Yu’s Wood Warrior teacher was quite pleased to see the thorns form on her arms and hands and offered her some excellent advice in regards to Qi flow. For the first time, Yu was able to participate in the second half of that class and was pleased with how her thorns increased her combat effectiveness.

She, unfortunately, broke off a few in her passionate attacks but was told that would happen less as she opened (cleansed in her mind) more meridians. They would apparently become harder than steel by the time she could commit twenty to the skill. And who knew what the benefits would be at thirty?

Yu had asked the teacher if she could combine the thorns with other Qi and he advised, “Yes, but Wood only mixes with certain other Qi well. Study the affinity wheel if you want to experiment with joint Qi attacks later. Focus on ones in the same half only. So no Fire or Lightning for example. Earth and Water are especially compatible. But save that. For now, learn to manage one Qi at a time. When your mouth is already so full of rice, don’t try to stuff in a dumpling or you might choke.”

Yu found that concept disappointing but understood. She would try to find time to experiment. In the meantime, she excelled in the combat portion, impressing the disciples and instructor who had never seen her use her battle skills before.

Yu’s Wood Mage teacher, on the other hand, was as disappointed at her remaining lack of a Mana combat skill as her Aura teacher had been pleased. Yu promised she had been working very hard to get one and hoped to have one by her next class. He seemed somewhat mollified by that, but still reminded Yu of her obligation to get one before they moved on from studying Qi.

Lunch was enjoyable but a little tense as Li was annoyed at herself for the prior night’s dinner. “I was just so nervous. He was so handsome and strong and nice to us. I was overwhelmed. I totally embarrassed myself.” She hid her face in her hands and moped.

Trying to provide comfort, Yu said, “Hopefully you’ll feel better when we see him tonight. He seemed really interested in helping.”

Then Yu patted Ai and said, “Especially you, Ai. He is really nice and would never hurt you. You can trust him to help if you need it.” Ai nodded, blushing. “And you know Li and I would pound anyone that hurt you.”

Li nodded. “Definitely.” Then she started punching the air, as usual.

“Can I leave Bai with you all while I go to private training? I’ll feed him first and then head out.” They all nodded excitedly and said they’d take him out for a run and romp. In some ways, Yu was envious of the time they spent with her bond. But she was also beyond appreciative of all the support they gave her. And of course, having three additional spoiling aunts was a treat for him.

***

Yu was walking alone through the merchant area of the city thinking about some of the things she might need for future trips to the forest. Popping into a few stores, she replenished what she could, picked up a few new things, and went off to get picked up.

At the moment of the 14th hour, Yu appeared next to her master in his tea room. He was sitting and instructed her to join him. She did and he poured her tea.

With no preamble he started speaking. “Disciple, we have a few things to discuss and then we will start training you to step. You will not leave until you have the ability to step far enough to get to and from your breakthrough room safely and secretly. Clear?”

“Yes, master,” she responded with a deep bow.

“Good. First, you had better start challenging disciples if you want to reach the fifteen thousandth rank in four months’ time. I know you know the rules in regards to how to challenge others, so get to it.”

Yu hadn’t really registered that requirement amid everything else going on when he gave her that ultimatum.

Not waiting for her response, he continued, “Second, I am pleased with how you are tweaking the Bao, Gui, and other petty Nobles. Well done. I would reward you but you get enough from me already. Really impress me and I might give you something. Next, let’s discuss your test results.”

A little overwhelmed at his continued words, she could only nod silently.

“While Shuiguo cannot tell me the specifics, I can figure that your body, which is a high gold, is likely starting to affect your decision-making. Is that correct?”

Yu blushed at the reminder and nodded, but asked, “High gold? I knew it was gold but not high. Whatever that means.”

He rolled his eyes, held out his hand upon which a tablet appeared, and ordered her to tap it in an exasperated tone. Yu did and received a Sign.

Sign Updated.

“That is the Long family’s consolidation method and it is superior to the one you were given by the sect. Back to your question, each greater rating has sub ratings. For body type, they are low, mid, and high. You are high gold. I can’t imagine how you got it except I know of that old madwoman, Huan. She’s even less sane than I portray to the world. I’m surprised and impressed that you lived through it. Anyway, Shuiguo will send you a meditation technique tonight which will help manage the changes. I can’t have you getting killed over angering the wrong person. Your intellect is one of the reasons you have succeeded and survived and I won’t allow it, or my investment and plans, to be compromised. You will work on the meditations and control yourself. Are we clear?”

Yu nodded. She would have followed those instructions even if he hadn’t given them. She was desperate to gain control back. On the other hand, he was the second person to be impressed that she survived Grandma Huan’s training. Who was that old woman, really? And how many people had died under her tutelage?

Oblivious to her musings, her master continued. “Good. If you decide to start getting involved with boys that’s fine. As I said, I don’t care what you do as long as it doesn’t distract you from your growth. Make sure you use the contraceptive skill. It is free for all disciples from the Skills Library.”

Yu blushed and was about to respond that she had no interest in doing that but he bowled on as if what he said was irrelevant and not utterly mortifying.

“Your mother told me about your bizarre cycling scripture. It is no doubt responsible for your Qi’s near-perfect purity, which matches what the strongest clans of the empire have. I obviously don’t need to tell you not to let it out that you have it.

For the second time, a quick flash of hunger crossed his face as he looked at her but was gone so fast she almost doubted she saw it correctly. Yu could not help but wonder what he really wanted from her.

“Finally, your meridians. They are the real prize. You have not just purple, but heavenly meridian paths, which are unique in my more than millennia-long experience and in all the records I could find. Obviously, they had to have happened somewhere and at some time in the past, but it's too far back to find information on or in a faraway location. Upon reflection, given that you received them from a Heavenly Tribulation, I should not have been surprised. Either way, meridians of that quality will grant you certain enhancements. You should keep a look-out for those. Have you experienced anything in regards to your meridians that gives you the impression of special capabilities?”

Yu, still overwhelmed by his onslaught of words, took a few moments to process his question. Finally, her mind reengaged. “Umm, beyond surviving what Elder Bao Shi did, no.”

He snorted, “He used a cheap trick to try to burn you out. It is utterly illegal and likely would have resulted in his expulsion from the sect even if I hadn’t expedited the process. Not that I haven’t used such a method before; he was just a sloppy weak loser and your meridians were too durable for his ineptitude. No. Toughness isn’t your meridians’ primary gift to you. Keep monitoring. If we can discover it, perhaps we can focus on that and encourage your growth along the same direction as your pre-existing strengths.

“Moving on, I know you have smartly not shared your testing results, which I would expect from you. Still, they will likely get out sooner or later. Just don’t let it be from you and I will do what I can. I’ve addressed a few potential leaks already. The world is not yet ready to know of your potential and my plans would be completely disrupted if it did.” He stood then and Yu scrambled to her feet.

Without a break, her master said, “Now, let’s work on your ability to move between spatial folds.” Suddenly Yu was standing with her master in an empty courtyard about the same size as the one in her father’s palace; meaning it was large enough to hold a few hundred people comfortably.

“Show me what you learned from our ancestor.”

Yu straightened up and began sending Qi through her meridians causing her body to glow with an aura of silver light. Spatial Qi gave off the oddest sensations compared to her other affinities as it flowed inside of her. It didn’t seem to exude anything except pure unmitigated power.

Yu had a hard time describing it but she didn’t need words to wield it. She simply wove the power as Elder Jiu taught her. Yu started sending the Qi in front of her, directing it with her hands and fingers. Eventually, an outline of a fold appeared in front of her and Yu let out a breath.

Her master said testily, “That does not even meet the most basic acceptable standards. First, you wasted an enormous amount of Qi with your attempts at precision which is allowing it to be seen. Spatial Affinity is about controlling power, especially at your stage. You will find you use less Qi when you control the world, not the Qi. None save those with Spatial Affinity of equal or higher cultivation should be able to see the voids you create. That wavering you see is from wasted Qi.”

“And just as importantly, work on using it without moving your body. You will handicap yourself later if you depend on physical motions. It will be harder at first, but gets easier with practice. By the way, that is useful in all Qi, not just Spatial. Stop using your body so much, especially for Mana. Aura is more complicated because of the requirement for physical contact, but trust me when I say you will pay later if you don’t invest now. Now, try again.”

Yu repeated the process twice more without moving her hands; neither succeeded and she had to stop before she started a third.

“I’m sorry master, I’m out of Qi,” she said breathlessly.

Her master looked at her, as if in surprise. Then he looked frustrated and said, “You need to grow stronger. Quickly. Here, take this.” Then he held out his hand and a white round ball the diameter of her thumbnail appeared on it. Looking closer, Yu noticed it had multiple tiny stripes of green; she counted nine.

Yu looked at her master skeptically and asked, “What’s that?” while picking it up carefully.

“Obviously it’s a pill. You eat it.” His tone was one of speaking to an ignorant child. Well, in fairness, it was the first completed alchemy product Yu had ever touched and she was years from her her majority so he wasn’t totally off.

But upon hearing it was a pill Yu held it away from herself as if it was a contagious sickness and shook her head frantically. “I’m not supposed to take any medicines for a long time.”

“Oh please. Stop being such a verger. It isn’t a cultivation pill.” Then he looked her up and down and said in a frustrated tone, “I wish I could allow you to learn alchemy and rid you of the ridiculous notions you have been brought up with, but there is simply no way I can do that and not affect your growth. There is simply not sufficient time. Instead you will read a pair of books I will have assigned to you.”

Yu stared at it nervously. “Master, I’ve been told repeatedly that I was not to take pills to help my cultivation. What is this?”

He sighed and rubbed his hairless face. “It is a Qi Replenishment Pill. All it does is refill your dantian. Well, perhaps it has a little extra oomph to it but it basically contains purified Qi only and thus holds no more impurities than standard cultivation would provide. Now eat it!” He snapped the last sentence making Yu jump.

She hesitantly put it in her mouth. The moment the pill touched her tongue it dissolved and a feeling of liquid power entered her mouth and slid down her throat. Yu felt the power flood through her body and those strange paths her cultivation technique created while in the Foundation stage.

All of a sudden Yu flared with power and her dantian was deluged with Qi. She folded over with a grunt as she saw her body flare once again with silver light. She felt overwhelmed with power and the strange channels in her body glowed so brightly she could see them through her flesh and skin and clothes. A silver formation was gleaming out from her torso. After a few ragged breaths, it dimmed and Yu collapsed onto the ground, gasping for air.

Yu felt her master touch her on the forehead and she heard him say, “How fascinating.” Then a few breaths later, “Get up, disciple.”

Yu’s breathing steadied quickly and she found herself without any material discomfort. She was a little sore perhaps, but otherwise Yu felt great. Maybe even a little stronger from the experience, whatever it was.

Her master rubbed his chin and said pensively, “That cycling technique of yours is quite the mystery. Do you know its source?”

Standing again, Yu answered as best she could. “Only broadly. I was told the Azure Dragon’s Heart was found in the tomb of an immortal cultivator from which one of my ancestors barely made it out alive. He only provided what they believed to be the first two-thirds of it to the clan. The rest is missing. He went off into seclusion and was never heard from again. That is the last we know. Or at least the last I know.”

“Interesting. Alright. Well, you must know your body actually contains a formation, yes?”

Yu nodded. “I’ve seen it internally although its purpose is a mystery. Before I took that pill all it did was very slowly gather Qi passively from the environs.”

He humphed. “Now that I know what to look for, I can feel the suction myself. Even beyond what your body is sucking in. How interesting. Do you feel it enter your dantian, meridians, or something else?”

Yu said, “It never goes to my meridians. The formation seems to send the Qi to my dantian when it isn’t full. When it is, the Qi seems to vanish into the formation’s center and I have no idea what happens to it. That’s one of the mysteries I haven’t been able to find the answer to and is kind of scary. I just hope it isn’t hurting me or building up like some kind of dam that is going to break and make me explode one day.”

He snorted at that. “Please. That would be absurd. It is likely building something or building to something. Or both. Either way that is an interesting mystery we will likely have to wait a long while to see solved. I look forward to observing what happens. I have to imagine it will only further my goals. That said, when I examined you I noticed your channels were stretched. Do you feel that way?”

Yu nodded. That would explain her soreness.

“Well, no more of that pill then.” He was thoughtful for a moment before “hmming” and saying, “Perhaps we should add it to your weekly routine, opposite your meridian opening schedule. Or ‘cleansing’ as you call it. That way we alternate between working your meridians and those odd channels. Let’s monitor them. You could have a whole new path to growth and power if they can stretch that way by just taking an Unceasing Qi Replenishment Pill. Get checked by your healing teacher in three days and if your paths are no longer sensitive, we’ll start taking that pill on a regular basis. That was quite an expensive alchemical creation by the way. Those are very pure. For now, I have equally pure but much weaker standard versions. Let’s see how it goes. Now, create a void without hand gestures. No more delays or excuses.”

***

An hour and a half later, Yu knew she was a panting sweaty mess as she lay in front of the sect leader. As it turned out, she could take the normal reduced versions of the pills without causing her pathways to activate. This was excellent news according to her master because he could push her incredibly hard, despite the wear on her body. Every time she was weak, he stuffed one into her mouth and made her start again until she eventually could create a void without moving any body parts that met his expectations.

Despite everything, his methods clearly worked as evidenced by the results. At first, Yu was able to create only three voids in about thirty breaths each before taking a pill to replenish her Qi. By the end of their session, she could create eight in less than five breaths each before being empty. She had improved her use of Qi every time and eventually was able to create them to take her a good ways away and even behind objects. They always had to remain in her line of sight though.

On the downside, the pill did nothing to curb her physical or mental exhaustion and apparently had a small side effect if taken too often in a short period of time. Her body had started to shake and Yu could barely move and think straight by the end of their lesson. It seemed taking many at once could cause the body to physically reject the effect. The rejection was temporary according to her master, but not pleasant.

That said, her master looked down at her sprawled out form. “Well, at least it was worth my time,” he declared. “That last void was actually not terrible. It was still too jagged and you used too much Qi, but it could have gotten you to the breakout room from within about one hundred paces. Realistically, I’ve seen worse from older and more experienced cultivators.”

Yu managed a weak, “Thank you, master.”

Then he looked at her curiously, “Tell me. How did you continue to improve on the Qi strings? I noticed an improvement in the flows at every attempt. Small but noticeable adjustments each time.”

Yu rolled up to her knees and said, “I remember the past attempts and changed the worst parts each time. It’s how I’ve always studied and practiced Qi skills. Well, everything really.”

There it was again. That flash of craving on his face that came and went instantly. After seeing it so many times, Yu knew it was real but could not figure out the cause, and that scared her. But she could quite literally do nothing about it so she just looked up at him, awaiting his next instructions.

In a normal tone he said, “Of course. Show me your new God Sign.”

Yu stood, called it up, and scanned it for the first time since she consolidated.

Name: Yu

Clan: Fenghuang

Clan Rank: Young Mistress

Ki Type:

Granted: Ether

Blessed: Aura, Mana

Ki Affinity:

Primary: Spatial

Secondary: Darkness, Fire, Earth, Water, Wood, Lightning

Cultivation Level:

Stage: Formation

Potential Measurements:

Body Type:

Gold (high)

Qi Purity:

Pure (near-perfect)

Meridian Type:

Purple (heavenly)

Sect: Black Dragon Sect

Sect Points: 34,923 (+4.5%)

Sect Level: Outer Sect Disciple

Sect Rank: 24,913

Might: 90, Agility: 108, Resilience: 112, Spirit: 241, Perception: 101

Meridians: 5/156

Martial Forms: 2

Adept: 1, Initiate: 1

Weapon Capabilities: 7

Expert: 1, Initiate: 3, Novice: 3

Qi Skills:

Aura:

Mana:

Ether:

Grade 1: 10

Grade 2: 1

Grade 1: 12

Grade 2: 4

Grade 1: 2

Grade 2: 1

Grade {9}: 1

Grade {unknown}: 2

The first thing she said was, “Wow. That really is consolidated.”

Looking it over she turned it around to face her master after seeing the new line under skills.

“Sign. Ether Skills. Grade 9,” she called to the world.

Ether:

Grade {9}:

- Spatial Step (Novice)

And there it was. Weird about how it looked like grade 9 but strange. Yu asked, “Why is showing as an Ether skill?”

His response was a distracted, “It has no Qi type of its own and is always the primary type the wielder uses.” Yu nodded, confused but pleased with the outcome of today’s work. She felt like this skill would enable her to do many things and was quite satisfied with herself.

Her master spoke, interrupting her moment of prideful self-reflection. “I see. With that perception no wonder you can see Qi with such detail. And of course, your memory is the other half of that extraordinary gift. Wonderful.”

He looked at her and changed his tone to one of an instructor as he asked her, “Did you know that a cultivator’s perception does not increase as they advance? In fact, it is the only one of what we call the primary attributes that doesn’t. It is entirely based on the cultivator.”

Yu shook her head. She had no idea since it kept raising for her, if slowly.

“Well, that’s how it works. Getting back to your training, I expect you to start renting a practice room and using it to improve your stepping. You should be able to get from your personal room to the breakthrough room in a single step before you reach the twenty thousandth position.”

He didn’t even bother with an or else sort of threat. Why would he bother?

“Speak of which, don’t forget to start challenging your fellows. Your rank in the sect is embarrassing me. You should be in the top fifty before the end of your second year and the top ten before your fourth. Obviously, no use of the Spatial Affinity in combat is permitted. At least not openly. And don’t think I didn’t notice your little point bonus. I approve, but don’t try to hide things from me.”

Then she was gone.