Noah crawled carefully through the blood, pulling himself back into a sitting position. He feared drinking any of that liquid and ending up poisoned. Unable to walk, how could he possibly take care of anything? But was there some way for his limbs to be healed? Not that he knew of.
[Why don't you cultivate?]
[If your body undergoes body refinement, those injuries will cease to exist.]
Of course, a cultivation world... That's why those creatures were so terrifying. He had read many stories about it before, so this was exciting in a way, despite the situation he was in. But how do I do it? Should I just close my eyes and concentrate?
[...I didn't explain?]
No.
[Okay, my mistake. I should have explained that earlier. To make up for it, I'll tell you about one of my duties.]
Duties? So assisting me in the quest for power wasn't the only one?
[Well, technically, they're all related to that...]
[So, now, I will give you the technique that will help you start your training and also some information about cultivation, which I should have given you when you arrived in this world.]
The system seemed to falter under Noah's silence. The ensuing discomfort was palpable.
[Anyway, the situation didn't allow for it, so it wasn't my fault!]
That would have been solved if you had sent me to a safe place.
[...]
[This is going to hurt a little.]
What? Wait—!
[Warning!]
[Information transfer has begun.]
[Basic knowledge regarding the cultivation system will be transferred, as well as the basic cultivation technique.]
[11%]
At first, information about the initial cultivation levels flooded Noah's mind like the currents of a river. Intense, yes, but controlled and comprehensible.
[29%]
He saw words fly in all directions, forming sentences and inundating him with knowledge about this new world he found himself in.
[56%]
Body Refinement was only the first step, but it was far from being easy to achieve. It required pushing oneself to the point of repeatedly breaking one's own bones, and then using Qi to heal and strengthen them along with the muscles and organs. Somehow, even the pain necessary to achieve it was transmitted to Noah on some level.
[65%]
Moving on to Qi Refinement, this was where the manipulation of energy truly began. However, only at Qi Foundation would it truly become his own, for it is in this realm that his central dantian must be formed. During condensation, a new power is touched. However, only after Foundation Establishment are new levels revealed.
[74%]
The Golden Core is grand, something formed in the sea of consciousness. However, it pales in comparison to the Nascent Soul that grows pure and full, allowing a new step toward true ascension.
[92%]
Even stranger words emerged. Confusing, yes, but so familiar. Noah understood them immediately, and he understood their chants and what they did.
[100%]
[Information transfer successfully completed.]
Damn it...!
Cough! Cough!
At least let me prepare next time.
When the pain ceased and the ringing in his head fell silent, he closed his eyes. Unable to cross his legs or move his arms, Noah couldn't get into the ideal position to perform the technique. Nevertheless, it didn't seem to take long for him to notice the small, shining points around him, like stars. There were so many it was impossible to ignore.
Interesting... But is it really supposed to be this fast? Or am I doing something wrong?
[Actually, more than 5 hours have passed since you started meditating... And considering the concentration of Qi in the blood of a half-dragon and also in this cave, you took longer than usual.]
...From what I understand, I have to concentrate the Qi for body fortification first, in a constant process of destruction and reconstruction... I hope this doesn't create scars.
[...I don't think that's something you should be worried about right now, but no, it won't. Besides, the injuries to your arms should disappear completely if the refinement is done well.]
I see.
[Should I activate the Qi absorption assistance?]
Assistance...? Yes, activate it.
Taking a deep breath, he held it. He exhaled, only to slowly draw it in again. Unhurried, his control had to be precise, as much as possible, like the hands of a surgeon holding a scalpel in surgery. Even his heartbeat had to fall into synergy. Incandescent, the glow moved around him. The heat he felt from being surrounded by them was comforting, but the pressure was suffocating, as if each of those little stars were pushing his body down, trampling him.
In his mind, the first mantra echoed, calming him. However, only the second one truly needed to be spoken at that moment. As his lips parted, the first word spoken in his unfamiliar voice reached him. It was calm and cold, but beautiful.
— Like a river that merges with the sea,
I open my being to the energy that extends through the vast pathways of the universe.
Each breath captures the pulse of creation,
Where the gentle yin intertwines with the vigor of yang,
Transforming lightness into a dynamic and precise momentum.
In the embrace of movement, I receive the cosmic current,
That accelerates my spirit with the swiftness of the wind
And, with dexterity, transforms it into serene and controlled power.
Thus, I feel the harmony of opposites,
Where darkness accentuates the light, and the light, with its speed, guides the way.
With every heartbeat, the universe reveals itself,
And I become the channel where ancient energy flows with mastery.
All in one and one in all,
With the universal energy within, I attune myself,
I allow myself to experience life,
And I become the place where it resides in vast and beautiful immensity.
The points of light, once scattered, gathered around Noah as the chant was repeated with precision. The pain was indescribable, with his bones twisting, breaking, and healing, while his very muscles and organs were simultaneously shredded and reforged by a seemingly infinite flow of Qi.
He could no longer grasp the passage of time, and he knew it didn't matter. Clinging to such a thing was only something he did so as not to lose himself in the pain. There was no turning back. If he tried to give up, his death would be immediate. His muscles would be torn to shreds, his organs would fail, and the bones throughout his body would give way, possibly ending up piercing his heart.
After a series of cracks that he didn't even hear, the pain being the only thing he could perceive, Noah noticed he had regained control of his legs. He crossed them, while keeping the chant unbroken.
Then, at some point, his arms stretched out, the reconstruction of his bones underway. The pain spreading through his body was so intense, coming and going like electric currents, that his mind seemed to black out for an instant. But then everything cleared, and the first mantra resonated in his mind: Balance, he was able to hear, returning him to calm, focus, and control.
Touching his fingers, a circle was formed before his belly. Just one more verse, and it would all be over.
— And I become the place where it resides in vast and beautiful immensity.
Vital Flow.
Upon opening his eyes, Noah couldn't have been more ecstatic. The pain had vanished, and the darkness was no longer by his side. He could see everything. The bones scattered about and, most importantly, the horrifying creature suspended upside down in the hole he had entered through the half-dragon.
— Is the improved vision also a result of body refinement, or is it related to the fact that I did it using dragon's blood? — he said to himself, while testing the motor coordination of his hands, clenching them several times. — Hmm, it's incredible, regardless of the reason.
The smell now seemed even more unpleasant to him. It wasn't the blood that was the cause, but the sticky substance that also covered him, turning his stomach.
Impurities... the sensation is worse than I imagined... Disgusting.
Turning back to the creature, he circled it, looking for the place from which its blood had been leaking from the beginning. Even in death, its presence made him tremble, but it was too good an opportunity to pass up. If he had already started, he had to see it through to the end. He sat beneath the spot where the blood gushed like a waterfall, and then he began to meditate again. The questions in his mind about the time that had passed and other matters could wait; focusing on a single thing was the best choice.
Wave after wave, as if a series of tsunamis were crashing down on his head, a Qi of greater purity and intensity entered him nonstop. It accumulated and condensed, while the sequence of body refinement continued, though less intensely. By focusing solely on this, he blew past the lesser steps and gates, surpassing them without notice. But was that even possible? No one had ever tried.
The blood ceased, and with it, the flow of energy diminished considerably. Then, after clearing his eyes, Noah stood up.
He examined himself.
Nothing's changed... Huh? He noticed his long hair stuck to his back. How much time had passed for something like this to happen?
[About 230 days have passed since you started cultivating.]
—...That's scary... and incredible too, since I didn't even notice.
[As for the change you were looking for, initially, the changes brought by cultivation are internal.]
— Initially..?
[Yes. Minor changes can occur when reaching higher levels of cultivation, such as in height, hair or skin color, and in some cases, extra limbs.]
Extra limbs... Noah felt a shiver run down his spine, but it quickly vanished when the possibility that such "limbs" could be wings came to his mind.
— Maybe that wouldn't be so bad, — he murmured, smiling.
He turned back to the half-dragon's body, thoughtful.
— Usually, this kind of thing is useful for cultivators, isn't it?
[Yes, whether for creating pills with the blood or artifacts with the body.]
— But something this big... You wouldn't happen to have something like an inventory, would you?
[Certainly.]
The answer reassured him.
[Should I store the half-dragon's body in the inventory?]
— And the blood too. Oh, and the bones scattered around this place. They're from the forest creatures, right?
[Yes.]
— Then store the ones that belong to the stronger beasts; they might end up being useful at some point.
In the blink of an eye, everything around Noah disappeared before his eyes, whether it was the half-dragon's body, the bones, or the blood spilled on the ground. The path to the exit was clear again, even though he didn't know how he would climb out of that place if he had to.
Following the system's instructions, he walked through the tunnels full of forks to get to where the dragon egg was... or at least, that's what he hoped. He didn't want any more surprises, so he was quite suspicious of the system's intentions, especially since its voice sometimes sounded somewhat hesitant and conflicted.
— How big is this place? It seems like a labyrinth, from what I've seen so far.
[Yes, and it extends for about 50,000 kilometers.]
50,000...?! He sighed. This is going to take a while...
If there was one thing Noah was grateful for, it was the fact that even after more than two hundred days had passed, he still wasn't hungry. He hoped this would persist for a while longer, as he didn't know what he would eat in this sea of earth and stone.
Maybe a piece of the half-dragon...? he pondered, but quickly shook his head. Only as a last resort, and he hoped it wouldn't come to that.