Felix stared open mouthed at the blocked entrance.

How can she just do that? Didn’t even give me a moment. I suppose she has spent most of her time babysitting an essence cultivator but still. Be more sensitive Xue. Wait, what is lighting the room?

He turned to find a rather plain room before him. A wooden chair and desk were in one corner and what looked like a stove in the other. The source of the light was revealed to be rows of softly glowing carvings traced across the ceiling. On the wall to his left was a plain door of wood that he only spared a glance in favor of two solid stone doors covered in carving. Felix felt his hand twitch in anticipation as he studied the fluid-like patterns that were reminiscent but different from those on the ceiling.

Well… I might as well make myself at home.

Felix set his notes and few meager belongings on the table. After he arranged them neatly as he could, he made his way over to the wooden door. It opened to reveal a small room with a few jars, a lot of towels, and a hole.

Alright, this is clearly a bathroom. I think. Not what I expected of an immortal cave. Why would they even need one? It is not like a core cultivator poo… I think? Now I really want to ask. Though maybe I should find someone besides Xue.

Felix opened the jar to be hit by a strong chemical smell. The inside was full of a viscous liquid. Cracking the larger jars that were closer to vats, he found them full of water.

They even have soap and water for washing. At least they value hygiene.

Closing the door, Felix went over to the stone door situated on the left wall. The lack of handle made him pause. He ran his fingers along it yet found little purchase. Finally, he tried to just push it open but it remained indifferent to his efforts.

Is the door magically sealed? I had assumed these were decorations but… Xue, why don’t you warn me of these things… Wait, is that an arrow?

He stared at the arrow that was carved into the wall above the door. It pointed to the left. Almost hesitantly, he laid a hand on the door and tried to drag it to the left. The door slid with ease, gliding into an unseen space in the wall with only a small section sticking out.

Okay, now I feel dumb. Wasn’t expecting signs though. I mean, next thing you know there will be an EXIT sign at the entrance.

Taking just a moment to make sure no such sign existed, he entered the new room. Bigger than the bathroom, shelves lined the walls covered in various containers. He popped open a sealed basket on a lower shelf and found it full of the brick-like bread the sect handed out for free.

Gross. I know Xue said low-level cultivators only need to eat one of these a day but I don’t even want to do that. They nasty. I suppose the low impurity content is worth it though.

Felix searched the remaining baskets and his heart dropped when he found most contained the same potential building material. Sighing, he turned to the few fancy boxes on the higher shelves. A note attached to one of the boxes caught his eyes and he brought it to eye level. It listed the contents of each box and a description of their use. It was signed 'Elder Shen'.

These are all the suggested supplements for [Pillar of the Earth]. How did he know what pills to get me? He must still be spying on me, duh. Wait, does that mean he did see me the night I got tackled by that bathtub idiot.

Cursing under his breath, he exited the storage room and made his way over to the final door. The door was indistinguishable from the other and also had the same arrow above. In one smooth motion, he opened the door only to stagger as the qi density increased once again. Recovering quickly, he hurried into the room and closed the door behind him. He closed his eyes and focused on the sensation the high qi concentration caused.

Holy shit, this is so much denser, and I was impressed when Xue just opened the door to the cave. She must have thought that I was amusing. Well, can’t let any of it get out and go to waste. That must be why the doors are special. Squiggles probably help keep it sealed in.

Minutes passed as he let the feeling wash over him. Eventually, he was able to ignore it and he opened his eyes to take in the room. It was only furnished by a plain mat in the center, yet the room was anything but plain. The floor, walls, and ceiling were covered in carvings. A few were clearly the same lighting squiggles but they only accounted for a small portion of the whole.

Wow, I have no idea what they all do but I can’t deny they’re pretty. Well, I suppose they have something to do with keeping the qi contained but that’s kind of obvious.

Felix found himself lost in their inscrutable patterns only to stop as a headache began. He shook himself and took a seat on the mat. Falling into meditation, he did an inspection of his current state. After minutes of no issues revealing themselves, he started cultivating [Heavenly Earth].

The proper imagery and mindset came naturally. As the technique instructed, he opened himself up to earth qi from many avenues described in the manual, which included a specific breathing pattern. A torrent answered his call.

The current [Heavenly Earth] was barely able to keep up at first and each bit of qi was whisked away down the proper channels. The qi did not stop coming. Fumbling, he felt his mind develop into disarray as panic filled him. The feeling of something dripping from his nose centered him again.

Ugh, so full.

Forcefully he closed himself off from the outside and was able to focus on the qi engorging his internal pathways. The sheer amount caused bottle necks and as qi accumulated at these points, more issues started. He found himself rushing qi through the process in order to relieve the strain. Only when the last bit made it to his dantian did he relax.

That… sucked. I never thought I would have a problem with too much qi. Probably a big reason that the sect doesn’t allow low-level cultivators to practice here. More importantly, my core… feels wrong.

He extended his senses to the qi that lay in his dantian. Without absorbing any qi from the surroundings, he took a bit of qi from his center and brought it through the entire [Heavenly Earth] refining process from the beginning. After several cycles of this, he let out a relieved breath.

Wow, so that’s it. The qi I added didn’t get properly processed. I am not sure what the consequences would have been if I ignored it but luckily my dantian felt off. Wait, why do I taste iron.

He brought a hand up to lip to find crusted blood.

Fuck me, I actually experienced internal bleeding of some kind. That doesn’t make too much sense though. My insides and meridians feel pretty good. Except in those first moments of overload. Did I already recover or can I just not feel the damage? I don’t want to stop training but ignoring it would be stupid. Mmm, how about I just start with the tiniest bit of qi I can grab and work my way up. Should have done that too begin with.

------

The hours passed as Felix searched for a happy medium. No injuries appeared but he started to feel bored. He got up from his seated position and made his way out of the room. A snack and a nap later, he took a seat at the desk. With the [Pillar of the Earth] manual and Xue’s notes set out before him, he took the opportunity to scan the tome again with the system.

[Pillar of the Earth (Mortal 1)]

Power: Weak

Comprehension: (50/50)

Stage: Qi Gathering

Alright, there is a lot to unpack here. Xue has made a few good points but I also got some inspiration from Yang Mei’s training session. I feel good about this improvement session.

Instigating the upgrade process, he felt the internal conversation begin to flow. Time lost meaning and his hand moved almost robotically, recording every word. The first improvement didn’t change much, only perfecting the manual’s core exercises.

Undeterred, Felix continued and found the second voice very critical of many of the additional exercises listed to support the core practices. With each improvement more and more began to be combined. He ignored his aching wrist and pushed the improvement until he reached the point of diminishing returns. Grinning, he laid a hand on the final version.

[Pillar of the Earth (Earth 2)]

Power: Barely Below Average

Comprehension: (50/50)

Stage: Qi Gathering

Wow, that took me a while. I upgraded it 53 times before it suddenly changed from mortal to earth. Going from Earth 1 to Earth 2 cost me two points. From my 105 reserved, that leaves me 50 points.

Felix paged through the final portion of the manual, carefully setting each word to memory.

I have to make sure I don’t get the new and old versions mixed up. Ahh, but this is so worth it. Barely Below Average. It really doesn’t sound impressive but it is better than all the other techniques I have. I wish I had scanned Xue’s [The Diamond of the Blizzard]. It would give me a better benchmark for how good this technique is. Now, should I take a nap or try it out? Fuck it, I want muscles.

Felix ran to the storage room and Haphazardly grabbed all the boxes with the appropriate supplements. He charged into the room and ignored the qi density changed as he laid out all the materials. Setting the mat to the side, he walked to stand in the center of the room.

Alright, the technique really changed when it went from mortal 54 to earth 1. It’s really just one training method. Let's test it out first.

Felix took a deep breath and shifted into something akin to a shoulder wide version of the horse stance. He let out a small breath and slowly rose to the balls of his feet. Allowing his spine to bend, his arms went wide as if he was carrying a large ball.

Alright, really awkward. That muscle needs to be tense. Relax that jaw but tense the brow… How is a normal person supposed to do this? At least the original version seemed possible for a normal mortal. Thankfully I already reached essence gathering 7 before attempting this upgraded version.

Felix’s stance became weirder and weirder as went through all the little adjustments. The final position was so straining that he actually felt a little tired.

There, I’m ready. Now I just need to focus on all those different movements specified in the technique. I wish I had that tea… No, focus.

Felix strode forward that looked somewhere between a lunge and a waddle. His mind went dizzy as his center of gravity seemed to go crazy and he could barely keep his balance. As soon as the ball of his foot finished the step, he felt a change.

What is going on… I, don’t even. Huh?

He remained still as he tried to decode all the different sensations. Most of his body felt like it was being pulled down as if the gravity had increased. Yet as Felix focused on different parts of his body, he found that not all of the strain felt the same. Some parts of his body felt like it was being pulled up. Other as if something was twisting it. A few felt so weird that he wasn’t even sure what he was feeling.

Okay, so it works. The original version was only meant to make the body feel as if it was carrying a great weight but this is different. I still barely understand why doing this weird motion causes this. So should I finish the exercise or take another step for greater strain? Better take the supplements before really pushing it.

Felix closed his eyes, and slowly went from the strange crouch to standing. With every inch rose, he felt the many forces of his body synchronize, becoming one downward pull. He pushed to the end and then fell as all the strain disappeared at once. Hoping to his feet, he made his way over to the stack of boxes as well as grabbing the bottle of pills from the bathtub boy.

Alright, so this version of the manual has you apply the paste and take the pills all at once. The pills to ensure the body grows in the correct way in response to the strain and the paste to ensure certain body parts can keep up. Luckily, the new version also allows me to push the speed of cultivation and use additional resources like qi gathering pills.

Stripping to the nude, he slathered himself with the paste at the specified locations; ears, eyelids, nose, jaw, larynx, joints of the jaw, elbows, wrists, above the dantian, kneecaps, temples, back of the skull, back of the neck, the Achilles tendon, and the gentiles.

Really glad I can do this in private. I mean, I have to put it all over. I am even gladder that the [Heavenly Earth] upgrade from mortal 37 to mortal 38 removed the need for the suppository.

Felix swallowed the supplement pill as well as one of the qi gathering pills. Then he put another of each in his mouth without swallowing. Rushing back to the middle of the room, he quickly began the exercise. One strained step after another he slowly walked around the room. Sweat poured down and body parts that he didn’t even know he had started making themselves known. Yet he didn’t stop as the pills began to take effect and he felt better with each step.

Wow this is tough, but I can keep going. And here comes the headaches and nausea. The original version would have me stop here since those are signs that my brain and organs are starting to go but the new version should- Oh fuck the paste, the paste!

Each location coated experienced either itching, tingling or burning. His crotch underwent the burning experience. Tears streamed down his face as he fought against the pain. Then it all became too much and transitioned to the final standing portion.

His body reached a crescendo of pain as he rose and he faltered. Gulping down the pills in his mouth, he felt his muscle make one more burst of motion to the final position before collapsing on the floor. The small room echoed with his gasps for air as he laid on the cool stone floor.

No, no rest. Too many goals. Too many fears. Too many responsibilities.

Staggering to his feet, gulped down the pills and started the waddle lunging again.

----

Felix occasionally found a little grim mixed in with his sweat at the end of each training session. At some point, his body needed rest so he would break the training up by either cultivating normally, eating, sleeping, or improve one of the many manuals suggested by Xue. During another round of body cultivation, he felt a change. As he performed the final standing portion, he felt it becoming easier.

This must be it! Essence Saturation level one here I come.

Felix swallowed all four pills in his mouth and felt the process accelerate.

Oh wow, this almost makes the pain worth it. It feels so soothing and it seems to reach everywhere. Even my head feels nice. My toes, my eyes, my junk… Wait, that might have been too many pills! Shit, shit, shit. Cycle [Heavenly earth]. Really hard to do both- Oh nice! I am going to reach Essence Gathering 8 at the same time. Yes!

Standing tall like a mountain, Felix felt a transformation of two kinds sweep through him. Then a smell reached his nose and he gagged, he retched, and then threw up black bile all over the floor. His eyes stung as gunk seemed to be everywhere. Through the blurred vision, he looked at his arms to find them covered in a thick layer of slim. Then the effect of breaking through to Essence Gathering 8 made itself known.

Oh no. OH NO.

The urge to defecate became all-consuming. Desperately, he stumbled to the door and tried to open it with too slick hands. The grooves barely gave him enough purchase and he wrenched it to the side. He burst forth but slick grim and his new strength caused him to crash into the wooden door. Uncaring of the pain and splinters, he hurried into the next room. Whimpers and obscene sounds soon filled the cave.

------

Time passed yet the immortal cave remained much the same. With one final brush of the towel, Felix cleaned off the last gunk from his breakthrough to the Essence Saturation 3.

Uh, impurities are so nasty but this is nowhere near as bad as a dual breakthrough. Never again. The old me reaching essence gathering seven must have already expelled the impurities yet that left me an unexpecting fool. I’ll probably have nightmares for the rest of my life.

Running a hand through clean hair, he stepped out of the bathroom and gave his recent home one more look.

Well, I accomplished what I want to do. I was able to blaze to level three in body cultivation, but I’ve started to slow down. I suppose I could just keep cultivating but I need to check what is going on outside. Honestly, I just can’t stand being alone another minute but that’s for me to know. How are all cultivators not insane from self-isolation like this? Maybe they are.

Felix walked over to his current version of [Pillar of the Earth] laid out on the desk and wrote some notes from his most recent breakthrough. He looked over the list of suggestions he had accumulated before tucking it away in his bag.

Well, I think I’ve made all the progress I can make with the resources I have. Hopefully, this will be enough for a bit more security. I don’t think I can rush it more and still have a proper foundation.

Felix reached a hand out and grabbed the other newly written technique manuals and scanned each.

[Heaven’s Fulcrum (Mortal 10)]

Power: Somewhat Weak

Comprehension: (50/50)

Stage: Qi Gathering

[Rooted Step (Mortal 10)]

Power: Somewhat Weak

Comprehension: (50/50)

[Crushing Fruit (Mortal 5)]

Power: Weak

Comprehension: (50/50)

Stage: Qi Gathering

[Seismic Step (Mortal 5)]

Power: Weak

Comprehension: (50/50)

Stage: Qi Gathering

I couldn’t resist upgrading them a little. Unfortunately, that leaves me with only 24 KE points. Still, I think it was worth it.

He tucked them away and made his way over to the final obstacle of his training session. The boulder at the entrance.

So, am I supposed to wait for Xue?... Screw that.

Felix ran to the far side of the room and got in a runner stance aimed at the entrance. Then he ran at full speed and jumped in the air to strike the boulder with [Crushing Fruit]. The boulder erupted out of the entrance. Felix landed and basked in the open air. A fresh breeze and sunlight caressing his face.

It may have been worth my time, but I don't want to do that again for a while. I missed the open air even more than I thought. My mind and body need- Is that boulder still going?

Felix watched as the boulder bounced down the grassy slope outside the cave. It was accelerating.

No, no, no!

Bursting into motion he shot down the hill after the boulder. The gentle slope gave out into steeper and steeper terrain, the boulder crushing each obstacle in its way. Panicked, Felix ran right up to the boulder until it filled his vision.

How am I supposed to stop this thing? I am certainly not going to the other side and getting in its way. I feel stronger but not that much stronger.

Felix reached and tried to grab it. The boulder slowed for a moment but then he pulled his hand back with a hiss. Rug burn marked his palm and the boulder started to speed up again.

Owe that hurt! Okay, I just need to destroy it if I can’t stop it. If this hits someone…. Ragnarök it is!

Felix started the technique. Then the boulder that had filled his vision dropped out of view. Felix bore witness to the sudden reveal of the Sect’s formation and the lands beyond. The boulder had fallen off one of the sect's many cliffs. He desperately tried to change directions with [Shifting Sands]. The technique did not work in the open air.