Mo Yang explained the system of qi cultivation, breaking it down into simple stages, like a ladder going ever upward.

Foundation stage: The cultivators began to absorb the world's Qi, the natural energy, cleansing their pores, allowing for cultivation to begin. They are only slightly stronger than mortals, and have limited ability.

Dantian: When the body is fully cleansed, A small ocean of Qi begins to form within. This is an energy point formed in the body that continuously absorbs the energy of nature. They can use energy to use basic qi attacks, and stand above mortals.

Triple point: There are three dantians within the body, when all are opened, the human body is able to absorb the energy of the world and many times the speed. This is perfection in the initial stages of cultivation. This allows the cultivator to use attacks more continuously, as they can absorb energy at great speeds.

Outer field: Beyond perfection, the path goes far, far beyond. The cultivator combines all dantians into onc, large, outer field of energy. This allows them to use truly powerful attacks containing the strength of the elements.

Domain: Also called dominions, these cultivators have expanded their outer field many times, and can now impose their will upon the earth, as children of qi. This domain is now a world of their own, and the suppression of heaven is greatly minimized.

Heaven-severed: This is the attempt at complete separation from heaven’s will, and suppression, the domain is now spread into the sky, and the cultivators attempt to make their own version of heaven and filter out its suppression, granting them much more power and energy. A dangerous stage for cultivators, as they walk a thin line of tribulations

All else is theory - but there is certainly more.

After the long, yet concise explanation of cultivation, he added at the end.

“But, child, you have no dantian. I have read many, many books. I can only assume you follow one of the other paths of strength.” He hit the nail on the head. When he called me a child, I felt a strange spike of emotion. I realized then, I had never had someone call me as such.

“Damn, this one is much craftier than he appears. It would be best to kill him, but I know you won't.” the Lord of stars spoke

“Go ahead, darling, tell him what you are.” Even now, I felt my mind was embraced and protected. A feeling impossible to describe through the limited medium of language. Au-ha, my first lover. An Ai in my head.

Maybe I was insane, the more I thought, the more maddening it sounded.

“I was once human, turned into a beast. I consume them, and gain their powers. A path of evolution. Do not worry, I gain nothing from killing humans.”

Not even a hint of loathing or disgust. Mo Yang was a truly kind and gentle soul. Even after all the pain and hardship, he smiled at me, a smile containing the warmth of a mentor.

“At the very least, I can teach you some basic breathing techniques. This will strengthen your body and soul, albeit quite slow.

It is commonly referred to as Daoist Breathing. It consists of expanding the abdomen while breathing out through the nose and then compressing it while inhaling through the mouth.

A method of reverse breathing, this was one way cultivators took the power of heaven and made it their own.

We sat for a few hours, breathing together. Ever so slightly, energy trickled into my cells, ever so slowly, my strength, speed, and defense were increased by miniature increments. After many years, It would produce some results.

Mainly, it was nice to sit and train with somebody.

I went back to sleep that night. Au-ha helped automate my breathing, so I would constantly be reverse breathing, it was awkward for an hour or two before I adapted.

As I lay, eyes closed on the cot, Jia came into the room in a soft silk robe. Her eyes were full of some sort of sorry longing, and grievance. She sat on the bed next to me, simply sitting still.

Like a dog without its owner, she emanated of need.

“Jia, do you have any dreams?” I asked.

“....I just want a normal life. My mother always wanted me to be a seamstress.” I was surprised she responded. She still sounded weak, but at least now she was speaking.

“Then I'll get you a sewing machine and some cloth.”

She chuckled with regret. A painful sensation.

“He would have said the same thing…”

‘He’, was surely referring to Mo Wan, whom nobody had truly blamed me for killing. Everyone close to him only felt the pain of loss, and had no feelings of vengeance.

“Why do you do it?” I questioned vaguely.

She responded with her usual, hushed answer.

“I don't know.”

That night, she slept facing her back to me, the warmth of her back a small comfort in my sleep.

“If you sleep with her, I will make you go mad. Don’t test me.” Au-ha warned, feeling jealousy for the first time.

I reassured her, as I embraced her in my mind for the night. I dreamt once more as my beast blood began to simmer.

I was a dying lord of Alloy, in a dying world of metal. I lay beneath the liquid lake of metal that was once my body, now I was turned into a simple tree. That tree of life that soaked up the waters of the ocean, remained alive deep down in the earth.

That ocean that I swallowed, that tree I burned to ashes. It saved my life, as I was forced to remain as a slowly fading tree of alloy.

I felt the cosmic energy above fluctuate like waves, I peered into space, and saw a nightmare waiting to consume my world. Years later, I encountered a woman. Years later, I encountered a beast.

I gave it my power, and the last vestiges of my soul remained to witness the fate of the earth. I saw the new lord repel the cosmic nightmare, and open up a crack in space which would bath the world in energy, elevating it as a whole.

I finally let myself fall into the river, content at last.

When I woke up in the morning, the first thing I did was ask Mo Yang for money. He laughed brightly, to my surprise.

“Of course. But as I told Mo Wan, only 1,000 stones a month.”

“Is that a lot or a little?” I honestly didn't know. This made his laugh even more.

“It's up to interpretation,” he smiled cheekily, “but if you want beast cores or souls, it will likely be hundreds of thousands. There are high grade stones that are worth around 1000 normal stones.”

“Stingy old man,” I grumbled, half joking. “Where should I go to get information?”

“The library, of course.” I looked at the towers of books around him, and he spread his arms out, covering them, “These are mine, nobody reads these.” He was childishly protective of those books for some reason.

I took the money, and left the Mo clan. Jia was in the courtyard, still sweeping.

“Here, Jia, take this money and go buy a sewing machine and fabrics, and whatever else you had.” I took out 300 hundred stones from a small bag with a lot of space inside. She stumbled as she struggled to hold the large amount of stones.

“Sir…how am I going to carry this?” she was panting and her knees were shaking. Seeing this, I put the money back in the spatially distorted cloth bag.

“Just come with me, I need a guide around the city anyways.