a probationary officer. Were you looking for someone else? Perhaps Special Agent Sinclair?¡± He turned sideways to include Susan without turning his back on the other man.


    Insulting a high-realm cultivator might no longer be the death sentence it once was, but it was never a good idea.


    ¡°Can¡¯t,¡± Susan responded, her tone casual, a low bow her only concession to their superior. ¡°You know as well as I do that I¡¯ve got six open cases, Travis. You¡¯ve been to all the interviews with me.¡±


    ¡°And only one of the bastards has had the decency to settle down,¡± she said, her nostrils flaring in annoyance. ¡°Four of them are in different sects, and the last one somehow made her civilian life even more of a headache.¡±


    If not for the man standing still as a statue beside Travis, she might have gone on for the next hour. It wouldn¡¯t have been the first time. As it was, she settled down a moment later.


    ¡°Special Agent Sinclair is correct,¡± Warner spoke again, his voice tinted with the slightest trace of amusement. ¡°The mounting rate of incursions has our other agents similarly bogged down. We need everyone to step up and help handle the current crises.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m promoting you to full agent,¡± he finished, the words clear and yet making no sense at all.


    Travis could only blink in response, frozen at the unexpected pronouncement. He should have had months left to prepare, to ensure he¡¯d make a good showing with his first case. He hadn¡¯t even completed a final plan for how he¡¯d go about¡­


    ¡°Unless you feel it¡¯s beyond your abilities?¡±


    The follow-up question was like ice being injected into his veins. Backed by a lifetime of unexpected tests, Travis¡¯ mouth opened before his mind had finished processing the words.


    ¡°No Sir. I¡¯ll grab a fresh set of paperwork and get moving.¡± Turning on instinct, he tried to shuffle through the sea of papers while still facing the Assistant Director.


    ¡°Excellent. A disk will be waiting on the roof, don¡¯t keep them long.¡± With a single nod to Susan, the man vanished as if he¡¯d never been, his movement as untraceable as the wind.


    With him went all the strength in Travis¡¯ spine and he slumped against the side of his desk in relief. That had gone pretty well, right?


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Susan grinned, bringing her hands together to clap. The simple movement echoed throughout the office with a resounding crack, drawing more attention than Travis would have liked.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he responded, returning with haste to the hunt for paperwork as Warner¡¯s parting line cut through his confusion. Papers fluttered out of order, but he only paid them enough attention to ensure none made it to the floor.


    At last, he found a fresh I183 form, Office of Incursion Management, marked in clear letters across the top. With shaky hands, he dug a clipboard out of a drawer and grabbed a pen from its holder.


    ¡°You¡¯ll be fine,¡± Susan was around their joint desk before he¡¯d even processed her movement. She laid a hand on his shoulder, which would have been more reassuring if he hadn¡¯t known that same delicate hand could pulverize solid stone.


    ¡°You¡¯ve seen me do this a dozen times, and you¡¯ve been handling half my paperwork for months. You¡¯ve got this. I¡¯ll just miss the help,¡± she finished with a laugh and a bruising squeeze.


    ¡°You¡¯re right,¡± Travis said, forcing himself to relax. ¡°It''s just another arrogant outsider, no doubt convinced they''re the next chosen one or some other rot. Easy.¡± He accompanied the words with a casual grin, even as he hardened his determination.


    This was his chance to get noticed. It might have come before he was ready, but that was no excuse for a poor job. He needed to keep the outsider from getting themselves killed, spreading information that would destabilize their entire society, or otherwise causing trouble.


    All while grasping at the biggest career opportunity of his life.


    No pressure.

 Chapter 2 - Capture

    Kevin followed the road at a steady pace, half enjoying the pastoral scenery and half focused on plans for the future. His largest obstacle was getting started. He had little to work with, lacking contacts, resources, or even an identity here.


    In a less organized society, it might have been possible to cast himself as a stranger down on his luck. With the signs of industrial-scale agriculture, it looked like that would be impossible.


    Such a place would no doubt keep better records and might be touchier about unauthorized visitors. He had to blend in as best he could, but how did you explain being a half-naked stranger with no idea how the world worked?


    Should he approach a farmhouse and attempt to acquire some proper clothing first? A lack of local currency might make that difficult. Stealing a set was a step beyond his usual morals, but perhaps in this situation?


    A whistling sound sliced through the pristine silence, cutting off further moral pondering. It came from the north, the same direction he was traveling in.


    The road ahead was clear, but after searching the horizon, he spotted a white speck. With every second it grew, suggesting an object approaching at speed, until a robed figure was visible standing on a thin piece of metal.


    Kevin¡¯s eyes lit up, his face shifting into a wide grin. A cultivator on a flying sword; could anything be more iconic?


    The odds had to be astronomical for a chance meeting. A single human close enough to be spotted in the entire sky? Such luck was unbelievable.


    Unless, of course, it wasn¡¯t by chance.


    Kevin froze, fear welling up as a grim possibility doused his excitement faster than a bucket of cold water.


    Had they detected his arrival? Interdimensional travel was a hell of a security breach; was there any wonder they had a sensor network in place?


    There was no time to do anything, or even think anymore, with the figure racing closer. Within moments they had passed overhead, blazing by so fast he half-expected to hear a sonic boom.


    He had to snap his head around to track them as they shot along the path he¡¯d taken; Straight toward ground zero of his arrival.


    Kevin gasped, drawing fresh air into trembling lungs as the cultivator vanished. He¡¯d been so desperate to meet one, yet in person, they were beyond terrifying.


    However cultivation worked in this world, anyone capable of flight would have incredible strength to go with it. What could he even do if they wanted to harm him?


    Nothing.


    And yet, despite everything, his lips kept twitching back into a smile. No matter how intimidating it might be, it was also tangible proof of advanced cultivation. If the knowledge existed, he could learn it. He just had to figure out what to¡­


    A dull thunk echoed from behind, slicing through his thoughts like a knife and sending ice through his veins. The world slowed as Kevin spun around, heart thundering in his chest.


    A circular stone platform had appeared a mere ten feet away, spanning the full width of the road. An object of such size and weight moving beggared belief, yet here it was.


    The dozen passengers on board shared none of his disbelief, already leaping from their seats and pouring out of the disk.


    Despite their bulky armor, the newcomers moved with lightning speed as they drew a bewildering array of swords, spears, polearms, bows, and odd, musket-like firearms with flared barrels.


    They had him surrounded in an instant, forming a double-layered circle that cut off every escape route. Melee weapons on the inner ring, ranged weapons on the outside; a bristling wall of danger more secure than a metal cage.


    Panic swelled while his mind churned, struggling to process the sudden occurrence. How had they snuck up on him? Even if they¡¯d followed the cultivator, such a large vehicle should have been obvious.


    The figure at his front stepped forward before he came close to an answer. One hand grasped a spear of solid blue metal with casual grace, while they raised the other in the universal stop symbol.


    ¡°Stay where you are and keep your advancement suppressed. We have linked you to an incursion event in this area. If our scout was mistaken, all you need to do is produce proof of residence with slow, unthreatening movements.¡±


    The voice was masculine but dull and stripped of all emotion. Combined with his concealing armor, it created the image of a faceless, unfeeling soldier.


    He¡¯d been found out.


    <hr>


    Kevin licked his lips, trying to figure out what to do. He didn¡¯t have any documentation, nor did he know enough about the local area to claim innocence.


    Talking his way out of this seemed impossible. Should he try to build some goodwill by volunteering the truth?


    As if sensing his doubt, the soldier spoke again. ¡°We mean no harm to anyone who came through the incursion point. Come quietly and you will be treated well. These events have specific procedures, you are not being singled out.¡±


    That clinched it. A promise wasn¡¯t proof he¡¯d be alright, but it was better than nothing.


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    ¡°Take it easy, I surrender,¡± Kevin said, raising his hands to show they were empty.


    ¡°Understood. Remain still while my men search you,¡± the soldier responded, relaxing his posture and planting the butt of his spear against the ground.


    Hands grabbed his shoulders from behind before he could follow suit. Every muscle in his body tensed at the sudden invasion of his personal space, and it took all his willpower to stand still as unseen hands patted him down.


    ¡°Clear,¡± a voice grunted as the hidden figure released him and stepped back.


    Kevin slumped, glad to have the ordeal over with. While the owner had been gentle, they were also thorough, and their armored gloves were rough against bare skin.


    ¡°Good,¡± the lead soldier responded, turning to look around. A moment later he spoke, pointing along the road, ¡°There is a gate about thirty meters ahead.¡±


    ¡°A support ship is on its way but will require additional room to land. We''re going to enter the field on the left, follow and maintain this distance.¡± The last sentence had a note of command audible even through the dull tone.


    Kevin nodded, keeping enough presence of mind to notice they were using the metric system. Or at least something that translated as it. While their helmets kept the soldiers¡¯ lips hidden, he doubted they were speaking real English either.


    As the lead soldier moved out, he followed, matching their pace as best he could. Two soldiers jogged forward to open the gate while the rest maintained their inescapable formation.


    The short walk provided enough time for Kevin¡¯s brain to reboot. On the surface, the situation didn¡¯t seem great, but he might come out ahead if he played his cards right.


    Staying hidden had been a long shot with his lack of resources; a run-in with the government had been almost inevitable. At least this way he could live without the threat of it hanging over his head.


    He just hoped they weren¡¯t planning to lock him up or turn him into a test subject.


    Soon, the lead soldier had taken them through the gate and onto the edge of the field. Once they were in position, he paused, without indicating how long it would take.


    Kevin didn¡¯t mind, glad to have the extra time to plan his next move.


    <hr>


    It took another ten minutes before anything changed; long enough for his initial terror to relax into resigned calm. This was happening whatever he did, all he could do was handle it as well as possible.


    Kevin¡¯s plan began with keeping his mouth shut. While he had plenty of burning questions about this situation and the world at large, the soldiers had shown no inclination toward further conversation.


    There was no point in antagonizing them unless things changed for the worse. Whoever was next might well ask for an initial report, and it would be best for that report to be ¡®quiet and cooperative¡¯.


    The second step was observation. After the first few minutes of remaining still, he could see the soldiers beginning to relax. They looked around more and braced their weapons against the ground or their bodies; still ready for use, but now pointed away from him


    With the troops no longer on a hair-trigger Kevin got a better look at their equipment. The futuristic armor they all wore was an odd contrast to their archaic weaponry, the one point of difference between them.


    Even the musket-like weapons had an older feel, while the armor wouldn¡¯t have looked too out of place in a sci-fi movie. Formed from a light blue metal, it was smooth and streamlined despite its bulky nature.


    From a few feet away, he couldn¡¯t see any joints, as if the smith had crafted the entire thing from a single piece. It was thick given the bulk, and had to be heavy, yet the soldiers still moved with near effortless grace.


    With weapon and armor technology always in a race, it spoke to the destructive power of the group¡¯s weapons. What looked like normal swords or spears had to be impressive to be used alongside such advanced armor.


    And what did that say about the cultivator who¡¯d worn nothing but a pair of robes?


    Watching the surrounding soldiers gave Kevin his first clue that something had changed. Almost as one, their heads shifted to look at the horizon. While empty to Kevin¡¯s eyes, he waited until a speck appeared.


    Like the cultivator, it flew at a decent height, unlike them, it grew far larger than a single human. By the time it arrived, the speck had resolved into a swan-like construction comparable in size to a 747.


    Despite having wings furled at its sides, the support ship ¡ª it could be nothing else ¡ª moved through the air as if floating on water. It looked anything but aerodynamic; did that not matter in this world?


    Perhaps not if that circular platform had flown here as well. Who knew what the existence of Qi might allow that would otherwise be impossible?


    It was a nice thought, and it helped stave off a second round of panic as the ship approached. Before it touched down, the lead soldier spoke again.


    ¡°Now that the support ship has arrived, we''re going to hand you over to the medical team for testing. Your cooperation has been appreciated so far. I trust it will continue.¡±


    Kevin wet his lips, wishing he could do something about the sudden dryness in his throat as he broke his self-imposed silence. ¡°Testing?¡± he asked, the word coming out as an undignified croak. That didn¡¯t sound good.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the soldier said, half-turning back. ¡°We need to ensure you won¡¯t be a danger to the general population. We¡¯ve learned to be careful with outsiders.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin responded, relaxing again at the brief explanation. It was a good sign they were considering the effect he might have on people. That wasn¡¯t the kind of thing you thought about if you were going to throw someone in a hole.


    Pure white and carved to match its inspiration, the ship looked too artful for such a serious job as it descended. Lowering more like a helicopter than a plane, it came down just beyond the outer ring of soldiers.


    There was no sign of whatever gave it motion, and it settled into place with a light thump that defied its massive size. With a shudder, the wing facing them stretched out, revealing intricate layers of fabric.


    They unfolded along with the wing, forming a tent as large as a small house. Soldiers rushed forward as it came to a halt, unfurling little bags of pegs and securing the base to the ground.


    More ran around the front, suggesting the other side had also opened. It was an impressive display. In moments, the ship had created a self-contained room capable of being used without risking the internal space.


    At least, Kevin assumed that was the point of it. It looked like there was plenty of room inside, so the tent only made sense as a disposable structure. One they could burn to ash if he turned out to be carrying the plague.


    Moments later, four new people emerged from a hatch in the swan¡¯s chest. Large, hazmat-style suits concealed three of them, while the fourth was a man in flowing white robes.


    The robed figure remained at the back while the other three approached. To his relief, they had opaque face plates revealing calm, human faces. The woman in the middle strode right up to him while the other two ¡ª a man and a second woman ¡ª flanked her.


    ¡°Hello,¡± she spoke, her merry voice clear even through the helmet. ¡°You must be the outsider. If you will please follow me into the tent, we can get started.¡±


    Kevin blinked, torn between wariness and awe. The woman¡¯s face was perfect. Not just pretty, or beautiful, but a shocking, inhuman level of perfection.


    It made her difficult to look at, but he did his best to ignore the effect as he followed her. It wasn¡¯t like he had much choice, and he''d planned to be as cooperative as possible.


    He mustn¡¯t have hidden his nerves well, as she smiled; bright and reassuring. ¡°Don¡¯t worry, it¡¯s a painless, and fairly quick process. The supervising agent is just over there,¡± she pointed back to the robed man, ¡°and we¡¯ll get you to him in no time.¡±


    Like the rest of her, the woman¡¯s smile had gone beyond perfection into something else. It was both disturbing and heart-shattering, leaving Kevin stunned as he followed her in.


    It seemed the physical perfection of higher-realm cultivators was more true than he¡¯d ever suspected.

 Chapter 3 - Decontamination

    Two guards followed him in, visible in the corners of his vision. They made only a hint of noise, as if they weighed almost nothing, despite the weight of their equipment. Either they were using a technique of some kind or the armor was enchanted.


    Both were intriguing prospects, though not enough to banish the churning in his gut or the tightness in his throat. It sounded like this testing was the critical point. Pass and he¡¯d be fine, fail, and who knew what would happen?


    A nerve-wracking prospect when he didn¡¯t know what they were looking for. He hadn¡¯t exactly been sent here by a normal guy, would that be enough to trigger a warning?


    All he could do was stay calm or at least avoid outright panicking.


    Inside the tent was a small annex, cut off from the rest of the space by a drawn curtain. A half-dozen lounge chairs were arrayed against one wall, with no sign of how they¡¯d gotten there.


    The few minutes since the ship landed didn¡¯t seem like enough time to have unloaded and set them up. Even if they had people outfitting the tent, the comfort of a waiting room that might not be used seemed like the lowest priority.


    Could they have been folded up with the tent somehow? On the face of it, the idea was insane, yet almost every cultivation story he¡¯d read had a form of spacial manipulation.


    Another thing he¡¯d love to investigate when his future wasn¡¯t on the line.


    ¡°You can wait out here, boys,¡± the woman spoke lightly as if talking to a pair of friends rather than armed guards. ¡°I know the outsider¡¯s half-undressed already, but that¡¯s no reason to invade his privacy further.¡±


    There was a pause, but Kevin couldn¡¯t tell if the soldiers had moved with how quiet they were. ¡°Sorry, Doctor, but protocol says,¡± one of them objected, only to be cut off.


    The woman shook her head, voice firm. ¡°I¡¯m more than capable of handling a single outsider if something happens. If your procedure insists on violating basic medical principles, then it¡¯s wrong.¡±


    ¡°You can wait outside,¡± she reiterated with a flat stare, locking eyes past Kevin¡¯s head until the guard backed down.


    ¡°Understood, Ma¡¯am,¡± he responded. ¡°Just call us if you need any assistance.¡±


    The doctor snorted, as if the idea of requiring their help was ludicrous, then gestured Kevin to the edge of the curtain. One of her followers held it open, letting them pass into the space beyond.


    This room was large enough to fill most of the tent¡¯s area and looked like the hybrid of a high-tech medical facility, an alchemist¡¯s laboratory, and a massage room.


    To the left, massive metal machines loomed toward the ceiling, fronts glowing with colored lights. On the right was a long table holding spiraled glass tubing, a staggering assortment of beakers and vials, and a massive cauldron.


    Straight ahead was a padded table with a hole near the top, and past it was an oval bathtub. The sheer quantity of equipment was incredible; spatial manipulation had gone from a theory to a near certainty.


    ¡°Right then,¡± the doctor said, drawing his attention back to the left. A moment ago she¡¯d been a step ahead of him, now she was halfway across the room and fussing yellow circle printed on the ground.


    ¡°We¡¯ll handle any infectious diseases first, that way we can get rid of all this gear,¡± she continued, tapping the side of her globe-like helmet. ¡°Please step into the circle and hold still while the nurses prepare the bath.¡±


    The other two flickered across the room at her words. Their movement was slower, within the level Kevin¡¯s eyes would track, but not slow enough that he¡¯d have been able to react. Still beyond human ability, but nowhere near what the doctor had shown.


    Seeing no reason to object when she was being so reasonable, Kevin walked over. ¡°Diseases? Is that what you¡¯re looking for, Doctor¡­? He asked, watching the machines as he grew closer.


    While they resembled old-school banks of computers or diagnostic equipment, the more attention he paid, the more confident he was that they worked on different principles. Instead of cables, switches, and buttons, it was all glowing symbols and word patterns.


    Were they formations, arrays, or the like? If they were using such enchantments on a wide scale, it would explain the vehicles he¡¯d seen.


    ¡°One thing, yes,¡± the woman responded, flashing that same terrible smile at him. ¡°We also need to check for curses, hidden weapons, and whether you might be a shape-shifter masquerading as a human.¡±


    ¡°As to your leading question,¡± she continued before the alarming list had sunk in, ¡°I¡¯m afraid I can¡¯t give you my real name. They were quite insistent about that; Doctor or Doctor M will have to do.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin said, not resisting as she grabbed an arm and pulled him into the circle with the force of a gentle but unstoppable avalanche. ¡°Well, I don¡¯t think I have any of those issues if it helps.¡±


    What a world it was where he had to question if he was some cursed shape-shifter pretending to be himself. And was it worse that he couldn¡¯t be a hundred percent sure he wasn¡¯t?


    ¡°That¡¯s great to hear,¡± Doctor M responded, her tone maintaining its cheeriness. ¡°But we still need to be certain. It would be quite possible for some harmless disease from your world to become deadly here, where no one has developed an immunity.¡±


    Kevin nodded, glancing at the machine she was in front of, her hands blurring across circles and symbols. Her explanation made sense and sidestepped the obvious issue of them trusting him at his word.


    Moments later, the circle shifted from lines on the ground to bands of yellow light, stretching upward in glowing patterns. With wide eyes, Kevin braced himself, ready for anything.


    ¡°Looks like we¡¯re all good here,¡± the doctor said as the lines returned to plain paint. ¡°You have nothing matching our records, nor are you allergic to the decontamination bath.¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin responded, a little listless at the lack of fantastical phenomenon. ¡°That¡¯s great though,¡± he hurried to continue, not wanting to sound unhappy with a clear diagnosis.If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°We¡¯ll need to take your¡­ robe,¡± Doctor M continued, her voice now coming from the end of the room. ¡°Can¡¯t risk it carrying something nasty. We will provide fresh clothing of the local style in compensation, of course.¡±


    Starting, Kevin spun to face her, brain still trying to keep up with her sudden movements. He¡¯d have to get used to that soon if he was going to keep spending time around superhumans.


    ¡°That sounds great,¡± he said once he¡¯d caught up. ¡°Wearing something more practical would be nice.¡± It was perhaps the understatement of the century, pants alone would be a godsend.


    A light haze of steam hovered above the porcelain tub, now filled with green-tinged water. All three of them had turned around to give him the illusion of privacy, so he followed the obvious expectation.


    Within moments, he was naked in the bath, getting used to the sting on his skin. While unpleasant, the sensation wasn¡¯t painful; he could wait out the long minutes they left him in.


    He found a set of folded clothing by the bath when Doctor M called for him to get out. A T-shirt, pair of paints, and underwear, all in black. They were familiar, yet different at the same time.


    No hint of plastic or rubber was visible, and none of them had the clothing tags that were so ubiquitous back home. Given the white robes he''d seen several people wear, he had to wonder at the significance of black clothing.


    ¡°One last step then,¡± the doctor called out as he finished dressing. ¡°This might hurt a little, I¡¯m sorry to say. Please bear with it.¡±


    Her hand, now bare of its previous containment, was on his shoulder before he could respond. Warm energy surged from it, suffusing every inch of his body.


    ¡°Qi,¡± Kevin breathed, eyes widening at the wondrous sensation. This went beyond anything he¡¯d observed so far; he could feel the energy pulsing like a living thing.


    Then it ramped up, changing from a pleasant warmth to a roaring flame. A scream burst from Kevin¡¯s lips as it seared through him. For an eternal moment, his world was agony until everything faded to black.


    <hr>


    Kevin woke with a gasp, flailing to get the vice-like hand off his shoulder.


    He met no resistance; no clutching hand or agonizing energy. Instead, he was lying on a soft surface, staring at a tented ceiling.


    ¡°You¡¯re awake, I see,¡± the voice was steady and masculine, coming from somewhere to his right. ¡°The doctor asked me to give you her apology, both for the pain and the misdirection.¡±


    The speaker paused long enough for Kevin to sit up and find them. He was now in a new room, this one containing the backless couch he was lying on and a wooden table with two chairs.


    One of which was occupied by the robed man from earlier. Somewhere in his late twenties, his face had a level of beauty that could have made him a model back home, though it lacked the perfection the doctor''s had.


    The image was juxtaposed by his scruffy black hair and the delicate pair of wire-rimmed spectacles perched on his nose. This was a man who seemed to give little thought to his appearance despite, or perhaps because of, his inherent good looks.


    Then again, they might not be inherent, but the product of cultivation. ¡°Misdirection?¡± Kevin croaked, eyes skipping past the strange man and locking on to a glass of water by the empty chair.


    ¡°Yes,¡± the man nodded, gesturing toward the seat. ¡°I¡¯m afraid that knocking you out was intended from the beginning, as was the rather¡­ vigorous cleansing procedure.¡±


    We had to be sure, you understand, and experience has shown its best if the subject is unconscious in the event we find something. Again, let me relay her apologies and those of the OIM.


    ¡°I see,¡± Kevin responded, eyes flicking around the room for danger. He wasn¡¯t sure he agreed, but he felt fine now; no sign of lingering pain or damage beyond a deep thirst.


    Nor could he refute the man¡¯s argument in its entirety. ¡°I suppose I can understand that,¡± he continued, picking his words with care. ¡°You wouldn¡¯t want me awake if I turned out to be a demon or something.¡±


    Finding nothing concerning, apart from the man himself, he slid off the couch and padded over. The chair looked hand-carved, its pieces connected without the use of nails or screws.


    The craftsmanship was perhaps a clue about how this society functioned, but for now, he ignored it in favor of his thirst. Slipping into the seat, he downed the water in several large gulps.


    Once he¡¯d finished, the man spoke again. ¡°I¡¯m glad to tell you the testing all came back green. You have a nasty karmic debt, and evidence of significant temporal manipulation, but nothing we¡¯re worried about.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s over with, we can get down to the details,¡± he continued, pulling a clipboard from nowhere. Its clip strained to hold in a massive stack of paper, and it made a resounding thunk as he placed it on the table.


    Extracting a metal pen from one of his sleeves, he filled out sections of the initial page with rapid movements. ¡°I am Agent Baldwin, the supervising OIM agent for this investigation. And you are?¡± His pen paused on the sheet as he glanced up at Kevin.


    Kevin blinked, thrown by the sudden bureaucratic shift. While matching the man¡¯s studious appearance ¡ª did cultivators even need glasses? ¡ª it was a significant deviation from the tone so far.


    ¡°Sorry, could I get a few details first?¡± He needed to figure out what was going on here. While preferable to suspicious and painful experiments, there was no guarantee this would have a better outcome.


    Bureaucracies could be nasty all on their own.


    ¡°You mentioned OIM earlier, could we start with that?¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± the man sighed, dropping his pen and sitting upright. ¡°It seems I¡¯ve gotten ahead of myself. You¡¯re right, let me go over the background details first.¡±


    ¡°I am a representative of the Office of Incursion Management, which the country of Caldain has empowered to manage incidents such as this one. Having passed your tests, you are not in trouble, per se, however, we need to get some details down before moving on to the next steps.¡±


    ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief,¡± Kevin said, letting his taught posture go. ¡°I was a bit worried, given all the armed guards and tests. Caldain is the country then? And you don¡¯t mind that I¡¯ve shown up here?¡±


    That was the real rub, he¡¯d arrived without permission and without going through any of their normal channels. When he thought about it that way, their response had been mild compared to what some countries might have done.¡±


    Agent Baldwin rubbed the bridge of his nose. ¡°That is a rather sensitive question and the very reason my agency exists. Holding to the letter of the law, you have acquired neither citizenship nor residency papers, making your presence illegal.¡±


    ¡°However,¡± he held up a finger. ¡°None of our usual strategies are much good here. You are not a citizen of any nation we can send you back to, nor would imprisoning you here send a message to other such travelers.¡±


    ¡°While some still advocate for doing so, the current council sees no reason to cover the costs of your incarceration. So should we instead do the minimum required to ensure you are safe and then release you without a coin to your name?¡±


    Agent Baldwin shook his nod. ¡°No, the most common outcome in that instance is you falling into a life of crime, whereon we would catch you in short measure. Once more, forcing us to lock you up.¡±


    Pausing, the agent lifted an eye as if confirming he was following.


    Kevin winced at the stark description of his chances, made more poignant by his near brush with theft. Perhaps it was for the best they¡¯d caught him so fast, even with everything that had happened since.¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m glad those options are off the table,¡± he nodded in understanding. ¡°So, where does that leave us?¡±


    ¡°Despite what some might like, all our data shows that the best outcome results from a small, upfront investment. The OIM,¡± Baldwin pointed to himself, ¡°will provide a loan to cover your initial expenses, along with ongoing supervision by an agent to help you adapt.¡±


    ¡°In addition, we will give you residency, though not citizenship. In return, you will abide by our country¡¯s laws, repay the loan when you are able, and remain quiet about your previous life.¡±


    Kevin tapped his fingers on the table, going over the words in his head. The agent flicked through his impressive stack of papers as he did so, giving him time to think.


    ¡°That¡¯s a generous offer,¡± Kevin said pointing at the clipboard. ¡°Just one thing, I came here with a specific goal in mind. Will I be able to work towards it under this agreement?¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t you all,¡± Agent Baldwin snorted, breaking his calm demeanor. ¡°That depends on what it is.¡±


    A wistful smile crossed Kevin¡¯s face as he opened his lips and paused, afraid to say the word. As if speaking it would somehow ruin his chances; yet if not now, when?


    ¡°Immortality,¡± he breathed, so quiet it was almost inaudible.

 Chapter 4 - Interview

    Travis stared at the insane man, doubting his own perception despite his crystal-clear hearing.


    They¡¯d been doing so well. The outsider had been so polite and cooperative. He hadn¡¯t even complained about the testing.


    Even Travis found that uncomfortable; it reeked too much of the old abuses by those more powerful. Still, you only needed one rampant death curse or rampaging dragon to understand why it was necessary.


    He¡¯d let himself believe he had an easy one for his first case, only for the heavens to throw his complacency in his face; as they so often did. Once his disk had docked with the support ship, he¡¯d taken a few minutes to review the stored case files for the worst options.


    Outsiders who thought they were the focus of ancient prophecies or chosen by deities. Even those monsters who claimed they were ¡®just in it for the LOLs¡¯ as they ran around, ruining everything in sight.


    Not one of them had prepared him for a mere mortal to say, with all apparent seriousness, that he planned to surmount all under heaven.


    ¡°I hope you understand that¡¯s a very¡­ ambitious goal,¡± he said, keeping his tone even.


    ¡°Oh, totally,¡± the man responded. Like all outsiders, his mouth moved wrong, jarring the mind as it tried to focus on his words. ¡°But if you aim for the stars, you might make it, and if not, you can always hit the moon.¡±


    This was far from his first experience with strange outsider sayings, his time shadowing Susan had been full of them. Instead of musing on the origins ¡ª a sure trap ¡ª he focused on deconstructing the meaning.


    ¡°You¡¯re saying that aiming for an unlikely goal will push your results higher even if you fail?¡± He asked, nodding his approval at the idea. Delusional, the man might be, but you couldn¡¯t argue with his work ethic.


    ¡°That¡¯s the gist of it, yeah. I understand that the better you get at cultivation, the longer your lifespan is, so aiming as high as possible just makes sense. Also, you¡¯re never going to make it unless you try.¡±


    There was a pause as the outsider hesitated, before rushing on, the words tumbling over each other, ¡°It is possible though, right? Immortality I mean.¡±


    Travis scratched at his chin, trying to find the words to explain without pushing the man into desperation. ¡°The short answer is yes, it¡¯s possible. The longer answer is it''s rare, maybe one or two a year in all the mid-western countries we get data from.¡±


    Perhaps he¡¯d been too worried. Far from discouraging the madman in front of him, the explanation brought a bright smile to his face. ¡°Sweet, a chance is all I need.¡±


    Almost opening his mouth to argue, to explain that those were a couple of people out of over three hundred million, Travis instead shook his head and moved on. It wasn¡¯t his business to give the man good life advice.


    Well, it was his business, but not until after the outsider had signed the agreement. A little duplicitous perhaps, but they¡¯d be here all day if they didn¡¯t get started. The OIM¡¯s budget wasn¡¯t unlimited, he had to wrap this up so they could send the response and support teams back.


    ¡°What I can I can say is that plenty of outsiders end up in various sects. They tend not to take complete beginners, but once we¡¯ve finished the initial agreement, I can get you started. And once you¡¯ve met the minimum requirements, we can help you find a sect.¡±


    ¡°Does that sound acceptable?¡± He asked. It had better be, he was running out of things to offer.


    ¡°Awesome,¡± the outsider said, giving an eager nod. ¡°Then I guess all I need is the specifics before I can agree. You know, the interest rate on this loan and all the things I¡¯m not supposed to say. A rundown of the major laws I¡¯m supposed to follow would also be great.¡±


    Travis gritted his teeth but forced himself to smile in response. Why did the man have to be so deluded in one aspect, while savvy as hell in another? So many outsiders signed without listening to the details, let alone negotiating them.


    ¡°Of course,¡± he said, flipping two-thirds of the way through his stacked form. ¡°I¡¯ll take you through them, but at least give me your name first.¡±


    The outsider blinked, then gave a little shake of his head. ¡°I never introduced myself, did I? Sorry about that. I¡¯m Kevin, what¡¯s your name?¡±


    ¡°Travis,¡± he said, reacting to the social cue before he could think better of it. Smart again, he would need to watch this one.


    ¡°Cool,¡± Kevin said, grinning at him. ¡°Can I call you Travis, then?


    ¡°No,¡± Travis responded, keeping his tone flat. ¡°I¡¯m a government agent and a higher-realm cultivator.¡± Susan had always advised him not to grow too familiar with their charges.


    Kevin held his hands up, ¡°Agent Travis, it is then. Now, about those agreements?¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°So we¡¯re agreed then?¡± Travis asked, resisting the urge to snap at the other man. Taking a deep breath, he rattled off the list they¡¯d finally settled on.


    ¡°There will be a nine percent interest rate on any money we loan you, and the courts will show leniency for any accidental, minor crimes in the next year. In exchange, you will agree to the full list of banned talking points.¡±


    The gag order was the key issue, and he¡¯d had to reduce the interest more than usual to convince Kevin. The court leniency was more for his sake than anything, as it had become clear Kevin would make him go through every law that existed otherwise.


    ¡°Still a little higher on the interest than I¡¯d have liked,¡± Kevin shrugged, ¡°But I guess it makes sense for a personal loan; they were murder on your finances back home as well. So yes, I agree.¡±


    Travis brought his hands up to massage his temples. ¡°At last,¡± he sighed. ¡°Though you can¡¯t keep talking about ¡®back home¡¯ like that. Do you remember the list?¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    ¡°Politics, ideology, philosophy, technology, history, and just about everything else you could think of.¡± Kevin ticked each item off on his fingers as he spoke, throwing his hands up when he finished.


    ¡°Though I still don¡¯t see the problem. Aren¡¯t you guys interested in learning anything you can?¡±


    ¡°The point,¡± Travis said, ¡°is that we don¡¯t need you running around getting everyone worked up about things we can¡¯t even verify. You would not believe the bizarre cults or philosophical movements that have shown up and half the time the outsider was lying or wrong.¡±


    Shaking his head at the arrogance every outsider seemed to come with, he continued. ¡°You¡¯re just not that important in the grand scheme of things. You aren¡¯t the first outsider we¡¯ve had, nor the thousandth. If we add the data we get from allied countries, it goes even higher.¡±


    ¡°If we went around digging through all of your back stories looking for useful data, we¡¯d never finish. Beyond that, consider the differences between worlds; whatever advancement or technology was so great back in your world has little chance of working here.¡±


    Kevin held his hands up, waving them in surrender. ¡°Got it, got it. I can see how that might become overwhelming. Back home wouldn¡¯t have liked it¡­ sorry I did it again. I¡¯ll get better at that.¡±


    ¡°Thank you for noticing,¡± Travis made sure to smile at the man. Some progress at last, ¡°now if we can just finish the agreement,¡± he tapped the form, ¡°the binding contract will warn you if you¡¯re about to make a mistake.¡±


    ¡°So let¡¯s get back to filling out the details,¡± Travis continued, pushing onward before anything else could come up. Returning to the first page, he gave it a brief scan.


    ¡°I¡¯ve got a lot of this information already,¡± he said as he wrote all the little pieces he¡¯d extracted during the negotiation. For ¡®Incursion Reason¡¯ he decided on ¡®Advanced cultivation training¡¯ so his boss wouldn¡¯t have a fit reading it.


    ¡°I just need your name, age, and who it was that sent you here,¡± Travis continued, glossing over one of the most important questions as if it were unimportant.


    Kevin nodded, ¡°Right. It¡¯s Kevin Matthew Blake, and I¡¯m 34 years old.¡±


    His pen scratched across the page as Travis noted the information, raising an eye at the man¡¯s age. He would have placed the man at perhaps twenty-eight or twenty-nine, such a gap was odd given he lacked any hint of advancement.


    Perhaps that explained the temporal manipulation.


    ¡°And the guy who sent me here told me to call him Max,¡± Kevin finished.


    Travis froze, a chill going down his spine. That wasn''t a name he recognized; sweet heavens, he hoped his first case didn¡¯t involve an unknown threat.


    ¡°I see,¡± he said, trying to keep the shock off his face. ¡°It¡¯s good you got a name, some outsiders don¡¯t even have that much information.¡± Removing the last twenty pages, he continued, ¡°Please look through these and pick the ¡®guy¡¯ out.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin responded, sounding far too blase about the situation as he flicked through the pages. Nineteen of the worst interdimensional menaces they were tracking, and one blank page in the event Travis had to note down something new.


    Kevin rushed through the pages, only raising his eyebrows at a few more gruesome specimens. Travis¡¯ tension grew with every discarded photo. If this Max wasn¡¯t in there, the case was going to get complicated.


    ¡°Yep, that¡¯s the guy. No mistaking it,¡± Kevin said, waving a picture. ¡°You¡¯ve even got a good view of that extra-dimensional mist fort thingy of his.


    Holding back his relief, Travis reached out and intercepted the page out of mid-air. ¡°This is the¡­ man who sent you?¡± he said, his tone flat as he looked it over.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kevin nodded, leaning back in his chair as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world.


    Did he even know what deal he¡¯d made? Travis licked his lips, trying to piece together a response as he stared at the picture.


    It was of a pale, human-looking man, standing at the front gates of a looming castle of twisting clouds. Like all the major threats, Travis had memorized his name and the deal he offered.


    Maxaeon, lord of the fell mists, archduke of the seventh layer of hell on some blighted world halfway across the universe. And the outsider called him Max, of all things; just how insane was this man?


    ¡°You¡¯re¡­ aware of the cost he asks for?¡± The words came out weak as Travis tried to understand how anyone could make such a deal. It was even worse that Kevin wasn¡¯t the first; how did the demon keep snaring people?


    ¡°Oh, that,¡± Kevin said, a cloud crossing his face.


    The man hadn¡¯t looked so worried since he¡¯d woken from the cleansing ritual; perhaps he had some sense.


    Then the cloud passed, that annoying look of optimism returning. ¡°The whole eating my soul when I die thing? Yeah, he was totally upfront about that, talked me through the entire process.¡±


    ¡°Nasty business, but then I was going to be dead in the next few days, anyway. At least this way I get a lot more time. Besides,¡± Kevin winked, a knowing look in his eyes. ¡°There¡¯s a massive loophole, right? He doesn¡¯t get my soul until I die, so all I need to do is prevent that. Indefinitely.¡±


    Travis¡¯ jaw dropped open, his practiced composure shattering. Was this man¡¯s actual plan based on reaching the peak in a single lifetime? Not just as a goal, but as the basis for risking his entire reincarnation cycle?


    How he¡¯d thought Kevin was a savvy negotiator was beyond him; that was a deal no one in their right mind would ever take.


    A choice so stupid he didn¡¯t even know how to respond.


    <hr>


    Kevin had to hold back a chuckle at the shocked look on the fussy agent¡¯s face. It was more than a little heartwarming after the long hour negotiating the terms of his surrender.


    Or at least that was how it felt. The list of things these people were worried about him saying was unbelievable. How the rules of a sports game or the details of his childhood could cause an issue was beyond him.


    Sure, some of it made sense; he could see why a government wouldn¡¯t want you spreading ideological movements from another world around. Not when, as Travis had brought up, they couldn¡¯t confirm if he was speaking the truth.


    That was just asking for someone to set up a cult.


    But in the end, they¡¯d come to a deal he was more than happy with. It wasn¡¯t like he cared about the details when cultivation was on the line. He¡¯d have agreed to almost anything for that.


    However, he¡¯d learned long ago to never stop pushing when the other party was still willing to give, and this agent seemed rather green. Good at his job but desperate for this case to be a success. Perhaps it was his first?


    Besides, it was a nice bit of petty revenge for that business with the testing.


    ¡°You can¡¯t seriously think that¡¯s going to work!¡± Agent Travis snapped, his face twitching as if trying to return to its usual blank smile. ¡°Why bet everything on a one-in-million chance?¡±


    The man didn¡¯t get it, Kevin had even told him he was dying before this started and yet it hadn¡¯t changed a thing. ¡°Look, it¡¯s not that big a deal,¡± he shrugged, waving a hand in front of his face.


    ¡°Max and I talked it through. Yes, it¡¯s going to hurt a lot when it happens, but only for a minute, and then it¡¯ll all be over.¡± And hadn¡¯t that been an experience; chatting with a demon in his crazy cloud fortress?


    It should have been terrifying, but the guy was so personable it had been quite pleasant. The guy would have made a great big bad on a TV show; he had the affably evil part down pat.


    ¡°It¡¯s not¡­ that¡­ do you even know how reincarnation works?¡± Agent Travis sputtered, face turning an odd shade of purple. ¡°Every life working towards the ultimate goal; together, even though they don¡¯t know it.¡±


    ¡°Some falling backward, some making a little progress, some a lot. Life after life in a beautiful chain for as long as it takes. Unless,¡± the man snorted, ¡°A single life throws it all away on an impossible bet.¡±


    Ah, he was one of those religious types. ¡°Look, no offense to any of those potential future lives, but they didn¡¯t do me any good when I was dying,¡± Kevin shrugged. ¡°Anyway,¡± he hurried to continue before the agent got any more worked up, ¡°let¡¯s just agree to disagree here.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s in the past and we can¡¯t change it, so let¡¯s get through the rest of those pages and sign the contract,¡± he finished.


    Mentioning the agent¡¯s precious form seemed to pull him back from the edge, though Kevin doubted he¡¯d gotten any understanding from the guy. Then again, he didn¡¯t need it.


    He wasn¡¯t stupid, he knew the deal with Max was more serious than he was making it out to be. But he still wouldn¡¯t change a thing if he had the chance. Getting more time now, in exchange for a future consequence that might not even happen was a good deal in his books.


    Besides, it was great motivation. Who wouldn¡¯t work harder at cultivation when their soul was on the line?

 Chapter 5 - Signing

    ¡°Last one. Do you hold any preexisting ill will toward the country of Caldain or any of its citizens?¡± The agent¡¯s voice dulled throughout the long questioning, and his energy seemed to wane almost as much as Kevin''s.


    ¡°Only towards its overly complex forms,¡± Kevin chuckled, suppressing the urge to cheer now it was finally over.


    ¡°I¡¯ll put that as a no, then,¡± the agent responded without rising to his minor teasing. The man had chilled out a lot since the start, which was a good thing if he was going to keep showing up in the future.


    Agent Travis signed the last page with an artful scribble before sliding the stack across the desk. It spun a full hundred and eighty degrees, coming to a stop right in front of Kevin¡¯s seat, a pen resting on top of an empty signature box.


    ¡°Neat,¡± Kevin said, perking up at the display. ¡°Was that a technique or something?¡±


    ¡°Just sign the form,¡± The agent massaged the bridge of his nose with a sigh. ¡°We can talk about cultivation all you want on the way back to headquarters. You can read it, but you¡¯ll only find what we discussed.


    ¡°The binding won¡¯t work unless it matches your expectations.¡±


    Kevin glanced up at the other man with a raised eyebrow, then flipped through several random pages. When they matched his memory, he nodded, returned to the signature page, and filled it out.


    If the agent had hidden something, he¡¯d done a good job of it; besides, they were the government here. They didn¡¯t need to be subtle about it if they wanted to screw him over.


    A chill spread through his chest as he finished the last letter, and for a moment, the clinking of chains rattled through his mind. Then it was over, the strange effects gone as if they¡¯d never existed.


    ¡°That¡¯s it then?¡± He asked. Dear god, he hoped so, he¡¯d waited far too long to get to the good stuff.


    Agent Travis was staring at the stack of paper, his eyes unfocused. ¡°Yes, that¡¯s it. The contract is intact, and the binding is secure. Try saying something on the list.¡±


    Kevin nodded, opening his mouth to explain how contracts didn¡¯t have magic effects back home. Before he could form the first word, his throat caught, spasming as though he¡¯d swallowed an insect.


    The experience was unpleasant, but he could push past it if he wanted to; a warning, not a compulsion. ¡°Yep,¡± he said, half-expecting it to come out as a croak. Instead, his throat returned to normal as soon as he stopped focusing on the forbidden topic.


    ¡°That¡¯s a hell of a thing,¡± he continued, nodding at the agent. ¡°There¡¯s no way I¡¯ll mess up by mistake when that¡¯s in place. Just out of interest, what would happen if I pushed through? Hypothetically speaking, of course.


    Agen Travis raised an eyebrow but responded with only a shake of his head. ¡°Lucky for you, failure clauses are restricted these days. Too much room for abuse with immediate negative consequences.¡±


    ¡°If you decide to break the agreement, and it would be a decision, then I will be notified. That would be unfortunate, as we¡¯d have to arrest you for breach of contract.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin responded. While it was nice to hear he wouldn¡¯t catch fire or something, he wouldn¡¯t be risking those consequences anytime soon. Somehow, he doubted their prison cultivation program was any good.


    ¡®So we¡¯re done then? We can finally move on to the good stuff?¡± He asked, standing and stretching to crack his spine.


    In contrast, Agent Travis stood with liquid grace, appearing unaffected by hours hunched over a desk.


    Kevin eyed the man, stifling the first stirrings of jealousy before they could grow. Soon he too would have access to such casual, superhuman condition. And after that, so much more.


    He might not know the agent¡¯s story, but it seemed obvious that someone with a government day job would not be pushing the boundaries of advanced cultivation. One day, perhaps soon, he¡¯d have caught up to the man¡¯s early advantage. Then he¡¯d blow right past.


    All he needed was help on the first step.


    <hr>


    Things moved quickly after the signing was complete. Within minutes the swan had folded its wings, retracting the tents and their staggering quantity of furnishings.


    The soldiers left for their vehicle, while Travis walked Kevin up through the hatch, and into the belly of the ship. Of the doctor and her helpers, there was no sign; perhaps a good thing given how the testing had ended.


    The inside of the swan felt more like a futuristic metal building than a flying machine. Even the internal walls were made of the same white metal as the rest of it.


    ¡°How do you get all this up in the air? It doesn¡¯t look like the same method,¡± Kevin paused, changing what he was going to say as his throat closed up. ¡°That I¡¯m familiar with. This thing has to weigh a few tons.¡±


    The agent gave the walls a considering look as if he¡¯d given it little thought. ¡°Well I¡¯m not an expert, but from the color, I¡¯d guess they¡¯re using Skysteel. ¡°Air-aspected metal, it lowers the weight,¡± he continued at Kevin¡¯s raised eyebrow.


    ¡°I don¡¯t know the official name, but that¡¯s what most people call it,¡± Travis finished.


    ¡°Neat,¡± Kevin grinned, both at the explanation and that the agent was finally beginning to open up. ¡°Is that how the solider¡¯s platform worked? Air aspected stone?


    Agent Travis snorted, shaking his head. ¡°Of course not, that would be far too expensive. No, I believe that works on a different method. Some form of repulsion effect, if I had to guess.¡±If you discover this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen. Please report the violation.


    Kevin almost asked why a smaller amount of aspected stone would cost more than the massive steel ship they were in but decided against it. Who knew how long he had before the agent clammed up again? No point in wasting time on random economic questions.


    Instead, he focused on something far more important. ¡°Can we talk about cultivation now? We finished your whole interview and contract process, right?¡±


    ¡°Let¡¯s get seated first,¡± Agent Travis said with a sigh undercut by the hint of amusement in his voice. ¡°Come through here,¡± he continued, walking along the main hallway.


    Doors branched off the corridor, but they ignored them until it led into an open room. A series of round tables with seats gave it the appearance of an indoor cafe, while a stair wound around the right side until it reached a second floor.


    The agent waved him off to a table before walking to a cafeteria set into the back wall. Shrugging, Kevin settled into the nearest chair and looked around in wonder.


    It was such an odd, expansive area to have in what was, at its core, an airship. The room was dotted with potted plants, many holding vines that curled their way up support pillars.


    Why waste so much space on an eating area? A modern commercial aircraft could make do with a tiny kitchen to feed a few hundred people, and yet this setup would manage at most a few dozen.


    The legendary decadence of cultivators was the only reason he could think of; that need to show off by filling their surroundings with endless wealth.


    Well, given that he was the one who got to enjoy it he couldn¡¯t complain too much. It was clear this was going to blast any flight experience he¡¯d ever had out of the water; incomparable to even a first-class ticket.


    A moment later Agent Travis was back, a man in plain, gray clothing following with a silver tray. Dressed in slacks and a long-sleeved shirt, rather than robes, it seemed clear he was a waiter or something similar.


    With a small bow, the waiter settled the tray, containing rows of sandwiches and a pitcher of water, onto the table. Then he was gone without a word, hurrying back to his window.


    ¡°Please, eat,¡± Agent Travis said with a wave at the food. ¡°I asked for a range to cover any dietary issues while avoiding meat for the moment.¡±


    ¡°Is that a problem for cultivation?¡± Kevin said. He would have preferred to avoid such a change, but in the face of what was possible, he wouldn¡¯t hesitate for a moment. Reaching forward, he grabbed the closest sandwich without checking its contents, his stomach reminding him how long it had been since he¡¯d eaten proper food.


    ¡°Not for most styles,¡± the agent said, pouring two glasses of water with a shrug. ¡°But you never know what¡¯s going to be a fit for you. It¡¯s best to keep everything open for now.¡±


    Kevin nodded, suppressing a groan of pleasure as he bit into the sandwich. Egg and cheese, with a hint of watercress. Delicious, god how he¡¯d missed solid food.


    For the first few minutes, he let his hunger overtake his need for knowledge. Travis didn¡¯t push the situation, instead eating in delicate bites. Perhaps he too was hungry after their long interview.


    ¡°Right then,¡± Kevin said once he¡¯d satiated his stomach. ¡°Tell me about cultivation.¡±


    <hr>


    The agent rubbed his hairless chin, staring off into the distance. ¡°Well,¡± he said after a long pause. ¡°Cultivation is a massive subject, there¡¯s only so much we can cover. I believe they¡¯re running the ship slower on the way back, but we still have half an hour at most.¡±


    ¡°A lot of the more complex subjects won¡¯t be relevant until we know what style suits you as well.¡±


    Kevin leaned forward, resting on the edge of his seat; almost unable to believe the conversation was happening for real. ¡°When you say style, do you mean different cultivation methods, or something else?


    ¡°That¡¯s also a large subject,¡± Agent Travis said, tapping his fingers on the table¡¯s surface. ¡°To go in depth would require a history lesson we don¡¯t have time for. Suffice it to say that there are traditional eastern styles, adapted local practices, and everything in between.¡±


    ¡°When I say style, I mean the broader category of cultivation that you have chosen. While method refers to a specific set of practices within a category.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kevin grinned. ¡°Do the traditional styles start with opening the meridians, then?¡± That kind of thing happened in many books he read, though there were plenty of exceptions.


    ¡°For the most part, yes,¡± the agent responded, nodding. ¡°That is the method they use to progress through the body-cleansing realm. But we¡¯re getting ahead of ourselves.¡±


    ¡°How about I go through the basics? Anything else will be useless until we get you tested.¡±


    Kevin winced at the idea of more testing but nodded anyway. This was getting too good to interrupt.


    Agent Travis took a few breaths, staring back into the distance as if ordering his thoughts. ¡°I¡¯ll explain the basics how they were first explained to me. You need to understand the rule of nine, three, and six.¡±


    ¡°Nine is the number of cultivation, with nine grades in a stage. Three is the number of truth, there are three stages in a realm. Six is the number of power, there are six realms under the heavens. Nine, three, and six.¡±


    ¡°So if you finish all six realms, you ascend and become immortal?¡± Kevin breathed, zeroing in on the most interesting part.


    ¡°It never ends with you, does it?¡± Travis sighed. ¡°Yes, the traditional belief is that those who ascend join the heavens, becoming immortal. Don¡¯t ask me whether it¡¯s true. If anyone¡¯s confirmed it, they¡¯re keeping the knowledge hidden.¡±


    ¡°Right, that¡¯s a long way ahead anyway,¡± Kevin said, nodding his head. Just knowing people ascended was enough. Perhaps that was the end of the journey or perhaps the beginning of another.


    He could worry about that when he was approaching the sixth realm. ¡°Can you list the realms then for me, and are they the same across all styles?¡±


    Travis glanced away, looking embarrassed for the first time since Kevin had met him. ¡°There have been attempts to come up with our own system, either following the same numbers or something else, but we¡¯ve always ended up falling back on the traditional Xi¡¯anian model.¡±


    ¡°In the end, six distinct realms of power seem pretty much universal, and it¡¯s hard to change the momentum of a few thousand years of results. Given that, we¡¯ve fitted our adapted practices into the same model.¡±


    Travis paused, taking a breath as he glanced across the table. Kevin gave him an encouraging grin. It was clear there was some history there, but right now, he didn¡¯t care.


    Clearing his throat, the agent continued. ¡°With that understanding, I¡¯ll go through the six realms. They are Body Cleansing, Energy Gathering, Core Formation, Golden Core, Nascent Soul, and Primordial Soul.¡±


    ¡°As I mentioned earlier, it is said that each realm has three stages consisting of nine grades. Meaning you,¡± he pointed at Kevin with a smirk. ¡°Would, in theory, need to move through a hundred and sixty-two grades of escalating difficulty in order to ascend.¡±


    Agent Travis quirked an eyebrow as he finished; as if asking whether Kevin understood now.


    ¡°Well, that doesn¡¯t sound too bad,¡± Kevin said, grinning at the annoyance that crossed the agent¡¯s face. ¡°Nice, orderly, and you can always tell where you¡¯re up to. Which stage are you at, if that¡¯s not too rude to ask?¡±


    Sinking back with a miffed look on his face, the other man let out a deep sigh. ¡°No, it¡¯s fine. Once you¡¯ve cultivated for a while, you¡¯ll be able to sense a person¡¯s realm and stage, at a minimum.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m in the third stage of Energy Gathering, Compression,¡± the agent finished a complicated mix of pride, embarrassment, and regret dancing across his face.


    ¡°Nice!¡± Kevin said, giving the man a thumbs up. ¡°What kind of lifespan improvement do you get out of that?¡±


    Agent Travis straightened back up, his face returning to a light smile; turmoil gone in a flash. ¡°You know, most people ask about how much stronger I¡¯ve gotten from moving through Energy Gathering.¡±


    Kevin waved a hand. ¡°Sure, strength sounds nice and all.¡± Leaning forward, he locked eyes with the agent. ¡°But let me in on the good stuff first.¡±


    Power would always be of secondary importance; a way of keeping yourself safe or getting access to more resources.


    A longer life was where it was at. More time to cultivate which got you more time again; escalating until, one day, your time was endless.

 Chapter 6 - Flight

    Lifespan, as Agent Travis relayed during the rest of the trip, varied depending on your cultivation style. Some could boost it by hundreds, or even a thousand years in the higher realms. The version Kevin thought of as Chinese-style cultivation was among the best at this.


    Other types would extend your life by a lesser amount. Instead, focusing on the acquisition of power. Pure body cultivation ¡ª different from the Body Cleansing realm ¡ª was the most extreme example, providing almost no lifespan increase.


    It was a choice that had Kevin scratching his head, but he supposed some people would prefer a brief life filled with power over a longer one.


    The key implication here was that he¡¯d have to choose his style carefully. Traditional cultivation sounded perfect, but the agent was quick to remind him it might be impossible. Some people just weren¡¯t suited to it, and those with no Eastern heritage were often among them.


    ¡°There¡¯s a doctor specializing in unusual cases we use for our outsiders,¡± Agent Travis said, closing out his explanation. ¡°I¡¯ll set up an appointment as soon as we return to headquarters. He usually leaves the last slot of the day open for us.¡±


    Kevin shuddered, ¡°And that¡¯s really necessary? What about those tests from before? I¡¯m guessing you did a bunch more while I was out of it.¡± He might have forgiven them for that situation ¡ª their reasoning was fair enough ¡ª but he had no desire for a repeat.


    ¡°We focused on whether you were a threat,¡± the agent sighed. ¡°We weren¡¯t interested in your cultivation potential. Nor was that doctor an expert in such matters.¡±


    ¡°It won¡¯t be like that again,¡± he continued, his tone gentle. ¡°That was a single, out-of-the-ordinary exception. Most doctors like to have returning patients,¡± he finished with a chuckle.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin nodded. If they had to run more tests, he wouldn¡¯t argue further. Choosing the correct cultivation style was far too important. He needed one that matched his body type, aspect, and talents while also leading him in the direction he wanted.


    Even before meeting the expert, he could say body cultivation was right out. There was no way he''d pick the one with the least longevity benefits. Not unless the doctor said it somehow gave a massive advantage in seeking ascension.


    Before he could interrogate the agent further, the ship shuddered, the first sign of movement he¡¯d felt since they¡¯d taken off. The thing moved through the sky like a dream, somehow avoiding any hint of turbulence.


    Perhaps it was the low altitude they were flying at? At a guess, he¡¯d say air resistance worked differently here, at least when Qi was involved since the few flying vehicles he¡¯d seen had stayed close to the ground.


    He was beginning to suspect a lot of things were different here.


    Agent Travis stood in a single, smooth motion. ¡°We¡¯ve landed at the support ship¡¯s hangar. We''ll take the disk I arrived on back to headquarters.¡±


    With a jerk of his head, the agent turned to leave and Kevin hurried to follow. As usual, he was clumsy compared to the other man but tried not to let it get to him. For all he claimed that longevity was the most important part of cultivation, he couldn¡¯t deny the obvious other benefits.


    ¡°Do most people in this world cultivate?¡± He asked as they strode out of the ship.


    Agent Travis hummed low in his throat. ¡°Most do, to an extent, at least. It¡¯s the number one health recommendation from doctors and the government¡¯s health department. However, it can take a lot of time and resources.¡±


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kevin mused, tilting his head. ¡°I was wondering if some people weren¡¯t allowed, or something like that. Why would anyone not go after a longer life if they could?¡±


    ¡°Laziness or lack of talent?¡± The agent shrugged. ¡°Well, that¡¯s harsh. Some people have blockages that would cost too much to get past, and a few others avoid it for religious or philosophical reasons.¡±


    ¡°But for most, I¡¯d say, they¡¯re just busy. Life can be hard, and you don¡¯t always have time to fit things in.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kevin nodded. It wasn¡¯t like everyone exercised, watched their weight, or ate well on Earth. In the end, people will always be people. He had to remember that human nature didn¡¯t change just because this world had cultivation.


    You had to be motivated to improve your life.


    <hr>


    The support ship had landed in a vast concrete hangar, its metal roof still closing as they walked out of the hatch.


    More machines were spread throughout the area; two other swans, a smaller version carved like a swallow, and a larger wooden construction modeled after a sailing ship.


    It was an impressive sight; this hanger alone could field a significant force if they had to. While the swan-like ship had been near empty when he¡¯d been aboard, he imagined they could stuff a few hundred soldiers into it if needed.


    Not to mention the ones they could send in faster disks, like the team that had caught him.


    Three people in flowing robes hurried over as they left, first examining the outside, and then moving into the ship. Some kind of maintenance cultivators perhaps?


    The agent led him out a door at the back of the hangar and into a concrete area reminiscent of a parking lot. A half-dozen platforms had landed within it, each with a different appearance, and Travis pointed towards a bright red one near the rear.


    Rather than a pure disk, the platform was shaped like a lotus, its petals overlapping to form a flat surface. It wasn¡¯t until they grew closer that its nature became apparent.


    With wonder, Kevin reached out and touched a petal, much to the amusement of the woman sitting cross-legged in the center. It was soft and pliant; was this an actual flower?The author''s narrative has been misappropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°She¡¯s a South-wind lotus,¡± the woman said, still chuckling. ¡°Five years working for the OIM and I never tire of this reaction. You outsiders are always a breath of fresh air; it makes an old woman appreciate life again.


    Wearing robes in the same red as her flower, the woman looked to be in her early-forties. He¡¯d have said she was far from old, yet something about her gaze suggested a greater age.


    With a grin, Kevin pulled himself up the flower¡¯s four feet of height. Ignoring the easy jump Agent Travis used, he addressed the woman. ¡°She¡¯s amazing. I¡¯m Kevin, by the way.¡±


    Kevin walked forward, holding out a hand, but paused halfway. ¡°Do people shake hands here?¡± He cocked his head to the side, waiting for a response before continuing.


    The older woman laughed, a high tinkling sound; light crinkles at the corner of her eyes were the only sign of age on an otherwise flawless face. ¡°Holding a woman¡¯s hand while you bow is appropriate. Clasping forearms is also a common cultivator greeting.¡±


    Without missing a beat, Kevin moved up, holding his open palm out. Interesting. That didn¡¯t sound like a traditional Chinese greeting, more like an adapted European one.


    ¡°Would kissing your hand be appropriate?¡± he asked, remembering an old custom from Earth. The woman smirked as she flickered into a standing position, laying her hand on his faster than he could keep track of.


    ¡°Only if you¡¯re looking to court me, and I¡¯m far too old for you,¡± she snorted, somehow making the sound delicate and ladylike.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin said, half-bowing over his hand. He doubted he¡¯d have time for romance anytime soon, but that was still useful information. While he wasn¡¯t in a hurry, he had no desire to spend eternity alone.


    Finding someone else dedicated to reaching the peak might prove difficult, however. At least he was likely to have plenty of time to look.


    ¡°Kevin,¡± he said, introducing himself with a bright smile. ¡°It¡¯s lovely to meet you.¡±


    ¡°Layla,¡± she responded, dipping into a shallow curtsy before he could step back.


    As soon as he released her hand, Layla was seated again, faster than he could blink. She looked to be mediating, her eyes closed, her face calm and focused.


    With a slight shudder, the flower floated into the air, as if lifted by an unseen wind.


    Despite the rapid acceleration and the lack of seats on this disk, the movement felt no more dangerous than when they''d been supported by solid land. Not a hint of wind or motion disturbed the trip as if an invisible wall shielded them from the wind.


    Lost in wonder, Kevin spent much of the trip staring out over the landscape. From the air, it looked much like any built-up area in America. The hanger they started at was near the edge of a colossal city, and looking past it, he could see endless miles of farmland.


    In the other direction, the city spread past the horizon, a network of buildings split by narrow roads. A few wider pathways looked like major thoroughfares with vehicles of some kind going back and forth, while the rest appeared to be foot traffic only.


    Much of the traffic was moving above the city, in the same manner as they were. Disks of all shapes and sizes ¡ª were the square ones still called disks? ¡ª zipped around, while above cultivators flashed across the sky held up by swords, and stranger objects.


    ¡°Does the height people are flying at mean anything?¡± he asked, resisting the urge to shout over a non-existent wind. The sheer stillness atop the flower was beyond surreal.


    It looked like the lower altitude was busy enough to be inconvenient in places, yet few were ascending higher.


    ¡°It¡¯s a matter of privileges,¡± Agent Travis shrugged, his voice calm. ¡°The sky above the city is split into different zones. Body Cleansing cultivators are restricted to the lowest, with those in the Energy Gathering realm above.


    ¡°Those of higher realms do not have restrictions placed on them.¡±


    Layla cut in, her eyes still closed. ¡°It started as a safety thing, you want those who are weaker to be closer to the ground in case there¡¯s an accident. Of course, it soon became a matter of prestige.¡±


    ¡°How do you stop the buildings getting damaged if someone crashes?¡± He asked, eying her with new respect. They were well above the bulk of the traffic, even most of those using smaller flying implements.


    And he already knew Agent Travis wasn¡¯t powerful enough to warrant their current altitude.


    ¡°All flight-capable objects are designed to float down instead of crashing to the surface,¡± Travis took over.¡°Accidents are almost always collision injuries or falls.¡±


    ¡°To become qualified for flight, you''re required to show you can minimize your speed to avoid damage from such a fall. Both to yourself and your surroundings. As she said, this was the basis for the first rulings on flying heights.¡±


    ¡°I see, that makes sense,¡± Kevin nodded, fascinated by how the country had managed such a monumental ability as personal flight.


    Did that mean Body Cleansing cultivators could slow or prevent a fall over a certain distance? What a fun, if rather terrifying, ability to learn.


    The conversation slowed as the South-wind lotus descended towards a massive brick building. A raised, circular platform awaited it, and it landed with a light thump.


    They¡¯d arrived.


    <hr>


    ¡°Thank you, as always, Ma¡¯am,¡± Travis said as he hopped off, ignoring the short stairway to land on the main surface of the roof.


    ¡°Yeah, that was amazing. Thanks, Layla,¡± Kevin said, waving back as he slid onto the stairs and walked down.


    ¡°It was my pleasure. Good luck with your new life, Kevin,¡± Layla called from behind, still seated on her flower. ¡°Never lose sight of that wonder and you¡¯ll go far.¡±


    ¡°I won¡¯t,¡± Kevin yelled over his shoulder with a broad grin, before hurrying to catch up with Travis.


    ¡°You should be more respectful,¡± the agent muttered as they entered a metal lift. ¡°She was a Core Formation cultivator; who knows what she might have done if you offended her.¡±


    Kevin raised an eyebrow, glancing over at the other man as the lift slid into a smooth descent. ¡°Layla was the name she gave me. If she¡¯d shown any sign of being offended, I¡¯d have changed my approach.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not about to treat people like time bombs unless they give me a reason to. Besides, for a mere mortal like me, there¡¯s no real difference between your realm and hers.¡±


    ¡°I doubt it would take you much longer to rip my limbs off than it would her,¡± he finished with a dark chuckle.


    Agent Travis coughed as if he¡¯d gotten something stuck in his throat. ¡°Right,¡± he said, his tone weak. ¡°Well, if you were taking her cues, then I might have been a little hasty in complaining.¡±


    ¡°That is one of the two ways to handle higher-realm cultivators. Some of them might even prefer to be treated like normal people,¡± he finished, his tone rather doubtful.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin nodded, paying more attention than he let on. ¡°If one¡¯s acting like a big douche, then bow and scrape before them. If they¡¯re acting like a normal person, then treat them normally. Simple enough.¡±


    From the look on the agent¡¯s face, he wasn¡¯t a fan of how Kevin had put it, but he didn¡¯t argue either.


    When the elevator halted, they stepped onto a massive, open-plan floor. ¡°You¡¯ll wait at my desk,¡± Agent Travis said, pointing to the left. ¡°Looks like Susan¡¯s still there, so she can keep you entertained while I get this filed.¡±


    ¡°It shouldn¡¯t take long, then I¡¯ll be back with your residency papers and some initial funds. Given the time, we¡¯d better leave for the doctor after that.¡±


    Kevin nodded, staring around at the room. While it resembled an office floor back home, everything was scaled up to eleven. Instead of tiny cubicles, the workers had expansive wooden desks, sprawling out to fill ridiculous amounts of space.


    Half the space on the desks wasn¡¯t even being used, and that didn¡¯t consider the massive walkways between them. ¡°Dude,¡± he laughed, shaking his head at the sight. ¡°What¡¯s deal with all this space?¡±


    The agent hummed, glancing around as if everything was normal. ¡°You can¡¯t become an agent without being in the Energy Gathering realm. We wouldn¡¯t stand for a sub-par workspace.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin chuckled. ¡°Anything less than this would be just sad.¡± Perhaps it was a good thing the contract warned him whenever he was going to talk about Earth; the poor man might have a heart attack if he heard about cubicle farms.


    When they¡¯d passed most of the desks on their way to the left corner, he realized why Agent Travis had been so unconcerned about the rest of the office.


    ¡°Bloody hell,¡± he snorted, staring at the most extravagant thing he¡¯d ever seen. ¡°Are you super important or something?¡±

 Chapter 7 - Headquarters

    <div>


    ¡°Oh,¡± Agent Travis responded, having the good grace to look embarrassed. ¡°We¡¯ll most of that¡¯s because of Susan, Agent Sinclair, that is. She¡¯s a senior agent,¡± he finished as if that explained anything.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll need to find a new desk now,¡± the agent continued, a wistful tone filling his voice.


    ¡°Travis!¡± a stunning redhead shouted as she hurried around the extravagant desk. She was an eye-catching sight, with the physique of an Olympic gymnast combined with the face of a supermodel.


    If you could look away from her desk, that is. Large enough to fill the offices of most CEOs he¡¯d met, it looked to be made of solid mahogany. Or at least the few bits that weren¡¯t covered in gold leaf did.


    A partition, also made of mahogany, split twenty percent off from the rest; forming what he assumed was Agent Travis¡¯ section. That his portion alone was enough to rival most of the other desks highlighted how massive the thing was.


    In an instant, the woman had an arm slung around the agent¡¯s shoulder, grinning down at him. Despite his unassuming demeanor, the agent was not a small man, yet Susan towered over him by at least a head.


    ¡°How¡¯d it go then? My mentee¡¯s first case, I¡¯m so proud,¡± she gushed, barely seeming to notice Kevin.


    ¡°It¡¯s still going,¡± Agent Travis responded, doing an excellent job of appearing unaffected beyond a light blush. ¡°Could you keep track of him while I get the paperwork filed?¡±


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± she responded, letting the man go and walking back to her desk. She moved slower this time, a bit of sway in her hips as she called back. ¡°And there¡¯s no need to rush finding a desk, I quite like having the company.¡±


    Kevin turned, giving the agent a covert thumbs-up. The man ignored him, only waving goodbye as he returned to the elevator. Leaving Kevin alone with the supermodel gymnast.


    It was good he didn¡¯t intimidate easily and had just sworn off romance for a while, or he might have gotten himself into trouble. As it was, he settled for sliding into the agent¡¯s plush office chair and left it up to Susan if she wanted to talk.


    The damn thing was beyond comfortable; he wasn¡¯t sure it should have been physically possible for something to be so soft, and yet still support your weight. Were they using Qi to make more comfortable chairs?


    That seemed disrespectful, somehow, and yet he couldn¡¯t argue with the results. How did they get any work done without falling asleep? His body was already reminding him it had been a trying few hours.


    Instead of nodding off, he turned to Travis¡¯ work area; several arms-spans wide of plain wood before the desk transitioned into decorative gold. Most of the space was covered in fallen stacks of paper as if someone had destroyed their careful organization system in a hurry.


    ¡°Travis works hard,¡± Susan said from beside him.


    Kevin spun the chair, heart thundering. He would have sworn she was still on the other side of the desk. Instead, he found her leaning against Travis¡¯s side with her arms crossed, only a few feet away.


    ¡°I hope you didn¡¯t give him too much trouble,¡± she continued, a frown on her perfect face.


    ¡°Only a little,¡± Kevin responded, resisting the urge to leap away from the woman.


    Her face and posture relaxed as she gave a curt nod. ¡°I¡¯m glad. He¡¯ll make an excellent agent. Might even take my spot if he can get his cultivation up.¡±


    While the insight into Agent Travis¡¯ life was interesting, he was more intrigued by the opening she¡¯d left. ¡°Speaking of cultivation,¡± he began, observing the woman for signs of annoyance.


    ¡°Are you a body cultivator? If you don¡¯t mind me asking.¡± It seemed like the obvious guess given her physique.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Susan smirked, flexing an arm. Her muscles expanded as she did, forcing Kevin to reevaluate that part of her physique from gymnast to world-class bodybuilder.


    ¡°Why? Still trying to figure out how the world works?¡±


    Kevin paused, searching for a delicate way to phrase the question. ¡°I understand that body cultivation provides the shortest lifespan improvement. Can I ask why you picked it?¡±


    The woman pursed her lips, ¡°There are a few reasons. The main one is that I¡¯d rather live a shorter incredible life than a longer decent one. Body cultivation might not tack as many years onto the end of my life, but it provides better vitality.¡±


    Susan¡¯s face cleared, ¡°Us body cultivators don¡¯t physically age until our life force is about to burn out. I¡¯ll look just the same in a century as I do now,¡± she posed, grinning at him with a raised eyebrow.


    Ignoring the obvious opening, however good she looked, Kevin nodded in return.


    ¡°Besides,¡± she continued after a few moments. ¡°I¡¯m stronger, so I make more money than I would otherwise. More money means I can access more advancement resources, and I can purchase life-force elixirs when I need to.¡°


    Kevin blinked, taking in what she¡¯d just said. Life extension potions were a thing? ¡°How effective are they? He asked, eyes brightening. That was an entire field he hadn¡¯t considered.


    ¡°They¡¯re decent,¡± Susan shrugged, an unconcerned look on her face. ¡°Less effective the more you take, but you can get a couple of hundred extra years if you¡¯re rich. Enough to get close to what most styles provide.¡±


    ¡°Does working for the OIM pay well, then?¡± Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. The different viewpoint she presented was intriguing; become strong first to push yourself further and then handle longevity later.


    It wasn¡¯t the direction he¡¯d have chosen, but it brought up an important point. He couldn¡¯t expect to cultivate in a vacuum, he¡¯d have to get resources somehow. Not to mention the potential effect of stacking these life-force elixirs on top of an already life-extending style.This story originates from Royal Road. Ensure the author gets the support they deserve by reading it there.


    ¡°Pretty well, better if you¡¯re on the emergency list like I am,¡± Susan said, waving a hand over her ridiculous desk. ¡°The government¡¯s willing to pay a premium to have the extra power on hand.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin nodded, glancing around the office with fresh eyes. At first, it had seemed crazy to employ powerful cultivators to do mundane paperwork, yet her words put the matter into perspective.


    Here, sitting at their silly desks, was a level of deployable force that would have only been matched by a tactical missile silo back home. No wonder they gave the agents whatever they wanted.


    The fact they did their own work still felt odd ¡ª why not hire secretaries to do most of it? ¡ª but he supposed it was just how their culture had developed. Perhaps it was as simple as getting work out of them when they weren¡¯t needed to smash an interdimensional invasion to pieces.


    Then again, the sheer efficiency gain they provided might be worth the cost all on its own. Susan had returned to her desk as the conversation trailed off and was blazing through a stack of paperwork that would have taken a normal person hours to finish.


    What a strange world he¡¯d arrived in. Kevin¡¯s face morphed into a grin as he lay back in the enchanted office chair; he was already growing to love it.


    A hand on his shoulder snapped Kevin from the doze he¡¯d fallen into. Jerking upright, he looked up to see Agent Travis standing beside the desk.


    ¡°Apologies for the wait,¡± the agent said, a wry look on his face. ¡°Everything¡¯s sorted now so we can get going. You¡¯ll want to keep these safe,¡± he finished, handing over a set of folded pages.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kevin said, raising an eyebrow as he unfolded the papers. A small metal plate almost fell out, forcing him to catch it before it hit the floor.


    Made of burnished brass, the plate was embossed with his name and a string of letters and numbers. At a glance, the accompanying paperwork provided additional confirmation that he was a registered resident of the country of Caldain.


    ¡°Keep the card with you,¡± Travis said, pointing at the brass plate. ¡°And leave the paperwork somewhere safe. You shouldn¡¯t need it unless something goes wrong.¡±


    Nodding, Kevin slid them into different pockets in his slacks, then stood and stretched. Despite missing his chance to interrogate an advanced cultivator further, the nap had been just what he needed.


    ¡°To the doctors, then?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Agent Travis nodded. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later, Susan,¡± he continued, turning to the woman across the desk.


    ¡°Bye Travis! We¡¯ll have to go out and celebrate your first case when you¡¯re done,¡± Susan responded with a bright smile. ¡°It was nice meeting you, Kevin.¡±


    ¡°Nice to meet you too,¡± Kevin said, ¡°Thanks for the information.¡±


    ¡°Anytime,¡± she laughed, resting back with her arms behind her head. ¡°It¡¯s literally my job.¡±


    Waving back at her, Kevin turned to follow Agent Travis toward the elevator. They walked in silence until the door closed, then he turned to grin at the agent.


    ¡°She¡¯s pretty into you.¡±


    The man jerked back, looking floored. ¡°Special Agent Sinclair?¡± His tone sounded shocked. ¡°She¡¯s a core Formation Cultivator in the third stage; the second strongest person in the building!¡±


    Kevin raised an eyebrow. What did that have to do with anything? ¡°All the signs are there,¡± he responded with a shrug. ¡°She likes you as more than just a co-worker.¡±


    Agent Travis was shaking his head, his cheeks flushed. ¡°There¡¯s no way. I¡¯m only in the Energy Gathering realm, and I only made full agent this morning. She could have anyone she wants.¡±


    Sighing, Kevin leaned against the elevator wall. For all their enhanced abilities, it seemed cultivators were just as human as anyone else. ¡°Well, no pressure if you¡¯re not interested. But if you are, ask her out. The worst that can happen is a few days of awkwardness.¡±


    The agent¡¯s face was bright red. ¡°Look, she¡¯s gorgeous and an amazing person, but it wouldn¡¯t work out.¡± At Kevin¡¯s skeptical glance, he continued. ¡°She¡¯s a full realm higher, and being a body cultivator pushes her physical strength even higher.¡±


    ¡°If she¡­ lost control, it could go badly.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kevin nodded, that would put a damper on any intimate time. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a hell of a motivator then,¡± He continued with a shrug. ¡°You¡¯re almost at core formation yourself.¡±


    ¡°Go crush that last stage, then ask her out to celebrate.¡±


    ¡°If only advancement were that easy,¡± Agent Travis sighed. ¡°It could take years to push that far.¡± Despite the man¡¯s words, the corners of his mouth twitched into a smile.


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Kevin shrugged as the elevator doors swung open. ¡°I guess Susan will have to make do with knowing you think she¡¯s gorgeous, for now,¡± he said, taking a guess.


    ¡°I mean,¡± he continued, glancing up at the roof. ¡°A Core Formation body cultivator has to have pretty incredible hearing.¡±


    He must have been right; the way the man¡¯s face paled was beyond amusing.


    <hr>


    The doctor¡¯s office was a small, two-story building, dwarfed by narrow flats on each side. They¡¯d only had to walk a dozen blocks, but Kevin had still seen more strange architecture than he had in his entire life.


    Most of the residential housing was long rows of three or four-story buildings. From the placement of the doors, it looked like a single flat was built up rather than out, taking up the full height of the building but little of its width.


    It was the other buildings that were truly odd. They were of strange styles and all kinds of sizes, sprinkled throughout the residential buildings with no rhyme or reason. Even the presence of the OIM headquarters in the area was odd.


    Perhaps it was an artifact of so much air travel, allowing public and private infrastructure to spread throughout the city. It would let people who worked here live nearby, while people visiting could fly in.


    Or perhaps cultivators just built where they wanted to. Once again, he lacked the background knowledge to tell how things had developed this way.


    On arrival, a middle-aged woman in robes saw them straight to an examination room. It looked like any other he¡¯d been in, and he¡¯d been in plenty, except for the painted circle to one side.


    After seeing them seated in comfortable lounge chairs, she left to fetch the doctor.


    ¡°The OIM would appreciate it if you¡¯d let me sit in,¡± Agent Travis said. ¡°It helps if we can get a broad view of the different issues outsiders face.¡±


    Kevin raised an eyebrow at the man seated next to him. Waiting until after he¡¯d been let into the room seemed rather late. Perhaps it was just a formality? Who knew how medical privacy worked here?


    ¡°Sure,¡± he shrugged regardless. He could use all the help he could get, and the agent was the only person he knew. And wasn¡¯t that a sad thought? He needed to find some new friends.


    A moment later, an older man flowed into the room with the grace of an advanced cultivator. Kevin would have placed him in his late seventies for a mortal; as a cultivator, he had to be far older.


    ¡°Ah, Travis Baldwin,¡± the man said, ¡°On your own this time?¡±


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± the agent responded, standing and bowing low. ¡°My first case as a full agent. Kevin here is looking to understand any potential cultivation blocks or advantages he might have.¡±


    ¡°Of course, I¡¯m always happy to help the OIM,¡± the doctor chuckled. ¡°Hello there Kevin, I¡¯m Dr. Grange.¡±


    Taking his cue from the agent, Kevin rose and bowed as well. ¡°It¡¯s nice to meet you.¡±


    Dr. Grange clapped his hands, a sharp motion that sent a crack throughout the room. ¡°Well then, let¡¯s get started. Please step into the sensor circle.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin blinked, thrown by the sudden shift. Didn¡¯t the man want his medical or family history first?


    Moving into the circle, he watched curiously as the doctor waved his hands, chanting something under his breath. This time there was no fancy machinery in sight. A cheaper method perhaps? Or just a more traditional one?


    The circle shifted to glowing blue light for a minute before fading away. Dr. Grange gestured him back to his seat, before moving over to a wide desk against the right wall.


    ¡°Just a moment,¡± the doctor said, then his face went blank, his eyes unfocused as he stared at nothing.


    ¡°It¡¯s a technique,¡± Agent Travis said in response to his quirked eyebrow. ¡°For accessing memorized information. Dr. Grange is comparing your results to everything he¡¯s ever read.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Kevin grinned, settling in for a wait. What an interesting ability. Had the machinery Doctor M was using done that for her as well? How did such a combination of mysticism and technology work together?


    It was intriguing to consider and helped stave off his growing nerves. Soon he¡¯d know if his journey was doomed from the start.

 Chapter 8 - Cultivation Method

    The outsider was doing a good job of appearing unconcerned, lounging back in his chair as if he didn¡¯t have a care in the world. However, the way his hands kept curling into fists told Travis the man was more concerned than he appeared.


    Who wouldn¡¯t be, with their entire future on the line? Kevin had bet everything on succeeding at cultivation without knowing his limitations. And now he was about to find out.


    For outsiders cultivation blockages were common, even more than most of the public. Without the expensive services of specialists like Dr. Grange, many would be unable to advance.


    Where would he be now if his family had been able to afford a checkup like this? How much further would he have risen with earlier access to focused advice?


    Pointless thoughts to have, but difficult ones to banish. No wonder then that so many people complained about the resources the OIM put into managing such people.


    Yet working there, Travis knew that their complaints were groundless. While the OIM¡¯s investment might not pay off with every outsider, when it did, they often struck gold.


    Not just in powerful cultivators to help the country, but in potential threats guided toward gratitude. Caldain becoming a welcoming new home, instead of a country they couldn¡¯t care less about.


    ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Grange said, eyes snapping back to focus on Kevin. The mind-tinged aura around his head faded as he did so; his technique complete.


    ¡°What¡¯s the damage, doc? Kevin asked, the strange choice of words betraying his hidden nerves. It seemed the outsider had quickly forgotten the newfound respect he¡¯d shown the doctor.


    Then again, the beacon of power in front of them would be invisible to the mortal. To Travis¡¯ eyes, the Golden Core cultivator loomed over the room, demanding respect without having to move a muscle.


    ¡°Nothing too terrible,¡± Dr. Grange leaned back, hand running through the snowy beard that extended to his chest. ¡°No more than most who come through my door.¡±


    ¡°Your meridians are blocked, that¡¯s the first and most obvious issue. But any doctor could have told you that. If two or three had been an issue, I might have recommended forcing them open, but with all twelve, the damage would be too significant.¡±


    Kevin wilted as the man spoke, no doubt unaware that almost every one of Western descent had blocked meridians. They were tied to the specific style of the Xi¡¯anian conquerors; unless you could draw your ancestry to them, you were out of luck.


    ¡°The larger issue is that your Dantian is shriveled. It¡¯s strained enough managing the Qi you need to stay alive, and I wouldn¡¯t risk straining it further.¡±


    Travis winced at the stark news. Now that was an issue; even he had a working Dantian. At least they¡¯d found out before the outsider could kill himself trying the more common styles.


    ¡°So what does that mean for me?¡± Kevin asked, voice wavering. ¡°That¡¯s my Qi sea, right? I need it working to store enough energy to advance.¡±


    Dr. Grange nodded, his face taking on a more gentle look. ¡°That is correct, if a little simplified. It¡¯s a less common problem, but still one you can overcome. The key issue you will face is finding an alternate place to store Qi.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about your goals,¡± the doctor continued, pulling a notepad from his storage device with a casual flick of his wrist. ¡°Depending on what you¡¯re after, there are options. Body cultivators store Qi in their muscles and bones, while many mystics use their aura.¡±


    ¡°Immortality,¡± Kevin breathed in that expecting, half-awed tone he¡¯d used before. ¡°I believe Agent Travis called it the peak.¡±


    Travis had to resist the urge to drop his head into his hands. Did the outsider have to lead with his delusions?


    ¡°A worthy goal,¡± the doctor chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°If ambitious for one who has yet to even spy the mountain. You understand that very few reach it in this era?¡±


    Ah yes. Sometimes he forgot how ancient some of the more advanced cultivators were. As if they¡¯d stepped out of a forgotten age when people regularly screamed such nonsense to the heavens.


    ¡°Yep,¡± Kevin leaned forward, eyes gleaming. ¡°And despite what some people think,¡± he turned to glance at Travis. ¡°I don¡¯t think it''s going to be easy or quick. That¡¯s why I need to focus on living as long as possible.¡±


    ¡°The longer I can stick around, the more time I have to push further.¡± The outsider grinned as he finished; as if he¡¯d figured out some clever trick.


    Dr. Grange nodded wisely, ¡°Well, you¡¯re off to a good start there. My readings suggest your body is five years younger than your soul¡¯s current incarnation.¡±


    ¡°Oh yeah,¡± Kevin laughed, ¡°Max does good work, he rolled back all those years I was sick.¡± A shadow passed across the man¡¯s face, his good cheer fading. ¡°There weren¡¯t any¡­ growths, or anything were there?¡±


    That¡¯s right, the man had said he was dying before this all started. Perhaps Travis should have been a little more understanding of his choices.


    The doctor paused, glancing into space again, before shaking his head. ¡°No, you¡¯re in as close to perfect health as a mortal can be.¡±


    Kevin sighed, relaxing in his chair. ¡°Phew, I have to admit I half-expected you to tell me I was dying. That seems to be the first thing on most doctor¡¯s lips.¡±


    Within moments, he¡¯d bounced back with a speed Travis found dizzying. ¡°Now then, what have you got for me, Doc?¡±


    <hr>


    Kevin had to rest his hands on the arms of his chair to hide how much they were shaking. He¡¯d believed in Max before, but talking to a doctor again had pulled up all his old experiences.


    Hearing confirmation nothing was wrong with him felt like being cured all over again. Now he just needed a way around the cultivation issues.


    Only the continued scratching of the doctor¡¯s pen on paper kept him from cursing his bad luck. The man was doing his vacant stare routine again, and Kevin could only hope he would dig something up.Love what you''re reading? Discover and support the author on the platform they originally published on.


    ¡°Ah, yes. That should work,¡± the doctor said, his attention snapping back to the two of them.


    Kevin inched forward in his seat, heart in his throat as he waited for an answer.


    Instead of continuing, the doctor shuffled through the drawers in his desk, eventually pulling out a stack of booklets. As if to keep drawing the suspense out, he flicked through those before settling on a single one.


    With a last glance at the title, the man slid the booklet over. It was perhaps three dozen pages, each a little smaller than an A4 sheet, bound at the edge by cord wound through punched holes.


    The cover read Sealed Land Cultivation Method but provided no other clues about the booklet¡¯s contents. Despite the lack of information, Kevin¡¯s eyes remained locked on the pages.


    This was it. An actual cultivation method, chosen by an expert at that. If anything could get him started, this would be it.


    ¡°I believe this will serve as a foundation for your requirements,¡± Dr. Grange said, tapping the booklet¡¯s title. ¡°Let me take you through the basis of my reasoning.¡±


    Leaning back, the man continued, ¡°With your focus on longevity, I had to discard many of my usual suggestions. If you wished only for increased health, I would have recommended body cultivation.¡±


    ¡°If you wanted physical power, I would select body cultivation again. For mystical abilities, aura or spirit cultivation would be perfect. Divine cultivation enhances one¡¯s spiritual life, and so on.¡±


    ¡°But for longevity, my recommendation is almost always traditional Xi¡¯anian cultivation.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s face fell as he took in the doctor¡¯s words, but he rallied himself with another look at the booklet. The man had pulled it out for a reason; even if it wasn¡¯t as good, it should still be close to what he wanted.


    ¡°The key reason why Xi¡¯anian cultivation is so beneficial for life extension,¡± Dr. Grange continued, being roundabout in that way doctors always seemed to. ¡°Is that it works on both the body and the soul.¡±


    ¡°When you enhance the body, you increase your vitality and physical health. When you increase the soul, you boost your life force and thus extend your life. The Dantian is within the body, yet also not within; a paradox that perfectly benefits both aspects.¡°


    ¡°Whereas body cultivation only works on the body, and the other methods touch on the soul without focusing on it. Are you with me so far?¡± Dr. Grange asked, calm patience written across his face.


    Kevin pursed his lips, fascination warring with growing impatience. That matched Susan''s description; her body cultivation boosted her health and maintained her physical age, but did little to extend her life.


    The other styles the doctor mentioned sounded like they would provide some measure of increased lifespan. However, they would be lacking in health improvements as he aged.


    That was an issue he hadn¡¯t realized himself until he¡¯d talked to Susan, yet the doctor had picked up on it with ease. If he wanted to not just live a long life but continue pushing forward, then he needed something to stop his body from fading as he aged.


    If such a thing existed beyond the Xi¡¯anian style he was blocked from. Still, the doctor was leading up to something, so he gave the man a firm nod.


    After a momentary pause, Dr. Grange continued. ¡°That booklet holds a method of the Inner Realm cultivation style. The method was created a few centuries ago with the aim of creating an artificial Dantian.¡±


    ¡°That experiment was successful, however, the method has several weaknesses. For many people, it would be unsuitable but you should find that it works well.¡±


    Kevin glanced at the booklet with renewed interest. ¡°Do I need to be worried about those weaknesses?¡± He asked, trying to avoid becoming too excited before he had the full details.


    The doctor shook his head with a chuckle. ¡°For you, they may as well not exist. The first weakness is that the artificial Qi container doesn''t connect to the body''s meridian network.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kevin nodded, ¡°and all of mine are blocked, anyway.¡±


    ¡°Exactly. You will need a way around that issue in time, but for now, it means you are no worse off using the Sealed Land method. The second weakness is how it could conflict with a natural Dantian.¡±


    ¡°Those with a still functional Dantian found themselves with two destinations for Qi. Torn between them, they had found it almost impossible to channel energy with accuracy.¡±


    With the bare minimum functioning of your own Dantian, you will again not have this issue.¡±


    ¡°I can see why that would be problematic, but even so, there have to be people in the same, or similar circumstances to me. Why wasn¡¯t it more widely used?¡± Kevin asked. It sounded perfect for him, but then that was the point of visiting an expert.


    Dr. Grange shook his head, a hint of sadness crossing his face. ¡°Laziness, for the most part,¡± he snorted. ¡°This isn¡¯t the kind of method you can spend a couple of hours a week on and still progress.¡±


    ¡°It requires vast amounts of focused, mental effort. Nor is it the kind of cultivation focus you can sink into for hours or days. You will need to hold the image of your sealed land in mind for weeks or months with little proof that it¡¯s working.¡±


    ¡°But if you persist,¡± the doctor continued, ¡°one day your land will become more than a mere mental image. It will grow inside you, becoming part of your body, yet separate. A facsimile of a Dantian, with most of the benefits the real thing provides.¡±


    ¡°Awesome,¡± Kevin breathed, grinning across the desk. The smile faded a moment later, as all the potential issues flashed through his mind. Dr. Grange had covered most already, but one stood out.


    ¡°That sounds amazing, but what about later cultivation realms? If this replaces my nonfunctional Dantian, I¡¯ll still need a style for the Body Cleansing realm, right?¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± the doctor nodded, smiling at him. ¡°If created successfully, your Sealed Land should allow the use of most cultivation styles requiring a Dantian. Having it active with a little Qi inside should be enough to interest a few sects.¡±


    ¡°And you will need a sect¡¯s backing if you¡¯re serious about that goal of yours,¡± Dr. Grange laughed with a shake of his head. ¡°Once you get in, you will find yourself with access to a vast array of Body Cleansing methods.¡±


    ¡°If possible, it would be best to use one of their methods to take you further. If not, come back and see me,¡± the doctor finished.


    ¡°Got it, thank you for all the help, Dr. Grange.¡± Kevin grabbed the booklet, then stood and bowed low.


    The doctor waved him off, sending them on their way with a brief farewell.


    Kevin could hardly wait; he had a real cultivation method to practice.


    <hr>


    Kevin was still staring at the booklet as Agent Travis led him back onto the street. ¡°Where can I get started on this?¡± He asked, turning to stare intently at the other man.


    ¡°I suppose we¡¯d better find you somewhere to stay,¡± Agent Travis scratched his chin, his eyes focused on something else. ¡°Out in the country is what we usually advise. There¡¯s more available Qi without as many people dragging on it.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not sure if that¡¯s as important in the early stages of your method, but it can¡¯t hurt,¡± the man finished with a shrug.


    ¡°Makes sense,¡± Kevin nodded, ¡°somewhere I can get a part-time job would be good. I don¡¯t want to keep wracking up that debt forever. Even if I can¡¯t pay for everything, adding a little income would help.¡±


    Agent Travis paused for a moment, shaking his head. ¡°How can you be the most delusional person I¡¯ve ever met in one moment and one of the most grounded in the next?¡±


    ¡°I would have thought you¡¯d want to put all your focus on that,¡± the agent continued, pointing to the booklet clutched to Kevin¡¯s chest.


    Kevin snorted in response. This again, Dr. Grange hadn¡¯t been nearly so dismissive of his goal. Perhaps that was the difference between a more advanced cultivator and a weaker one.


    He still couldn¡¯t detect a cultivator¡¯s realm, but being around Agent Travis was a decent substitute. The man¡¯s nervous respect shot through the roof whenever someone strong was around.


    ¡°Having some money coming is just sensible,¡± Kevin shrugged. ¡°Besides, no matter how dedicated I might be to cultivation, I don¡¯t think I could do a single thing all day, every day. I¡¯ll need something to break up the monotony, and it might as well be productive.¡±


    ¡°Fair enough,¡± Agent Travis¡¯ voice was approving for once. ¡°We should head to the Department of Jobs then, they track work requests from the various outer towns. The OIM has an in there, so we should be able to get what we want.¡±


    Kevin blinked, then hurried to catch up as the other man strode off. ¡°Shouldn¡¯t we have access to that information as members of the public, anyway?¡±


    Travis turned his head and raised an eyebrow without stopping, ¡°Then how would the DOJ keep their influence? They would give you a few options for work if you signed up and paid their fee, but not the kind of in-depth access we need to pick a suitable location.¡±


    ¡°Not unless you have some pull, at least,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head.


    ¡°Huh?¡± Kevin responded, unsure how to respond. That kind of secrecy was another facet of this new world; one he was not so fond of.


    Still, as long as he got a place to stay, he couldn¡¯t complain.

 Chapter 9 - Departure

    ¡°I don¡¯t think she likes you very much,¡± Kevin said, watching the receptionist glare at Agent Travis. Well, he assumed she was glaring at the agent, he couldn¡¯t see a reason for her hatred to be directed his way.


    The young woman had been all smiles when they arrived. Then Travis flashed his OIM credentials, and they¡¯d been sent to wait in the corner.


    ¡°It¡¯s not personal,¡± the other man shrugged, an unconcerned look on his face. Our organizations are feuding at the moment. They don¡¯t like how we do our own hiring, instead of cutting them in.¡±


    ¡°And they¡¯re probably still mad at how we got access to this information,¡± the agent chuckled, a hint of pride in his voice. ¡°They have to give us access with a half-hour warning, and they¡¯ll make us wait out every second.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s eyebrows shot up as he turned to stare at the other man. Was that a joke? Or perhaps not; the receptionist¡¯s disdain was genuine. Either way, it would be sure to pass the time.


    ¡°Well, don¡¯t leave me hanging,¡± he urged the other man with a grin.


    Agent Travis stared into the distance, a wistful look flickering across his face. ¡°It was actually how I met Susan. I worked on a deal to access the DOJ¡¯s locational job data last year. Back when I was still in bureaucratic support.¡±


    ¡°Our negotiations started well, however, they fell through when the DOJ wanted too much in return. I thought it was all going to fall apart and leave a nasty mark on my record until headquarters pushed to settle the matter with a duel.¡±


    ¡°OK, now I know you¡¯re joking,¡± Kevin snorted, shaking his at the absurdity of government agencies using fights to solve their arguments. ¡°There¡¯s no way that¡¯s real.¡±


    The agent blinked in response. ¡°How else would we settle our differences?¡±


    Kevin stared at the other man¡¯s straight face, and a hint of doubt wormed its way in. It still sounded ridiculous, but they were in a bizarre cultivation world. ¡°By talking it out?¡±


    ¡°Yes, I just said that we tried that first. When they wouldn¡¯t be reasonable, we had to force the issue,¡± Agent Travis shrugged. ¡°No one would want to bother the council with something so minor, so we settled it the old-fashioned way. It¡¯s quite common.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kevin¡¯s tone was faint. ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s totally reasonable, then.¡± He¡¯d thought the OIM¡¯s floor full of powerful cultivators had just been for emergencies, but it seemed they did double duty bullying other agencies.


    Agent Travis nodded back, his face serious. ¡°So they sent Susan down as our ringer; an expensive choice, but our reputation was on the line now. And get this, she showed up in one of those fancy party dresses instead of her robes.¡±


    ¡°She looked amazing in it,¡± the man¡¯s face was back to being wistful for all he claimed he wasn¡¯t interested. ¡°And the DOJ completely underestimated her, even though you could still tell she was Core Formation.¡±


    ¡°So they put in this cheap choice: a guy in the same realm, but not one with much combat experience. And she crushes the guy in less than a minute without even changing clothes.¡±


    Agent Travis was laughing by the time he finished, and Kevin found himself joining in. It was a rather amusing story, even if the connotations were concerning. If government departments still used duels, how bad would it be in the sects?


    ¡°So how did you end up becoming an agent, then?¡± He asked out of curiosity and a desire to keep building rapport. Maintaining a good relationship with the person managing your life was always smart.


    ¡°That¡¯s the best part,¡± the man grinned, face lighting up far beyond his usual taciturn expressions. ¡°Since we won the agreement with a duel, we didn¡¯t have to give the DOJ a thing in return.¡±


    ¡°The whole thing turned into a massive success, and then I found out a month later Susan had nominated me for probationary agent. Since the fight was over so fast, we¡¯d ended up talking for a while, and I must have impressed her somehow.¡±


    ¡°So that¡¯s how she ended up as your mentor?¡± Kevin asked


    ¡°Yeah, caused quite a stir as well. One of the few special agents in the whole office, and she picks a random nobody?¡± A flicker of doubt crossed the man¡¯s face, then he rallied. ¡°And now I¡¯m a full agent after six months, so I guess she picked well.¡±


    ¡°That she did,¡± Kevin grinned, clapping Travis on the shoulder in congratulation.


    It felt like slapping a stone wall.


    Rubbing his smarting hand with a frown, Kevin let the conversation lapse as he flipped open Sealed Land Cultivation Method to the first page.


    He had a long way to go.


    <hr>


    ¡°What kind of work are you looking for?¡± Agent Travis asked, flipping through files in one of the fifty boxes the DOJ had dumped in the conference room with them. ¡°Any skills I should know about?¡±


    The otherwise spacious room felt confining, with so many spilling out over its massive, varnished wood table. From what he¡¯d seen so far, the DOJ wasn¡¯t any more conservative with their wealth than the OIM had been.


    It felt like they were in one of those lawyer shows where the big, bad law firm was drowning the plucky, upstart lawyers with mountains of paperwork. While the agent seemed happy with his deal, Kevin couldn¡¯t see how this was better than an amicable arrangement.


    ¡°Sales and negotiation, mostly,¡± Kevin said, pulling a stack out to look through. ¡°Some technical skills too, but none would be relevant here.¡±


    He¡¯d been getting better at avoiding the subject of Earth, instead phrasing things in a way that made the situation clear without threatening his contract. ¡°Oh, and I can read and write. Seems the translation spell stretches to that as well.¡±Enjoying this book? Seek out the original to ensure the author gets credit.


    ¡°However,¡± he looked back at the cultivation booklet he¡¯d placed to the side so it wouldn''t be lost. ¡°Something involving mindless manual labor would be best. I skimmed through the Sealed Land method, and it doesn¡¯t look like I have to stay still to make it work.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure it will be harder to focus when I¡¯m doing something else, but I might still be able to make a little progress,¡± he finished.


    Agent Travis shook his head, amusement clear on his face. ¡°Weren¡¯t you just telling me you were going to need a break from cultivation less than an hour ago?¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s true,¡± Kevin glanced away, ¡°However, the method says the more you focus on it, the faster you¡¯ll finish. And changing location¡¯s almost as good as a break, anyway. If I can make some money and make progress as well, then all the better.¡±


    It wouldn¡¯t do to say he was feeling inadequate again. As much as he tried to ignore it, the agent was blazing through the files at an unbelievable pace. The experience was a little too close to memories of slowing down at work as he grew sicker.


    That had been a hard experience when he¡¯d been so used to being among the best, and it wasn¡¯t any harder to face now that he was healthy again and still behind.


    ¡°Well, I won¡¯t talk you out of working harder,¡± the agent responded with a light chuckle. ¡°Finding something suitable shouldn¡¯t be too difficult, farming towns always have plenty of work this time of year.¡±


    ¡°Just make sure it¡¯s not where I arrived,¡± Kevin frowned. ¡°I don¡¯t think they liked me very much.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s probably for the best,¡± Agent Travis responded. ¡°How about this one?¡± The agent held out a folder he¡¯d somehow extracted from the mess in record time.


    Had he just grabbed one at random? Or had he discerned a pattern in minutes? Opening the file, Kevin¡¯s eyebrows rose when he saw it was a decent match.


    Instead of the farming work they¡¯d discussed earlier, it was a job at a quarry. The work sounded difficult, but might still match what he was after. They were accepting part-time applicants as well.


    ¡°Ah,¡± he said a minute later, as he flipped through to the available accommodation section. As much as he might dislike the DOJ¡¯s practice of monopolizing its information, he had to admit they did good work.


    ¡°This says the village only has rooms above a pub available for rent. Something quieter would be better to focus on my cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Agent Travis responded, appearing unphased as he continued rustling through boxes.


    Ten minutes later, the agent slid another file over. ¡°This should do it. Fruit-picking in the southwestern part of the country meets your requirements. Short-term flats are available in town, and you don¡¯t plant an orchard without solid Qi flow.¡±


    ¡°Why¡¯s that?¡± Kevin asked, nodding his approval as he glanced over the details. Four hours a day, six days a week. He lacked the economic background to know if the listed pay was decent, but, given the work, he doubted it.


    However, he would be able to continue the Sealed Land method while he worked, and any income would be a bonus.


    ¡°Spirit Fruit,¡± the agent responded, heading for the door. ¡°The more Qi around, the better your chances of getting lucky.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin said, grabbing the file and his cultivation method. ¡°Aren¡¯t you going to put those back?¡± He asked, pointing toward the piles of mixed folders.


    Agent Travis turned back to stare at the mess with a satisfied smirk. ¡°Nope. If the DOJ wanted to avoid the cleanup, they should have just given us what we wanted instead of playing games.¡±


    Kevin shook his head as they left; these people. Was competitiveness embedded that deeply in their culture?


    The petty slights were committed with such seriousness that he had to guess the answer was yes.


    <hr>


    ¡°Why are these buildings so spread out?¡± Kevin asked as they stepped out onto the street. It seemed the DOJ could accept applications, as they¡¯d signed him up for the fruit-picking job before he left.


    Then again, they had to provide a beneficial service to the people advertising jobs as well, or they wouldn¡¯t have any to offer. Screening and interviewing applicants must be part of the service.


    ¡°You mean the agency headquarters?¡± Agent Travis asked as he steered them in a new direction.


    ¡°Those and any large civilian buildings,¡± Kevin responded, glancing around at the mixed residential and commercial area they were in. As with the OIM headquarters, the DOJ building was the only one more than five stories tall.


    ¡°There are a few reasons,¡± the agent shrugged, keeping the conversation going without slowing their pace. ¡°The air traffic gets bogged down if you have too many popular destinations in one place.¡±


    ¡°With the agencies, you also don¡¯t want us to close together or you might spark an incident. However, the largest reason is how they centralize cultivators.


    ¡°When you have so many in one place, they put a massive drain on the QI in the area. Gaps are needed if you don¡¯t want to overdraw the natural reserves. That¡¯s also why most sects are founded on mountains.¡±


    ¡°Ah, that makes sense,¡± Kevin nodded. Well, at least two of the answers made sense. He didn¡¯t need to think about the country¡¯s feuding agency dysfunction any further.


    ¡°So the sects get mountains, but the capital doesn¡¯t?¡± he asked, raising an eyebrow.


    ¡°It got leveled in a war five hundred years ago,¡± Agent Travis responded, his tone flat. ¡°We stayed anyway; it isn¡¯t as easy to move a city as it is a sect.¡±


    Kevin stumbled at the unexpected delivery. That was a hell of a war. And was the agent implying that sects sometimes had to move because their mountains got wrecked? Full-on cultivation wars had to be horrific to witness.


    Stuck, picturing such a nightmare, he followed Travis until they stopped outside a sheltered set of seats. It reminded him of a bus shelter, though the fifty-foot-wide disk lifting off was new.


    ¡°This is where I leave you then,¡± the agent said, pointing toward the shelter. ¡°The schedule is posted inside; you want to catch a disk to Carlington station, then an overnight hauler to Ostlare.


    ¡°You¡¯ll need these,¡± Agent Travis continued, handing over a wallet and pad of rectangular paper.


    The paper looked similar enough to a checkbook that he could figure it out, and each page was already filled out with OIM information. The wallet was stranger; a roll of leather you unfolded sideways, held together by cloth ties.


    Unfurling it revealed a leather rectangle covered in coin pouches. Someone had already loaded them with square coins of different sizes and colors; a few pouches were stuffed full while others were almost empty.


    ¡°Squares are for small purchases,¡± the agent continued when he looked up from the wallet. ¡°The checkbook is for larger things, such as accommodation. The local bank branch will also allow you to withdraw squares from a check.¡±


    ¡°And you¡¯re just letting me have this?¡± Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. The OIM checkbook had no pre-filled numbers; they¡¯d given him a stack of blank checks.


    ¡°It¡¯s a loan, remember,¡± Travis laughed, shaking his head. ¡°You¡¯ll only get yourself into trouble if you go crazy. Our patience isn¡¯t unlimited, but you¡¯re unlikely to risk pushing your budget until you get into a sect.¡±


    ¡°Got it, spend wisely. Thank you for all of this,¡± Kevin said, a little sad to see the man leave. He might have only known the Agent for a day, and been at odds with him through part of it, but that was a day more than he¡¯d known anyone else in this world.


    In that short time, Travis had also been a massive help. This morning he¡¯d been wondering how to fit in and survive in a foreign land. Now he had money, residency papers, and even a cultivation method.


    He wasn¡¯t na?ve enough to believe the OIM was doing it out of the goodness of their hearts, nor could he believe their listed reasons covered everything. However, the help they¡¯d provided was worth whatever accounting would come later.


    If they kept their word and supported him until he¡¯d found a sect, then there was little he¡¯d balk at having to repay.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome,¡± Agent Travis responded, fidgeting as he glanced away. ¡°Anyway,¡± he coughed, changing the subject, ¡°I¡¯ll be by to see how you¡¯re doing in a week. Don¡¯t get in any trouble, but if you do, send me a letter.¡±


    ¡°The OIM¡¯s contact information is on your residency paperwork. Send it there, but address it to me and I¡¯ll get it. For emergencies, the town should have someone capable of sending a direct message, but that will be expensive so avoid it if possible.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll be careful,¡± Kevin said with a firm nod. He wasn¡¯t about to risk the chance in front of him by being silly. ¡°See you later then.¡±


    The agent bid his own farewell and departed, leaving Kevin alone once again.


    It was time to begin the next phase of his life.

 Chapter 10 - Beginning

    The massive disk to the city''s edge was a far cry from his graceful flight earlier in the day. Slow and packed with seated passengers, it was no more conducive to quiet study than the bustling station.


    But, like the station before, it gave a glimpse into everyday life. Most of the people he saw were regular citizens, rather than powerful cultivators.


    They were dressed not in robes but in fashions similar, yet different to those he was used to. When they moved, it was at speeds he could track, and they spoke of everyday troubles and triumphs.


    The bulk of them, he suspected, were in the Body Cleansing realm at most. Most were a little too attractive and healthy to be regular mortals, but few lacked the signs he¡¯d begun to associate with higher realms.


    Perhaps Energy Realm cultivators were rare. Or maybe they made their way home flitting across the sky on personal flying devices. He lacked the data to know, but the second idea was nicer.


    The thought that few people even reached the second realm was too sad.


    Carlington Station was large, but less busy than the inner city station. On the inner side, it had a landing pad, on the other, a massive vehicle took up the entirety of a road.


    The contraption looked like someone had stuck two buses together and doubled the length for the fun of it. Back home, it would have broken a dozen road laws, but it fitted the general cultivator atmosphere; everything had to be bigger.


    A few dozen people were entering as he arrived, but when he rushed over, he found it was heading in the wrong direction. His hauler would not arrive for an hour, giving him time to begin a detailed readthrough of his cultivation method at last.


    First, however, he glanced into the hauler¡¯s windows. Like a train or airplane, internal walls split the inside into multiple compartments.


    From the look of it, you could get a seat in the front section, a bunk bed in the middle, or one of a few cabins at the back. The price would undoubtedly increase in line with comfort; a regular ticket would satisfy his needs.


    With a little searching, Kevin found a section of the depot where he could sit with a view of the nearest clock. He wouldn''t be leaving tonight if he missed this hauler; he had to remain mindful of the time.


    Opening, Sealed Land Cultivation Method, he delved into pages he¡¯d only skimmed before. The writing was dense and small as if the author had attempted to cram as much into each page as possible.


    Diagrams placed here and there were the only exceptions. Each was drawn in a delicate style and given whatever room was required to convey its meaning.


    Thirty-seven pages might have been easy to finish in an hour for a regular book. However, Kevin found that with the dense writing, and his lack of background information, it took much longer to dig through.


    But he wasn¡¯t in a hurry. Even taking a few days to dig through the book with care, ensuring no hidden meaning was missed, would have been more than worth it.


    While such a long period of study might be required for the entire booklet, Kevin found the initial exercise within the first few pages as he had earlier. Then he¡¯d just been looking for the environment required; now he spent the full hour ensuring he¡¯d memorized every part.


    The idea was simple enough; just imagine a hollow orb within your body. If you stopped there, as he had earlier, you might consider the method easy enough, and you would be wrong.


    Passing the first stage required working on the visualization until you found a consistent image you could replicate each time. This was critical, as you would fail in later stages if even a single detail shifted between sessions.


    There was a diagram to help you begin, an opaque sphere floating in an empty void, but the booklet insisted that you make the image your own. Its shape and size had to resonate with you, the sole requirement being that it remained empty.


    Then there was the location where you placed the image without your body. That too had to be consistent and figured out based on how each spot ¡®felt¡¯. The method suggested placing it below the heart initially, then varying the position between that and the Dantian¡¯s traditional location.


    Here, a diagram was of significant help as the human heart was far more central to the spine than he¡¯d thought. As with the details of the visualization, the location you placed it had to be consistent before you could progress.


    Such visualization seemed to stretch what he¡¯d believed his mind capable of, yet the booklet insisted it was possible. Perhaps Qi would help along the way, or perhaps the human mind was more able than he gave it credit.


    If all of that weren¡¯t enough, the time commitment drove home why the method was so unpopular. Once you were practicing the full method, each second the image wasn''t present in your mind reduced the progress you''d made.


    While not important during this first exploratory step, the booklet still placed the information near the front; as if warning him what was in for. Would that mean he had to stay focused on the image for more than half of each day?


    The hauler arrived before he found an answer. Despite his intention to remain focused on the time, the roar of its horn was the only reason he didn¡¯t miss it.


    Hurrying inside, he found the first compartment taken up by a ticket booth, and a large refreshments stand. With help from the saleswoman, he purchased a ticket with unfamiliar coins.


    His section was in the next area, its rows of seats more reminiscent of a commercial airliner than a bus. Seating was not pre-assigned, however, and he found a spot in the back with no other passengers.A case of theft: this story is not rightfully on Amazon; if you spot it, report the violation.


    An overnight trip in this direction hadn¡¯t drawn more than a hundred people; not enough to fill a third of the massive vehicle. Even by the time they left the station, he still had half a dozen seats in his row between him and the next passenger.


    Before he could return to studying his cultivation method, Kevin¡¯s stomach reminded him he¡¯d eaten nothing beyond a few sandwiches all day. He would need to find food if he wanted to stay focused.


    The other passengers weren''t hesitating to move around the crawler as it drove, so he followed suit and returned to the front compartment.


    There, he found a collection of small pies for sale at the refreshments stand. They smelled divine, and as the line had cleared, Kevin purchased four, once more requiring the seller''s help.


    Memorizing the various coin values was something he¡¯d have to do soon. At the moment, he couldn¡¯t even tell if he was being told the correct coins to pay with, or if he was being ripped off.


    But that would be a problem for another day. For now, he returned to his seat, flipped a little table down from the back of the chair in front, and devoured his meal.


    <hr>


    Skimming past fifteen more complicated pages, Kevin found what he was looking for in the middle. Past a final exercise were the time requirements to see tangible progress.


    As the first exercise had warned him, whenever he wasn¡¯t focusing on the image, he was losing progress. This even stretched to when he was asleep, suggesting at first a requirement or near-complete focus during waking hours.


    However, that basic understanding was far from the full story. Your level of focus during your practice time had a significant impact.


    The most progress would be made during intense meditation sessions with nothing but your final image in mind. Remaining less focused, but still keeping the image present throughout the day would provide less progress, but would still build up over time.


    Finally, the booklet described a technique for keeping it in the back of your mind, even when focused on other things. While he wasn¡¯t sure that was how the mind worked, Kevin was willing to take the method at its word for now.


    On the negative side, how badly you lost focus mattered as well. Having the image vanish from your mind during the day would have the worst impact while sleeping had less of an effect.


    Eight hours of lost focus while asleep, when the mind was resting, would have far less effect than eight hours of waking negligence.


    The booklet even had a specialized dream technique to mitigate such loss, but Kevin skipped it for now. He¡¯d found hope that progress was possible, and that was all he needed.


    The hauler lurched to a stop, the sound of its horn dragging his attention from the booklet. They¡¯d arrived at another station, pausing as people alighted or entered.


    That would be annoying to sleep through, but he could see the need to warn people before they missed their stop. He¡¯d best be prepared for a rough night.


    Returning to his studies, Kevin paused as a second section in the middle of the book drew his attention. It held a detailed explanation of why consistency was so important.


    While it might not be relevant at his current level, he couldn¡¯t help but read ahead a little further. He¡¯d always found it easier to comply with instructions when he knew the reason.


    Being unable to keep a consistent image, it turned out, was even more damaging than regular loss of focus. If you couldn¡¯t keep an image steady over different sessions, then each session would try to make progress on a new image.


    If you could only remain consistent for a day, then you would never make more than a day¡¯s progress. No wonder there were so many exercises focused on dialing in that perfect image before you reached this last stage.


    The remaining pages were empty beyond a complex array marked, "Sealed Land Detection." Would they be unlocked once he''d completed the method? What secrets might be hidden there?


    Humbled but hopeful, Kevin returned to the beginning. The task ahead might seem monumental, but he had faith Dr. Grange wouldn¡¯t have given him an impossible method.


    The man gave off an aura of cool competence throughout their meeting. Travis, too, had said the OIM used him for their outsiders, and that many of them had made it into sects.


    Besides, the man had warned him the method would be difficult. If it worked in the end, then all the effort would be would be worth it.


    With the sky darkening outside, Kevin used the last light to review the first exercise again. After ensuring he knew the instructions by heart and had gotten one more look at the two diagrams, he put the booklet aside.


    Despite the rapid approach of night, he was filled with too much nervous energy for sleep to come soon. Nor could he bring himself to wait until tomorrow before beginning.


    He¡¯d studied long enough, there wouldn¡¯t come a better time to start the Sealed Land method than now.


    Closing his eyes and slowing his breathing, Kevin tried his best to clear his thoughts. It was difficult at first, and after minutes of little progress, he shifted his attempts.


    The point of the method wasn¡¯t to have an empty mind like he¡¯d heard so often about meditation back home but to focus on a single image. This, he found, was a little easier.


    Thinking about something specific helped focus his attention; soon he could keep the image of a floating orb in place for a minute at a time. Far from what he¡¯d need in the future, but decent progress for a beginner.


    It might have been enough for an initial attempt, but Kevin couldn¡¯t resist playing a little with the more advanced stages. First, he shifted the orb¡¯s shape, paying close attention to how each variation felt.


    The initial orb felt wrong, contrasting with his idea of land as a flat plane. Perhaps that was taking the title Sealed Land too literally, but the more he diverged, the better the image felt.


    He pushed the image flatter until he had an ovoid. It still felt far from perfect, but continuing further felt worse. Well, he couldn¡¯t expect to figure it out in a single evening, anyway.


    Moving on, Kevin tried the last step; placing the image within his body. Here, he ran into a contradiction. How could his ovoid be floating in a void, yet also be present in his body?


    It was a paradox that stumped him for long minutes as the hauler quietened around him. All attempts to force the two images together failed until he found a trick to resolve the contradiction.


    A void existed within his chest, just below his heart, and in that void floated an opaque ovoid shape stark against the black background. Was such a workaround allowed? He¡¯d have to check the next exercise to see if it held any clues.


    Keeping his attention on the image was still difficult for more than a minute. Even the slightest distractions could break his focus; a passenger moving to the bathroom, the snoring of a person two seats in front, and the occasional roar of the hauler¡¯s horn.


    Nor could he keep the image consistent between attempts. The shape was still changing over time, and where he placed it in his chest did as well. That was fine, however, as this was the time for experimentation.


    Eventually, the focus required became too exhausting, and Kevin let his latest attempt fade away as he opened his eyes. The inside of the hauler was dim now, illuminated by faint sigils providing just enough light to move around.


    Outside was darker still, lit only by a sliver of moon, and the glimmering of unfamiliar stars. None of the constellations he was used to were visible through the window, instead odd groupings teased at strange shapes.


    Somehow this drove home how far he¡¯d traveled more than all the strange powers and people combined. Everything had changed for the better in a single day, and he could only imagine what further changes were to come.


    That was for the future, however. Now his body was demanding a trip to the bathroom and then sleep. Resisting the urge to push his practice further tonight, Kevin gave in and prepared to rest.


    He would have to maintain a healthy lifestyle if he wanted to acquire the level of focus his cultivation method required.


    Further practice could come tomorrow and every day after that.

 Chapter 11 - Practice

    The roar of the hauler¡¯s horn jerked Kevin out of a fitful doze. Despite his best intentions, he had not slept well. Beyond the frequent interruptions, endless nightmares had plagued him.


    An empty hospital bed and swirling mist were the most common, but there had been others. An enraged response team cutting him down, being lost in a foreign land, or lying penniless in a gutter.


    Yet the fitful sleep had a single upside: He¡¯d never had the deep loss of consciousness that might have made him forget all that had happened. He was still aware that he was in a new world, living in the country of Caldain.


    He had resources, a cultivation method, and a bright future ahead of him. More than enough to banish the lingering specter of his nightmares and grant motivation for a new day.


    The sun was up now, and the hauler was bustling with fresh arrivals; he wouldn¡¯t be getting any more sleep. Licking his dry lips, Kevin shook his head clear and navigated his way to the central aisle.


    The alluring smell of coffee and fresh food drew him into the first carriage. There he found, much to his joy, that the new world had coffee. This morning, he focused on the value of different coins as he watched people move through the line ahead.


    Matching the purchases to what he had in his wallet, he memorized the different ¡®squares¡¯ as they were called. As the name suggested, all the coins were square and came in two forms.


    There were empty squares, each a frame with a hole punched in the middle, and full squares without the hole. An empty square was worth half a full square, providing more options for combining them.


    This seemed important, as the currency wasn¡¯t as easily divisible as the dollar was. From what he could tell, it was on the gold standard, with the value of each coin being based on the value of its metal.


    The coins he had the most of were in different sizes of tin and brass, while he only had a few small silver coins and one gold. The exact values of each were still beyond him, but he at least knew enough to find the right squares when asked for them.


    Purchasing a double-strength coffee ¡ª the names were all odd, so he just asked for the most common ¡ª and a pair of sandwiches, he returned to his seat. On his return, he had a moment of panic that his cultivation method was missing, but after rushing back, he found it by his seat.


    Losing that would be a setback; he¡¯d have to be more careful. He didn¡¯t know if the booklet was worth anything on its own, or if the value was in having it matched to him, but it would be best to keep it with him either way.


    Energy buoyed by sustenance and caffeine, he checked how long it was to his stop. Three hours would be enough time to get a decent practice session in; he¡¯d just have to be careful not to overshoot.


    To begin with, he found focusing on the image a little harder than the night before, his mind hazy and jittery from the coffee. As the minutes ticked by, however, he soon found his enthusiasm again.


    Even with a lack of obvious progress, cultivation was amazing. Every moment dripped with potential as if a breakthrough could happen at any second.


    While there were no breakthroughs that morning, Kevin still made progress in conceptualizing the details of his visualization. The flattened ovoid shape from the night before was a good start, but still lacking.


    The key, he found, was focusing on his idea of what a sealed land would entail. A land suggested a flat, or mostly flat, surface, and he believed that was why flattening the image had felt better.


    The image had to remain empty for now, but he could still use the idea of it having land within to guide him. A flat base felt ideal, but when envisioned it as a three-dimensional disk, it felt wrong.


    After playing for an hour, Kevin came up with the idea of a dome to represent his land. With a flat base and edges that curved upward until they met at the top, the last image felt like it represented a distant horizon where land met the sky.


    Wanting to be sure, he tried other shapes and concepts over the second hour but found nothing that fitted as well. Another reading of the exercise confirmed his suspicion that this was enough detail to progress beyond the first exercise.


    A great start, but he was far from done. He still needed to find the right position, and then practice until he could keep both image and placement consistent over multiple sessions. If he couldn¡¯t even achieve this with his initial visualization, he¡¯d fail as the exercises became more complex.


    In the third hour, he tried placing the image at various spots along his mid-line but found it more difficult. Two hours of solid focus was already more than he was used to, and as his station grew closer, the worry of missing it became distracting.


    By the time the hauler¡¯s horn sounded for his stop, he¡¯d only made a little progress. Lowering the image from his heart felt a little better, but the sensation of improvement faded as he kept going.


    With little feedback, he found it hard to pick out a single spot; and without a clear idea of the ideal location, he wouldn¡¯t have anything he could consistently bring his focus back to.


    Ensuring he had his few possessions, Kevin alighted from the train and took in his temporary home.


    <hr>


    Ostlare was a medium-sized town nestled near the base of a solitary mountain. Bracketed by a wide highway on one side, and a river on the other, the town sprawled out into a long rectangle.


    Before doing anything else, Kevin took a couple of hours to explore the area. He¡¯d visited a few country towns back home, and it was fascinating to see how things differed with not only a different culture and history but with the existence of Qi.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    Many of the buildings were small clumps of narrow flats reminiscent of the ones he¡¯d seen in the city. Alongside them were shops, eateries, bars, and workshops; all the bits and pieces a community required.


    At his best guess, Kevin would place the population a little north of two thousand, with the number of residences outnumbering the apparent jobs by a wide margin. Given the rolling farmland spreading out along flatter land away from the mountain, he guessed most jobs were in farming.


    At first, the location in the foothills of a mountain felt a little odd. Surely they would have more space further away? However, a little thought suggested a few reasons.


    Agent Travis had confirmed that mountains were good for Qi and that you wanted solid Qi flow for orchards. Given that, being as close as possible to a mountain made sense. Further, it looked like there was a sect, or something similar, on the mountain itself.


    Such an organization would require support, and while he didn¡¯t see many cultivators in town, it seemed likely they would get it from Ostlare. Having a sect so close was intriguing, but the chances of it being suitable for him seemed low.


    Nor did he want to deal with cultivator nonsense quite yet; best to leave that until he had power of his own.


    After a pleasant lunch at one of the local cafes, he located the local real estate agent and negotiated for a flat. There were a few available, and he avoided being talked into one of the more expensive options.


    A simple two-story building on the edge of town met his needs nicely without pushing his debt too hard. He was pretty sure he¡¯d still be running at a loss working part-time, but she houldn¡¯t run too far into the negative.


    All that was required to get the key was signing a contract and handing over a cheque for two months¡¯ rent. While he could have rented on a weekly basis, locking in the longer period provided a discount.


    Kevin couldn¡¯t see himself finishing the complicated Sealed Land much faster than in two months, so paying in advance made sense. Key in hand, he wandered back through the town and let himself into his temporary home.


    His flat was better than he¡¯d expected for the price and more spacious than most of the apartments he¡¯d used in his youth. The first floor held a kitchen, dining area, and a small lounge, while the second had a bathroom, bedroom, and laundry.


    Of these, the kitchen and bathroom were the most interesting, providing the modern comforts he was used to with strange new methods.


    Water and stove alike were heated with glowing runes, while cupboards promised to keep food fresh at room temperature. At least if the resident information folder he¡¯d been given could be believed.


    The place had to be using a store of Qi to run all its devices somehow, though Kevin couldn¡¯t be sure where it was coming from. Ambient collection perhaps? Or did the town have a wired Qi network?


    While the entire concept was fascinating, it would be easy to fall into procrastination if he wasn¡¯t careful. Putting aside his questions for now, Kevin settled into the lounge room and returned to his practice.


    He¡¯d confirmed the date when signing the contract and found that it was a Thursday. Caldain operated on a seven-day week, and though he suspected the names were different, they translated into the ones he was used to.


    With his new job not expecting him until the following Monday, he had a solid set of days he could dedicate to cultivation before any distractions arrived. If he split each of those around mealtimes and then added another break or two, he should be able to spread his focus over most of each day.


    That afternoon, he made further progress on deciding the location to place his visualization. It was still difficult to focus on how the shifting image felt, but after a lot of playing, he was confident that the base of his sternum was best.


    While there was no noticeable improvement from the spots above and below it, the location was a solid landmark to which he could tie the image. Having a spot he could feel, and come back too easily, would help him remain consistent.


    This would also place the sealed land roughly halfway between his shriveled Dantian and his heart. Somehow, that felt appropriate.


    Unclear how the kitchen worked, despite the information provided, Kevin ate out before pushing for another round of practice. Despite completing the first two parts, he was still having trouble remaining consistent between sessions.


    Still, he¡¯d made solid progress again, and that night he fell into an exhausted slumber with a smile.


    <hr>


    The next few days fell into a comfortable rhythm as Kevin worked on the last part of the Sealed Land methods¡¯ first exercise. Now that he had a solid image, it felt a little more real every time he imagined it.


    It was too early to consider this a sign the greater method was working, but it made staying consistent easier with each day that passed. And as Kevin grew more practice, the length he could keep the image stable increased as well.


    At first, unable to maintain focus for much more than a minute, his attention grew by leaps and bounds each day. By the end of the week, Kevin could hold a single visualization for fifteen minutes when he was in deep meditation.


    He also grew more familiar with the town and its inhabitants as he shopped for necessities. Most were pleasant, welcoming, and willing to accept his lack of understanding.


    Concealing his nature as an outsider seemed impossible, instead, he was upfront about it whenever someone asked. This often led to questions he couldn¡¯t answer, but he simply responded that he wasn¡¯t allowed to talk about it.


    In the beginning, this led to a spike in interest, and a few visitors, but the excitement soon died down. By Sunday, a cultivator fight had broken out in the town¡¯s nicest restaurant, and people had something else to gossip about.


    His brief period of fame had some perks, however, and on Saturday afternoon, Kevin found himself chatting with the cook at his new favorite cafe after closing hours. He¡¯d first met Vanessa the day before when she marched out to ask about outsider cuisine.


    Despite not being able to reveal much, beyond giving his positive opinion of the local styles, they¡¯d still hit it off. She was a pleasant person to talk to, and while he got the feeling she might be interested in more, he focused on just making a friend.


    He had other things to focus on than romance at the moment, and he wasn¡¯t planning to be in town for that long. What he needed was a few people to talk to, so he didn¡¯t go mad locked up in his house.


    When he let slip he didn¡¯t have any idea how a kitchen here worked, Vanessa insisted on giving him a lesson that afternoon. Swept along by her enthusiasm, Kevin couldn¡¯t resist or refute her reasoning.


    While he found the ingredients and recipes of Caldain somewhat familiar, the way the kitchen worked was strange indeed. Beyond the stove itself, there were few appliances, but the ones that did were fascinating.


    The cupboards maintained food freshness as advertised, slowing the rate of degradation to almost nothing. Vanessa pointed out the carved arrays at the back that managed this but didn¡¯t know the specifics.


    About the stove, she was far more knowledgeable. It had an array that transmuted mechanical Qi, which the building stored into heat-aspected Qi. The array then transferred the heat to a glass area on the countertop, much like an electric stove.


    Temperature was controlled by touching a symbol and focusing on the level of heat you wanted. Intent was what mattered, as it was used to control the specifics of the internal arrays.


    Before long, the lesson had extended too much of the local culture. By the time she left hours later, Kevin was far better prepared to fit in.


    While he¡¯d offered to pay for her time, the lesson was more than worth it, she only brushed him off with a laugh and a comment about talking to an outsider being interesting.


    Now equipped to keep himself fed, Kevin made up the lost afternoon on Sunday by staying in to cultivate all day. Starting work the next morning wasn¡¯t a real deadline, but he still felt the need to wrap up the first exercise.


    As if making such a leap would help guard him against losing momentum when distractions arose.


    After hour upon hour of the deepest focus he¡¯d ever achieved, Kevin knew he¡¯d succeeded.

 Chapter 12 - Progress

    Kevin breathed softly, his mind dominated by a single image. A dome floated in the void at the base of his sternum. While the surface was transparent, allowing you to see the void beyond, its light blue tinge made it easy to differentiate.


    No longer a mere, fleeting imagination, it was now as real as any memory he had. He¡¯d brought it to mind three times with the same clarity of detail, and three times it had come through without a single change.


    The first exercise was complete.


    The triumphant thought intruded on his focus, and he let the image with a soft chuckle. Snapping his eyes open, Kevin checked the clock on the white loungeroom wall.


    Seventeen minutes, not quite his record for length, but still far beyond his ability only a few days ago. Progress on two fronts; an excellent sign for the future.


    He¡¯d even made it with a few hours before he had to sleep. Enough time to move to the second exercise without risking exhaustion at work tomorrow.


    Eager to begin, Kevin grabbed the Sealed Land Cultivation Method booklet from the little table by the lounge. The second exercise had half a page of warnings ensuring you had passed the first.


    While confident he¡¯d made it, Kevin still took the time to tick off every box. Once he''d confirmed his progress, he moved on to memorizing the second exercise with the same care he had the first.


    Now he had a stable, empty container, it was time to fill the inside. He had to invent a complete landscape and insert it into his current visualization.


    There were diagrams to provide suggestions. One held a ship floating on a half-sphere of water, waves forming on its surface, another a verdant field filled the base of a dome while the third displayed a mountain spire covered in crags, trees, and winding paths.


    The one thing all three examples had in common was the unbelievable level of detail. Compared to this, the first exercise may as well have been nothing but idle daydreaming.


    Shaken, Kevin laid the booklet aside and closed his eyes, leaning back on the lounge. Was such a leap forward even possible? The mere thought of putting that much detail together in a mental image sent a shudder through him, and that was ignoring the difficulty of memorizing it.


    Nor was it clear what he should even put in there. Like before, he had to feel his way through the exercise, finding a landscape that resonated with him. This would, according to the booklet, ensure the ultimate creation matched his aspect.


    Aspect was a word he lacked the background understanding for, but he¡¯d heard it used enough to have an idea. It seemed to be something like an element, like the heat-aspected Qi his stove used.


    The way the booklet used it suggested each person had a natural aspect, which matched common themes from the cultivation stories he¡¯d read. If that was the case, he could see the importance of matching the aspect to the eventual Sealed Land.


    It would have just been nice to have some more guidance on how to actually do it.


    Kevin¡¯s mind whirled as he focused on the problem, doubt and fear warring with desperate hope. He had to get through this if he wanted to progress with cultivation; it was only the first step, and he couldn¡¯t expect things to get easier from there.


    Staving off panic with deep breaths, he put the problem aside. It was getting late, and sleeping on the issue might provide the insight he was missing.


    Mundane preparations for his first day of work helped too. He¡¯d purchased a map of the area and asked a local to mark the route he¡¯d have to take. Transport was available for hire, but it was only an hour¡¯s walk.


    That would be two going both ways, but he could use the time to focus on his cultivation in a fresh setting. If he had to create a detailed landscape, perhaps walking through natural beauty might help.


    Besides, it would save money, reducing how much he had to push his debt.


    Once his clothes were set out, and an alarm set on the little clock covered in scrawling script by his bed, Kevin turned in for the night.


    And dreamed of strange landscapes.


    <hr>


    Waking to the little alarm clock was a strange experience. Instead of a shrill noise jerking him awake, it was like a hand lifted Kevin out of the land of dreams and into the waking world.


    Between one moment and the next, Kevin found himself wide awake, strange dreams already fading. A glance at the little wonder on his nightstand confirmed it was six AM.


    He had an hour to prepare, then another get there before the eight o¡¯clock start. With his brain feeling like he¡¯d already had his first dose of caffeine, that would be an easy task.


    Halfway through a quick morning bath ¡ªhis flat lacked a shower¡ª, the solution to his cultivation problems slipped into Kevin¡¯s brain. All he needed to do was take it slow, a little piece at a time.


    Instead of trying to find an entire landscape that would resonate with his aspect and sense of self in one go, he could find one percent of it. If he could get a tiny chunk of the edge of his dome right, then he¡¯d have a template to build the rest of.


    Since any valid piece had to be part of a valid whole, this would allow him to try options at a vastly increased pace. Like finding the corner in a jigsaw puzzle, he could work out from there with certainty.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    The epiphany was like lightning flowing through him, triggering a fresh burst of motivation. He could have dived straight into deep meditation right away if the clothes he¡¯d prepared last night hadn¡¯t reminded him of the morning¡¯s obligation.


    Which, of course, was why he¡¯d gone to the trouble the night before. It had been years now since he¡¯d been able to manage a job, getting back into the routine would take work.


    And all his reasons for organizing it were still valid. He might pull off nothing but meditation for a few days, but he¡¯d go insane if he kept such a pattern up for long. Not to mention how he¡¯d wrack up his debt.


    Instead, Kevin played with the idea in the back of his mind as he finished his preparations.


    The example of lush fields in the booklet had been a dome, like his, and so was the logical first choice. Grass, rows of corn, or other vegetables were all tried, but none felt quite right.


    He kept at it until he was grabbing his morning coffee at Vanessa¡¯s cafe. It would have been perfect if the image had fit, verdant fields conjured up the idea of a land filled with life.


    And wasn¡¯t that his goal? Yet, no matter what he tried, Kevin couldn¡¯t get the idea to work. Throughout the first method, he¡¯d grown better at paying attention to that mystical feeling, and lush, grassy areas were plain wrong.


    On the walk out to work, he moved on to thoughts of mountains or hills, like those that swept up behind the town. Even with an impressive subject so close to hand, the idea fell through.


    A full mountain wouldn¡¯t fit well in the dome he¡¯d established in the first method, and changing that now would be at cross purposes. Hills were better, but something about their energy felt wrong.


    The closest he got before reaching Felton Orchards, was to have a wider landscape with tiny replica hills dotted across it. As if he was looking down on a vast area from a great height.


    Perhaps that was a clue as to the way forward, but for now, he had to get to work.


    <hr>


    Felton Orchards covered a vast swath of the countryside. In harvest season, its thirteen orchards of pears, plumbs, and peaches had almost a hundred people working each shift, overseen by the owner, Anthony Felton.


    Mr. Fellton, as he insisted on being called, was a grizzled man whose age no doubt exceeded his late-sixtyish appearance. Dressed in a strange hybrid between robes and coveralls, the man¡¯s gruff demeanor was at first offputting.


    Despite this, he was a decent enough boss to work for, if only because of the little attention he paid each worker. After giving Kevin a rundown of how to use the provided tools ¡ª a stepladder, and a set of woven baskets ¡ª the man left him alone for the rest of the morning.


    While the work was tiring, Kevin got into something of a meditative rhythm. First set up the ladder near a cluster of fruit, grab a basket, then climb and reach for the peaches above.


    Most of the time, he wouldn¡¯t fill a basket before clearing the area within reach, but if he did, he¡¯d have to descend to swap to an empty one. An exhausting process over time, but he expected that after a few days, he could complete it almost on auto-pilot.


    Throughout the day, he found small snippets of time to chat with the other workers. All, it seemed, were part-time workers; something Kevin suspected had to do with taxes. Still, it wasn¡¯t his place to pry.


    This meant most workers moved to another shift on a different farm in the afternoons, using the two to make a full-time job. A few in the same orchard as him, however, were working part-time while they cultivated.


    While there wasn¡¯t enough time for an in-depth discussion during work, Kevin caught that they shared the cost of transport back to town. Throwing aside his plans to walk back while cultivating, Kevin offered to pitch in for a ride.


    And so after turning in his haul for the day, and getting a nod from Mr. Fellton for reaching the quota, Kevin waited at the gate. Soon a small group had formed from the mass of departing workers; four men and three women from across the various orchards.


    Adam, Emily, Layla, Fred, and James were locals, while Amy and Ethan were out of towners like him, though not nearly as far out of town. All of them were in their late teens or early twenties and trying to get into the local sect.


    ¡°Isn¡¯t just being in the Body Cleansing realm enough to get in?¡± Kevin asked, eyebrows raised as he looked at the small group. Wasn¡¯t that the entire reason he was pushing so hard?


    Though from the awkward shuffling around the group, it may have been the wrong question to ask people already down on their luck. Wincing, Kevin gave an apologetic smile and prepared to apologize, only to get interrupted.


    ¡°It depends,¡± Emily, a young woman in ripped black jeans and a ragged t-shirt. With the septum nose ring, thick eyeliner, and eyebrow piercings, Kevin would have called her style goth back home. ¡°Some big general sects will take anyone who can pay tuition, but most have specific requirements. The Severing Sword won¡¯t take you unless you can pass their skill exam.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s a damn hard one too,¡± Fred laughed, halfway around the circle. Of the group, he looked the most like a sword wielder, well-muscled yet lithe and athletic. ¡°I¡¯ve failed twice and I do more sword training than cultivation these days.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kevin responded, taking care to be more careful with his follow-up. ¡°So what makes it worth the effort, then? I mean, if anyone can understand wanting to get into a sect, it¡¯s me.¡±


    ¡°But what makes this sect worth striving for?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Emily spoke first again as the other locals looked toward her. ¡°I guess the answer depends on whether or not you¡¯re from here,¡± she continued, glancing across at Amy and Ethan.


    ¡°For us, the Severing Sword is our sect. Sure they come down and cause trouble now and then, but we all go when they have tournaments against nearby sects. I grew up watching them, and they¡¯re why I decided to join a sect in the first place.¡±


    ¡°Emily¡¯s right,¡± Layla spoke up for the first time. With her overalls covering a yellow sun dress, she would not have been a person Kevin would have pegged as an aspiring cultivator.


    With quiet intensity, Layla continued. ¡°When you¡¯ve grown up seeing them crushing the Tumbling Boulder sect across the mountain or the Twelve Talismans from down the river, it¡¯s hard to think about joining anywhere else.¡±


    The other two nodded their agreement while Kevin looked toward the two from out of town.


    ¡°They¡¯re the fourth best sword sect in the country,¡± Amy ¡ª a whip-thin woman who barely spoke above a whisper ¡ª said, a serious glint in her eye.


    ¡°And we¡¯ve already failed the top three,¡± Ethan said with a self-deprecating laugh. The man was a little older, and a bit taller, than the woman he had his arm slung around, but he was just as thin. ¡°But we¡¯ve been getting better each time. This is going to be it.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin smiled, nodding at each of them. Nostalgia wasn¡¯t going to be a factor when the same decision came up for him in the future, but the pair of Amy and Ethan gave him more to think about.


    If you had a particular interest, it only made sense to try for sects that had that as a specialty. Would there be any that focused on reaching the peak?


    Somehow he doubted it, given the reception he¡¯d gotten so far. In that case, he¡¯d need to find one that wouldn¡¯t care too much about his goal. And, if he could swing it, one that wasn¡¯t so bloody focused on tournaments and duels.


    ¡°How about you, Kevin?¡± Emily asked, seeming to speak for the group again. She¡¯d been the one to invite him as well, perhaps she was the organizer, if not the group leader.


    ¡°Oh, I¡¯m a complete beginner,¡± Kevin shrugged, ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve heard about the outsider in town. Cultivation wasn¡¯t even real for me a few days ago.¡±


    That, of course, brought on a fresh round of questions he couldn¡¯t answer. Even the little he¡¯d just said had been pushing it based on the twinge in his throat.


    Still, Kevin couldn¡¯t help but grin as they all crowded onto the disk the group had booked ahead of time. These young men and women might not be working toward the same goal as him, but it was still nice to be around people dedicated to progress.


    And while he was still behind them, that was the case for almost everyone he met. It just meant he had to work even harder.

 Chapter 13 - Visit

    As the disk settled into one of the town''s landing pads a few minutes later, Kevin bid farewell to the group. Cultivation was an individual practice. The group only trained together in swordwork.


    Having no desire to dedicate the massive amount of time required to become a swordsman, Kevin politely declined an invitation to join. However, he did sign up to ride back with them each day.


    That way, he¡¯d be able to get his walking meditation done in the morning while catching up with like-minded individuals after work.


    After saying farewell to the group, Kevin walked back through town to his flat, the issue of the second exercise whirling through his mind. His first attempts had failed, but there were still plenty of different terrains to try.


    Eventually, he¡¯d find the right one.


    <hr>


    Kevin¡¯s life fell into a new routine as the days passed with surprising swiftness.


    It started with the walk out to Felton Orchards, where he tried option after option as the basis for his sealed land. From oceans teeming with life to lush rainforests and even busy cities: anything he could think of relating to a vibrant feeling of life.


    Then, after failing once again to locate what he was after, he would spend his four-hour shift working in the orchard. Here too, he spent some time practicing, but with less focus available, he did maintenance work for the first exercise.


    Even though he¡¯d completed that, he risked losing the base visualization while trying so many new things. If he wasn¡¯t careful, he could undermine the progress he¡¯d made so far.


    Tiring as it was, the work itself was an excellent break from being cooped up and helped to keep his body in shape. Once complete, he also got to meet up with the cultivation group as they headed back to town.


    This was often the highlight of Kevin¡¯s day, as he shared stories of cultivation frustrations with the others. Cultivation blocks of various kinds were common among all the members, and it was a relief to hear how they¡¯d either worked past or around them.


    Though none were quite specific to his situation, it was still an overwhelming relief to know he wasn¡¯t the only person who had trouble; far from it. It seemed only prodigies, or those from long cultivator lines, made it into even the early realms without trouble.


    And even they often ran into problems in the later realms. Or at least, that was the common understanding among the group. He might have to take it with a grain of salt, as none yet walked in the same circles.


    It could just be a way of feeling better about their failings.


    Once back in town, Kevin would return home to cultivate again in the afternoon. Once more, trying different terrains and variations, attempting to find anything that felt right. Hours would go by before bed, as he struggled to pull his mind away from ever more desolate landscapes, and back towards a vibrant, life-filled image.


    With no progress, but intense effort, the days blurred together; passing by so fast that he almost forgot that Agent Travis was supposed to be visiting this week.


    <hr>


    Travis angled his flying device down as the Severed Peak mountain came into full view. With the map he''d memorized placing Ostale at its base, the mountain was the landmark he''d been looking for.


    The tension in his shoulders relaxed a little at the sight. Even after years in the Energy Gathering realm, he''d never grown comfortable with personal flight.


    Of all the strange abilities he''d gained, no other seemed so unnatural. Despite their greater bulk, disks or ships made far more sense with their powerful arrays and deep storage crystals.


    Here, high in the sky balanced on this tiny slip of material, it was all him. Even now, when hours of flight drained but a tiny portion of his reserves, it still felt like he''d run out and fall from the sky at any moment.


    If not for the increased time requirements, he''d have much preferred to take the same bus he''d sent Kevin on the week before. As it was, he couldn''t afford to take a couple of days for a single meeting.


    While the last few days of the previous week were mercifully quiet, this week had brought a fresh set of incursions. As one of the agents with the least cases, he''d been called up twice more.


    From nothing to three outsiders at once. He couldn''t tell if she should be amazed at the opportunity for career advancement or horrified at the sudden workload.


    Just the paperwork for Kevin alone had taken days to get sorted. Personality assessments, threat assessments, and even cultivation potential assessments all had to be filled out and filed to hedge against the worst.


    With the two newest outsiders forcing him through the process twice more, he''d left this catchup later than intended. The days had slipped away until now, on Friday, he was barely making the rough appointment time he''d given Kevin.


    At least the man hadn¡¯t gotten into trouble during that time. Over the last few days, he¡¯d found that cooperative outsiders were far better than uncooperative ones.


    However delusional they might be.


    The tiny platform wobbled beneath him, snapping Travis'' attention back to flying. Landing was always harder than long-distance flying; he had to focus if he wanted to avoid an embarrassing crash.


    Teeth clenched behind his practiced smile, Travis kept his back straight and arms resting at his sides as he dropped into one of the empty landing areas near the town center.


    A few people glanced over, but none glowed with the power of higher realm cultivators. Sighing in relief, he stomped down, flipping his mini-disk into the air where he could pull it into his storage ring.


    It wouldn''t do for anyone of importance to figure out he still used a training implement to fly.


    An easy glance around the area confirmed the information from his spiritual senses; there were no immediate threats. Safety assured, he closed his eyes and took a single breath.If you encounter this story on Amazon, note that it''s taken without permission from the author. Report it.


    Qi flowed into his lungs, spiraling into the complex patterns required by the Woven Thread cultivation method. While it traveled a more roundabout route than most, bypassing his three stunted meridians, it still reached his Qi Sea within seconds.


    A broad smile spread across Travis'' face as the warm energy filled a fraction of the empty space created by his flight. The Qi here was warm and plentiful; fed by the mountain, and supped on by so few cultivators.


    Compared to the city, it was like swimming in a lake instead of trying to pull water from a deep well. They''d found a good place for Kevin indeed.


    Speaking of the man, the town''s clock tower showed he would have just finished work. Assuming he took a disk back instead of walking, he should arrive any minute now.


    If that were the case, he could wait until the outsider arrived here. If not, he could head for the man''s flat when it became clear he''d decided to walk.


    He had Kevin''s address from when the outsider paid for accommodation with an OIM cheque, so it should be simple to find.


    Settling in to wait, Travis leaned against a nearby wall, letting the sights, sounds, and smells of the town wash over him. Trained senses, boosted by his advancement, took in far more than most.


    The town was calm, its people wandered the streets without worry on their faces or the smell of fear. Nor were there signs of monsters or demonic beasts in the area; at least none close enough that they fell within his range.


    Not surprising, given the reputation of the Severing Sword sect. From all he''d heard, they deserved their spot in the top Thirty Six sects. It was a shame they wouldn''t be a suitable home for his charge.


    Kevin neither moved like someone trained in combat nor had given any hint of such ability in their interview. The chances of him going from nothing to a skilled swordsman without years of training were nonexistent.


    The outsider would have to find his own path to strength. Assuming, that is, the man made it past his initial weaknesses. Travis knew well how hard that could be.


    Then again, there was no reason to worry too much. If anyone could manage an artificial Dantian, it would be that lunatic.


    For now, he could enjoy the momentary break from work. The sun was shining, birds chirped in nearby trees, and, at the edge of his senses, three cultivators crossed the sky.


    Travis snapped out of his momentary enjoyment as the three newcomers blazed into his awareness. They were moving fast and from the mountain. Sect cultivators from the Severing Sword, no doubt.


    Even at this distance, he could tell they were in the first or second stage of the Energy Gathering realm. Strong enough to be problematic if they wanted trouble, but not so strong he''d be helpless.


    Would they cause issues? He wasn''t a sect cultivator, and so hadn''t been required to register before entering their lands. Nor was a former member of a sect they might hold a grudge toward.


    By all logic, there shouldn''t be any reason to be concerned. Of course, sect cultivators were not well known for their logical thinking. While that was a cliche, it was not without merit.


    For a moment, he considered leaving, then discarded the idea. The three cultivators had already changed direction, shifting from their original landing zone to his. No doubt they''d detected him as well.


    Leaving now might well be construed as running, and he had no reason to run. Best not to make them any more curious than they might already be.


    He couldn''t imagine many third-stage Energy Realm cultivators showed up unannounced; not out here, away from civilization and yet close to a powerful sect. They were likely just curious.


    In less than a minute, three swords sliced through the air above, the figures riding them balancing with ease as they pulled out of a dive. Travis had to admit he was both impressed and jealous.


    Beyond the obvious grace and training in their movements, he couldn''t sense any hint of flight arrays on their swords. They were flying not with modern technology, but with traditional sword techniques.


    Few people bothered to learn such things, but he should have guessed that disciples of a well-known sword sect would be among them. Their skill put his petty attempts to shame, and he gave silent thanks to the heavens that he''d arrived first.


    All three figures were young men, at most twenty years of age, and perhaps as young as eighteen. Prodigies, no doubt, to be in the Energy Gathering realm at such a young age.


    As if they''d rehearsed the maneuver, the three slid off their swords in unison, landing no more than two meters away from him. Given what he knew about sect cultivators, they may very well have practiced it.


    Travis tensed as their eyes locked onto him, swords floating into their hands. Then the weapons vanished into storage rings, and he let some of the tension flow out of his muscles.


    If they''d decided to cut him down, things would have gotten messy, and not just for Travis. That was not the kind of thing you could do to a government agent without repercussions.


    "Well then, what do we have here?" the lead youth asked, his tone haughty and demanding. Dressed in the same white robes as the others, he stood out with his jet-black hair and the strong hint of Xian''ian features on his face.


    No doubt the kid was from a traditional cultivator clan; one that still kept their bloodline strong to avoid the issues so many others faced. Suppressing a wince, Travis pushed the young man''s threat level up a few notches.


    Placing a smile across his face, Travis palmed his OIM badge, then ensured it was visible when he held his arms out and open. "Just a bureaucrat out on a job. I have no business with your sect, nor reason to interfere with your leisure time in the town."


    The young master frowned, his smirk twitching downward for a moment. Then it returned in full force. "Oh, a city cultivator. From one of those fancy agencies in the capital?."


    Travis scanned the man''s face, not liking what he saw. Boredom, mixed with annoyance and a hint of sadistic glee; this man was looking to take his frustrations out on someone."


    "Correct," he responded with a careful nod. "And I do need to be on my way. Wouldn''t want my boss complaining about a late job." Without pausing, he turned, picked a random direction, and left.


    He focused his spiritual senses as he did so, but doubted they would escalate to attacking him from behind. That wouldn''t fit with the narrative they no doubt had in their heads.


    As expected, the only thing to follow him were words. This time it was a different voice, one of the lackeys. "Come back city cultivator, why not trade pointers with us? Shows us how the strength you claim to manage the country with."


    Resisting the urge to respond, Travis gritted his teeth and kept walking. The near-dig at both his and the agency''s abilities hurt, but getting into a fight here wouldn''t be worth it.


    "Don''t bother," the young master laughed, high and mocking. "I heard there isn''t any Qi to go around in the big city. The city cultivator might have scraped his way to Energy Gathering, but I bet he''s barely stronger than a mortal."


    Travis'' spine snapped straight, eyes widening, hands curling into fists. Spinning on a dime, he stalked back toward the landing pad, face locked in a rictus of fury.


    Forget restraint, a fight was exactly what he needed.


    <hr>


    Kevin could tell something was up when the group''s conversation trailed off. One by one they turned toward the town, those in the second stage moving first, the others following soon after.


    Even the driver had turned his head a little; though that was perhaps expected, given he was a strong enough cultivator to direct the contraption. Pouting, Kevin strained his eyes to try and pick up whatever was so interesting.


    Left out again; he had to get some of this Qi-sensing business down as soon as possible. "What''s going on?" he asked after, curiosity beating out embarrassment.


    As usual, Emily took the lead. "Cultivators in the landing area. Four of them, all pumping out a lot of Qi. We''ve still got time," she finished, sounding relieved.


    "Please hurry," she continued, turning to the driver. "We''ll pay extra if you make it in time."


    "You kids, always looking for trouble," the middle-aged driver laughed, shaking his head. Despite his words, the town began growing closer at an alarming rate.


    "Time for what?" Kevin asked, biting his lip.


    "The fight, of course," Ethan responded this time, leaning forward, a feral gleam in his eyes. "If there''s a fight in this town, the Severing Sword will be part of it. Who knows what we might pick up just by watching?"


    There were murmurs of agreement from the rest of the group, but no further conversation. Instead, they all focused on some distant, invisible showdown.


    Leaving Kevin to wait and wonder as they sped closer. Within a minute they were lowering down, four figures visible in the area below. Three brawled to one side, while a fourth was face down on the ground.


    It seemed the fight had already started. Squinting down, Kevin looked at the one person without a big sword painted on the back of their robes.


    Those glasses... was that Travis?


    "What the hell?" he breathed, almost falling off the disk as he leaned forward to get a closer look at the fight.

 Chapter 14 - Fight

    The nice thing about prodigies, Travis mused, staring down at the unconscious cultivator, was that they weren''t used to being punched in the face.


    In the beginning, the fight had started slowly, as most such conflicts did. Each of the three sect cultivators had spread out at his return, spouting more insults as they surrounded him.


    As if he''d somehow run away after returning to face them. Though it was, perhaps, a sensible strategy for fighting a weaker enemy, ensuring they couldn''t get away.


    A year ago, when his martial arts were only solid, he would have been in trouble. Back before he¡¯d become a probationary agent, before he¡¯d been trained by Susan Sinclair.


    The Sinclair Associate style, the version they were allowed to teach outside the clan, had a simple solution for situations like this: When outnumbered, attack.


    It seemed counterintuitive, as if you should be bracing yourself to defend with your full ability. Yet defense would only protect you for so long.


    You might remain unhurt for a while, but they would whittle you down in the end. The only way to come out on top when facing superior numbers was to make them less superior at the first opportunity.


    Which turned out to be the instant the fight started. As the three cultivators glanced at each other to synchronize their timing, Travis lunged for the one on the left.


    His target had been the one to speak the least, only throwing a few insults at the end. With cultivator hierarchies, that usually meant he was the weakest.


    With the Whipping Branch movement technique propelling him forward, Travis¡¯ right hook whipped around, catching his target right on the jaw.


    It struck with a satisfying crack but wasn¡¯t nearly enough to take down a cultivator in the second stage of the Energy Gathering realm. The man reeled backward, bleeding off the strike¡¯s energy and using it to back peddle.


    Travis stuck with him, unloading a brutal flurry of blows. Left, right, left again, then an uppercut. A dozen strikes in two seconds and the man fell, crashing to the ground before his friends had made it halfway over.


    Which brought him back to his current situation. Three-on-one would have been an issue, even with his full stage of cultivation advancement.


    Two-on-one, he could handle


    <hr>


    Yep, that was Travis, all right. He¡¯d have recognized those tiny, wire-rimmed glasses anywhere.


    What he was doing getting involved in a fistfight all the way out here was another matter. Shouldn¡¯t he have been back in the capital?


    Had he mentioned something about checking in next week? Perhaps he¡¯d visited only to be caught up in some cultivator nonsense.


    It seemed plausible, and there was no more time to think as the fight heated up.


    As if angered at the fall of their comrade, the other two cultivators blurred into a synchronized attack.


    Their style looked odd at first, full of slicing strikes with the outside of their hands and forearms or inward kicks with the front of their shins.


    But it all fell together once he¡¯d seen them mix it up with a few straight punches or front kicks,


    When devoid of their famous weapons, the Severing Sword cultivators became blades themselves. Their strange, swinging strikes were the slashing of the blade; the front blows the stab.


    With incredible agility, they flowed from motion to motion, building momentum as they whirled into a continuous pattern of strikes.


    A whirlwind that Travis was clearly struggling to contain. In contrast to the two attackers, he stood still and solid, using the minimum amount of motion required to block each strike.


    Blows were getting through, striking on his sides and back, yet never at his vitals. Seeming unconcerned, he weathered the storm.


    Until, after thirty seconds of punishment, he struck. As if noticing some unseen opening, he was on the man to the right in an instant, fist driving straight toward his face with blazing speed.


    The cultivator danced backward, parrying the blow aside. That, it turned out, was a mistake.


    Travis followed, sticking to the man with short bursts of motion as the fight was carried away from the second cultivator.


    The first backpedaled even faster, his movements blurring beyond Kevin¡¯s ability to see. For a moment, he looked like he¡¯d escape and leave Travis open to his comrade''s attack.


    Then Travis crouched and exploded forward, launching with such force he cracked the concrete. A pair of crunches echoed throughout the courtyard; the first from the concrete, the second Travis¡¯s double punch taking the man in the stomach.


    With a choked exhale, the man folded over the agent¡¯s fists straight into a rising knee strike. Something snapped with a disturbing crack, and the man fell to the side, unmoving.


    Travis¡¯ face held a feral grin as he turned and stalked toward the other cultivator. Caught partway through a charge, the man stumbled to a stop, shuffling into a defensive stance as doubt flashed across his faintly Asian features.


    Then the doubt vanished, shifting to grim determination as the cultivator readied himself to fight.


    After that, both cultivators flared with visible energy auras, and the battle grew too swift for Kevin to track,


    He could only imagine that the sect cultivator had been holding back to keep pace with his comrade, given the speed he was moving at now.


    However, even that paled to how Travis was moving. The agent was stronger and faster than his opponent, if perhaps a little less agile. Was this a difference in cultivation levels he was seeing?The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Once again, Kevin cursed his complete lack of any spiritual senses.


    Impeccable skill met superior physical ability and, for a while at least, held its ground. While the sect cultivator moved back with every exchange, he held off Travis¡¯ more straightforward strikes with a dazzling array of blocks, parries, and dodges.


    For several minutes, the battle continued until Travis began to get the upper hand, his opponent slowing. Blows began to get through; at first, blocked by flashes of gray energy, then striking against flesh.


    Even then, the third cultivator did better than his fellows, taking almost a dozen strikes before a brutal right took him down.


    Leaving Travis standing tall above his fallen enemies, with a smirk on his face. With glasses askew and bloody fists, the man looked nothing like the fussy bureaucrat Kevin was familiar with.


    Then, the moment passed as the agent pulled a handkerchief from his sleeve, wiped the blood away, and righted his glasses. The last thing to go was the smirk, but eventuall,y even that returned to the man¡¯s usual smile.


    Despite that, Kevin couldn¡¯t relax. Looking past the site of the battle, it looked like half the town had shown up to witness it. The edges of the landing area were packed with people.


    While none of them could be considered true cultivators, from what he''d learned, the town''s average advancement was well into the Body Cleansing realm. That might not be impressive for someone in their thirties or forties, but it would be a hell of a horde attack if they rioted.


    Somehow, Kevin doubted the agent would be as effective against thirty people as he had been against three. Even if their strength would be a lot lower.


    If that happened, there would be nothing he could do to help despite how much he owed the other man.


    As if to defy his expectations, the onlookers swarmed forward in a wave, roaring not in anger but in excitement. Within moments, they¡¯d surrounded the agent, cheering and praising in turn.


    He¡¯d never understand this place.


    <hr>


    In a doze, Kevin walked forward, trying to make sense of the situation. He was tall enough to see above much of the crowd, but even then nothing made sense.


    The inner circle around Travis seemed to be made of younger men patting him on the back and young women hanging off him. Kevin even thought he heard someone praising the agent for defeating the ¡®evil sect cultivators.¡¯


    Didn¡¯t the Severing Sword sect have a lot of respect around here? Either that wasn¡¯t nearly as universal as he¡¯d been told, or something else was going on here.


    As he grew closer, he put together what felt so odd. The entire display was massively overdone as if everyone was intentionally hamming it up.


    The vibe was more like a big game than anything else. Or perhaps a play about the heroic wandering cultivator solving the downtrodden town¡¯s problems.


    Even the women flirting with Travis were overdoing it, making it a game of one-upping each other. Vanessa was among them, seeming just as into it as the rest.


    She was on the other side of Travis, looking in Kevin¡¯s direction, so he did his best to get her attention. After a few moments of waving, he saw recognition cross her face.


    Another gesture towards himself brought a pout, but she eventually pushed through the crowd. ¡°Hey Kevin, what¡¯s up?¡± Vanessa said, her voice distracted.


    ¡°What the hell is going on here?¡± Kevin asked. It was the kind of question he wanted to whisper, yet the noise level forced him to almost shout.


    ¡°Just a bit of fun,¡± Vanessa responded with a shrug. ¡°We don¡¯t often get city hunks out here. I¡¯d better get back to it,¡± she finished, turning away.


    Travis was a ¡®hunk¡¯ now? ¡°Wait. Wait,¡± Kevin said, an idea flashing into his head. ¡°I know that guy, he¡¯s almost certainly here to see me. I¡¯ll introduce you if you just explain what¡¯s going on.¡±


    ¡°Shouldn¡¯t you all be annoyed he took out the Severing Sword?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Vanessa responded, dragging her attention back toward him. ¡°Well, it¡¯s like this. The Severing Sword¡¯s our sect, and they do have a lot of respect, but sometimes their disciples come down and cause trouble.¡±


    ¡°Now that¡¯s normal and even draws quite a bit of tourism, but it still gets annoying. So a lot of people like seeing some of the troublemakers take a bit of beating.¡±


    Vanessa paused, staring away with a considering look. ¡°But it¡¯s more than that too, I guess. It¡¯s a good story, right? The wandering hero comes in and takes out the bad guys. Shouldn¡¯t he be rewarded then?¡±


    ¡°I mean, if he¡¯d lost, we¡¯d been cheering on the sect cultivators for taking out the evil outsider, so it all balances out,¡± she finished with a shrug. ¡°So you¡¯ll introduce me then?¡±


    ¡°Yeah, just let me try to get his attention,¡± Kevin responded, new ideas whirling through his mind.


    If he thought of this as an impromptu cultural festival celebrating cultivator archetypes, it made a lot more sense. As Vanessa said, it was a great story, not something personal.


    In that way, it wasn¡¯t so different from the energy at a sports game or perhaps a boxing match. The strange part was seeing it applied to a random street fight rather than something official.


    But given what he''d learned about this world so far, that might not be so unusual here. With cultivators getting into duels or battles all over the place, people might well take excitement wherever they could get it.


    Or perhaps they just liked competition that much.


    Vanessa opened her mouth to respond but closed it, glancing towards the group with a calculating eye. When she spoke, it was in a rush.


    ¡°No, do it later at Giano¡¯s. I have so much more time to prepare with a guaranteed introduction. See you later, Kevin, don¡¯t forget,¡± she finished, hurrying off before he could respond or even say goodbye.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevin said weakly, shaking his head. She seemed really into it; they all did. Even the older members of the town present, who he''d have expected to disapprovingly at a street fight, were cheering and making merry with the rest.


    He heard more than a few, ''good riddance'' and ¡°''got what was coming to them'' comments going around as well. Yet all of them were spoken with an undertone of amusement as if they didn¡¯t really mean it.


    Perhaps the sect cultivators would be back to being the heroes of the town next week once all this had died down. It was strange, but it was something he could learn and adapt to.


    Such knowledge would be important if he ended up joining a sect. If nothing else, the sect cultivators had shown the most important lesson: don¡¯t go losing fights in front of a bunch of people.


    And speaking of lessons, it seemed the agent was a far better cultivator than Kevin had ever given him credit for. Perhaps the man would have some advice for his current predicament.


    He just needed to get Travis away from his temporary fans first.


    <hr>


    In the end, getting through the crowd hadn¡¯t been that difficult. The outermost, less enthusiastic, people had been happy to let him through, and as he got closer, Travis called out a greeting.


    That got him through quickly once people realized he was a friend of the ¡®hero.¡¯


    ¡°Kevin, excellent. I was on my way to look for you,¡± Travis said, not even having the decency to look embarrassed as he stood there with a woman hanging off each arm.


    ¡°I¡¯m here for the checkup I mentioned,¡± the agent finished.


    ¡°I remembered that part,¡± Kevin laughed, shaking his head at the man. ¡°But not the bit about you punching out a bunch of sect disciples.¡±


    That, at least, got a flush out of the man, though it led to a fresh round of cheering. ¡°Well, that just kind of happened,¡± Travis said with a weak shrug. ¡°They were being obnoxious, and in the end, I couldn¡¯t stand it.¡±


    Another round of cheering; they needed to get out of this crowd if they were going to have a decent talk. ¡°Well we¡¯d better get to it then,¡± Kevin said, jerking his head towards his apartment.


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry, everyone, I¡¯ll have him back for the celebration at Giano¡¯s,¡± he continued in a raised voice. Wasn¡¯t Giano¡¯s the restaurant that had the cultivator fight on Sunday?


    If those three had been part of the trouble, then he could see the owner wanting to celebrate their downfall.


    It seemed he¡¯d picked up the right thing to say from Vanessa as the crowd began to disperse. Though not without many promises from Travis to retell the story later and to see several women again.


    Vanessa would have her work cut out for her if she was serious.


    ¡°Sorry about that,¡± Travis sighed as they escaped down a side street. ¡°These country towns are more enthusiastic than I¡¯m used to in the city.¡±


    ¡°Tell me about it,¡± Kevin laughed in response. ¡°And what about poor Susan? What¡¯s she going to think about all these women falling all over for you.¡±


    Travis flushed, shaking his head. ¡°It¡¯s not like that. They''re just after a bit of excitement and fun. I wasn¡¯t even planning on staying the night.¡±


    Forcing himself not to tease the man about the implicit implication he was planning on staying the night now, Kevin turned serious.


    ¡°I need your advice on a little cultivation issue.¡±

 Chapter 15 - Doubt

    ¡°So, what do you think?¡± Kevin asked, nervous tension racing through him as he looked at the agent.


    They were sitting at his dining table, a cup of tea in front of each of them as the agent scratched his chin, holding up a finger to wait.


    After their brief discussion on the street, he¡¯d hustled Travis back to his place. This was not the kind of conversation he wanted to have in the open.


    Then he¡¯d whipped up a few drinks and gone through his current troubles with the Sealed Land cultivation method. He covered both the success and the current string of failures, not sparing his pride to ensure the agent had all the information he needed.


    Now all he could do was wait and sip his drink to hide just how nervous he was. If this didn¡¯t work, he might need to ask for another appointment with Dr. Grange.


    Even if the method was expected to take a while to complete, almost a week with no progress seemed too much. Perhaps he wasn¡¯t compatible with it at all?


    ¡°So, if I¡¯m understanding correctly, your issue is that none of the images you think should fit in your sealed land feel right?¡± Travis said.


    Kevin nodded; that about covered the issue.


    ¡°Well, I think I can tell you the problem right away,¡± Travis said with a wry smile. ¡°It¡¯s something everyone from a cultivator family knows, but the rest of us have to figure out.¡±


    ¡°I imagine it¡¯s even worse for outsiders as well. The simple issue is you''re starting from the end. That might work with mundane goals, but it¡¯s never going to work for cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Starting with the beginning?¡± Kevin asked, mind whirling with ideas. He thought he might be getting what Travis was saying, but he needed confirmation.


    ¡°Yes,¡± Travis responded with a firm nod. ¡°You want to be overflowing with life, a wellspring of life force and energy that never ends. But that isn¡¯t what you are now. If you try to jump from your current spot straight there, you¡¯ll never make it.¡±


    ¡°You have to accept your current state; that¡¯s the only place where you can make any changes. Perhaps in the future, you can shift to what you think your goal requires, or perhaps you¡¯ll find you were entirely wrong.¡±


    ¡°But either way, you must begin right where you are.¡±


    Kevin bit his lip; he could see that. As he was, he didn¡¯t have any more energy or lifespan than a regular mortal. If you compared that to his goal of eternal life, he might as well have nothing.


    In other words, if his ideal was a sealed realm brimming with life and energy, he was about as far from that as possible. No wonder none of his ideas had worked.


    Why then had those lovely fields been one of those examples? Perhaps other people had different beliefs, and so would progress differently? Whatever the case, it was a single example of three that he¡¯d latched onto because it fit with what he wanted to believe.


    He¡¯d been spending so much effort dragging his thoughts back from those desolate landscapes, ignoring the obvious clue they presented. Thank god Travis had set him right after only a week, who knows how long he¡¯d have wasted otherwise?


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kevin said, his tone serious. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t have understood that for ages otherwise.¡±


    ¡°You''re welcome, but I¡¯m just doing my job,¡± the agent shrugged in reply. ¡°Now, if we could just get this interview out of the way, I believe there¡¯s a celebration I need to get to.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin laughed as the mood changed for the merrier. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t want my door broken down by people looking for you. What do you need?¡±


    ¡°Just the basics,¡± Travis said, pulling a clipboard from nowhere. ¡°How you¡¯ve been fitting in, work, and so on. Cultivation too, but I think I¡¯ve got enough details for that.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin nodded. ¡°Works been going well¡­¡±


    <hr>


    The interview lasted an hour and covered his life in more detail than Kevin had expected. Still, Travis seemed happy enough once it was done, and he hoped that meant the OIM would be happy, too.


    Given they were setting everything up for him, that was rather important.


    After the interview, they left for the celebration. Gino¡¯s was easy to find; you just had to follow the stream of dressed-up townsfolk.


    Before long, we¡¯d arrived at a massive restaurant, filled with a few hundred people. The main floor had been cleared to hold three huge buffet tables with room in between where people could mingle.


    The celebration had already begun but kicked into full gear when Travis arrived. Another massive cheer swept through the room, and he was quickly led off by a swarm of people demanding to hear about the fight.


    Leaving Kevin alone, which would have been fine if he didn¡¯t have a promise to keep. Shrugging, he began searching for Vanessa.


    Finding her took a good half hour in the shifting mass of people, but he eventually came across her at one of the buffet tables. She was looking amazing, wearing a fancy robe-dress hybrid.


    ¡°Kevin! Finally,¡± she swept over at seeing him. ¡°You owe me an introduction.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, that''s why I¡¯m here,¡± Kevin said back, hooking his arm into hers. ¡°Come on, I¡¯m pretty sure he¡¯s this way.¡±Royal Road is the home of this novel. Visit there to read the original and support the author.


    Travis was not hard to find, he just had to look for the largest clump of people. Getting in to see him took a little more work, but eventually, Kevin managed to complete his promise.


    The introduction even seemed to go pretty well, given how many other attractive young women clustered around the agent.


    After wishing Vanessa luck, he extracted himself from the huddle and found the quietest corner he could. This was still louder than he¡¯d have liked, but it would have been rude to leave so soon after arriving.


    ¡°Work with where I am currently, huh?¡± Kevin muttered, closing his eyes and casting his mind to the very things he¡¯d been ignoring for so long.


    That noisy room with a party in full swing should have been a terrible place to concentrate, and yet the images still came easily. As if welcoming his sudden change of heart with a burst of inspiration.


    Instead of focusing on images linked to what he wanted, Kevin cast his mind back to landscapes that had stayed with him the longest.


    The cracked yellow dirt that filled the fields during a drought in his childhood, the majesty of the Grand Canyon, and sandy deserts as far as the eye could see. All harsh places, yet filled with an enduring beauty.


    Cracked earth split by canyons fitted the best; dry like a desert, but harder, more enduring. As if it would continue to exist no matter what happened, through drought or storm, until the end of time.


    Kevin laughed out loud, shaking his head at coming full circle. After accepting that he had to put his dream aside for now, he¡¯d still ended up with an image that somehow fit.


    A sealed land that felt like it would endure forever; what better basis for further advancement could there be?


    There was still so much to do; he had but a tiny corner of the landscape needed, but now there was hope.


    He just needed to keep working on it.


    <hr>


    Days turned into weeks as Kevin continued to build out his landscape. The theme stayed the same, though in a few places, the details changed.


    Here and there, across the massive plains of hardened earth, stood tiny replicas of hills and mountains. In others, there were twisted, deadwood trees, plains of salt, or massive canyons.


    All of it seemed small at the scale he was working at, as if looking down on a vast area while flying. It was an ambitious project, and yet every part of it felt better than the last.


    At first, the massive plan had felt good on its own, yet he knew it was missing something. The diagram of a mountain within a sealed land was his key to moving forward again.


    That example in the booklet had been so lifelike, with roads and crags drawn in exquisite detail. So he¡¯d begun his own work, no matter how long it would take.


    Three weeks, in the end, to form the full landscape. Another month to ensure he¡¯d memorized it down to the smallest detail. Sixty-plus days at ten hours of focus per day; over six hundred hours of work.


    In the end, it was glorious, by far the greatest work of his life. Glowing with pride, Kevin took a full afternoon off on the last day before proceeding to the final exercise.


    He managed to get all his friends together. Vanessa and the cultivation group were easy, but Agent Travis was harder. Yet the man was due for another interview, and so wasn¡¯t too difficult to convince.


    For once, Kevin was talking about his advancement instead of listening to those in the cultivation group. After so long, the validation was incredible, and he knew it would only grow once he¡¯d finished.


    The next day, he cracked open the Sealed Land Cultivation Method booklet and flipped to the third exercise. This time, there was a full page of warnings, and despite his excitement, Kevin went through to ensure he¡¯d completed everything.


    He had.


    With bated breath, he looked to the next page, expecting another large set of instructions. What complicated madness would it be this time? Whatever it was, he was ready.


    Instead, it was only a couple of paragraphs. All they said was that he had to inject a sense of realism into his image.


    He had to believe that it was real; not just some visualization in his mind, but a real prescience within his body.


    That was it; no other instructions, details, or even a diagram to get started.


    Frowning, he flipped to the next page. It was the instructions for time requirements he¡¯d read so long ago on the train.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin sighed, leaning back. He¡¯d have to read the time instructions again, but for now, he had to contemplate the third exercise.


    Instead of being another prerequisite, as he¡¯d expected, it seemed this was also the final step of the whole method. Just believe it was real, and eventually it would be.


    Well, it couldn¡¯t be that hard. Right?


    <hr>


    Belief, it turned out, was that hard. More weeks passed as Kevin tried to inject that elusive ¡®realism¡¯ into his image.


    The season marched forward as he did so. He¡¯d been in the town for more than two months and now had to extend his lease week by week.


    The harvest season was long in Ostale, and rumor had it old man Felton used formations to extend it further, but even then his job wouldn¡¯t last forever.


    From his talks with the other workers, he knew the farm drastically cut its workforce after the harvest season. This was the reason for the mass of part-time workers the farms around here hired, not taxes as he¡¯d first thought.


    Most then moved on to other seasonal or temporary jobs. Road work was common, or snow clearing in the winter. All options, but ones that would become very competitive for a while, with so many people looking for work.


    As for his cultivation friends, they were in full practice mode for the fall acceptance examinations at the Severing Sword sect. Most had quit work entirely, putting everything on the line to practice their swordwork.


    Perhaps he should do the same when the work ran out. With little progress so far, even more focus might move him forward.


    Assuming he¡¯d ever make it.


    This third exercise was the hardest to keep up with. At least with the first two, there had been changes to focus on as time went by. Building his initial dome, and designing his landscape, they¡¯d both come with a sense of change and progress.


    Now he was just focusing on the same image every day, trying to believe it was real. A sealed land floated in a void at the base of his sternum, and within it lay a desolate landscape.


    The same image, day after day, the only difference being how he thought about it. Some days he tried brightening it to a hyper level of detail, others tricking himself into thinking it was a memory.


    Neither worked, and he even felt like increasing the level of detail changed the image too much. Leaving both behind, he tried to focus again on it being a real place located within him.


    As more time passed, it was easy to doubt that it would ever happen. How much of his life was he wasting in this attempt to get a longer lifespan?


    What kind of person sat inside every day, doing nothing but meditating on a single image? Who filled their mind with the same image throughout everyday tasks or conversations?


    With the dream technique, he even dreamed of the same land; it was always there, with no escape. There were times he even felt like he hated it, yet the landscape felt so good to imagine he always came back to enjoying it.


    Even conversations with Travis did little to help. All the man could say was that cultivation breakthroughs were often proceeded by the greatest amount of resistance. You had to build up enough energy and momentum to shatter them.


    ¡°Wait until winter,¡± the agent said, shaking his head. ¡°If you haven¡¯t made progress by then, we¡¯ll return to Dr. Grange. Cultivation is a slow progress, and it¡¯s best not to look for outside help until you''re sure there¡¯s a problem.¡±


    ¡°You need to believe you can move forward without always relying on others.¡±


    Frowning, Kevin had agreed. Going back would have felt like a failure anyway, and he was terrified that the doctor would say the method wasn¡¯t a good fit after all. That all his work so far would go to waste.


    So he doubled down again, barely leaving his house except for work; spending every moment in the deepest meditation he could. Endless hours of just sitting there, believing in a fairy tale.


    Until one day, it became real.

 Chapter 16 - Breakthrough

    Kevin had always thought that progress would come in deep meditation, if it would come at all. Yet when a breakthrough came at last, it was during mundane life.


    He was at work, keeping his visualization in the back of his mind, as always. The job was almost done now, with only a sparse few plums in hard-to-reach places on each tree.


    Stretching for them was difficult, requiring careful balance at the far edge of his reach. It was halfway through such a stretch that he forgot the sealed land was only a visualization.


    For a single instant, it truly felt like an actual place inside him, and that was enough. Energy surged inward as a sharp pain appeared in his chest.


    The sudden shock sent Kevin falling backward, windmilling his arms to stay upright. He hit the ground with a heavy thump, air driven from his lungs.


    And yet, he couldn¡¯t bring himself to care at the discomfort. Not when everything had changed.


    He could feel a floating dome in his sternum. It wasn¡¯t obvious unless he was looking, but it was as real as the expansion of his lungs or the beating of his heart.


    When focusing on it, he could take in every detail he¡¯d only imagined before. The plain of cracked earth, the replica mountains, the trees, the salt flats, all of it was there.


    There were also tiny sparks of light here and there, pulsing to his senses. None of his attempts had included such a detail, yet here they were.


    It had to be Qi.


    Real Qi within his artificial Dantian; he¡¯d done it. He¡¯d broken through.


    Sweet victory was his.


    ¡°Body Cleansing realm, first stage, first grade,¡± Mr. Felton¡¯s voice echoed loudly from beside him, an approving tone in his voice. ¡°Well done.¡±


    Kevin jerked from his spot on the ground at the unexpected interruption and at how clear the man¡¯s voice was.


    ¡°Up you get now. Advancement or not, there¡¯s no shirking at work,¡± the man continued, approval gone as he grabbed one of Kevin¡¯s hands and hauled him to his feet with little effort.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin said, dazed by the man¡¯s words and by how different the world seemed.


    His senses were suddenly better than he could ever remember. Sound was louder, colors brighter, and his eyes took in movement with incredible ease.


    He could smell the last few plums in the trees, almost well enough to find them with his eyes closed. And beside him, he sensed a glowing bonfire of power.


    A hand patted him on the back with impressive force, sending Kevin lurching forward. His stomach lurched, too, and with a choking noise, he vomited across the ground.


    The substance smelled foul, and when he opened his eyes and wiped his mouth, he found a small puddle of black fluid. That didn¡¯t look like anything he¡¯d eaten for breakfast.


    ¡°Back to work,¡± Mr. Felton grunted, pushing him again. This time, Kevin complied, climbing the ladder in a daze.


    Had the farmer said he was in the Body Cleansing realm? Already?


    Somehow he¡¯d thought the Sealed Land method would just be the first step, that there would be more work to do after he had his artificial Dantian. Yet the signs all pointed to the farmer being right.


    That black liquid had been classic Body Cleansing stuff, though in smaller quantities than most stories he¡¯d read. Perhaps it was because he was just in the first grade?


    Or maybe it was the blocked meridians? Either way, it was a clear sign. When you combined it with enhanced physical senses and a new sixth sense for Qi, the answer was pretty clear.


    He was a pure mortal no longer.


    Kevin¡¯s heart thumped with excitement. There was so much to do. He had to read the last section of the Sealed Land method. He needed to contact Travis and let the agent know to start looking for sects.


    He had to tell his friends and celebrate the breakthrough.


    But for now, that could all wait until he¡¯d finished his job. The work here had been good to him while he focused on advancement; the least he could do was finish the day.


    So, for a few more hours, he reveled in the changes in his body and mind as he worked. Everything was a touch easier than he remembered.


    His balance was better, he had more energy, and he could locate the fruit with unbelievable ease. Even his ability to focus had improved, though that might be a result of no longer having to hold an image in his mind.


    Now the Sealed Land within him required no imagination but was real and present whenever he focused on it. The new presence in his body felt stable, and enduring, the same feelings he¡¯d built the landscape with dialed up to eleven.


    Instinctively, he knew it would be in no danger if his focus on it lapsed anymore. In fact, he doubted it needed his attention at all.


    No less real than any other organ in his body, it would continue doing its job whether or not he thought about it.


    Kevin had gathered almost half the normal quota by the time his shift was done despite the sparse pickings. It was better than he¡¯d done in days, his new advantages pushing him further than ever.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    How easy was it for the workers in later grades or stages of Body Cleansing? Or did Mr. Felton impose larger quotas on them to ensure he got his money¡¯s worth?


    In the end, they were unimportant questions. Buoyed by his recent success, Kevin had no doubt his next job would be as part of a sect.


    Now, he could cultivate; it would only be a matter of time until he found a sect that would accept him.


    When he turned his harvest in to Mr. Felton, he thanked the man for the work and informed him he wouldn¡¯t be back. Given the state of the orchard, he doubted there would be much work left for anyone.


    The older man only grunted his acceptance, but as Kevin turned away, the farmer tossed something to him. Seeing a shape flying past out of the corner of his eye, Kevin caught it with surprising grace.


    It was a pear, a little withered and twisted but glowing to his burgeoning spiritual senses. A spirit fruit; with the power it was offputting, it could be nothing else.


    Perhaps the meanest one of the harvest given its form, but still an impressive gift. From what he¡¯d seen at the town¡¯s markets, it would still have gone for at least a few days¡¯ wages.


    Blinking at the prize, Kevin turned to thank the man, only to find him busy with the next worker. Still, he gave the farmer a low bow before walking out.


    He might never know what inspired the gruff man to give him such a gift, but he appreciated it nonetheless.


    Grinning, Kevin walked out of the orchards for the last time, munching on a pear that sent tiny shards of power into his stomach.


    <hr>


    The walk back to town, he no longer took a transport now the cultivation group had left work, was normal enough. If you ignored the slight edge he had in every respect compared to yesterday.


    The keener senses, the easier movement, all of it added up to a slightly better trip back.


    It was within the town that the largest difference was apparent. His ability to sense people¡¯s Qi wasn¡¯t restricted to Mr. Felton. While the old farmer glowed brighter than most of the townsfolk, Kevin could still sense almost all of them.


    Even when he wasn¡¯t looking in their direction, he could feel these blobs of energy moving around. It was far from detailed information, he couldn¡¯t recognize people, only compare their strengths, but it was still incredible to use.


    He had magic senses; what could be more awesome than that?


    Sending a letter to the agent was simple, and Kevin penned one asking when he was free and if he could look into sects. After that, he visited his friends to share the good news.


    The cultivation group was the most interesting, as for the first time, he could get a feel for their individual strengths. Perhaps unsurprisingly Emily was the strongest, followed by the wanderers Amy and Ethan, then Fred.


    The other three lagged behind, and he could only hope that wouldn¡¯t hurt their chances too much in the upcoming examinations.


    While busy sword training as a group, they were willing to have a short break when he told them the news.


    ¡°Congratulations, Kevin,¡± Emily was the first to speak, the others echoing her soon after. ¡°Perhaps we¡¯ll be seeing you on the other side at a tournament sometime.¡±


    Kevin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°I¡¯m not sure I¡¯ll be much good in a tournament anytime soon, but I might be there just to watch.¡± The whole tournament scene seemed like a lot of trouble, but he might have to get involved eventually.


    They seemed like a large part of sects here, something they used to showcase their strength and lord it over their neighbors. Now he was at the true beginning of cultivation it was a stark reminder that he couldn¡¯t fight to save his life.


    He could only hope that fact wouldn¡¯t hurt his chances of getting into a sect too much. Otherwise, he might have to spend a lot more time learning to fight first. Was there a way he could approach the problem from another angle?


    He¡¯d heard of both talismans and formations; perhaps there was a path there he could look into.


    That would be later, however, and Travis might have some good advice. For now, he couldn¡¯t let it dampen his excitement over advancing.


    After a short but excited discussion with the cultivation group, he left them to their practice and moved on. They had one of the most important exams of their lives coming up, so he couldn¡¯t justify spending too much of their time.


    Finally, he moved on to Vanessa¡¯s cafe. It was still only half past one, so she would be busy finishing the lunch rush. He grabbed lunch and waited, focusing his senses on the people eating and passing by.


    He would need a lot of practice to start identifying people¡¯s cultivation realm and stage, so he might as well begin now. Relative power was all good, but it only mattered if you knew the strength of the person involved.


    His senses could pick up the sealed land inside him and use that for comparison, but at this point, he was still the weakest person around. All that would tell him was that the other person was above the first grade of the first stage.


    After a pleasant lunch and a lingering cup of tea, Vanessa was free to come over and chat.


    ¡°Congratulations, Kevin, that¡¯s great news,¡± she said after he¡¯d finished explaining. ¡°I guess that means you¡¯ll be leaving us soon?¡± There was a sad note in her voice as she finished.


    ¡°I guess so,¡± Kevin responded, ¡°though I don¡¯t know when it will be. I need to find a sect that will take me first, and I might have to do more training before that¡¯s possible. Travis will know more when he comes down.¡±


    ¡°So he¡¯s going to be visiting again?¡± Vanessa asked, her tone full of indifference.


    After the last few times the agent had come down, Kevin knew better than to believe her tone. There had been something going on with them since the celebration, but he couldn¡¯t tell if it was serious or not.


    All he knew was that they hooked up each time the agent was in town and that Vanessa always pretended not to care until the day came. Still, they were both adults, and he wouldn¡¯t pry. Much.


    ¡°Yeah, I don¡¯t know the date yet, but he¡¯ll be coming. I¡¯ll give you a few days¡¯ warning,¡± Kevin chuckled as he finished. The way Vanessa tried to look unconcerned while listening intently was quite amusing.


    It was also interesting to get a feel for her advancement. Though she wasn¡¯t a dedicated cultivator, Vanessa¡¯s Qi felt as strong as any in the cultivation group.


    This seemed common among those in their thirties like she was. A longer time practicing led to decent levels of power, even when that practice was far less intense.


    For the younger people at the same level of power, it was a showcase of their talent and dedication that they could keep up with people a decade older than them. For Kevin, at almost thirty-five now, even if his body was thirty, it was a concern.


    Being a beginner at his age suggested significant issues unless you knew his past as an outsider. Hopefully, that would be enough for a sect to see past his age. From what he knew, he was going quite fast now he¡¯d been able to begin.


    The average starting age for cultivation WAS about sixteen around here, with people looking to get into a sect somewhere between eighteen and twenty. That meant two to five years to make it into the middle stage of the Body Cleansing realm was above average.


    He might only be at the beginning, but he¡¯d gotten there in just a few months. That had to count for something; he¡¯d have to point towards it as evidence of his dedication.


    After a few minutes, the conversation with Vanessa wound down as she had to clean up for the day. With a parting goodbye, Kevin headed back toward his flat.


    Sharing his triumph had been great, but he was itching to get moving. There was still a third of the Sealed Land Cultivation Method booklet he couldn''t access, and he could only imagine it held techniques for going further.


    Why else would there be pages locked behind a detection array?


    Even his flat seemed brighter than the day before, the colors more vivid, small motes of power flaring within its appliances. So many little things he¡¯d been missing until now.


    Like the dusty corners he could no longer ignore. He¡¯d have to take care of that. Perhaps there was some basis for the extravagance cultivators always demanded if such a little thing kept being shoved in their faces.


    Forcing himself to ignore the problem for now, Kevin cracked open the booklet and flipped to the array.


    It was time to keep advancing.

 Chapter 17 - Sect Selection

    The Sealed Land Detection array took up an entire page after the final instructions for completing the method. Every other time he''d check it, the ink had been plain and boring.


    Today it was glowing a bright blue, pulsing several times a second. After almost a minute, the color faded and new text appeared below the array.


    Sealed Land detected.


    After that, the real excitement began. The new pages confirmed what Mr. Felton had said; finishing the method had pushed him into the first grade of the first section of the Body Cleansing realm.


    This breakthrough was caused by the sudden appearance of a Qi devoid space. Like awakening a natural Dantian, it drew free-floating QI in from the rest of the body.


    Consumption was the name for the stage he was now in, and as Travis had told him so many months ago, it, and all other stages, had nine grades. He would have to progress through them one by one until he could complete the lesser breakthrough to reach the second stage.


    The goal of the Consumption stage was to accumulate Qi in any way possible. Since even traditional cultivation lacked a Qi gathering network until the meridians were opened, this was often achieved by pills, spiritual food, and temporary techniques.


    A small amount of cleansing would still take place at each grade, as he¡¯d noticed during his breakthrough, but that was secondary to gathering enough Qi to power the real cleansing stage.


    In this goal, Kevin wasn¡¯t without options. He¡¯d already ingested a spiritual fruit courtesy of his old boss, and he could still feel its mass of power sitting within his stomach. Like a secondary kind of digestion, small motes would occasionally break off and float through his body.


    While this increased the free-floating Qi within his body, it provided nothing but minor health benefits unless he moved the energy into his Sealed Realm. As his storage center, the replacement for a natural Qi Sea, Qi needed to be stored there to push his grade forward.


    This was where the technique presented in the remaining pages of the Sealed Land Cultivation Method came in. As with his first breakthrough, he could pull energy into his sealed land by envisioning it as an empty void.


    Qi would be drawn into such a void by natural law, thus transporting the Qi from within his body to where it needed to be. It wouldn¡¯t help to fill his body with more Qi, but it would manage the energy he consumed.


    As an interim method, the Spiritual Void technique was only designed to keep him moving until he could find something better. As Dr. Grange had said, it would be best for that new method to come from whatever sect he selected.


    Until then, Kevin would have to keep getting access to more Qi, however he could. The booklet described that many styles would open three meridians to gather energy before the second stage, leaving nine to do the cleansing, but this would be useless to him.


    Not only were meridians difficult to incorporate into the sealed land, his were all blocked. For now, he would have to rely on things such as spiritual food or pills to keep going.


    Given the speed his spiritual fruit was being consumed, this wasn¡¯t an immediate concern. At his best estimate, it would take at least a week just to finish that single fruit.


    During that time, he could work on the Spiritual Void technique to draw the energy into his Sealed Land.


    With the future planned until he heard from Travis, Kevin settled in to meditate on the new technique. He was long used to mental visualizations by now; a few more weeks of them would be easy.


    Focusing on his sealed land, Kevin packed the minute amounts of Qi already there away into his canyons, then focused on the rest of the space being an empty void sucking energy in.


    Within moments it responded with incredible ease, motes of Qi being sucked from his body and sent flowing through the void until they pierced the floating dome. Feeling Qi flow was so amazing that Kevin couldn¡¯t even be annoyed at the glacial place it seemed to move at.


    For the first time since he¡¯d arrived, he was practicing cultivation that he could actually feel working.


    That was more than amazing enough to keep his attention, however long it took.


    <hr>


    Within a few days of practicing the Spiritual Void technique, Kevin got a reply from the OIM agent. Travis indicated that he already had several potential sects picked out and that he would arrive on Friday to discuss them.


    That was amazing news, and Kevin had to shake his head as he penned a reply. He should have expected that the man would have been organized long before Kevin was ready.


    Not wanting to take too much of his friend¡¯s time, Kevin organized a short celebration for the same afternoon. Even with only a couple of days¡¯ notice, he could organize everyone for just a few hours.


    With that organized, he settled in to cultivate for the last few days. While slow, his extended effort paid off and another vomiting episode heralded his progress into the second grade on Thursday night.


    While the experience was unpleasant, Kevin couldn¡¯t be happier. Even if he suspected that would be the last rapid progress for a while. Free-floating Qi was getting scarce within his body, and the booklet had warned him about draining it too much.


    He needed a certain amount to keep his body functional, and he could do significant damage if he pushed his cultivation too far. That was why finding new ways to get Qi into his body was so important.


    On the morning of the big day, Kevin was already waiting at the town¡¯s landing pad long before the agent arrived. Travis hadn¡¯t even been specific about his intended arrival time, he was just that excited to look at sects.Ensure your favorite authors get the support they deserve. Read this novel on Royal Road.


    After a couple of hours, the agent arrived at last, landing on some kind of miniature disk. The idea of such an object was intriguing, but the agent made the item vanish the second he¡¯d gotten off it.


    The movement was so fast, that he might not have even noticed if not for the new upgrades to his senses. Once again, the second grade had pushed them a little forward, though it was not even close to the degree his first breakthrough had.


    Perhaps that was the difference between breaking through an entire realm and a single grade.


    Greeting the agent quickly, Kevin hustled the man back to his apartment. Pausing just long enough to make a couple of drinks, he settled down at the dining table and stared at Travis intently.


    ¡°Eager, I see,¡± Travis laughed, shaking his head.


    ¡°You have no idea,¡± Kevin said, his tone serious in the face of the other man¡¯s humor. ¡°I might have broken through, but I¡¯m already seeing my cultivation slow down. The Sealed Land Method has a technique to move me forward, but it¡¯s going to take a long time without additional support.¡±


    Now that he was moving through real stages of cultivation, he could hardly wait for progress to continue. While still beyond excited, he couldn''t help but think about how far behind he was.


    And how far it was to his goal.


    ¡°I understand wanting to move faster,¡± Travis responded, gesturing for calm. ¡°But let¡¯s make sure we take it slow and make the right decision here.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin nodded, taking a deep breath to slow his impatience. ¡°What have you got for me?¡±


    <hr>


    Pulling a folder from nowhere, Travis extracted four pages and spread them across the table.


    ¡°I¡¯ve been looking through the top sects over the last few months, and comparing their entry requirements, culture, and expectations,¡± the agent began, tapping each page.


    Kevin leaned forward, a warm feeling spreading through his chest. The agent had been looking for that long? That was before he¡¯d even finished the second exercise of the Sealed Land technique.


    He''d never expected such a level of faith that he would make it.


    ¡°During this process,¡± Travis said, ¡°I¡¯ve had to discard many because of the limitations of your situation.¡± Holding up a hand, he continued.


    ¡°Not to cause offense, but there are a few things that many sects would balk at. Your age for one, and your complete lack of combat ability for another. And, of course, your end goal.¡±


    Kevin scratched the back of his head, a rueful smile crossing his face. ¡°Yeah, I was worried about those too. But,¡± he said, cheering up, ¡°From these pages, I¡¯m guessing you found some?¡±


    ¡°Indeed,¡± the agent nodded, a pleased look on his face. ¡°When you factor in an OIM recommendation letter, I believe these four would look kindly on your application. Each of them also has acceptance examinations or interviews on different days; I removed a couple of lesser options on duplicate dates.¡±


    Kevin nodded, that made a lot of sense. He could apply for two places that would require him to be there on the same day, but he¡¯d have to refuse one if both were accepted. Given the pride of the average cultivator, that wouldn¡¯t be a very smart choice.


    That actually brought up a good point. ¡°If I get accepted by the sect I see first, would it be a problem if I wanted to hold out for a later one?¡± He asked, biting his lip.


    Travis blinked, a surprised, but approving, look crossing his face. ¡°Why Kevin, I think you might finally be getting an idea of how the world works. Yes, that would not be a wise decision.¡±


    ¡°If there is a particular one of the four sects here that you would like to join, I recommend skipping the other exams if they come first. That way, you can avoid snubbing any powerful organizations.


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin nodded, glancing down at the pages. ¡°So, what do you have for me?¡±


    Travis reached forward, turning the pages around one by one. ¡°All four sects are in the top eighty-one, and a single one of them is in the top thirty-six. That puts them among the best in the country.


    Kevin raised an eyebrow at the odd numbers but soon picked up on the meaning. Thirty-six was six times six, eighty-one nine times nine, it was the cultivation numbers again. Would that make the best sects be the top nine at three by three?


    ¡°Does the ranking matter that much?¡± he asked, glancing over the pages.


    ¡°Some,¡± Travis shrugged. ¡°A sect¡¯s ranking is about prestige but also points towards greater income and more talented individuals. Often the higher-ranking sects will provide more for their inner disciples.¡±


    ¡°Which I presume I¡¯d have to work up to anyway?¡± Kevin asked. At the agent¡¯s answering nod, he continued, ¡°So it¡¯s important to consider, but might not end up being the deciding factor then.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d guess the higher sects might have more competition as well.¡±


    ¡°That I can¡¯t speak to,¡± Travis responded a hint of regret in his tone. ¡°The sects keep their inner workings private, and I¡¯ve never been part of one.¡±


    ¡°No matter,¡± Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°I can¡¯t very well plan to reach immortality while being afraid of a little competition. It¡¯s something to think about, but I¡¯m hardly going to base my choice on it.¡±


    The conversation fell silent as he focused on the information brochures for each of the sects. The Twelve Talismans, the Twisted Path, the Silent Whispers, and the Thundering Hammers.


    Of the four, the Twelve Talismans and the Thundering Hammers pitched themselves as support sects, focusing on creating equipment to sell. When they talked about combat, it was about loading their disciples down with the best gear possible.


    The Silent Whispers was a martial sect, focusing on something called Incantations. Travis was able to confirm these were chant-focused techniques that more resembled what Kevin would think of as spells.


    Last, the Twisted Path was a complete sect, maintaining both martial and support cultivators. They were also the only one of the four in the top thirty-six sects, perhaps because of their broader scope.


    Looking them over left Kevin with something of a conundrum. Did he want to focus on a support sect? It might make it easier to get in with no combat experience and might also allow him to get away without any fighting.


    But how much time would he have to focus on crafting pursuits over actual cultivation? It wasn¡¯t like he was skilled in any support disciplines either, so there would be a heavy learning curve.


    When he brought the issue up with Travis, the man only shook his head with a laugh. ¡°You¡¯re going to have to be useful somehow, Kevin,¡± the agent chuckled, ¡°no sect is going to take a cultivator who just wants to sit in their room meditating all day.¡±


    ¡°But you have a valid point about the support sects,¡± Travis continued, his tone more serious. ¡°Both are less wealthy than the martial sects and put a lot of their focus into producing goods for sale.¡±


    ¡°Their tuition might be lower, but even as an outer sect disciple, you may find they place high demands on your time. It¡¯s not something I can confirm, but it¡¯s certainly a possibility.¡±


    Kevin bit his lip but still nodded along with the agent. There goes his idea of focusing on cultivation while occasionally making something. ¡°Well, I¡¯m not going to pick the pure martial sect,¡± he snorted.


    ¡°So does that leave the Twisted Path then?¡± he finished, glancing over the last brochure. They were the more powerful sect in any case, and that would imply they had the greatest access to cultivation methods.


    Given his need for something to work with the Sealed Land method, that might be extremely important.


    ¡°Indeed,¡± Travis said, a smile crossing his face. ¡°They also have another advantage. The Twisted Path focuses on strange and varied cases. Unlike sects such as the Severing Sword, they don¡¯t have a homogeneous style, but enjoy surprising their opponents with as much variety as possible.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kevin nodded, an answering smile growing on his face. ¡°So an outsider with an odd cultivation style would be right up their alley?¡±


    ¡°Correct. They are also second in chronological order with their exams. If you aimed for them, you would only miss out on the Silent Whispers sect.¡±


    ¡°I guess that cinches it,¡± Kevin grinned, tapping the brochure for the Twisted Path. If he failed to get in, he could always fall back on the two support sects as options.


    He¡¯d made his choice, it was time to apply for a sect.

 Chapter 18 - Twisted Peak

    The actual paperwork to apply for sect entry was simple enough. He just had to list his minimal experience, his cultivation blockages, which were many, and his advantages, of which a functioning Sealed Land was the only one.


    If not for the last section where he could add a small essay describing himself, Kevin would have been left with little hope. As it was, he had to trust that he¡¯d conveyed his determination to succeed with enough clarity that they¡¯d understand.


    It felt rather like applying for college all over again. A mediocre record, backed up by every assurance he could give that he would work harder than anyone.


    ¡°So that¡¯s it then,¡± Kevin sighed, leaning back.


    ¡°That¡¯s it,¡± Travis confirmed, nodding as he pulled another sheet of paper from thin air. ¡°I¡¯ll add this recommendation letter and then we can send it off.¡±


    ¡°Thanks again for all of your and the OIM¡¯s help,¡± Kevin said, smiling at the agent. ¡°I can¡¯t imagine how difficult this would have been without it.¡±


    Travis glanced away, awkwardly scratching the back of his head. ¡°Don¡¯t mention it, we''re just doing our jobs. Now, I believe there was a celebration I was supposed to attend as well?¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin snorted, shaking his head. Trust the agent to not accept his thanks again. ¡°I bet you just want to see Vanessa again.¡±


    The agent shrugged, his face blank as he stood to leave. ¡°I didn¡¯t even know she would be there,¡± Travis responded blandly.


    Chuckling, Kevin stood as well and led the way out of the room. After ducking by the post office, they made their way to the private room he¡¯d booked at Vanessa¡¯s cafe.


    The trip took longer than Kevin was used to since they had to keep pausing for people to greet Travis. The man¡¯s popularity with the town had dipped over the last few months, but he still had more people greeting him than Kevin, despite only being in the town for a few days in total.


    Vanessa had someone else running the kitchen so she could join the rest of them over a late lunch. She plus the cultivation group represented the only real friends he¡¯d made since arriving at the town.


    ¡°A toast,¡± Emily called out as the meal finished, ¡°to a fellow cultivator. May he have the best of luck getting into his chosen sect.¡±


    ¡°To all of you as well,¡± Kevin responded, gesturing to the group members. They would have their own exam soon, one with a skill test beyond anything he expected to deal with.


    ¡°So how long do you have left in town, Kevin?¡± Vanessa broke in, a sad tone in her voice.


    They¡¯d grown to be close friends since she¡¯d dragged him into that cooking lesson over four months ago, and it seemed like she was regretting his departure. Kevin had to admit, he was more than a little sad as well.


    ¡°Well, the test is in two weeks,¡± Kevin began, working out the math in his head. ¡°But it¡¯s halfway across the country, so I¡¯d better leave a few extra days to get there.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll come pick you up,¡± Travis said, shaking his head. ¡°Can¡¯t risk you getting lost on the way and missing the exam. If I come down the night before, we can get going early in the morning and have plenty of time.¡±


    From the way the man was glancing at Vanessa out of the corner of his eye, Kevin could guess the offer wasn¡¯t entirely about him. Still, it was appreciated.


    ¡°Thanks, man,¡± he responded, clapping a hand on the agent¡¯s shoulder. ¡°I admit I wasn¡¯t looking forward to spending days at a time on haulers.¡±


    Did that mean the agent would fly the two of them over? He couldn¡¯t see any other way they could cross a couple of thousand miles in a single morning. That was incredibly exciting, and more than a little terrifying.


    The celebration continued for another hour before people started drifting away. Each member of the cultivation group passed by to wish him good luck, to which Kevin responded in kind.


    Vanessa gave him an enormous hug before vanishing to help clean up for the day, and even Travis left along with her. Though perhaps that was not quite a coincidence.


    Leaving Kevin to return home to prepare.


    Only two short weeks remained.


    <hr>


    The last two weeks passed quickly as Kevin scrambled to do anything he could to improve his chances. When it soon became clear that he had to leave his body to gather more Qi, he found a tutor for intensive martial arts training.


    That was something he was now kicking himself for not having started sooner. He¡¯d been so caught up in the extreme focus required for the Sealed Land technique that he hadn¡¯t even considered building skills that might be important in a sect.


    Two weeks wasn¡¯t nearly enough time to reach the level of even most civilians here, but it would at least mean he didn¡¯t look quite so much like a stumbling moron. With any luck, he could also point toward it as a sign he was willing and ready to learn.


    In the end, he did four hours of lessons a day and trained as much as he could outside of that time as well. By the end of the two weeks, he¡¯d gotten the basic strikes down, while also working on his fitness.


    Fitness was a bit of an odd subject right now. He wasn¡¯t exactly unfit, having worked for hours at a physical job each day, but he hadn¡¯t been doing much cardio during that time.


    On top of that, being in the Body Cleansing realm pushed his body further than it would have otherwise. It was like Qi slowed the rate his muscles and lungs built up exhaustion compared to what would be normal, while also speeding his rate of recovery.


    Two weeks wasn¡¯t enough time to make a tremendous difference there either, but any little improvement might tilt the scales in his favor. Given his other limitations, that could be the difference between being let in and being let go.This tale has been unlawfully lifted without the author''s consent. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    After thinking about it further, Kevin had grown more certain that the Twisted Path was the best sect for him. He had a lot more in common with a sect specializing in odd cases than a couple of random support sects whose major draw was that they might accept him.


    If he failed now, he¡¯d have to make a hard choice between waiting six months for the spring exams, or falling back on one of the other two sects now. He could only hope he wouldn¡¯t have to make that decision.


    Kevin didn¡¯t even see Travis the night before the big day, but the agent knocked on his door bright and early as promised. After grabbing a quick breakfast, the two of them moved over to the town¡¯s landing pad.


    ¡°Are you sure that thing can hold both of us?¡± Kevin asked skeptically, staring at a polished wooden plank about the size of a surfboard. It was larger than the little disk he¡¯d seen the agent use before, but would still barely fit the two of them.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine¡± The agent shrugged, ¡°it runs off my reserves, and I¡¯ve got plenty of energy. Now get on,¡± he finished, glancing left and right as if worried someone might come by.


    ¡°Well, if you''re sure,¡± Kevin responded as he stepped onto the back of the board. There wasn¡¯t anything to hold on to, but he found it stable and easy to remain upright on. Easy while on the ground, at least.


    The agent stepped onto the front section, and a moment later, the flying device lifted into the sky. Bands of energy wrapped around Kevin¡¯s body as they took off, holding him steady as they shot into the sky.


    ¡°Neat,¡± Kevin laughed, glancing down at the landscape below. It was speeding past at a far greater rate than the hauler he¡¯d arrived on; perhaps even faster than the disk they¡¯d first taken over the city.


    As with that trip, a barrier of some kind split the surrounding wind, turning what would otherwise be a struggle to stay upright into a pleasant journey. At the rate they were going, he could easily see how they would make it before midday.


    Hours passed in relative comfort, the only issues being a growing soreness in his legs, and a level of boredom with the trip. As amazing as the view was, even the changing landscape below grew monotonous.


    The agents¡¯ disregard for conversation didn¡¯t help. The one time Kevin tried to strike up a conversation, the man shouted back to let him focus. Given how tense Travis¡¯ voice had been, Kevin had left it alone.


    Pushing it would not be smart when distracting the man might send them both plummeting to their deaths. Or at least his death; Travis could almost certainly float down.


    In the end, it was the agent who shouted back of his own accord. ¡°That¡¯s the Twisted Peak up ahead.¡±


    True to its name, the mountain was tall, thin, and covered with strange, curving ridges. It looked like someone had grabbed it with a gargantuan fist and twisted a normal mountain around and around.


    Kevin licked his lips, nervous energy swirling in his stomach. This was it, the time for the entrance exams had come.


    <hr>


    Much like the Severing Sword sect had Ostale, the Twisted Path had a large town at the base of its mountain. Travis brought the flying device down to land a little away from the walls before gesturing for Kevin to get off.


    ¡°This is where I leave you,¡± the agent said, clapping Kevin on the shoulder as he got off. ¡°Good luck, and send me a letter whichever way it goes. We¡¯ll need to hurry to make the other two sects exams if needed.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin mumbled, tension spreading through his body. ¡°Where¡¯s the meeting point?¡±


    ¡°The town gate facing toward the mountain,¡± Travis responded, raising an eyebrow.


    Right, he¡¯d known that. He had to get it together before he flunked out for something silly. Waving his goodbye to the agent, Kevin began striding toward the gate.


    Within a few steps, the first bundles of power began lighting up in his senses, almost all stronger than him. Nor did that discouraging trend slow as he approached the milling crowd in front of the gate.


    There had to be almost two hundred people here, with Kevin being among the least of them. Why had he ever thought this was possible?


    No, that was the wrong way to think. He might be on the lower end power-wise, but he¡¯d made it that far in record time after he¡¯d gotten started. If he could get access to more techniques and cultivation resources, he¡¯d go a lot further.


    He just needed to convince the sect of that.


    It seemed he was a little early, as the crowd grew for almost another hour before anything changed. Then, as a clock tower struck twelve somewhere in the town, a black-clad figure swept down from the mountain.


    Dressed in dark versions of traditional cultivation robes, the man dove down, standing on the flat of a narrow sword. Compared to the board he and Travis had ridden in on, it looked far more impressive.


    Was that why the agent always hid his flying devices before someone could see them?


    Before Kevin could consider Travis¡¯ habits further, the man spoke, his voice echoing across the entire area. His power, too, drew attention, as he glowed like the sun in front of the group.


    The man had to be vastly more powerful than Travis, and he was the strongest cultivator Kevin had seen since getting his new sense. Would that put this man in the Core Formation realm? Or perhaps even Golden Core?


    ¡°Welcome, hopeful students of the Twisted Path sect. Behind us lies our sect¡¯s proud mountain, and also your first task. The paths of the Twisted Peak are ever-changing; find your way to us before nightfall to progress.¡±


    Then the figure was gone without another word, shooting off into the sky and leaving a stunned crowd behind. For a second, nobody moved, and then almost the entire group was racing toward the base of the mountain.


    Ever changing paths? That didn¡¯t sound very efficient for getting people or supplies up the mountain. There had to be a trick to it.


    Looking around for someone to team up with, Kevin slumped a little to see the empty field and road. It looked like he was already behind.


    Still, there was plenty of time, how hard could it be?


    <hr>


    Jogging toward the mountain¡¯s base, Kevin found little sign of the other examinees or any paths. The road from the town seemed to end against a flat stone cliff, and further up, he could only see a few hints of flapping clothes against the mountainside.


    Had everyone already found a way up? Or were the paths shifting so rapidly that the routes others had taken were already gone?


    The stronger cultivators might well have been able to climb straight up this cliff as well, or perhaps even use a flying device. Compared to that level of ability, he was far behind.


    But there were easier ways for the sect to test such abilities; he had to believe there were other ways to think your way through this.


    They were called the Twisted Path sect and lived on the Twisted Peak, so perhaps taking a curving path was the correct choice? It was as good an option as any.


    Shifting back into a jog, Kevin ran left along the base of the cliff. After a few hundred meters, he found a cleft in the side with carved stone stairs leading up. Despite looking obvious, he hadn¡¯t seen it until he got close.


    Had it been hidden with some technique? Or perhaps it hadn¡¯t existed until the mountain shifted again. He¡¯d better hurry before it vanished again.


    Jogging up the steps was harder work than along the ground, but Kevin wasn¡¯t about to waste time worrying about a little exercise. Better to push ahead now, while he had plenty of time, than to wish he had later.


    Before long, the stairway reached the top of the cliff, only to run straight into a wall of thorny bushes. Should he try to force his way through, or was this a dead end from which he had to turn back?


    A single brush of his clothing against the thorns answered that question as they cut through the cloth with ease. He¡¯d be torn to shreds if he pushed through.


    Sighing, Kevin turned to head back down the stairs, only to pause. If the paths were ever-shifting, could he just wait until a new one opened up?


    It would risk a little time, but he could spare fifteen minutes to see if there was a massive loophole in the challenge.


    A few minutes later, a broad grin spread across his face as an arch appeared in the thorns. How much more time would he have lost backtracking instead of waiting for a way forward?


    Perhaps there was a philosophy hidden there about trusting your path, even if it didn¡¯t look like it was leading anywhere. Or perhaps it was just a quirk of the test.


    Either way, he could do this. He just had to combine patient waiting with rushed progress whenever a path opened.


    The first test was as good as finished.

 Chapter 19 - Comprehension

    The sun was setting when Kevin dragged himself, bruised and exhausted, up a last flight of stairs.


    For all his excitement over finding a way through the shifting paths, climbing an entire mountain in an afternoon was intense. Even if all the paths led to a ridge below the main peak, it was still a monumental task.


    A walled compound lay before him, the first sign of actual habitation on the trip. It had to be his objective; he was doomed otherwise.


    There was no time to rest yet. On shaking legs, Kevin stumbled along the paved path. The last stretch was only a few hundred yards, yet it felt like miles after the day he¡¯d had.


    Still, he made it to the double gate set into the wall, which he opened as much by falling on it as pushing. The doors swung inward, revealing a compound with a few dozen buildings and a little table by the gate.


    A woman in purple robes sat at the table, blazing with power, a large book in front of her. ¡°Name,¡± she asked, glancing up.


    ¡°Kevin Blake,¡± he said, voice shaking as much as his body. ¡°Did I make it?¡±


    The woman laughed in response, a musical sound that would put any bird to shame, ¡°by about twenty minutes,¡± she said, glancing up at the darkening sky.


    ¡°Thank the heavens,¡± Kevin sighed, relaxing at last. It had taken a while to get used to this world¡¯s sayings, but he was getting there.


    No longer worried out of his mind, he got a better look around. The woman by the door held a level of perfect beauty to her features he hadn¡¯t seen since leaving the capital.


    She had to be Core Formation at least, a powerful individual to be taking notes on new arrivals. Was that a flex by the sect to show their power? Or did they just have so many powerful cultivators they could use them so carelessly?


    Perhaps he¡¯d be able to find out in time. For now, the woman was looking at a complex array on the inner wall, so he turned his attention to the rest of the compound.


    It was massive, at least half the size of the town at the mountain''s base. While the number of buildings was far less, each was larger than a town hall. Most he could only see bits of over or past the nearer buildings, but what he could see was odd in the extreme.


    All of them were constructed in strange, curving styles with twisting paths and stairways leading up the outsides. In places, they split around open gaps, while in others they bridged two otherwise separate buildings.


    The style was reminiscent of the mountain itself, and despite how odd it looked, it somehow fit the sect''s theme well. Between the buildings, the space was split into curving sections of parkland or courtyards, with little rhyme or reason for their placement.


    If not for the ease with which you could see the buildings over these sections, Kevin could see it being easy to get lost.


    ¡°Well done examinee,¡± the woman spoke at last, drawing his attention from the strange sights of the compound. ¡°Despite your limited power, you discerned a path forward and proceeded with patience.¡±


    With a slight twist of her wrist, she produced a wooden token from thin air and tossed it to him. ¡°I accept your completion of the first task, and provide you with the patience token as a mark of success. Proceed to the front building on the left for the night¡¯s accommodation.¡±


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kevin said, bowing in respect while trying to keep the broad grin off his face. From what she''d said, it seemed the trick he¡¯d figured out was one of the expected pathways through the test.


    It almost had to be, but there¡¯d still been a lingering doubt that they might not have been happy with how he¡¯d progressed. Now that was gone; he''d passed the first test, and would even get to rest before having to do anything else.


    That was a true godsend. Much longer, and he wouldn¡¯t have been able to keep standing. Even pulling himself back up from his bow was a struggle.


    ¡°Go rest, examinee,¡± the woman said, amusement clear in her tone. He mustn¡¯t have been as good at hiding his exhaustion as he¡¯d thought.


    ¡°Yes ma¡¯am,¡± he responded, this time keeping to a nod as he wandered off. The first courtyard beyond the gate was made from polished, black marble tiles fitted together in curing patterns.


    They created strange, distorted reflections one could get lost in if they weren¡¯t careful. Tired as he was, Kevin ignored the intriguing sight and pressed onward. Passed a park filled with twisted trees, and to the front of a building marked ¡®Temporary Accommodation¡¯.


    That fit his circumstances, and despite the somewhat confusing areas he¡¯d passed, he was confident it was the leftmost front building, as he¡¯d been directed. Token gripped in one hand, he stepped through the shadowed doorway.


    <hr>


    The other side of the shadowy entryway held a short hallway with only a single door on either side. Beyond those, it ended at a wooden wall, despite taking up only a small fraction of the massive building he¡¯d seen.


    The door on the left had a plaque on the front that read ¡®Accommodation,¡¯ along with the same symbol as his token. While the door on the right had ¡®Dining,¡± with the same symbol.


    It had to be some trick, like the paths on the mountain; directing him to a particular part of the building based on the token he carried. That suggested they were splitting the examinees based on how they¡¯d passed the first test.


    Kevin¡¯s tired mind churned, pulling up ideas and strategies. She¡¯d said he passed with Patience. Was that good or bad? She¡¯d seemed approving enough, so it was likely neutral at worst.


    What might the other strategies have been? Power perhaps? For climbing or flying straight up the mountain. Haste as well, for running back from each dead end to find new ones.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    In the end, it was pointless conjecture with no further information and might mean nothing besides.


    Kevin¡¯s stomach growled at him, reminding him he hadn''t eaten anything since breakfast. He might be tired, but resting could wait until he¡¯d found some sustenance.


    Taking the door on the right, Kevin stepped into the semi-circular cafeteria. Long, curved benches extended from the flat wall he¡¯d arrived at, matching the curve of the walls until they reached a window set into the opposite, circular side.


    About half a dozen exhausted-looking people were spread around the oversized room. It was so large each could have an entire bench to themselves, and most had done so.


    A winding corridor led through the middle of the room, dodging around benches of differing lengths. Like most of the sect¡¯s architecture, it felt inefficient and a little annoying.


    The cafeteria window was manned by several people in the Body Cleansing realm. While all the serving staff were stronger than him, they gave him an almost embarrassing amount of respect.


    There were plenty of options, and he quickly settled on a steak and a plate full of fresh vegetables. He was going to need the energy to recover from the day.


    The food was delicious and packed with a small amount of Qi that settled in his stomach. With the last of the Spirit fruit having faded days ago, this was a welcome surprise. Any additional Qi he could get would help his advancement.


    It also spoke to the considerable wealth of the sect that they would provide even weak spiritual food to people who hadn¡¯t become disciples yet. If mere examinees ate this well, what did they provide to the inner or core members of the sect?


    Lost in dreams of fantastical cultivation resources, Kevin swiftly finished his meal and left for the other room. Inside the accommodation door, he found a large barracks with more than a hundred single beds spread throughout.


    Despite its initial appearance, the room was far more lavish than a true barracks. Each of the beds was a king single covered in silken sheets, with a small desk on one side and a cabinet on the other.


    There were perhaps forty people in the room, spread out with at least a bed in between them and any neighbors. Most glanced up as he entered, sending a variety of glares and frowns his way.


    It wasn¡¯t hard to understand why. With the expectation of limited placements, anyone new showing up was more competition. Based on his spiritual senses, most of the people here were on the lower end of power as well.


    That made sense: anyone with more strength would have likely raced up the mountain instead of waiting to figure out a pattern. Instead of taking it personally, Kevin smiled and strode toward the end of the room.


    Partway there, he noted a side door marked ''bathrooms,'' along with the wet hair many people sported. A bath sounded amazing right now, but he¡¯d best check for a towel or something first.


    Near the end of the room, he chose a bed several spots away from the closest person. While it was an inconvenient distance from the other facilities, it provided an acceptable amount of privacy.


    Looking it over, he found the little desk to be empty, while the cabinet beside it had several closed drawers. Opening one, he pulled out a towel, a bathrobe, and a set of pajamas.


    Blinkning, Kevin stood there staring at the offering. Both the nightclothes and the bathroom were the perfect size for him, despite how impossible that should have been.


    Sending him to a specific section of the building had been impressive, but he could at last conceive of how it had been done. This was something else; how could they have given him sized clothing?


    There was no way to tell which bed he¡¯d take in advance, or even if he¡¯d pass the test. Resizing clothing, perhaps? Invisible servants? Divination? Every idea seemed more insane than the last, yet the proof was in his hands.


    ¡°Good trick, isn¡¯t it?¡± A man said with a mocking laugh; high and cruel, like a hyena. Tensing, Kevin spun around but relaxed a touch at the genuine smile on the younger man¡¯s face.


    Despite the unfortunate sound of his amusement, he didn¡¯t seem to show any signs of aggression. Dressed in the provided pajamas, the man couldn¡¯t have been older than eighteen or nineteen.


    With blond hair and a plain face, he wouldn¡¯t have looked out of place on any street in Kevin¡¯s old country. His advancement too was ordinary, perhaps only a few grades higher than Kevin¡¯s own.


    ¡°Gerard,¡± the young man said, holding an arm out. ¡°Kevin,¡± Kevin responded, reaching out to clasp Gerard¡¯s arm. ¡°Nice to meet you,¡± he continued.


    ¡°Same,¡± Gerard nodded, ¡°don¡¯t worry about all these others, they''re just pissed someone else made it through at the last minute. We¡¯d been thinking we were it.¡±


    ¡°I figured,¡± Kevin laughed, shaking his head. Grabbing the towel and bathrobe as the man stepped away, he gestured toward the bathrooms. ¡°I¡¯d better get clean before bed,¡±


    Gerard gave a parting wave, returning to his bed further down.


    Shaking his head, Kevin left to prepare for bed. What a strange place this sect was.


    <hr>


    The next morning, a clanging gong jerked Kevin awake after far too little rest. The exhaustion of the previous day had struck deep, and from the lack of light in the room¡¯s windows, they¡¯d been awakened before dawn.


    Tumbling out of bed, he joined the rest of the room¡¯s inhabitants in staring around for any sign of what was occurring. At first, there was nothing, then a black-robed figure appeared in the middle of the room.


    It looked like the same man from the day before, and his voice confirmed it when he spoke. ¡°Good morning Patience examinees. Today you have a fresh task. You will find a technique on your desk, prove your comprehension before dark.¡±


    As taciturn as before, the man was gone again without even a blur to trace his departure.


    For a moment, the room was filled with stunned silence, then it was replaced by rushed footsteps and the scraping of chairs.


    Kevin was no different, having slid into the desk¡¯s chair so fast he bruised his stomach on one of its corners.


    Where before the desk had been empty, now a small booklet sat in center stage. Nor was that the only change; books were stacked along the back of the desk, while pens and sheets of loose paper were set to one side.


    ¡°The Twisting Step,¡± he breathed, looking at the front of the booklet. A test of learning ability then; they had to show they could be given a technique and make progress without help.


    Flipping over the page, he bit his lip at the complicated diagram of energy flowing through a foot. This was on a whole other level than he¡¯d seen before. There was a description of the technique, but it too was packed full of more technical cultivator jargon than he¡¯d ever seen.


    It was almost as if the thing had been designed to be obtuse, and from the groans echoing throughout the room, he wasn¡¯t alone in his troubles. If even the other examinees were having difficulty, then perhaps the design was intentional after all.


    Still, he wasn¡¯t without hope. From the titles on their spines, the books now on his desk looked to be reference volumes. With a full day ahead, he could look up the terms in the technique, and study until he¡¯d made at least a little progress.


    The morning went by in the blink of an eye, as Kevin referenced every unknown term in the ten-page booklet. Rather than attempting to memorize them all, he wrote each definition on the pieces of blank paper provided.


    Despite achieving no actual progress, he still left for lunch with a hopeful smile, his pages folded in his pocket. Overnight, his clothing, the black slacks, and t-shirt he¡¯d been provided by the OIM on the first day, had been repaired.


    After eating, he returned and dug into the method itself. After only a few hours, he was far less comfortable with the situation. While he could understand the basics of the technique, one thing had become clear.


    It wasn¡¯t something he could use. His Sealed Land had only a tiny amount of Qi within it and lacked dedicated channels to move that Qi throughout his body. At best, he could flood body parts with energy, but that would be far too inefficient.


    That was another problem he needed a solution to, and without one he could never use a movement technique like the Twisting Step. Desperate, he searched for anything he could do, eventually landing on the examiner¡¯s words.


    He¡¯d said to prove comprehension, which didn¡¯t necessarily mean displaying the technique itself. As long as he could show his understanding, it might be enough to get through.


    He could even list the reasons he couldn¡¯t use the technique, thus showing a humble understanding of his limitations.


    It was time to write an essay.

 Chapter 20 - Testing

    Kevin hunched over his desk, forcing his cramped hand to pen the last words of his final draft. While the room was well-lit, frequent glances at the window told him the last of the light was fading outside.


    It had been a long time since he¡¯d written an essay, and even longer since he¡¯d done one by hand. Errors were unavoidable; he¡¯d had to rewrite pages multiple times to get a presentable version together.


    Which didn¡¯t even get into the complexity of the information itself. The Twisted Step was a technique with multiple levels of understanding to it.


    At the base level, it was a series of footwork designed to move the user in circular patterns around or past a target point. In essence, it gave you unpredictable movements, while tiring you out faster.


    Another level down, it allowed for rapid changes in direction and momentum by placing extreme stress on the user¡¯s joints and ankles. While this would lead to injuries, it allowed the user to change direction or bring themselves to a halt on a dime.


    The advantage for dodging attacks was clear, and would only grow more relevant as later realms introduced wide-scale techniques.


    Those were the basic, mundane components that made up a technique nearly impossible for any mortal to use. Such movements were too draining to keep up in a fight, and one would suffer injury in short order.


    Which was where the deeper levels of comprehension came in. At the third layer, Qi flowed to the user''s lower limbs, reinforcing muscle, tendon, and bone. Such a boost would prevent damage in the first place and heal it when necessary.


    Even further, at the fourth level of comprehension, Qi filled the lungs and heart, reducing the energy strain of such over-the-top movement. By now, it had transformed from something unusable to a technique capable of confusing skilled foes.


    With just that, it would have been an impressive technique, but there were hints of deeper mysteries hidden in the little booklet. When you read between the lines, there were suggestions of near-impossible effects.


    Even the most basic of such mysteries strained Kevin¡¯s ability to study in a single day. Still, he persevered. Even showing a hint of such comprehension would go a long way to backing up his unorthodox approach.


    While many examinees might showcase the basics of the technique, he couldn¡¯t see many diving so deep while also learning to perform it.


    Hours after stumbling onto the idea, he had just enough understanding to write a few paragraphs on the first mysterious effect he¡¯d encountered. If the hints within the text were to be believed, then at the fifth level of understanding, this technique would make traveling in an arc faster than a straight line.


    The very idea seemed ludicrous, defying basic ideas of geometry, yet there were enough clues that he couldn¡¯t ignore it. Also, it was a kind of nonsense that fit in well with advanced cultivation techniques.


    So he¡¯d began with the basics, followed by his limitations and inability to use the technique at this time, then ended with his best interpretation of the deeper mysteries.


    Penning the last of his conclusion, Kevin laid his pen to wrest and looked over the document. Five pages of interpretation; half the size of the original technique.


    As always with all writing of this world, the words echoed as English in his mind despite the foreign alphabet and combinations. Writing in such a way had been difficult at first, but as he¡¯d learned to let go, he''d found the foreign letters flowed from his pen.


    The work was as close to perfect as he¡¯d been able to get it, and there was no time for any final alterations. All he could do was lean back and massage the pain out of his arm as he waited for the last minutes to run out.


    By now only a few people remained in the room, all hunched over their booklets with desperate fervor. None seemed to have copied his idea, so his best guess had them checking for any missed clues to the method.


    Everyone else had long departed, presumably to practice in more open surroundings. They would be the bigger competition; anyone who could showcase the technique well would be more impressive than his mere written words.


    As the last light faded away, a gong sounded for the second time that day. With it came the examiner''s words, though he was nowhere to be seen. ¡°Patience examinees assemble in front of the accommodation building.


    It was time to see if his ploy would pay off.


    <hr>


    Within minutes they¡¯d assembled, nearly fifty young cultivators in total. Compared to the more common white robes he¡¯d seen in the city, there was a dazzling variety of colors and styles in attendance.


    Perhaps it went with the Twisted Path being a sect of oddities. Apart from Gerard, who had introduced himself, Kevin hadn¡¯t paid much attention to the other examinees until now.


    There was little point in getting to know people who might never make it in.


    In front of the group was the black-robed expert who¡¯d started the entire examination. Holding a scroll, he began calling names in no apparent order.


    One by one the hopefuls walked forward and attempted the technique with varying degrees of success. About a third failed to produce anything and were dismissed with little fanfare, while the rest managed enough to get another token.


    A single young woman stood out. Dressed in white robes covered in spiderweb-like arrays, every inch of her paper-white skin was inked with shifting text.


    When she performed the technique, it was like seeing every part of his academic understanding in motion. In an instant she slid around the practice dummy in the center of the courtyard, blinking across space as if it had twisted around her.


    That was it: the deeper mystery of the technique he¡¯d struggled so hard to even grasp. And she¡¯d learned how to use it in the same amount of time.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    Kevin had to resist shrinking in on himself at the sight; how could he compete with someone like that? His only hope was that he wouldn¡¯t have to.


    A little over halfway through the list, the examiner called his name. Taking a deep breath, Kevin walked forward while unfolding his carefully prepared pages. Without stopping at the training dummy, he presented the pages to the robed figure.


    The man raised a perfect eyebrow, using a single movement to convey more intimidation than Kevin had seen in hostile boardroom arguments. ¡°And what¡¯s this?¡±


    Licking his lips, Kevin responded. ¡°My comprehension of the technique listed for your perusal.¡±


    ¡°Is that so?¡± the man said, his face flat. In a blur, the pages were in his land, his eyes shifting across them at incomprehensible speeds. He flipped each page after less than a second, yet the time still seemed to drag.


    At the end, the man¡¯s lips quirked into the hint of a smile. ¡°Acceptable,¡± he said, flipping a token to Kevin as the papers vanished.


    Kevin¡¯s knees almost gave out as the tension left his body. ¡°Thank you,¡± he croaked, lowering into a bow before tottering back towards the group.


    He was met with frowns at his performance, though Gerard was giving him a thumbs up, and the tattooed woman looked amused. Whatever they felt, Kevin couldn¡¯t bring himself to care.


    He¡¯d made it through again.


    After that, the test finished swiftly. A few people tried following his offering with verbal explanations, and two of them even succeeded. The rest passed or failed, in the usual way.


    From what he could tell about the people who passed, the sect wasn¡¯t demanding a massive understanding of the technique. It seemed more like a minimum cut-off; if you couldn¡¯t learn the basics in the day, they didn¡¯t want you sticking around.


    However, there was also the possibility of a secret ranking that would come up later. Perhaps their ability across all the tests was being tallied, so you only got kicked early if you straight up failed a portion?


    It was a worry that continued to gnaw at him over the next two days. Several more tests were completed during that time, covering their physical and spiritual abilities. The only saving grace was that no one else was kicked during that time.


    As if the first two tests for problem-solving and learning ability were the most important ones, the following tests only gauged their ability instead of gating their progress.


    Tests for endurance, agility, and combat ability were all ones Kevin was sure he¡¯d scored low in. For power, he didn¡¯t even have to guess; he was straight up the lowest in the group.


    Spiritual sensing was the sole one he felt he¡¯d done alright in. Though given his short practice period, he assumed most others had done better.


    Then, on the fifth day of testing, the remaining thirty-four members of their exam group were sent to an admin building for interviews. This had to be it, there¡¯d been such a long testing period already that he couldn¡¯t imagine it lasting much longer.


    Over thirty people from just their group seemed to be too many; they had to be using these interviews to cut down the numbers. Yet despite the competition, Kevin felt calmer than he had during the entire exam.


    They¡¯d finally reached the portion he shined in.


    <hr>


    The same woman who¡¯d taken notes at the gate led them into a massive waiting room filled with comfortable lounges. Rich wood paneling covered the walls, and the ceiling shined gold in the morning light.


    Small platters of refreshment were placed on little tables by the lounges, though few people seemed in the mood to eat. After settling them, the woman began calling people through in random order.


    None returned, and unless the conversations were short, there had to be multiple interviewers. More confirmation of Kevin¡¯s suspicions; this was the end of the line, either way.


    Gerard sat nearby, back straight, but hands clutching his legs. He didn¡¯t look like he wanted to talk, and Kevin felt no particular need, either.


    He could understand the younger man''s nerves, his stomach was churning despite his earlier calm. He might be great at sweet-talking people, but who knew how much he had to overcome from that disastrous run of tests?


    Kevin¡¯s was called after only a dozen other names, and he snapped upright in a moment before shuffling forward. With his heart pounding in his chest, it was hard not to imagine this as the last walk to his executioner.


    The sect member led him down a hallway draped with artistic wall hangings until she stopped in front of an unmarked doorway. ¡°Just through here,¡± she said, the musical lilt of her incredible voice almost enough to perk up Kevin¡¯s mood.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± he muttered with far less grace than he was used to. Bracing himself, he pushed the door open and stepped through.


    As the door swung inward, it revealed an office opulent enough to put the wealthiest lawyers to shame. The walls were paneled in mahogany, the massive teak desk was larger than a dining table, and the walls held bookshelves laden with massive tomes trimmed in gold.


    Behind the desk sat a young man who didn¡¯t look a day over eighteen. Only his gaze spoke differently, holding unparalleled authority. His power was tightly contained within his stomach, yet blazed with more radiance than the midday sun.


    Kevin stumbled at the sight, blinking as he tried to figure out how to dampen his spiritual sight. How foolish he¡¯d been to think those other two might have been in the Golden Core realm.


    With the blazing sphere in his chest, this man could be mistaken for nothing else.


    ¡°Sit, please,¡± the Golden Core cultivator said, his voice holding an iron-like command, despite its velvety tones.


    Nodding dumbly, Kevin staggered in, blinking to stem the overload of his spiritual senses. It didn¡¯t help, for all, that he could process such information visually, the process had nothing to do with his physical eyes.


    By the time he¡¯d made it across the massive bear-skin rug ¡ª the bear had to have been the size of a house ¡ª Kevin had shaken the worst of the confusion. The man seated across from him had all the perfect features he¡¯d seen in other advanced cultivators, but no more.


    Perhaps one¡¯s appearance had already been perfected by the Core Formation realm. Rather than anything physical, it was the man¡¯s spiritual changes that were impossible to ignore.


    Beyond just the incredible power, just being near the man seemed to lay a weight on his shoulders; as if the man was significant enough to have his own gravity field. Maybe he was. Kevin wouldn¡¯t place anything as impossible in the face of such power.


    Beyond the obvious changes, he struggled to look past his core to the man himself. The cultivator had strong signs of Asian heritage on his face, perhaps enough to have a full parent or grandparent.


    This Kevin knew to be significant, though he lacked a lot of the cultural understanding others showed. One thing he was sure of was that Xi¡¯anian descent meant fewer cultivation blockages, but the complicated relationship Caldain had with that country was beyond him.


    There was something to do with a war, or multiple wars, a long time ago, but he hadn¡¯t pried much further.


    ¡°Kevin Mathew Blake,¡± the cultivator began, his lilting voice snapping Kevin out of a second, more subtle daze. ¡°Thirty-five years of age, though only thirty physically, and an outsider.¡±


    Most people he¡¯d told about his age looked at least intrigued by the idea, but this man didn¡¯t even bat an eye. Then again, it was nothing compared to the time this man had likely looked eighteen.


    ¡°You may call me Elder Ming,¡± he finished with the slightest nod.


    Surging back to his feet as he realized he¡¯d missed any formalities, Kevin bowed low. ¡°It is an honor to meet you, Elder Ming.¡±


    The elder only waved him back down, face twitching into a smile. ¡°I have surveyed your test results, and must congratulate you on scrapping through with near minimum results.¡±


    Kevin failed to contain a wince; that didn¡¯t seem like something worth congratulating.


    ¡°Given your difficult start, and less than five months of cultivation, it is a decent showing,¡± Elder Ming continued, giving no sign of whether he was serious or mocking.


    ¡°Still, we would rarely take one with such low scores and we have a decent batch to select from this year. Your status as an Outsider has intrigued us, and your introduction letter from a prestigious government organization has some weight as well.¡±


    Clasping his hands on the desk, the expert leaned forward. ¡°So please, tell me in your own words why we should take a risk on you.¡±


    Bracing himself, Kevin took a moment to formulate his thoughts. So many times in his past, a good speech had gotten him through.


    Today it would have to do so again.

 Chapter 21 - Justification

    The strategy Kevin had always used to get neutral people to support him had three stages. First, you intrigued them, then you nailed that intrigue down, then you finished by offering assurances.


    Elder Ming was sitting calm and straight-backed, neither impatient nor engaged with the conversation. Despite his earlier words, Kevin wouldn¡¯t say he was intrigued yet. Time to hit him with something big.


    ¡°Thank you for the opportunity to speak, Elder,¡± Kevin began, giving a second bow from his seat. ¡°The key reason you should take a risk on me is that the potential rewards far outweigh what the sect risks losing.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m not another cultivator here to get as much quick power as they can before leaving for a cushy job somewhere else. My goal is immortality; reaching the peak is the entire reason I came to this world.¡±


    The elder was difficult to read, even now the slight upward shift of an eyebrow was the singular change in his expression. Still, that was enough to hint at interest.


    Not approval, of course, that was unlikely yet with such an over-the-top goal. But a good start; he¡¯d managed to separate himself from the sea of average applicants. Now to drive it home.


    ¡°This is not an idle dream,¡± Kevin continued, keeping his tone steady and serious. ¡°Almost five months ago, before arriving in this world, I was on the verge of death. Cultivation was but a myth for me.¡±


    His throat twinged as he skirted the bounds of his contract, but it was light enough to show he wasn¡¯t risking anything yet. Statements of fact without reference or background information were the key.


    ¡°I took a deal to get here, with extreme consequences.¡± More pushback from the binding, but he was still OK. ¡°If I die, then my soul will be destroyed utterly. For me, the peak is the only path forward.¡±


    His throat had almost closed up by the end; he¡¯d been right at the edges with such continued pushing. Any more and he¡¯d have been in trouble, so it was a good thing he was done.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can imagine how much that drives me to succeed,¡± Kevin smiled, the expression wry. ¡°How many of your other disciples can say their very soul is on the line? With such motivation, I¡¯ll work harder than anyone.¡±


    ¡°So,¡± he opened his arms, ¡°this would be an investment with not just years or decades of payoff for the sect. I¡¯m never going to stop advancing, I can¡¯t stop advancing. Even if I fall short of my goal, there will still be centuries of improvement where I can be useful to the Twisted Path.¡±


    Relaxing back into his seat, Kevin waited for the elder to respond.


    There was a long pause as the man lifted a teacup that hadn¡¯t existed a second ago. He took a delicate sip, then placed it down again, no faster than a mortal. ¡°Bold claims.¡±


    ¡°I can see the theory you speak of, yet you are only in the second grade, of the first stage, of the first realm. Is it not far too early to speak of such heights?¡± Elder Ming¡¯s eyes locked onto Kevin as he finished, more intent than at any stage yet.


    Kevin resisted the urge to fidget or lick his lips; this was not the time for expressions of doubt. He''d gotten the elder interested but he still had to anchor it in reality.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, I am still at the very beginning, yet I have achieved that success quickly given my lack of education on matters of cultivation and my significant blockages. As I said, cultivation was a myth to me.¡±


    ¡°Now, not even five months later, I have progressed without even a functioning Dantian. Without such a limitation, how much further could I have gotten? I would wager that it would be a great deal more.¡±


    Kevin leaned forward, with an eager grin as he continued. ¡°With each bypassed blockage, I¡¯ll progress further. Yes, this will require resources and knowledge, but that is only more proof of how hard I will work for the sect.¡±


    ¡°I need the backing you can provide, just as I needed the OIM¡¯s help when I arrived. To ensure I can maintain access to your resources, I¡¯ll have to keep the sect happy in any way I can.¡±


    It was a deflection, of course; he had no actual evidence to justify faith in achieving the peak at his level, but it was a good one. He had to keep drawing the conversation back to how motivated he would be to work for the sect.


    The argument was even true, which always helped.


    Another pause, another glacial sip of tea. ¡°A fair point. I will concede that your motivation is intact, whether your goal is achievable or not.¡± From the way the elder emphasized the last words, it was clear what his opinion of the matter was.


    ¡°You speak of being useful to the sect, yet your application lists few skills of any kind. Nor did your examinations reveal anything new. To be useful, one must have use.¡±


    Despite the harsh words, Kevin had to suppress a grin. That was the second stage down, he¡¯d locked in the initial intrigue, solidifying it as fact. Now he just had to give assurances that the sect wouldn¡¯t lose out.


    ¡°Yes, you''re correct. I¡¯m a complete blank slate, ready to fill any role you need,¡± he said, nodding in response to the elder¡¯s statement. It wasn¡¯t something he could refute, but he could transform it into another advantage.


    ¡°I understand the Twisted Path teaches and employs a broad range of activities, professions, and skills. Surely some are less popular, but still require workers? I¡¯m a faster learner, I dissected the Twisted Step technique despite never seeing anything like it.¡±


    ¡°Just point me at anything you need more off, and I¡¯ll be up to speed in no time.¡± Any organization had roles that were vital, but unpopular. Signing up for one was the best way to get a foot in the door, and you could always try to move away once you¡¯d shown how proficient you were.


    ¡°I¡¯m not asking for any permanent commitment,¡± Kevin continued, ¡°Just give me a year, or even six months, then kick me out if you aren¡¯t satisfied.¡± Leaning back, he waited for a response.This narrative has been purloined without the author''s approval. Report any appearances on Amazon.


    He could have pointed out how low a risk that was, but pushing too hard could be just as dangerous as not pushing hard enough. No one enjoyed being treated like an idiot, and it was easy to see the logical conclusion.


    Sure, it was a risk on his part as well, but he¡¯d always landed on his feet in new jobs. He¡¯d had far shorter probations with excellent results before.


    This time, there was no tea sipping; instead, the elder stared off into space, fingers tapping lightly on his desk. Energy flowed around his head as he did so; it had to be a mental technique.


    Seconds dragged by until he snapped his gaze back to Kevin. ¡°A fine gamble indeed. As you say, taking you for six months only risks a few resources and the potential of whoever else would take your spot.¡±


    Elder Ming smiled a tight, amused thing. ¡°You project confidence well, so let¡¯s give you a challenge. Every outer sect disciple must show sufficient merit to maintain their position.¡±


    ¡°This is, of course, in addition to their tuition payments. We don¡¯t take just anyone here. In most cases, they have a year to reach this minimum level; you will have six months. Further, we will hold you to your offer of taking on a less popular role.¡±


    Kevin grinned, nodding back. That sounded a little worse than he¡¯d hoped, but still doable. Depending on how merit worked, he might have to build it up at twice the usual rate to get a year¡¯s worth in six months.


    Still, it was the opening he needed. He just had to perform above average to keep it. And, at worst, he would still be a lot better off with six months of the sect¡¯s backing than with none.


    ¡°Thank you for the opportunity,¡± he said, bowing for a third time. ¡°I won¡¯t disappoint.¡±


    ¡°See that you do not,¡± Elder Ming responded, holding out a sheet of paper. ¡°Sign this.¡±


    The page was in plain language, detailing their agreement, along with an oath to not share the sect''s secrets or spread its teachings or techniques without permission. Despite the brevity, the document shed more power than Kevin had in his entire Sealed Land.


    Another contract, no doubt, working similarly to his first. After a quick check for surprises, Kevin signed and slid the contract back across the desk.


    Elder Ming stood and tossed something across the desk without even glancing at it.


    Scrambling, Kevin caught the object before it could hit the desk. It was a circle of jade, with a woven cord threaded through a hole at the top, Outer Disciple stamped across the face.


    ¡°With this, I formally induct you into the Outer Sect of the Twisted Path,¡± the elder intoned, his tone serious. ¡°For the duration of your membership, we will provide all reasonable support and expect your best efforts in return.¡±


    ¡°I accept and will strive to uphold the sect¡¯s expectations,¡± Kevin responded, bowing one last time, then slipping the necklace over his head.


    ¡°You will be directed to quarters when you leave the room,¡± Elder Ming continued, a genuine smile crossing his face. ¡°See Doctor Vaughan at the earliest opportunity about your cultivation blockages, then see to class assignment tomorrow. I will inform them of your promise.¡±


    The man returned to his seat without further ceremony and pulled a fresh document from thin air.


    It was a clear dismissal, so Kevin turned and walked out of the office without bothering the elder further. His heart was racing, and he couldn¡¯t shift the broad grin on his face.


    He¡¯d done it.


    <hr>


    A new cultivator was waiting as he left, a woman close to Travis¡¯ strength. Energy Gathering realm, either second or third stage then. She looked to be in her early thirties, with auburn hair and a bright grin.


    ¡°Made it, hey?¡± she laughed when she got a good look at his face. ¡°Then let me be the first person to congratulate you. I¡¯m May, an inner sect disciple and your guide for the day.¡±


    ¡°You may call me Ma¡¯am, Miss May, or Senior Sister,¡± she finished, winking at him.


    ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded, shifting into a bow. ¡°I was told to report to Doctor Vaughan as soon as possible.¡±


    May glanced away for a second, then nodded. ¡°A cultivation blockage specialist in the inner sect. No wonder the elder called for an inner disciple escort.


    Follow me,¡± she finished, turning without any further explanation.


    Shrugging, Kevin followed her, having to hustle to keep up. Was the inner sect forbidden to outer disciples? That would explain why they sent someone far more important than him to be his guide.


    And just when had Elder Ming ¡®called¡¯ for an escort? When he¡¯d been staring off into the distance with that technique? The idea was intriguing but would have to wait.


    They strode out of the building at speed, nearing a jog for all that May moved like she was taking a morning stroll. Through the compound, past another sixteen massive constructions in odd styles, until they reached the back gate.


    ¡°Stay close,¡± May said, reaching forward and pushing on the gates. As they slid open, she took a single step through and vanished, leaving Kevin staring at the normal-looking road leading away.


    For a moment he froze, blinking at the bizarre sight. Then he remembered her words and hurried to follow. Between one step and the next, the view in front shifted from an empty road to a full city.


    Or at least that was what it looked like. Dozens of colossal buildings filled a new compound. Its walls towered at least twice the height of the outer sects, and the buildings within matched the scale.


    Nor was this some hidden area revealed as he¡¯d stepped through. The view past the walls had also changed, placing them on a different section of the peak. A higher one from how thin the air was.


    ¡°Welcome to the inner sect,¡± May said from just in front of him. ¡°You may stay for the day, but no longer, and must remain within my sight at all times.¡± The words came out formal and stilted as if she¡¯d memorized them rote.


    ¡°Understood,¡± Kevin responded, his face serious. Even the outer sect had been impressive enough that he¡¯d have believed it was all they had; what he was now seeing was out of this world.


    Was this the wealth and power of a sect with a spot in the country¡¯s top thirty-six? Going off cultivation tropes, there would be an even more ridiculous core sect somewhere else as well, along with all sorts of crazy secrets.


    Just how much was he paying in tuition for this place? Or, to be more accurate, how much debt was the OIM taking on for him? Perhaps he should have asked, though he wouldn¡¯t have refused whatever the price.


    With how much the sect was already helping him on the first day, it would be worth it, anyway. A doctor specializing in cultivation blockages? That might even be better than Dr. Grange.


    Travis had said Grange was a specialist in odd cases, which didn¡¯t necessarily mean cultivation blockages. If that was all Dr. Vaughan focused on, he might have fresh insights.


    Was this why Dr. Grange had encouraged him to wait until he got into a sect before looking for further answers?


    ¡°Impressive, I know,¡± May laughed, drawing his attention to where she was tapping her foot on the ground. ¡°But I don¡¯t have all day. They''re offering decent merit for this, but not enough to miss that much cultivation.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kevin said, hurrying to catch up. ¡°Can I ask you to explain merit on the way? I need to reach a threshold in the next six months.¡±


    ¡°A six-month check for a fresh disciple?¡± May grunted with a hint of amusement. ¡°Rough. But sure, it¡¯ll pass the time.¡±


    ¡°Merit is a resource the Twisted Path uses to track a mixture of potential and usefulness. You have a total merit score, which is all you¡¯ve ever received minus any punishment deductions, and a current score.¡±


    ¡°The current score has more immediate uses; you can spend it on additional resources, tutoring, or reducing your tuition. Your total merit defines your ranking within the sect. It¡¯s particularly important for outer sect disciples.¡±


    ¡°Get enough at your next merit check, and you get into the inner sect, end up too low, and get booted. Most stay somewhere in the middle until they run out of money or find an advantage. Both thresholds change from year to year, so you''ll have to check the specifics.¡±


    So it was like the contribution points in so many cultivation stories, with the added complexity of deciding if you weren¡¯t good enough. And he had to get above the minimum threshold in six months.


    A difficult task but one he could worry about later.


    After he¡¯d found out if Dr. Vaughan could solve his meridian problem.

 Chapter 22 - Blockages

    May led him through the inner sect, past extravagant courtyards and massive parks. Training areas were scattered throughout, many filled with disciples practicing a dazzling array of techniques.


    Not a moment passed without something pinging his spiritual senses, and Kevin had to work hard not to keep reacting. How did people live here without always being on edge?


    Was it something you got used to? Few people in Ostale had used their Qi for anything beyond cultivation practices; maybe he just needed to be desensitized.


    Just not so desensitized that he didn¡¯t react if someone fired a technique off at him. What a crazy world it was that he had to consider that a possibility. For all that he wanted to focus on cultivation, he couldn¡¯t ignore at least basic combat training.


    Dr. Vaughan¡¯s waiting room was about a third of the way in from the edge of the sect. The building was the largest they¡¯d reached yet, despite the simple label of ¡®Cultivation Support.¡¯


    Or, perhaps, because of it. What could be more important than supporting advancement itself?


    A young woman in the Body Cleansing realm greeted them on arrival, seating them with refreshments and assuring them the doctor would be with them soon. With the waiting room otherwise empty, it might even be true.


    Unlike what he was used to back home, no books or other entertainment were provided. Given how May crossed her legs and closed her eyes, they were probably expected to fill the time with cultivation.


    Which wouldn¡¯t do Kevin much good until he had a solution to the lack of Qi in his body. He had already been pushing it as far as felt safe.


    ¡°So, how does being in the outer sect work?¡± He asked, glancing over at May. She was still supposed to be on guide duty, so it was worth seeing if he could get more information out of her.


    The older woman sighed, her shoulders drooping but she opened her eyes, nonetheless. ¡°Well, I already explained merit, so you know what you need to work toward. The rest is just everyday stuff.¡±


    ¡°You will have to sign up for classes soon; that will take up most of the time you aren¡¯t cultivating or training. There¡¯s also a base level of cultivation resources you can draw on without paying extra.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin nodded. It was good to hear there were some resources provided; who knew how long his loan from the OIM would hold out? He¡¯d have to ask Travis what the timeline would be like.


    ¡°How do the classes work?¡±


    May pursed her lips, gazing away as if remembering something. ¡°Well, it¡¯s been a while, but from what I remember, most of them occur weekly. More practical ones will be mostly training and practice, while others will be lectures.¡±


    ¡°It depends on what you¡¯re learning,¡± she continued with a shrug. ¡°From what I remember, the expectation is for you to take at least five classes, with a minimum of two being combat-focused.¡±


    Kevin shook his head; there was the focus on combat again. Still, he¡¯d just been thinking that he needed some training. That, combined with his promise to take on whatever support training the sect wanted, would fill most or all of his slots.


    ¡°What about work? Are there any jobs in the sect I could pick up?¡± Depending on what Travis said, he might need to get some income flowing in to draw out how long he could pay tuition.


    ¡°Some,¡± May sighed again. ¡°It depends on whether you have any useful skills. The more useful you are, the more jobs are available and the more they pay. Some of the best even pay out merit.¡±


    Which suggested the rest would pay in coins like any normal job. That was what he¡¯d intended, but the idea of earning extra merit was also intriguing. He wouldn¡¯t get enough together by being passive.


    ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll excuse me, I need to cultivate,¡± May snorted, closing her eyes again.


    It seemed he¡¯d run through her patience for now. At least she¡¯d given him a few things to consider.


    <hr>


    Without conversation or entertainment, the wait dragged on, and there was only so much he could plan with limited information. Hopefully, he could get some advice when signing up for classes, because he had no idea what to pick for combat training.


    Time was going to be his most critical resource. He needed time to cultivate, time to take classes, time to practice what he learned, time to earn merit, and perhaps even time to work. With all that, he needed to minimize how long he spent on each thing.


    Learning to use a weapon might be the most effective, but would also take a vast amount of practice time. Not to mention having to purchase at least one good quality weapon.


    Martial arts wouldn¡¯t be much easier, but he at least knew a few basics after his recent training. Even if he learned a weapon, he¡¯d probably have to keep that training up too in case he was disarmed, so perhaps focusing on it would save time?


    There were also incantations and who knew what else. He really needed advice before he made a mistake.


    Finally, after almost an hour, the receptionist called him over, leaving May behind. In contrast to most of the sect, the treatment room she led him to was simple in the extreme.


    The small area held nothing but a bed and a few chairs, while diagrams littered the walls. There wasn¡¯t a hint of technology or even one of those diagnosis circles he¡¯d been in before.


    A moment later, the door swung open and a middle-aged man walked through. Dr. Vaughn was tall, thin, and dressed in pure white cultivator robes. Dozens of scars marred a plain face; the first hint of lingering damage Kevin had seen on any cultivator.The story has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the violation.


    Despite lacking the perfection of most cultivators, the doctor¡¯s Qi still screamed Core Formation realm. It floated around his body in a massive cloud that spread into the surrounding air.


    It wasn¡¯t centralized like a Golden Core cultivator, yet was vastly stronger than the few Energy Gathering cultivators he¡¯d met.


    ¡°Well, well¡­ another outsider,¡± Dr. Vaughan said with no hint of greeting.


    ¡°Yes, sir,¡± Kevin responded, keeping up his respectfulness as he bowed. Did that mean there were more outsiders in the sect? Given Twisted Path¡¯s focus on oddities, that wasn¡¯t a stretch.


    ¡°Twelve blocked meridians, and a shriveled Dantian,¡± the doctor tsked, staring at a document now in his hand. ¡°You¡¯ve seen someone else then?¡±


    ¡°Dr. Grange back in the capital,¡± Kevin nodded, ¡°he¡¯s a specialist in¡­¡±


    ¡°I know who Dr. Grange is,¡± Dr. Vaughn chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°Just what did that ancient fossil give you? The advancement I sense should have killed you several times over.¡±


    Kevin swallowed, mouth dry at the dire pronouncement. ¡°The Sealed Land cultivation method,¡± casting his mind back, he continued. ¡°He said it came under the Inner Realm style of cultivation.¡±


    Dr. Vaughn tapped the pages he was holding to his lips, his eyes unfocused. Qi swirled around his head but remained outside his body. Now that Kevin was paying attention, he couldn¡¯t feel any Qi in the doctor¡¯s body.


    From what he knew, there had to be some to keep the man alive, but regular mortal levels would be far below his ability to sense. Was this aura cultivation? Dr. Grange mentioned that it wouldn¡¯t be suitable for him because of its lack of interaction with the body.


    Was that why Dr. Vaughan had scars? Some limitation in healing ability from a lack of Qi in his body?


    ¡°Trust Grange to dig up old curiosities,¡± the doctor laughed, shaking his head. ¡°Though with your limitations, I suppose it wasn¡¯t a terrible choice.¡±


    Turning back, the man raised an eyebrow, ¡°I assume body-integrated cultivation was important to you?¡±


    Kevin nodded, but Dr. Vaughan continued before he could explain. ¡°It¡¯s a neat way to bypass your Dantian, but I imagine you''re having trouble advancing with those blocked meridians?¡±


    A wry smile crossed Kevin¡¯s face. ¡°Yeah, there¡¯s a technique to draw free-floating Qi within my body into the sealed land, but I¡¯m running out and it¡¯s hard to replace. I ate a spirit fruit once. That helped a lot, but took two weeks to digest.¡±


    ¡°Blocked stomach meridian,¡± Dr. Vaughan nodded. ¡°Still, two weeks is slow even for that. Your body might be limiting flow further to avoid damaging your Dantian. Dr. Grange didn¡¯t give you anything to work around this issue?¡±


    ¡°No, all he said was that it would cause too much damage to open all my meridians and that it would be best to find further solutions in the sect I joined. Something about ensuring they were methods the sect was versed in,¡± Kevin responded, shaking his head.


    Dr. Vaughan snorted, and muttered something under his breath that sounded like, ¡°cheapskate.¡± Rubbing his hand through a thin beard, the man continued. ¡°Hold still then so I can scan you.¡±


    Without waiting for a response, the doctor stepped forward and began waving his hands, words in a strange language dripping from his lips. Complex seals and patterns formed in the air, glowing yellow and gold.


    Kevin licked his lips, glancing at the odd sight but holding still. Three doctors he¡¯d seen now, and all three had used different methods to diagnose him. Was medicine so unformalized here?


    ¡°I see,¡± Dr. Vaughan muttered a few moments later. ¡°I have to concur with Grange. Opening so many blockages would cause irreversible damage and increase energy flow to your Dantian far too much.¡±


    ¡°As I suspected, your energy system has developed to limit Qi draw. This is why you had enough free-floating Qi to advance as it is. A sudden increase would shred your Dantian long before you could adapt.¡±


    ¡°No wonder Grange sent you down this path,¡± the doctor continued a rueful look on his face. ¡°Sometimes our elders do show much insight.¡±


    ¡°So what can I do?¡± Kevin asked, wincing at the man¡¯s description. There went his hope for getting a few unblocked meridians. Dr. Grange suggested that forcing open two or three might be possible, but this nixed the idea entirely.


    Dr. Vaughan pursed his lips, casting his gaze into the distance. ¡°Explain the technique you have to gather energy in detail. I do not recall such a thing being linked to the original sealed land experiments.¡±


    Blinking, Kevin began listing his experiences with the spiritual void technique. So that was why it had been in a section at the back; Dr. Grange must have added it to the original method to overcome some of the limitations he¡¯d described.


    It was a shame he¡¯d left the booklet in storage with the rest of his belongings. Still, he¡¯d memorized enough details to be confident in his description.


    <hr>


    Dr. Vaughan was nodding by the time he¡¯d finished, an approving smile on his face. ¡°A good compliment to the original method. Grange has done well; this provides us with options.¡±


    There was a pause as the man used his mental technique again, energy swirling around his head like a halo. This time, the energy draw was far more intense; a single usage consuming more energy than Kevin had sensed from most cultivators in the Body Cleansing realm.


    After several minutes, the doctor laughed, a merry smirk on his face. ¡°So much ancient literature, and yet the most available option is within our very own sect. Why am I even surprised anymore?¡±


    Still chuckling at some hidden joke, Dr. Vaughan turned back to Kevin. ¡°For now, our goal should be to push you into the second stage of the Body Cleansing realm. With your spiritual void technique, this only requires us to increase the free-floating Qi within your body.¡±


    Drawing a clipboard from thin air, the doctor began scribbling notes. ¡°There are more drastic options available, but we will begin with the least risky one and proceed from there.¡±


    I¡¯m sending you to Runa Valgarsd¨®ttir, an inner sect disciple focusing on formation tattoos. It¡¯s an odd specialization, but she should be able to create an energy gathering formation for you.


    The tattooed woman from the entrance exams flashed into Kevin¡¯s mind at the doctor¡¯s words. Was that what she had on her face? ¡°That will get around the problem?¡± Kevin asked, leaning forward, an eager smile on his face.


    ¡°Yes.¡± Dr. Vaughan responded shortly but continued when he looked up at Kevin¡¯s face. ¡°The skin is a barrier that blocks outside Qi from entering, or leaving the body.¡±


    ¡°Incompatible or hostile Qi could wreak havoc if it could just flow into the body, nor would such a thing be of much use without direction. And I¡¯m sure you can imagine that no one wants their hard-won energy flowing out of their body.¡±


    ¡°However, in your case, that is what we want. A formation on your skin should bypass this limitation, while also filtering out any potentially dangerous Qi.¡±


    ¡°And once it¡¯s inside, I can use the spiritual void technique to pull it into my sealed land,¡± Kevin responded, nodding along.


    ¡°Correct. You need to balance your practice to ensure you don¡¯t raise your free-floating Qi levels too high, or drain them too low, but the theory is sound. My assistant will book you in for next week so I can assess you for any damage.¡±


    ¡°I will continue to consider your issue in the meantime,¡± the doctor continued as he handed the page of scrawled notes over. ¡°Without active meridians, we will need a solution for cleansing your body, along with more significant Qi drawing methods for the Energy Gathering realm.¡±


    The page had, ¡®for disciple Valgarsd¨®ttir,¡¯ at the top, and was so dense with technical jargon and strange symbols that he couldn¡¯t make any sense of it. Given it wasn¡¯t for him, that shouldn¡¯t be an issue.


    ¡°Thank you, Doctor,¡± Kevin said, bowing as low as he could. ¡°I appreciate everything you and the sect are doing for me.¡±


    ¡°All part of the job,¡± Dr. Vaughn responded, a smile twitching at the corners of his lips. ¡°Besides, this is quite the interesting puzzle you¡¯ve given me. So many pieces we have to glue together.¡±


    ¡®Interesting problem,¡¯ was far from the nicest thing he¡¯d been called, but Kevin couldn¡¯t care less if it kept the doctor working on his problem. As the man said, there was still a lot left to solve.


    But he had a way forward again. One more stop and he could keep pressing on toward the second stage.

 Chapter 23 - Runa

    Kevin walked out of the treatment room with hope in his heart and a page clutched in his hand.


    May was still seated in the waiting room, eyes closed, Qi moving in odd patterns within her chest. It had to be a cultivation method, but he lacked detailed enough senses to divine its purpose.


    ¡°All done?¡± May snapped her eyes open as he grew close, Qi stilling.


    ¡°One more stop,¡± Kevin responded, shaking his head. ¡°We need to visit an inner sect disciple, Runa Valgarsd¨®ttir. She has the key to what I need.¡±


    May shrugged carelessly, ¡°Never heard of her.¡± Sighing, she rose from her seat. ¡°But that doesn¡¯t mean much; the sect has a lot of disciples. It has to be today?¡±


    Kevin licked his lips, weighing how to respond. Strictly speaking, it didn¡¯t; if he had to wait a few more days, he¡¯d just lose those days of practice. However, he was already here in the inner sect, so leaving seemed a waste.


    Plus, he had a checkup booked with the doctor for next week, which would be pointless if he didn¡¯t get the tattoo done.


    ¡°The doctor needs it done by next week,¡± Kevin said, waving the page of notes as a prop. ¡°So unless you want to be stuck bringing me back another day?¡±


    ¡°Fine, fine,¡± May sighed again, waving a hand as she flounced out of the waiting room. ¡°What¡¯s her deal? I can¡¯t track the woman down without any clues.¡±


    Kevin hurried to catch up. ¡°It¡¯s formation tattoos. Dr. Vhaughan said that it was an unusual specialization.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ll say,¡± May snorted, shaking her head. ¡°A formation on your body? That¡¯s a lot of trust you''re putting in the artist. Who knows what tricks they might try to slip in? And that doesn¡¯t even start on the potential risks of trying to integrate something like that into your Meridian network.¡±


    Well, it was a good thing he didn¡¯t have much of a network to worry about then. The risk of some kind of back-door curse or whatever she was suggesting was more of a concern, but he didn¡¯t think Dr. Vaughan would send him to someone with hostile intentions.


    Still, he could easily see her point. This wasn¡¯t the kind of operation you¡¯d get done just for a minor advantage. If you weren¡¯t desperate, you¡¯d look for any other options first.


    ¡°Still, that¡¯s useful information,¡± May changed direction, turning toward the middle of the sect. ¡°All the disciples with odd specialties advertise them; it¡¯s the only way they get any customers at all.¡±


    ¡°Is merit transferable, then?¡± Kevin asked, intrigue overcoming the hint of trepidation about the operation. ¡°If they''re advertising, then they have to expect payment.¡±


    May laughed, high and musical. ¡°No, it is not. When they advertise to other disciples, it¡¯s usually cultivation resources their after, or sometimes even money. The only time you get paid in merit is when you''re working for the sect.¡±


    It was a good thing the sect was paying for this operation then, the last thing he needed was to get even further into debt.


    Their next stop was the assignment building. While the main purpose was for the sect to assign work ¡ª at least according to May ¡ª there was also a section where disciples could advertise goods and services community board style.


    Three walls of the large room were covered in wooden boards, with thousands of little pieces of paper pinned to them. The quantity of information was staggering, yet May seemed to know where she was headed.


    After only a few minutes of pursuing a particular section on the right wall, she pointed to a single piece of paper.


    Need a hidden advantage? Formation tattoos provide instant effects with few downsides! Come get one today!


    Below the short tagline, it listed a random sequence of numbers and letters.


    ¡°Got it,¡± May said, smirking as if pleased with herself. ¡°She¡¯s got a workshop in the formations building. That I could have guessed, but this gives us the specific address to access it.¡±


    Turning on a dime, she strode back toward the door, glancing over her shoulder. ¡°This way, let¡¯s get this over with.¡±


    Once again, Kevin hurried to keep up with the absurd speed of her stride. Still, he couldn¡¯t help but have a last look back at the boards filled with posters.


    So many advertisements for services or goods, and this wasn¡¯t even the main job allocation section. Just how busy was the sect?


    <hr>


    In most instances, Kevin wouldn¡¯t have ever considered a twenty-story building to be small, but this was one of them. Despite its considerable size, the formation¡¯s building was dwarfed by its neighbors, each two or three times its height.


    ¡°Are formations an unpopular discipline?¡± he asked as May led him toward the door.


    ¡°Hmm?¡± May responded, glancing up at the building with a shrug. ¡°Who knows? Inter-departmental politics is well beyond my station. All I know is the departments which are doing well get the newer buildings.¡±


    ¡°Nor do I particularly care,¡± she finished, ending the conversation by leaning in to mutter at the door. A moment later it opened, revealing a long corridor with doors on either side.


    Raising an eyebrow at the sight, Kevin followed her in. Dr. Vaghan had his own little corridor, yet this time it looked like were visiting an entire floor. The corridor even turned at the end instead of terminating.This novel is published on a different platform. Support the original author by finding the official source.


    Was it to do with prestige? More important people getting their own little slice? Or did this older building work differently? May only shrugged when he asked, seeming to not care in the slightest.


    They had to walk past dozens of doors, many without nameplates, before they reached the right one. Near where the corridor turned was a door marked, ¡®Valgarsd¨®ttir.¡¯


    ¡°Now to see if she¡¯s in,¡± May said, reaching up to knock on the door. ¡°I¡¯m not waiting around. If she isn¡¯t here, you¡¯ll have to come back another time.¡±


    Crossing his fingers, Kevin shifted his weight as the crack of her vigorous knocking faded. Just as he was beginning to worry, a voice shouted from inside. ¡°Just a minute!¡±


    ¡°Looks like you''re in luck, and I¡¯m out of it,¡± May sighed, leaning against the wall and tapping her foot. ¡°Stuck here while you get a bloody tattoo, there goes my afternoon.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kevin responded, hiding his excitement with a false apology. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can sit in the corner and cultivate on the sects¡¯ dime though.¡±


    May shrugged, looking barely mollified. Perhaps she¡¯d had something planned? Whatever the reason, she was at least willing to stay, and that was what mattered.


    It was nearing five minutes when the door finally cracked open, revealing a tall woman with blond hair. She had to be pushing seven feet, yet was so slender she looked more like someone who¡¯d been stretched out than a giant.


    The woman was wiping her hands on a cloth as she ducked to stare through the doorway. ¡°What can I do for you?¡±


    ¡°Are you Miss ¡®Valgarsd¨®ttir? I¡¯m looking for a tattoo,¡± Kevin said, holding out the notes he¡¯d been given. ¡°Dr. Vaughan sent me.¡± He¡¯d place the woman¡¯s advancement at about the same level as Travis'', easily within the average he¡¯d seen in the inner sect.


    ¡°Yeah, that¡¯s me,¡± Runa responded, nodding and taking the page. ¡°Vaughan, hey. I was beginning to think that would never pan out. Come in,¡± she continued, eyes lighting up as she glanced over the notes.


    Kevin followed as she stepped back from the door, May a step behind him. Inside, the walls were covered in artwork, each a strange pattern against a white background. A reclined chair sat in the middle of the room, surrounded by cabinets.


    Runa herself wore only a singlet and long pants, fresh ink on one of her exposed arms. Nor was it the only tattoo she bore; both arms were covered in dozens of small symbols, none of which were connected to each other.


    Kevin took a seat on the reclining chair, leaving him in a backward-leaning position as he waited for her to say something. Out of the corner of his eye, he spotted May wandering over to a lounge in the corner, seemingly unconcerned with the conversation.


    ¡°Energy gathering formation, huh?¡± Runa asked after a minute spent looking over the notes. ¡°Not exactly the usual kind of request I get. You¡¯ve already discussed how this will be useful with the doctor?¡±


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevin responded, supporting himself with his elbows so he could nod back at her. ¡°Dr. Vaughan explained it would be useless for most people, but I need the free-floating Qi in my body.¡±


    ¡°Can you do it?¡± he finished, voice wavering.


    ¡°Should be able to?¡± Runa responded with a shrug. ¡°Energy gathering formations are pretty common, I should have a diagram or two around here somewhere to base it on. Give me, say, an hour to do the design, then another four for the actual work.¡±


    May coughed in the background, glaring over at the two of them but staying silent. No doubt she was less than pleased to hear they¡¯d be sticking around for so long.


    ¡°Great,¡± Kevin grinned, lying back in the chair. He couldn¡¯t wait.


    <hr>


    ¡°So, how do formations work?¡± Kevin asked, patience waning after almost an hour with nothing to do.


    Just as she had been for the entire time, Runa was hunched over a small desk to the side, scratching away at a piece of paper. Interrupting her might not be the smartest thing to do, but he needed to know how the formation worked before getting it permanently applied.


    ¡°They¡¯re boundary modifiers,¡± Runa responded, looking up with surprising enthusiasm. ¡°Each formation blocks or changes energy as it passes through, creating either a barrier, a filter, or a converter.¡±


    ¡°A series of ¡®flags,¡¯ either traditional ones or variations like I use, form the boundary and define what effects will be applied.


    Kevin pursed his lips, thinking over what he¡¯d seen so far. ¡°How does that compare to something like a disk, then? I don¡¯t remember it having much to do with boundaries, except to keep the wind off, I guess.¡±


    ¡°Those are mostly arrays,¡± Runa said, turning back to her design. ¡°Rather than being a boundary, an array is a single diagram that applies an effect to an entire object. I haven¡¯t studied them much; bad things happen when you try to tattoo them onto people.¡±


    ¡°Skin is a natural boundary, so formations work better than trying to treat a person as an object,¡± Runa finished with a loud snort. ¡°Now, if you¡¯ll let me finish, I¡¯m almost done.¡±


    ¡°Sorry,¡± Kevin said, sinking back into the chair. It sounded like a lot of the modern Qi-based technology here was built with arrays. Was that why the formations building seemed to be left behind?


    Given his agreement with Elder Ming, it could very well end up being one of the unpopular disciplines he might be pushed into. There had been a lot of empty workshops out in that corridor, so he could see them being low on personnel.


    Of course, that was assuming there was still enough demand for their work to require more people. He¡¯d have to wait until the class assignment tomorrow to find out.


    ¡°And done,¡± Runa said a few minutes later. Standing, she lifted a scroll by the corners and carefully carried it over. ¡°This should do for a first effort, at least, we can make changes over time if necessary.¡±


    ¡°Eight formation ¡®flags¡¯,¡± she continued, gesturing to swirling patterns on the paper. ¡°One at the base of your neck, two on your shoulders, two in the middle of your back, two on your lower back, and one just above your tailbone.¡±


    While the sections weren¡¯t connected, you could imagine them forming a sideways rectangle with a little triangle on each end.


    ¡°An even number of flags, that¡¯s important given how long it will last, each set up to filter Fire or Earth aspected energy and pass it through your skin,¡± Runa finished with a proud look on her face. ¡°Just as the doctor ordered.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin responded, stomach churning as he looked over the diagram. Each of the eight ¡®flag¡¯ sections was quite large. He wasn¡¯t sure what he¡¯d been expecting, but this would be a major undertaking and a significant alteration to his body.


    ¡°And you can do all that in four hours?¡±


    ¡°Yep,¡± Runa grinned, tacking the scroll to one of the cabinets in full view of the table. Rummaging through drawers, she continued, ¡°I might not have done an energy gathering formation before, but I¡¯ve had plenty of general experience.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m fast too,¡± she continued, putting her Energy Gathering realm abilities on display as she speedily assembled a set of needles and several pots of ink. ¡°Working on someone else is a lot easier than working on myself as well.¡±


    ¡°Can I see one of your other projects in action?¡± Kevin asked, licking his lips. Now the time was upon him, some evidence Runa knew what she was talking about would be nice.


    In a blur, she was beside the table, an eagre grin on her face. ¡°Sure,¡± Runa laughed, holding her arms out in front. ¡°Most of my work has been in the opposite direction, aspecting energy as it leaves the body.¡±


    Before his eyes, a sphere of glowing green energy formed over her left palm. ¡°Wood aspected Qi for healing,¡± she said, a proud glint in her eyes. Her gaze shifted, and a dancing red flame appeared above her right palm, ¡°and fire aspected Qi for combat.¡±


    ¡°Neither is my primary aspect, yet I have access to them,¡± she finished, smirking down at him.


    ¡°You do, indeed,¡± Kevin laughed, leaning back and relaxing at the impressive display. If she could do that while working on herself with a single hand, then he shouldn¡¯t have anything to worry about.


    Worst case, he had the checkup already booked with Dr. Vaughan, so it shouldn¡¯t be much of a risk. ¡°Let¡¯s get started then,¡± he continued, pulling his shirt off and shifting to lie face down on the chair.


    He was no doubt going to be in for an unpleasant four hours, but it would be worth it to progress.

 Chapter 24 - Advancement

    ¡°And¡­ done,¡± Runa said, pulling her hands back from Kevin¡¯s back for the first time in three hours.


    Having a tattoo artist with superhuman speed and endurance work on him had been quite an experience, though not one Kevin was eager to repeat anytime soon. Despite Runa¡¯s light touch, the sheer rate at which she moved was extremely unpleasant.


    ¡°Look in the mirrors before I speed heal it,¡± she continued, her voice wandering into the room.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin groaned, the tender spots on his back twinging as he slid off the chair.


    Looking around, he spied Runa washing her hands in one corner and a pair of mirrors in another. With one on each wall, it provided clear angles for looking at areas normally hidden from sight.


    The fresh tattoos were a stark black against his pale skin, each of the eight sections a whirl of patterns and half-hidden symbols. ¡°Wow, ¡± Kevin said, a grin spreading across his face, ¡°They¡¯re great!¡±


    Given the benefit he was getting, he wouldn¡¯t have complained if the design looked terrible. Instead, the vaguely tribal designs were among the best he¡¯d ever seen; good enough to be worth getting on style alone.


    ¡°Is it ready to try?¡±


    Runa¡¯s laughter was a deep, echoing bellow that matched her height if not her more delicate appearance. ¡°Wait until I¡¯ve healed them first, you wouldn¡¯t enjoy the result if you tried now.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin responded. He was pretty sure tattoos could take weeks, or even longer, to heal back home, yet she could heal it moments after completion. It was crazy to think how mystical abilities could have such an effect on everyday life.


    Runa¡¯s Wood aspected healing Qi felt like a double shot of coffee injected straight into his veins; a vibrant, almost frantic energy that sent stinging pulses through his back.


    Then it was done, the fresh tattoos no more painful than the bare skin before them.


    ¡°Give it a whirl. I¡¯ll monitor to ensure there are no issues,¡± Runa said from behind him. ¡°Visualize the eight tattoo flags forming a pattern that draws energy through your skin.¡±


    Kevin nodded but kept silent. Closing his eyes, he focused as instructed. It was surprisingly easy after his work on the Sealed Land Method. Before he¡¯d had to create the image out of nothing, this was based on real art he¡¯d seen firsthand.


    There was also a stranger, mystical aspect to these tattoos. Almost as soon as he¡¯d begun, they sprung fully formed into his mind. Each visualized flag started to glow, creating a grid of faint lines.


    The formation grew in strength with continued focus, and within a few moments, motes of Qi were drawn toward it as if magnetized. Some were repelled, others were transmuted, losing part of their volume, while a few passed straight through.


    Nor was this purely an imaginary experience; Kevin could feel his free-floating Qi levels rising with every second that passed. Far faster than his passive level of Qi gain, even faster than absorbing the spirit fruit.


    Perhaps that was to be expected, with it requiring his active attention, but it was still incredible. If he split his cultivation time between this and the spiritual void technique, he would have a sustainable process at last.


    The more time he spent on it, the more progress he would see.


    ¡°Thank you so much, Runa,¡± Kevin breathed, slowly blinking his eyes open. ¡°Seriously, this is a life changer.¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ don¡¯t worry about it, just doing my job,¡± Runa stood awkwardly, scratching the back of her head as a light flush spread across her cheeks. ¡°I should be thanking you; I don''t get to try out new formations that often.¡±


    Kevin raised an eyebrow, unable to see how that could be equated to fixing a massive hole in his cultivation potential. Still, it would be rude to argue. ¡°Then let¡¯s just thank each other,¡± he continued, holding an arm out.


    Runa nodded, clearly recovering her composure as she reached out to clasp his arm. After a few moments, Kevin stepped back and gave a low bow. ¡°Well then, if nothing else needs to be done, I¡¯d better get going.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯ve already kept May here long enough,¡± he finished, turning towards her corner to give another bow to his guide.


    ¡°Too right you have,¡± May snorted, an annoyed tone in her voice as she rose from her cross-legged cultivation pose. ¡°And I¡¯m not even done yet; we still need to go all the way back to the outer sect and visit your quarters.¡±


    With only a nod at her fellow inner sect disciple, she strode for the door with such speed that he¡¯d have to jog to catch up. It seemed she¡¯d run out of patience.


    Waving goodbye to Runa, Kevin hurried to follow.


    <hr>


    It was already growing dark by the time they left the Formations building, despite the hour not even reaching six yet. Dusk came early on Twisted Peak, as the sun dipped behind the peak to the east.


    No wonder May was annoyed. In thanks for staying so long, Kevin kept quiet as they hustled back through the inner sect, and over the strange boundary to the outer one. There they continued, moving past almost every building until they were almost back at the beginning.


    Only a single building over from the temporary accommodation structure he¡¯d stayed in was another marked ¡®Outer Disciple Dorms.¡¯ May checked something on a piece of paper drawn from her sleeve, before gesturing him to the door.


    ¡°Press your hand here,¡± she said, gesturing to the symbol on the frame. ¡°Then ask for Floor Twelve, Eastern wing, and state your name.¡±


    Was that all she¡¯d been doing at the other buildings? He¡¯d been so sure it was some secret security magic. Somewhat let down, Kevin followed her instructions and watched as the symbol lit up below his hand.The story has been taken without consent; if you see it on Amazon, report the incident.


    A considerable portion of his sealed land''s energy reserves was drawn out as he did so, but he imagined it wouldn¡¯t even be noticed by someone more advanced. If not for his new method of cultivation, doing this every time he entered a building would have been daunting.


    Now he could relax and watch the energy flow out of storage, through his body, and out of his palm. This was the precision he¡¯d have to replicate if he wanted to use techniques.


    When studying the Twisted Step movement technique, he¡¯d thought it would be almost impossible without a meridian network, yet the process seemed to work fine here. Was it just because of the door¡¯s array or formation guiding the process?


    Or was it simpler than he¡¯d thought? While he hoped for the latter, Kevin couldn¡¯t help worrying that it was the former. Experiments would need to be done once he had access to enough Qi.


    ¡°The staff will have made a room up, and added a nameplate for you,¡± May said, her arms crossed, her foot tapping on the stone tiles. ¡°Rent is covered as long as you pay tuition, but a larger room or more amenities can be added for an additional cost.¡±


    Her voice had gone flat as if repeating something she¡¯d memorized by rote. ¡°If you have trouble with one of your neighbors, try to solve it yourself before complaining to anyone. We¡¯re all adults here, and no one has time for petty problems.¡±


    ¡°There is a dining room in each wing of the first floor which you can access the same way. Most buildings also have at least a lunch cafeteria. Three meals a day are again covered.¡±


    May released her arms and turned to leave as her spiel wound down. ¡°Then, if there¡¯s nothing else, I need to be going.¡±


    There were other things he wanted to know, but May¡¯s posture screamed that he¡¯d better not have more questions. Instead, he waved her off, ¡°Nothing I can¡¯t figure out. Thank you for all your help today.¡±


    Without further acknowledgment, she was gone, vanishing so fast he couldn¡¯t even get a look at her movement technique.


    Kevin stared at the long hallway visible through the doorway, before shaking his head and stepping back. After a few moments, the door slid shut again, and he repeated the process to access the Eastern wing dining room.


    It had been another long day, and with everything that had happened, he¡¯d once again skipped lunch.


    The massive dining room was like a restaurant, with tables set for two, four, or eight people. About half were already occupied, and several groups had pushed tables together to form larger seating arrangements.


    At his best guess, there had to be a hundred people in here, an impressive number considering this was only one of the four outer sect dining rooms. If you considered the number of people who would visit over the whole evening, it was even more impressive.


    Then again, about two hundred people tried to join in this single test. From what Travis had said, this was the off-season one as well, the spring test in six months would be even larger.


    With most disciples staying for at least a year before moving to the inner sect or being forced out, the numbers would build up without even counting the ones that remained year after year.


    To Kevin¡¯s relief, plenty of people were seated alone at the two-person tables. Building some social connections would be important, but he was itching to try out some proper cultivation.


    He just wanted to eat as quickly as possible before moving to his room. Each seat in the hall had a menu that pulsed to his spiritual sense. After fiddling with it for a minute, Kevin realized it was a mechanism for ordering food.


    Much like those QR codes that had taken over the food industry back home just before he¡¯d ended up stuck in hospital. Ordering a stew with bread, he found the wait time was less than ten minutes before his meal arrived.


    The meal was delicious, filling, and had a trace of Qi laced through it. Much like the meals he¡¯d eaten during testing, it would help push him forward a little further.


    It was also a reminder that he could access cultivation resources somewhere; he¡¯d have to look into that tomorrow. While the Qi he¡¯d get from them might not match using his new tattoo, he would always appreciate gains with no effort required.


    Kevin didn¡¯t linger after finishing his meal, only nodding at the people who called out greetings as he wandered back outside. A few faces were familiar, though Gerard was the only name he knew; it looked like he was far from the only one in his group to make the last cut.


    Opening the door to his door floor for the second time, he hurried down the hallway, eyes skating over templates until he found his own a little over halfway down. The entire door glowed when he reached out to push on it, then faded as it swung inward.


    Inside was a short hallway with a shoe stand and a coat rack, which led into a lounge room larger than his one back in Ostale. Several doors led off from it, but Kevin ignored them for now.


    It was time to cultivate, and he couldn¡¯t stand to put it off for one more moment.


    <hr>


    The room held a four-person lounge and two comfortable-looking single chairs, but Kevin felt drawn to a plush, square mat in the center of the room. Large enough for several people, it looked custom-designed for meditation.


    Given where he was, it almost certainly was a cultivation mat. Whether it would provide any benefit, he couldn¡¯t tell, but it was worth a try. Settling into the center, Kevin crossed his legs to the somewhat embarrassing limit of his flexibility and closed his eyes.


    Within a few breaths his mind had settled, and he began by gauging the quantity of Qi floating about in his body.


    That was the key indicator he had to get used to checking. Too little Qi and he risked organ failure, while too much risked a rapid heartbeat, high blood pressure, and even emotional instability.


    With his time practicing in Ostale, Kevin had become more than familiar with the drooping sensation of too little Qi. He was a little beyond that from the meal and his brief practice in Runa¡¯s workshop.


    At best, it would be enough for a few minutes of the spiritual void technique, and there was a lot of room for more energy. Tattoo time it was then.


    Shifting his focus to the patterns on his back, Kevin again visualized them forming the formation grid. This time it was even easier than the first, and within moments he was drawing in motes of Qi.


    The energy here was less plentiful than in Runa¡¯s workshop ¡ª it was almost sparse ¡ª but that only made sense when you considered he was now in the outer sect. Of course, there would be less Qi here, it worked that way in every cultivation story he¡¯d ever read.


    Back in the capital, Travis had suggested that groups of cultivators would drain the energy of an area. Given he was in a cultivator dorm building, he could imagine many others joining him in evening practice.


    Perhaps there were dedicated cultivation areas he could look into booking? According to Runa, his tattoo would filter Fire or Earth aspected Qi for him, so an area rich in those types might speed up the process.


    Did that mean his aspect was one of those types? The idle thought sent his visualization stuttering for a moment before Kevin forced his mind back to a single thought. This wasn¡¯t for planning, this was a time for advancement.


    Moment by moment energy flowed in, until his breaths became faster, and the rapid thump of his heart became audible. The rush of Qi entering his body was addictive, but Kevin managed to pull back at the early warning signs.


    Blinking his eyes open, he checked the clock hanging on one wall. It would have been clearer if he¡¯d thought to get an exact time before sitting down, but at a rough guess, he¡¯d been at it for close to an hour.


    If that proved consistent, he could make this a lot simpler by getting a timer. Eager to move on to advancement practice, and to get some of this excess Qi out of his body, he closed his eyes again.


    Only to snap them open a moment later. With his practice in Ostale, he should be close to the third grade. The last time he¡¯d been caught unprepared, and the results had not been kind to his carpet.


    This time, he could be better prepared. Forcing himself to wait, Kevin wandered the apartment until he found the spacious bathroom. Stripping down, he sank into a seated position in the bath facing the drain.


    Closing his eyes again, he focused on the empty void within his sealed land. The now abundant energy in his body reacted easily, flowing into his dome at a steady rate. Minutes passed as the sealed land swelled until it reached a threshold and expanded.


    Vitality and wellness surged through Kevin¡¯s body, while his stomach rebelled and sent a spray of gunk across the base of his bath. He¡¯d done it; Third grade of the first stage.


    A single day in the sect, and he¡¯d done what he couldn''t in two weeks back in Ostale.


    He hadn¡¯t even started classes yet; what heights would he reach in the days to come?

 Chapter 25 - Selection Hall

    Cleaning up after his breakthrough was a less pleasant task, but he¡¯d at least kept the foul fluid contained inside the bathtub. With the cleaning supplies already stocked in the room, it wasn¡¯t too bad.


    Then again, this wasn¡¯t the stage where the primary cleansing process happened. How much worse would it be in the second sage? The very thought sent a shudder through Kevin¡¯s body.


    Perhaps the sect had special breakthrough rooms to manage the process better. It would be something to look into once he reached the ninth grade and was nearing his second-stage breakthrough.


    The evening was almost over by the time he¡¯d finished, so any further cultivation practice would have to wait. Instead, he spent a little time admiring the improvements from the third grade before heading to bed.


    Every part of him had gained another minor improvement, from his senses to his strength, reflexes, and even cognition. The feeling was addictive, with every action and movement he took being a fraction easier than the day before.


    He could get used to improving like this, and with a sustainable cultivation practice, he finally could.


    That night, Kevin slept like a baby, the growing stress of being blocked fading away like it had never existed. Even his sleep felt better, and he woke up ten minutes before the alarm he¡¯d set.


    With his breakthrough complete, he took some time before breakfast to explore his new home. His apartment had almost as much floor space as his whole flat back in Ostale, and with no dining area, kitchen, or laundry, the rooms it did have were much larger.


    The whole design was centered on the lounge room he¡¯d used the night before, with the bathroom, bedroom, and office coming off it. Each room was pre-furnished with all the necessities, along with a few useful items.


    In the bedroom, there was a hamper with a note that it should be moved into the hallway for laundry collection twice a week, while the desk in the study held a small pile of papers. Looking through them, he found a map and a series of pamphlets advertising the sect¡¯s services.


    As he¡¯d hoped, the sect had both public and private cultivation rooms aspected toward particular elements. Lacking the merit for a private room, Kevin noted a garden aspected towards Earth and a courtyard toward Fire.


    Both would be excellent candidates for testing his theory that correctly aspected Qi would speed up his energy gathering tattoo.


    There was also a pamphlet on the assignment building, which detailed its services, including the class selection hall. This was a relief as he¡¯d forgotten to ask May where he had to go today.


    It didn¡¯t look like he needed anything for his room; even the bathroom had the essential cleaning products pre-stocked, so he finished his exploration and headed down to breakfast.


    The dining area was only a quarter full when he arrived, and Kevin quickly found a seat. With his eagerness to start selecting classes, he hadn¡¯t planned on talking to anyone; however, a voice called his name before he¡¯d even picked up the breakfast menu.


    ¡°Kevin! How are you doing this morning?¡±


    The voice sounded familiar, and when Kevin looked up, he recognized Gerard walking over. ¡°I¡¯m great,¡± he responded, smiling at the other man. ¡°How about you, Gerard?¡±


    ¡°Good enough,¡± Gerard shrugged, sliding into the other seat on Kevin¡¯s two-person table. ¡°Pumped for selecting classes, but a little nervous to see the competition, if you know what I mean,¡± he continued, jerking his head across the room.


    His target was easy to pick out, the table glowing with the combined power of the four occupants in the Energy Gathering realm. They might not have been the strongest examples of that realm he¡¯d seen, but seeing them in the outer sect was still impressive.


    ¡°I hear they¡¯ve been here for two years now, and they¡¯ve failed to get into the inner sect three times,¡± Gerard whispered, leaning in. ¡°It¡¯s hard enough to imagine competing with them. What kind of monsters made it through?¡±


    ¡°Talented ones, I imagine,¡± Kevin responded dryly, keeping his nerves hidden. Three times in two years had to mean they were now on six-month cutoffs¡ªno doubt they¡¯d be there in another six months when he was due.


    That wasn¡¯t a huge issue if it was just a straight point comparison. He had no misconceptions about getting into the inner sect the first time, but who knew if that was the case?


    Given the kind of world this was, he could see there being some kind of big tournament or skill-based competition to gather last-minute merit. With his short time frame, that could be the key to making it.


    Unless he got knocked out by some Energy Gatherer in the first round. He would have to push even more than he thought on his cultivation practice. An entire realm might be impossible in that time frame, but closing the gap in any way could only help.


    ¡°Anyway, that¡¯s not why I came over here,¡± Gerard continued, his face lightening as he leaned back. ¡°A few of us have started organizing a meetup after dinner. A way to get to know each other before any rivalries or feuds have formed.¡±


    ¡°We got permission to use a function room on the second floor, so it¡¯s an easy trip,¡± he finished with a chuckle.


    ¡°Sounds good, I¡¯ll be there,¡± Kevin responded with barely a moment¡¯s thought. He¡¯d have everything urgent completed by then, and Gerard was right that meeting some of the other new students would be worth it.


    A few new friends would be nice; he already missed everyone from Ostale. Further, it would be a chance to scope out some of his fellow disciples. He was already familiar with how cultivators handled problems, and it wasn¡¯t with peaceful communication.


    The earlier he could figure out who might be in trouble, the earlier he could avoid them.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    ¡°Great, I¡¯ll see you there,¡± Gerard grinned, standing without looking at the menu. With a nod, he wandered off to another table, calling out to the occupants as he went.


    Shrugging at the man¡¯s behavior, Kevin put the gathering aside and focused on getting a meal.


    He could worry about how he wanted to play it after class selection.


    <hr>


    The assignment building was near the compound¡¯s center and towered over its neighbors as one of the largest in the outer sect. A constant stream of people was going in and out of the main entryway, leaving it open.


    This was the first time Kevin had been such a busy sect building, and he had to wonder how the strange navigation system would handle it. Joining the back of the fast-moving line, he got a good look at the doorway.


    All he could see was a shadowy void that seemed unchanging even as different people placed their hand on one of the two symbols on either side of the frame. The effect had to be locked to the people entering somehow.


    This was a mystery, given that May had taken him with her multiple times the day before. Perhaps she had been doing something special after all that allowed her to bring another person?


    Either way, the enchantments behind the effect were impressive work. Handling so many people traveling to different parts of the building must have required extensive planning and design.


    Would it be a formation or an array? Kevin rubbed his chin as he followed the people ahead through the line. It affected people crossing the door¡¯s threshold, making it a boundary effect.


    Runa had been pretty clear boundaries were the domain of formations, so it was probably that. However¡­ the symbol that triggered it affected the door frame, which was more like an array.


    Perhaps it was a combination of both categories? Was that possible? There was so much about the technology here that he lacked even the basic knowledge to understand. At some point, he¡¯d have to do some research for his peace of mind.


    The line moved swiftly, and Kevin was soon keying the doorway to the class assignment hall, as specified in the pamphlet he¡¯d brought along. The shadowy boundary shifted as he did so, revealing a massive room filled with people.


    Moving forward to leave room for those behind him, Kevin stepped inside before taking in the whole sight. Two lines with a few dozen disciples led towards a pair of reception desks, which sat in front of a series of doorways.


    The right desk was directing someone at this moment, and he watched as they walked over to the third door from the right. Much like the initial sect interview, it seemed that there were several people set up to handle class selection.


    Given the number of people present, this was good planning by the sect; he¡¯d hate to wait for all the people here to be seen one by one. Happy with how fast the lines seemed to be moving, Kevin joined the left line and settled in to wait.


    A few of the new outer sect disciples here were familiar faces from his testing group, while the rest had presumably been in the others. All were in the Body Cleansing realm, mostly somewhere in the second stage, by his best guess.


    It was an intimidating gap, but not nearly so large as the one to the Energy Gathering cultivators from breakfast. Of course, most of these people wouldn¡¯t be his competition for the first cutoff.


    They would be slated for a year from now, while he¡¯d be compared to those who¡¯d already been here for six months or more. Hardly the most comforting thought, but one he forced aside for now.


    He didn¡¯t need to come out on top; he just had to cross the minimum threshold.


    <hr>


    The wait was less than fifteen minutes before he reached the front of the line.


    ¡°Name?¡± the young woman behind the desk asked in a bored tone, not even looking up from the sheet of paper in front of her.


    ¡°Kevin Blake,¡± he responded.


    Running a finger down lines of text, Cathy, going by her name tag, scribbled something a third of the way down the page. ¡°Found you, Kevin Mathew Blake. Please wait for now, and I¡¯ll send you in once an adviser is free.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Cathy,¡± Kevin responded, getting an actual nod from the woman at using her name. Ready for the delay after seeing so many others go through the process, he waited until she directed him toward the fourth door from the left.


    The office behind the door was plain by cultivator standards, putting it at about the level of most high-powered lawyers or corporate VPs he¡¯d met. A Core Formation cultivator glanced up from the desk as he entered.


    Looking to be in his thirties, though likely older, the man was dressed in white silk robes with the sleeves rolled up to reveal five golden bands on each arm. They glowed with power to Kevin¡¯s senses, each almost on the same level as their owner.


    Past the glare of his jewelry, the man¡¯s short blond hair and perfect face were pretty standard as advanced cultivators went. His silk clothing lacked anything as mundane as a name tag, but a silver stand on the desk listed his name as ¡®Foster.¡¯


    ¡°Kevin Blake?¡± Foster asked, raising an eyebrow as he shuffled papers on his desk. When Kevin nodded in response, he continued. ¡°Excellent. I¡¯m Senior Disciple Foster on temporary assignment to handle the increased workload.¡±


    ¡°Please take a seat while I glance over your file,¡± the man finished, waving a hand at the chair across from him.


    ¡°Thank you,¡± Kevin responded, giving a brief bow before hurrying over. From how the man¡¯s eyes were already racing over the pages before him, he didn¡¯t expect a long wait.


    Moments after he¡¯d taken a seat, Foster looked back up with a frown. ¡°I see there¡¯s a note about cultivation blockages here. Have you had that seen too?¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kevin nodded, a grin spreading across his face. ¡°I¡¯m sorted for now, though I¡¯ll need something else at the second stage.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s good,¡± Foster sighed, relief flashing across his face. ¡°Make sure you see someone in the admin building when you need more help. We wouldn¡¯t want you stuck if there¡¯s a reasonable solution.¡±


    Before Kevin could question what level was reasonable, the man hurried on. ¡°I also see you¡¯re marked as first stage, second grade here. Has that changed in the last day?¡±


    Kevin¡¯s grin shifted into a self-satisfied smirk. ¡°Yep, I had a breakthrough last night after the blockage was fixed.¡± It still felt amazing to even think about it, let alone tell someone out loud.


    ¡°Congratulations,¡± Foster responded. ¡°Let¡¯s take care of that now, then. I¡¯m sure there are merit forms around here somewhere.¡± The last sentence was muttered as he slid open desks at lightning speed, creating a sound almost like sawing wood.


    ¡°Got it, let¡¯s see¡­ Single grade advancement in the first stage of Body Cleansing¡­ Ten merit.¡± Foster¡¯s pen flowed across the page, forming words faster than Kevin¡¯s eyes could track.


    Finished within moments, the older man glanced over at three paper trays to his right before sliding the document into one of them. It was hard to see from the angle, but Kevin was pretty sure the page vanished the moment it was released.


    ¡°I get merit for advancing?¡± Kevin asked, blinking at the sudden turn of events.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Foster responded with a shrug. ¡°Merit is a measure of your potential as much as your contribution to the sect. Ten points for each grade in the first stage, more if you break through to the second.¡±


    ¡°Neat,¡± Kevin grinned before the expression faded away. This was as good a time as any to find out how hard the path ahead was. ¡°And how much do I need to make the next cutoff?¡±


    ¡°Ah¡­ good question,¡± Foster laughed, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°You¡¯re the first person who¡¯s asked, but then the others all have a year to worry about it. I can see how you might be more pressed with only six months.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not really my department, but I can send a request off.¡± A blank sheet of paper appeared before Kevin could blink, a message scrawled across it with blinding speed. A moment later, it had joined its departed brethren in the same tray.


    Perhaps it led to the merit department? Teleporting paperwork seemed pretty extravagant, but he supposed it would help, given their lack of a computer network.


    ¡°With luck, I¡¯ll have an answer by the time we¡¯re done here,¡± Foster smiled as he looked back from the tray. ¡°So, let¡¯s work on your class selection in the meantime. I have some notes from Elder Ming to work through here.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin responded, heart speeding up as he leaned forward.


    He¡¯d promised to handle whatever they needed to get into the sect; it was time to find out exactly what he¡¯d signed up for.

 Chapter 26 - Class Selection

    Foster bit his lip, staring again at the notes before him. The sign of hesitation looked almost comical on such a perfect face and did little to calm Kevin¡¯s nerves. What could be so bad as to worry the man?


    ¡°Based on these rather¡­ frank notes,¡± Foster began, clearly choosing each word with care. ¡°I¡¯m to give you a couple of classes related to our largest labor shortage, then load you down with combat subjects.¡±


    ¡°He¡¯s pretty clear about that last part,¡± the man continued with a wince, ¡°you don¡¯t really want to know his exact wording, but it boils down to you being hopeless in a fight.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s a pretty fair accusation,¡± Kevin chuckled, tension flowing out of his body. That was all the man was worried about? He¡¯d already agreed to the first part and couldn¡¯t argue with the second.


    The memories of the short combat test he¡¯d taken still made him cringe. It had been meant to last longer; he¡¯d just been knocked out almost immediately. Thank god they hadn¡¯t been kicking people out at that point, or he¡¯d have been screwed.


    If it meant not picking any of his initial classes, then so be it. Just yesterday, he¡¯d been thinking about how much help he¡¯d need to decide on the right ones; this might simplify things drastically.


    It wasn¡¯t like this would lock him into a particular path forever. If he ended up with something less than ideal, he could tough it out to push his goals forward.


    ¡°What have you got for me then?¡± Kevin said, leveling a grin at the other man.


    ¡°Well,¡± Foster said, reaching a gold band-covered arm up to scratch his chin. Surprisingly, the jewelry was still and quiet as he moved, not even shifting an inch despite the vertical angle.


    ¡°I guess I¡¯ll have to send another request to the work allocation office to figure out the first part. Let me get that done while we pick your combat classes. I can give you a little leeway with those, at least,¡± the adviser continued, smiling apologetically.


    ¡°Sounds good,¡± Kevin shrugged, keeping his voice unconcerned for Foster¡¯s sake. With all the massive egos that must walk through the guy¡¯s door, he was probably expecting an outburst at the forced choices.


    Another message was swiftly penned and slid into a differed out tray, once more vanishing to somewhere else. With a quick glance at the trays, Foster continued. ¡°Right then, combat classes. How are your martial arts, and do you know any weapon styles?¡±


    Kevin ruefully rubbed the back of his head, ¡°awful, and none.¡±


    ¡°MAR-101 for your first class then,¡± Foster nodded firmly, seeming to get his stride now they were moving. ¡°While it¡¯s termed introduction to martial arts, it¡¯s really about finding a style from our archive that suits you.


    ¡°After that, it¡¯s mostly small group or one-on-one lessons for the rest of the class.¡±


    ¡°How long do they last for?¡± Kevin asked, tapping his fingers on the table. That sounded like the ideal next step from his very basic initial lessons. Many cultivators probably got to skip it, but it was perfect for him and anyone else without prior training.


    ¡°Three months at roughly five hours per week for each class. We suggest five classes for most students so you can fit in time for cultivation and private practice.¡±


    ¡°That¡¯s smart,¡± Kevin responded with a nod. He could already see himself spending a few hours a day on just cultivation. Once he had to add extra practice for other subjects, any spare time would quickly vanish.


    Twenty-five hours per week of just classes would push it when he added everything up, not to mention wanting a part-time job, too. Time management was about to become one of his biggest challenges.


    ¡°MAR-101 sounds good; let¡¯s lock it in,¡± he continued, noticing Foster was waiting for him. ¡°What do you suggest to go with it? I¡¯m not sure learning a weapon style would be the most beneficial at this stage.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯d agree there,¡± Foster laughed, ¡°the usual wisdom is a progression from unarmed to armed forms. As long as you have related styles, you¡¯ll learn many stances and movements from the martial arts that will apply to weapons.¡±


    ¡°What are you aiming for?¡± the man raised an eyebrow as he continued. ¡°Tournament success? Combat skills for expeditions? Or just self-defense?¡±


    ¡°Definitely self-defense for now,¡± Kevin laughed weakly. Just what did these people expect him to get up to? Keeping himself alive would always be the number one priority. ¡°Whatever helps with good defense, I guess, then.¡±


    Foster hummed, scratching his chin again. ¡°Defense, huh? In the end, defending without a good offensive option is a losing proposition, but you do have two class slots left. I would suggest TEC:109 - introduction to Qi shielding as a potential option.¡±


    ¡°Oh, I think I¡¯ve seen that in action,¡± Kevin said, perking up at the suggestion. ¡°I saw this fight where one of the cultivators was blocking hits with these flashes of grey light.¡±


    ¡°He still lost in the end,¡± he continued with less enthusiasm, ¡°but he lasted much longer than he would have otherwise.


    ¡°And you see my problem,¡± Foster snorted. ¡°You¡¯ll find it¡¯s not quite as effective in the body cleansing realm, but it¡¯s a good match since you¡¯re not using weapons. With a little skill, an unarmed individual can block an edged weapon with their bare hands. At a cost in Qi, of course.¡±


    ¡°So it gets better as you reach higher realms?¡± Kevin asked, intrigue growing with every word he heard. That sounded like a solid skill to work on early if it would keep paying dividends later.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Foster shrugged before his face shifted into a smirk. Without warning, energy exploded off his skin in a golden glow. ¡°At the Energy Gathering realm, you have enough energy to block entire hits.¡±


    ¡°Then, at Core Formation, full shields like this become possible. It¡¯s quite popular with those of us who are more support-focused.¡±


    Kevin cringed back, shielding his eyes to block out the sudden radiance. Being spiritual-based, it did little to help, but he still forced himself to choke out a response. ¡°Neat, sign me up.¡±Unauthorized use: this story is on Amazon without permission from the author. Report any sightings.


    A moment later, the glow vanished, and he could look at Foster as the man continued.


    ¡°Excellent, that¡¯s two down already. To go with that, I think you need something with a bit more offensive power behind it. Slugging it out with martial arts is all well and good for most of a fight, but you need a finisher to really put someone down.¡±


    ¡°One of the combat-focused incantation classes might be¡­¡± Foster trailed off, his gaze flicking back over to the trays. ¡°Looks like the work allocation department¡¯s fast today,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head.


    ¡°Though I guess they don¡¯t have much to do until all you new students start looking for work.¡±


    Kevin leaned forward, fidgeting in his seat. ¡°Don¡¯t leave me hanging then; we can pick the last combat class afterward.¡± For all that he¡¯d tried to convince himself that he didn¡¯t care, now that the moment was here, he couldn¡¯t wait any longer.


    With everything else being combat-related, he just hoped it was something interesting.


    ¡°OK, we¡¯ll have a look,¡± Foster smirked, looking rather amused at Kevin¡¯s impatience. A hand flickered out to grab the page, and the man¡¯s eyes darted over it with blazing speed. ¡°I see,¡± he said after a moment.


    ¡°They¡¯ve listed a few things here,¡± the adviser continued, pursing his lips as he looked the information over. ¡°But the number one deficiency they¡¯ve noted is in formation maintenance. There are way more outstanding jobs than they¡¯ve been able to fill.¡±


    ¡°Huh, that¡¯s rather important. Isn¡¯t it?¡± Kevin asked, shuddering at the thought of those weird teleporting effects breaking down halfway through. Sure, it might just fail to take you anywhere, but it wasn¡¯t hard to conjure up far worse outcomes.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure they¡¯ve got the important things covered,¡± Foster responded, looking a touch ill despite his words. ¡°But I¡¯ll admit I didn¡¯t know the issue was so bad. Then again, they¡¯re always after us in the arrays building to come over and do some work.¡±


    ¡°Does that ever happen?¡± Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. He still wasn¡¯t down on the exact specifics of the difference between arrays and formations. Still, the basics seemed similar enough that there might be some crossover.


    ¡°Hardly,¡± Foster laughed, shaking his head. ¡°They can barely get us to do all the array maintenance work, let alone another department¡¯s. Who wants to try figuring out a thirty-year-old artifact created by some dead cultivator?


    ¡°It¡¯s hard work, and there¡¯s no money in it. Innovation is the way to go; invent some fancy new gadget and get rich overnight.¡±


    Kevin nodded, ¡°Yeah, I can see that.¡± Things had worked the same way back on Earth. Working every day for a lifetime keeping things running would only get you by while the inventors of new tech got rich.


    Well, the people employing the inventors often got most of the wealth, but it was pretty much the same thing.


    Still, that didn¡¯t resolve the issue of why the array department had enough people to manage and the formations department didn¡¯t. ¡°Why do you think so few people are learning formations, though? I was at the formations building yesterday, and it seemed pretty, ah¡­ small.¡±


    Foster blinked, looking pensive for a moment, then brightening. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t tell you for sure; I¡¯m an arrays guy myself.¡± He tapped one of his golden armbands as he spoke, a proud look on his face.


    ¡°I have a guess based on how I picked my specialization, but it¡¯ll require a little background information.¡±


    ¡°Go ahead,¡± Kevin grinned. This was veering into territory behind just selecting classes, but he didn¡¯t have much selecting to do anyway. It would be all the better if he could get some useful knowledge.


    ¡°Think of Formations, arrays, and talismans as the three primary enchantment styles,¡± Foster began. ¡°Each is based on the same source, and each is a reproducible framework you can teach.¡±


    ¡°If we put aside the other oddities and focus on those, then we can plot them on a spectrum between combat and artifact creation potential.¡± The adviser grew more animated as he continued speaking, punctuating his words with gestures.


    Foster raised his open palms out, forming an imaginary line between them. ¡°My left hand is the combat potential end, and my right is the artifact creation one.¡±


    ¡°Talisman crafting has the most combat potential,¡± Foster bounced his left hand up and down, ¡°but has the least ability to create lasting, valuable artifacts. In fact, I¡¯ve never heard of a talisman that can be used more than once, so they tend to be pretty unpopular among buyers.¡±


    ¡°Compare this to array crafting, which is the complete opposite.¡± Foster waved his right hand. ¡°Most modern-day technology is powered by arrays, with some formations mixed in.


    ¡°But it has little combat potential beyond making weapons to use,¡± breaking from his open-armed gesture momentarily, Foster tapped one of his bands.


    ¡°At absolute best, you could try to mess with an opponent¡¯s equipment on the fly, but that¡¯s very risky.¡±


    ¡°Last, formations lie somewhere in the middle depending on what you learn,¡± the adviser finished, opening his arms again before drawing them together.


    Kevin tilted his head, the conclusion quickly forming. ¡°So people who want lots of combat power pick talismans, and people who want lots of money pick arrays.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re focused on enchantments, then yes,¡± Foster nodded, looking proud of his description. ¡°The exact reasons someone might focus on talismans over, say, hitting someone with a sword is more complicated, but I think you get the idea.¡±


    Nodding, Kevin responded, ¡°Yeah. With formations being a mix, you only get the people who want a balance between combat and support ability. Then you¡¯re also splitting those with weapon users or martial artists who make their own equipment,¡± he gestured toward Foster as he finished.


    He didn¡¯t even need to mention how most of those who did learn wouldn¡¯t then want to spend their time doing maintenance work. No wonder the sect needed more formation users.


    Still, it worked for his uses. A mixture of a support skill that could make money or merit and a bit of combat potential sounded right up his alley. And even if the rewards weren¡¯t great, there were usually ways to get bonuses from people desperate to get work done.


    Either way, he¡¯d already agreed during his initial interview, so he couldn¡¯t change it now. ¡°Thanks for the lesson,¡± he said, smiling at Foster. ¡°Better sign me up for whichever two formation classes work then.¡±


    Foster nodded, flicking through another set of pages for a moment. ¡°Pretty easy there,¡± he snorted, shaking his head. ¡°FORM-101: Formation Fundamentals and FORM-102: Introductory Maintenance are the only beginner-level classes on offer.¡±


    ¡°What about a combat formations class?¡± Kevin asked, casting his mind back to his college days. Sometimes, they¡¯d let people take more advanced classes as long as they were also taking the pre-requisites.


    Leaning back in his chair, Foster hummed, crossing his arms. ¡°You¡¯re suggesting we use combat formations as your hard-hitting finisher.¡± The words came out as a statement rather than a question, so Kevin left him to think.


    ¡°I could see that,¡± the adviser said a minute later as he straightened up. ¡°You use your martial arts with Qi shielding as a stalling action while setting up a few traps for your opponent. You win if you maneuver them in before getting taken out.


    ¡°That¡¯s the bare bones beginning of a fighting style, at least,¡± Foster continued, an approving grin on his face. ¡°That¡¯s about as good as we can open for in a single set of classes.¡±


    ¡°It also has the benefit of limiting the number of new things you need to learn at once. The only question is if there¡¯s anything suitable on offer.¡± Returning to the page he was referencing, Foster paused before continuing.


    ¡°FORM-115: Combat Formations is being run this season,¡± Foster clicked his tongue, ¡°I would assume they intended it for people who already had a level of prior experience, but I see nothing preventing your signup.¡±


    ¡°Tell you what,¡± the advisor continued with a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll put it through and see what happens. If it works, great; if not, we¡¯ll find something else. Either way, I¡¯ll add a note to the schedule you¡¯ll receive in the next few days.¡±


    Glancing over at the still-empty merit tray, Foster sighed and continued, ¡°The Merit Department is as slow as ever, I see. I¡¯ll include their reply whenever they get back to me.¡±


    Kevin nodded; that sounded good to him. He¡¯d come here with little idea of the way forward and was leaving with a plan that sounded pretty decent. Given how much there was to learn already, he had no inclination to try for a sixth class.


    ¡°Thank you for all the help, Sir,¡± he said, rising and giving the other man a deep bow.


    Foster only waved him off, and after an exchange of goodbye, Kevin wandered out of the building.


    He had half a day to do some cultivation, then a gathering to attend.

 Chapter 27 - Pills

    Kevin¡¯s first stop was the general services building. He had friends waiting to hear how his entrance examination had gone, and he¡¯d left them waiting long enough. Yesterday might have been too full, but he didn¡¯t have any such excuse today.


    The mail department was a single, massive room reminiscent of a bank with rows of little service windows. Lacking any writing materials, Kevin purchased some for a few squares before taking a spot at one of the tables littering the otherwise open floorplan.


    His first letter was to Travis, letting the agent know he¡¯d made it and that the OIM should start making tuition payments. Of course, it would all add up to more debt for him, but it was the only way he could afford to stay at the sect.


    He also asked how long the OIM would continue letting him wrack up debt before they ran out of patience. The agent had said it shouldn¡¯t be a problem before he got into a sect, but now that time had come, he needed to find out.


    That information would be key to figuring out how long he had to start making some money. That, or somehow find a way into the inner sect.


    The benefits of that lofty position were plastered all over the promotional materials left in his room. One of the most enticing was no longer having to pay for the privilege of staying.


    After that, he moved on to notifying the rest of his friends. First up was Vannessa, who got her own dedicated message. In it, he informed her of how it went and included some information on sect life and the food they had here.


    He was sure she¡¯d be interested in their menu-based ordering system, though it would likely be out of her price range to set up. At the end, he asked her to share the next message with as many members of the cultivation group as she could track down.


    They had their examination almost the same time as him, so he had no way of knowing if they were still in Ostale. If all went well, they¡¯d have made it into the Severing Sword sect, while Amy and Ethan, at least, would have moved on if they failed.


    The single message he wrote for the group focused more on the trials of his exam and how incredible it had felt to get in. Ultimately, he also asked how they¡¯d gone with their own tests.


    He was sure Emily would get in, while the rest were more of a wild card. All he could do was wish everyone the best and hope they achieved their goals.


    With those three done, he almost got up to send the letters before settling back down as a thought struck him. Grabbing a fresh sheet of paper, he quickly penned a fourth letter for Dr. Grange.


    Without the ancient cultivators¡¯ help, he¡¯d have never made it this far, so it felt important to let the man know that his method worked. Beyond that, the information might be useful in the man¡¯s medical practice.


    He¡¯d proven that the Sealed Land could be useful in his situation, so the next time an outsider showed up with the same issue, the doctor would know what to proscribe.


    He couldn¡¯t remember the man¡¯s exact address, so he included it with the letter for Travis and added a request to pass it along. That left him with four letters, but only two addresses to send them to.


    The sending process was straightforward, though a little different from what he was used to back on Earth. Instead of sealing them in envelopes, he gave the two sets of papers to one of the service workers, along with the destinations.


    What happened after that, he couldn¡¯t tell, though he assumed it wouldn¡¯t be too different under the hood. Surely, there were only so many ways to transport mail. After paying the bill, only a few of his small squares, he moved on.


    Next on his list was the pill dispensary.


    <hr>


    May had told him that part of his tuition payment went toward cultivation resources, but he¡¯d never asked for more detailed information with everything going on. Since he¡¯d heard nothing about it, it was time to track them down himself.


    Here, his map and other pamphlets came to the rescue. The alchemy building was a massive construction rivaling even a few of the smaller buildings he¡¯d seen in the inner sect.


    Both the roof and sides of the building were dotted with belching chimneys and smoking exhaust pipes. Smoke and fumes were released in a dazzling array of colors, accompanied by an occasional burst of fire.


    If he was going to find cultivation resources anywhere, then it would be here.


    The pill dispensary was housed in a large, rectangular room wider than it was long. It looked somewhat like a pharmacy with no over-the-counter products.


    A long window at chest height extended the length of the room and was split up into a dozen sections by little wooden dividers. White-robed cultivators stood behind each section while more hurried back and forth, delivering mysterious little bags.


    Many of the sections were already servicing disciples, but a couple at the end were free. Mid-morning had to be a quiet time for them; that or the other new disciples weren¡¯t as slow at figuring this out as he was.


    A white-haired woman in the third stage of the Body Cultivation realm stood behind the first empty section he found. Her face had more wrinkles than he¡¯d seen since arriving at the sect, but she still looked younger than he¡¯d have assumed based on her hair color alone.


    Then again, that was the case for most cultivators.


    ¡°How can I help you?¡± Helen, going by the nameplate on her window, asked with a bright customer-service smile. Reading on this site? This novel is published elsewhere. Support the author by seeking out the original.


    ¡°Hi Helen,¡± Kevin began, smiling back. ¡°I¡¯m a new disciple, and I¡¯ve heard that I should have been allocated some cultivation resources. Is this the right place to come?¡±


    Helan¡¯s smile shifted into something more genuine at his polite request, and she nodded in response. ¡°It is indeed. Did you ask your guide or track us down yourself? We¡¯ve got a bit of a bet going on.¡±


    Kevin blinked, thrown by the sudden conversation shift. Were they betting on how the fresh disciples arrived here? ¡°May mentioned the resources yesterday but didn¡¯t give me any more information.¡±


    ¡°I had something else that needed to be handled, so I forgot about it until today. Then I just checked the map, and this was the place that made the most sense.¡±


    Come to think of it, wasn¡¯t it odd that neither Elder Ming nor May had given him directions? Or Foster could have directed him after the meeting. Even a message with the other information in his department would have been more efficient than this.


    Pursing his lips, Kevin asked the question on his mind. ¡°Is it usual for new disciples to have to track you down?¡±


    Helen chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Yes, yes, it is. We aren¡¯t looking for unthinking drones who just follow instructions; the Twisted Path wants independent, responsible disciples who think for themselves.¡±


    ¡°If there¡¯s a problem, or you¡¯re missing something, then it¡¯s up to you to track the solution down.¡±


    ¡°I see,¡± Kevin responded, eyes narrowing. So it was another test then, or perhaps more of a learning moment. May had likely been instructed to drop the hint and see if he did something about it.


    He¡¯d have to remember that the Twisted Path sect was even more individualistic than the general cultivation culture. That first day of guidance with May and Foster¡¯s help picking classes might be the last support he got for a while.


    Or at least the last support he didn¡¯t ask for. Foster had told him to report to the admin building if he ended up blocked again, so it wasn¡¯t like the sect withheld support when it was needed. They just wanted you to be the one driving the process.


    Helen was watching his face with amusement, clearly enjoying his reaction. As if reading his thoughts, she spoke again the instant before he could ask another question.


    ¡°Anyway, the important thing is you¡¯re here now. Let¡¯s get this handled. Name, please?¡±


    Thrown again, Kevin responded without thought. ¡°Kevin Blake.¡± He wasn¡¯t used to being the one off balance in conversations; this woman was good. Helen might never have reached the Energy Gathering realm, but she¡¯d clearly developed her skills in other ways.


    ¡®Be wary of old cultivators¡¯ would be the saying, he was sure. Something about them spending more time developing a single skill than most people had lived.


    Helen slid her finger down a list, tapping a name a third of the way down. ¡°Got you, Kevin Matthew Blake. A fresh disciple and you haven¡¯t already received your supplies.¡±


    ¡°Do many people try to get multiple sets?¡± Kevin asked, as much to catch back up as out of genuine curiosity.


    Helen smiled again, a flat expression that didn¡¯t reach her eyes. ¡°More than you¡¯d expected, but they only try once.¡±


    Kevin suppressed a shudder. He¡¯d been right; this was not a woman to cross. Which was probably to be expected, given she was the gateway to a bunch of cultivation supplements. Who knew how much wealth was sitting behind this counter?


    ¡°James would get you Kevin¡¯s pills, please?¡± Helen asked, turning to a man waiting behind her.


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± James, a younger man in the early stages of Body Cleansing, responded before jogging deeper into the room behind the window. The man passed through some kind of veil as he did so, keeping whatever was back there hidden from view.


    Perhaps pill gofer was a job you could get as an outer sect disciple? It would make sense for an alchemy student to learn about various supplements.


    ¡°Now let¡¯s see,¡± Helen said, looking over a page she¡¯d pulled from somewhere while he was distracted. ¡°In most cases, we provide a mixture of Qi Storage pills and Meridian boosting pills to fresh disciples.¡±


    ¡°This provides two avenues for extra Qi outside of their cultivation practice. However, I see a note here from Dr. Vaughan that we should avoid the Meridian boosters in your case.¡±


    Kevin winced. Without the note, he might have missed how dangerous those could be. With his shriveled Dantian, pushing his Meridians further could cause serious damage. It was a good thing the doctor was on top of the situation.


    ¡°So for now, we¡¯ll just give you the Qi Storage pills and place the rest as credit on your account. If you need something else, you can return and cash your credit in.¡±


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kevin grinned in response. That was a bonus he wasn¡¯t expecting. He¡¯d no doubt run into more issues over time, so having a way to get the right pill for the situation could be a massive help.


    A moment later, James jogged back, holding a ribbon-tied bag. It was no larger than the palm of Kevin¡¯s hand, and he couldn¡¯t imagine it holding too many pills.


    Helen untied the opening with deft hands, looked inside, and nodded. Tying it closed again, she handed it over. ¡°Fifteen Qi Storage pills; you¡¯re allocation for this month.¡±


    ¡°The average is one per two days, but it differs per person. Go by feeling, and don¡¯t take a fresh one until the last is finished. Don¡¯t lose them either; you won¡¯t get another allocation until next month, and it would be a waste of your credit to replace them.¡±


    ¡°Thanks, Helen,¡± Kevin responded, giving a quick bow. ¡°I¡¯ll come by in a month then unless I find a use for that credit. Thank you as well, James,¡± he said, waving to the man further back.


    ¡°You¡¯re welcome, Kevin. Good luck with your cultivation,¡± Helen said in dismissal, echoed by a simple ¡°goodbye¡± from James.


    With a last wave, Kevin left the building. He still had hours before meeting Gerard, so it was time to get some cultivation done.


    <hr>


    On the way out, Kevin swallowed one of his new pills. It blazed like a tiny sun as it hit his stomach, lighting up his spiritual senses. Tiny flakes of Qi split off after a few seconds and floated out into his body.


    Yeah, there was no way he was going to be done with the pill in two days at this rate. Like the Spirit fruit before, his blocked Stomach Meridan was slowing the process down. Unfortunate but not a complete loss.


    Any extra Qi was welcome, and having spare pills could be handy on its own. If two days were an average, there would be people who needed more than the standard fifteen each month.


    Now, he had resources to trade or to lose in a duel if needed. He¡¯d prefer to avoid that kind of thing, but if he ended up stuck in one, he could lose a lot of his allocation without it actually hurting him.


    As for the limited Qi, that just meant he needed to cultivate more. Or, if possible, cultivate faster. There were still the two cultivation courtyards to try, one Fire aspected and one Earth aspected.


    Given they were in different directions, he needed to pick one to try. Biting his lip, Kevin thought it over. Hadn¡¯t there been a cycle of some kind in cultivation stories back home? He could remember looking it up at least once, but not the specific details.


    After a little searching, he found what he needed at the sect¡¯s sprawling library. To his surprise, much of the information required merit to access, but a basic copy of what they called the Generative Cycle could be viewed for free.


    Fire created Earth; Earth birthed Metal; Metal produced Water; Water nurtured Wood; Wood fed Fire. There were more complicated suppressing and controlling interactions, but this was enough for his needs.


    Given that, he could reason that his tattoo let in both Fire and Earth Qi because the Fire would convert to Earth. Going backward in the cycle was problematic, so Metal and Water Qi were out. Even worse, Wood disturbed Earth, and so was the destructive energy he¡¯d been warned about.


    He couldn¡¯t tell if taking in Fire Qi would provide more of a benefit with this simple description, but it was worth a try. If nothing else, the Fire area should also contain a lot of created Earth Qi.


    On the other hand, the Earth courtyard should have a partial Metal composition, which wouldn¡¯t be as useful to him.


    Off to the Fire courtyard it was then. Barely more than twelve hours had passed since his breakthrough, and Kevin was already itching for more advancement.


    It was time for some focused cultivation.

 Chapter 28 - Fire

    The Fire cultivation courtyard was near the northern wall of the outer sect compound, it¡¯s tall plume of smoke visible long before you arrived.


    The courtyard itself was a wide circle of blackened tiles, the original color long stained by layers of soot and ash. A smoking mound lay at its center: the origin of the pillar he¡¯d seen on the way.


    Rather than a bonfire or coal burner, as he¡¯d expected, the mound looked more like it was making charcoal. A layer of dirt covered what could only be a pile of spiritual wood the size of a car.


    Then again, should he really be surprised that a public cultivation area would have multiple uses? If the sect could produce useful materials while providing a free benefit to its disciples, then all the better.


    The charcoal made here might even be the fuel for the private Fire aspected cultivation rooms, providing higher energy density from the refined material. If that was the case, he imagined that the rooms were incredible.


    This public courtyard was already leagues beyond the environment in his dorm room. Both in energy density and in the aspect alignment he needed. Alone, the energy density was at least five times what he¡¯d been able to access during his recent breakthrough.


    Normally, he couldn¡¯t even pick out individual aspects from an area¡¯s Qi; it was all too mixed together. Here, he could easily note two distinct types.


    A vital, raging energy was the most prominent, comprising almost a hundred percent of the total Qi at the edge of the charcoal mound. Further out a second energy joined the first, a stable, enduring energy which felt like it could withstand untold ages.


    Whether these were accurate representations of Fire and Earth energy, or if they just reflected how the Qi related to him, Kevin couldn¡¯t tell. All he knew was that this area was even better than he¡¯d been hoping for.


    An area two or three times as good as his room would have already been incredible. For it to be five times stronger and comprised solely of the two energies he needed was far better. Just the thought of the progress he¡¯d make here sent a shudder through him.


    Nor was he alone in recognizing the potential of this area. Almost twenty disciples were already sitting in the courtyard, forming a rough spiral out from the center.


    From the little he could sense past the dense natural energy, it seemed to be a strength-based pecking order. The strongest cultivators were near the center, and the weakest were on the outer edge of the spiral.


    At merely the third grade of the first stage in the Body Cleansing realm, Kevin was easily the weakest one there. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, there were a couple of cultivators near the middle who¡¯d broken into the Energy Gathering realm.


    He had to make do with the next place in the spiral, putting him about two-thirds of the way from the central mound to the edge. The energy at his spot was a little less dense, perhaps four times his home instead of five, and was about seventy percent Fire to thirty percent Earth.


    That was more than good enough for this initial experiment; if anything, having a little Earth Qi was a good thing. This would be the first time he pulled in nearly so much Fire Qi, so he¡¯d have to be careful as it is.


    Settling into his cultivation pose, an uncomfortably awkward thing compared to the perfection the other disciples showed, Kevin stilled his mind and focused inward.


    It was time to cultivate.


    <hr>


    As with the first time he¡¯d tried his new cultivation practice, Kevin began by taking stock of the free-floating energy within his body. This was a critical safety step to ensure he didn¡¯t deplete or overstock his body¡¯s reserves, and he planned to always perform it first.


    His current state was a decent level above the minimum he was comfortable with. He¡¯d maxed his Qi levels before his breakthrough the previous night and had reached the threshold before depleting them.


    The situation wasn¡¯t to the level that he needed to start with the spiritual void, but it might still be worth it. He could only guess how fast he¡¯d be pulling energy in here, so having as much available room as possible would give him a larger buffer before the level got dangerous.


    So, despite how eager he was to try his energy gathering tattoo in such a rich area, he devoted the first fifteen minutes to using the spiritual void. As usual, the mix of Qi within him, fire, earth, and pure energy from the pill he¡¯d swallowed, flowed into the sealed land with gradual ease.


    It was the first time he¡¯d focused in detail on the sealed land itself since the breakthrough, and he was once again thrown by how the process worked. With all the energy required to advance, it felt like the land should be running empty.


    Except that wasn¡¯t how it worked at all. Instead of his Qi being drained by the process, it remained, still taking up about two-thirds of his full capacity. From what he could tell, filling the space forced it open further, but the change didn¡¯t take much energy to accomplish.


    The effect on his terrain was interesting, as well. Part of the extra capacity lacked any obvious cause, but some of it came from an expansion of what already existed.


    Twisted trees that were once so small you could barely spot them were twice the size they¡¯d used to be, while miniature hills and mountains saw similar improvements. His canyons were deeper as well, while the edges of his land crept outward to accommodate the extra contents.


    Would it one day reach the point where all the little details he¡¯d imagined were equivalent to their actual size? The idea was intoxicating, even if he had no real clue whether it would occur.


    For now, however, he needed to put such dreams aside and focus on the almost as exciting present. Now that his free-floating Qi levels were at the minimum safe level, it was time to try out the courtyard for real.Unauthorized reproduction: this story has been taken without approval. Report sightings.


    Pulling his mind back from the sealed land, Kevin turned his focus toward his back. The formation lattice formed, linking the eight tattoo ¡®flags¡¯ as he focused on them, and a deluge of Qi flooded in.


    Its sheer quantity was almost overwhelming. The night before had been a slow process, with the formation filtering, splitting, and discarding the Qi that flowed into it. Today, there was almost nothing but dense-free flowing energy.


    With nearly one hundred percent of the environment being the two energy types he could pull in, there was almost nothing to break the flow. Rather than directing the process, Kevin felt like he was surfing on the edge of a wave that threatened to upend him at any moment.


    Yet he held on, at first with determination, then with growing skill as he grew used to the new process. If he¡¯d had to keep it up for an hour, like the previous night, it might have been impossible, but five minutes was within his ability.


    For that was how swiftly his entire safe capacity for free-floating QI filled up. From sixty minutes to less than six, more than ten times the speed.


    Kevin gasped as he hit the limit far faster than expected, snapping his eyes open to forcibly change his focus and end the technique. Sweat dripped from his forward, and his breath came in pants.


    Heat filled his body despite the cool mountain air. It wasn¡¯t that the courtyard was that much hotter than its surroundings, though it was a little; it was the heavy concentration of Fire aspected Qi floating about in his body.


    Already, the feeling was growing uncomfortable; he needed to get the bulk of it into his sealed land as fast as he could. Not wasting any more time, he closed his eyes and focused inward.


    Vizulization was harder than usual, the excess Fire Qi sending his thoughts into a jittery spiral, dragging his focus this way and that. Gritting his teeth, Kevin used all the discipline he¡¯d built up over months of daily practice to drag his attention where he wanted it.


    After long minutes, he managed to engage the spiritual void technique and begin drawing energy inside. Except that something was still wrong.


    His sealed land gave off the same enduring energy as the Earth Qi and attracted that energy with ease. The massed Fire Qi, however, resisted his attempts. Worse, it became an ever higher percentage of the remaining energy as its counterpart was sucked in.


    Where he''d had no problems with a natural mixture, something about having such distinctly pure aspected energy seemed to almost give it a mind of its own.


    Without the grounding effect of Earth Qi, the physical effects grew worse as well, sending a spike of worry stabbing through Kevin¡¯s heart. He might pass out from heatstroke, or worse, if he didn¡¯t solve this quickly.


    His mind was whirling with random thoughts but also bursts of sudden inspiration from the rampaging Fire Qi. Attention darting around, he finally honed in on the Qi he¡¯d pulled into the land¡¯s canyons.


    The core principle of the spiritual void was to hide the existing Qi, forcing a fake vacuum effect that sucked energy from outside his dome. With so much more energy than he¡¯d ever had inside before, he¡¯d grown lax in compressing it.


    He¡¯d noticed before that Qi tended to float around in little clumps whenever he wasn¡¯t directing it, and now he saw that much of the collected energy was hovering around the tops of his canyons.


    Rather than dragging it all the way done as had once been so easy, he¡¯d pulled with a loose grip and produced lackluster results. That might be enough for the easy Earth Qi or even small amounts of Fire Qi, but it would never work with the near-bonfire raging within his body.


    Narrowing in on the problem, he pushed the visualization harder, focusing on dragging all Qi within his land down into the depths. It was arduous work. Even with all his practice, he¡¯d never had to force things like this. But step by step, it began to show results.


    The more he compacted the existing Qi into the hidden depths, the more attractive force was created in the upper areas of his dome. Soon, even the reluctant Fire Qi was flowing in at a steady rate, lessening the pressure on his body with every second.


    When he¡¯d first practiced the two methods together, his time had been roughly split between them. Today, it was the spiritual void that lagged far behind. He might have filled his body¡¯s reserves in five minutes, but it took another hour to draw the energy into his sealed land.


    Gasping, Kevin slumped as he finally drained the bulk of the fresh Qi. His slowly cooling body felt amazing after the stifling heat but still paled before the incredible results he¡¯d seen.


    Just going by speed alone, he¡¯d almost halved the time it took to do a round of his cultivation process, going from two hours to an hour and five minutes. Yet the benefits didn¡¯t end there.


    His sealed land was Earth-aspected at its base, so he¡¯d been wondering how it would handle Fire Qi. Dr. Vaughan had directed Runa to allow the energy, so he¡¯d been confident it was safe, but the actual process was a mystery.


    Now, he could observe the effects in real-time. As soon as he¡¯d let go of his constricting focus, Qi had flowed back out of his canyons. The Earth Qi stayed near the ground, forming those clumps he was already used to.


    Above those were a few clear orbs, most likely from the pill he¡¯d ingested mixing with a little drawn in the night before. Last, clumps of fire dotted the higher skies, almost simulating dancing stars.


    They burned as they moved about, shedding a fine black ash that fell to the cracked earth. It was rich Earth Qi, and it was coming out faster than the fire stars were shrinking.


    Measuring Qi was far from an exact science; at his best guess, it seemed that the Fire Qi created half again as much Earth Qi. A hundred and fifty percent increase was an impressive improvement, pushing his gains from the area even higher.


    If it wasn''t for the side effects, it would have been the perfect area to practice in. Even after he¡¯d dragged it out of his body, the burning Fire Qi was producing an uncomfortable pain, almost like a spiritual form of heartburn.


    Even the thought of shoving more in there before the first lot had finished made him grimace. Perhaps after lunch, he could push himself back; it was nearing one O¡¯clock after his meeting, errands, and cultivation.


    Kevin shuddered, slowly pushing himself up. Yeah, after lunch sounded good; he might have forgotten how unpleasant the process was by then.


    <hr>


    Kevin¡¯s excitement had calmed a little by the time he made it to lunch, and thankfully, the burning pain in his soul had as well. While he might have improved his speed significantly, the increase wasn¡¯t as large as it might appear.


    He¡¯d knocked fifty-five minutes off the cultivation time, but the courtyard was a twenty-minute trip each way from his building. Since he¡¯d only managed one cycle, he¡¯d only saved fifteen minutes.


    The Fire Qi bonus was more impactful, however. If he remained stuck at the edges with seventy percent fire Qi to thirty percent Earth, then he was essentially getting one hundred and thirty-five percent efficiency.


    The key point that made this so effective was that the growth happened after he¡¯d used the spiritual void technique and so boosted the slowest part of the process. Thus, the courtyard gave about a rough forty percent improvement over cultivating in his room for a single cycle.


    It would be a lot more impressive if he could manage multiple cycles, but as it was, using the courtyard might actually slow him down. He still had most of the afternoon, so he¡¯d see a lot more progress spending it all cultivating in his room compared to a single trip back to the Fire courtyard.


    While the burning had subsided somewhat, a quick check in his sealed land showed that less than half the Fire Qi had burned out. If he waited for it all to finish, then he¡¯d never fit another two cycles in today.


    It was sad to think so, but he had to face facts. Once he had to split cultivation with a half-dozen other things, the courtyard would become a lot more attractive.


    Perhaps over time, he¡¯d become used to the strain and be able to use Fire Qi more. If he could complete multiple cultivation cycles, then the travel time would have much less of an impact.


    Beyond that, there was also the Earth Courtyard to consider. He wouldn¡¯t get the boost from using Fire energy, and his tattoo would have to filter Metal Qi, but it might be the best option if he could use it for hours on end.


    That would be his goal for the afternoon then before meeting up with Gerard for the gathering.

 Chapter 29 - Time

    Kevin slid his empty plate aside, pulled his campus map out, and stared down at it in consternation. The thought had struck him halfway through his meal, and it had been all he could do to finish before confirming the issue.


    Once again, the problem was travel time.


    Using the Earth aspected courtyard to cultivate all afternoon sounded great, except that it was even further away than the Fire version. It was far to the east, almost across the entire sect.


    Kevin narrowed his eyes as he traced a circular path between the two courtyards. He¡¯d seen this layout before. Continuing around the edge of the sect confirmed his suspicions; when you took them as a whole, the public cultivation areas formed the generative cycle around the main buildings of the sect.


    Was there any significance to that? He couldn¡¯t tell for sure, nor did it particularly matter. The issue remained that it would take him about forty minutes to walk all the way to the Earth courtyard.


    Twice the distance of the Fire courtyard; that would significantly lower the time he was planning to gain by completing multiple cycles in one go. It all came back to time. While he might be free for the next few days, after that, it would become a critical resource.


    And even now, it wasn¡¯t like he wanted to waste any. Now that he had a working cultivation practice, he could feel the progress towards the next grade racing ahead. Just the results from this morning had pushed him a good way forward.


    If he could keep practicing at speed, hitting the fourth grade before classes began was well within reach. His schedule was supposed to show up in a few days, and it was Thursday already.


    Assuming he¡¯d get it on the weekend, with classes starting Monday, that gave him three and a half days to focus purely on his cultivation. That a further grade, requiring more energy than the last, was within reach in such a short period felt incredible.


    Already, the long weeks and months of slow progress in Ostale felt far behind him, yet the increasing Qi requirements of the coming grades threatened to bring it back. However fast his current progress felt, he needed to speed it up even further.


    With a sigh, Kevin stood and slipped out of the building. Thinking on the way would at least make that dead time somewhat useful.


    There were three key weak points in his current practice that were slowing him down. First was his limited ability to manage Fire Qi. If he could cultivate that endlessly, he¡¯d race ahead.


    Second was the speed of his Spiritual Void technique. No matter how much time he managed to cut out of the energy gathering portion, he¡¯d still be slow if the second half of a cycle always took an hour.


    Third was the travel time to his two different courtyard options. With that in play, even their incredibly rich energies struggled to exceed his ability when just cultivating in his room.


    Progressing in any of those areas would show significant improvements, and if he could work on them all, who knows how fast he¡¯d be able to progress?


    While his logical side insisted that his progress so far had been more than solid, it was hard to have come all this way and still be so far behind. Walking through the sect like this only drove the point home harder.


    Everywhere he looked there was a more powerful cultivator flashing off to some task. Some were nothing but a Qi-fueled blur, while others simply sprinted around with their superior physiques.


    Kevin stumbled as if struck, gaping at the sheer simplicity of the solution staring him in the face. Why didn¡¯t he just run to wherever he was going? Everyone else was sprinting around like a video game character, so why not copy them?


    It was such a foreign idea. Another cultural shock that hadn¡¯t filtered through his brain until this moment. Back home, people looked at you oddly if you moved faster than a power walk on your way to a destination.


    Unless you were jogging in the park or on a street in the early morning or night, most people considered sprinting around to be rude and inconvenient. Even in Ostale, most people seemed happy to casually stroll around.


    But here in the sect, running around seemed almost expected. Casting his mind back, the only time he¡¯d seen a walking disciple was when they were deep in conversation. Even then, you saw some of the more advanced cultivators sprinting around in small groups, laughing and exchanging quips despite their speed.


    He might not have any fancy movement techniques yet, but he was in the best shape of his life between months of outdoor work and the boosts from his advancement. Sprinting the whole way might be impossible, but a fast jog could still halve his travel time.


    Chuckling at the world he now lived in, Kevin pumped his legs harder, speeding up with each stride. Reaching his regular jogging speed from before he¡¯d become ill was nearly effortless.


    An exhilarated grin spread across his face as he leaned further into the motion, accelerating until he was almost sprinting. Immortality might be the goal of his cultivation, but he had to admit the benefits along the way were incredible.


    His stride hadn¡¯t even shifted to a full sprint, yet he had to have exceeded eight miles an hour.


    It was the same effect where high-realm cultivators could walk faster than his eyes could track. Qi amplified every movement, pushing them beyond what should be possible. He wasn¡¯t at that level yet, but he could still see the first hints of that mystery in his own movements.


    The trip passed in a blur, and Kevin soon skidded to a stop at a metal railing. A gaping chasm lay beyond, a circular hole extending at least five hundred feet in diameter. With raised eyebrows, Kevin looked out, spotting the island of stone in the center.


    A massive pillar rose from the shadowy depths, a narrow wood and rope bridge extending to meet it. A series of figures sat atop it, forming a familiar spiral. This was the Earth cultivation courtyard?If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    Both the edges of the chasm and the pillar were too even to be natural, and each bore marks that might be from a chisel. Had this been cut as part of some massive quarry, with the middle left for cultivation?


    Faint echoes sounded from the depths, perhaps only audible because of his cultivator hearing, and on the far side of the chasm, past the cultivator pillar, a huge wooden lift clung to the artificial cliff.


    This was far beyond what he¡¯d expected to find while still within the sect''s walls. The massive stone buildings made the need for such a quarry clear but didn¡¯t explain why they¡¯d incorporate it into a cultivation area.


    Surely, it required more work to keep the central pillar intact than to dig the whole thing out; It had to be a hundred feet in diameter. That was quite an obstacle to drag loads of stone around.


    Could cutting into the mountain release Earth Qi? If it was a free way to generate a cultivation environment while producing the building materials they needed, the entire setup made a little more sense.


    As with the fire courtyard, the sect was probably getting two benefits for the price of one, even if this was a lot more out there than the charcoal mound. Still, he couldn¡¯t argue that it would be an epic place to cultivate.


    Kevin¡¯s lips were already quirking into a smile when he checked his pocket watch, but they blossomed into a full grin as he saw the time. It only took sixteen minutes to make it all the way from his dorm building, less than half the time he¡¯d expected.


    To think there was such a simple solution to one of his problems. If only the others were as easy. Then again, they very well might be. It wasn¡¯t like he¡¯d checked yet.


    There could easily be a pill or technique to better manage Fire Qi in his Sealed Land. It didn¡¯t feel like something he should experiment with, but he had that checkup with Dr. Vaughan next week.


    It might not be quite the man¡¯s specialty, but if he didn¡¯t know a solution, he¡¯d likely know who to ask. If he was lucky, he might only need a pill he could access with his credit.


    Then there was the spiritual void. For all he knew, that was just a matter of practice; he¡¯d never had enough spare energy for it to be safe to push harder. And if that didn¡¯t work, he could always check the library for a better technique when he had the merit to spare.


    There was plenty to look into, but that was for later. For now, it was time to get some cultivation in.


    <hr>


    After a quick trip across the surprisingly solid bridge, Kevin settled into the next open position on top of the giant pillar. Energy flowed around him in the rough strength and composition he expected.


    Like the previous courtyard, the spot he settled in had access to energy about four times the amount in his apartment. He was a similar range from the center, and the energy was about seventy percent Earth Qi to thirty percent Metal, give or take a few percent either way.


    Starting a timer on his pocket watch, Kevin settled into his first round of cultivation. After a quick check of his body¡¯s Qi levels, he moved straight into activating his energy gathering tattoo.


    The formation lattice formed as expected and began filtering Metal from Earth. The process was faster with a generic mixture of energy but still slower than in the Fire courtyard.


    At times, the flow would stutter out entirely as the formation vented excess Metal Qi, while at others, it flowed for minutes without interruption. By the time he¡¯d filled his reserves, Kevin¡¯s timer read eleven minutes.


    Still some five and a half times faster than cultivating in his apartment, but half the speed of using the Fire courtyard. If that was the only issue at stake, his ability to keep going through multiple cycles would win out over both.


    It might beat his home hands down, but different travel times and the boost from using Fire Qi made the calculation a lot more difficult. He¡¯d have to do the math once he was finished.


    For now, he moved on to the spiritual void component. For this first attempt, it wouldn¡¯t make sense to push the method any harder than usual. He needed to get a baseline first to accurately guage any improvements.


    With pure Earth Qi now floating throughout his body, the process was smoother than it had ever been before. The slightest hint of emptiness in his sealed land was enough to begin sucking in Qi.


    More than anything, it felt like the energy was happy to be drawn inside as if welcoming its new home. The feeling was night and day compared to the resistance he¡¯d encountered with Fire Qi.


    Easier it might be, however, that didn¡¯t seem to translate to that much of a natural speed increase. When it was all over, Kevin opened his eyes with a relaxed sigh to a time of fifty-five minutes.


    Ten percent was still a solid improvement for having done nothing, but it was the pure ease that was the real joy. Instead of a mentally taxing exercise, using the spiritual void on pure Earth Qi felt almost like a relaxing nap.


    His mounting progress felt amazing as well. While he might not get any extra Qi from degrading Fire energy, another full cycle still pushed the energy levels in his sealed land forward at a rapid pace. At this rate, it felt like he¡¯d reach the fourth grade in eight or nine more cycles.


    That should easily be accomplished before classes begin; hell, he should be well on his way to the fifth grade by then. The resources of a top sect really were on a whole other level.


    A small water fountain sat by the entrance bridge, and Kevin took enough of a break to drink his fill before settling back down. He hadn¡¯t caught the exact starting time of the gathering from Gerard, the man might not even have known at that point, but he couldn¡¯t imagine it would begin before six.


    Everyone was still getting settled into the sect, and from what he¡¯d seen, cultivators lived pretty hectic lives. So, if he planned to be back by then, that gave him a maximum of three more hours to cultivate.


    Or less if he wanted to get a shower and a change of cloths first. Two more cycles should take just over two and a half hours, which would fit perfectly. Three cycles had been his rough estimate to make the travel time worth it, in any case, and with that cut-down, it would be even better.


    His second pass at gathering energy was almost identical to the first. No amount of extra focus or willpower caused any change in his tattoo¡¯s rate of energy absorption. That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise with it being an external effect, but it was worth a try.


    The second round of the spiritual void, however, saw progress. This time, Kevin pushed himself to take the visualization to the next level. Acting as if he was still dealing with difficult Fire Qi, he dragged his existing energy stores deep into the canyons that dotted his sealed land.


    Then, he focused on compacting the energy even more before turning his attention to the vacuum created above. Instead of letting it form naturally, as he always had before, he bent his intention and willpower toward its formation.


    It was a more draining experience than his previous easy cultivation, but the results spoke for themselves. From fifty-five minutes on his casual attempt, he dragged the process down to forty-nine minutes.


    Just over another ten percent improvement. It was a great start, even if he figured that it was mostly taking advantage of the lowest-hanging avenues of improvement. Cutting the time down further would likely be a lot more effort.


    In total, the change brought his full cycle time down from seventy-seven minutes to seventy-one minutes.


    That gave him an even larger buffer to make it back, though not enough for another cycle. Perhaps he could try for something shorter? Or¡­ perhaps there was an even better use for the time.


    A considering check of his sealed land found the last of the Fire Qi long burned out. Running back by way of the Fire courtyard would add some fifteen minutes or so to his time, but the benefits would be worth it.


    If nothing else, he was eager to see if he could achieve similar speed improvements to his spiritual void without the easy-mode effect of pure Earth Qi. Further, he¡¯d get more Qi overall.


    And, it would be an excellent test to see if he could fit multiple Fire Qi sessions in by splitting them up during the day. If so, a morning and an evening session split around either classes or further Earth Qi cultivation could be the basis for his future schedule.


    Grinning, Kevin checked his map for a direct route before turning to leave. One last cultivation session, then the gathering.


    He just had to figure out if he wanted to fade into the background or make some waves to see who else might be like-minded.

 Chapter 30 - Waves

    Kevin relaxed as the last motes of Fire Qi entered his sealed land. He took a moment to confirm that nothing seemed amiss before snapping his eyes open and checking his timer.


    Fifty-four minutes, just five minutes slower than his last attempt in the Earth Courtyard. That tracked. Six minutes of real improvement, with the remainder being due to the ease of using Earth Qi.


    The difference was countered almost perfectly by the extra speed of his energy gathering formation here, making them neck and neck, except for the generative bonus of using Fire Qi, of course.


    Already, he felt the discomfort of it burning away, but the benefits were more than worth it.


    With his last cycle complete, he had a little over half an hour of his estimated start time for the gathering. More than enough to make it back even if he walked, and plenty for a shower and a change of clothes if he jogged.


    Despite a hint of mental fatigue from hours off cultivation, Kevin pushed himself to make the faster return. Extra time in the day was always useful, and he could use the exercise.


    He might be in the best shape of his life, but that mattered little compared to what most other cultivators were capable of. A little jogging wouldn¡¯t bridge that gap, but it would stop him from backsliding until classes started.


    Less than ten minutes later, Kevin slowed as the entrance to his dorm building came into view. A half-dozen people were clustered outside, and as he watched, one split off and began speaking to a returning disciple.


    If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, one of them was Gerard as well. This had to be the group organizing the gathering.


    ¡°Hey, Kevin!¡± Gerard called out as he drew closer, the man jogging out to meet him even though Kevin was on his way over. ¡°Awesome, you¡¯re back in time for the first portion of the meet-up.¡±


    Kevin smiled in response. ¡°I figured six was about right since I didn¡¯t have an exact time.¡±


    Gerard scratched the back of his head, embarrassment flashing across his face. ¡°Sorry about that,¡± he chuckled, the sound as unfortunately high and mocking as his usual, hyena-like laugh.


    ¡°We hadn¡¯t exactly agreed on the whole plan this morning, and I didn¡¯t want to give you the wrong time. In the end, we decided to go from six to ten so people can jump in as they show back up.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to stay the whole time,¡± Gerard hurried to continue, as if worried Kevin would object. Perhaps people already had. ¡°We¡¯re all busy, so just come along and stay until you¡¯ve had enough or need to get going.¡±


    ¡°Just ask the door for the second-floor function room when you¡¯re ready.¡±


    ¡°Sound good,¡± Kevin nodded. Given the last-minute organization and disparate group of individualistic cultivators, that was probably the best strategy they could use for planning it. ¡°I¡¯ll see you at six then.¡±


    With a wave, he headed inside and keyed the door to his room. He had a little time to get ready, and to plan.


    <hr>


    The massive function room on the second floor already had two dozen people in it when Kevin arrived a few minutes before six. Despite that, they occupied less than a quarter of the cavernous space.


    It looked like the room could fit two hundred with ease, more than all the disciples who¡¯d passed this cycle. Was the spring cycle so much larger that they needed all this space?


    Or was this more over-the-top cultivator decadence? It was impossible to tell.


    Gerard was standing at the front of the group and had donned a set of formal, almost suit-like cultivator robes. Alongside him was a stunning young woman in a deep turquoise evening gown.


    The other greeter didn¡¯t look a day over eighteen, yet she was both taller and more powerful than the man beside her. She had to be closing in on the third stage, at least, with all the Qi Kevin could feel coming off her.


    Gerard stepped forward with a welcoming grin, but there was only time for a brief greeting and assurance things would start soon before he returned to meeting other fresh arrivals.


    Moving out of the way, Kevin scanned the rest of the room to see what he was dealing with. Most of the disciples were gathered to one side by a long table laden with finger food and drinks.


    It was hard to guess advancement stages with so many people clustered together, but Kevin stayed at it, trying to push his abilities further. At best guess, he¡¯d say the average level was somewhere between late first stage and mid-second stage.


    Not the strongest of the new disciples, then. Either the best had snubbed everyone else, were still out training, or were just arriving fashionably late. Good; that would work well with his plan.


    He just needed to find the right time to enact it.


    After a few minutes of waiting, during which Kevin grabbed a drink, a voice called for attention from further in.


    ¡°Welcome, everyone,¡± the woman who¡¯d been standing with Gerard said. ¡°I am Celisse Drewen, one of the organizers. We expect further arrivals as the night continues, but don¡¯t let that stop you from mingling.¡±


    The murmuring conversations from around the room settled as everyone turned to face her. Celisse was tall enough to be seen over the rest of the attendees, and, more than that, she was the strongest person who¡¯d shown up. If there was anything that got a cultivator¡¯s attention, it was strength.The tale has been illicitly lifted; should you spot it on Amazon, report the violation.


    ¡°This is a chance for all of us to get to know one another, both to find new friends and to help avoid any unfortunate misunderstandings.¡± Celisse glanced sideways at the bulk of the disciples as she spoke, all of whom were standing alone or in groups of two or three.


    There didn¡¯t look to be a lot of mingling going on from what Kevin could tell, and it seemed she¡¯d noticed the same thing. The night was going to be rather pointless if everyone stuck to the people they already knew.


    For a moment, Kevin thought he saw a flash of annoyance cross the woman¡¯s face, but it faded so fast he could be sure. She paused, seemingly lost in thought, gesturing everyone over.


    ¡°Come on, gather round. We¡¯ll try something to get you all started.¡± Soon, she¡¯d formed the forty-odd people who¡¯d shown up into a rough circle.


    Kevin had to suppress a grin as it all happened. It was feeling like some kind of icebreaker was coming, and if he was lucky, it would provide him with the perfect opening. There were a few things you could ask up-and-coming cultivators, and one would be ideal.


    Gerard had joined Celisse in the center of the circle, and the two of them were whispering quietly as they glanced around the group. There were only a few moments before it started.


    He had to make a final choice now; did he go with the plan to attract like-minded disciples by standing out? This was his last chance to decide if it would be better to fly under the radar for as long as possible.


    Both options had their benefits and disadvantages, but¡­


    ¡°OK then,¡± Celisse said, drawing all attention back toward her. Preening, she continued. ¡°As I said, we won¡¯t get anywhere unless we share a little information. I¡¯ll start us off.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯ll go with your name, what you¡¯re studying, and what your goals are at the Twisted Path. So I¡¯m Celisse Drewen, and I¡¯m taking both sword and incantation classes.¡±


    ¡°Even though the Drewen clan has deep ties to the sect, we all have to start at the beginning. Thus, my goal is to enter the inner sect to study with my fellow clan members,¡± she finished with a small curtsy.


    A murmur ran around the circle, and Kevin smirked at how perfect the situation was. He¡¯d been wandering how to set something like this up, and here it had fallen into his lap.


    Celisse had set the stage well with her humble bragging, too. He had no idea she was part of an important clan before she¡¯d brought it up, and he¡¯d bet a lot of others here hadn¡¯t, either.


    Before the murmurs turned into full speculation, and before anyone could step forward, Celisse turned to the man beside her. ¡°After introducing yourself, move on to the next person to keep us going. Gerard, if you would.¡±


    ¡°Ah, right,¡± Gerard stammered, glancing sideways. From the suddenly intimidated look on his face, it seemed he might not have known who he¡¯d teamed up with either.


    Quickly gathering his composure, Gerard gave a small bow. ¡°I¡¯m Gerard Haydon, and I¡¯m studying martial arts and spear techniques. My family gave up a lot to get me this far, so I¡¯m going to grow strong enough to pay them back tenfold.¡±


    Kevin locked eyes with Gerard as he finished, giving the man a respectful nod. His goal was a worthy one, and this was also just the opening he needed. Taking a small step forward with an eager smile, he waited for the odds to land in his favor.


    It wasn¡¯t much of a gamble, not when he knew the man and was standing in his direct line of sight. Unless Gerard was better acquainted with someone nearby, he¡¯d be the logical choice to move on to.


    The man¡¯s eyes lit up in response, and he gave a slight nod. ¡°Kevin, why don¡¯t you go next.¡±


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin said as all eyes turned to him. Ignoring the annoying pain from the burning Fire Qi inside ¡ª why had he done that just before this gathering? ¡ª he settled his heart and spoke.


    You didn¡¯t draw attention without being polarizing, and you couldn¡¯t attract like-minded people if no one knew what you were about. It was time he took a risk.


    ¡°Hi everyone, I¡¯m Kevin Blake,¡± he said, unphased at the number of people staring at him. It was hardly the largest group he¡¯d spoken in front of. ¡°I¡¯m studying formations, martial arts, and Qi shielding.¡±


    With the slightest pause despite himself, he pushed on to the kicker. ¡°And I¡¯ve only got a single goal; I¡¯m going to become immortal.¡±


    As he¡¯d expected, there was an instant of shocked silence before a burst of whispers and laughter spread through the circle of people. He¡¯d seen people respond to his dream a few times now, and he¡¯d been willing to bet that most fresh disciples would act much like Travis had the first time.


    Already, much of the talk seemed to be turning mocking, but that was fine. The important thing was that everyone was talking about it, with no signs of imminent violence.


    The ugly look in Celisse¡¯s eyes was the worst, though he couldn¡¯t tell if it was actual anger at his goal or just that he¡¯d stolen the show from her. Hopefully, nothing would come of it, but he¡¯d manage if he had to.


    It might be true that you needed to be polarizing to attract a lot of attention, but you also couldn¡¯t be polarizing without making a few enemies. Everything he¡¯d seen since arriving showed a far calmer atmosphere than he¡¯d feared in the sect, so it should be fine.


    ¡°Seriously?¡± A voice shouted from across the circle, past the two organizers in the middle. ¡°Do you realize that you just declared you would surpass everyone here? No, everyone in the entire sect?¡±


    Perhaps he¡¯d spoken too soon. That was about the worst way his statement could have been taken, and Kevin had been hoping that the mockery meant no one was seriously annoyed.


    A figure stalked into view, defying his exceptions by being a skinny young man instead of the hulking bully he¡¯d imagined. Like Celisse, the kid couldn¡¯t be much older than eighteen; unlike her, he barely topped five feet.


    Nor was his advancement that impressive; he was in the second stage but didn¡¯t appear that far through. Yet¡­ something in the way he moved screamed danger.


    ¡°Even the patriarch himself has only reached the Primordial Soul realm in the last hundred years,¡± the man continued, his glare intensifying. ¡°Yet you¡¯re going to surpass him too on your way to the peak?¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ve barely passed the beginning, old man,¡± the kid snorted. ¡°Don¡¯t talk about the mountain when the foothills are still hidden in the clouds.¡±


    Kevin resisted the urge to lick his lips or shift his weight back and forth. Had he miscalculated? A glance out of the corners of his eyes helped calm his racing heart.


    If anything, the tone of the conversation shifted further toward mockery with every angry word that was spouted. Despite his genuine anger, the young man was hammering home how ridiculous a goal it was/


    Time to lock in any interest while calming those who might cause trouble. ¡°Apologies if I offended you, young master,¡± Kevin said, laying the respect on thick as he gave a low bow. ¡°I¡¯m an outsider, so I¡¯m still getting used to your customs.¡±


    ¡°I might be deadly serious about my goal, but I see now that I shouldn¡¯t have brought it up so blatantly.¡±


    It was a good thing bowing hid his face from those around him, as Kevin was having a hard time keeping a broad grin from crossing his face. Despite drawing more anger than he¡¯d expected, he''d still do it all over again.


    Within a few days, all the new disciples, and many of the older ones, would have heard about the crazy outsider who wanted to reach the peak. There was a very good chance that anyone with similar ideals would reach out. If not tonight, then in the coming days or weeks.


    The young man snorted a second time but seemed unwilling to push the matter further in the face of such an abject apology. While he might cause trouble later, Kevin had shifted the tone so that he would come out as the villain if he didn¡¯t back down.


    Instead, he seemed content to take over the spotlight. ¡°Fine, you¡¯ve wasted enough time anyway. I¡¯m Darren Mathews, and I¡¯m studying pure martial arts. The sect saved my family years ago, so I¡¯m going to support it in any way I can.¡±


    The crowd slowly settled as the conversation moved around the circle, and Kevin slid back into place.


    He¡¯d put out a fishing rod; now it was time to see if he¡¯d caught anyone.

 Chapter 31 - Amelia

    Kevin kept track of the other introductions while letting himself fade into the background. Most of it was boring, just variations on the same few themes: join the inner sect, gain power, and make lots of money.


    A few were a little more interesting, but still not quite what he was after. There was a young man who wanted to invent a new piece of technology. A woman who wanted to become the greatest sword master in the country. And a third nondescript disciple whose aim was to scour the wilderness for undiscovered species.


    All were at least looking beyond the next two or three years, but they still lacked the level of vision he hoped to find. Then again, he might be asking too much of these fresh disciples.


    Why wouldn¡¯t they focus on the immediate future? They had classes to take and merit to earn. For many it must seem pointless to plan further when they didn¡¯t even know if they could keep their position in the sect.


    If this were truly a sect of strange people traveling on odd paths, then he¡¯d find a few people eventually.


    The introductions seemed to break the ice as people split off into larger groups. If he wasn¡¯t mistaken, most congregated toward those who had the same goals as them. Laughter, jokes, and glares abounded as people sized each other up.


    Many seemed to have forgotten him already, with only the occasional glance of pity or derision sent his way. Still, it was easy to see that none of the groups were interested in having him join them.


    Darren¡¯s words might have poisoned the well a little more than he¡¯d thought. Hopefully, they¡¯d all calm down before classes started. If not, he¡¯d have to work to win his classmates back over, at a minimum.


    For now, he waited by the edge of the room, sipping his drink. It was too early to leave without looking like he was running away, but with no one to talk to, the entire situation was rapidly becoming a boor.


    A shift in the flow of people drew his attention as someone skillfully navigated their way through the press of people. It was too early to make out who it was, their presence mostly visible through their effect on the crowd, but they appeared to be heading his way.


    Stiffening, Kevin downed the last of his drink and crouched to place the empty glass against the wall. At best, this was the encounter he¡¯d been hoping for. At worst, it would kick off a fight he was in no shape to handle.


    More likely, it was someone coming to ridicule his dream in person. Whatever the case, it was best to be ready.


    His eyes widened as the figure stepped free from the last group. He recognized her; it was the high-performing woman from his technique comprehension test. Her grasp of the Twisted Step after only a single day had been incredible.


    He hadn¡¯t realized she was even here; she definitely hadn¡¯t taken part in the introduction.


    This could get interesting.


    Today, she wore a dressy black cultivator robe that hugged her curves like a cocktail dress. The dark color was a sharp contrast to her paper-white complexion, and the shifting characters still tattooed across most of her exposed skin.


    As before, any meaning the text splashed across her body held escaped him. If it indeed had meaning, then it was in a language his outsider translation ability didn¡¯t cover.


    The woman¡¯s lips quirked into a tiny smile as she noticed his attention. In an instant, the distance between them vanished, though her stride never seemed to change.


    Kevin jerked back despite himself. He might be getting used to such dramatic movements from more advanced cultivators but not from those closer to his own level.


    Based on the energy he could sense, she couldn¡¯t have reached the third stage yet. Had she mastered the Twisted Step even further in the last few days? If so, she¡¯d incorporated it into her normal stride to the point it was almost seamless.


    Moments passed as they stood almost face to face, with Kevin staring down at the half-a-head shorter woman. Why wasn¡¯t she saying anything? Who showed up like that and then just stood there?


    ¡°Hey there,¡± Kevin said awkwardly, more thrown than he liked to admit by the strange circumstances. The woman¡¯s smile grew into a smirk in response, as if enjoying his reaction.


    Then she reached her right hand into her opposite sleeve.


    Kevin tensed again at the sight; was she about to pull a weapon on him? With the sheerness of her dress, her wide sleeves were the only place she could have hidden one.


    With a single, elegant movement, the woman¡¯s hand swung out, clutching a white tube. Before he could react, it unfurled into a blank page, a little larger than the A-4 size he was used to.


    Tilting her head with the smirk still in place, she brought her other hand up and shifted her grip until she was holding the page by the top corners. Before Kevin¡¯s eyes, black fluid seeped from her fingertips and flowed across the empty paper.


    The ink-like substance shifted in unnatural movements, driven by something other than gravity. Within a few seconds, it began shifting into large, block-style words.


    Apologies for the late introduction; my style of communication takes a measure of setup.


    Let me rectify that now. Amelia Lavaine, though you may call me Amelia if you wish.


    Rather than appearing all at once, her text formed word by word at a pace similar to a spoken sentence. Nor could it be an unintentional process, as Amelia¡¯s expressions synced perfectly with her words.


    She even dipped into a curtsy timed with her introduction, shifting her body without dipping or wobbling her page in the slightest.The author''s content has been appropriated; report any instances of this story on Amazon.


    ¡°Kevin Blake,¡± Kevin responded, shaking off his daze. ¡°Nice to meet you.¡± Despite the odd communication style, both in method and tone, she seemed friendly enough.


    He¡¯d been right; this would be interesting.


    <hr>


    Amelia jerked her head to the right, her meaning obvious. Looking past her, Kevin could see a few people looking over with curiosity on their faces. She might have slipped over unobserved, but she was out in the open now.


    He didn¡¯t sense any ill intent from her, and she was only suggesting they move deeper into the cavernous room. With the whole thing well-lit, they wouldn¡¯t even be moving into darkness, just out of earshot.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin said, shrugging his shoulders.


    A mischievous grin sprung onto Amelia¡¯s face; then she was gone.


    Looking deeper into the room, he found her leaning casually against the wall some eighty feet ahead. God, that was getting annoying. Shaking his head, Kevin hurried to follow.


    It at least gave him a moment to consider the situation and the young woman¡¯s ¡ª he¡¯d place her somewhere around twenty-one ¡ª strange communication method.


    He couldn¡¯t imagine this world being unable to heal a physical cause behind her situation. Not with how advanced their medicine was, and with literal Qi magic. Perhaps it was simply too expensive or a psychological issue, but something told him the cause was stranger than that.


    The ink dripping from her fingers combined with the tattoos screamed some kind of special bloodline or constitution to him. Perhaps there was some restriction from that? Something like giving up verbal communication to better master the written version?


    It wasn¡¯t his place to pry, but he still didn¡¯t know for sure if Amelia would end up being a friend or foe. And it only made sense to figure out the weaknesses of potential rivals.


    Shaking his head, Kevin turned his attention back to the waiting woman as he grew close. This place was starting to get to him; he¡¯d never had a thought like that back home.


    Amelia shifted from her casual stance the moment he arrived, fresh ink bleeding from her fingers across a blank page.


    Had she swapped the sheet on his way over? Or could she wipe it clean as well?


    Did you mean what you said earlier?


    ¡°About aiming for immortality?¡± Kevin asked with a raised eyebrow. He couldn¡¯t discern the woman¡¯s intent from her face, but at least she wasn¡¯t openly mocking.


    Amelia nodded in response, cocking her head to the side.


    ¡°Yes, I did.¡±


    Ink shifted and blurred on the page, retracting back into her fingers in an instant. Without pause, it shot out again, forming new characters.


    Would you mind explaining further?


    Kevin nodded, pausing to consider his words while suppressing his growing excitement. There was no reason to expect she¡¯d be of a similar mindset yet; a little curiosity meant little.


    ¡°It¡¯s the whole reason I came to this world. Cultivation is a wonderful, intriguing path, but for me, it boils down to that single purpose. That goal has impacted everything from choosing my cultivation method to which sect I joined.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s smile faded as he glanced into the distance. ¡°I¡¯ve come far too close to dying once, and I never want that experience again. More than that, however, I love being alive. Even when it hurts or is difficult, I still love the contrast and the struggle.¡±


    Brightening as he got going, Kevin continued. ¡°I sometimes hear people say they couldn¡¯t live forever; they''d get too bored. That¡¯s not something I could ever understand; there¡¯s just too much to see, do, and experience.¡±


    ¡°Do you know that every day more books are written than you could read in that day? And that¡¯s only a single example of how the sum total of potential experience grows with every passing moment.¡±


    ¡°Even with eternity, you would never see it all, but you¡¯ll get a damn sight closer than in a normal lifetime,¡± he said with a chuckle. ¡°Even if I don¡¯t make it, the vastly expanded lifetime of a cultivator is well worth the effort.¡±


    ¡°It might take a lot of time and work, but I¡¯ll get more time later for every moment I put in now. And it¡¯s not as if cultivation is some boring task I need to force myself to do; it¡¯s another fascinating area that expands the more I investigate it,¡± Kevin finished with a grin.


    His impromptu speech was a little rambly, but it resonated with the truth of his being. The only thing he¡¯d left out was the little soul issue; there was no need to put that on someone he¡¯d barely met.


    Not without a reason too, like he had with Elder Ming.


    Amelia seemed lost in thought, perhaps processing what he¡¯d said. Eventually, a smile blossomed on her face and was soon joined by an enthusiastic nod.


    Thank you, I like your conviction. I, too, have heard that more knowledge is created or unearthed each day than can possibly be consumed, and that fact tears at my heart.


    Our goals might not align in their entirety, but I believe we have much in common.


    Kevin leaned forward and raised an eyebrow, gesturing for her to continue.


    Apprehension flashed across Amelia¡¯s face, and her page shivered in her hands. Then, her expression shifted into firm determination.


    I seek comprehension. First of myself, then of the world, then of all existence.


    It is said that a few of those nearing the peak can extrapolate all things under heaven from the shape of a single flower.


    That level of understanding is my goal, and it is no more achievable than yours. We are both fools, perhaps, but a foolish goal is the only one worth striving for.


    A shiver ran through Kevin¡¯s being as he took in the full impact of her words. She might be working towards it for a different reason, but she was still talking about reaching eternity. Or close to it, at least.


    There was no way Amelia would be able to reach such profound knowledge without many lifetimes of experience. She¡¯d even mentioned, ¡®those nearing the peak.¡¯


    This was it, a potential friend and ally who wouldn¡¯t stop striving in a few decades or even a few centuries.


    ¡°Thank you for sharing that; I like your conviction as well,¡± he responded, echoing her earlier response. ¡°I hope we can become good friends in time; it would be awfully lonely at the peak otherwise.¡±


    A smile blossomed on Amelia¡¯s face, and she gave an eager nod. Letting her page sink with her left hand, she extended her right.


    Recognizing the gesture, Kevin reached out and clasped arms. Amelia¡¯s grip was astonishingly strong for such a delicate figure, and she squeezed for a moment before letting go.


    Laughing, Kevin rubbed the back of his neck. ¡°Thank you for coming over. I aimed to draw interest, but I¡¯m still shocked to meet someone like you so soon.¡± He¡¯d hoped for someone close but hadn¡¯t really expected such a compatible individual to show up already.


    Amelia drew a hand across her face, hiding a silent chuckle that was still visible in her shoulders. After a moment, she shifted her page once more.


    Perhaps you shouldn¡¯t be. In a place like this, I¡¯d guess there are far more strange goals and odd stories than you might imagine.


    Even those who only talk of the inner sect likely seek the core in their innermost dreams.


    They¡¯re just smart enough not to spout such nonsense in front of an entire room of people.


    She was hiding another laugh by the time she finished, though it was clear she was only teasing.


    Kevin laughed along with her, shaking his head. Perhaps she was right, and most just didn¡¯t want to rock the boat. Even Amelia had dragged him far out of earshot, and she didn¡¯t even speak.


    Perhaps there would turn out to be a few more crazy disciples in their same group. Or perhaps not.


    For now, he could just be happy to have found one person to confide in. That she was highly competent and very attractive, for that matter, was even better.

 Chapter 32 - FORM-101

    The conversation with Amelia wound down after that terrific start, and she soon made the excuse that there were other people here she needed to talk to.


    She seemed the taciturn type who took a while to open up despite sharing something so close to her heart. It had to have been difficult for her to go that far, and Kevin didn¡¯t begrudge the woman for taking her time.


    He only suggested that they meet again soon, perhaps after classes started. That would give her space while also giving them a lighter conversation topic. Eternity was heavy stuff, but they could always work back up to that level.


    Amelia nodded in response and gave him a room number to send messages to, so he assumed it was okay with her.


    After that, he only hung around for another half-hour before leaving. Gerard took a few moments to chat before he did, but it was all general pleasantries. While the man was still polite, he seemed to be keeping his distance now.


    From how he hurried back to Celisse¡¯s side, it wasn¡¯t hard to see why his stance had changed. She might not be showing it anymore, but he could still remember how unimpressed she¡¯d been.


    Regardless, the evening had been a massive success in his books, and he was happy to move upstairs and fit a final, light cultivation cycle in before bed.


    The next two days passed in a cultivation blur. After sitting down and planning a calendar the first morning, Kevin managed to fit three rounds of Fire Qi cycling in daily.


    One Fire session in the morning, followed by two Earth sessions. Then a break for lunch, followed by a second Fire session. A return to the Earth courtyard for three sessions filled the afternoon before transitioning into one last Fire trip.


    Or at least, that was the plan. The grueling pace worked wonders, and he had to rush back to his room on the verge of a breakthrough after the first morning session on the second day. With Fire Qi burning away in his sealed land it wasn¡¯t something he could hold off, and he barely made it into the bathroom in time.


    Hitting the fourth grade was much like the third, though the effects were further magnified. Another boost to everything, including a rough thirty percent increase in threshold to the next grade.


    While amazing, it was still a draining experience, and Kevin took a couple of hours off to rest before returning to his schedule. A different lunchtime even led to a meeting with a cultivator by the name of Brad Harper.


    Brad was somewhere in his mid-twenties and nearing the last breakthrough into the Energy Gathering realm. Rather than being from the fall entrance group, he was part of the previous cycle six months ago.


    Despite the separation, he¡¯d heard rumors about the crazy cultivator ¡®climbing the peak¡¯ ¡ª which turned out to be an insult to crazy people like Kevin ¡ª and was interested in hearing more.


    Happy to meet another potential ally, Kevin gave him much the same speech he¡¯d given Amelia. Brad¡¯s goal didn¡¯t match up as well as hers, but it was still a solid fit.


    The man wanted to return to the source of cultivation, the ancient and crumbling Xi¡¯anian empire. There, he aimed to unify his martial and cultivation styles, which had deviated from their source for over two thousand years.


    The task sounded far more monumental than simply traveling to another country. Tensions were high between the Xi¡¯an and the Western countries, and it might take centuries to organize.


    Even then, Brad would have to gain the respect of some seriously powerful cultivators if he wanted even a peek at their hidden knowledge.


    It was a far-reaching goal Kevin could see fitting in well, and he once again organized to continue meeting over the coming weeks.


    That afternoon, his cultivation began to push toward the fifth grade. While it was clear it would take longer than the fourth, he had high hopes of accomplishing it within a few weeks.


    Without classes, it would be far sooner; with them, he wouldn¡¯t be able to fit in such massive cultivation days very often.


    Which might be a good thing given how draining they were. He could easily burn out if he weren¡¯t careful.


    Sunday saw his morning plans interrupted once more by the appearance of his promised schedule. Someone had slipped a sealed stack of paper under the door while he slept, where he found it on his way out.


    Too eager to put it aside until later, Kevin ripped open the seal and read it at his desk.


    ¡°Seven AM?¡± He spat at seeing the first class on Monday. FORM-101 had been scheduled at the roughest time he¡¯d ever seen a class, and it ran for two hours until nine. He might be dedicated, but that was pretty ridiculous.


    Worried, he scanned his eyes over the remainder of the schedule. The rest seemed normal enough, and Kevin relaxed with a sigh. Perhaps this Elder Fischer running the course was just busy?


    With ten hours of classes between FORM-101 and FORM-115, she had a decent commitment with just the classes visible here. With her own cultivation and no doubt other duties as an Elder, he could see her jamming the least important class in wherever she could.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    Whatever the case, it wasn¡¯t something he could change. Settling down, he double-checked the coming days. All five classes had an initial two hours booked on Monday or Tuesday, along with a three-hour block spread over the next four days.


    This included Saturday, which had the three-hour class for FORM-115: Combat Formations, again with Elder Fischer.


    If nothing else, the spread-out nature of the schedule left large blocks of free time for cultivation or practice. Which, when he thought about it, was likely the point.


    Beyond the time slot, instructor name, and location, there wasn¡¯t any further information listed for any of the courses. With no prior reading or anything else, there wasn¡¯t anything he could do to prepare in advance.


    He¡¯d just have to show up on the day and see what happened in each class.


    Along with the letter was the merit information he¡¯d asked Foster for. Six thousand, five hundred, and thirty was the total he needed within six months.


    Of that, he currently had ten and was owed another ten for his fresh breakthrough.


    If not for the attached list of potential merit, he¡¯d have despaired entirely. He would get another ten points per grade in the first stage, a hundred for the second stage breakthrough, then thirty per grade after that.¡±


    The good news continued with three hundred for the third stage breakthrough and ninety per grade, then after, cumulating in another nine hundred for breaking into the Energy Gathering realm.


    Almost two thousand and a half thousand merit in total if he made it that far. If he could do that and then manage a decent showing in some of the pre-cutoff competitions listed, he¡¯d make it.


    Add in a few job bonuses if he got proficient enough in formations, and he might even have a bit of a buffer if things went wrong. He just had to put his head down, cultivate hard, and learn as much as he could.


    Which would all come down to how classes started the next day.


    <hr>


    Kevin winced as he stared at the Formations building. He¡¯d thought the one in the inner sect was a little sad, but this was on a whole other level.


    Sure, it was still a three-story building of decent size. Compared to the ones surrounding it, however, it might as well have been a mud hut. Was it just sized for what he knew was an insufficient number of formation users?


    Or was there something else going on here?


    Either way, it wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d crack standing out here. Following the address on his schedule, he entered on the second floor and paused outside of the first room on the left.


    So far, the place seemed deserted, but he was ten minutes early. After the last few grueling days, a little break sounded perfect, so he settled in to wait. Five minutes later, the first other disciple trickled in, followed by a couple more.


    By the time the clock struck seven, a mighty six of them had assembled for the class. He didn¡¯t know the exact number of fresh disciples this six-month cycle, but he figured it was somewhere around a hundred people.


    No wonder the department was having trouble if this was how few of them signed up for the basic class. Assuming a certain amount of drop-off before anyone became useful, there¡¯d be barely anyone who made it.


    Even the six who¡¯d shown up, Kevin included, started grumbling when there was still no sign of the teacher at the ridiculous start time. It wasn¡¯t until six past that a figure blurred past them and slammed the door open.


    ¡°Well, what are you waiting for?¡± A woman¡¯s voice shouted a moment later.


    Caught off guard, Kevin reacted a touch slower than the rest and was left taking up the rear of the little group. Inside was a classroom far too optimistically sized for reality.


    There were twenty desks inside, each of which would have room for multiple students if you really wanted to fit people in. As it was, the tiny class had plenty of room to spread out.


    Though he¡¯d entered last, there was still plenty of room at the front. Only a single disciple had taken a seat in that row on the far right. Grinning, Kevin hurried forward to take the opposite side.


    He¡¯d always found that lecturers paid more attention to students sitting up the front. It was almost impossible not to, even if they tried. He might have been allocated this class, but he still intended to do his best.


    It wasn¡¯t until he settled in that he got a good look at their teacher.


    Elder Fischer matched none of his expectations for a sect elder. For one, she looked to be in her late forties. For another, her appearance was ¡ª for want of a better word ¡ª plain. In a sect riddle with people reaching near perfection, she stood out in the other direction entirely.


    He would have assumed she was no more powerful than her students if not for a single, unavoidable fact.


    An ethereal crown floated above her head, covering brown hair pulled into a messy bun. Very little Qi leaked from it, but the silvery headpiece emitted the same strange weight he¡¯d felt from Elder Ming.


    If anything, her crown gave off a far greater pressure. Despite her appearance, Kevin doubted anyone had ever questioned her credentials as a sect elder.


    Was this the equivalent of the Golden Core realm for aura cultivators? Dr. Vaughan had been in the Core Formation realm, and his aura was bloated with power. It wasn¡¯t too much of a stretch to imagine all that energy condensing into a core outside the body.


    It didn¡¯t feel like the woman had a single speck of Qi in her body, so how had she moved so¡­


    ¡°Right,¡± Elder Fischer said, pulling his attention toward the board. ¡°I am Melony Fischer, an elder of the inner sect, head of the Formations Department, and someone far too important to be teaching this class.¡±


    ¡°So why am I here?¡± She continued, glaring around the room as if it were the fault of the assembled disciples. ¡°I¡¯m so glad you asked. My senior disciple who should have been teaching it disappeared into a Mystic Realm two months ago.¡±


    ¡°Either he¡¯s dead or lost, but either way, he''s left me with quite the pickle. The other three senior disciples are too busy with critical sect maintenance for me to bother. My inner sect students are also busy or refused to teach.¡±


    ¡°Refused¡­ to my face,¡± Fischer snorted, shaking her head. ¡°I would have canceled if we didn¡¯t need new blood so badly. As it is, I can¡¯t very well complain to the other elders while canceling the only class that might help.¡±


    ¡°There, does that answer all your questions in advance?¡± Pausing only for the briefest moment, she barreled on. ¡°Good.¡±


    ¡°Then welcome to FORM-101: Introduction to Formations. Here, I will use my incredible talents to teach you the most basic of the basics, with only the feeble hope that you will one day be useful to drive me on.¡±


    Fischer was writing on the board as she spoke, forming six identical patterns of shapes and symbols. ¡°Given historical trends, I don¡¯t have much hope, so we¡¯ll see. Half of you won¡¯t go further than this class if things go to form, and another half will take your talents elsewhere.¡±


    Her chalk paused mid-motion, hovering over the board as she finished. She stared off into the distance for a long moment before shaking her head with a sigh. ¡°You know what¡­ No, I¡¯ve changed my mind. That¡¯s far too boring to even contemplate.¡±


    Spinning around in a rapid and surprisingly clumsy motion, Fischer stuck her chalk behind one ear and looked around at the little group. Her eyes lit up as she rubbed her hands together.


    ¡°Yes, let¡¯s do something else entirely.¡±

 Chapter 33 - Elementary Formations

    Kevin stared as the elder¡¯s proclamation echoed through the room. He hadn¡¯t known what to expect when he¡¯d arrived this morning, but this was not in any of his predictions.


    If she was really the head of the whole formations department, he could see why she wouldn¡¯t want to teach a beginner class. Hell, teaching in the outer sect at all could be close to an insult for her.


    He even understood the point about her fellow elders. If she¡¯d been asking them for more resources, it wouldn¡¯t look good to cancel a beginner class that might have produced them.


    But surely there were better options than showing up yourself before snapping and tossing all your planning aside. Couldn¡¯t she have just ordered those refusing inner sect students to do it?


    Elder Fischer flicked a hand before he could come to any conclusions. A sheet of paper appeared with the movement, joined by the slightest flash of Qi from one of her rings.


    Kevin¡¯s eyes widened, the current situation momentarily forgotten. This was the first time he¡¯d ever seen through one of the higher realm cultivators¡¯ item production tricks. It had been a spatial item all along!


    Did that mean anyone could buy one? He certainly wouldn¡¯t say no to being able to carry everything he owned with him. Or would there be other restrictions? A prohibitive Qi cost, perhaps?


    ¡°I see here that only two of you have also registered for FORM-102,¡± Fischer said, her tone sharp. ¡°Which tells me that only two of you ever plan to be useful. Those two can stay; you know who you are.¡±


    ¡°As for the other four,¡± she leveled a glare toward the middle and back of the room. Her hand shifted back and forth for a moment before landing at the back. ¡°You, why are you here?¡±


    Turning around, Kevin was just in time to see the man she pointed to snap into a ramrod-straight standing position.


    ¡°Jeremy Davis, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°I know,¡± Fischer responded, her tone dry as a desert. ¡°It¡¯s on your sect token. Why are you taking this class?¡±


    ¡°Well,¡± Jeremy stuttered, seeming to struggle with his response. ¡°I¡¯ve filled up most of my other classes with array subjects. I didn¡¯t need any basic combat training, so my adviser suggested that getting an overview of the other enchantment classes might be¡­¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± the elder interjected as if she¡¯d caught him red-handed. ¡°So you¡¯re not just here to waste my time but to steal my knowledge and take it to my rivals. Out, out now.¡± She finished with a shooing motion.


    Jeremy was sweating by this point but tried to hold his ground. ¡°It¡¯s not like that¡­ I mean¡­ I still need to do five classes this season.¡±


    ¡°I don¡¯t care,¡± Fischer shook her head. ¡°Either go back to that oh-so-helpful adviser or just enjoy the extra time. If anyone complains, you can tell them I authorized it.¡±


    After opening and closing his mouth a few more times, Jeremy gathered his things and wandered off, looking dazed.


    ¡°So that leaves three,¡± Fischer continued, turning toward the other disciples. At this point, they were practically shaking in their boots; only his fellow front-row disciple seemed mostly unaffected.


    She had to be the other person signed up for FORM-102. Thank god Foster had given him both.


    ¡°Assuming none of you have some underhanded plan like mister Davis,¡± Fischer continued. ¡°You all have a choice to make right now. Either join FORM-102 this season or get out like he did. You can even have the same deal; I¡¯ll sign off on a free class for anyone who wants it.¡±


    She paused for a few seconds, foot tapping on the ground, before continuing with narrowed eyes. ¡°When I said now, I wasn¡¯t joking.¡±


    The remaining two disciples at the back glanced at each other before hurrying to join Jeremy in retreat.


    ¡°What a shame,¡± Fischer snorted. ¡°I even thinned out the numbers perfectly. Five hours and five students. I wonder if they¡¯d still have left if they knew what they were giving up.¡±


    ¡°Nothing for it, though; a couple of you are just going to be extra lucky,¡± she laughed, shaking her head.


    Kevin licked his lips, trying to catch up with the whirlwind that had just occurred. Five hours and five students, had the elder implied what he thought she had?


    ¡°Right then, here¡¯s how we¡¯re going to handle things,¡± Fischer continued, turning back to the board.


    ¡°Instead of wasting five hours a week of my life teaching a general course to a bunch of future dropouts, we¡¯re going to split the time into intensive one-on-one tutoring. There¡¯s nothing under the heavens that has a higher chance of making you productive than that.¡±


    ¡°Be grateful,¡± Fischer turned back with a smirk. ¡°Not even most of my inner sect students get this kind of opportunity.¡±


    ¡°Disciple Blake,¡± she said, glancing over at Kevin before he could speak. ¡°You¡¯re in FORM-115 as well. Are you serious about it?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin snapped out a response, straightening his back. That was the formations class he¡¯d personally picked. If anything, it was the class he was most serious about of the lot.


    The elder stared for a moment, her gaze seeming to pierce through his entire body. ¡°Excellent,¡± she said, at last, face shifting into a welcoming grin. ¡°You¡¯re in my good books then. Stay behind; you get this two-hour slot.¡±Support creative writers by reading their stories on Royal Road, not stolen versions.


    ¡°You¡¯re going to need it to keep up with that class.¡±


    ¡°Emily Reywood,¡± Fischer continued, turning to the other woman in front. ¡°You already had FORM-101, so you¡¯re next up. You get the first two hours on Thursday. Henry Lawson,¡± she glanced up towards the middle.


    ¡°The last to sign up gets the least reward; you have the third hour on Thursday. Though if you impress me more than these two,¡± her mouth quirked into a smile. ¡°I¡¯ll give you half their time.¡±


    ¡°Make sure you¡¯ve signed up for FORM-102 before you arrive, or I¡¯ll be most displeased. Until then, get out. You too, Miss Reywood. I¡¯ll see you both on Thursday.¡±


    The two hurried to obey, leaving Kevin alone with the strangest teacher he¡¯d ever met.


    <hr>


    ¡°Ah, that was fun.¡± Elder Fischer chuckled, turning back as Kevin¡¯s brain kicked into gear. ¡°We¡¯ve burned a chunk of your time with all that admin work, Mister Blake. But what do you know; I just happen to have a half-hour window after this we can use fill it.¡±


    ¡°Thank you, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded as she clearly expected, his mind whirling in the background. Had she planned this all along? The extra time she ¡®happened¡¯ to have while being so busy suggested she had.


    If she¡¯d been aiming for five students, as he now expected, she¡¯d have needed it to fit two full-hour sessions this morning. As it was, it seemed he was the beneficiary of those other two disciples¡¯ decisions.


    Or at least, he hoped so. This was either going to be incredibly beneficial or a complete nightmare.


    ¡°So tell me, Mr. Blake,¡± Fischer said, stalking forward with a predatory expression. ¡°What makes a fresh disciple with not a hint of formation experience decide to take my Combat Formations class?¡±


    ¡°Well, I agreed to take whatever class...¡± Kevin began.


    ¡°I know all about that,¡± the elder interrupted, shaking her head. ¡°Those lazy bastards in the work allocation department were so proud of themselves for sending a single cultivator my way.¡±


    ¡°Why, they even insisted I couldn¡¯t possibily cancel the class after they¡¯d gone to so much effort. But they only forced you into FORM:101 and 102. You made the choice for combat formations.¡±


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Kevin responded, gathering his thoughts. This was the point to make a good first impression if there ever was one. How many people in the outer sect had such a chance for private tutoring with an inner sect elder? The number had to be vanishingly small.


    Even if something was going on beneath the surface, and it almost had to be, this was a chance that could push him to where he needed to be.


    ¡°Those two classes might have been picked for me, but I¡¯m still going to put my all into them,¡± Kevin began, observing the elder¡¯s face as he spoke. She wasn¡¯t giving a single hint away, so he pushed on.


    ¡°I agreed to handle whatever work the sect needed, and I intend to keep that promise. Pushed on me or not, formations are going to be a guaranteed part of my life for years to come.¡±


    ¡°Further, I already had more than a little interest in them after a formation tattoo fixed one of my cultivation blockages. So When my adviser suggested I needed a harder-hitting combat class, the idea to take formations even further hit me.¡±


    ¡°If they¡¯re already going to be a part of my life, why not make them a part of my fighting style as well? It narrowed the different areas I have to focus on, letting me put more effort into learning them well.¡±


    Fischer hummed for a moment, leveling another piercing stare at him. ¡°Good answer,¡± she nodded at least. ¡°A little embellished, but the core of it was true, and your reasoning is sound.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯ll have to work hard to catch up; the other students in the class completed FORM-101 six months or even a year ago. They¡¯ll be more ahead in formation skill, combat ability, and advancement.¡±


    Kevin winced but met her gaze with determination. He had expected nothing less, and this was the chance to catch up he needed. ¡°We¡¯d better get started then. Just¡­ one question first, if you don¡¯t mind, Elder.¡±


    Fischer raised an eyebrow but gestured for him to continue.


    ¡°I¡¯ve heard from both you and my adviser that there¡¯s far more formation work than the sect has people. So¡­ why not work harder to attract outside talent? I can see why straight-up hiring contractors might make the sect look weak, but what about more disciples?¡±


    The issue being about reputation was the only answer he¡¯d been able to come up with so far. There was no way a sect in the top thirty-six would want to admit they were lagging behind, but surely they could do something in secret.


    ¡°That is a complicated issue with multiple answers,¡± Fischer responded after a long pause. ¡°It also includes many factors we rarely discuss with regular disciples. Suffice to say, that sects have a purpose much like cultivators do.¡±


    ¡°Dilute that purpose, and you dilute your results.¡±


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kevin responded. He sort of got the idea, though the full implications felt like they extended far beyond his comprehension. ¡°And letting a bunch of people into the sect who just want a paycheck would do that. What about just a few better disciples?¡±


    ¡°And where do you think the previous teacher for this class came from?¡± Fischer laughed darkly. ¡°It¡¯s not so easy to attract already established talent, not when the government, or the top three sects, can outbid us fivefold.¡±


    ¡°And, as Mr. ''Dead in a Mystic Realm¡¯ shows, mediocre talent breeds mediocre results. No, what we need is to build talent in-house. The most we can do is to tweak the entry criteria just a touch to let in people who might go the way we want.¡±


    She glanced archly at him as she finished as if saying he should know all about that. Which, to be fair, he did. The elder had just described the exact situation that led to him getting admitted.


    ¡°Now, enough of that,¡± Fischer continued, turning back to the chalkboard. ¡°Get a book out and be ready to take notes like your life depends on it. It very well might; faulty formations are no joke.¡±


    ¡°This session we¡¯re going to cover three of the most basic, elementary formations that exist. It is rare for them to be used alone. Instead, they form the part of most advanced patterns.¡±


    ¡°Looking at my dearly departed student¡¯s notes, he spent a week on each to ensure the slowest in the class kept up. I trust we won¡¯t be having that issue,¡± she turned back to Kevin with a raised eyebrow. ¡°So we¡¯ll be covering all three in these two hours.¡±


    ¡°Won¡¯t be a problem, Ma¡¯am,¡± he responded, his voice steady. It might be a lot to get through, but three times the normal class speed was just what he needed. If they could get through the entire curriculum at the same rate, then who knew what advanced techniques he might be able to learn for the rest of the season?


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Fischer responded with a satisfied nod. ¡°Then first up, we have an energy attracting formation. The basis for that tattoo hidden under you¡¯re shirt, in fact.¡± The elder said, glancing over as if she could look through not just cloth but the flesh and bone of his torso as well.


    ¡°Runa did a decent job there but could use more work on her fundamentals. Make sure you let her know when you see her next.¡± At Kevin¡¯s nod, she continued.


    ¡°Be careful to note the formation flags down perfectly. Since I¡¯ve cannibalized the practice lesson, you¡¯ll be making each of these on your own before we meet next. Come up if you need to.¡±


    ¡°Some beginners think all six flags are identical at first glance, but I assure you they are not.¡±


    Kevin winced and stood, grabbing his book; he¡¯d thought exactly that.


    ¡°Let me know when you¡¯re done, and I¡¯ll double-check your work,¡± Fischer continued as she pulled a book out and moved over to lean on a desk. ¡°We still need to cover both the containment and filtration arrays before we can discuss the basics of creating flags.¡±


    Kevin nodded absently as he leaned in to stare at the finer details on the board. What at first looked to be miner scribbles grew ever more complex the closer he looked. How had she even drawn these with a stubby piece of chalk?


    And he had to replicate these in a real formation before next Monday?


    It looked like his life was about to get very interesting.

 Chapter 34 - The Sinking Sands

    The following two hours were some of the most intense of Kevin¡¯s life. First, he copied down the three elementary formations, which Elder Fischer made him repeat until he got them right.


    An extensive discussion on creating traditional flags followed. That method, using actual cloth and wood flags, was still the first thing taught to beginners.


    The elder insisted that he needed to master the traditional method before he could try more advanced techniques, such as the tattoo on his back or flags embedded in stone or metal.


    ¡°Besides,¡± she chuckled, smirking at him. ¡°Formation combat almost always uses traditional flags. They¡¯re portable and deployable, which is key during a fight.¡±


    ¡°What about something like wooden or metal disks?¡± Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. He¡¯d discovered that Fischer enjoyed questions as long as they were short and intelligent.


    ¡°Sure,¡± she snorted, ¡°if you¡¯re willing to come up with your own style for throwing them instead of using the many excellent existing ones. And you can figure out a way to anchor them into the right place, not to mention adapting the patterns for every combat formation you want to use.¡±


    ¡°Right, traditional flags it is, then,¡± Kevin nodded. He had far too much to do already without piling extra work on.


    He scribbled page after page of notes, enough for a small booklet before the lesson ended. Finally, in the last ten minutes, she made him read them back and corrected anything he¡¯d gotten wrong.


    ¡°And we¡¯re done,¡± Fischer said at last, glancing at the clock. It was just before 9:30; they¡¯d gone well into that extra half hour she¡¯d ¡®happened¡¯ to have available.


    ¡°Repeat what I want from you by the next lesson,¡± she continued. It wasn¡¯t the first time she¡¯d asked, but the elder was fond of drilling lessons home through repetition.


    ¡°I need to create a finished example of each flag before the next lesson. However, I shouldn¡¯t try to charge or deploy them without supervision.¡±


    ¡°Correct,¡± Fischer nodded, looking pleased. ¡°You¡¯re not durable enough to handle a discharge if you screw the formation up. We¡¯ll activate them first thing in the next lesson. Do try not to disappoint me right out of the gate,¡± she finished with a smirk.


    ¡°No, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin finished, resisting the urge to wipe a hint of sweat from his brow. ¡°Are there any books that would be advisable for further study?¡±


    The elder pursed her lips for a moment, then shook her head. ¡°No. A third of the books on formations are trash, and another third are mediocre. I don¡¯t have time to sort through beginner books, and you don¡¯t have the discernment to pick them out.¡±


    ¡°Besides, this is an experiment on speed training useful formation experts. I don¡¯t want outside information messing with it. Once you¡¯ve finished this class and have a solid grasp on safe formation construction, you can go nuts; until then, stick to your notes.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded. ¡°Thank you for the lesson.¡±


    He was now convinced he¡¯d been right about her planning this one-on-one tutoring from the start. The only thing he didn¡¯t understand was why she went through that entire show instead of just doing it.


    Unless it was for her own amusement, he figured there had to be a good reason for it. Some level of sect politics seemed the likely answer. Perhaps she was circumventing some restrictions on giving outer sect disciples personal training?


    Whatever the case, he wouldn¡¯t rock the boat by pushing for an answer. As long as it continued to benefit him, he would participate in whatever game the elder was playing.


    Fischer dismissed him with a wave, then zoomed past before he could even leave the room. This time, he was prepared and got the slightest glimpse of her technique.


    Bands of Qi had exploded from the base of her crown, extending down to wrap and cushion her legs. Even then, the Qi didn¡¯t enter her body. Instead, it dragged her along like a puppet.


    What a strange technique. Not for the first time, Kevin was glad that Dr. Grange hadn¡¯t tried to push him in that direction. Not only did it do little for his goals, but it seemed to come with many other limitations.


    Shaking off his idle musings, Kevin gathered his things and walked out of the building. He had a decent amount of time until his next class at eleven, but he wanted to put it to good use.


    Gathering the materials he needed for his flags while the lesson was fresh in his mind made the most sense. Further, he wanted to go over his notes at least once before the memories faded.


    He also needed to eat something before his next class. And to think he¡¯d consider fitting a cultivation session in the gap.


    Kevin shook his head, laughing at his naivety. He¡¯d been taking the sect classes far too lightly. Elder Fischer¡¯s changed lesson plan might have opened three extra hours later in the week but had also heaped far more work on him than that.


    Still, this was what he needed to survive in the world of cultivation. The elder¡¯s story about her missing disciple was a wake-up call. Unless he stayed in the sect forever, the same fate could await him as well.


    He¡¯d have to put as much effort into his combat classes as his support ones.


    The narrative has been illicitly obtained; should you discover it on Amazon, report the violation.


    <hr>


    The Monday class for MAR-101 had a room in the martial arts building listed for its usual location. The first class, however, had a note to meet at Martial Courtyard Six.


    Like the cultivation courtyards, areas like this were set up throughout the sect to practice various techniques. His map marked the first three martial courtyards as general use and listed the rest as restricted.


    Martial Courtyard Six was an open grassy area a little larger than a football field. A stern-looking man in the Core Formation realm was already there, pacing back and forth. Ten empty desks stood on the bare Earth behind him.


    MAR-101 seemed to have a much healthier attendance number, with thirty people spread out across the area. By the time the clock ticked to one PM, the number had exceeded forty.


    Ten Energy Gathering cultivators also arrived just in time, each walking around the back and taking a desk.


    ¡°Welcome to MAR-101,¡± the Core Formation cultivator said, pausing his pacing and standing with arms behind his back. ¡°I am Elder Johnson of the outer sect, a combat expert and prominent martial arts scholar.¡±


    With his graying crew cut and light lines on his otherwise perfect face, the elder looked to be in his mid-forties. Given the level of Qi floating through his body, he had to be a lot older than that.


    Kevin¡¯s eyes narrowed, even as he hurried to form a line at the man¡¯s shouted demand. So there were elders who hadn¡¯t reached Golden Core. Was that why the man was an outer sect elder?


    Foster had also been in the Core Formation realm but had introduced him as a senior inner sect disciple. Were positions in the outer sect a step lower then? Or did the man¡¯s self-proclaimed combat expertise qualify him for a higher position?


    ¡°Some of you are here because you lack experience,¡± Elder Johnson said once they¡¯d formed five rows. Kevin couldn¡¯t shake the feeling that the man stared his way as he said that.


    ¡°Others are seeking a new style from the sect. We will cater to both kinds in this class.¡±


    ¡°From next week, I will be holding lectures on the general principles of combat. Even those with experience will find them well worth attending. Today, I will gauge your current level and select an appropriate style for you.¡±


    The elder half-turned, gesturing to the desks and their seated occupants. ¡°Behind me are ten assistants drafted for the day. As slots become free, I will direct you to them to discuss your particular needs and desires. Be honest with them; the information they gather will inform my decision.¡±


    ¡°Questions?¡± Johnson turned back to stare at the lines of disciples as he finished.


    A male voice shouted from somewhere on the right. ¡°We won¡¯t be picking our styles then?¡±


    ¡°Not if you want my expertise,¡± the elder¡¯s tone was flat as he responded. ¡°You will have significant input, but I have grown tired of disciples making poor decisions out of nostalgia or because they wanted something ¡®flashy.¡¯¡±


    ¡°The sect always supports the free choice of our disciples; however,¡± Johnson¡¯s face shifted into a scowl. ¡°So you are free to depart for the library if you wish. They will release a style of your choice for free, within reason.¡±


    Murmurs spread through the crowd, but only a single disciple slipped out of line and departed. The elder paused for a few moments, then spoke again. ¡°Very well. Front ten disciples move to the desks, everyone else spread out and warm up.¡±


    Kevin hurried to an empty spot and began moving through his stretching routine. His martial arts teacher in Ostale had given him one, which he¡¯d practiced once since then.


    He was cursing himself for not practicing more over the last couple of days. He¡¯d focused so much on cultivation that he¡¯d missed the obvious. Of course, they would check a student¡¯s current proficiency.


    Sure, it might not change much, but it would have been nice not to be as embarrassed. The feeling worsened after the initial warmup when the more advanced students filling the field started showing off fancy techniques.


    Throughout the lesson, Elder Johnson seemed to be everywhere at once. Here, he flickered over to correct a movement; there, he watched a student¡¯s form; then, he was back at the desks, demonstrating a different style each time.


    More than once, Kevin would have sworn that the man was in two places at the same time. Perhaps he was; there might well be some kind of multi-body technique out there.


    He was the target for plenty of the elder¡¯s corrections, most of them with a disapproving frown. It seemed he was doing almost every technique incorrectly, and the man made sure he knew it.


    About halfway through the class, the elder returned to his side and sent him to an empty desk. The disciple behind it introduced himself as Francis, a senior outer sect disciple.


    After a quick introduction, the man began grilling Kevin on every aspect of his experience and what he wanted from a martial arts style.


    The intense discussion lasted about twenty minutes and resulted in Francis taking four pages of notes. Moments after they finished, Elder Johnson stepped into view and swiped the pages off the desk.


    ¡°Kevin Blake,¡± the elder muttered under his breath, eyes scanning the pages at speed. ¡°No useful experience. Wants to use his martial arts as a defensive and delaying tactic while setting up formations.¡±


    ¡°Understood,¡± Elder Johnson said a few moments later as he tossed the pages back on the desk. With deft movements, he skipped several steps backward. ¡°Come over here and punch me."


    Kevin blinked at the sudden shift but knew better than to argue. Moving over, he took his stance and fired a left jab at the man¡¯s face.


    The elder pivoted left around the punch, ending with his chest facing Kevin. Now, parallel to Kevin¡¯s extended arm, Johnson¡¯s left hand reached out and gripped his sleeve.


    With a smooth motion, the man gave a light tug, pulling Kevin forward and off balance. The elder released his sleeve a moment later, letting momentum take its course.


    Kevin stumbled forward, losing his stance and struggling to maintain his balance. From his current position, a follow-up strike was impossible. His left arm was too extended, and he couldn¡¯t punch across his own body with his right.


    Worse, his head and ribs were open to Johnson¡¯s attacks. The man held back; instead, he kept his position as Kevin struggled to spin and regain his stance.


    ¡°Johnson beckoned him forward. ¡°Keep going.¡±


    Kevin complied, trying every one of his limited techniques. Another shift, or parry, countered each attempt, each dragging him forward and breaking his stance,


    It wasn¡¯t because of overwhelming speed on the elder¡¯s part but pure technique. The man even slowed down over time until Kevin¡¯s speed surpassed him. Every attack felt closer and closer, yet not one made it.


    After several struggling minutes, the elder gestured for him to stop. ¡°Enough.¡±


    Panting, Kevin stopped, barely maintaining the presence of mind to keep his guard up.


    ¡°That was the Sinking Sands style,¡± Johnson said. ¡°If I were on the offensive, I would have pummelled you with every redirect. You would have felt stifled, overpowered, and as if you were being dragged into hell. Liking sinking into the worst quicksand.


    ¡°However, that requires you to be more capable than your opponent, which is unlikely to be the case. Instead, I showed you the defensive version. What did you feel?¡±


    Kevin licked his lips, ¡°frustrated, but also excited. Like I was just on the verge of hitting. Then there was a growing anger as you continued pulling me around without ever landing a hit.¡±


    ¡°Good,¡± Johnson responded, opening his arms. ¡°And where are you?¡±


    ¡°Well, I¡¯m,¡± Kevin paused, eyes widening as he glanced back. Somehow, they¡¯d come over thirty feet from the desk, moving back and left.


    ¡°Where you are is exactly where I wanted you to be,¡± the elder said, mouth twitching into a smile for the first time. ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see how that would be useful.¡±


    ¡°Yes,¡± Kevin breathed, a broad grin crossing his face. ¡°That¡¯s perfect.¡±

 Chapter 35 - Classwork

    Elder Johnson vanished after finishing his explanation, and Kevin wandered back over to the desk with his mind a whirl. The Sinking Sands was just what he¡¯d discussed with Foster when they¡¯d thought up his combat style.


    Using shifting parries and dragging motions, the style combined defensiveness and maneuverability. Which was what he needed to deploy formations and lead his opponents into them.


    The upcoming Combat Formations class should cover the deployment section, though he didn¡¯t quite quite how yet. In the stories he¡¯d read, formation users somehow spewed flags out at high speeds while dropping them in the perfect positions.


    Hopefully, Elder Fischer could impart something similar to him.


    After the deployment stage, the real work would begin. Unless they were oblivious, whoever he was fighting would have watched him throw flags out. They might not recognize what the formation did, but they would have to be stupid to walk into one.


    That was where the emotional component of the style was so perfect. When someone ignored obvious openings, as the elder had, it felt like you were being toyed with. It was as if your opponent was so far above you that they had no need to strike your weak points.


    Combined with feeling like you were almost landing each strike, the style drove the opponent into a blind chasing frenzy. Finally, the circular dragging motions disoriented them until they had no idea where they were headed.


    It was like a weaponized version of social engineering, a perfect fit for him. Elder Johnson certainly knew his stuff.


    ¡°All sorted?¡± Francis asked on his return.


    ¡°Yeah, it¡¯s the Sinking Sands style.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± the senior disciple responded, nodding. ¡°I¡¯ll be posting a priority job request for a suitably advanced practitioner of the style. They will handle your practical training in the three-hour slot on Friday.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t copy anything the elder showed you until then,¡± Francis admonished with a hard stare. ¡°You¡¯ll just form bad habits that your tutor will have to fix. Once they¡¯re happy with your basic competence, the sect will supply a copy of the style manual for private practice.¡±


    ¡°Got it,¡± Kevin nodded, throwing away his half-baked plan to do just that. ¡°What should I do for the rest of the class?¡±


    ¡°Whatever you want,¡± Francis shrugged. ¡°The goal was to pick your style, which is done on your part. We still need to work through the other disciples, but you can stay or leave as you wish.¡±


    ¡°Though,¡± the man winked, jerking his head to the field. ¡°I would go practice my basics some more. It might not be one-on-one, but any correction from the elder is valuable, and you can never be too solid on the basics.¡±


    Kevin thanked the man before vacating the spot for the next disciple. Following Francis¡¯ advice, he trained for the rest of the lesson.


    Johnson gave him a few more corrections during that time, each making his movements smoother and more effective.


    By the end, Kevin was almost ready to collapse from exhaustion but forced himself to stumble toward the nearest building. Most had cafeterias in them, and he didn¡¯t have time to be picky.


    He had only an hour to recover before his last class of the day, Introduction to Qi Shielding, at two p.m.


    <hr>


    TEC:109 was held in a small lecture theater within the massive Techniques building. Since the building seemed to be a catch-all for everything outside of a specific department, its size wasn¡¯t much of a surprise.


    Right on time, a young woman ushered the sixteen assembled disciples inside.


    Moving to the front of the room, she stood with arms crossed behind her back until everyone had taken a seat. ¡°Welcome to TEC-109. I am senior disciple Li Yen of the inner sect; you may refer to me as Miss Li.¡±


    Li, presumably her surname, didn¡¯t look a day over twenty and was a touch under five feet tall. Her black hair and delicate features held a strong Asian influence, which would be Xi¡¯anian here. Despite her small size, her body blazed with the full force of her Core Formation realm.


    ¡°We will discuss the theory behind Qi-shielding and its uses in combat during this Monday time slot. In our Thursday slot, we will perform group training and sparring practice.¡±


    Li held an arm up and across her body, the outer edge glowing with gray light. ¡°This is the basic blocking technique we will focus on in this class. It reinforces an existing block or parry rather than attempting to stop a strike with nothing but Qi.¡±


    ¡°Please take careful notes; I will not repeat myself.¡± After giving everyone a minute to scramble for supplies, she began the full lecture.


    While not as intense as his tutoring with Elder Fischer, it was still a full-on lesson. Along with her descriptions of how to direct Qi and hold it in various body parts, Li projected diagrams through some kind of illusion technique.


    ¡°If you require additional information, then Qi Shielding: An Introduction, by Elder Li Ming, is a well-regarded source,¡± Li said as she closed the lecture. ¡°You can purchase a copy from the library for fifteen merit.¡±The narrative has been stolen; if detected on Amazon, report the infringement.


    ¡°Study as much theory as you want; I encourage it, but do not attempt the technique without supervision. That is all.¡±


    Kevin followed the rest of the class, standing and bowing as she left. While exhausting, the lecture was fascinating. It even calmed some of his worries about attempting the technique with his sealed land.


    Still, he was glad it was over. The day had been exhausting, and he hadn¡¯t even done any cultivation. All he wanted to do was relax, but he pushed himself to fit in a single session at the Fire courtyard.


    On the way, he swung by the library and picked up a copy of the recommended book. While it sounded like the teacher was advertising her own family¡¯s book, he could use all the help he could get.


    The purchase used up most of the merit he¡¯d gained so far, but it was a tiny expense compared to what he needed to earn. More of a gesture than anything. Since it only affected his current merit and not his total, Kevin wasn''t too worried about it.


    With a few hours before bed, he split his time between relaxing and reading the first chapter of Qi Shielding: An Introduction. Li had covered much of it in the lecture, but the book also had little tidbits of information to add.


    The added study hammered home what he¡¯d already learned and showed the worth of purchasing it.


    He still needed to get a start on his formations, but that could wait until he had a clear mind. There was so much to practice, and he hadn¡¯t even had the first lesson for every class yet.


    <hr>


    FORM-102: Introductory Maintenance started at the much more reasonable time of nine AM the next morning. This allowed Kevin to fit in a morning Fire Qi session and review his FORM-101 notes before it started.


    The teacher, Lucas Thresher, must have been one of the inner sect cultivators who had been ¡®too busy¡¯ to teach FORM-101. Given everything he¡¯d seen from Elder Fischer, Kevin wasn¡¯t even sure if that part had been true.


    Regardless, the senior disciple displayed a firm understanding of his subject. In the first lesson, he guided them through the basics of identifying a formation. This, Thresher insisted, was something they had to master before they could move on to the later steps.


    ¡°The most dangerous thing you can do,¡± he said with a firm stare at the small class. ¡°Is to mess with a formation that you don¡¯t understand. Don¡¯t even attempt to move onto the next step unless you¡¯re at least ninety-nine percent sure the formation is safe.¡±


    ¡°There are far too many potential patterns to memorize, and most we do not have access to. What we will focus on is identifying key themes that provide clues to a formation¡¯s purpose.¡±


    ¡°Each clue you find will help to build a pattern. Some will suggest potential uses, while others discard impossible options. With enough work, you will gather sufficient evidence to determine what the formation does.¡±


    Thresher filled his two-hour slot with an intriguing theory but left them nothing to work on until the practical lesson later in the week. This was quite a relief, as Kevin already had plenty on his plate.


    On his way out, he chatted briefly with the other class members. He¡¯d been surprised to find six people when he¡¯d shown up instead of just the three from FORM-101. It turned out that the other three were from the last cycle of FORM-101, where the teacher hadn¡¯t been as harsh as Fischer.


    It sounded like the spring intake was almost three times the size of this one. Yet these three and a couple more who¡¯d taken it six months ago were the only ones who had stayed with formations.


    No wonder the elder was trying something new this time.


    Shaking his head, Kevin waved goodbye to the group and headed back to his room. With two hours for the first class of FORM-115, he wanted to go over both his sets of formation notes again.


    Impressing Elder Fischer would be nice and could potentially lead to some benefits, but more than anything, he needed to avoid disappointing her. Her threat to give Henry half his time was still well-present in his mind.


    <hr>


    The first class of FORM-115 brought Kevin to the Formations building and to the same classroom as before. Having remembered Elder Fischer¡¯s lateness from her first class, he¡¯d timed it to show up just before one PM.


    The door was open when he arrived this time and was bracketed by a flag on either side. Somehow, the base of the wooden rods had merged into the floor without splintering it, keeping them upright and letting the cloth sections flap open.


    With raised eyebrows, Kevin looked over the strange sight. If this were an example of the techniques they¡¯d learn in this class, then his expectations were rising already.


    Four other disciples were waiting outside. Karlene Brown from his FORM-102 class was there, along with three he didn¡¯t know. Presumably, they¡¯d studied formations in previous cycles, perhaps even a year or more ago.


    ¡°Get in here, you lot,¡± Fischer shouted, striding into view of the doorway. ¡°We don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    Once they were all seated, she continued. ¡°Welcome to FORM-115. Lesson one: you¡¯re all dead.¡±


    As she spoke, the room filled with a deep purple light, casting dark shadows over her face as it shifted into an evil grin. Shouts filled the room, and chairs thumped to the ground. A couple of people even ran for the door, smashing into an invisible barrier.


    Kevin froze, trying to keep calm and analyze the situation. Had he misjudged the elder that much? No¡­ this didn¡¯t make sense; it had to be some kind of test.


    A moment later, it was over. The light faded, and Fischer¡¯s mocking laughter filled the room. ¡°Got you,¡± she chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°But funny as that was, it¡¯s also deadly serious.¡±


    All traces of amusement left her face as she glanced around at the confused crowd. ¡°I must say, I¡¯m quite disappointed. You all walked into my slaughter formation with barely a glance at the flags. I even placed them outside instead of hiding them."


    "If I had been a real enemy, you would all be very dead.¡±


    ¡°But ma¡¯am,¡± one of the older disciples said, raising his arm. ¡°You called us in here.¡±


    ¡°Indeed. The formation mistress called you into her formation. How very kind of you to comply. If only your future opponents would follow suit,¡± Fischer snarked. ¡°Now sit back down so we can review what you should have done.¡±


    Kevin settled in his chair, his heartbeat slowing. That had been shocking and perhaps a little harsh, but it hammered the point home. He hadn¡¯t even considered the flags a threat when he arrived.


    He should have. This was a combat formations class; the whole point was to make formations dangerous. That was a mistake he wouldn¡¯t be making again.


    ¡°In FORM-102, you should have learned to never modify a formation you do not understand,¡± Fischer began, looking them each in the eye as she paced back and forth. ¡°Today, we take that a step further.¡±


    ¡°You are never to walk into or through a formation you do not understand. In the heat of battle, it is often impossible to reach the level of surety you were looking for in FORM-102. Instead, we aim for ninety percent certainty.¡±


    ¡°A little more if you have time, a little less if you¡¯re in a real rush. Am I clear? Not one formation you don¡¯t understand.¡±


    Karlene raised a hand in Kevin¡¯s peripheral vision, and Fischer pointed to her. ¡°Yes, Miss Brown?¡±


    ¡°What about the doors, Ma¡¯am? They¡¯re formations, right?¡±


    ¡°Yes, the doors,¡± the elder chuckled again, a low, dangerous sound. ¡°They¡¯re safe, right? You¡¯ve all been using them. They just take you to somewhere in the building. Anywhere in the building.¡±


    Lifting a hand, Fischer began ticking off examples. ¡°Like a sealed, airless room. Or the furnace, or a room filled with slaughter formations.¡±


    ¡°Our lovely doors might seem safe, but I assure you that for an intruder, they are anything but.¡±

 Chapter 36 - Friendship

    After a moment of shocked silence, Elder Fischer pointed to a man at the back. ¡°Yes, Mr. Becker.¡±


    ¡°But, ma¡¯am, we can see where they¡¯re taking us.¡±


    ¡°Can you?¡± the elder asked, cocking a head. ¡°Does anyone want to try fielding that question?¡±


    Kevin shuddered as he realized what she was getting out. If it was what he¡¯d do, then it was quite the nasty move.


    ¡°Yes, Mr. Blake,¡± Fischer said without even looking at him.


    ¡°Well,¡± he said, licking his lips. ¡°Becker is right that they show us something, but I don¡¯t see why it has to be where the formation leads. For an unauthorized user, I would just show them whatever they wanted.¡±


    ¡°Correct. Well done, Mr. Blake,¡± the elder nodded, looking please. ¡°Lesson two, never assume a formation is what it appears. I can confirm that the effect displaying your location and the effect that takes you there are not linked.¡±


    ¡°So I repeat for a third time, do not use, cross, enter, or otherwise interact with any formation you do not understand. We will take the last forty-five minutes to discuss the common formations at this sect so you can travel in peace.¡±


    ¡°Until then, get your books out while we go over some rapid identification techniques. You will need to master them until you can hazard a decent guess in a matter of seconds.¡±


    Nodding, Kevin began copying down her words. This first lesson wasn¡¯t at all what he expected, but it sounded so important now she¡¯d exposed them to it.


    He¡¯d only been thinking about using formations himself, but the reverse was that opponents could also use them on him. Hopefully, they¡¯d still cover the offensive portion in the practical lesson.


    After the initial hour of theory, which was an expansion of FORM-102 focusing more on heuristic solutions, they moved on to examples in the sect. As he wrote them down, Kevin couldn¡¯t keep the growing horror off his face.


    He had no idea how many of the sect¡¯s formations could be dangerous to intruders. The cultivation areas could be detonated in explosions of Qi, and the gate to the inner sect could throw people off the mountain.


    Even the innocuous paper teleporters could be overcharged to fling projectiles from one office to another. And all of those weren¡¯t even half the examples. By the end, he had a much healthier respect for the chances he¡¯d been taking just walking around.


    Worse, her examples backed up the warnings from FORM-102. In theory, a faulty array could also trigger any of those effects, which became more likely the more you tried to change one.


    Forget people not wanting to waste time doing maintenance. He was beginning to think it was just that they didn¡¯t want to die!


    By the end, he, and it seemed the rest of the class, left so worried that they barely exchanged goodbyes. Which, Kevin reflected once he¡¯d calmed down later, had probably been intended.


    Elder Fischer had made her point well; formations could be very dangerous. At the same time, it lit a growing excitement in him. What crazy arrays might he be able to use in combat?


    The thought was enticing, but he pushed it aside as he went on with the rest of his afternoon. There was a lot of work to be done, and he needed to get started on the first of his formations.


    <hr>


    When he made it back to his room, Kevin found a letter slipped under the door. The short message was from Brad Harper, confirming he could meet for lunch at 12:30 the next day.


    The time fit Kevin¡¯s schedule, and he was eager to discuss more with the potential ally. Scribbling a quick reply, he took a detour and slid the letter under Brad¡¯s door.


    Like with Amelia, it was the method they agreed on to organize meet-ups.


    With that handled, he returned to his desk and began taking out his formation supplies.


    First, there was a cloth undersheet to absorb paint spatters, followed by wooden rods, the actual flag cloth, scissors, and an array of brushes. These were designed for delicate ink work rather than the paint kind he was used to.


    Last was his book of notes, which Kevin stared at for a moment before shaking his head. No way was he going to risk soaking that in paint. Instead, he copied his formation patterns onto fresh pages.


    Preparations complete, he took careful note of the flag dimensions, then cut a section of cloth to shape. Setting the rest of his good cloth aside, Kevin laid his flag on the undersheet and took care to smooth out any wrinkles.


    A last check of his notes confirmed he had finished all Fischer''s initial instructions. With a deep breath, he uncorked a bottle of ink, picked up one of the wider brushes, and set to work.


    The elder had suggested beginning with the large, abstract sections before working on the tiny characters spread throughout the image. In her words, it was a lot less effort to do the big stuff if you messed up later than it was to redo the fine details.Support the author by searching for the original publication of this novel.


    These large curves, lines, and odd squiggles were designed to convey intent in a way that would have fit in well with abstract art back home. In fact, according to the elder, focused intent was a massive part of creating flags.


    He couldn¡¯t just mindlessly copy the details; he had to embed his intent into the shapes as he drew them. Whatever that meant.


    As best as he¡¯d been able to gather in a single lesson, it meant focusing on the end goal as he worked on the art-like section. It turned an already tough piece of work into a juggling act between paying attention to the design and thinking about the goal.


    Halfway through his first attempt, his brush slipped and ruined the pattern. Cursing, Kevin cut another flag and tried again. This time, he made it almost through, only to realize he¡¯d covered a spot that would later hold a character.


    A third attempt got him through to the writing component, where he messed up the fine detail work. Each character was smaller than he¡¯d write a letter of the alphabet while also being unfamiliar and more complicated.


    Suppressing the urge to scream, Kevin shifted his failed attempts to the side, pulled out a notebook, and practiced each character over and over again. It wasn¡¯t until he could draw them without looking that he returned to working with cloth.


    Four attempts later, including a break for dinner, Kevin groaned in relief as he finished the last detail. With frantic eyes, he scanned every inch. Finally, he relaxed back into his chair when he spotted nothing wrong.


    It was done, the first of six flags he needed for the energy containment array. Which was the first of three formations he was supposed to finish this week.


    This was going to take a lot of time, and he was going to need more cloth. Lots more cloth.


    <hr>


    The rest of that evening saw him hard at work, finishing two more flags before falling into slumber. With each one, the process grew a little easier, and he was hopeful that he would finish before the week was out.


    The next morning, he spotted Amelia leaving breakfast as he arrived, though she only had time to suggest lunch on Thursday. There was a forty-five-minute window that fit both of them, so they locked it in.


    Even with his deadlines, Kevin needed to spend a little time winding down if he didn¡¯t want to go insane. It was the same as with his lunch catchup with Brad that same day, which was scheduled for after his FORM-102 practical.


    That turned out to be a productive three hours.


    Thresher had the class work through a series of formations as a group. Some were actual flags, while others were stranger setups, and all of them were revealed without a single hint.


    Each design required them to use the principles they¡¯d gone over in the first class to identify them. It was complex work that was a mix of treasure hunt, intuition, and complex academic theory.


    The examples grew more difficult with each one they solved, and Thresher wouldn¡¯t let them advance until they¡¯d gotten the answer right. This led to several arguments within the group, though they worked well together despite this.


    At the end of the class, Thresher confirmed they would have a second group session next week. After that would be two sessions where they would solve problems solo. Then they would move on to diagnosing actual issues.


    With the class finishing at twelve, Kevin hurried back to stow his stuff away and meet Brad for lunch.


    The mountain of a man was already waiting when he arrived in the cafeteria. Pushing seven feet in height, Brad was easy to spot even when seated. With a wave, Kevin strolled over and collapsed into the opposite seat.


    ¡°Hard day?¡± Brad asked in his deep, rumbling voice, reaching out an arm so bulging with muscle that it stretched the wide robe sleeve. The man was like that all over, and a shaved head only added to the intimidating effect.


    Despite appearances, Kevin had found him to be nothing but polite and open in their previous interaction. ¡°Hard week,¡± he said, shaking his head with a weak laugh as he clasped arms. ¡°Thank the heavens that I have the entire afternoon free.¡±


    In fact, with the practical for FORM-101 canceled, he only had a single class on Thursday, Friday, and Saturday too.


    ¡°Yeah, my first season was like that too,¡± Brad chuckled, ¡°I think they front-load classes like that to shock you into motion. Then they give you some free time in the rest of the week to actually get everything done.¡±


    Kevin gave a theatrical groan in response. ¡°Does it get any easier?¡±


    Brad shrugged, the motion shifting an extraordinary amount of muscle. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t say it¡¯s easier, but you get used to it. Effectively using your time is most important. Sometimes you can¡¯t get everything done, so if you need to disappoint someone, make sure it¡¯s not an elder.¡±


    ¡°They can deduct merit if you piss them off, and it comes from your total, as well as your current.¡±


    ¡°So they can kick you out, is what you¡¯re saying?¡± Kevin asked, raising an eyebrow. That sounded problematic; he was hard-pressed to get enough merit as it was.


    ¡°You would have to annoy them really hard for it to have a massive impact,¡± Brad shrugged a second time. ¡°I¡¯ve only heard of that happening once or twice. Mostly, it¡¯s a small amount as a reprimand.¡±


    Right, that sounded less terrible but still bad. ¡°Thanks for the advice,¡± Kevin said, nodding in appreciation. He hoped to fit everything in, but it was still good to know that Fischer and Johnson¡¯s classes were the ones off-limits if something needed to slide.


    Not that he¡¯d been intending on annoying Fischer anyway; that woman could be scary when she wanted to be.


    ¡°But enough with my complaining,¡± Kevin continued, brightening up. ¡°What about you, big guy? Anything you need to get off your chest.¡±


    ¡°Nothing much.¡± Brad smiled. ¡°My advanced blacksmithing class is going well, and my combat classes are building on my existing skills. I should be able to surprise quite a few people at the cutoff tournament.¡±


    ¡°I bet you will,¡± Kevin snorted. The man would be a beast with just his physique alone. On top of that, the little Brad had shared the other day suggested he was a weapon wielder and versed in several other techniques.


    It would be fun to watch the man fight. It was just unfortunate it would be in the same tournament he might have to participle in. Kevin still hoped to meet his merit requirements without trying that, but there were no guarantees.


    ¡°I¡­ uh,¡± Brad began, looking uncertain for the first time. ¡°I wouldn¡¯t mind talking more about Xi¡¯an, though. If you don¡¯t mind. Most people have such strong opinions either way that I don¡¯t bother.¡±


    Kevin grinned and gestured for the man to continue. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    He¡¯d felt much the same about discussing his dreams with someone who understood. Brad was easy to talk to anyway, and if he could give the man an outlet, all the better. That was part of what friends were for.


    ¡°I mentioned I¡¯m an outsider,¡± he continued when he saw the other man still hesitating. ¡°So, believe me when I say I have literally no opinion on the matter. I barely even understand why people react the way they do.¡±


    ¡°Oh?¡± Brad perked up, his posture relaxing at last. ¡°I¡¯d almost forgotten about that. Well, that would be a good place to start anyway¡± Brad gave a furtive look to each side, neck muscles bulging, before he continued with a nod.


    ¡°I guess it all began when Xi¡¯an conquered the world.¡±

 Chapter 37 - History Lesson

    Travis slipped the thick stack of paperwork out of its folder and carefully examined each page. A week of meetings, reports, and endless forms had finally cumulated in the final pages in front of him.


    It had been an exhausting time on top of his usual workload, but it had paid off.


    Kevin¡¯s tuition payments were now approved for a full year. Most sects gave their new disciples that long to prove they were worth keeping, and the OIM had a similar philosophy.


    If they managed to pass the sect¡¯s own trials, then it should be within their ability to pay the full fee to remain. That, or make it into an inner sect position that no longer required such things.


    Travis could only hope that Kevin would be one of the successful ones who managed it in time. The process for soliciting further loan extensions made his last week look like a vacation. Though, it might be a little easier to manage with how frugal Kevin had been so far.


    Given the man¡¯s dedication and common sense, it didn¡¯t seem likely that he¡¯d fail. Once he knew the deadline, Kevin would no doubt push himself to make it.


    All that remained was responding to the letter. It would also be nice to send his congratulations; he¡¯d been holding off until he got the final approval. Smiling, Travis reached for a fresh piece of paper.


    Only to freeze and spin around when he sensed movement.


    Assistant Director Warner was stepping into position behind him with a slight look of surprise. A nondescript man in plain cultivator robes stood by him, a visitor badge pinned to his chest.


    The situation was like a strange mirror of that fated day months ago when he¡¯d received a surprise promotion. Except this time, he¡¯d noticed the assistant director arriving. Even Susan hadn¡¯t managed; the extra training he¡¯d been packing into his schedule was paying off.


    ¡°A moment of your time, Agent Baldwin,¡± Warner said, his surprise vanishing as fast as it arrived. ¡°We have a visitor from the Sect Oversight Committee. Agent Jonson here wants to ask you a few questions.¡±


    ¡°Just a follow-up on how those sect briefings we provided went,¡± Jonson chuckled. Striding forward, the man held a hand out to clasp, ¡°It¡¯s good to meet you in person, Agent Baldwin.¡±


    Travis fought to keep the concern from showing on his face as he matched the other agent¡¯s greeting. Why would the assistant director show up for a simple interdepartmental meeting? Such meetings were commonplace, and he¡¯d never seen Warner attend unless they were feuding with the other department.


    He was sure their relationship with the SOC was rock solid. They¡¯d provided him with every briefing he¡¯d requested and even answered his questions. Without that aid, he might never have found the Twisted Path for Kevin.


    Then there was the agent himself. With his styled brown hair, tailored silk robes, and half a dozen enchanted items, the man screamed ¡®regular government bureaucrat.¡¯ Except¡­ no one was that normal, not without putting work into it.


    And despite the man¡¯s words, Travis was confident he¡¯d never exchanged any communication with him. Just what was going on here?


    ¡°Anything to help our friends at the SOC,¡± Travis responded, affecting a cheerful grin. ¡°The briefings your colleagues provided were most helpful.¡±


    There, a hint he knew the man was trying to suggest friendliness. Just enough to let Warner know he¡¯d cottoned on to the odd situation. It was always best to show the best you were on top of things.


    ¡°Glad to hear it,¡± Agent Jonson chuckled again. Even the man¡¯s tone lacked any distinguishing accent as if he¡¯d worked to remove any hint of his origins.


    ¡°I understand that our briefing on the Twisted Path was the most useful. One of your outsiders just joined, in fact.¡±


    Travis couldn¡¯t keep his eyebrows from rising at that, and he glanced at Warner for confirmation. The OIM put a decent amount of effort into obfuscating the location of its outsiders, so the agent must have done his homework.


    Either he¡¯d talked to some of Kevin¡¯s friends in Ostale, or he had a spy in the sect.


    Warner nodded slightly, his face otherwise blank as he stood there. Taking that as confirmation, Travis responded. ¡°Indeed, they seemed like a good match, and there weren¡¯t any red flags in the briefing.¡±


    ¡°Indeed, they¡¯re one of the cleanest sects we have on record,¡± Agent Jonson responded with a genial node. ¡°They go above and beyond in sharing information with us, too. Makes you wonder, doesn¡¯t it?¡±


    Travis raised an eyebrow but didn¡¯t rise to the leading question.


    For a brief second, the other agent faltered at the shift off-script before rallying. ¡°Wonder what they¡¯re hiding, I mean,¡± Jonson cleared his throat. ¡°It¡¯s easy to see that opening their records was a ruse to obfuscate something else.¡±


    Travis¡¯ tone was dry as he responded. ¡°Or they want to get by with the minimum level of bureaucratic nonsense. If they give you everything you want upfront, they don¡¯t have to fight you off later. Seems like a solid choice if they have nothing to hide.¡±


    He was the last person to ignore how shady some sects were, but labeling all of them the same way went a little too far. This agent would no doubt be touting his suspicions if the sect was dragging its feet as well; some people were never happy.Love this novel? Read it on Royal Road to ensure the author gets credit.


    Agent Jonson nodded, accepting the point with ease. ¡°It¡¯s always possible. But if they have nothing to hide, I¡¯m sure they wouldn¡¯t begrudge us a little information gathering. Now that the OIM has a fresh source in the sect, we¡¯d appreciate it if you passed anything interesting along.¡±


    Travis narrowed his eyes as he stared at the man. ¡°Our outsider is hardly a source, just an individual looking for his place in our fine country.¡±


    ¡°And you are responsible for his safety, so it would only make sense to ask a few questions about his time in the sect. How safe is it? Have you heard any concerning rumors? Any worries about how stable the sect is? That kind of thing.¡±


    Holding his arms wide, Jonson continued. ¡°It would really help to clear up the SOC¡¯s worries. Of course, it would also free up the resources we currently have on the problem. Resources that, I¡¯m afraid, would be too tied up for any prompt responses in the near future.¡±


    Ah, so that was the man¡¯s game. Do a little spying, or find your stream of information drying up. Given Warner¡¯s continued presence, the threat likely also extended to the OIM as a whole.


    That was a lot of weight to throw around for a bit of information on one sect. Something deeper was going on here, but he lacked the clues needed to figure it out.


    ¡°I¡¯ll see what I can do and get back to you soon,¡± Travis responded with a straight face. When in doubt delay, it was the bureaucratic way.


    The agent must have known what he was doing, but he took it well enough. After staying just long enough for a few more vague threats, the man showed himself.


    Warner remained, gesturing to wait as he glanced at the floor. After a tense couple of minutes, the assistant director nodded and turned back to Travis. ¡°Good work, Baldwin. Don¡¯t compromise our integrity, but do what you can to keep Jonson happy for now.¡±


    ¡°A few sect rumors should be enough to show we¡¯re complying without risking our charge. The last thing we need is the sects deciding that we¡¯re sticking spies in their midst.¡±


    ¡°Buy me some time while I find out what¡¯s really going on here,¡± Warner finished, flickering off without another word.


    Leaving Travis scratching his head with a hint of worry fermenting in his stomach. Interdepartmental politics were always a nightmare, but he¡¯d always been able to guess what was going on before.


    He¡¯d just have to comply without risking himself or Kevin. If nothing else, his letter just got a lot more complicated.


    ¡°That was about three thousand years ago,¡± Brad scratched his chin as he continued the history lesson. ¡°We don¡¯t have the whole story, but we¡¯ve pieced enough together to be pretty confident.¡±


    ¡°A period of consolidation had just taken place in the area modern Xi''an still occupies. A single man codified the first cultivation styles and used them to form an army of unprecedented power.


    ¡°Similar arts had been seen in the region before, but from what we¡¯ve pieced together, they were taught in a master-apprentice style. Much like in our area here. Never before had it been possible to create so many powerful individuals.¡±


    ¡°Having swiftly conquered his homeland, the first emperor was left with an army that had little left to do. With it¡¯s members empowering themselves with looted cultivation resources, it had only grown stronger over time.


    ¡°Ah,¡± Kevin said, nodding along. ¡°And I¡¯m guessing these cultivators weren¡¯t happy going back to being farmers or whatever.¡±


    ¡°Exactly,¡± Brad said, his tone serious. ¡°Nor was the ambition of the first emperor sated by the Far East. He sought to rule all under heaven, and less than a decade after consolidating his homeland, his arms marched forth.¡±


    ¡°It took centuries for them to reach this far, but cultivators live for a long time. And the disparate city-states here in the western lands were no more prepared to resist than the eastern or central nations.¡±


    ¡°We¡¯d always had spiritual and training practices similar to cultivation,¡± Brad shrugged, ¡°they form the basis for many of the alternative cultivation styles available today. It¡¯s even said that some of our best were able to fight the invaders on even terms.¡±


    ¡°But what did a few thousand such fighters matter against an army of millions? In the end, we fell just like everyone else. The invaders stationed foreign regents to rule our lands, and the armies halted their advance at the sea.¡±


    ¡°I assume that¡¯s where the prevalence of traditional cultivation came from?¡± Kevin asked. He¡¯d wondered a little about that, and learning it from an occupying force made sense. That would also explain why some people were touchy about it.


    It had to suck that the cultivation you worked so hard at had once been used to conquer your ancestors.


    ¡°Well, that happened later, for the most part. Hold on, I¡¯ll get to it,¡± Brad chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°But first, I want to discuss something that creates a lot of controversy."


    "This all happened so long ago that our historians use myth as much as actual records to piece it together. However, there¡¯s a lot of argument over which myths are valid and which are impossible to believe."


    ¡°The bits I¡¯ve already mentioned are pretty much agreed on, but this next part isn¡¯t. Did you notice I mentioned the armies stopped at the sea? Yet our country is landlocked; there¡¯s no coast for thousands of miles.¡±


    Kevin gave an embarrassed shrug, scratching the back of his head. ¡°Well, I can¡¯t say I¡¯ve actually looked at a map since arriving.¡± It had never seemed that important while he was focusing on cultivation.


    It wasn¡¯t like he was ready to leave the country, so why would he need to know what it looked like?


    Brad snorted, ¡°Alright, just take my word for it. Anyway, it doesn¡¯t align with the suggestion that the Xi¡¯anian armies stopped soon after conquering this area. Many claim it¡¯s just a mistake, while others believe the world used to be very different.¡±


    Licking his lips, the man continued. ¡°One myth says there used to be large landmasses in the distant ocean. And that the difficulty of conquering and managing these separate ¡®continents¡¯ was of great concern to the Xi¡¯anian emperor.


    ¡°Eventually, that mighty cultivator arrived at a solution. Gathering the massive power he¡¯d gained from gorging on rare resources, the man called all lands upon this world to him.¡±


    ¡°It is said that before the soldier¡¯s eyes, a massive area of land approached from across the western ocean. Crashing into what used to be the coast, it extended what we now call the Mid Western lands and created the Far West.


    ¡°Further landmasses moved up from the south here and all the way back towards the far east. And that, the myth says, is how the world became what it is today. Of course, many say that it¡¯s nonsense.


    "That such a feat would be impossible even at the greatest heights of cultivation. Instead, these historians claim, the current state of the world is natural and the way it has always been.¡±


    ¡°Huh,¡± Kevin responded, tilting his head to the side. ¡°So what? There¡¯s only one continent here? Like everything¡¯s squished together and surrounded by a single, massive ocean?¡±


    ¡°Yes, that part isn¡¯t in contention; just whether it¡¯s a natural state.¡± Brad nodded in response. ¡°A few expeditions have sailed out, but the ones that have returned confirm there¡¯s nothing but more ocean.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s eyebrows shot up. Did that mean this world was something like Pangea? With everything jammed together into one continent?


    And there was a chance it wasn¡¯t natural but caused by a cultivator powerful enough to drag tectonic plates around?


    Was such a thing even possible?

 Chapter 38 - Qi Shielding

    ¡°That¡¯s nuts,¡± Kevin laughed, shaking his head. Immortality didn¡¯t sound so ridiculous if cultivators could become that powerful. Unless it was a myth, after all. Even then, it was nice to imagine.


    ¡°Well, far be it for me to say anything is impossible,¡± he continued, nodding to Brad. ¡°What happened after that?¡±


    ¡°The Xi¡¯anian emperor ascended,¡± Brad shrugged. ¡°It took a few more centuries, but it¡¯s said that he grew so powerful the heavens forced him to leave. Most believe that was the first ascension, paving the way for everyone afterward.


    ¡°And that¡¯s when you reach immortality, right?¡± Kevin leaned forward, his tone eager. This was getting interesting.


    Brad shrugged, ¡°No one is certain, but that is the assumption. However, we don¡¯t know if it¡¯s the true peak or merely the foothills of another. It¡¯s not like anyone¡¯s come back to tell us about it.¡±


    Grinning, Kevin leaned back and waved a hand. ¡°Sweet, thanks for humoring me. I¡¯ll let you get back to your story.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s no trouble,¡± Brad smiled in response. ¡°Now. where was i was I? Ah, yes, the Xi¡¯anan emperor had just ascended.¡±


    ¡°As you might expect, this left a serious power vacuum in Xi¡¯an. We don¡¯t know a lot about the struggle that ensued. However, we do know that the various factions involved recalled all of its far-flung legions.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see how the conquered populations reacted to the sudden absence of armed soldiers,¡± Brad laughed, shaking his head. ¡°Most, including the pre-Caldainian people, rose up and took back their land.¡±


    ¡°To answer your earlier question, yes, a decent quantity of cultivation knowledge was seized during this time.¡±


    ¡°Some of the local populace adopted such methods, with the bulk of them being partial descendants of the Xi¡¯anian occupiers. My family, then called the Ha clan, were among them.¡±


    A wistful look crossed Brian¡¯s face as he talked about his original clan and sighed before continuing. ¡°However, there was a massive stigma around both the practice of cultivation and those with Xi¡¯anian blood.¡±


    ¡°This cultural bias would remain for almost a thousand years until the Second Great War. Once again, Xi¡¯an had reunified, and its new emporer was eager to pick up where the previous one left off.¡±


    ¡°Once more, legions of cultivators marched forth, conquering all before them. This time, however, the outcome was different. Facing a world long prepared for this event, Xi¡¯an¡¯s legions faced a much harder time pushing through the Near East and Central nations.¡±


    ¡°Now bleeding strength, instead of growing in power, their armies were halted by a united coalition of the Mid Western countries. We held the line, and the native cultivator population was a massive part of that struggle.¡±


    Kevin nodded eagerly, ¡°Ah, so they changed from being reminders of a previous conquest to the heroes who stopped a second. Yeah, that would do it. So are those two world wars the source of the tension you mentioned?¡±


    ¡°Some of it,¡± Brad shrugged, ¡°but there have been continued disputes up to the current day. One of the more recent conflicts destroyed our original capital and flattened the mountain that stood there.¡±


    ¡°Those wars and a few less intense trade struggles cause most of the political tension. Beyond that, however, many people have specific issues with those of Xi¡¯anian blood. Despite all modern medicine can do, we¡¯re still born with fewer cultivation blockages than most.¡±


    ¡°Furthermore, most of us have an easy time learning traditional styles. Considering that our ancestors used their own constitutions in the design, it¡¯s hardly surprising.


    ¡°For those who maintain cultural or academic interests in Xi¡¯an, it¡¯s even worse. Some go so far as to call us traitors,¡± Brian glanced away as he finished, as if unable to meet Kevin¡¯s eyes.


    ¡°Nonsense,¡± Kevin responded, voice filled with indignation. ¡°That¡¯s ridiculous without any evidence to back it up. I bet these people are just annoyed that they can¡¯t call out the large clans with Xi¡¯anian heritage. They¡¯re just picking on anyone they can find an excuse for.¡±


    ¡°Maybe you¡¯re right,¡± Brian chuckled as he turned back. Relief was stark on his face, along with a deep appreciation. ¡°Thanks for that, I really needed to just talk through it with no one judging me.¡±


    ¡°No worries,¡± Kevin grinned, waving him off. ¡°It was interesting and filled a gap in my cultural understanding. I¡¯m here if you want to talk more, and I still don¡¯t mind a wit about your goal.¡±


    ¡°Hell, if the timing¡¯s right, I might come with you. Be an outside presence at the negotiations, as it were,¡± Kevin finished with a wink.¡±


    Brian snorted in response, his massive body shaking with suppressed mirth. ¡°God, that was the worst pun I¡¯ve heard in weeks. I might even take you up on that, but for now, I need to get to classes. Thanks again.¡±


    ¡°See you around,¡± Kevin nodded, standing to clasp arms again before watching the other man walk away. Perhaps their ambitions were a better fit than he¡¯d thought; this Xi¡¯an must know a great deal about reaching the peak.


    Still, that was a thought for another day. He had an afternoon free and a mountain of work to finish.


    <hr>


    Before returning to his room, Kevin took a detour to the Fire courtyard and finished a single cultivation cycle. It felt like he was getting used to the pain of burning Fire Qi, though he couldn¡¯t tell if that was a physical or mental adaption.


    Then, he filled his afternoon with flag creation. After the arduous work on the first three flags, his brushwork had improved in leaps and bounds. Going slow was the key; it took far longer to redo an entire flag than doing it with care the first time.Unauthorized duplication: this narrative has been taken without consent. Report sightings.


    He also had the added benefit of growing used to the containment pattern. The six flags had minor differences based on their ideal placement, but most of the underlying detail was the same.


    With those advantages over the previous night, he finished the remaining flags for his first formation with time to spare. He just needed to do a last check for flaws.


    Laying the flags out in the correct order, Kevin spent a good fifteen minutes going over the work again. Eventually, he relaxed with a deep sigh. They were as close as he was going to get.


    A few had minor mistakes, but wouldn¡¯t be worth replacing unless he had extra time. According to his notes, that level of incorrect detail should only reduce the formation¡¯s efficiency rather than breaking it.


    For now, beginning his next project was more important than chasing perfection.


    With great care, he slotted the completed flags into a sealable storage tube before turning to the next page of notes. The containment formation had been the simplest pattern, with the attraction formation being a step harder.


    It took Kevin long minutes of careful study, then more spent practicing the new characters before he was ready to attempt the first flag. With more complexity came additional shapes and symbols stuffed into the same space, reducing his margin of error.


    His first two attempts met with failure, but he still finished the first flag before it was time to eat. Quite an improvement from how many times he¡¯d messed up the first time he¡¯d tried making one.


    Downstairs, he found Gerard heading into the cafeteria ahead of him. However, the man only gave a terse greeting when he hurried off. The rejection stung, but Kevin forced himself to shake it off.


    That was life; sometimes, people slipped apart. It seemed that friendship was a causality of his choices. Even knowing how things would turn out, he wouldn¡¯t choose to give up the connections he¡¯d made with Amelia and Brad for anything.


    After dinner, he stepped out for a second round of Fire cultivation. He was creeping closer to the next grade and needed to keep up with his practice. His advancement was already slowing more than he¡¯d have liked, but it was unavoidable with his class load.


    At least the gaps meant he could focus on the added benefits of Fire Qi when he found the time for a session.


    That evening, he finished one more flag before taking a break to study for TEC-109. His Qi shielding practical was the next day, and he wanted to be solid on the theory before arriving.


    <hr>


    The TEC-109 practical class started at 9:00 AM, giving Kevin time to fit in breakfast, a round of cultivation, and some last-minute revision.


    This time, the door at the Techniques building took him to a room reminiscent of a martial arts or dance studio. Padded mats covered the floor while ceiling-high mirrors reflected the student¡¯s actions from every direction.


    Instructor Li wasted no time splitting the students into eight pairs spread across the room. With arms behind her back, she strode along the line of students. ¡°Today, you will be attempting the basic Qi Blocking technique for the first time. Each pair will take turns as the attacker and the defender throughout our class.¡±


    ¡°The disciple on the opposite side from me will begin as the attacker, the one on my side the defender. Attackers, you will perform single punches aimed at the defender¡¯s face. Pull your strikes; we aren¡¯t aiming to cause injury here.¡±


    ¡°For this initial class, you can rest your energy system while you attack. Later, we will introduce the additional complexity of shielding while striking. This is a key skill when facing any opponent with a bladed weapon.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure that none of you wish to lose an arm to a well-timed block,¡± Li chuckled, shaking her head.


    After a long pause, Kevin realized she was waiting for a response. Most other students also caught on, joining him in hurried shouts of ¡°No, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°Excellent,¡± Li nodded, a brief smile flashing across her lips. ¡°Now, defenders, you will be blocking each strike. I¡¯ve told you where the attack will land, so you should be able to do so with little thought.¡±


    ¡°Instead, focus on lining the edge of your blocking arm with Qi. I explained the process in my previous lecture, which I¡¯m sure all of you have revised.¡±


    This time, the class responded faster, giving an almost unified ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    ¡°That is all,¡± Li¡¯s voice was flat as she finished. ¡°You may have five minutes to warm up before starting.¡±


    Left blinking at the sudden shift, Kevin recovered and hurried to follow the others in stretching. Thank god he was the attacker first; it was hard enough to keep the churning in his gut under control as it was.


    He hadn¡¯t considered that this would be his first time using his Qi for something. Gathering and storing it were processes he¡¯d performed many times, but he¡¯d never tried to take it out again.


    Kevin knew it could be done; he¡¯d seen the passive flow that maintained the benefits of his advancement. But he¡¯d never tried to direct the flow. Part of it was concern over something going wrong, while the rest was not having a technique to practice.


    This Qi Blocking technique solved the second issue, and having a more advanced cultivator around helped a little with the first. Despite that, he couldn¡¯t shake the worry that everything would go wrong.


    ¡°James,¡± a cheerful voice said, breaking Kevin out of his mental spiral.


    Blinking, Kevin looked up to find his partner standing across from him with an extended arm. Had they run out of warm-up time already?


    ¡°Kevin,¡± he responded, forcing a grin onto his face as he clasped arms. ¡°Let¡¯s work together to get this down.¡±


    ¡°Sure thing!¡± James smiled back before shifting sideways into a defensive stance. The position minimized the man¡¯s profile while keeping his left arm in front of his face. The right floated loose by his chest, likely unneeded since he wouldn¡¯t be striking back.


    It was a stance a little reminiscent of the Sinking Sands he¡¯d seen Elder Johnson demonstrate but looked more stable. At a guess, he¡¯d say James¡¯ style was meant for holding his ground rather than darting about.


    Kevin moved into his basic front-on stance and readied himself to strike. A few moments later, Li gave the command, and he launched a jab at James¡¯ face.


    James¡¯ front arm moved like lightning as it dropped, rather than blocking as he¡¯d expected. Kevin¡¯s throat tightened at the thought he¡¯d hit the man; then the other disciple¡¯s arm swung in and upward in a circular parry.


    The added momentum deflected Kevin¡¯s strike past his fellow student¡¯s shoulder, leaving him wide open for a return strike. With wide eyes, he watched James¡¯ back arm tense and then relax.


    Licking his lips, Kevin pulled his arm back and reset. That would have been nasty in an actual fight. With a single twist, James could have launched a knockout hard right through his defenses.


    Tomorrow¡¯s martial arts practice would be critical if he wanted any hope of surviving past the first few seconds of a fight.


    ¡°Harder than I thought,¡± James muttered, staring at his arm in consternation. ¡°Go again; I think I know what I did wrong.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin nodded, ¡°Just call out the strikes as you want them. I wouldn¡¯t want to hit you when you¡¯re thinking.¡±


    In the end, it took most of the next twenty minutes and several tips from Li for James to produce a sheath of QI during his block. ¡°About bloody time,¡± the man sighed, sweat clear on his face.


    ¡°I never thought pushing Qi out of my skin would be so hard. Getting it to my arm¡¯s no harder than a normal technique, but it really doesn¡¯t want to come out.¡±


    ¡°Correct, Mr. Marsh,¡± Li flickered into visibility past James¡¯ shoulder. ¡°There is a reason most incantation users release spells from their palms. Certain areas of the body are natural termination points for Qi discharges.¡±


    ¡°The inner or outer edges of your arm are not examples of this. Continued practice will make the process easier as you carve dedicated channels for the technique. The more you push, the better your results are.¡±


    ¡°Now,¡± Li continued, turning to Kevin. ¡°You¡¯ve earned a break. Swap, and give your partner a turn.¡±


    Taking a deep breath, Kevin circled around James until they were facing again in opposite positions. Now, he was the one with his back to the instructor, and Li seemed in no hurry to move on.


    Damn, he was going to have a witness for his first attempt. On the upside, he¡¯d get the corrections he needed sooner.


    On the downside, it was going to be embarrassing as hell.

 Chapter 39 - First Technique

    ¡°Give me a minute to get the visualization right,¡± Kevin licked his lips, anxiety growing within him.


    ¡°Sure thing,¡± James grinned back, his smile easy and free. No doubt the man was relieved to have gotten the technique down.


    Behind him, Li said nothing, though he could feel her still lurking there. The extra attention did nothing for his nerves, but it wasn¡¯t something he could change. All he could do was focus.


    With a deep breath, Kevin closed his eyes and dove inward. He¡¯d studied the technique enough to know the steps by heart, but trying it was another thing altogether.


    The first step was the one that worried him the most. He needed to draw enough Qi to power the technique from his sealed land. The manual mentioned the Qi Sea or Dantian, but his sealed land performed the same function.


    It shouldn¡¯t be that different from how he compacted the stored energy into his canyons to form the spiritual void. If he just did the same thing in reverse¡­


    Focusing, Kevin pulled energy up toward one wall of his transparent dome. The Qi struggled at first before forming a sluggish stream. It felt like he was trying to lift a pile of mud with his bare hands; his natural Earth Qi did not want to get moving.


    Yet Kevin persevered, focus honed over months of complex visualizations proving its worth. At his demand, the Qi reached the edge and flowed out as if it wasn¡¯t there. Bemused, Kevin faltered for a moment; that was far easier than he¡¯d expected.


    He now had the QI out in his body, though it felt far different from the free-floating Qi he was used to. That was like a cloud dispersed through his body, unlike the thick, refined energy coming from his sealed land.


    This effect was something he¡¯d read about but never experienced. A cultivator¡¯s Qi increased in potency as they drew from the world and stored it within them. This effect grew stronger as the cultivator advanced and was a large part of why high-realm individuals were so powerful.


    Now he had the QI out but still needed to move it to the right location.


    The usual instructions were to use the closest meridian to his target to move the energy. That allowed you to use a pre-existing path for as much of the journey as possible.


    With all his meridians blocked and not connected to his sealed land, he¡¯d have to try something different. Moving it through his body the whole way might not be ideal, but it was all he had.


    Focusing on his right arm, Kevin willed the energy toward it. To his further surprise, the Earth Qi obeyed his direction. Without fuss, it flowed along his limb and pooled in his forearm.


    Was it that easy?


    Had his body become used to Qi flowing around where it shouldn¡¯t? He had been filling his body with free-floating Qi at every opportunity. That energy might not feel the same, but perhaps the adaptations his body had made still applied.


    Kevin snapped his eyes open, elation filling him. At his rate, he was going to pull it off on his first try!


    Smirking, he readied his stance and gestured James forward. ¡°Go for it.¡±


    Nodding, the man stepped forward and launched a slow jab.


    Thankful that his partner was keeping it to a reasonable speed, Kevin brought his arm up to block. At the same time, he focused on an image of Qi bursting from his skin and forming a thick layer of armor.


    His block intercepted the strike with a light thump as James¡¯ arm struck bare skin. He¡¯d failed; as soon as he¡¯d tried to pull it out of his skin, his Qi had refused to budge.


    ¡°A decent start, Mr. Blake,¡± Li said, mild approval in her tone. ¡°You have an odd cultivation style, but it seems to lend itself to moving your Qi outside a human¡¯s usual energy network.¡±


    ¡°However, your energy draw is far too slow, and you face the same issue your partner did. Your skin is a barrier for a reason; without it, you would lose Qi with every moment.¡±


    ¡°Keep trying, and it should come to you,¡± Li¡¯s words trailed off without a sound. If not for his Qi sense, Kevin would have assumed she was still there; with it, he could tell she¡¯d moved on to another pair.


    ¡°Nice, sounds like you got further than I did on my first try!¡± James gave him a thumbs-up as he reset his stance. ¡°Ready for another go?¡±


    Pursing his lips, Kevin focused on the Qi in his arm. It had faded a little, but there was still a decent amount there. Perhaps he¡¯d gotten a little through his skin after all. Or his body might be using it to fuel its natural processes.


    Either way, he had a few more straightforward attempts before he had to pull more out.


    ¡°Go for it,¡± he grinned, echoing his earlier words. He might not have made it on the first try, but the attempt had still put a lot of his worries to rest.


    ¡°Yes!¡± Kevin gasped, sweat dripping off his forehead as he stared at the energy coating his arm.


    He¡¯d been practicing with James for over forty minutes, drawing ever more Qi from his sealed land. The effort had grown taxing, but seeing his first-ever technique in action was worth it.


    The Qi coating his arm was the same faded orange-yellow as the cracked ground in his sealed land. While lacking any physical sensation, it had a dense, enduring feel to his spiritual senses.Unauthorized use of content: if you find this story on Amazon, report the violation.


    Nor was it mere visual effect. Instead of the usual bruising force of blocking James¡¯ strike, he¡¯d felt nothing at all.


    It was almost as if he¡¯d donned a metal bracer, though one with no weight or flexibility issues.


    However, the technique did come with its own limitations.


    Kevin would wager he¡¯d spent more Qi in this one class than he¡¯d get back in a whole cultivation cycle. And that was with all his attempts so far resulting in failure.


    He¡¯d been wondering why so many of his fellow disciples were still in the body-cleansing realm after cultivating for years. This had to be the reason.


    If every technique drained some of the Qi you¡¯d strained to pull in, you¡¯d need to work harder to make any progress.


    ¡°Good work, Mr. Blake.¡± Li had arrived in a flash again, this time stepping into his line of sight. ¡°While you still need to work on your speed, it appears you have the basic technique down.¡±


    ¡°Take a rest and give Mr. Marsh another chance. We¡¯ll see if he can replicate his earlier success, and then you will have one more session before class ends.¡±


    Turning to James, she continued, ¡°The other arm this time, Mr. Marsh. You will need both, and it¡¯s best to break the skin barrier now so they heal at the same rate.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± James responded with a wry grin.


    Kevin nodded in agreement; thank god he was getting a break. Forty minutes of trying to channel his Qi had been exhausting. Along with the plain exhaustion, he could feel the sting in his arm now that Li had mentioned it.


    It seemed his body had not appreciated him forcing that burst of Qi out.


    Still, the technique had worked, so he couldn¡¯t complain. It didn¡¯t feel like he was leaking Qi or anything like that, so his body must have adapted without too much issue.


    Over the next twenty minutes James had his turn, this time managing the technique in the first ten minutes. After that, the other disciple alternated limbs, improving with each attempt.


    Then, it was Kevin¡¯s second session. To his embarrassment, he took most of the remaining twenty minutes to get the technique working with his left arm. In the end, he only got a couple of tries using it in earnest.


    Though that was still far better than he¡¯d feared for this class, slow or not, he now had an actual Qi technique under his belt. The pride of that was even enough to offset the loss of all the energy he¡¯d used.


    This single class would need at least two cycles to recover from. That was even more work piled into his schedule just to break even on his advancement.


    ¡°Nice work, partner,¡± He grinned at James as the class entered a set of cool-down stretches.


    ¡°Right back at you,¡± James nodded back.


    ¡°Congratulations, class,¡± Li¡¯s voice rang out, pulling all attention back to her. ¡°I am pleased to say that everyone here has succeeded at least once at the Qi blocking technique. We will continue to drill it over the coming weeks until you can activate it as a split-second reaction.¡±


    ¡°For now, do not perform any out-of-class practice this week. Let your body heal and settle until our next practical class. If no issues are present, then I will give you approval to practice as much as you desire.¡±


    ¡°That is all,¡± Li gave her usual finish as she vanished from the room.


    Kevin exchanged goodbyes with James and a few others in the class before leaving.


    He had lunch with Amelia today and didn¡¯t want to be late.


    <hr>


    Amelia¡¯s pick for lunch was an outdoor cafe overlooking the sect¡¯s single park.


    There were plenty of other areas of plant life in the sect, but all had some purpose for cultivation or training. This was the only one designed for nothing but relaxation.


    With the area¡¯s pleasant atmosphere, he could see why she¡¯d wanted to meet here.


    There was no constant pinging on his spiritual senses from techniques, nor was the ambient Qi dense enough to warrant cultivation. Even the noise level was low despite the small crowd getting lunch.


    Were there formations or something keeping the noise down? He was pretty sure the library had the same thing, so it wasn¡¯t impossible. Either way, it was just the break he needed after such an intense class.


    Within moments, he spotted Amelia already sitting at a table. Today, she wore the same white cultivator robes as when he¡¯d first seen her at the entrance trials. In the bright sunlight, they would have almost faded into her skin if not for the stark lines of her tattoos.


    She looked up from her book as he approached, nodding at the seat across from her.


    ¡°Hey,¡± Kevin said as he took the seat.


    Amelia snapped her book shut and held up a finger as she returned it to a bag on the floor. With a familiar motion, she slid a hand into her other sleeve, pulled free a blank page, and slid it onto the table.


    A single finger touching one corner was enough to spread black ink across the page.


    Hello Kevin, it is nice to see you again.


    ¡°Same,¡± Kevin grinned as he held an arm out. After Amelia clasped it, he continued, ¡°How have your classes been? Mine have been pretty intense so far.¡±


    For a moment, something flashed across her face that resembled apprehension. Then, her expression returned to a simple smile.


    Boring. The outer sect only runs a limited set of classes. TAL-139 was the most complicated, and it¡¯s still quite¡­ basic despite my limitations.


    I had hoped for something more interesting.


    Kevin paused, struggling to contain his shock at her response. Then again, this was the woman who¡¯d learned a whole technique in a day without any help.


    He should have expected something like this.


    From the look on her face, it wasn¡¯t hard to guess that some people didn¡¯t take that level of intellect well, either. She wasn¡¯t quite bragging; every part of her posture screamed sincerity, but he could see it coming across that way if you weren¡¯t good at reading people.


    Even he felt a flash of annoyance after trying so hard at a single beginner class.


    He squashed it down hard. Instead, he gave a commiserating nod. ¡°That must be difficult. I can¡¯t imagine going to all these classes if they were super easy.¡±


    It wasn¡¯t even a lie. Twenty-five hours a week was a lot of time to put in, even when he was enjoying it. He couldn¡¯t imagine how much worse it would be if they were just going over things he already knew or learned faster than anyone else.


    The bright smile that spread across Amelia¡¯s face was proof he¡¯d made the right move. ¡°So there¡¯s no two-hundred-level classes you could start early?¡±


    Her face fell again as she shook her head.


    The two hundred prefix is for the inner sect. The outer sect only has one hundred levels. It''s the second digit that indicates the difficulty.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin responded. He assumed it was the same as back home, with the first digit representing the year level. However, the sect¡¯s structure was nothing like the college he¡¯d attended; of course, it would be different.


    It made sense with his own classes, too. Taking the second digit as the difficulty level, most were at zero level. They must be intended for fresh disciples. Then, the combat formations class, at one level, was a step up in difficulty.


    ¡°Are you going to try making it into the inner at the cutoff in a year?¡± He couldn¡¯t see that she had much of a choice if she was already taking the highest-level classes. As it was, she had three more cycles to get through.


    He hadn¡¯t even checked how much merit that would take, being too worried about making the minimum cutoff. It had to be a lot, though.


    Given how skilled she seemed, Amelia might be able to make it. While he wished her well, the thought still sent a slight twinge of worry through him. A year was a decent amount of time, but he¡¯d still hate to see her go so soon.


    Amelia burst into one of her silent laughs, a hand covering her face as she shook her head.


    Heavens, no; I would die of boredom. I¡¯ll be taking my cutoff early in six months.

 Chapter 40 - Merit Requirements

    ¡°Six months?¡± Kevin blurted out, unable to keep the shock out of his voice. He¡¯d been struggling to believe it was possible in a year, yet she planned to do it half that time.


    Swallowing, he tried to keep the dismay out of his words. ¡°Is that even possible?¡±


    While he wished her the best, his heart clenched at the idea. Six months was such a short time, and she might not be the only one to make it.


    If she thought it was possible in six months, then wouldn¡¯t Brad be likely to make it, too?


    He would have had a whole year to build merit by then, and his high combat ability should earn a lot in the primary tournament.


    There was a real chance that both his new friends would leave for the inner sect far sooner than he¡¯d expected.


    Amelia cocked her head, staring at his face for a long moment before responding.


    Gathering the required merit in six months is difficult, but my research shows it¡¯s possible. There have been a few examples in recent years.


    There is a lot of merit to be seized in the various skill competitions held before the cutoff date. Winning or coming second or third in multiple would get you far.


    The primary tournament is worth even more, but I¡¯m not confident enough in my strength to say I¡¯ll win that.


    A self-deprecating smile crossed Amelia¡¯s face as she wrote the last sentence, though a hint of embarrassment joined it.


    Though why that would be, Kevin couldn¡¯t say. In his books, being in contention to win multiple other competitions was more than good enough.


    Shaking herself, Amelia returned to her usual smile as she continued writing.


    Still, ranking in even the top sixteen is worth three thousand merit. Combined with enough other sources, it might be enough to make it.


    However, the largest potential bost is to attract the interest of an elder. Even an outer sect elder can give out thousands of merit a year if they see a reason to.


    ¡°Really?¡± Kevin asked, leaning forward as his initial worry turned to interest. ¡°I¡¯d heard they could deduct merit, but I didn¡¯t know they could give it as well.¡±


    Any hints on gaining merit would be important for his own need to reach the minimum threshold.


    While he didn¡¯t like to think about it, his task had become even more difficult now that his talented friends were competing in the same competitions.


    If outer sect elders could give out that much, what might Elder Fischer be able to do if he impressed her enough?


    Amelia nodded, a knowing crossing her face before she hid it behind a hand.


    Indeed, several of the older students I talked with confirmed it. You have to impress them a lot, however. If they hand out merit, they are endorsing you to an extent. If you fail later, it will reflect on their judgment.


    ¡°Right, that makes sense,¡± Kevin nodded, considering her words. An elder wouldn¡¯t give merit out just to be nice. It was a way to showcase their ability to spot talent early and tie them to rising stars in the sect.


    ¡°How much do you need, anyway?


    Amelia shrugged, an almost believable look of unconcern on her face.


    The requirement is a touch under twenty thousand this cycle


    Yeah, that was about as bad as he¡¯d been expecting. You needed three times the minimum cutoff to make it into the inner sect.


    That left a wide margin for people to keep studying in the outer sect without moving upward. A new surge of concern shot through him as Kevin considered the implications.


    There had to be a lot of half-decent disciples hanging around who still needed to meet the minimum cutoff each cycle. Wouldn¡¯t that mean such people flooded the skill tournaments?


    Amelia gave a solemn nod when he brought it up.


    Indeed, I believe there are about two hundred outer sect ¡®lifers¡¯ as they¡¯re called. Most years, they earn enough merit to pay for their tuition, allowing them to continue a comfortable life in the sect.


    In addition, there are those who still intend to advance but haven¡¯t had a good enough cycle. These people are more of an issue; their hunger for merit far outweighs those who have given up.


    Between those two groups, few new disciples win any of the competitions. A leading theory is that the sect keeps them around as an extra challenge to weed out the prodigies from the merely above-average.


    ¡°I see; thanks for sharing all that,¡± Kevin sighed, leaning back. She¡¯d done a lot more research than he had. With the whirlwind of classes and cultivation, he¡¯d put that off for later.This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    A casual look at how you could gain merit had been enough to reassure him it would be difficult but possible. Now, he was far less confident.


    He¡¯d only been factoring in students who would have joined six months ago, not those who remained from previous years. With more practice time, they would have to be more skilled.


    His plan to get decent placings in the skill competitions was looking shaky.


    Keeping Elder Fischer happy was even more important than he¡¯d thought. No, he needed to do more than keep her happy if he wanted her to go out on a limb for him.


    He had to make her confident he¡¯d continue to succeed.


    The more merit he could get before those competitions, the better his chances of remaining, even if he had to stay in the outer sect alone. He¡¯d just have to catch up later.


    ¡°Does merit keep stacking up?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow. If so, wouldn¡¯t everyone make it eventually?


    In a way, Amelia wrote with a shrug. Your current and maximum merit will keep rising, but they take your level after each cutoff as your new baseline. In other words, they only count what you¡¯ve earned since they last evaluated you.


    Therefore, most inner sect members are disciples who made it in after their first year. After that, they have a cutoff every six months, so accumulating enough is harder.


    Kevin raised his eyebrows, seeing her choice in a new light. Testing early meant she was taking a significant risk. Amelia had to be confident if she was willing to risk a near certainty a year from now for an earlier attempt.


    That or she was more desperate than she¡¯d let on. Perhaps being bored was a more serious issue for her than most people. Either way, he had to admit that her commitment was impressive.


    And thinking about that was better than worrying about his own chances. He would never have that year to build up merit, so he¡¯d have to work hard if he ever wanted to get into the inner sect.


    Which he very much did; who¡¯d ever heard of a mere outer sect disciple getting anywhere with cultivation?


    <hr>


    After the heavy starting topic, Kevin turned the conversation to lighter matters while they ordered and ate lunch. Concern might be growing in him, but you couldn¡¯t make a genuine friendship without learning about each other.


    They didn¡¯t have much time, but it was enough to touch on each other¡¯s preferences and hobbies.


    It was no surprise that Amelia¡¯s favorite activity was learning something new; the more complex, the better. She even planned to spend most of the merit she learned on technique manuals.


    More of a surprise was a marked dislike of cultivation practice.


    It¡¯s so dull. You just sit there and do the same thing over and over again. Also, you have to stick with the same style for ages if you want to see any progress.


    Letting pills do most of the work is far more civilized.


    Amelia pouted as she finished writing, looking more than a bit contrite.


    Kevin snorted, shaking his head with an amused smile. So she wasn¡¯t perfect at everything, then.


    It also explained why she was still only in the second stage despite being a few years older than most new disciples. A combination of focusing on pills and blowing tons of Qi on techniques must have resulted in slow progress.


    A potential idea was brewing, but he needed more information first. ¡°What¡¯s your aspect? If you don¡¯t mind me asking? Mines Earth.¡± He just hoped it wasn¡¯t too impolite a question.¡±


    Amelia hid another silent laugh, her shoulders shaking.


    Ink, of course. It is a hybrid aspect of Water and Earth, though many scholars would say it is Water corrupted by Earth.


    Kevin nodded; he should have expected that. So there were hybrid aspects, too? Were they more powerful or versatile than basic ones? It was an intriguing thought, but he was running out of time to finish the conversation.


    ¡°Perhaps cultivating would be more bearable if you weren¡¯t alone? I sometimes cultivate at the public Earth courtyard, so we could meet there.¡±


    With her aspect being part water, Fire seemed right out. Earth shouldn¡¯t be a problem, however. It would be a good chance to spend more time together without taking up too much of the time he needed for classwork.


    It could also be a way to introduce her and Brad later if it worked well. He was pretty sure the large man¡¯s aspect was Metal from the hints he¡¯d dropped, so Earth cultivation should be beneficial.


    ¡°I think they expect inner sect cultivators to be in the Energy Gathering realm, at least,¡± he finished.


    Amelia gave a silent sigh but nodded in agreement.


    You aren¡¯t wrong; I suppose it is something I need to try harder at. My investigations at the library have shown some promise for a more¡­ palatable style, but I will need more merit first.


    We¡¯ll make it a deal. If you remind me to cultivate, I¡¯ll remind you to do everything else.


    She had an impish smile by the time she finished, seeming to have forgotten her earlier reluctance.


    Kevin burst out laughing in response. He¡¯d let on about his full cultivation days, and the look on her face had been something to see. Still, she wasn¡¯t wrong.


    He¡¯d been doing well the last few days, but it wouldn¡¯t take much for him to sink back into doing too much cultivation.


    The draw of advancement was so alluring it was easy for it to override everything else.


    I have nothing planned for Sunday afternoon; does that work for you?


    After thinking for a moment, Kevin nodded his agreement. It would cut out some time to work on his formations, but he wasn¡¯t about to argue against a solid bout of cultivation.


    If he planned around that, he could spend more time working on them between Friday and Saturday to ensure he finished.


    He would have liked to stay and chat more, but they¡¯d already stayed longer than planned.


    He¡¯d miss his appointment with Dr. Vaughan if he wasn¡¯t careful.


    <hr>


    Kevin stumbled into the waiting room a minute before his appointment time. The flat-out sprint he¡¯d needed to make it had tired his upgraded body out in a way that no amount of jogging seemed to.


    The receptionist didn¡¯t bat an eye at his state, instead gesturing him through to the doctor¡¯s office.


    ¡°Hello, Kevin,¡± Dr. Vaughan greeted him. The man had a hint of eager interest in his expression but was otherwise the same as Kevin remembered.


    Kevin grinned in response, trying to keep his nerves or exhaustion from showing. Lunch with Amelia had done a good job of keeping his concerns at bay, but they were flaring up now the time had come.


    It seemed ridiculous to worry when everything had been going so well, but so much of this was still a mystery to him. What if something was going wrong that he couldn¡¯t detect?


    He¡¯d had enough medical surprises like that for a lifetime.


    Dr. Vaughan pulled out a notepad and gestured for him to take a seat. ¡°How has the new tattoo been working? Have you had any issues?¡±


    Kevin licked his lips. ¡°No issues, exactly. There are a few things I¡¯d like to improve, but for the most part, it¡¯s been great.¡±


    The doctor smiled, scrawling rapid notes. ¡°That¡¯s good to hear. Why don¡¯t you take me through it all, and then I¡¯ll do a quick checkup before recommending anything?¡±


    Nodding, Kevin took a moment to assemble his thoughts. With luck, everything would be fine. With more luck, Dr. Vaughan might suggest something to speed up his cultivation.


    It had been flagging with so many other demands on his time, so anything to make it more efficient would be incredible.

 Chapter 41 - Checkup

    Dr. Vaughan¡¯s gaze pierced him as the man stared at Kevin¡¯s chest. A few moments later, it was over, the floating golden seals from the doctor¡¯s technique fading into nothing.


    Like the previous time, Dr. Vaughan looked away for almost a minute before talking, his pen continuing to scrawl notes. Eventually, the man¡¯s head snapped back, and he nodded with a pleased smile.


    ¡°Good, good. I didn¡¯t detect any glaring issues. Further, the growth of your sealed land matches the limited information I have on it. Nor has your body shown any incompatibility with the continued use of your tattoo.¡±


    Kevin released the breath he¡¯d been holding in a rush and sank back into his chair. Thank god, everything was alright.


    Dr. Vaughan gave him a few moments to gather himself before continuing. ¡°As for the other issues you mentioned, there¡¯s something I need to say first. Please don¡¯t take this as disparaging your concerns, however.¡±


    ¡°You¡¯re not slow at cultivating, Kevin,¡± the doctor said, looking him straight in the eye. ¡°At my estimate, you are well within the average range for a Body Realm cultivator in advancement speed.¡±


    Holding up a hand to wait, the man continued. ¡°Yes, you are behind your fellow disciples, but please remember that they have been cultivating for years. Most would not have passed through the first grades as quickly as you have when they first started.¡±


    ¡°It only feels like you are slow because you hit a period of increased speed with access to the sect¡¯s resources. Slowing down with the demands of classwork is normal and something every new disciple encounters.¡±


    ¡°Yeah, I figured it would be something like that,¡± Kevin sighed, shaking his head. Continuing to race ahead would have been too much to expect.


    If that were that easy, everyone would be in the Energy Gathering realm before arriving at the sect.


    ¡°So there¡¯s nothing to be done then?¡±


    Dr. Vaughan¡¯s lips quirked into a smile. ¡°I didn¡¯t say that. It is simply that your issues are those of a regular disciple, not one who is blocked. As far as the sect is concerned, it has no responsibility to assist you further at this time.¡±


    ¡°However, you still have the rest of this checkup paid for, and I see no reason not to give you some recommendations. You will just have to self-fund any you wish to follow.¡±


    Kevin grinned back, ¡°Ah, got it. The whole ¡®gather merit to push yourself forward¡¯ thing. That¡¯s not too bad, then.¡±


    ¡°What about the second stage, though? You mentioned I¡¯d have trouble without active meridians?¡±


    The doctor waved a hand in front of his face. ¡°That is another matter entirely. You cannot resolve it alone, so the sect will provide help. I have already looked into some solutions that show promise.¡±


    ¡°As for your current issues, I can suggest a couple of pills to help with your free-floating Qi. One will allow you to pack more into your body, decreasing the chance of overloading your limit and allowing you to gather Qi for longer periods.¡±


    ¡°The other will reduce the adverse effects of bringing Fire Qi into your body: the increased heart rate and blood pressure. I would not recommend taking the first pill without also taking the second.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin nodded, wincing at the idea of packing more Fire Qi into his body without something to limit the effects. ¡°That makes sense. They sound great, so I¡¯ll grab the names off you.


    ¡°Now that I¡¯m pulling energy in so fast, I¡¯m working with quite a small margin for error. It wouldn¡¯t be hard to overload my body if I got distracted for a couple of extra minutes, so anything increasing that threshold would make things much safer.¡±


    ¡°And I¡¯ve got some pill credit with the dispensary, so I might be able to get them both if they¡¯re not too expensive.¡±


    Dr. Vaughan pulled a small paper square from nowhere and scribbled a couple of barely legible names. ¡°I believe they should be relatively cheap,¡± he said, sliding the page over. ¡°There is little demand for anything to do with free-floating Qi.¡±


    ¡°It¡¯s not an area that is useful to most people.¡±


    ¡°Good to hear,¡± Kevin grinned, taking the paper and tucking it in his pocket.


    A fresh worry struck, and he bit his lip before responding. ¡°Um, the Qi storage pills are taking a long time to process. Is that going to be an issue?¡±


    ¡°Blocked stomach meridian,¡± Dr. Vaughan sighed, eyes flicking to the side as Qi formed around his head. ¡°No, you should not have a problem. Qi must be propagated through your energy system, while medicinal effects are dispersed through your body.¡±


    ¡°Even the few individuals born with no stomach meridian have shown near-normal levels of response to medicinal pills.¡±


    ¡°Phew,¡± Kevin sighed, wiping his forward. ¡°Well, that¡¯s a relief. So those pills solve the issue with Fire Qi in my body, but what about once it¡¯s entered my sealed land?¡±Unauthorized usage: this narrative is on Amazon without the author''s consent. Report any sightings.


    Dr. Vaughan winced, giving a helpless shrug. ¡°I¡¯m afraid there is not much I can suggest for you there.


    ¡°Basic as your version may be, your sealed land is still an internal realm that lacks connections to the rest of your energy system. None of the pills we have in supply will have any effect.¡°


    ¡°I could suggest a few natural treasures, but they are expensive and may not work. They will also be far outside your means until you enter the inner sect.¡±


    ¡°All I can say for now is that it does not appear harmful beyond the discomfort you feel. If you wish to continue working with it, you may find that your sealed land adapts.¡±


    Dr. Vaughan pursed his lips as he finished, as if the man was annoyed with himself for not having more answers. His resolve seemed to waver for a moment, then he shook himself and continued.


    ¡°You may find that Dr. Grange has more answers there; he was the one to prescribe the technique, after all.¡± Each word was slow as if the doctor had to drag it out of himself.


    ¡°Thank you. I¡¯ll see about getting in touch with him,¡± Kevin said, giving a brief bow. Admitting that another doctor might know more seemed quite a trial for Dr. Vaughan. He appreciated that the man had pushed himself to suggest it.


    Dr. Vaugan gave a terse nod in response and took a few moments before continuing. ¡°Last, I have a piece of advice that you may find helpful, and it won¡¯t cost you a thing. You mentioned your Earth Qi was slow to react as you withdrew it from your sealed land.


    ¡°Yeah,¡± Kevin responded, leaning in eagerly. ¡°Like I was trying to pull mud along. It got a little faster once it was out, but Instructor Li said it was still too slow to be useful in combat.¡±


    ¡°That is not an uncommon problem with Earth cultivators,¡± Dr. Vaughn nodded with a calm smile. ¡°However, most find that it is an issue with their own perception of Earth Qi, rather than the Qi itself.¡±


    ¡°When you think about Earth Qi, what do you think of?¡±


    Kevin pursed his lips, considering. ¡°A solid, enduring energy, I guess. One that is stable but slow to move.¡±


    ¡°And when you think about it moving?¡±


    ¡°Mud, I guess,¡± Kevin shrugged, glancing away. Was it that simple? ¡°What else could I think of, though? Earth just seems slow to me.¡±


    Dr. Vaughan snorted, shaking his head. ¡°Slow, is it? Would you say an avalanche or a mud-slide is ¡®slow.¡¯ Such catastrophes can even challenge a cultivator¡¯s ability to evacuate civilians in time.


    Kevin¡¯s mouth fell open, leaving him gaping like a fish. ¡°Ah¡­ I hadn¡¯t considered those examples,¡± he coughed, looking away in embarrassment.


    The doctor had an excellent point; there were times when the earth could move faster than a mortal could run.¡±


    Smiling as if happy to have reclaimed the position of all-knowing adviser, Dr. Vaughan continued. ¡°Instead of viewing your sealed land as some mud-pit you must drag Qi from, think of it as the top of a hill or mountain.¡±


    ¡°You don¡¯t need to stop visualizing your Qi as mud; just see it as mud flowing down a steep slope to your destination. It is a simple change, but most Earth cultivators find it increases the speed of their Qi movements.¡±


    ¡°Thank you again, Doctor Vaughan,¡± Kevin bowed a second time, deeper than the first. ¡°I deeply appreciate the advice.¡±


    From what the man had said, he wasn¡¯t even required to help beyond ensuring the initial fix had worked.


    Dr. Vaughan waved a hand as if saying it was nothing. ¡°It is a doctor¡¯s duty to help his patients to the best of his ability. That is all for now, however.¡±


    ¡°Come see me again once you have reached the ninth grade. I will have a solution ready for the intense purification the second stage requires.¡± Dr. Vaughan nodded toward the door and pulled a book out of thin air.


    It was a clear dismissal, and Kevin muttered his thanks again before leaving. It wasn¡¯t quite the cultivation speed boost he¡¯d been hoping for, but he¡¯d still received several valuable pieces of advice.


    Along with another lead on his Fire Qi issues. He¡¯d have to follow up with Travis about Dr. Grange once he received the man¡¯s reply.


    On the way back from his appointment, Kevin swung by the Pill dispensary. As Dr. Vaughan had suggested, the two pills he needed fit within his credit budget. They used up enough that his reminder would be too low for anything useful, but it was well worth it.


    Taking one of each, he jogged to the Fire Courtyard and settled in for a cultivation cycle.


    The effects of both pills soon became apparent. Every time Kevin had come to the courtyard before, he¡¯d filled his body to the safe limit within six minutes.


    This time, he opened his eyes after ten.


    Ten minutes wasn¡¯t his new maximum, either. In fact, he wasn¡¯t feeling like his body was anywhere near full. Instead of enormous clouds of dispersed Qi, the energy he¡¯d gathered was moving in denser clumps.


    At best guess, the first pill he¡¯d taken was condensing it by about two-thirds, allowing him to fit triple the Qi in. Nor did he feel his heart rate skyrocketing from the massive quantity of Fire Qi.


    Instead, the clumps of Qi felt almost cool, as if the normal heat was being suppressed. If not for the remaining issue with Fire Qi in his sealed land, he would have continued gathering energy.


    As it was, he might have pushed things a little too far.


    His normal quantity of Fire Qi was already uncomfortable enough; the idea of pulling all this in sent a shudder through him. How bad would it get?


    Sometimes, he was far too greedy when it came to cultivation.


    Sighing, he closed his eyes again and began the spiritual void. His attempts to speed that up were ongoing, but he¡¯d only knocked another minute off his usual time since the initial increase.


    Now that he¡¯d tightened up the areas he was slacking in, any further improvement required an actual increase in skill.


    By the time he¡¯d drawn the usual amount of Qi into his sealed land, Kevin could already feel the burn beginning. Even in his deep focus, he winced at the thought of intensifying the effect.


    Only to freeze as an epiphany struck him. Did he need to pull all of the energy in right now?


    Before his new pills, he¡¯d needed to get the Fire Qi out of his body as fast as he could. Now, was there any reason he couldn¡¯t leave the rest there?


    It wasn¡¯t like he felt any adverse effects, and his body was far below its new maximum storage.


    In fact, couldn¡¯t he visit the courtyard once in the morning, pull in three cycles worth of Qi, and then siphon it into his sealed land during the day?


    It would be a massive change to how he¡¯d cultivated so far, but the improvement could be significant.


    Not only would he cut down on travel time, he¡¯d be able to use small gaps in his schedule to cultivate. He¡¯d seen other disciples do that, and it always left him feeling a little jealous.


    Part of him burned to try the idea right now, but Kevin forced himself to hold off. It would take most of the day for the current Fire Qi in his sealed land to burn off anyway, so gathering more wouldn¡¯t be of much benefit.


    Further, it was risky to push too hard. Instead of going to the limit straight away, he should see how the remaining Fire Qi reacted in his body over the coming hours.


    About forty percent of what he¡¯d gathered remained, floating in calm clumps around his body. If that continued, then his new idea might work.


    Grinning, Kevin rose and jogged back to his apartment. Dr. Vaughan may have given him an inadvertent speed boost after all.


    But for now, it was time for intensive formation crafting. He needed to step up his game if he wanted to impress Elder Fischer.

 Chapter 42 - Completion

    Back in his room, Kevin cleared his mind and focused on the blank cloth on the desk in front of him.


    The flags he¡¯d completed over the last few days had been acceptable, but ¡®acceptable¡¯ was no longer good enough. Not if he was serious about impressing an inner sect elder.


    No, he needed to do much better than acceptable to achieve that.


    Once his mind was empty, he began. As he¡¯d thought the day before, the trick was to go even slower. Every stroke had to be near-perfect; very image an accurate copy of his notes.


    Even if it took twice as long to finish each flag, it would be worth it for a quality product.


    As the hours slipped by, Kevin¡¯s skill increased with each flag he finished. Before he knew it, three flawless flags sat before him in the fading light.


    Each had taken hours to complete yet had succeeded on the first try. Despite the increased time per flag, the lack of failures made his total time investment similar to the day before.


    Kevin relaxed back with a satisfied sigh, letting his cramping hand relax. So far, he¡¯d focused a lot on the physical improvements of his advancement while letting the mental improvements slide.


    He¡¯d been decent at intensive focus before he¡¯d grown sick, but over time, he¡¯d let the skill fall to the wayside. Now, he had more capability for it than ever before. He just had to push himself to sink deeper into that complete focus.


    Was this how advanced cultivators could pull off all those crazy moves? A beyond human level of focus had to be part of it, at least.


    Standing, Kevin stretched and carefully massaged the feeling back into his right hand. It was time for dinner; he could finish the last flag of the Energy Attraction formation before bed.


    Part of him ached to redo the previous flags with his new skill level, but that wasn¡¯t the smart way to finish a project. No matter how perfect his work was, he¡¯d never impress Elder Fischer with a partially completed project.


    It was far better to finish all three and then use any remaining time to redo imperfections.


    Dinner was swift, and with neither Amelia nor Brad present, Kevin only waved at a few classmates while scoffing down his meal. On returning, he settled back into a focused state to finish the final flag.


    That was two formations down and one left to go.


    The Energy Filtering formation was the most complicated. Rather than being a simple process like the Energy Containment or Energy Attraction formations, it had logic built into it.


    This logic wasn¡¯t quite on the level of a programming language; however, Kevin still likened it to the logic gates he¡¯d studied in college. Such a level of decision-making was necessary for the flag to filter out specific types of Qi.


    Like logic gates, it was an if/and/or system that allowed comparison between multiple inputs. A series of these decisions allowed the formation to begin with a wide mixture of Qi and end with a single, desired type.


    Since the elder hadn¡¯t specified what he should filter, Kevin chose to focus on Earth Qi. This felt the most natural to him and also had the potential to be helpful in the future.


    With a series of Attraction and Filtration formulas, he could, in theory, set up his own cultivation area. It wasn¡¯t something he needed in the sect, but it could be vital if he was ever traveling.


    His tattoo might perform a similar service, but he¡¯d seen how much more efficient it was in an area filled with the correct Qi.


    That was an idea for the future, however. For now, it was a convenient choice to make creating the flags easier. Another step up in complexity required ever more detailed brushwork so he could use all the help he could get.


    Rather than trying to begin the first flag that night, Kevin focused on memorizing the pattern and practicing the symbols. Many of his earliest attempts had failed because he was unfamiliar with the required work, and he didn¡¯t want to make the same mistake again.


    Last, he checked up on the free-floating Qi within his body. The remaining Fire and Earth Qi he¡¯d gathered in the Fire courtyard had been floating about in his body all afternoon. However, the new pills were showing their worth, and he¡¯d had no trouble with either during that time.


    This was the exact result he¡¯d hoped for, and Kevin experimented a little to see if he could pull even more benefits out of it. Before heading to bed, he drew a tiny amount of Fire Qi into his Sealed land to leave overnight.


    If he was lucky, waiting so long would be a way to process the Fire Qi without discomfort. If not, then he had little to lose by trying.If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Finally, he drifted off to sleep, happy with the progress he¡¯d made that day.


    <hr>


    On Friday, Kevin had no classes until the MAR-101 practical at one P.M., leaving the entire morning free.


    The first thing he did after waking was to check in on the Fire Qi he¡¯d pulled into his sealed land the night before. To his disappointment, it was still floating around above his desert-like landscape.


    Rather than clumping into burning balls of energy, it had dispersed like a fine cloud. Frowning, he tried pulling in the remaining energy still floating around his body. It wasn¡¯t until he¡¯d almost drained his body of Fire Qi that he saw movement.


    As he drew more in, it slowly clumped together. Eventually, it reached a critical mass, where it began burning away. Even then, it was slower than he was used to.


    Which made sense since he only had about two-thirds of his usual Qi quantity available.


    On a brighter note, the new pills had continued working while he slept. While he couldn¡¯t circumvent the discomfort of using Fire Qi, he could store large amounts of Qi within his body for later use.


    This would give him a battery from which to use the spiritual void during the day. Using this method, a single visit to the Fire Courtyard could gather the same amount of Qi as three of his old styles.


    Cutting down on travel time would save a significant amount of time, reducing the disadvantage of using the courtyards. Further, spreading the consumption of QI out over the day would allow him to use small increments of otherwise dead time.


    While it seemed to require a significant amount of Qi to trigger Fire to generate Earth, pulling smaller quantities in didn¡¯t have a downside. He could simply build up the Qi levels until it was sufficient to trigger a reaction.


    Before anything else, Kevin departed for the Fire courtyard to begin his plan. In the interest of safety, he limited himself to double the quantity of QI he¡¯d usually pull in during a cycle.


    Since he¡¯d already drained a significant amount into his sealed land, he likely wouldn¡¯t have time for three cycles that day in any case. Without a benefit pushing, it would be best to trial storing a higher amount of Qi instead of going for the maximum on day one.


    Then, it was back home to focus on his flags for the Energy Filtering formation. Setting an alarm to ensure he didn¡¯t go over time, Kevin settled back into extreme focus as he worked on one flag after another.


    For the first time, he finished the initial flag of a new pattern with no mistakes, showing the benefit of going slow and practicing beforehand.


    In total, he finished three of the flags before leaving for MAR-101 while also finding small gaps to pull Qi into his sealed land.


    <hr>


    Kevin¡¯s MAR-101 practical was held in Martial Courtyard Eight. His tutor, a taciturn cultivator in his mid-twenties, met him at the entrance before directing him toward one of the empty corners.


    Miles Brown, a senior outer sect disciple, seemed to care little for formality. Rather than demanding a title, the muscle-bound man grunted, ¡®Miles¡¯ when Kevin asked how he wanted to be referred to.


    In their first lesson, Miles took him through the initial footwork and stances for the Sinking sands. That was it; none of the strikes, blocks, or dragging motions so evident in the full style were on display.


    ¡°Footwork first,¡± Miles grunted when Kevin plucked up the courage to ask. ¡°Footwork underlies everything else. We¡¯ll get to the other stuff later.¡±


    Lacking any detailed prior training in Martial Arts, Kevin could only shrug and trust that his tutor knew the best way to teach. And so they practiced, drilling the same half-a-dozen movements over and over again for three hours.


    ¡°Practice before you go to bed,¡± Miles said as their time ended. ¡°Then twice more before next week. Unless,¡± the man held up a finger, ¡°you feel you¡¯ve lost the correct form.¡±


    ¡°If that happens, stop practicing until we meet again. It will slow your progress, but it¡¯s better than learning bad habits.¡±


    It was the most the man had said during the session, and Kevin nodded in response. Miles¡¯ words mirrored the advice he¡¯d gotten in the theory class about only practicing the correct movements.


    Which was no doubt why the man wanted him to practice before bed. It should help cement the correct movements in his mind before he¡¯d had too long to forget them.


    Kevin thanked Miles, then returned to his dorm room. After that exhausting three-hour period, he needed a long rest before practicing more.


    First, he spent an hour on the spiritual void. It was the first long cultivation period he¡¯d had all day, with his early stints only being a few minutes at a time. Being a mixture of relaxation and productive action, cultivation was the perfect wind-down from physical exercise.


    Then, he went straight back to working on formations. With just three flags left on his final formation, Kevin was determined to finish them that day. That would leave him with the entire weekend to redo his initial efforts.


    After long hours of further work, he was successful. With the last three flags, he could finally lay all the formations out on his floor.


    Though many of his initial flags were mediocre, it still sent a surge of warmth through him to see all the finished products. At first, Kevin had thought he¡¯d barely finish the three formations in time.


    Yet now, he¡¯d finished days early. If he could maintain this pace, then there was a real chance he could keep up with Elder Fischer as she blazed through the FORM-101 curriculum.


    Perhaps he could even impress her by asking her to go faster. He¡¯d have to think carefully before taking that path, but it was a solid option to move forward. With how hard it looked to get merit, staying in her good books might be his best chance to succeed.


    At dinner, he was called over by a couple of his FORM-102 classmates. They spent a pleasant meal discussing the techniques they¡¯d used in the practical; it seemed he wasn¡¯t the only one who¡¯d enjoyed Thresher¡¯s puzzle-based teaching style.


    After bidding his classmates goodbye, he spent another hour pulling the rest of his stored Qi into his sealed land. As with the day before, he¡¯d had no trouble holding the increased quantity of Qi within his body for the whole day.


    Once again, it seemed his plan would work, and he looked forward to filling his body to the maximum in the morning.


    Finally, he drilled the basic footwork of the Sinking Sands as directed by Miles.


    He had to admit the man¡¯s teaching style had a point to it; Even hours later, the movements they¡¯d practiced so many times were fresh in his mind. As long as they moved on to new movements each week, Kevin could see himself learning the full style by the end of the class.


    With that and his initial success in Qi Shielding, he only needed combat formations to complete his own fighting style.


    And with the practical for FORM-115 first thing in the morning, he was about to get the chance to learn.

 Chapter 43 - Combat Formations

    The FORM-115 practical was another of Elder Fischer¡¯s early classes, though at least it was held at eight AM rather than seven.


    Kevin woke up early and reviewed his notes over breakfast before heading to the Fire Courtyard. Confident in the safety of his ¡®battery¡¯ plan after the last two days of experiments, he filled his body to the brim with free-floating Fire and Earth Qi.


    Then he headed around to the back of the Formations building to Formation Courtyard One. Much like the martial courtyards, this was an area of plain brown dirt for practicing formation techniques; unlike them, there was only a single courtyard for practicing formations.


    He¡¯d arrived ten minutes early for class, and it looked like he was the first student there. Nor was Elder Fischer present, though someone had prepared stacks of bundled formation flags to one side.


    Remembering what he¡¯d learned in the theory class, Kevin examined the area before finding a spot to sit. It didn¡¯t look like the elder had prepared any surprises this time, but he still gave the flag piles a wide gap to be safe.


    When sitting on an empty patch of grass failed to trigger anything, he closed his eyes and focused on the Spiritual Void technique. Using these little slices of time was one of the primary benefits of storing Qi for later use, but it came with its own challenges.


    With only ten minutes available, he needed to get the startup time of the technique down as much as possible. It still took about a minute to get in the right frame of mind, but he was working on improving it.


    As the minutes passed, Kevin sensed more people arriving and milling around, but with no signs of danger, he continued cultivating until the last moment. Eventually, it was Elder Fischer¡¯s voice that interrupted his trance.


    ¡°Gather round,¡± the elder called out, forgoing any hint of a greeting. ¡°We have a lot to get through and limited time.¡±


    Kevin snapped to his feat in a smooth movement, opened his eyes, and turned towards the sound before he¡¯d fully registered the change. His cultivator reaction speed was impressive, but still something he was getting used to.


    Elder Fischer stood by the pre-prepared stacks of formation flags with her arms crossed, one foot tapping on the ground. Wincing, Kevin rushed over, barely avoiding being the last to arrive.


    ¡°Right then,¡± the elder relaxed once the group was present. ¡°Combat Formations is the name of the class, and it¡¯s time we began practicing the difficult art of making that possible.¡±


    Fischer paced along the line of students as she continued to lecture. ¡°Of course, I¡¯m not talking about a pre-prepared defense here. Anyone who¡¯s tried attacking a sect before will tell you to never underestimate emplacement grade defensive formations.¡±


    ¡°Those,¡± she held a finger up for emphasis without slowing her steps, ¡°are simple to implement. Extensive and time-consuming, certainly, but simple. You just need to work out the likely attack vectors, then cover them.¡±


    ¡°As such, the only time we will devote to those formation styles is learning to recognize them in our theory class. Bypassing or implementing such things is beyond our scope.


    ¡°No,¡± the elder shook her head and paused to look over the gathered students. ¡°I¡¯m talking about using formations in the thick of battle, with no preparation beyond whatever you happen to be carrying on you.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯ve all considered it,¡± she continued, opening her hands wide. ¡°You¡¯re standing in the open, some bull-headed martial cultivator charging you with sword drawn.¡±


    ¡°You have moments, at best, to decide on a formation to use, plan out where the flags will go, locate said flags on your person, and then deploy them. In many instances, several flags must be placed behind your charging opponent.¡±


    ¡°Worried yet,¡± Fischer raised an eyebrow, her tone serious. ¡°You should be. It¡¯s damn hard to pull off. Nor is it particularly flashy or glorious. Even if you win, people will accuse you of being a ¡®coward¡¯ for relying on ¡®traps.¡¯


    The sneer on the elder¡¯s face as she made air quotes made her opinion of such claims clear.


    ¡°But if you ignore all that, these skills might save your life someday. Many formation experts have been dragged along on an expedition, only to realize they had no combat ability at the worst time possible .¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t be one of them,¡± Fischer finished with a hard stare.


    There was a somber pause as she stared around; the excited atmosphere of the class long faded. At last, she nodded, her face lightening.


    ¡°Enough prattling then, let¡¯s get started.¡±


    <hr>


    ¡°Take a set of flags and the corresponding pamphlet from each stack,¡± Elder Fischer gestured to the equipment beside her.


    Three stacks of formation flags sat on the bare dirt, each with a small pile of paper behind them. Walking over, Kevin followed the rest of the class and grabbed what he needed.


    Twine wrapping held together the correct flags for each formation. It helped organize the sets but created wide, awkward bundles that were difficult to carry.


    ¡°We lack the time to cover creating each of the flags we¡¯ll be using today,¡± Elder Fischer tsked, shaking her head. ¡°So each pamphlet contains the design and the flag deployment diagram.¡±This book is hosted on another platform. Read the official version and support the author''s work.


    ¡°It is yours to keep. I suggest you make copies of each formation and start carrying them with you, no matter how inconvenient it might be.¡± Fischer continued, her firm tone making it sound more like a command.


    ¡°A formation cultivator who doesn¡¯t carry formations is like a swordsman who left his sword at home. Useless.¡±


    Kevin winced but nodded along with everyone else. Just when he¡¯d gotten on top of his FORM-101 project, more work arrived. Nor were these formations likely to be as simple as the ones he¡¯d just finished.


    This must be why Fischer warned him the class would be challenging for him. If the new formations were at standard level for the other students, they would be far ahead of his current level.


    Perhaps he could ask her for advice in their next FORM-101 tutoring session. Given that she¡¯d told him not to charge flags, it seemed like the only option.


    ¡°Line up when you¡¯re done,¡± Fischer clicked her hand, an unseen Qi blade slicing a furrow through the dirt. ¡°Leave plenty of space, and lay the three piles out in front of you, smallest to largest.¡±


    Crossing her arms again, she waited with a frown until everyone hurried into position. ¡°Each of your bundles demonstrates a formation category used in practical combat.¡±


    ¡°In this class, you can forget everything you have learned about categorizing formations. When discussing combat formations, we group them based on the intended use, not the underlying mechanics.¡±


    ¡°First is a barrier on your far left,¡± Fischer gestured vaguely at the students. ¡°In combat formation jargon, a barrier is any formation designed to stop an effect from reaching you or someone else.¡±


    ¡°In other words, they¡¯re used for defense. I don¡¯t care if it¡¯s a containment, rejection, reflection, or even a spatial formation; if it¡¯s used to ward off an effect, it¡¯s a barrier. Today, we have a Qi Rejection Formation to play with.¡±


    Fischer shifted her arm to the right. ¡°Next, we have a Still Waters Formation to demonstrate the denial category.¡±


    ¡°As you might expect from the name, they limit or remove effects within their boundaries, denying your enemies the use of certain techniques.¡±


    ¡°Restricting yourself might seem counter-intuitive,¡± the elder smirked, ¡°But consider you are much more likely to keep an opponent within your formation if you are also in it.¡±


    ¡°Often, they will focus on attacking you instead of chasing the flags you¡¯re throwing into the distance. After all, it can¡¯t be that bad if you¡¯re inside it as well,¡± Fischer snorted. ¡°The key is to restrict something you aren¡¯t capable of yourself.¡±


    ¡°Last,¡± she shifted her hand to the right of the group. ¡°We have the most difficult category to use in combat: the trap formation.¡±


    ¡°In most solo fights, it will be your end goal, with barrier and denial formations as distractions or restrictions while you set one up.¡±


    ¡°Technically, a trap formation is anything designed to catch only your opponent or opponents. However, you had better make sure it¡¯s a fight-winning move if you go to the effort of tricking or maneuvering an opponent into one.¡±


    ¡°Our example today is a Matter/Qi Containment Formation. It¡¯s a complex little thing and a hell of a lot of work to craft, but it¡¯s worth the effort.¡±


    ¡°Catch an opponent in one of these, and it will cut off all options beyond a brute-force Qi eruption. Since you will have charged this in advance over days, they are unlikely to succeed.¡±


    ¡°If you only make one pattern here, make this one.¡± Fischer frowned, staring at the group, ¡°Unless you have a trap formation on you, everything else you deploy is a mere delaying tactic.¡±


    After a moment¡¯s pause, she flicked her wrist in a slow, deliberate movement. A flag flickered into existence, settling into her open hand.


    ¡°You have five minutes to take notes and memorize the deployment pattern for the Qi Rejection Formation; then, we will move on to techniques.¡±


    <hr>


    Kevin hurried to pack away his notebook as the elder called for them to finish. He¡¯d gotten the bulk of what she¡¯d said noted down, along with questions for later.


    Fischer was tapping the handle of her flag on one shoulder, once more frowning at the group. ¡°There are three basic techniques for deploying flags,¡± she began without further preamble.


    ¡°First, the plant.¡± Holding her flag halfway along its handle, Fischer moved her arm to the side. ¡°Hold the flag over your target point, then toss it downward.¡±


    An elegant flick of her wrist sent the flag straight down, piercing deep into the bare dirt of the field. For a second, it vibrated before the flag stilled in a perfect, upright position.


    ¡°Planting a flag is easy to target and near-certain to work,¡± Fischer continued, gesturing at the ground. ¡°However, it only works when you are standing in the correct spot.¡±


    ¡°It is best used when you have already placed the other required flags with your current position in mind. Many experts have trapped their foes by closing a near-complete formation in the middle of a fistfight.¡±


    ¡°However, it¡¯s so simple that I won¡¯t bother to cover it further. Practice on your own time until you have the movement down.¡±


    ¡°Second is the toss.¡± Fischer pulled a fresh flag from thin air and threw it underarm across the field with a single movement. The wooden rod whistled through the air before sticking into the ground at a harsh angle.


    ¡°Another simple technique,¡± the elder shrugged. ¡°Tossing a flag gets it somewhere fast and with solid accuracy. However, angled flags are not ideal; they ruin a formation¡¯s efficiency.¡±


    ¡°A more advanced move is to shift the flag¡¯s orientation after it lands.¡± As she spoke, the flag shuddered, then tilted away from the group until the top was pointed straight at the sky.


    Kevin raised an eyebrow; how in the world had she done that? He hadn¡¯t seen or felt her send any Qi to the flag after her throw. Murmurs filled the air around him, the rest of the group seeming to be just as confused.


    Fischer gave them a few moments, then moved on. ¡°This is a simple matter of imbuing Qi into the handle during the throw. I will provide a technique based on your aspect at the end of class.¡±


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you¡¯re all competent enough to learn it with my supervision. Instead, we will focus all our attention on the third technique.¡±


    The elder gestured across the field. ¡°Even if you correct the orientation deficiency caused by tossing a flag, there is still a major limitation to overcome. You cannot throw a flag when something is in the way.¡±


    ¡°Often, this will be your opponent; at other times, it will be the terrain around you. Either way, you will fail if you cannot deploy all your flags. The solution is the lob.¡±


    Fischer gripped a third flag closer to the base, then swung her arm back past her shoulder, under, and up in front of her. The movement formed a circular underarm throw that released the flag into the sky.


    Blinking, Kevin watched as it flew up in a sharp arc before tilting over at the apex and falling base-down back toward the earth. With a sharp thump, it struck, driving itself deep into the dirt.


    This time, she needed no Qi tricks to correct the flag¡¯s orientation; it was already straight as an arrow.


    ¡°The lob is my preferred technique for every situation where speed is not required,¡± Fischer continued calmly as if she hadn¡¯t pulled off something incredible. ¡°It gets the flag where you want it and is almost impossible to intercept or block.¡±


    ¡°Its only problem is the difficulty of mastering the technique,¡± she smirked at the group. ¡°Getting the arc right is hard enough when standing still with no distractions.¡±


    ¡°In the middle of a chaotic fight, it¡¯s far harder. Still, I assure you it is possible and something you will have at least basic competence in before the end of this class.¡±


    ¡°Unpack your first flags, and I will walk you through the movements.¡±

 Chapter 44 - Lobbing Flags

    Kevin scrambled to unwrap the twine binding together the Qi Rejection Formation¡¯s flags. There were six in total: the control flag and five boundary flags.


    Based on the pamphlet that came with it, you could use four flags to form a blocking line or all six to form a protective hexagon.


    ¡°We¡¯ll be throwing in hexagon formation,¡± Elder Fischer called as she circled behind the group. ¡°A four-flag line is faster for defending yourself but doesn¡¯t require the lob technique to perform.¡±


    ¡°Instead, imagine that an ally is in the line of fire, and you¡¯re the only one who can help. You¡¯re too far to intercede in person, but a well-thrown Qi Rejection formation may be enough to save their life.¡±


    ¡°Assuming you can deploy it with enough accuracy,¡± the elder finished drily.


    Kevin bit his lip, staring at the thick pile of flags in his arms. There was no way he could hold them all and still perform the lobbing motion.


    Frowning, he considered the problem, then stabbed each flag into the ground before him. Each flag reached mid-thigh, high enough to grab without having to crouch.


    ¡°I see a few of you have solved the first hurdle,¡± Fischer said, sounding pleased. ¡°Before you can throw a series of flags, you need access to each of them.¡±


    ¡°For now, continue with whatever method feels the most comfortable. Sometimes, you have nothing but a few flags at your disposal, so we practice that first. Once you have shown basic proficiency, we will explore tools to assist.¡±


    The elder¡¯s voice circled behind them, and she soon came back into view at the edge of the line on Kevin¡¯s left. This put her only a single person away from him instead of the four-person separation the other side would have given.


    ¡°I¡¯ll be moving along the line, demonstrating the technique to each of you,¡± Fischer called out, her voice pitched to reach the entire group. ¡°Watch while you wait, and you may avoid some of the early errors your fellow students make.¡±


    With that, she turned and began walking Karlene through the technique.


    Kevin watched carefully, taking in the technique from a closer distance than before. Fischer was also moving slower now, showing surprising care in demonstrating the technique.


    In fact, she¡¯d seemed more cheerful throughout the entire lesson, though he could only guess the reason. Since FORM-115 was a class she regularly taught instead of one she¡¯d been stuck with, it seemed likely that combat formations were a passion of hers.


    Which was an important clue to impressing her as the season continued.


    After a few minutes of working on the swing, Fischer flicked her wrist, flinging something across the field.


    It landed straight in front of Karlene, about a hundred feet out, and swelled into a human-size clay figure.


    ¡°There¡¯s your friend,¡± Fischer addressed Karlene, her voice quiet enough that those further along the line likely missed it. ¡°You need to enclose them in the formation if you want to save them.¡±


    ¡°Keep the pattern in mind; this first throw will define the points you need to hit with the other five.¡±


    If Karlene was nervous, she was doing a good job of hiding it. With only a firm nod, she pulled her arm back and swung into the lob.


    Her flag flew into the sky with a noticeable wobble but still struck the ground twenty feet from her target. While it was far from straight, the fact she¡¯d even landed in the general vicinity on her first attempt was impressive.


    ¡°Not a terrible landing,¡± Fischer said, smirking down at the younger woman. ¡°But you missed a key point. What was it?¡±


    Karlene¡¯s face fell, worry showing up for the first time. She bit her loop, taking a moment, then responded. ¡°Since I missed, the pattern got thrown off?¡±


    ¡°Yes, but that is fixable with your next throws. I¡¯m talking about something more serious."


    How about you, Mr. Blake?¡± Fischer asked, spinning to face him. ¡°What did Ms. Brown do wrong?¡±


    Kevin froze at the unexpected call, his mind whirling as he tried to come up with an answer. Fischer preferred well-thought-out responses to off-the-cuff answers, so he took his time.


    The throw itself looked good enough, even if it landed a bit of target, so it had to be something else. What else could she have missed doing?


    Then the answer struck; he hadn¡¯t sensed Karlene push any Qi into the flag, and he¡¯d been paying close attention.


    ¡°She forgot to activate the flag,¡± he said, giving Karlene an apologetic smile.


    ¡°Correct,¡± Elder Fischer shouted, loud enough to be heard by the entire group. ¡°Throwing an inactive flag is worse than not throwing one at all. Now, you can¡¯t activate that formation even if you get the rest of the flags in position.¡±If you encounter this narrative on Amazon, note that it''s taken without the author''s consent. Report it.


    ¡°Not without running over there and fixing the problem, at least,¡± she continued, turning back to Karlene. ¡°Better hurry, Ms. Brown.¡±


    Flushing, Karlene sprinted off. At the rate she was moving, it would take her seconds at most, yet Fischer was already moving on.


    ¡°You¡¯re up, Mr. Blake. Poor Karlene has dropped to the bottom of the list.¡±


    <hr>


    Kevin suppressed a gulp, watching with laser focus as Fischer slowly moved through the technique. As he¡¯d thought, it was about swinging your arm backward, under, and then through to generate momentum.


    The point you released during your upswing controlled how sharp the arc was. That was the part you had to judge in order to get the distance right.


    Fischer gave him the same amount of demonstration time as she Karlene before flicking her hand once more. Another figure appeared on the bare dirt, giving him his own target.


    ¡°Well then, give it a shot,¡± Fischer smirked, gesturing toward the target.


    Kevin took a deep breath and braced himself. He had no idea how Karlene had come as close as she did on her first try; it seemed impossible to judge the arc without having experienced previous results.


    Though he¡¯d at least learned one thing from her example; make sure he activated the damn flag.


    Trying to make the motion as smooth as possible, he swung his back and flowed through the technique. At the same time, he focused inward on his sealed land.


    With Dr. Vaughan¡¯s advice in mind, he imaged a wave of mud-like Earth Qi sliding out of the floating dome containing his land. It had to be fast, like a mud-slide cascading down a riverbed.


    It worked. His Qi flowed far faster than he¡¯d seen it move before, at least five times better than his previous attempts. The energy reached his arm in record time, where it flowed out of his hand and into the flag.


    He¡¯d never activated one before, but he¡¯d gone through the theory with Fischer in their tutoring session. With all the work that went into creating the flags, it was a simple process.


    You just had to add some energy to pull the enchantment out of dormant mode. As long as the same person¡¯s Qi was used to activate each flag, and the flags ended up in roughly the right spots, the formation matrix would activate.


    His energy entered the flag just in time, as his arm was already rising in front of him. Kevin did his best to gauge the release time based on what he¡¯d seen Karlene do, then let the flag fly.


    It launched up as intended but wobbled sharply back and forth. At some point, the motion grew too much, and the flag landed with a flop on its side forty feet from his intended target.


    ¡°Too much effort at the end, Mr. Blake,¡± Fischer sighed from beside him. ¡°It¡¯s a release motion, not a throw. You don¡¯t have to push the flag out; it will have plenty of momentum already by the time you release it.¡±


    ¡°Still, you did a tad better than Ms. Brown. Your flag is at least activated, so your ally could theoretically plant it for you. Assuming they aren¡¯t too busy staying alive, that is.¡±


    Fischer mimed staring at the motionless clay figure. ¡°Doesn¡¯t look like they can make it,¡± she snorted a moment later. ¡°Better go set it up, and don¡¯t forget the pattern.¡±


    Then she was gone, leaving a wincing Kevin behind. It seemed he¡¯d been dropped to the bottom of the teaching list as well.


    Still, there were hours left of the lesson, plenty of time to continue practicing.


    <hr>


    Despite her initial failure, Karlene Brown was still the first disciple to get six flags in a somewhat accurate pattern. After a mere half-hour of throwing, her excited cry drew the attention of everyone present.


    Kevin gave a forlorn look at his three finished flags before turning to watch Elder Fischer. Every overheard tip helped a little, and the elder was striding over to Karlene with purpose.


    ¡°Well done, Ms. Brown. Despite a slow start, you seem to have beat out the rest.¡± Fischer turned and stared at the formation, quirking an eyebrow. ¡°Are you confident in the placement?¡±


    Karlene bit her lip, hesitating, then nodded. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I know it¡¯s not perfect, but I think it will function.¡±


    ¡°Well, let¡¯s see then,¡± Fischer laughed. With a casual wave at the clay figure, a flash of Qi burst from her hand. While invisible to the naked eye, it glowed to Kevin¡¯s spiritual senses.


    When the technique hit the edge of the formation, a lopsided hexagon of shimmering blue energy rose from the six flags. It sparked with energy where the elder¡¯s Qi burst struck, wavered, and then shattered as the energy continued through.


    Fischer¡¯s technique struck the clay figure with an audible crack. It shuddered, fragments spraying into the air, but stayed standing.


    ¡°Not bad. You lost around forty percent efficiency from poor placement, but it diminished the technique enough that it looks like your friend will live.¡±


    ¡°I hope we can say the same for everyone else by the end of the class,¡± she continued, turning back toward the rest of the line.


    Kevin winced, turning back to his own attempts as the elder pulled a long tube and showed Karlene how to sling it across her back. Being first would have been too much to expect, but he needed to do better than last.


    Since their first flag, Fischer had stopped them from planting anymore when they went to retrieve a failed attempt. This left the first flag he¡¯d placed to define where he needed to land the others.


    Seeing Karlene finish was a relief, in a way, as it showed he didn¡¯t need to be perfect. The two flags he¡¯d gotten in position by trial and error weren¡¯t anywhere near that, but he thought they were no worse than hers.


    He was just slower to reach that point. Still, he was beginning to get the hang of the technique.


    It was something you had to do more by feeling than by logical thought. Trying to calculate the mathematics of such an arc on the fly was impossible, at least for him; instead, he had to practice until it was near-automatic.


    Which meant the more throws, the better. Without wasting anymore time on contemplation, Kevin sighted the spot for his next flag and let fly.


    His flag sailed through the air with only a hint of wobble, moved through the arc with grace, and then struck, quivering in the ground a half-dozen feet from his target.


    Kevin grinned; that was a solid shot, even if it wasn¡¯t quite good enough to keep. A couple more like that, and he¡¯d have his fourth flag.


    After another half-hour of throwing and two more disciples finishing their formations, he finally got the sixth flag close to where he wanted it. Each flag had grown a little harder as imperfections in the previous placements narrowed the margin for error.


    He bit his lip, glancing over at the other two students who¡¯d yet to finish. One was picking his sixth flag up for another attempt; the other seemed to be having a horrible time with only four flags down.


    Waiting for a better placement would have been ideal, but he¡¯d be fourth if he went now and succeeded. If he kept trying, Samuel might beat him to it.


    Kevin snorted, shaking his head. Cultivator culture had to be getting to him. It was no longer just about not disappointing the elder; he wanted to be at the top of the group or at least far from the bottom.


    With a last look at the positions, he nodded, turning back toward the line.


    It was time to see if he¡¯d done well enough.

 Chapter 45 - Training

    Kevin shifted his weight from foot to foot as Elder Fischer approached. A raised hand had been enough to attract her attention, and she was now striding over with purpose.


    ¡°Finished, Mr. Blake?¡± Fischer asked with a raised eyebrow. While she was as difficult to read as always, Kevin felt like there was a hint of approval on her face.


    Approval that would be sure to vanish if he¡¯d misjudged his readiness.


    After a moment¡¯s hesitation, Kevin nodded. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am.¡±


    He¡¯d already made his decision, and he wasn¡¯t going to back down now.


    ¡°Well then, let¡¯s see how you did,¡± Fischer smirked, turning toward the clay figure surrounded by flags. With a mere glance at his efforts, she flicked her hand at the target.


    Her Qi bolt surged through the air, striking the Qi Rejection barrier formed by his flags. His formation flickered with energy discharges, then shattered.


    The attack struck his figure with a dull thud, denting the front of it and sending it rocking back on its feet.


    Kevin¡¯s breath caught as he watched it teetering, waiting for Fischer¡¯s verdict.


    After a moment, she turned and gave him a firm nod. ¡°Decent work, Mr. Blake. Your friend there will need to see a doctor but should live. Your deviations from the placement pattern cost half the formation¡¯s potency, but you maintained enough for the formation to work.¡±


    With a deep sigh, Kevin released his breath and relaxed. He¡¯d done it.


    Sure, he might have been a little worse than Karlene¡¯s attempt, but he did about as well as the two who came after her. There was still a solid gap, but one he might close with enough practice.


    ¡°You¡¯ve earned one of these,¡± Fischer continued, pulling a long tube from nowhere and tossing it to him.


    Kevin snatched the object out of the air and looked it over. It was the same quiver-like object he¡¯d seen the other successful students using.


    ¡°Keeping your extra flags stuck in the ground works while standing still but is useless if you need to keep moving. That formation quiver,¡± Fischer pointed to the tube, ¡°is a basic solution to the problem.¡±


    ¡°It can hold up to eight flags at once, allowing you to keep a full copy of most formations in it. Drawing from it requires a minor change to your technique; get your next set of flags ready, and I¡¯ll return to show you.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin nodded, turning towards the Still Water¡¯s formation. His arm was already starting to ache from the continued lobbing movement, but he ignored it for now.


    There was still plenty of time before the lesson ended, and he needed all the practice he could get.


    <hr>


    ¡°That¡¯s it, we¡¯re done,¡± Fischer shouted from the other end of the line. ¡°Gather your flags and return them to the correct piles.¡±


    Kevin let his throwing arm flop to his side with a groan. The full lesson had been grueling, but he¡¯d managed to construct all three formations with a little time to spare.


    The Still Waters formation slowed the flow of Qi within an area, significantly decreasing the power of ranged Qi techniques within it. When Fischer used her Qi Bolt attack within, it''s speed and power were both reduced by almost half.


    His third formation, Matter/Qi Containment, trapped a fellow student who Fischer sent to test it. That was his biggest success, as it took the disciple several minutes to shatter the formation matrix.


    Through all that, he¡¯d maintained his fourth-place class ranking. While he was improving with each attempt, so were his fellow students, and so far, everyone seemed to be improving at about the same rate.


    When he¡¯d finally finished all three, Fischer had set him to keep practicing until the end of the lesson. While the additional experience and the odd tip she gave out helped him improve, keeping it up had been a trial.


    Shaking his arm out, Kevin gathered each formation into its own pile, retied the twine, and joined his fellow students in stacking them back together.


    Once everyone had finished, Fischer addressed the group once more. ¡°We had a decent start today, with most of you getting the basic technique down. You should each practice before our next practical. I expect to see progress.¡±


    Walking down the line, she handed a fourth pamphlet out to each disciple. ¡°Besides the lob technique, it would be worth your while to practice righting a flag from a distance.¡±


    ¡°I have assigned each of you a technique based on your aspect. Some of you will have an easier time than others, but don¡¯t let that be an excuse for failure. Along with the formation patterns, this technique is yours to keep.


    ¡°The formation quivers are also yours. I recommend you get used to carrying one around. Until you can afford a better option, it¡¯s the easiest way to keep a formation on you.¡±


    If you stumble upon this narrative on Amazon, be aware that it has been stolen from Royal Road. Please report it.


    Karlene held up a hand to Kevin¡¯s left, and Fischer gave her a moment¡¯s consideration before nodding.


    ¡°What would those options be, Ma¡¯am? I¡¯ve got some merit stocked up, so I might be able to afford one.¡±


    The elder held up her right hand. ¡°A storage ring is ideal, as it provides a vast amount of space and the ability to selectively retrieve whichever flags you need. However,¡± she shook her head with a chuckle. ¡°A ring is far beyond your means.¡±


    ¡°The next best option would be robes enchanted with a restricted storage array,¡± Fischer continued, pointing to the wide sleeves of her robe. ¡°It is simpler to create an extra-dimensional space within an area that already exists, so robe sleeves work well.¡±


    ¡°Further, limiting what can be placed in that storage area further reduces the difficulty. As students of this class, you can purchase flag-specific versions of such robes at a discount."


    ¡°For five hundred merit, you can carry around several dozen formations and pull the flags out as you need them.¡±


    There was a round of groans as the elder finished, though at least a couple of the students looked contemplative. Kevin simply shook his head; five hundred merit was far more than he¡¯d earned in total so far.


    Given the reactions from students who¡¯d been here for six months, it was still a lot for them as well. That wasn¡¯t much of a surprise when you considered it was almost a tenth of what you needed to stay in the sect.


    A huge outlay for a single purchase.


    ¡°What¡¯s with all the whining?¡± Fischer snorted, shaking her head. ¡°Your elder goes to all the trouble of securing a discount, and this is how she¡¯s treated?¡± With an exaggerated expression of offense, she continued, ¡°Well, fine then. I¡¯ll help you out a little.¡±


    ¡°In six more weeks, we¡¯ll be at the halfway mark for this class. We¡¯ll use part of that lesson to have a little lobbing competition to gauge your progress. The winner will receive five hundred merit to purchase a set of enchanted robes.¡±


    Her words were more than enough to perk Kevin up, and he leaned forward eagerly. He was far from the only one. A glance showed the entire class was just as interested; this would be far from an easy competition.


    After a moment, Samuel raised his hand. ¡°What does second place get, Ma¡¯am?¡±


    Fischer blinked for a moment as if she didn¡¯t quite get the question. Then she burst out laughing. ¡°Second place? There¡¯s no such thing. Second place in a fight is dead,¡± she snorted, her laughter fading at last.


    ¡°So let me be clear. One among you will get five hundred merit; the others will get nothing. You¡¯d best practice hard if you don¡¯t want to be left out.¡±


    Kevin winced as the group shifted to staring at each other, with Karlene beside him getting the worst of it. It was obvious that Fischer was playing them off against each other, but that didn¡¯t stop her tactic from being effective.


    Everyone here would be practicing far harder than they would without such a prize on the line, himself included. Even ignoring the usefulness of acquiring such a robe, five hundred merit would go a long way to keeping him in the sect.


    Assuming he could improve his skills enough to beat everyone else.


    <hr>


    The class finished quickly after that. Fischer vanished the moment she finished speaking, and the rest of the students left with few of the normal goodbyes.


    While he doubted it would last forever, the elder¡¯s challenge had banished the growing camaraderie of the class. Even he found himself thinking of the other disciples more as opponents than fellow students.


    Opponents with advantages over him at that.


    Kevin bit his lip, slowing from a jog to a walk as he wandered back to his dorm room. Would he even have a chance against them?


    The natural advantages provided by advancement weren¡¯t everything; he¡¯d have been the worst in class if that was the case. They did, however, significantly affect how well you could perform the technique.


    Someone like Karlene with high advancement and solid talent, felt like an almost impossible obstacle to overcome.


    On the other hand, it wasn¡¯t an opportunity he could afford to ignore. He needed to scrape together every point of merit he could, and five hundred was a solid chunk of the total he needed.


    Impressing Fischer was also a major part of his plans, and winning her little competition would be sure to do that. Even if he didn¡¯t win, a large improvement would help keep her attention.


    That was the answer then. He¡¯d push his flag lobbing practice as hard as he could without crippling his other classes. In the best outcome, he¡¯d win; even if he didn¡¯t, it would be far from wasted time.


    However, he needed at least a few hours to rest his arm before he could even think about more practice. Until then, there was plenty more to keep him occupied.


    Back in his dorm, Kevin spent the time until lunch drawing Fire Qi into his sealed land. His body was still almost full of Fire Qi from his morning Qi Gathering, which had been kept under control by his pill regime.


    By the time he¡¯d finished cultivation and lunch, his arm had recovered enough for light work. Returning to his room, Kevin set up his flag crafting supplies once more


    While he¡¯d completed all three required formations, there was a stark quality difference between his first flags and his recent ones. Fisher might still accept them, but he wanted to do far better than the minimum required.


    Now he had a minimum first draft of the project it was time to go back and perfect it.


    With his improved technique, the early flags were far faster to complete than before, but it still took him most of the afternoon to finish them. It was a significant time sink, but the finished product was worth it.


    This time, a surge of pride flowed through him when Kevin laid all three formations out. Each flag was near-perfect and the best he could achieve without putting days more effort into them.


    There was no longer any doubt they would activate without issue. If not for the elder¡¯s injunction against charging them without supervision, he¡¯d have lept into doing it right now.


    Grinning, Kevin bundled each formation up with care. A few days ago, he¡¯d been worried about finishing in time for his next FORM-101 tutoring session; now, he was looking forward to it.


    A second cultivation session pulled in most of his stored Qi while resting his arm until dinner time. After he¡¯d eaten, Kevin used the last light before dusk to practice his lobbing technique.


    His martial arts tutor had told him to practice those techniques before sleeping, and it seemed sensible to apply the same method here.


    A side benefit of redoing his early work was a decent supply of flags he wasn¡¯t worried about breaking, and Kevin took them all with him to Formation Courtyard One.


    Two other FORM-115 students were already practicing, but he gave them a wide birth. Finding his own spot, Kevin practiced lob after lob until dusk fell. It was a slow process, but after a few hundred throws, the pattern he was forming had significantly improved.


    If they repeated the class again, he¡¯d wager that he was closer to fifty-five percent effectiveness now than the fifty Fischer had graded him on. If he could keep improving like that, he might have a chance of winning.


    For now, he swung by the Earth courtyard to fit in a few easy cultivation cycles before bed.


    Tomorrow he would have time for more practice, along with meeting Amelia for a cultivation session.

 Chapter 46 - Growing Closer

    Sunday morning dawned with a light rain shower and a deep gray mist that swept through the sect.


    Kevin took one look out the window, then went back to bed. He¡¯d had enough mist for a lifetime, and he¡¯d earned a break after such a productive week.


    He enjoyed another hour of luxurious sleep and a second of quiet reading before heading down to breakfast. While the steady patter of rain continued, the mist had cleared enough to no longer bring back concerning memories.


    The cafeteria was quiet this long after his usual breakfast. Less than a dozen students were present, only one of whom he recognized.


    Kevin waved at James from TEC-109, his least competitive class, but otherwise kept to himself.


    After breakfast, he donned a heavier, water-resistant robe and braced himself for the weather outside. The temperature wasn¡¯t too bad ¡ª despite being on a mountain, the entire sect was strangely warm ¡ª but the constant drizzle soon wormed its way through his protection.


    He hoped it would clear by afternoon or his cultivation session with Amelia would be less than pleasant. Assuming it even went ahead. Given her dislike of the practice, he could see her using the weather as an excuse to get out of it.


    Kevin would have been tempted to put his own morning session off if not for being able to use his body as a battery. As it was, he could tough out the twenty minutes needed to fill up on Qi.


    That was unpleasant enough, and he was quick to jog back to his dorm for a hot shower when he¡¯d finished. With stored Qi, there was no need to leave his room, so Kevin spent the rest of the morning cultivating in comfort.


    First, he filled his sealed land with as much Fire Qi as he could stand. So far, he¡¯d seen little progress in increasing that quantity, so he finished long before lunch.


    Hints of whiter cloud cover in the distance gave hope the rain would clear in a few hours, so Kevin moved on to cultivating stored Earth Qi. Even in the Fire courtyard, nearly half of the energy he pulled in was Earth.


    Using it now would leave him nothing but a mass of Fire Qi for later. However, his planned session with Amelia should mitigate that. He could use that time to refresh the Earth Qi in his reserves, allowing him to continue cultivating something other than Fire.


    It looked like the day would be heavy on cultivation, which he had no issue with. While the week might have been beyond productive, there had been far too little time spent on advancement for his taste.


    At times, he¡¯d even had days with a net Qi loss after a particularly energy-intensive class.


    Feeling the next breakthrough drift away like that was painful, like his dreams were slipping through his fingers.


    This morning of focused cultivation reversed that trend, pushing him ever closer to the fifth grade. Even beyond the wonder of progression, the act of cultivation was something Kevin enjoyed on its own merit.


    As the hours passed, the stress he hadn¡¯t been fully aware of faded, and deep relaxation washed away the week¡¯s trials.


    When he snapped his eyes open, there was a broad smile on his face. So what if he had a mountain of things to do? Or if he competing with more advanced cultivators?


    He¡¯d managed everything so far, and he¡¯d far exceeded his expectations in doing so. This was only the beginning of his path, and he would continue accelerating until he reached his dream.


    <hr>


    By the time Kevin had finished a hearty lunch, the rain had slowed to a faint drizzle so light you could barely notice it. This break in the weather was just what he¡¯d been hoping for, and he wasted no time grabbing his practice equipment.


    The sect was quieter than usual as he jogged through it, with no more than half the normal number of disciples moving around. It seemed even cultivators needed a break for one day a week.


    Formation Courtyard one was deserted when he arrived, and the sight brought a smile to Kevin¡¯s face. While the other FORM-115 students could have practiced earlier or be coming later, the idea that he was the most diligent was a nice one.


    He had to catch up somehow, after all. Pushing his cultivation would help to an extent, but the remaining gap would have to be covered by superior skill.


    Wasting no time, Kevin settled into a steady rhythm of flag lobbing. The muddy ground produced some odd results when his flags struck it, but on the whole, it was easier than firm dirt.


    It was also good to experience different conditions; he wouldn¡¯t put it past Elder Fischer to throw all sorts of surprises at them during the competition. She seemed like the kind of teacher who¡¯d throw questions you¡¯d never covered into an exam to see if you¡¯d been learning on your own.


    To avoid overworking his arm again, Kevin wove periods of martial arts training into his practice time. With only footwork to practice for the Sinking Sands, it provided a relaxing break while still pushing his skills forward.


    Stolen novel; please report.


    The minutes became hours as Kevin¡¯s lobbing ability grew with each throw. When he¡¯d first learned the technique in class, it had felt like he was tossing flags into a void with nothing but hope they would land.


    Now, he could see how his movements affected where the flag ended up.


    Releasing later in the movement shorted the arc, bringing the landing point closer. Moving that release earlier extended the arc, increasing the range. Rather than being mere luck, hitting the target was a simple matter of release timing.


    Getting it right was far from easy, but the basic principle wasn¡¯t hard to grasp.


    Over hundreds of shots, he improved until he could hit close to his target three times out of five, a massive improvement over the dozens of tries he¡¯d needed in the first class.


    With another few practice sessions, he should be able to assemble a full pattern with only a few errors.


    Until Fischer made it more difficult, of course. Until now, she¡¯d allowed them to focus on throwing in a straight line. To hit a target to the left or right, they¡¯d shifted where they were standing until the new point was straight ahead.


    It was a method that would be impossible in a dynamic combat situation. Fischer would no doubt add angled throwing in soon, perhaps even in the next lesson, further complicating the technique.


    That was a worry for later, however. He¡¯d made more than enough progress for now, which was good since he was running out of time.


    The notes he¡¯d exchanged with Amelia since their lunch had nailed their cultivation session down to four PM, which was growing close after three hours of practice.


    If he left now, he¡¯d have just enough time to wash off the sweat before meeting her at the Earth Courtyard.


    <hr>


    Despite showing up a few minutes early, Kevin found Amelia waiting by the edge of the massive chasm surrounding the Earth Courtyard.


    Instead of wearing something heavy-duty to ward off the ongoing drizzle, Amelia had opted for a light purple, dress-like robe. If not for the umbrella above her head, she would have been soaked waiting for him.


    The strange device floated with no apparent support, keeping her dry while leaving her arms free. One hand held an open book she was reading, the other a woven mat rolled into a tube.


    Kevin snorted, shaking his head. Why hadn¡¯t he thought of that? It seemed she¡¯d be nice and dry while he¡¯d be sitting on the wet stone of the courtyard. He¡¯d have to look into equipment like that for the next time it rained.


    A simple mat should be easy to purchase with squares, but a magic umbrella was likely outside his budget. Perhaps he could find one with a stand?


    Amelia glanced up as he grew closer, and a smile flashed across her face. Snapping her book closed, she slipped it into a satchel slung over one shoulder, then waved him over.


    In the few moments it took him to arrive, she¡¯d already pulled out a blank page and held it up between them.


    Hello Kevin, it¡¯s nice to see you again.


    ¡°Hi, Amelia,¡± he greeted, offering an arm. ¡°It¡¯s nice to see you too.¡±


    Now that he was within arms¡¯ reach, the strings of Qi reaching from her shoulders to the umbrella were impossible to miss. Nor was the lack of energy within the mundane object.


    ¡°Ah¡­ is that a technique you¡¯re using?¡± Kevin licked his lips nervously, pointing toward her floating shelter.


    Amelia laughed silently, unable to cover her face this time as she reached out to clasp arms.


    Indeed, it is a simple adaption of a floating sword technique. I had little interest in the weapon art itself, but this is quite useful.


    The slight tilt of her head toward the subject of their conversation was nonchalant, but the hint of a smirk on her face gave her away.


    ¡°Impressive,¡± Kevin chuckled as he recovered from the casual display of talent. While they¡¯d discussed how much she enjoyed learning techniques before, seeing the results was something else.


    Who else would learn a technique for telekinetic sword fighting just to float an umbrella?


    Beyond the surprise, he was glad to see her comfortable enough to joke about it. He¡¯d picked up hints that she was uncomfortable displaying too many of her abilities, so it spoke well of their growing friendship.


    ¡°Why not use the fighting technique, though, if you don¡¯t mind me asking?¡±


    Amelia shrugged, glancing away with a light flush.


    Producing any measure of strength with the technique requires too much energy to be worth it. In a fight, I need all my Qi for talismans.


    Kevin frowned, fighting the urge to pry further. He¡¯d thought talismans were like formation flags, with the bulk of the required energy provided during their creation.


    Amelia must have noticed as she sighed and continued writing.


    Go ahead and ask. I don¡¯t mind; It¡¯s come up in my talisman classes anyway.


    Kevin searched her face before responding, wanting to be sure she was comfortable. Her tattoos were shifting in a way he didn¡¯t have context for, but there was a tiny smile on her lips.


    ¡°OK then, but feel free to tell me to mind my own business.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t talismans require a fraction of their total cost to activate? I thought that was one of the big advantages, allowing you to use more techniques in a fight than most cultivators could manage.¡±


    Amelia hesitated, tilting her head to the side. After a few moments, she lifted her page again as fresh text spilled across it.


    You are correct. For most people, the low activation cost and the wide variety of options are the primary advantages of talisman use. That is why they have become so popular.


    It is not unheard of for a talisman master to prepare hundreds of different techniques, giving them solutions to any situation they can plan for.


    However, that path is not one I can travel. Normal ink doesn¡¯t like me, so I am unable to write anything permanent.


    A flash of sadness crossed her face as Amelia tapped the page she held, ink already retracting into her fingertips.


    Kevin blinked, thrown by the response. How could ink not like someone? He¡¯d thought her writing technique had been a method of convenience, but it seemed like something else entirely.


    Then again, he¡¯d wondered if she had a unique constitution or something. Part of him ached to ask, but he knew that pushing further was too personal for this early in their friendship.


    Amelia had a hint of hesitation in her pose now, as if worried about his reaction. It would be best to lighten the conversation. ¡°That must be rough,¡± he nodded, a sympathetic smile on his face.


    ¡°Let me know if you want to talk about it, but for now, I¡¯m just curious how you¡¯re taking talisman classes at all.¡±


    The bright smile that flashed across Amelia¡¯s face showed he¡¯d made the right decision. In an instant, her hesitation was gone, and she held up a finger.


    With a flick of her wrist, a thick paper card ending in a cloth tassel appeared in one hand while the other held her usual page.


    While blank, the style suggested it was intended for talisman creation. Much like his formation flags, it would need considerable work before it was ready.


    Or it should have; instead, Amelia narrowed her eyes as inky blood flowed from her fingertips. Moving faster than her usual writing, it formed intricate patterns across the blank face.


    A moment later, her energy flowed into it, forming a completed talisman.

 Chapter 47 - Cultivation Troubles

    ¡°So you can make any talisman you want on the fly?¡± Kevin asked, eyebrows rising at the insane versatility.


    Any talisman that I¡¯ve memorized the pattern for, Amelia wrote with a shrug.


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin nodded, calming down at that addition. He hadn¡¯t memorized any of his formation patterns; it was complicated enough just copying them. Talismans might be a little smaller, but it would still be tough to remember every little detail.


    Not to mention the Qi cost of creating them on the fly. No wonder she¡¯d mentioned needing all her energy for talismans. While Amelia might be on a whole other level when it came to versatility, she¡¯d lost out on the other major benefit talismans provided.


    ¡°That¡¯s still really impressive,¡± he continued, getting a bright smile in response. ¡°But it does mean cultivation is even more vital for you.


    We need to get those energy reserves up if you want that to be sustainable.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s smile shifted into an adorable pout, but still nodded.


    Fine, I can¡¯t refute your argument. Let¡¯s get this over with.


    Kevin shook his head at her reluctance but kept quiet as he led the way toward the bridge crossing the chasm.


    The Earth courtyard bucked the trend in the rest of the sect, containing almost as many people as usual. While it would have been nice to find a place closer to the center, there were still plenty of spots near the edge.


    Soaked stone greeted Kevin as they arrived while Amelia unrolled her mat nearby. ¡°I don¡¯t suppose you have a technique for drying stone?¡± He asked with a sigh, not really expecting much.


    Amelia placed a finger on her lips and tilted her head as if giving his question serious thought. Then her face brightened as she nodded with enthusiasm.


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin grinned back, his posture perking up. ¡°Please go ahead. I¡¯d appreciate a dry seat a lot.¡±


    Amelia¡¯s expression shifted into focused concentration as she gestured to the ground at his feat. At first, it looked like nothing was happening, then the darker shades of the wet stone bled away.


    It looked like she was dragging all the water in a circle outward, leaving a dry area large enough to fit him. A few fresh droplets fell onto it as he watched, but it was still leagues better than before.


    ¡°Thanks,¡± Kevin said, giving her a bright smile even as he sank into place. No doubt it would be soaked again by the time they were done, but it was a lot more of a pleasant start.


    ¡°That was awesome.¡±


    You are welcome, Amelia wrote with a brief curtsy. It was a simple feat. Water is one of my sub-aspects, so such a minor manipulation was of no particular difficulty.


    Let me know if it becomes too unpleasant again, and I can repeat the process.


    ¡°It didn¡¯t look simple to me,¡± Kevin snorted, shaking his head. ¡°But I¡¯ll take your word for it.¡±


    He paused as a thought struck him, along with a hint of guilt. ¡°I should be good now; if the dampness builds up gradually, I won¡¯t even notice it.¡± Working on Amelia¡¯s Qi reserves was the point of being here, so he shouldn¡¯t ask her to spend more energy helping him.


    Amelia raised an eyebrow and stared at him for a long moment before nodding gracefully. Let us begin then, she wrote before stowing her paper away and settling into position.


    Nodding, Kevin focused on using his tattoo to gather fresh Earth Qi to replace what he¡¯d used earlier. Nearby, he could sense Amelia sinking into position on her mat, energy beginning to flow toward her.


    It was time to cultivate.


    <hr>


    Amelia lasted less than half an hour before she began shifting on her mat, drawing Kevin¡¯s attention away from deep focus.


    After refreshing his free-floating Earth Qi reserves, he¡¯d switched to pulling stored Fire Qi into his sealed land. The energy he¡¯d cultivated earlier had burnt up, so he was ready for another batch.


    He was partway through this process when he noticed Amelia¡¯s odd actions through a mixture of hearing and his spiritual senses.


    Every time he¡¯d seen her, Amelia¡¯s actions had been filled with effortless grace. Often, she rested in stillness as if waiting for the next time she had to move.


    Even her reactions, such as covering her face when she laughed, were performed so deliberately it felt more like a conscious choice than an involuntary motion.


    Snapping his eyes open, Kevin turned to check that she was alright.


    At first glance, things looked normal enough. Amelia sat on her mat in a perfect lotus position while Earth Qi flowed across her skin. It was like she¡¯d covered herself in a thick layer of energy, which sank into her skin in blank areas where she had no tattoos.


    It wasn¡¯t a cultivation style he¡¯d encountered before, but there didn¡¯t seem to be anything wrong with it from what he could sense. Yet despite that, he noticed the look of discomfort on her face on closer inspection.


    Along with the continued shifting of her whole body on the mat, it worried him enough to break her concentration.


    Stolen story; please report.


    ¡°Amelia,¡± he said in a low voice, not wanting to surprise her too much. ¡°Hey, are you all right?¡±


    Amelia¡¯s eyes cracked open as she stared over, blinking at him. Then, her face flushed a deep red, contrasting starkly with her normal paper-white complexion.


    Her hand darted into a sleeve with almost her usual grace as she pulled out a blank page.


    Sorry! I didn¡¯t mean to disturb you.


    Amelia looked away as she wrote, covering her face with her other hand. It did little to hide her obvious embarrassment.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine. I was just worried something had gone wrong,¡± Kevin shook his head and pushed himself into a standing position. ¡°You looked a little uncomfortable.¡±


    His words did little to calm her down; if anything, Amelia flushed even harder. The ink from her previous words retracted in an instant and then flowed out into fresh writing.


    Oh¡­ No, I¡¯m fine. Nothing went wrong with my cultivation. I was just¡­ I mean¡­


    I tried to focus for as long as possible. Sorry again.


    ¡°It¡¯s fine, don¡¯t worry about it,¡± Kevin responded, his tone calm and reassuring. ¡°If you¡¯re fine, then there¡¯s no issue,¡± he continued, eying her writing as he tried to make sense of it.


    The sentences were choppier than her usual elegant style, betraying her discomfort even more than her face. This had to be deeper than just being worried she¡¯d disturbed him.


    At a guess, it was an issue she was already profoundly embarrassed about, which he¡¯d exacerbated by bringing it up.


    Was that why she¡¯d been so reluctant to start the cultivation session?


    His mind whirled as he took slow steps over toward her. ¡°Was it too boring?¡± He hazarded a guess, clued in by how she¡¯d mentioned trying to focus.


    Amelia continued to stare away, covering her face as she refused to look at him. However, fresh words began forming despite that.


    It¡¯s so dumb. I can spend all day reading books or practicing new techniques without issue. Other people have told me they couldn¡¯t focus for half as long.


    Yet when something is boring, I can¡¯t even keep it up for an hour.


    It¡¯s why I¡¯m so weak.


    She seemed to wilt away as she wrote the last few words as if weighed down by shame.


    Kevin paused his advance, opening his mouth, then closing it again as he struggled to find the right words. It seemed he¡¯d stumbled onto a more serious issue than he¡¯d thought.


    This was a conversation he needed to handle with care.


    <hr>


    His first instinct was to refute her claim of being weak. It felt like he¡¯d only seen the surface of her insane well of techniques. Along with her crazy learning ability, he¡¯d built her into something of a prodigy in his mind.


    Yet, something told him that was the wrong approach since there was a seed of truth to her worries.


    She was the same age as Brad, yet more than an entire stage behind him. And even Brad mentioned that mastering the fragments of his family¡¯s techniques had slowed him down.


    Hell, she was at around the average level for most of the new disciples, and they were two or three years younger than her. That spoke to the indisputable fact that she was falling behind in advancement compared to her peers.


    Trying to contract an obvious fact would be of no help at all. Instead, he had to talk around it.


    ¡°Well, you¡¯re hardly alone there,¡± Kevin chuckled lightly as he took a few steps closer. ¡°You¡¯re still far stronger than this old man,¡± he continued, trying to lighten the mood.


    It seemed to work. Amelia froze momentarily, then turned back to him, the flush slowly fading from her face.


    You¡¯re not that old.


    ¡°I look great for my age, I know,¡± Kevin responded, keeping his tone light. Most people likely underestimated his age, given the work Max had done when healing him. His advancement was far too low for longevity benefits, so most would assume he had none.


    ¡°But I¡¯m thirty-four. That¡¯s what, thirteen years older than you? And I¡¯m not even out of the first stage yet.¡±


    Twelve years, but I suppose I see your point. You were an outsider, though; cultivation didn¡¯t exist for you until recently.


    You¡¯ve advanced swiftly since then, so our situations are quite different.


    ¡°I was actually going in a different direction,¡± Kevin nodded easily. ¡°Can I sit?¡± He pointed toward the mat beside her.


    Amelia nodded carefully, shifting over in a flickering motion, her usual grace restored.


    Kevin sunk down beside her, the small mat providing just enough space so their legs weren''t touching.


    ¡°My actual point,¡± he continued, turning to look at her, ¡°was that your current strength doesn¡¯t matter that much, nor does the fact you are having trouble.¡±


    ¡°It has to be horrible and frustrating,¡± he continued, holding up a hand, ¡°but it¡¯s just something you need to find a workaround for. I was blocked for much of the time since I arrived, and it felt like I would never get anywhere.¡±


    ¡°But after I got past that, I started progressing quickly,¡± Kevin shrugged, a wry grin on his face. ¡°So we just need to find you a way to get past this.¡± He paused for a moment, weighing his words, before continuing.


    ¡°Have you tried talking to someone about it? The first doctor I spoke to helped me get started, but it wasn¡¯t until I talked to a specialist that I really shot forward.¡±


    Amelia shrugged in response. Her face was blank, but the tightening of her shoulders spoke to discomfort. ¡°It¡¯s not a blockage, so it¡¯s my problem to solve.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin sighed, nodding in commiseration with her. If there was one fundamental problem he¡¯d found with the support in this world, it was the extreme independence of cultivator culture.


    When he¡¯d been stuck, the sect was happy to throw all the support in the world his way. Once they¡¯d solved that, the support had dried up in an instant, with only Dr. Vaughan¡¯s kind advice helping him out.


    Given that she was capable of cultivation despite having trouble with it, he could see how the sect would treat Amelia¡¯s issue the same way. Back home, there¡¯d be psychiatrists to talk about this kind of thing, but he hadn¡¯t yet seen any sign of that here.


    Or at least not in the sect. If that kind of support existed, it was in the civilian world where no one tried to live up to the image of a ¡®perfect¡¯ cultivator.


    ¡°You can still ask for help improving your cultivation speed, though,¡± he continued, trying to stay upbeat. ¡°You just need to pay for it with your own merit, right? If you¡¯re going to get enough together for the inner sect, you should have plenty to spare.¡±


    ¡°Cultivators are all about their special supplements, so there has to be a pill for short-term focus or something like that.¡± Surely, an alchemist somewhere had invented a studying pill that might help with her situation.


    Maybe. Amelia wrote, her shoulders relaxing as her face shifted into a tiny smile.


    I do not have the merit for that right now, but I could work toward it. My current plan is to start earning serious merit a month from now.


    ¡°Great,¡± Kevin nodded, relaxing himself now it seemed he¡¯d navigated through the problem. He might even have helped along the way.


    ¡°Then, for now, let¡¯s chat for a few more minutes before trying again.¡±


    When he saw her tensing back up, he raised a hand. ¡°But this time, we¡¯ll try for just twenty minutes,¡± he continued, holding up his pocket watch with the other hand.


    ¡°Then we¡¯ll break and talk some more. Do you think you can handle that? By my count, you lasted longer than that last time.¡± Kevin held his breath as he finished, watching her face for a response.


    Amelia blinked as if thrown by his words before a brilliant smile crossed her face.


    Thank you, Kevin, she wrote, holding the page up between them. That sounds wonderful. I think I could do twenty minutes right now, actually.


    With another flicker of movement, she shifted sideways so their legs touched. You can stay here if you want; I think your spot is soaked again, she continued, pointing a delicate finger at where he¡¯d been sitting.


    ¡°Ah¡­ sure,¡± Kevin chuckled, unsure how to process her sudden change. Still, it seemed he¡¯d cheered her up, and hopefully, his idea to split their session up would help.


    He only hoped that having her so close wouldn¡¯t be too distracting.

 Chapter 48 - Weeks End

    Amelia fought to keep the flush from returning to her face as she watched Kevin fiddle with his pocket watch.


    It looked like one of the more complicated versions she¡¯d heard was popular in the capital. One with multiple functions for tracking time.


    The odd choice contrasted with Kevin¡¯s otherwise plain attire, providing an intriguing hint into the enigma he presented. On any other day, it would have drawn her full attention; now, it barely distracted from the memory of her breakdown.


    How mortifying that had been. Why couldn¡¯t she have held it together? As if ruining the cultivation session hadn¡¯t been enough, she¡¯d also dumped her problems on Kevin.


    Such a baring of weakness should have been enough to shift the entire tone of their friendship or even end it altogether. Instead, Kevin handled it with the same casual grace he applied to everything else.


    It was clear the situation had thrown him; he wasn¡¯t some kind of genius with a perfect solution to every problem. She¡¯d met such individuals in the past when her mother¡¯s clan was still interested.


    Cultivators with enough raw intellect to dissect your entire personality in a single conversation.


    No, Kevin wasn¡¯t like that. Instead, he¡¯d approached the problem with the same calm certainty he did everything else. He evaluated the issue, came up with a solution, and then applied it without further hesitation.


    Or at least that was her read of the man. It was possible she was wrong, and this was just another thing obfuscated by the impenetrable wall of his friendly persona.


    She¡¯d never met anyone else who could talk with you for an hour, share some of their deepest hopes and dreams, and still leave you with no idea who they were.


    The enigma he presented was beyond intriguing and brought her scattered attention back to the watch as he twisted a dial. Everything else about Kevin screamed cost-saving minimalism except for this watch.


    Most new disciples paid for the best cultivator robes, enchanted items, and other paraphernalia they could afford. All the better to show how important they were. Even she was far from immune to such a desire.


    Yet from what she¡¯d seen, Kevin had a few sets of cheap but serviceable clothes and little else. A large part of that could be explained by his recent arrival in this world, except for the watch.


    Instead of a basic model in line with the rest of his belongings, he¡¯d shelled out for the more expensive version. In another cultivator, she would have believed it was for appearances. With Kevin, it would be because he used it to track parts of his cultivation.


    If there was one thing she was sure about, it was the man¡¯s complete obsession with advancement.


    She''d almost spat out her tea when he¡¯d first described his marathon cultivation days. Fourteen hours of nothing but cultivation? It sounded like the worst hell she could imagine.


    Was that how other people felt when she talked about studying obscure manuals in the library all day?


    His rapid progress since arriving was no mystery when considering that level of dedication. When he¡¯d brought up a group cultivation, she¡¯d been too embarrassed to refuse.


    Despite knowing better, she¡¯d been swept up in the man¡¯s enthusiasm and walked straight to her own doom. Which brought her right back to the situation she¡¯d been trying to avoid thinking about.


    Instead, she turned her focus back to Kevin once more, watching as he finished the last few adjustments. His regular, easy smile was back, the one that hid everything deeper about him.


    At first, the foolish confidence with which he described a near-impossible dream piqued her interest. A goal that was no less ridiculous than hers and for which he was ill-prepared.


    Despite that, he still had the courage to dream, making him far more interesting than most of her fellow disciples. She¡¯d thought that two fools together would make good acquaintances.


    How wrong she¡¯d been; no mere acquaintance would have handled her breakdown with such care. Even beyond that, it was clear they were largely here for her benefit.


    While Kevin¡¯s full cultivation style was mysterious, the first step was easy enough to understand. He gathered Qi and stored it within his body for later use.


    Odd, certainly, but not difficult to understand.


    He could have been done in fifteen minutes before returning to cultivate out of the cold. Instead, he seemed happy to spend time together despite her gaining most of the benefits.


    Those were the actions of someone reaching out in friendship, and after today, she¡¯d be happy to accept it. Assuming Kevin was still interested after seeing her failings.


    ¡°Done,¡± Kevin said, pulling her back to the real world. ¡°Twenty minutes from when I hit this button,¡± he continued, pointing toward the watch¡¯s side.


    Amelia leaned in, brushing up against him to get a better look. The watch itself got a fraction of her attention, with the rest focused on Kevin¡¯s face. If putting up with her limitations annoyed him, then she needed to know now.


    All she found was a flattering blush as the man averted his eyes. No hint that she was an imposition he was putting up with, just earnest kindness mixed with a hint of attraction.


    Kevin coughed and cleared his throat. ¡°Ah, ready then?¡±


    Amelia nodded, shifting back to her own spot on the small mat. As always, she wished she could at least hum in acknowledgment. Many found her complete silence offputting.


    Kevin took it in stride, as he always had. Apart from a few moments when they¡¯d first met, he¡¯d never looked twice at her odd communication style.


    This book was originally published on Royal Road. Check it out there for the real experience.


    ¡°Right then, twenty minutes starting¡­ now.¡±


    With a click, Kevin¡¯s watch started an almost inaudible ticking sound as the man closed his eyes, seemingly focused within seconds.


    The ease with which he sank into cultivation was enviable, and Amelia couldn¡¯t bring herself to disappoint him again. Not when he¡¯d been so helpful.


    Besides, if it was just twenty minutes, she could make it.


    Right?


    With a frown, Amelia pushed aside her reluctance and strained to narrow her focus onto the Qi floating around her.


    The Ink Mixing Cultivation style was from her mother¡¯s clan and one she strictly shouldn¡¯t be using anymore. However, her constitution allowed few other options, so that restriction was one she continued to ignore.


    If the clan wanted her to stop, they could complain in person. With luck, they might even send her mother to do it.


    The Qi composition in this Earth Courtyard was a mix of Earth and Metal Qi, with their relationship being roughly sixty percent Earth to forty Percent Metal. Earth she could use on its own, while Metal condensed Water, the other half of her aspect.


    With both being useful, there was no need to filter energy, simplifying the process. Given how boring it was already, that was far from a benefit. Still, she¡¯d already messed up once today; doing so again would be beyond embarrassing.


    It would also be unfair to Kevin after he¡¯d been more accommodating than anyone she¡¯d cultivated with before. Urgent worry helped her push past the invisible wall that so often stopped her, and she drew Qi toward her.


    The energy flowed across her skin with the slightest prompting, stilling her bloodline marks as it touched them. She¡¯d always hated that; having to shift the energy as they moved would have at least kept her attention.


    Next, she pulled the Qi through the gaps between those tattoo-like birthmarks. Within moments, the Qi sank through and reached the oversized Skin Meridian beneath.


    From there, the meridian channeled it straight to her Dantian without conscious effort. On arrival, the Metal Q would convert to Water and mix with Earth to make Ink Qi, that odd substance that few ever interacted with.


    Such a combination of Qi was near-perfect for her, and she had to wonder if Kevin had known that when suggesting the courtyard. That would imply a deeper understanding of aspect dynamics than she would have expected from someone so new to cultivation.


    Or had he just thought that Earth would be at least half¡­


    Her cultivation stalled as Amelia¡¯s attention faded, and she had to bite her lip to wrench it back. For long moments, her scattered focus achieved nothing until the Qi started flowing again.


    The complete boredom of the infuriating process was only matched by the focus she needed to maintain.


    As if cultivation was custom-designed by the heavens to perfectly match her weakness.


    Pills were far more civilized, providing a steady stream of Qi straight to her Stomach Meridian with no focus required. However, Kevin was right to say they were no longer a crutch she could rely on.


    Not when her ever-escalating technique usage threatened to use more Qi than pills could provide. Cultivation would be required unless she drastically scaled back, leaving her torn between two desires.


    For a second time, her cultivation ground to a halt, and Amelia cursed in the silence of her mind. It was just twenty minutes; she should be able to focus for that long, at least. Just twenty minutes, and she could spend some time talking to Kevin again.


    Somehow, that helped, and she managed to keep going for endless seconds until the blessed ringing of a watch signaled her break.


    Perhaps Kevin was on to something with his idea. She¡¯d have to find a way to thank him.


    The pocket watch buzzed in Kevin¡¯s hand, pulling him out of his latest Earth Qi cycle. It was the fifth they¡¯d tried since he¡¯d suggested breaking the session up, and he suspected it would be the last.


    While she tried to hide it, he could see how each one was a little harder on Amelia. It was clear that the ten-minute break between cycles helped her to recharge, but the three hours they¡¯d been there seemed to be her limit.


    That was a little short by his usual standards, but the time had been pleasant in a different way from his normal sessions.


    Amelia was fascinating to talk to. Her varied interests made her a font of intriguing information, and she always had some tidbit to share. With how easily the conversation flowed, it felt more like he¡¯d known her for months than a few days.


    A shoulder leaned into him, and he turned to see her holding a page with a brilliant smile.


    Thank you, Kevin. That was the most pleasant cultivation session I believe I¡¯ve ever had.


    ¡°Had enough then?¡± He asked, raising an eyebrow. ¡°I suppose it¡¯s about dinner time anyway.¡±


    Amelia nodded, glancing away for a moment as fresh words flowed out.


    Indeed. Before today, I would never have believed I could keep going for this long. Thank you for keeping me entertained; it helped a lot.


    This is my limit, however.


    ¡°No need to thank me,¡± Kevin chuckled, shaking his head. ¡°I enjoyed talking to you as well. Sometimes, it¡¯s nice to take a break, even for me.¡±


    Her shoulders shook with silent laughter as Amelia glanced back, covering her face. You¡¯re too kind.


    This session was very helpful to me. I¡¯ve made more progress today than I usually do in a week. Could we do it again?


    A hint of uncertainty covered her face as she finished, though he wasn¡¯t sure why.


    ¡°Sure,¡± Kevin grinned back, trying to convey his sincerity. ¡°I meant it when I said I had fun. Same time next Sunday?¡±


    That works for me.


    Despite your insistence, however, I¡¯m aware that these sessions are mostly for my benefit, Amelia wrote, arcing an eyebrow as if daring him to disagree.


    If there is anything I can help you with, please let me know.


    Kevin paused, holding back his instinctive response to wave her off. Amelia looked serious, and he didn¡¯t want to offend her by refusing the offer.


    Nor would it be wise to blow off help from one of the most intelligent people he¡¯d ever met. After a moment¡¯s consideration, the answer came to him. ¡°How are you with Qi Shielding?¡±


    Amelia smirked, raising an arm covered in inky-black energy.


    It¡¯s not something I use regularly due to the Qi requirements, but I do well enough. I have Saturday afternoon free if you would like a tutoring session.


    ¡°That would be great. I should be able to do it on Saturday.¡± Kevin responded with a smile. It was the subject he had the least personal help with, so some additional tutoring would be amazing.


    Saturday was also after his next practical class when Li should clear him for practice outside class.


    Then, I would be glad to return the favor. Amelia nodded, her face serious.


    The conversation paused after that until Kevin stood and stretched with a groan. ¡°Well, if we¡¯re done, I think it¡¯s time for dinner. Want to grab something to eat?¡±


    Amelia rose beside him, flowing through the movement like her bones were liquid. For several long moments, she stared at him until a mysterious smile crossed her face.


    I would very much like to have dinner with you sometime, Kevin. However, not tonight, I think. It has been a long week, and I can only handle so much socializing.


    Instead, I will bid you goodnight. Thank you again for the cultivation session.


    ¡°Right¡­¡± Kevin nodded, blinking as she dipped into a smooth curtsy. ¡°I¡¯ll see you later then?¡±


    Amelia nodded, gesturing to the mat he was still standing on.


    Flushing, Kevin stepped off and watched as it rolled up and floated under her arm. Then she was gone, flashing off in the strange, circular movements of the Twisted Step.


    ¡°Should have asked her to teach me that,¡± he chuckled, shaking his head. Then again, it wasn¡¯t like he needed something else to study.


    As Amelia said, it had been a long week. Long but good.


    With a broad grin, Kevin crossed the bridge and wandered back through the sect. Only a few months ago, he¡¯d arrived on this world with nothing; now, he was a proper sect cultivator.


    Sure, there were issues to overcome and a six-month deadline to meet, but he was determined to succeed.


    Staying in the sect was only the smallest step on the endless path he¡¯d chosen; there was no way he¡¯d fail here.


    End book 1.

 Chapter 2:1 - Moment of Truth

    Kevin¡¯s second week at the Twisted Path sect began with his early morning FORM-101 class.


    7:00 AM was an early enough start, but Kevin¡¯s nervous energy woke him up almost two hours earlier than that. There were precious few chances for an Outer Sect disciple to impress an Inner Sect Elder, and he was lucky enough to have one of those few.


    FORM-101 was the class he had to ace at all costs if he wanted any hope of Elder Fischer handing out bonus merit. Merit that was likely to be the difference between remaining at the sect and being booted at the six-month mark.


    Unable to sleep further, Kevin pulled himself out of bed and spread his completed formations across the floor for a third time. While he¡¯d confirmed a few days ago that there were no errors, he couldn¡¯t help but go through all eighteen flags again.


    Only after he¡¯d confirmed again that there were nothing but the most minor of errors was he able to relax and pack the flags away. Unless he was missing something, there should be no chance of any flag failing in class.


    With his worries calmed, Kevin turned his attention to his notes from the previous class. If he¡¯d learned anything about Elder Fischer, it was how unpredictable she was. While she hadn¡¯t mentioned any tests, he wouldn¡¯t be surprised if the elder quizzed him on the previous material.


    His studying took up most of his remaining time, leaving just long enough for a quick breakfast. Even at this early hour, the cafeteria downstairs from his dorm room was half-filled with early-rising disciples, and Kevin waved in greeting to several of his classmates before finding a spot.


    Without Amelia or Brad present, he kept to himself beyond that as he devoured a quick breakfast before heading to the Fire Courtyard. Less than ten minutes there filled his body with Free-floating Qi for later, leaving him just enough time to get to class.


    The FORM-101 classroom was closed when he arrived at 7:00 on the dot, freeing him from any concerns that the elder might have trapped it again. While the introductory class shouldn¡¯t cover that kind of trap, anything was possible now that it was a private tutoring session.


    Less than a minute after he arrived, a blur flashed past as Elder Fischer slammed the door open and entered the classroom. ¡°Hurry up,¡± her voice called out from inside. We don¡¯t have all day.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded as he hurried to catch up.


    The classroom had changed since he¡¯d last seen it. Instead of the usual rows of tables and chairs, someone had cleared the middle of the room to create an empty circle.


    Fischer stood in the middle of the new area, tapping her foot on the bare floorboards. ¡°I assume you¡¯ve finished your project,¡± she said, quirking an eyebrow as Kevin approached.


    ¡°Unless you¡¯ve wasted my time, that is.¡±


    Kevin shook his head, pride filling his voice as he responded. ¡°No, Ma¡¯am, I¡¯ve got them right here,¡± he said, patting his back. ¡°One¡¯s in the quiver; the other two are in my satchel.¡±


    The formation quiver Fischer handed out in the last FORM-115 class was strapped across one shoulder, the opening within reach of his right hand. The strap for his usual satchel was on the other shoulder, positioned to not interfere with the quiver.


    None of the formations today were suitable for combat; he¡¯d just loaded the quiver to help him get used to wearing it. The weight of the device changed when it was full, making wearing it loaded a different experience.


    ¡°I see you can follow simple advice, at least,¡± Fischer snorted, eyeing his setup with a hint of approval. ¡°Don¡¯t keep me waiting then; get them out.¡±


    Kevin hurried to comply, spreading the formations across the floor. The combined eighteen flags for the three formations took up an impressive amount of space, reflecting the many hours of work he¡¯d put into them.


    ¡°Done,¡± he grinned, looking up at the elder. ¡°Energy Attraction, Energy Containment, Energy Filtering,¡± Kevin continued, pointing to each set of flags.


    Fischer glanced at the series of flags, her face blank. It would have taken him minutes to examine them all, yet she spoke again within moments. ¡°Very well. Are you confident in your work, Mr. Blake?¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded without hesitation. He¡¯d done the work well and checked it multiple times. Now was not the time for doubt.


    ¡°I see,¡± Fischer smirked back. ¡°Go ahead and charge them then.¡±


    This time, Kevin did hesitate, her warnings about injuring himself with an invalid flag rushing back. It had to be safe, right? Surely, the elder wouldn¡¯t let him activate a dangerous flag.


    After a moment¡¯s thought, he had to hold back a shudder. That sounded like something Fischer would do if he made a mistake. Let him blow himself up, then heal him afterward.


    Still, he was confident. The increased danger didn¡¯t change that.


    He just had to believe in the work he¡¯d done.


    Stolen content warning: this content belongs on Royal Road. Report any occurrences.


    <hr>


    Pushing aside his worries, Kevin reached down to grab the first flag.


    ¡°No notes?¡± Fischer asked, her smirk vanishing as she raised an eyebrow.


    ¡°I have the process memorized,¡± Kevin said, shaking his head. Thank god for his early morning study session.


    ¡°I see,¡± the elder said, mirroring her earlier words, this time with a contemplative look. ¡°Proceed then.¡±


    Nodding, Kevin closed his eyes and focused on the flag in his hand. These formations were unaligned, meaning he could use his native Earth Qi without worry.


    That simplified the process a lot; all he had to do was channel energy to it like he did for the Qi Blocking technique. Even better, he could release that energy from his palm instead of forcing it out of his arm.


    Compared to that painful process, charging the formation was simple. Energy-intensive, yes, but easy despite that.


    After a minute, he opened his eyes again and surveyed the flag for changes.


    To his regular eyesight, there were none. The flag remained only a section of painted cloth attached to a wooden rod. To his spiritual senses, it was a different story.


    He could now feel a faint energy pulse within the flag, hinting at its power. At a distance, this would be almost undetectable until the formation activated, but this close it proved he¡¯d succeed.


    With a deep breath, he offered the flag to Fischer in silence, waiting for her confirmation. She barely glanced at it before giving a terse nod and jerking her head at the other flags.


    It seemed he¡¯d get nothing else from her until he was finished, so Kevin placed the flag back with care and then grabbed the next one. With focused attention, he finished flag after flag until all eighteen were laid out before him again.


    This time, each held a hint of power, and he looked back up at Fischer with further pride. Not one had broken, exploded, or even failed to charge; a perfect score so far.


    ¡°Still confident, Mr. Blake?¡± Fischer asked, her blank face giving no hint as to the correct answer.


    Kevin paused, glanced back down at his finished flags, then gave a firm nod. ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am. I believe they are all charged and in good condition.¡±


    ¡°Then let¡¯s see if that confidence is warranted. Activate them.¡±


    His hand was already reaching for a flag when Kevin paused, a hint of doubt worming its way in. ¡°Ah, what about the floor?¡± Did she expect him to have already mastered some technique for embedding flags in wood?


    He hadn¡¯t even looked at the technique she¡¯d handed out in the FORM-115 class yet, instead focusing on the throwing techniques she¡¯d shown.


    ¡°Look again, Mr. Blake,¡± Fischer snorted, pointing toward the floor.


    Where before there had been plain but intact floorboards, there was now a series of small holes dotted across the floor. Each looked the perfect size to hold a flag, making Kevin¡¯s earlier questions seem silly.


    He should have expected that a classroom dedicated to formations would have a way of deploying them. Shaking his head, Kevin grabbed each flag for the Energy Containment formation, slotting them into his formation quiver.


    If he wanted to impress the elder, then it made sense to use the equipment she¡¯d provided in the more advanced class. Now prepared, he walked around the circle, activating each flag, then slotting it into the floor with a downward flick of his wrist.


    This was the flag planting technique Fischer had shown in the FORM-115 class. It wasn¡¯t something he¡¯d practiced as much as the flag lobbing technique. However, it was far more suitable for the small confines of the classroom.


    Fischer gave no indication that his use of a proper throwing technique had impressed her, but he forged on with it nonetheless. After a near-complete pass at the circle, he activated the control flag with a deep breath and planted it.


    Time for the moment of truth.


    Often, a completed formation remained dormant, waiting until its action condition was met. This was not the case with the simple Energy Containment Formation. Instead, it activated the moment Kevin planted the last flag.


    Before his eyes, an earthy-brown dome shimmered into being with only the slightest ripple on its surface, indicating a near-perfect creation.


    Fischer clicked her tongue as she walked over, giving the finished product far more attention than she had the flags. After almost a minute, she raised a hand, paused, then nodded.


    ¡°A solid showing, Mr. Blake. I¡¯m unable to extract the trapped Qi using equivalent strength to a peak Body Realm cultivator. Take it down and continue with the next one.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded, unable to keep the grin off his face.


    ¡®Solid¡¯ was high praise coming from the elder. Now, he just needed his other two formations to perform to the same standards.


    <hr>


    The Energy Filtering Formation wavered as Elder Fischer directed a stream of water Qi toward it. The intensive test pushed the limits of the basic pattern, verging on the edge of an offensive technique.


    Yet Kevin¡¯s flags held firm, shedding the undesired Qi while allowing tiny motes of natural Earth Qi to flow through. Like the two before it, the formation performed at the highest level of efficiency.


    ¡°Satisfactory,¡± Fischer said, lowering her hand and cutting off the energy flow. Despite her flat tone, the hint of a smile betrayed her.


    A broad grin crossed Kevin¡¯s face, his entire body relaxing at the single-word response. His formations had exceeded his hopes, and he was confident he¡¯d impressed the elder to at least a small degree.


    All those hours of careful flag construction had shown themselves worth it, even the ones spent redoing his old work. There was no way he¡¯d have done anywhere near this well with the original versions he¡¯d produced.


    ¡°Leave it running,¡± Fischer held up a hand as he reached for the control flag. ¡°We¡¯ll see how the matrix looks at the end of class.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin said, running a hand over the back of his head. That was a bit more than he¡¯d expected, but he could see her point. Formations like this were often expected to run for hours or even days, so a true test required time.


    ¡°In the meantime, we will continue with the next set of flags,¡± Fischer said as she walked over to the whiteboard. ¡°Since you have completed the assigned work, we will continue with the accelerated program I devised.¡±


    ¡°About that,¡± Kevin began as he followed behind her. ¡°We could go even faster if that works. I can handle it.¡±


    Asking for even work made part of him wince in horror, but there were solid reasons behind his decision. First, of course, was the need to continue impressing Fischer.


    If he wanted serious support from her, he needed to do better than all her other students in the outer sect. Not just the other two in FORM-101, who would also be trying hard, but the more advanced disciples in FORM-115.


    His second reason was a more long-term consideration. Few disciples would ever get one-on-one tutoring with an Inner Sect elder. In the outer sect, it was almost unheard of, the situation only possible due to some political game Fischer was playing.


    Every moment with her was a precious resource to be used and one he¡¯d dearly miss later if he wasted it. From that point of view, the faster he could get past the basics, the better.


    Fischer turned back at his words, a predatory smile crossing her face. ¡°Am I too slow for you, Mr. Blake?¡±


    ¡°In that case, let¡¯s get serious.¡±

 Chapter 2:2 Frenzied Learning

    The lesson became a frantic blur after the elder¡¯s ominous proclamation. Fischer threw out new concepts, patterns, and theories so fast that Kevin had to push his writing speed to keep up.


    Yet Fischer never pushed so fast that she overwhelmed him. It was as if she¡¯d calculated his ability to keep up and then kept him at that threshold for the next hour.


    She sped up even further for the second hour, querying him with ruthless intent on everything they¡¯d covered so far. A single mistake was too many for the elder, and she pushed him until Kevin had accurate notes on everything they¡¯d covered.


    ¡°Time¡¯s up,¡± Fischer said, at last, her voice chipper. Where Kevin felt ready to collapse after the exhausting two hours, the elder looked no more tired than when they¡¯d started. If anything, she seemed energized by the rapid lesson.


    ¡°I expect to see the same level of quality you showed with the previous set in each of the new formations. You may charge them before the next lesson; you¡¯ve shown the minimal level of proficiency required for that.¡±


    ¡°Yes, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin struggled to avoid groaning as he responded. The last three had been tough enough; the six new formations she¡¯d covered would be a nightmare. However, it was a nightmare he¡¯d inflicted on himself, so he couldn¡¯t complain too much.


    ¡°Two questions, if you don¡¯t mind,¡± he continued, catching the elder as she turned for the door. ¡°First, is there some kind of calligraphy technique that can help finish flags faster?¡±


    ¡°I was wondering how long you¡¯d suffer before asking,¡± Fischer chuckled, shaking her head. ¡°Yes, there are multiple calligraphy styles designed for speed writing. Many are unsuitable for our work with formations, while a few are specialized for our needs.¡±


    ¡°Most new students find the Heavenly Brush style to be suitable. You can purchase a copy from the library for fifteen merit,¡± the elder said, pausing and giving Kevin a considering look. ¡°However,¡± she continued slowly, ¡°I have recommended the Twisted Script style to a few students before.¡±


    Fischer stared for another moment, glanced at the still-functioning formation in the middle of the room, then gave a firm nod and tossed something over.


    Kevin caught the object on reflex. It was a plain wooden rectangle, small enough to fit in the palm of his hand. A few characters were visible on the sides, none of which he recognized.


    ¡°Show that to a librarian, and they¡¯ll get you a copy,¡± Fischer said, her foot tapping on the ground.


    ¡°Thanks, Ma¡¯am,¡± Kevin responded with a bow. If she only recommended the style to some students, that could be a good sign that he¡¯d impressed her. At least, he hoped that was the reason.


    Realizing she was waiting for his second question, he hurried to continue. ¡°I also wanted to ask about the formations for FORM-115. Should I try and make them yet?¡±


    Fischer pursed her lips and tilted her head to the side. ¡°Perhaps¡­ Those formations require concepts we haven¡¯t covered yet, so they may be beyond you. However, a clever student might discern the needed fundamentals from the patterns.¡±


    ¡°You may attempt them if you wish. However, don¡¯t charge any of those three without supervision. Either way, we will cover the underlying concepts in a few more lessons.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin responded, a moment too late. Fischer was already gone, having vanished the second she finished speaking.


    In a way, it was a relief to hear she didn¡¯t expect him to jump into doing the combat formations; he had more than enough work to do with the six new ones from this class. On the other hand, doing even a decent job at them might be another path to impressing her.


    If a ¡®clever student¡¯ could discern how to make them, then doing so would show him to be one. Failure, however, might have the opposite impact. It was a tricky decision but one he could put off for later.


    For now, he had two hours until his next class, most of which he¡¯d need to reorganize the pile of notes he¡¯d just taken. There was so much that he¡¯d never learn it all if he didn¡¯t strike while the memories were still fresh.


    <hr>


    Revising his notes took so long that Kevin didn¡¯t make it to the library before his next class. Despite its difficulty, the dense mass of information Fischer had thrown at him was fascinating enough to draw his full attention.


    By the time he¡¯d finished, Kevin was almost late for MAR-101 and had to sprint to the martial building.


    The first Introduction to Martial Arts lesson had been held outside in one of the martial courtyards. However, that had been an outlier designed to find a specialized style for each of them.


    This time, it was held in a large lecture theater on the second floor of the Martial Building. The room was reminiscent of those Kevin had seen in college back on Earth, including the Qi-based illusion projector.


    ¡°Welcome back to MAR-101,¡± Elder Johnson called out from the stage at the front of the room. The grizzled man stood with arms crossed behind his back as he stared intensely at the gathered disciples.


    Taken from Royal Road, this narrative should be reported if found on Amazon.


    ¡°After our first lesson, each of you was assigned a martial arts style you will practice for the duration of this class. That is the responsibility of your respective tutors, and I will not be bringing it up again.¡±


    Turning, Johnson gestured to thin air. A moment later, a massive grid of glowing squares appeared before him, filling half the stage. ¡°From now on, we will only discuss theoretical aspects of personal combat.¡±


    Two massive, stylized cultivators formed above the grid as he spoke, one red, one blue, standing six squares apart. ¡°Consider this situation: two body-realm cultivators are engaged in a duel. Both are of equivalent skill and physical ability. Which one will win?¡±


    Johnson paused, looking around the room as if waiting for a response. After a few moments, a voice shouted. ¡°The one who¡¯s most prepared.¡±


    ¡°A decent answer,¡± Johnson nodded, his face remaining stern. ¡°However, I said they both had the same level of skill. What preparation are we talking about here?¡±


    There was a longer pause after that as the class went silent. Kevin was no different. It sounded like a trick question; if they were both as skilled as the other, then hadn¡¯t they prepared the same amount?


    Eventually, someone else shouted from across the room. ¡°The one who planned the best.¡±


    ¡°Correct!¡± Johnson bellowed, turning and pointing toward the other side of the room. ¡°Real fights are rapid, frantic things decided in fractions of a second. Learning the moves to your style is one thing, but knowing when to use them is quite a different beast.¡±


    ¡°You can try to plan in the heat of combat,¡± he continued, pacing across the stage. ¡°Or rely on your reaction speed and instincts to counter whatever your opponent tries. However, that leaves you open to someone who¡¯s planned ahead.¡±


    Behind Johnson, the two illusionary figures met in a flurry of blows. For a few moments, they were even. Then, the red figure gained the advantage, sending the blue cultivator back-peddling across multiple squares.


    ¡°This is the effect of such planning,¡± Johnson continued, spinning to point at the simulated fight. ¡°At the moment, it seems clear that one cultivator is overpowering the other. However, remember that I said they were equal in ability. If so, why would one be retreating so soon?¡±


    The fight came to a head as the elder finished talking. The two figures were now reaching the edge of the grid, with the retreating blue cultivator stumbling back to the boundary.


    As if sensing weakness, the red cultivator rushed in for a finishing blow aimed straight at his unbalanced opponent¡¯s face. Just when it looked like the fight would be over, the blue figure lunged forward.


    Ducking the heavy punch, the blue cultivator slammed into the red¡¯s chest and swept out their legs. Both figures tumbled forward, landing on the ground with the blue cultivator on top.


    The roles were reversed in an instant, with the former defender laying into their near helpless opponent with heavy blows.


    ¡°This is one form of preparation,¡± Johnson said, pointing at the image as it froze mid-strike. ¡°Our blue cultivator here had an overall plan for handling the fight, one they came up with long before it began.¡±


    ¡°Faking weakness, they gave ground, waiting for an opening. When the opponent gave them one, they struck with a move designed to reverse the entire momentum of the fight.¡±


    ¡°Designing strategies to direct entire fights like this is one way of planning, but it is not the only way,¡± Johnson continued, holding up a finger. ¡°While it is effective when pulled off, keeping such a high-level plan in mind throughout a fight can be difficult to achieve.¡±


    ¡°So, let¡¯s see how our red cultivator could have prepared his own simpler plan to aim for victory.¡±


    The image reset at the elder¡¯s words, the last move again playing out in front of the assembled disciples. This time, it moved in slow motion, showing every detail of the red cultivator¡¯s wind-up in precise detail.


    ¡°Consider that our red cultivator might have known he was impulsive and likely to push ahead,¡± Johnson continued, gesturing at the image. ¡°He isn¡¯t the kind who can keep some complicated plan in his head, but that doesn¡¯t mean there is no preparation he can do.¡±


    ¡°Knowing he¡¯s likely to be countered at some point, our red friend has prepared multiple contingencies for that occurrence.¡±


    The image had moved on as Johnson spoke, showing the start of the last punch a second time.


    ¡°He¡¯s learned the signs to look for: lowered weight, tensing in the legs, and hands out of position to block,¡± Johnson continued, listing the minute changes in the blue figure. Now that he pointed them out, what he was talking about was obvious.


    ¡°This is a situation our cultivator has planned for. Not just this one counter but every possible response to his finishing move. He¡¯s practiced each hundreds of times, and when the moment arrives, he can respond with smooth efficiency.¡±


    The fight continued in slow motion, moving through the blue cultivator¡¯s counter. However, instead of being taken down, the red cultivator caught his opponent¡¯s head with a rising knee strike halfway through the counter.


    It was a devastating strike. The blue cultivator''s charge sent him straight into the blow.


    ¡°I¡¯m sure you can see the importance of what I¡¯m saying,¡± Johnson returned to pacing as he spoke. Behind him, the image reset again, this time showing the blue cultivator slipping past the rising knee and tackling his opponent¡¯s single supporting leg.


    The elder fell silent as the images kept coming faster and faster. The red cultivator spun in response to the blue¡¯s dodge, grabbing their shoulder and tossing them across the field before they could tackle.


    Another reset occurred. This time, the blue cultivator threw their weight backward when their shoulder was grabbed, resisting the throw as they swept their opponent¡¯s leg. In a third reset, the red cultivator dived forward at the sweep, slamming the blue into the ground.


    On and on it went: a single moment of a fight going a hundred different ways. ¡°See how much a single fight can change based on who has planned ahead,¡± Johnson¡¯s voice rose over the silence. ¡°When a fight can go either way based on skill, often it¡¯s the one who¡¯s planned the furthest who does.¡±


    ¡°Whether you¡¯re the kind of fighter who can plan out an entire battle in your head or the kind who focuses on a few key moments, I assure you that this class will take you to the next level.¡±


    ¡°Now, get out your writing implements. We have a lot to cover, and I won¡¯t be repeating myself.¡±


    <hr>


    The full MAR-101 class left Kevin with another massive pile of notes, most of which he didn¡¯t even have time to review before his next class. He only had an hour before TEC-109. Enough time to have lunch and make it to the other building, but not much else.


    Li Yen went no easier than her fellow teachers in Introduction to Qi Shielding, though Kevin at least had the advantage of having read ahead in the associated book for that class. A basis of knowledge helped, but he still had a third pile of notes by the time the class ended.


    All his classes were kicking into high gear now they¡¯d entered the second week, and he spent most of the evening revising the mountain of work he¡¯d received. Digging through all his notes took so long that he had to rush to practice his lobbing and Sinking Sands footwork before nightfall.


    Checking out Fischer¡¯s recommended calligraphy style would have to wait for Tuesday.

 Chapter 2:3 - Style Conundrum

    Lucas Thresher, the teacher for FORM-102, held his class at the more reasonable time of 9:00 a.m. on Tuesday. The later start allowed Kevin to catch up on sleep and still make it to the library before class.


    The Outer Sect Library was one of the largest buildings in the compound, more than half again the height of its tallest neighbor. Yet only a single floor of the massive structure was open to regular disciples.


    The Reading Room was an open-plan area filled with studying tables, comfortable chairs, and the flickering images of roving librarians. Where the rest of the sect employed its disciples, the library used holographic staff generated through means far beyond Kevin¡¯s understanding.


    While it was his third visit to the sect library, Kevin had yet to overcome the culture shock of seeing how different the libraries were here. The institutions he was familiar with back home were focused on sharing information; here, they seemed more focused on protecting it.


    No shelf was present in the public area, nor was there a single unattended book. Even the free reference material was stored elsewhere and had to be requested.


    For anything more advanced than everyday reference materials, the library acted more like a bookshop than anything else. While some volumes could be rented by the day, most were only available by purchasing a copy.


    While this might be another way for the sect to push its disciples towards earning merit, the other clues he¡¯d seen in the capital suggested it might be a more significant cultural difference.


    Travis had talked a little about how the various bureaucracies interacted, and the man had dropped hints about how difficult it was to get information from them. Hell, he¡¯d described how the OIM had won a duel to get free access to job data.


    It seemed that the sheer value of cultivation knowledge led to information hoarding. That matched the cultivation stories he¡¯d read, even if seeing it in a ¡®modern¡¯ world was jarring.


    Whatever the actual cause was, he wouldn¡¯t solve it today, so Kevin threw aside his musing as he entered the Reading Room. Within seconds, a librarian floated over, taking the form of an elderly woman with wire-rimmed spectacles.


    If not for the fact she was see-through, the hologram would have been detailed enough to pass as human.


    ¡°Please step aside from the entryway while I assist you,¡± the librarian spoke in a whispery voice, no louder than a soft breeze, yet carrying to his ears without issue. Raising an arm in a disjointed, flickering movement, she gestured to Kevin¡¯s left.


    ¡°Of course,¡± Kevin nodded, smiling at the figure as he followed its floating movement. He still wasn¡¯t sure if the librarians had self-awareness, but being polite seemed like the wisest option.


    For all he knew, they were a technique used by some powerful elder who kept track of how every disciple treated them. Besides, it cost him nothing, even if they were only complex simulations.


    ¡°I¡¯ve had two potential styles suggested to me for purchase,¡± he continued once the figure had maneuvered them out of the walkway. ¡°One is the Heavenly Brush style; for the other, I was told to hand you this.¡±


    Kevin pulled the wooden token Fischer had tossed him as he finished speaking, offering it to the librarian. The figure floated forward, reaching out its own hand and brushing it through his with an electric tingle.


    While the hologram¡¯s hand passed through his, it had no trouble grasping his offering. Stepping back, it stared at the token for several seconds before speaking, a look of surprise crossing its face.


    ¡°I am sorry, disciple. I will have to ask you to wait while I send you a copy of this volume from the Inner Sect Library. While you wait, would you like to see the information sheet for the Heavenly Brush Style?¡±


    ¡°Oh,¡± Kevin blinked, unsure how to react. From what he understood, there were a lot of books and technique manuals that Outer Sect disciples didn''t have access to. That Fischer had authorized him access to one had to be a good sign.


    However, he only had fifteen merit available, just enough to buy the Heavenly Brush style. It was the same cost as the technique manual he¡¯d bought previously, perhaps suggesting a standard price.


    Wouldn¡¯t an Inner Sect style cost a lot more? Given the amount of merit you needed for entry, those disciples could afford it.


    ¡°Ah, first, how much would the Twisted Script style cost? I wouldn¡¯t want to put you to the effort of getting a copy if I can¡¯t afford it.¡±


    A long pause followed his question as if the librarian struggled to answer. ¡°I¡¯m afraid I don¡¯t have access to that information, disciple,¡± she responded at last. ¡°I do not have access to the information sheets for inner sect volumes.¡±


    ¡°However, your authorization shows that it will be discounted to fifteen merit regardless of the original price.¡±


    Kevin¡¯s eyebrows rose, a grin spreading across his face. That cinched it; there was no doubt this was a reward from Fischer. Either the quality of his initial work or his request to speed up the lessons had impressed her enough for an investment.


    It might not be actual merit that would count toward his cutoff requirements, but it was a start, one that would help propel him forward faster.


    Find this and other great novels on the author''s preferred platform. Support original creators!


    <hr>


    The Twisted Script copy would take over an hour to be sent from the Inner Sect. That was long enough that he¡¯d miss his first class if he waited, so Kevin asked for it to be kept until the afternoon.


    He could have tried to fit it in during the two-hour gap between his two classes; however, he still remembered the frantic pace of the previous day. If that stayed true today, he¡¯d want that time to revise the information from FORM-102 while the memories were fresh.


    When he¡¯d missed that revision for MAR-101 the day before, it had made going over his notes that evening a lot more confusing. As much as he was aching to see the technique, he had to be sensible.


    However, he did have enough time to review the Heavenly Brush style information sheet. Each book for sale had a sheet containing a summary of the book, a list of benefits, and the cost.


    While the description was short and written in flowery language, there was enough to hint at how the style worked. It appeared to be based on an almost divine level of inspiration. Every shape had been drawn before, every character written, and with each repetition, they were further imprinted on the world.


    The heavens drew on this accumulated existence for many things, and by applying heavenly principles, one could access a hint of that power.


    While the description sounded incredible, the listed benefits gave a more rounded picture of the style. They suggested that, with practice, a user could double the speed of their brushwork while improving its quality.


    It was an impressive improvement, even if it fell short of the awe-inspiring ability hinted at in the early description. If not for the mystery of the Twisted Script, Kevin would have purchased it on the spot.


    That mystery continued to pull at his attention even through the fascinating FORM-102 class. If an Outer Sect style was good enough to double his flag crafting speed, how good would an Inner Sect style be?


    It was a thought he had to struggle to put aside, forcing himself to focus on the continued lessons on identifying formations.


    Memorizing formation patterns wasn¡¯t enough; even the most basic types had dozens of variations. Worse, they could be deployed in ¡®flag¡¯ forms from the traditional ones Kevin was learning to make to the tattoos on his back.


    If you learned enough about basic formation principles, you could break down the elements of any formation you encountered. It sounded good in theory but was far more complicated in practice.


    Every country and many sects had differences in base styles, further modified by the creator¡¯s personal flairs. To correctly identify a formation, you had to consider all of that and do your best to discern the truth.


    And, as Instructor Thresher kept reminding them, working on a misidentified formation was deadly.


    Thresher went easier in class than Fischer would have. However, it was still a massive quantity of complicated information to digest. Before long, the sheer difficulty was enough to push thoughts of the Twisted Script aside.


    Kevin¡¯s head was spinning by the end of the class, and he rushed back to his dorm to study in peace. A part of him wanted to rush to the library, but the rest knew he¡¯d never learn it all if he didn¡¯t revise now.


    Study and lunch passed the time until the FORM-115 lecture at 1:00 PM. As with the first class, Fischer hid multiple formations around the classroom, calling out anyone who entered them without locating and identifying them.


    Fischer¡¯s lessons were similar to FORM-102, though focused on rapid identification. Instead of careful examination, she focused on heuristic-style identification techniques you could use in seconds.


    If someone threw a formation at you in combat, you needed to know what it was doing before you could counter it. While breaking the formation was often easiest, even that came with potential issues.


    An intriguing snippet Fischer revealed in the second class suggested it was possible to booby-trap a formation to trigger a secondary effect when broken. That got Kevin¡¯s attention, sounding like the perfect solution to a martial cultivator smashing through your flags.


    When he asked, however, Fischer only chuckled and told him to master the basics first. He would need to take FORM-135 for such advanced knowledge.


    Fischer taught even faster than Thresher had, throwing enough information at the group to fill a small book. By the end of the class, Kevin had dozens more pages to go through, and this time, he headed to the library to read them.


    The same librarian as early handed him a sheet as he arrived. However, Kevin forced himself to put it aside for now. Deciding between the Twisted Script and the Heavenly Brush styles would take time, and he could already feel the lesson fading in his memory.


    Now that he¡¯d impressed Fischer even a little, he was more scared of screwing that up than anything else.


    <hr>


    Hours later, Kevin finally felt he had a solid grasp of the FORM-115 material. Some of it was based on fundamentals he hadn¡¯t covered yet, requiring even more thought to understand.


    Despite the late hour, now close to dinner time, the library remained open, the flickering librarians moving about without respite. He wasn¡¯t too late to pick up the full copy of either style, and with bated breath, Kevin turned to the Twisted Script information sheet.


    He¡¯d placed the single page off to the side, upside down, to remove temptation. Now, it was time to satiate his curiosity at last. Without hesitation, he flipped it over, glanced over the words, then snorted at what he saw.


    Far different from the Heavenly Brush style¡¯s sheet, this page had no flowery style summary. Quite the opposite.


    Despite contributing hundreds of formation patterns to the sect¡¯s libraries, I¡¯ve been told I have still not met my requirements as an Elder of the sect. So, under duress, I have written one of those silly ¡®Twisted¡¯ manuals the sect so loves.


    Inside, you will find my personal brushwork style, born from my understanding of the sect¡¯s principles.


    Elder M. Fischer


    Benefits: You will either go mad, fail to learn the technique, or develop faster brushwork than 99.9% of all cultivators.


    Cost: 200 discounted to 15


    Even if her name wasn¡¯t there, he could have guessed Fischer was the author from the tone alone. Learning the personal style of an elder was very tempting despite its rather ominous ¡®benefits.¡¯


    The fact she¡¯d recommended her own work was also another good sign he¡¯d impressed her, or at least he hoped so. Given the massive discount, it didn¡¯t seem likely that Fischer was shaking her students down for merit.


    He just had to decide whether a potentially massive boost was better than a near-certain smaller one. Even considering the smaller number of cultivators studying one of the script-based enchanting styles, being part of the fastest 0.1% would put him far ahead of almost all of them.


    It was quite the conundrum. He only had enough merit to buy one of the two styles, and it would take two grade breakthroughs or some other merit gain before he could purchase the other if he chose wrong. And that was assuming Fischer wouldn¡¯t rescind the offer if he refused.


    Not to mention the time-sink of learning a new technique. It was another thing he¡¯d need to balance against the mountain of work from FORM-101 and all the things he had to study and practice for his other classes.


    However, speeding up his formation crafting could speed up his progress beyond the time he put into learning. Even the heavenly Brush technique could go far, while the Twisted Script could catapult him beyond anything he¡¯d considered.


    Assuming he could learn it. If not, it would be a complete waste of merit and time.


    It took another half-hour of theorizing and worrying before Kevin finally made his decision.

 Chapter 2:4 - Bemusing Instructions

    Kevin stared at the instructions in a mixture of bemusement and mounting worry.


    After long consideration, he¡¯d decided that the massive potential benefits of the Twisted Script far outweighed any extra effort he¡¯d need to put in now. While the risk of complete failure still haunted his mind, he¡¯d pushed it aside and made the purchase.


    Now, reading through the actual style manual, that worry had returned with a vengeance.


    The issue wasn¡¯t the difficulty of the instructions, though they were hard to understand. The problem was that Kevin couldn¡¯t see why Fischer¡¯s steps would make his brushwork faster.


    If anything, these instructions would be slower than the method he¡¯d learned in the first FORM-101 tutoring session.


    Fischer¡¯s original instructions were to start with the large, abstract sections of the flag pattern. These shapes and lines took up more space than the smaller characters spread throughout the image while also being easier to draw.


    Finishing them first, moving from left to right in a logical pattern, would minimize the risk of ruining your spacing. If you got the spacing on the abstract sections right, you had a defined scaffold from which to include the fine detail.


    Compared to that reasoned approach, the Twisted Script sounded like madness. First, it advocated beginning with a single character within the pattern. While that risked wasting time if you ruined the spacing later, it wasn¡¯t a problem on its own.


    It was how you selected the first character to draw and what you did after that which drove him to distraction.


    You had to search the flag pattern for the character that ¡®felt¡¯ like the key point the rest of the flag rested around. There were vague instructions on how to do this, most of which boiled down to trusting your instincts.


    Once you¡¯d located the key point, you drew that character and filled in the surrounding details. Again, if that had been the extent of the style, it would make some sense.


    Starting from the most important and working out from it was even a solid fit with the idea of imbuing intent into the flag.


    Except, that wasn¡¯t what you did at all. You only filled out details until the current section no longer felt like the most important one. Then you moved on, whether or not you¡¯d finished what you were working on.


    Leaving half-finished characters and artwork behind, you located the next most important flag section. Then, you went through the process again, filling out a section until it was time to move on.


    That was the whole technique. You jumped about to random places on the flag, filling in small sections while trying to leave enough space to fit the finished product.


    It was like trying to solve a jigsaw puzzle by gluing every piece to the table the moment you attached it to another. The only way he could imagine it being possible would be through perfect memorization of the pattern.


    If you could keep the entire design in mind throughout the process, then it might be possible. Except Fischer didn¡¯t describe that in the instructions, and even if it worked, he couldn¡¯t see any reason it would speed up the flag¡¯s creation.


    The only reason he wasn¡¯t already demanding a refund was his limited understanding of the Twisted Step technique. He¡¯d studied the movement technique during his entrance exam and seen how it advocated moving in a curve to increase speed.


    Much like the Twisted Script, there was no logical reason that would help. A straight line should always be the fastest, excluding factors like terrain. And yet, he¡¯d seen Amelia use the technique to significant effect on multiple occasions.


    A strange mystery within the technique somehow allowed it to impose new rules upon the world. Since the methods shared a naming theme, the Twisted Script might work in a similar way.


    Fischer even discussed implementing her understanding of the sect¡¯s principles in her introduction. Given that, he could hope it was some genius technique and not just a load of nonsense she¡¯d written to get the other elders off her back.


    The only way he¡¯d find out was by trying the technique and seeing for himself.


    <hr>


    Kevin threw aside his fifth failed flag with a scream of annoyance.


    After his initial look at the Twisted Script¡¯s instructions, he¡¯d taken a break for dinner before returning to his dorm room. There, he¡¯d pulled out his supplies and got to work.


    Since then, he¡¯d tried five times, and every flag failed as he¡¯d predicted. While he could get the first few sections down without issue, it soon became apparent that he¡¯d mess up the spacing.


    Either he scrunched the sections together without leaving room for the remaining pattern or drew them so far apart that the design was ruined.


    He¡¯d tried careful measuring when changing sections to ensure he left the right amount of space. Yet the final product was off every time as if something had changed partway through.


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    The effect was maddening, yet contained a hint of hope. During his last few attempts, Kevin had felt the tiniest Qi drain pulling on his sealed land. It seemed clear the style was trying to do something; it just wasn¡¯t working.


    Kevin let himself sulk for a moment, wishing he¡¯d picked the other style. He expected extra work but hadn¡¯t anticipated it would be like this. It felt like he was trying to find his way in the dark, with Fischer¡¯s instructions providing only a tiny flame to light his path.


    Then, he took a deep breath and pushed his frustrations aside. He was committed now; the only way out was to push through. None of his original considerations had changed simply because the style was more annoying to learn than he¡¯d anticipated.


    With restored motivation, Kevin returned his attention to his desk and cut another flag. He had time for a few more attempts tonight.


    <hr>


    With Wednesday came the wonder of free time. Kevin¡¯s schedule was packed with classes for the first two days of the week, forcing him to fit everything else between the gaps.


    From Wednesday onwards, he had only a three-hour class per day, freeing up his schedule to fit in all the practice, chores, and formation work he needed. First up was a supply run.


    His many attempts at the Twisted Script the night before had burned through all the flag-crafting supplies left over from the previous week¡¯s projects. Cloth and ink were in the most need of resupply, though he also picked up more wooden rods for flag handles.


    Along the way, Kevin handled all the other minor tasks that daily life required, including a trip to the Outer Sect¡¯s post office. There, he found a letter from Travis waiting, holding the response to his question from the week before.


    The letter confirmed that his tuition payments to the sect were guaranteed for up to a year. This was a massive relief, allowing him to focus entirely on the critical cutoff point in six months.


    By the time he needed to take over payments, he¡¯d have had a full year of classes under his belt. With that much experience, he shouldn¡¯t have any issue working through the sect¡¯s backlog of formation maintenance jobs to pay his way.


    With luck, he¡¯d even be able to pay off the debt in short order, leaving him with additional resources to push his advancement further.


    Travis also confirmed that he¡¯d passed Kevin¡¯s thanks on to Dr. Grange and asked for any interesting stories Kevin had from the sect. Kevin had little time left, so he settled into a writing desk to pen a response.


    Sharing a few stories with the stuffy agent was the least he could do after all the help Travis had been. Given how professional the man had tried to keep things at the beginning, this sign of friendship was enough to bring a smile to Kevin¡¯s face.


    Fischer¡¯s crazy teaching style made for a good story to share, as did the insane tale of the previous FORM-101 teacher vanishing in a mystic realm. Beyond that, he shared a few details about the friends he¡¯d made before signing the letter and sending it off.


    He considered adding a request to meet with Dr. Grange again but decided against it. A week ago, when he had cultivation issues, talking to the original source of his cultivation style seemed necessary.


    Since then, he¡¯d acquired a set of pills that removed most of the issues. While he might get stuck again in the future, he could always ask once it became essential.


    Writing the letter took up more of his morning than Kevin had planned, and he barely had time to finish everything before the FORM-102 practical.


    <hr>


    His Formation Maintenance class continued the series of formations they¡¯d been analyzing as a group. They worked together to apply the new principles from the lecture, which were still fresh in their minds from the day before.


    In a way, FORM-102 was the class that required the least work, as Lucas Thresher, the instructor, had set up the two classes on adjoining days. Every other class Kevin had was further apart, requiring more out-of-class revision to keep up.


    As always, the challenge of identifying formation after formation was fascinating, and Kevin was looking forward to the class after next when they would move from group to individual challenges.


    While group work was a nice social activity, he needed individual challenges to keep pushing his formation skills. You had to understand a formation to identify it, so FORM-102 tied in well with his other classes.


    It was also the class that provided no homework or practice to complete, leaving Kevin with the entire afternoon free.


    He used part of the time to practice his flag lobbing and the Sinking Sands footwork before returning to his room to keep bashing his head against the Twisted Script style.


    Despite his determination, Kevin made little progress on the Twisted script that afternoon or evening. Nor did his attempts early on Thursday morning bear any fruit.


    The more he tried to nail down the process and carefully line up his work, the more the results drifted from what he expected. While the Qi drain continued growing as he worked, it seemed more adept at fighting his attempts than aiding them.


    His Qi Shielding class, TEQ-109, was a welcome distraction. It was Kevin¡¯s only class that actively used Qi to produce a supernatural effect, which came with a wonder all of its own.


    There was nothing quite like projecting your own energy into the world and seeing the changes it made. It was also one of the classes Kevin had the most confidence in, having successfully created the initial Qi Barrier technique in their first practical class the week before.


    This week, the class continued to hone that initial success. Instructor Li was intent on increasing the speed and power of their barriers, pushing them toward the point where it would be viable in combat.


    Like the week before, most of the class was spent on blocking practice in pairs. Taking turns, one person attacked, while the other generated a Qi Barrier on the edge of their forearm as they blocked.


    Besides the continued practice, Li cleared almost the entire class to practice outside of class. Only a single student showed adverse effects channeling Qi outside their regular energy network, and, for once, Kevin wasn¡¯t the one with an issue.


    That meant his planned cultivation session with Amelia could go ahead that Saturday. Beyond just looking forward to spending time with her, assistance from one of the brightest new disciples would be invaluable.


    Amelia had mastered the technique beyond any of the disciples taking the class long before she¡¯d ever joined the sect. While part of that was no doubt due to her incredible learning ability, any tips she could pass on would still be immensely helpful.


    The end of the class, however, also signaled the end of Kevin¡¯s success that day. He struggled further with the Twisted Script all afternoon, only taking brief breaks to practice his other skills.


    His concerns about the technique had only increased as the days passed. At some point, he would need to put it aside to do the actual formation crafting or risk missing his deadline.


    Yet, doing so felt wrong when a speed boost might be just around the corner. The tantalizing idea of saving time kept pushing him forward, even when his practice saw no results.


    Torn between the two viewpoints, Kevin eventually gave himself until the end of the day. If he could at least get the technique to work by then, he could use it in his formation work.


    If not, he¡¯d have to admit he was stuck, put the technique aside for this week, and use his old method to finish all his projects.

 Chapter 2:5 - The Twisted Script

    From afternoon to evening, Kevin struggled with the Twisted Script, trying everything he could think of to get it working. However, no amount of measuring, pre-planning, or pattern memorization was enough to get the damn thing working.


    While the Qi drain continued to grow at a slow, steady pace, whatever effect it produced ruined everything he tried.


    Now, long after dusk and nearing the time he needed to be in bed, Kevin cut one last flag to try. While exhausted after the long day, he was stubbornly determined not to admit it was over yet.


    However, despite that determination, he couldn¡¯t think of a single new thing to try. Nor did he have enough energy left to make more than a token attempt. Still unwilling to call it quits, Kevin focused on the empty flag, bringing the now-memorized pattern to mind.


    The first key character was simple to identify; it didn¡¯t change between attempts, and he¡¯d long determined which one felt correct. With the ease of long practice, Kevin drew it to perfection, then continued adding details around it.


    The second part, he was less sure about. Most times, he struggled to pick up on the elusive ¡®right time¡¯ to move on to another area, which was further complicated by an urge to not leave anything unfished.


    This time, he was too tired to care. When the urge struck, Kevin shifted his attention to the next area, leaving behind half-finished characters and lines. The second key spot was also easy to find, as he always got at least that far.


    However, it was about two-thirds of the way across the flag in empty space. If he was even a few inches off when he started drawing, he could mess up the entire flag layout.


    Still, he usually got the second location right after so many attempts, even if he didn¡¯t measure it. Half-confident, half uncaring, Kevin shifted his hand across the flag and began drawing at his best guess for the placement.


    Again, he filled out a little area around the key point before moving on to the third location. With no new ideas, he simply jumped to the next key point and continued drawing.


    From point to point, he moved, expecting to run out of room at any moment. At his best, he¡¯d managed five sections before noticing an issue before, and that was using every trick he could think of.


    His last attempt used neither tricks nor measurements, yet Kevin soon filled out the sixth key area without missing a beat. For a long moment, he stared at the results in bemusement before the reality of the situation worked its way through his tired mind.


    With a gasp of excitement, Kevin moved on, feeling for the seventh key spot. Insight tingled on the edge of his conscious thought, and he had to struggle not to depart from the zoned-out way he¡¯d been following the Twisted Script style.


    As he found the spot, Kevin paused again, doubt and hope filling him. The new location was right between two he¡¯d already filled out and would either fit or spill out and ruin the flag.


    There was only one way to find out which it would be. With a deep breath, Kevin sank back into calm focus as he began filling out details. Characters and art flowed from his brush, connecting one by one with the half-finished details already in place.


    By the time he was done, Kevin could barely believe his eyes. The seventh section filled the existing opening with perfection. Not only did every new detail fit within the available space, but every connection to a partially finished detail also fit.


    Disbelief shattered his focus for a moment as he pulled over the design and began measuring distances. It had to be off somewhere; it wasn¡¯t possible to judge that kind of spacing with the naked eye.


    He had to have fudged things when he worked on the unfinished sections, leaving a little extra space or scrunching things in too far. Yet every spot he checked was accurate within a few fractions of an inch, as good as anything he¡¯d produced before.


    It had to be the Twisted Script style working at last, yet even that felt insufficient to explain it. Listening to his instincts couldn¡¯t be enough to explain this. There had to be more going on behind the scenes.


    The style had to be guiding his subconsciousness somehow or even warping the cloth¡¯s space to make everything line up. That would explain the Qi drain and¡­


    Kevin threw his head back in laughter as the whole truth hit him. All day, he¡¯d been trying so hard to make logical sense of it, putting all sorts of sensible measures in place.


    And every single thing he¡¯d tried had been pointless. No, less than pointless; they¡¯d been actual obstructions. What use was pre-measuring or trying to plan things out if the flag itself was warping as he worked?


    For several minutes, he sat there, torn between joy and annoyance. He¡¯d spent so long going down the wrong path, but at least he¡¯d made it there. Hell, for all he knew, all that struggle had been needed to get in the right frame of mind.


    Worrying about lost time was useless in the end, so he put his feelings aside. After taking another minute to calm down and regain his focus, he returned his attention to the flag and moved on to the next key point.


    His brush shifted around the page as Kevin filled in the remaining sections one after another, each fitting with near perfection. Then it was done; the first flag of a new formation was sitting completely in front of him.


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    Still half-disbelieving the outcome, Kevin reviewed the finished product again, trying to locate any hidden flaws. Yet there were none to find, or at least none worse than his work from last week.


    There would always be a few minute issues, but none required redoing the flag. With a deep sigh of relief, Kevin set his tools aside and relaxed back into his chair.


    He¡¯d done it. The Twisted Script style was ready in time to work on his actual projects for the week.


    <hr>


    Kevin rolled out of bed Friday morning with renewed hope. With the entire morning free, he was eager to see what his new brushwork style could achieve.


    The night before, he¡¯d finished in so many disjointed steps it was difficult to know what kind of speed he could expect from the Twisted Script. His first goal for the day was to find out.


    A large part of him still felt like an idiot for how long it had taken him to realize what was going on. Looking back, the constant failures of his measurement attempts should have clued him in to what was happening.


    Yet he¡¯d still pushed forward, trying to find a logical solution. It wasn¡¯t the first time he¡¯d had that problem either; parts of his work on his Sealed Land had the same issue.


    Even after months in cultivation land, he still struggled with the more mystical side. Most of the more obvious supernatural effects weren¡¯t too difficult to understand. It was the more subtle ones that gave him trouble as their principles were more instinctive or even spiritual.


    After a few more minutes of consideration, Kevin accepted the situation and moved on. It was a flaw he needed to keep in mind for the future, but not one he needed to beat himself up about now.


    Instead, he returned to flag crafting. Once again, he tried to capture the calm, instinctive movements of the Twisted Script, this time with a timer running.


    The mindset was surprisingly easy to adopt now that he¡¯d done it once. After a single false start, Kevin¡¯s brush was darting around a fresh piece of flag cloth. Before long, another complete flag lay in front of him, once more lacking all but the most minor flaws.


    His time was also impressive; he finished in a little over half his previous average. Although it was short of the massive speed boost promised by mastering the technique, it was still impressive.


    On its own, the improvement more than justified the time he¡¯d put into learning the style. With how much work he had left to do, he¡¯d save almost the two days he¡¯d spent this week alone.


    Even if he never improved further, the time savings would be huge over the coming months and years. And Kevin had no intention of stagnating at his current level.


    He had little doubt that the style still held many secrets. As annoying as the last few days had been, he¡¯d never approached anything warranting the ¡®going mad¡¯ warning in Fischer¡¯s introduction.


    While the thought filled him with a hint of worry, it also suggested there were far greater gains to be had. A suggestion backed by the claim that the style would make his brushwork faster than 99.99% of all cultivators.


    That was a hope for the future, however. For now, he had a massive backlog of formation flags to craft. Even with his new speed boost, Kevin couldn¡¯t dawdle if he wanted to finish all six new formations by Monday.


    <hr>


    That morning was the most productive Kevin had ever had. He finished a full new formation, started a second, and still had time to practice his Sinking Sands footwork a final time before the practical lesson.


    His first complete project for the week was the Energy Storage formation. It was an upgraded version of the Energy Containment formation, including a method for releasing the stored Qi.


    As with last week¡¯s work, it seemed more like a building block than something you¡¯d often use on its own. The additional formations Kevin had to work on were similar, each being a key component of many formations he¡¯d seen in his FORM-102 and FORM-115 classes.


    Fischer clearly guided him through the process of making those more advanced versions step by step. This was a sensible teaching method and more restrained than he would have given her credit for.


    Not that she was a poor teacher; the elder just had a habit of being¡­ impatient. That was the nicest way he could put it. Perhaps this approach was simply the most expedient teaching method in the long term.


    Whatever Fischer¡¯s reasoning was, he appreciated the chance to build each little piece on its own before trying to put them together.


    His MAR-101 practical session continued along the same lines as the first. Almost identical lines, in fact. Once again, they practiced nothing but the footwork for the Sinking Sands.


    It was more than a little frustrating, and Kevin couldn¡¯t help asking when they would move on at the end of the class.


    Miles, the instructor, gave him a flat stare in response. ¡°We¡¯ll move on when you¡¯ve mastered the footwork. Whether that¡¯s a week from now or the entire season.¡±


    The senior disciple held the stare for a moment before his face softened. ¡°If it helps, you¡¯re doing well. I would estimate another couple of weeks if you continue practicing.¡±


    ¡°Don¡¯t worry too much about falling behind. The Sinking Sands focuses so much on moving around that you¡¯d stumble all over yourself if you jumped into the full version. This is the fastest way I can teach you.¡±


    ¡°Right,¡± Kevin chuckled, rubbing the back of his head. ¡°Thanks for explaining. That makes sense.¡±


    After another admonishment to practice as often as possible, Miles ended the lesson, leaving Kevin free for the evening.


    With two sessions planned for the weekend, not to mention his FORM-115 practical, Kevin packed as much formation crafting into the evening as he could. The more he could do now, the less he¡¯d have to fit in later.


    After long hours of work, he completed two more formations, bringing him halfway to his goal for the week. The first was an Energy Gathering formation, though a much simpler version than the one on his back.


    The second was the Energy Interface formation, which combined the previous two. Its ability to gather, store, and release Qi made it a component in every advanced formation he¡¯d seen.


    It was also the first formation Kevin had ever made that had a real-world application.


    During the FORM-101 session, Fischer had thrown out a key piece of information almost as an afterthought. Since it could gather, store, and release Qi, the Energy Interface formation could charge formation flags.


    If he set up a running version of the formation and placed a flag inside, it would slowly charge over several hours. While this was far slower than a formation designed for the purpose, it was still a godsend for Kevin.


    Technique or crafting Qi drain was a constant worry for him, slowing down his advancement at every turn. Even the tiny cost of charging a flag added up when he had to do it six times for every formation.


    So, it was with pride that Kevin set up his first practical formation that evening. It was a small yet meaningful milestone and the first hint of the benefits formations might bring him.


    The next day would bring the difficult FORM-115 class, QI Barrier tutoring with Amelia, and more crafting. Tonight, however, Kevin fell asleep in peace, overjoyed at the progress he¡¯d made.