Once more, the days blurred together, turning into weeks. Jintian's progress with his Second Circle was just as quick as his First, and in fact, due to the sheer amount of Beast Cores he had absorbed it was even faster. His Second Circle was nearly three times that which it had been previously, greatly increasing Jintian's power and Qi reserves. Any day, he felt as though he would reach the peak of the Second Circle, and break through into the Third.
His teacher had warned him, however, that his rapid growth would stall once he reached the Fourth Circle. The gap in power between the Third and Fourth Circle was more vast than the gap between the First and Third Circle, and the gap between the Fourth and Fifth was larger even than that between a mortal and the Fourth Circle.
And then there were the "Walls" that separated the Fifth Circle from the Sixth Circle, the Eighth Circle from the Ninth Circle, and the Twelfth Circle from the final Great Circle of Qi Condensation. Many cultivators, he had been told, could remain stuck at these Walls for years, and some would never break past them.
"Overcoming the wall is not a matter of spiritual energy." Kang Shanxi had told him once, in the midst of his Qi manipulation. He had asked why these cultivators simply did not save money and purchase high-grade spirit medicine to assist them. "It's a matter of the quality of their Qi, and their sheer will."
"The quality?" Jintian asked, letting the sword he had been practicing with hover beside him. He had long since reached the "formlessness" his teacher had once described to him, allowing him to directly impose his will onto an object and move it as he wished. Now, during their combat training, he was practicing various sword movements with his Qi control.
His teacher nodded, stroking his beard. "Indeed. You see, I am actually putting you through quite rigorous and thorough training. Most cultivators, particularly the ones who are found to be lacking in talent, are only taught the basics, and expected to figure the rest out for themselves. This is why having a master, or belonging to a Clan, places one at a much higher starting point than others.
"Most of the techniques I am teaching you, they must either intuit, or find manuals for in various libraries or lend from their Sects in exchange for spirit stones or contribution points. After all, cultivation is essentially a very selfish and jealous practice. By allowing others to progress with you, you thus put any of your future good fortune at peril of them taking it for themselves. It is a winding, narrow road without end, and both those ahead of you and behind you could shove you off of it at any time."
Jintian thought about that, and supposed it made sense, even if it left him with a bad feeling in his mouth. If he had, by pure chance, stumbled upon feeling the existence of spiritual energy, and then by miracle managed to form his First Circle, that still meant he would need to somehow guess how to imbue his Qi into objects and control them, let alone all of the other various applications of Qi he was learning from his teacher, such as temporarily strengthening his body, converting it into Sword Qi, or any other technique.
Jintian then looked at his teacher, and was overcome with both admiration, guilt, and pure gratitude. Kang Shanxi might have felt some form of obligation to his father, but he had already more than paid his debt by saving Jintian's life, and sacrificing an arm to stall Wu Mingjie and his servants to assist him and his mother in getting away. Which meant all of the resources and time he was spending nurturing Jintian were purely out of kindness in his heart.
His heart filled with emotion, he hurriedly dropped to his knees, planting his forehead to the earth. "Teacher!" He shouted, his voice thick and heavy with the feelings he had been swept by. "I have thus far been a most ungrateful and entitled student! Thank you for everything you've done for me!"
Kang Shanxi was startled, his cheeks immediately growing red with embarrassment. "Ai, get up! What is this all of a sudden, you're making my skin itch!" He snapped, though the warmth in the gaze toward Jintian betrayed his own feelings.
When Jintian rose to his feet, Kang Shanxi cleared his throat. "As I was saying before, you little rascal, the quality of one's Qi, and will, determines how swiftly one can break past these walls. By practicing different Qi techniques, you deepen the quality of your Qi, and through continued discipline and hard work, you sharpen your will." He said, then looked at Jintian approvingly.
"Your Qi is already startlingly refined for being a mere Second Circle cultivator. Part of this is due to the strangely obedient nature of your Qi, while the other part is due to your continued discipline and time spent practicing your Qi techniques. While not quite at the level to break through the second wall, the first wall should pose no problems for you. And due to the nature of your bodily cultivation method, as well as the difficulty cultivation poses to you due to your injury, your will already surpasses most others in the lower and middle stages of Qi Condensation."
Jintian felt pride fill him, before he ruthlessly crushed it away. Like his teacher had said, when it came to cultivation he was extremely fortunate. While Kang Shanxi had told him that had his heart meridians not been damaged, his speed could have been nearly double what it currently was, that was more than compensated for by even having Kang Shanxi as a mentor in the first place.
Taking a deep breath, Jintian once again resumed practicing his Qi manipulation, sending his sword flying around the area, this time with renewed vigor.
-
The next week, he reached his breakthrough into the Third Circle. This Circle had been formed along his stomach meridian, and now, a third moon could be seen within his inner world, hovering over the still water of his third lake. When he once again came to his senses, he gagged as the filth of his impurities overwhelmed his now inconceivably heightened senses.
After bathing in the spring, he was once again shocked by how much he had improved. His spiritual sense now extended past the house and into the forest around him, stopping at the creek that burbled along the forest path. Furthermore, it was now far more refined. Although not so detailed as to allow him to see specifics of what he sensed, no longer were they blurry shapes or vague outlines, but clear distinct profiles within his sense.
And, most importantly, his strength more than tripled what it had been at the Second Circle, as did his Qi reserves. He felt like if he bolstered his strength with Qi, he could even pick up and throw a small boulder, if he so wished.
He then sighed, bitter regret filling him. If he had been this strong when the village had been attacked, then though he wouldn't have been able to fight the invaders… he at least would have been able to carry his mother to safety.
Shaking his head, he pushed the regret away. When he exited the cave, he found Kang Shanxi sitting at the table, brows furrowed as he was staring intently at Xiyun.
"Kang. Shan. Xi." He said slowly to her, and she was also looking at him seriously.
"Abbu. Abb. Abu." She answered back, and he smiled. Jintian was first confused, and then incensed as he realized just what it was his elder was trying to do.
"You damn old man, are you trying to get her to say your name before mine!?" He growled, and Kang Shanxi looked at him, his expression guilty. Jintian realized with shock that this wasn't the first time he had done this.
Had Kang Shanxi been coaxing Xiyun every time he went to cultivate!?
He leapt to the seat beside Xiyun, who looked at him, a small smile on her face.
"Shen. Jin. Tian!" He declared, and his little sister nodded sagely.
"Abbub. Abin. Aban!" She said, and all three members seemed surprised by the sounds that had come out of her mouth. Jintian then immediately raised his fist in victory, looking triumphantly at Kang Shanxi.
"Did you hear that, you old man!? She's clearly saying my name!" He said, and Kang Shanxi looked almost crestfallen, before he gnashed his teeth viciously, turning toward Shen Xiyun.
"Kang. Shan. Xi!" He said, and Jintian gaped in shock at his pure audacity, before also turning to Xiyun, refusing to be outdone.
"Shen. Jin. Tian!"
"Kang. Shan. Xi!"
"Shen. Jin. Tian!"
Xiyun looked between the both of them, her expression growing confused, before she snorted and crawled away, firmly ignoring the both of them to play with her toys. The two men then looked at each other, embarrassment clear on their features.
Kang Shanxi cleared his throat, speaking first. "Young Jin, congratulations on reaching the Third Circle." He said, and Jintian nodded.
"Y-yes. Although, I think reaching the Fourth Circle will take me quite some time now. I no longer have any Beast Cores to aid me." He said, and Kang Shanxi nodded slowly. And then, he sighed.
"No, you won't be able to reach the Fourth Circle here." He said quietly. Jintian thought he might have heard a tinge of sadness to his voice. "The incense sticks you've been using… are nearly gone, now. There are only two weeks worth of them left."
Jintian processed his teacher's words, a bit of anxiety filling him. "That means…" He said hesitantly, and Kang Shanxi nodded.
"The time is approaching for you to leave this place." He confirmed, and Jintian's lips trembled as he looked toward Xiyun. Kang Shanxi's gaze was solemn, as Jintian turned back to him. "Of course, you still have much training to do. You have just barely begun to form your Sword Qi, and your Qi manipulation, while strong, is not at the level I would like it to be for you to venture out. But… by spring, I will have given you everything I can to prepare you for your journey."
Jintian sighed emotionally, looking out of the window. He had spent nearly four months here, longer if he took into account the six months he'd been unconscious. In his heart, he had known that the time would come for him to leave, but hearing it confirmed saddened him.
Still… if he wished to pursue his goal of finding Wu Mingjie, he did need to leave. Steeling his resolve, he turned back towards Kang Shanxi. "I will work hard so that I can leave at that time without causing you to worry, teacher."
Kang Shanxi smiled at that, his gaze profoundly deep. "That's the thing with teachers, young Jin. We will always worry for our disciples." He said, before standing. "Come. There is still something I must teach you, to prepare you for your journey."
Leaving Xiyun inside but ensuring there would be nothing she could endanger herself with, Kang Shanxi stopped at the brook just outside of the house. It had not frozen yet with the cold of winter coming, but it was only a matter of time before it did.
Kang Shanxi looked towards Jintian, and flicked his sleeve. "Thus far, I have shown you how to directly manipulate objects with your Qi, and how to convert your Qi into Sword Qi. However, neither of these things can truly be considered techniques." He said, and Jintian listened attentively.
"I mentioned that Qi techniques involve manipulating your Qi into specific shapes, or creating a magical formation." He continued. "I will now demonstrate one of the signature techniques of my former Sect, something that is as useful to a Qi condensation disciple as it is to a Core Formation expert. Observe."
He then pointed toward the brook, and shifted his fingers into specific patterns. Jintian then felt Qi fill the air for a moment, shockingly colder than the winter air around them.
Jintian watched with wonder as ice bloomed from the brooke, forming a crystalline lotus that then drifted lazily down the stream. As it did, the water around it froze, until finally it burst apart, sending sharp shards of ice exploding outwards.
Kang Shanxi hurriedly flicked his sleeve, preventing the ice shards from damaging the house or themselves. However, the ice shards that remained crashed through trees or slammed into the earth with deafening booms, small craters forming where they had pierced the ground.
Eyes lit with awe and fear both, he looked at Kang Shanxi. His teacher nodded to him. "It is known as the Blooming Frost Lotus, developed by the leader and founder of our Sect, Patriarch Frostheart." He explained. "Like I said, it is one of the three signature techniques that all in the Sect learned. Over the next few months, you will learn this technique, as well as the Shimmering Veil, and the Heart Freezing Storm."
Jintian nodded, bowing to his teacher. "I will do my best." He promised, and Kang Shanxi was satisfied. He beckoned Jintian over to him, before pointing at the ground.
The earth separated itself cleanly, carving into itself a diagram that consisted of a dizzying number of lines and symbols, some of which he recognized as the characters for "Ice", "Drain", and "Burst". Woven together as a whole, it resembled the shape of a lotus.
"Qi manipulation and Sword Qi are both simple." Kang Shanxi said. "One simply involves imbuing your Qi into something, while the latter involves sharpening your Qi into the will to cut what is in front of you. Qi techniques, magical techniques, require structure and command in order to produce the required effect. These are known as spell formations."
Jintian nodded, studying the lines of the diagram intently, almost feverish as he burned the image into his mind. "So… I manipulate my Qi internally to reproduce this spell formation?" He asked, and Kang Shanxi nodded.
"Exactly right. Then, with will, you push the formation outward, and inflict it upon the world." He confirmed. Jintian hummed, rubbing his temples. He understood the principle, but it was all easier said than done.
Suddenly he looked back at his teacher. "You also moved your fingers strangely." He noted, and his teacher laughed.
"Indeed I did. Very observational, young Jin." He praised. "Those are what are known as incantation signs. You see, for most, reproducing the spell formation internally can prove difficult and, most importantly, time consuming. In magical combat, every moment is precious. However, with incantation signs associated with certain parts of a formation, you can 'slot' them into place. It is a shortcut that most cultivators learn to increase the speed of their techniques."
Jintian thought about this for a few moments, his eyes flashing as a thought crossed his mind. "So in other words, if I do not perform those incantation signs, others will not know I am casting a technique until it's too late?" He asked, and Kang Shanxi looked at him with surprise.
"Well… yes." He admitted. "In fact, that was something else I was going to address. Cultivators typically practice one or two techniques without using incantation signs, to use as trump cards at vital moments in a battle." He said, looking strangely at him.
He then pointed at the ground again, and another pattern similar to the first appeared, however this time with many of the lines and symbols missing. Now all that remained were four specific characters. "All spell formations fall under two archetypes. These archetypes are known as affliction, and projection. Affliction is a technique that is applied directly to something, while projection is a technique that is cast out onto the world.
"Now, within these archetypes, spell formations can vary wildly. But any spell formation will have what are known as 'spell nodes'. These spell nodes are the core of the spell formation, and essentially describe the actions the spell is trying to accomplish." Kang Shanxi said, pointing towards the newest spell formation he'd carved into the ground. "The more complicated a Qi technique is, the more nodes it will need. More spell nodes does not necessarily mean more powerful, but it tends to lean in that direction. All the nodes do, is specify what actions are required of it. The rest of the spell formation details how these actions are accomplished, which are known as 'conduits'. If I have a spell formation with the character for fire on it, and that is it, then fire will appear, perhaps in front of me, perhaps behind me, no one will know ahead of time, not even myself. But if I have the spell node for fire, with the conduits to instruct 'whom I will', then the spell will light whom I will on fire."
Jintian nodded, however his head was beginning to ache from the sheer amount of information Kang Shanxi was giving him. Seeing the lost and dazed expression on his student's face, Kang Shanxi coughed into his sleeve.
"Apologies, young Jin. I got a bit carried away. In truth, it is not necessary to know this information, if you simply want to use a technique. But if you want to alter it to suit your needs, or one day even craft your own technique, then the fundamentals are vital." He said. "Anyways. The spell nodes for the Blooming Frost Lotus technique are the characters for 'freeze', 'drain', 'form', and 'explode'. The conduits direct the actions to freeze the target, drain its energy, form the bloom of the lotus, and then explode the energy outwards in the shape of ice shards."
By this point of his explanation, Jintian was itching to finally give it a try, his mind clearing as he practically shivered with excitement. Seeing the impatience in his student, his teacher sighed. "Very well, give it a try. However, do not be disappointed if you do not achieve it on the first try. Spiritual energy resists strict form, preferring instead to gather and pool together. Additionally, it must be spread out evenly into the shape, with a small concentration gathered along the spiritual nodes. As for myself, it took me nearly three weeks to succeed, and even that is considered to be-"
Kang Shanxi froze as Jintian suddenly opened his eyes, pointing towards the brook. A snap of freezing energy burst outwards, and despite Kang Shanxi's warning of temperance, a lotus began to bloom atop the water of the stream. It was far smaller than Kang Shanxi's had been, and when it eventually exploded, the ice shards barely even pierced the dirt, but the spell was otherwise a thorough success.
Jintian looked thoroughly disappointed, and he looked at Kang Shanxi with dejection. "I'm sorry teacher, I don't think I did it right. What were you saying earlier? I was focused on the spell."
Kang Shanxi schooled his expression. "Do it again. This time gather more energy within the Explosion node." He demanded, and this time watched Jintian carefully. He felt the Qi moving within him smoothly, almost docile as it allowed him to shape it like clay. And then, for the second time and even quicker than the first, a lotus bloomed atop of the water. This time, the lotus bloomed, and then crumbled inward without even reaching the exploding stage.
Jintian looked even more dejected, but Kang Shanxi was practically panting with excitement. "I think you distributed too much energy away from the Form node. Again!" He demanded. Gritting his teeth with determination, Shen Jintian once again closed his eyes. And then in only moments, cold Qi flashed outward from his fingertip. This time the spell succeeded, ice shards exploding outward and slamming into the earth deep enough to make it was they would considerably wound a person if struck by one. Although not nearly as formidable as Kang Shanxi's had been, it was to be expected. He was only in the Third Circle, after all.
For the first time, Kang Shanxi realized what the strange malleability and conformity of Jintian's Qi meant. The boy was not particularly talented in Qi manipulation, nor was he outstanding in Sword Qi. His rate of cultivation was fast, but not fast enough to call prodigious. He was certainly above average in all three aspects, but that was it.
However, when it came to magical techniques, Jintian could only be described as…
A genius! A technique, no, a spell formation genius!
"Change of plans. For the next two weeks, we will focus solely on your cultivation, and the development of your Qi techniques. Furthermore, rather than philosophy and calligraphy, we will study spell theory in the evenings." He said, and Jintian smiled as he nodded.
Kang Shanxi's heart raced. If Jintian was truly a spell formation genius, then that meant he had a distinct possibility to become a master in one of the most coveted professions a cultivator could attain, behind only alchemy.
A spirit forger! Jintian could become a master in the creation of magical items!