Chapter 10: Mind Refinement

Chapter 10: Mind Refinement

I returned to Elder Ming in the afternoon, shortly after completing all my daily tasks. Watering my garden and paying special attention to the lily I brought back home took precedence over all! I brought Tianyi with me to training as well. The Village Head seemed interested in my new companion, and she greeted him by fluttering around his face. I could see she liked Elder Ming.

The first thing I told him, after giving him some tea leaves, was about the new skill I learnt; Qi Manipulation. He almost dropped the tea cup in his hands.

"You unlocked your qi reserves?!" Elder Ming said, his eyes rising in astonishment. "Show me. I don't believe you."

I sat down and cycled my qi throughout my body. I had no hesitation as I did it, knowing he and Tianyi would be able to help me if I were to undergo Qi Deviation. He watched in amazement, and he slapped me across the head once again.

"Ow! What's that for?!"

"Foolish boy! You could've sent yourself into Qi Deviation! This is dangerous without my super-"

"I did, actually." He gaped in horror upon hearing that. "But Tianyi helped me. She stabilized my condition before it got too serious. See? I'm fine! I'm a genius, right Elder Ming?"

Elder Ming was far from amused. He began lecturing me about the importance of cultivating qi under proper supervision, including several painful taps to the head with a cane. Funny. I had never seen him use it to help walk, only to hit me and other children when we were being unruly. His lips were set in a firm line as he spoke in a low voice.

"Kai, I must warn you. Your body is not suited to being a cultivator. Barely qualified to be a martial artist." He shook his head and closed his eyes. "Your qi circulatory system is thinner than the average person. Do you know what this means?"

"Uh, I'll have to work much harder to become a cultivator?"

"Well, yes, but it also means your qi won't flow as efficiently in your body. Every time you cultivate, you have a much higher chance of suffering from Qi Deviation. Far more than the average person would. You journey will put you at great peril for even the simplest of moves like circulating your qi."

What the hell?! My talent was third-rate? I was likely to die from meditating? No way! But I saw the look in Elder Ming's eyes. He was completely serious, and I had seen that effects for it myself.

"B-but there's ways to go about it, yes? I can still become a cultivator?"

Elder Ming's eyes sharpened. "You can, but it won't be easy. I will teach you the basics, but I can tell you right now that anything more advanced won't work for you the same it worked for me."

"I won't back down, Elder Ming. You already know I'm willing to do whatever it takes."

"Then let's get to it! The first step to making you fit to be a cultivator is refining your body! Grab those rocks! We're going back to the hills!"

"Yes, master!"

And so, my training continued.

We finished much quicker this time, although it took well into the evening to complete my training. My body and mind were stretched to their limits, but I was happy. Elder Ming had told me of my constraints, but wasn't the point of cultivation overcoming one's limitations?

He shooed me away, deep in thought. It seemed as though he was slightly distracted during our training session. I had much to think about as well.

Quest: Body Refinement

- Run the perimeter of Gentle Wind Village without stopping to rest. (2/5)

- Commit to the horse stance for ten minutes without stopping to rest. (1/5)

- Squat 250 times without stopping to rest. (2/5)

Quest: Mind Refinement

- Perform Visualization Training for one hour. (3/5)

What if a Spirit Beast were to attack my village? Not just an intelligent crow? Or a group of bandits empowered by the Heavenly Interface? I looked to Tianyi. The memory of nearly losing her to that damned bird came to the forefront of my mind.

I tried to calm myself down. I was being too pessimistic. We were on the outskirts of the Tranquil Breeze Coast. No bandit or beast would try anything here. It was too far out, and we had nothing to offer in the power struggles between the Silent Moon and the Whispering Wind Sect. But if a third-party ever turned their eyes to my village...

"It's simple, isn't it, Tianyi?" I asked her. "I simply become strong enough to ward off any threat that comes our way."

Our village had no real defense against outside threats. Perhaps the Village Head, who was once a cultivator, could fend off an invasion. But the thought of leaving it all to him felt like ash on my tongue.

Kai, protector of the Gentle Wind Village. That had a nice ring to it as well.

It would be a nice title to begin my journey. A goal to work towards before I explored the rest of the world.

Before this village can fend for itself in this new world, I'll be their shield.

Three hours passed. I devoted my evening to mediation and Visualization Training. I felt more at peace meditating here at home, surrounded by the subtle wood qi provided by Tianyi's Qi Haven skill. I opened my eyes to a message from my interface.

Quest: Mind Refinement has been completed.

Due to your status as Interface Manipulator, your rewards will be adjusted accordingly.

Before I could question what was going on, a gentle warmth spread from the back of my head and eventually encompassed it. As though a veil had been lifted, I felt an immeasurable amount of mental clarity I didn't have before.

Your Mind is growing more powerful.

You now have access to your own Memory Palace.

I instinctively knew what the message entailed, even if I had never seen or heard of a Memory Palace. But it was pretty self-explanatory. I went back into the recesses of my mind, creating an endless expanse that came easily thanks to my Visualization Training.

This was a memory palace. My memory palace. A place where I could recall and access any piece of information I ever learned. I grinned internally; this would be an incredible boon toward progressing my skills!

Alright, let's see here. Let's go over the current potions and elixirs I know how to make. I can start experimenting from there.

My memory palace shaped itself accordingly to my needs, creating a massive pile of books. I frowned. I needed to organize this place into something less mundane. Perhaps a library? No, that wouldn't do. Maybe something in line with who I am. Although I was a scholar, I wasn't particularly fond of rows upon rows of books. Perhaps...

I focused my mental energy on my surroundings, giving birth to a luxurious garden. A massive tree sat in the middle, growing large enough to blanket my entire vision. Branches upon branches sprouted from the trunk, some longer than others.

A tree of knowledge. Specifically, the one containing all my knowledge about herbs and plants. I'd need to make a separate tree for other disciplines, but this was good to start with. I looked over specific branches, instinctually knowing what each one represented. The ones that stemmed from the trunk were the foundation of my knowledge; soil knowledge, plant anatomy, identification, and so much more!

When I visualized it, it was truly awe-inspiring to see how much knowledge I accumulated. I had been around plants all my life, and the build-up of this information was spread over years and years. I wonder what Elder Ming's looked like. Or even Wang Jun! Did his expertise in smithing go as deep as mine did for herbs?

I imagined mine in the future as something akin to the World Tree in size. It would pierce the skies and into the heavens! Once I became a cultivator, all the knowledge I had would be stored here, steadily growing and unfurling its roots.

I finally found the branch I was looking for; the branch on medicinal properties and usage of plants. It spread further than most of the branches, and every single one I touched gave me an inkling of the knowledge behind it. The way my memory palace manifested itself to my desires was both an unconscious and conscious action. This ability was incredibly profound.

Reviewing all my knowledge in regard to herbs took some time, but when I opened my eyes, only half an hour had passed. It felt like I had been there for hours, just going over potential ideas and ruminating about combinations I hadn't thought of.

With my entire store and garden in my grasp, I could experiment how I pleased! Perhaps I'd make a revolutionary elixir with what I had. Then I'd make a fortune off that product. And then I could use it to buy pills and elixirs to get stronger! Ha! If I accumulate more plants, I could probably make those pills and elixirs myself!

It all clicked into place. My plan for defying the heavens has solidified into something of worth! Nothing could stop me!

"Hehehehe....HAHAHAHAH!"

My house was filled with evil cackles as I, Kai Liu, resolved to become the greatest herbalist and cultivator the Gentle Wind Village has ever seen!