3 Memories-1

Zhen Shi marveled at the changes that had taken place in his body, along with the increase of his cultivation. His body was now much stronger and lighter than it had been before. He could even sense the strand of golden yellow qi; with bright tinges of green, and slight hints of red, blue and brown, placed near his dantian.

Zhen Shi had to admit that the system, regardless of how insulting and annoying it had been, was indeed impressive having made him into a cultivator within a few short moments. He had also come to realize that when he had been conversing with the system previously, the Xue Yue cultivators had only made small progress in their attack; almost as if his mind worked at much faster speeds when in contact with the system...

But, regardless of how powerful the system was, he could sense that being in the first Elementary Qi Stage was completely insufficient to handle these ten cultivators.

Most of all, he had no idea how to fight as a cultivator... was randomly punching enough? Or did he have to shout out the name of some type of skill?

But reminded of the other contents in the system's gift pack he mentally said, \"System, consume minor experience pill,\" while hoping that improving his cultivation would be sufficient to beat his opponents.

Ding!

8000 EXP points earned.

Ding!

Congratulations to the user for reaching Elementary Qi Stage 2!

Ding!

Congratulations to the user for reaching Elementary Qi Stage 3!

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Ding!

Congratulations to the user for reaching Elementary Qi Stage 6!

A series of notifications began to ring out in succession and Zhen Shi realized that he was even subconsciously manipulating the qi in his body in accordance with the primordial chaos arts, without any intention of doing it!

But before he could focus more on this, a series of memories arose in his mind.

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Zhen Shi was back as a child in that peaceful training courtyard. A light breeze blew by causing the trees laden with fruits and flowers to rustle peacefully.

He was once again seated on the grass but several dozen meters away from him, standing under the shade of a tree were two figures engaged in a heated conversation. One was the middle-aged man with the robe of the battling Serpent and Turtle and the other was a beautiful lady dressed in a shimmering light green robe.

He couldn't hear what they were seeing but he could see that they were worried about something. The lady was anxious while the man seemed to be calm, as they conversed for a few more moments. But, finally, they seemed to have reached a conclusion as they hugged each other.

Suddenly, the man clicked his fingers causing a colorless veil to become visible around them and instantly dissipate.

He then turned to Zhen Shi and spoke, his words completely audible now, \"Xiao Shi, I'm going away now. Your mother will teach you about some of the basics of cultivation. Learn well.\" Saying so he turned around and walked a few steps forward, instantly disappearing like a gust of wind.

Smiling at his leaving figure the lady walked towards Zhen Shi and said reassuringly, \"Shi, child, your father will come back with a suitable cultivation technique for you. Until then you can learn from me...\"

She sat down on the ground close to him and patted her lap with a kind smile. Immediately, Zhen Shi stood up ecstatically and jumped onto her lap. His mother laughed at his actions and hugged his small body from behind.

Nevertheless, she placed her head on his right shoulder reassuringly and began to whisper in a serious tone, \"The Elementary Qi stage is a very important stage.

If your cultivation is to be a majestic and towering construction, this stage can be similarized to the materials that you will use to build it.

As a result, not a single child is allowed to practice cultivation without a cultivation technique leading up to at least the first stage of foundation establishment. And there is a very important reason why this is so. When a cultivator is in the Elementary Qi stage, if one doesn't practice cultivation for at least six hours each day, their cultivation will automatically regress...\"

She seemed to hesitate for a moment before she continued decisively, \"That is also why we generally wait until a child is older so that they will be able to practice frequently without being easily bored. For a cultivator of the first stage of the Elementary Qi stage, it will only take one week of lessened practice to completely lose their cultivation. And afterward, cultivating for the second time will be a very slow process and their bodies might even be unable to handle the strain resulting in them becoming crippled.

Although your father started your practice, he had no intention of allowing you to cultivate without a proper cultivation technique. But now it is too late... Even with your amazing rate of improvement, we can't take risks. That is why your father left in a hurry to bring that cultivation art for you.

But, since we can't cry over spilled milk--- When he returns you'll have to grit through the boredom and persevere in your cultivation. Shi'er, do you understand?\"

Zhen Shi immediately nodded and answered, \"Yes, Mother.\"

She lightly smiled and continued speaking, \"Alright then, let me teach you about the Elementary Qi stage. It can be divided into three major stages; Qi Formation, Qi refining, and Qi stabilization, each containing three minor stages.\"

She freed her right hand from the hug and twirled it in the air creating a visible strand of golden yellow-qi. Pointing towards it she began to explain, \"This unassuming qi strand formed when you reach the first Elementary Qi stage will determine the extent of your future success. The first three stages under Qi formation will basically involve gathering aether from nature and infusing it into the Qi strand. The goal is to improve and strengthen it as much as possible until you reach its limit and form the largest Qi strand you possibly can. But of course, simply following those instructions is difficult. You will definitely need a proper cultivation art...\"

But while she had been speaking Zhen Shi had closed his eyes and had focused on the strand of golden qi near his dantian. With her comforting presence nearby he could easily focus his mind.

Besides he had been feeling guilty of the fact that he had made a mistake and put his parents in a tough spot. After all, even if he was just a child and even if his parents talked in secret, he could still make logical assumptions on the true nature of the situation. As such, he was brimming with the desire to succeed and make things easier for his parents.

He breathed deeply a few times and calmly exerted control on some of the qi being dragged into his dantian by the primordial chaos base.

This was by no means an easy task to complete on the first try, especially for a child. But he was determined, and most importantly, the amount of qi being absorbed by the 'chaotic dantian' was tremendous. Even if he was unskilled he should be able to direct a small amount of it even with a rough level of control.

Even though he only exerted his control on a small amount of the qi being absorbed by the dantian, it was a rather large amount when compared to the qi that an ordinary person could gather.

Next, he calmly guided this energy towards the qi strand near his dantian. Instantly, this large amount of qi combined with the golden-yellow strand of qi causing it to double in thickness and power. In a single moment, the strand of qi had doubled its energy!

As a result of this, Zhen Shi's body became much stronger and lighter. Nevertheless, he continued to take in deep breaths and focused on separating more qi from what was being dragged into his dantian. Within a few seconds, he had collected an even larger amount of qi. Instantly, he directed this torrent of qi, towards the qi strand near his dantian and allowed them to assimilate together.

Boom!

A burst of qi surged through his body as Zhen Shi's qi strand reached the limit of its capacity, instantly enriching his flesh, tendons, meridians and qi paths. At the center of this surge of qi, lay the majestic strand of qi that had reached it's maximum potential and was now radiating great power and energy.

Having felt the sudden change Zhen Shi hurriedly opened his eyes and turned around to look at his mother's face in sur[irse.

But her eyes were widened in a familiar manner as well as she whispered in disbelief, \"S-Shi'er, did you just pass through the second stage and even reached the peak of the Elementary Qi third stage? You actually completed the Qi formation stage within a few hours since you began cultivating... and all of this without a proper cultivation art?\"

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A light breeze blew by causing the fruits and flowers in the trees nearby to wave enticingly in the air. Two days had passed by since his accidental ascension to the peak of the Qi formation stage. And Zhen Shi was once again in the training ground seated on the lush grass. Out of the corner of his eyes, he could see two other figures seated close by; his mother and father.

However, his focus was on a thin book placed within his small lap. As he continued to turn the pages and read this book, he realized that this was a cultivation art tailored to his primordial chaos base, or as referred to here incorrectly as the 'chaotic dantian'.

It contained information and details on the practice method up to the peak of the Core Formation stage along with miscellaneous details and conclusions about his 'chaotic dantian'.

It mentioned that the chaotic dantian was basically an ordinary dantian but was containing an inborn mass of chaotic space; similar to that which is created when space becomes unstable. And that it had the basic function of continuously absorbing large amounts of aether from nature. As a result, the cultivator would be able to obtain the necessary amount of energy for his cultivation easily without extended hours of meditation like other cultivators.

Furthermore, it mentioned that his chaotic dantian would bring no adverse effects on his cultivation as long as he perfectly followed this cultivation technique. Nevertheless, he noticed that there were distinct differences and even major contradictions between this technique and his current causing him to be concerned...

However, he was unable to change his actions within the memories of the past...

Within two more hours of worry-filled contemplation, he finished reading through the book and raised his head with excitement to look at his parents seated nearby.

Seeing that he had finished reading through the book, his father spoke out with a smile, \"Xiao Shi, have you memorized the contents of the book? Even if you haven't, it'll be fine as long as you look through it frequently and grow more familiar with it. Since you were able to complete the Qi Formation stage even though you didn't cultivate during the last two days, there will be no adverse effects.\"

Zhen Shi nodded happily. At the same time, his mother began to speak with a satisfied smile, \"We went to great extents to invite an Elder of the Divine Church to visit us. This technique was created only after a thorough examination of your physique and your aptitude. He even confirmed that the High Decan had a hand in preparing this cultivation technique as a favor for your grandfather.

So you're fortunate enough to have a technique created by a grandmaster in the field of cultivation, completely suited to yourself!\"

However, hearing her words his father frowned lightly and spoke up, \"Li, don't entice him to have so much faith in that cultivation technique. Even if my father believes in them, you know very well that I don't trust these divine organizations...\"

Li heaved an exasperated sigh and replied anxiously \"Wei, he is still a child, he doesn't need to know--\"

But half-way through her words, he motioned her to be silent and spoke decisively, \"Shi'er, you need to know the truth of the situation. Your physique is both a blessing and a curse. Even though it allows you to show unbelievable speeds of cultivation, there are no proper cultivation techniques to follow for you.

Under the frowning eyes of his mother, Zhen Wei continued to speak, \"Most importantly, even if the current world is in a state of peace and conforms to 'justice', there will be people who will try to take advantage of you and steal your gifts.

Be wary and follow your heart. Don't trust anyone easily... don't even believe in this cultivation technique. Know that I wouldn't even have allowed you to use this technique had there been any other choice...\" and heaved a powerless sigh.

But almost immediately he stood up with a slightly excited face. He smiled at Zhen Shi and began to walk away. With his figure vanishing into the wind, he left behind a few words, \"I was just reminded of a certain old fellow who might be able to solve this problem. If I could just get that fellow to come over, he should be able to confirm if the cultivation technique is flawed or not... But the problem is, I haven't heard from him in a while...?

Until then, Shi'er you should learn well from your mother.\"

His mother heaved an exasperated sigh and muttered, \"That man---\"

Nevertheless, she turned to Zhen Shi and spoke with the hints of a slight smile, \"Alright then. Let's begin the lesson,\" and stood up gesturing him to do the same.

As soon as he got up, she smiled and said, \"It is important to remember that as long as you are in the Elementary Qi stage you can only use the qi directly absorbed from nature. Using the energy in your qi strand is not only a waste of time but it will also damage your fundamentals.\"

Confirming that he had understood her warning, she continued, \"Now that you've reached the peak of Qi formation you should be ready to learn how to use qi to empower your movement and attacks. You should've been taught this before you reached this much of a level,\" and laughed as she continued, \"But this situation should also make things easier and faster. Now close your eyes...\"

Zhen Shi closed his eyes as ordered, while his mother's voice continued to speak, \"Focus on the aether that is naturally entering into your body with every breath. Focus on how it is then converted into qi which even you can control.

While in the Qi formation stage you should've sensed that a portion of this qi naturally enters into the qi paths within your body. To empower your actions with qi, the qi paths in your body are essential. For instance, if you need to make a powerful punch what you need to do is collect qi into the qi paths on your fist and simply punch out. Go on... try it.\"

Zhen Shi took a deep breath as he focused on the vague sense of the qi paths in his body. He immediately realized that Qi paths were intangible veins similar to blood veins except for the fact that qi flowed through them, and instead of the heart the qi paths were connected to the dantian; it might as well be called the Qi Circulatory System!

There were qi paths all over his body but they were undetectable and the only way to sense them was through the presence of the qi within them. With the practice of having reached the peak of qi formation and the support of his powerful qi strand, he was able to easily direct some qi towards his fist.

Instantly he punched out and a light wave of wind washed out under the power of his fist.

But he felt that he had not completely succeeded... As such, he repeated his previous actions and directed his intent on to some of the qi being dragged into his 'chaotic dantian', and hurriedly directed it towards the qi paths in his fist. Instantly he punched out just as before.

Pah!

The sound of exploding wind rang out under the power of his fist.

Zhen Shi grinned happily at his success and turned to his mother happily.

But she only nodded with a light smile and said, \"Now try to do the same with knife strikes, elbow strikes, knee strikes, and kicking. I'm sure you've seen these moves before, so it shouldn't be too difficult. Once you succeed in that, try to infuse qi into your movement and enhance your speed as well. And then repeat all of it until I tell you to stop.\"

Without even a hint of disappointment, Zhen Shi nodded resolutely as he began to do as she had said…

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The night wind blew by causing the trees to whisper the tales of a forgotten time. The starlight was the only source of light on this moonless night.

Pah! Pah! Pah!

The air exploded repeatedly under Zhen Shi's continuous attacks. He punched, kicked, and struck, ending each repetition with several fast side steps, lunges, and dashes.

Despite his impressive attacks and movement, he was breathing haggardly with sweat dripping down his tired body. After all, he was only a child. A determined and perseverant child, but a child nonetheless.

He was pushing his body to the limit while waiting for the voice that had spoken out on so many times before signaling the end of his suffering.

\"Enough!\" an emotionless voice finally rang out moments later. Immediately, Zhen Shi collapsed onto the floor while heaving heavy breaths and looking at his mother, who had just spoken out, with accusing eyes.

Almost immediately she dashed forwards and held him in concern asking, \"Shi, child, you're fine right? Did I push you too far?\"

Zhen Shi couldn't help but smile at Xie Li's sudden shift in character from a merciless trainer to a worried mother. Nevertheless, he nodded his head with a light smile.

Seeing that he was fine enough to smile his mother visibly relaxed and sat down next to him while staring at the sky. She began to speak while absently stroking his wet hair, \"Since your father hasn't come back yet, let me tell you about the next minor stage of the Elementary Qi Stage; the Qi refining stage.\"

Now with both of them admiring the beauty of the stars, she continued, \"The Qi refining stage is basically as it sounds. The basic purpose is to refine the Qi strand that you already formed. To refine the qi strand you have to remove impure qi. Impure qi refers to a mixture consisting of qi of almost every type.

While it might not sound bad, on the contrary, since it contains every type of qi, it is next to impossible to use impure qi for any complex purpose besides minor strengthening. Furthermore, it is particularly heavy and thus clogs up the qi paths.

Once you retain the qi that is pure and suited for you while removing the impure qi, you will be able to gain a qualitative increase in power. Even elemental manipulation would be possible for certain geniuses...\"

But she paused for a moment and looked at him expectantly.

Zhen Shi stared at her in confusion as well.

Noticing his confused face she laughed merrily and explained, \"I was expecting your cultivation to improve magically again...\"

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