The sunlight streaked through a small ventilation window on the wall as birds' early chirping jolted him awake
De Ming awoke in confusion with a splitting headache, reminding him of yesterday's collapse
His tired eyes cleared as the head subsided, revealing that he was in his room, familiar and reassuring
Elder Hu must have carried him back, he thought to himself
He sighed, recalling Elder Hu's initial disapproval and his intimidating presence as shivers ran up De Ming's spine
But just before he wallow in defeat, he noticed a scroll placed on a small stool adjacent to where he slept
His curiosity peaked, he reached out, bending his aching body over the side of his bamboo bed, carefully grabbing the unfamiliar scroll
Upon further inspection, the scroll was noticeably worn out, the paper stained and tattered on the edges,
It must have been placed here by Elder Hu, could this be what I asked him for?
His thoughts scrambled to make sense of the situation before he returned to the task at hand
With his breath held in anticipation, De Ming's fingers glided along the rough paper before getting a grip on the scroll's edge then uncurling it, his heart almost jumping out of his chest the whole time
The Qi Gathering Breath, a low bronze grade cultivation technique
A simple, entry level cultivation technique designed for even the most untalented of practitioners to grasp
The technique involves regulating one's own breathing as they expand their senses, feeling the ambient Qi-the vital energy that flows through all things and exists in the atmosphere at different densities-and subtly absorbing it through each breath.
The technique places an emphasis on proper posture, sitting cross legged, spine straight, hands resting lightly on the knees in tandem with rhythmic breathing, slow and purposeful with each breath, imagining the air as threads of Qi being pulled into the meridians and transported to the dantian
A technique for the pure purpose of laying a solid foundation, the groundworks for more advanced techniques while awaking the practitioner's Qi flow and sensitivity
De Ming's eyes widened in surprise, he rejoiced internally as he read its contents and fully took in the information
An hour passed as De Ming studied and completely memorized the scroll's contents. He had always had a good memory, developed from a lifetime of multitasking and managing chores around the house
Among the servants, De Ming is confidently the most efficient, juggling many tasks at once and keeping track of their progress is his forte
He sets the scroll down. Its knowledge etched into his memory,
This is it, it's now or never
De Ming sat up, leg crossed, back straighten, hands placed lightly on his knees
*huff*
He took his first breath visioning the Qi flowing into his body alongside the air current, the world became silent as a warm current slowly flowed through his body
He breathed rhythmically as the flow of Qi slowly approached his dantian
At this point, De Ming's palms were sweating, he was nervous, he was so close, it was now or never
The warm feeling now spreading all over his body as the newly absorbed ambient Qi filled his dantian
At first, the warmth was soothing, a gentle stream treading his body. But as he continued, the flow started to become erratic, a subtle ache creeped up on his nerves as he started to sweat, resisting the growing sensation of Qi torquing on his meridians. He thought nothing of it, assuming that its a part of the process, his will undeterred
Suddenly, a sharp pain struck his nerves as his dantain started pulsing out chaotic and jagged currents of Qi
Each pulse a wave of suffering as his nerves feel the sensation of being bashed against by a ruthless torrent
De Ming screeched out in pain and grabbed his chest as he felt the sensation of endless needles piercing him from within, His muscles stiffened, paralyzed by pain, each second more agonizing than the last
A torrent of chaotic Qi was rampaging within his body, tearing apart his meridian, all pulsing out relentlessly from his own dantain
The pain was so unbearable that De Ming's consciousness was fading away from shock
"Prove it"
Zhu Lian's challenge echoed in his mind as his will started to wane
He snapped out of it, he was resilient, he had already known that this path wasn't easy, and this sort of pain was coming sooner or later, he couldn't collapse here, not after going this far
De Ming bit his tongue, the sensation pulling back his consciousness as he regulated his breathing
His huffing labored and shallow but remained rhythmic, he could not yield
Knock knock
As he was struggling, two gentle knocks came from his door
"Ming? I heard you scream, is everything alright"
A soft feminine voice, gentle, warm, reserved, befitting of a noble lady yet laced with guilt and worry rang from beyond his door
It's Zhu Lian's! he'd recognize this voice anywhere
"I'm fine, Young mistress. It's just an ache"
De Ming who was still struggling to contain his Qi spoke out in a calm manner even though his scrunched-up, ghostly pale, and beaded with sweat face begs to differ
But Zhu Lian doesn't have to know that
"Take care of yourself, Ming… I won't be here to treat your wounds anymore…"
Zhu Lian uttered in a low and hesitant tone, her words hiding a deep-seated sense of genuine care and guilt
Upon hearing her conflicted words, De Ming is overwhelmed with emotions, the pain still tearing him apart
"I will… thanks Lian " He said as gently as he could while suppressing his pained groans
Zhu Lian looked at the door longingly, her lips parted slightly but stopped halfway
She displayed a look of sadness before hesitantly turning away, walking down the cold and lonely halls dejectedly
The uneven footsteps faded as De Ming refocused on the task at hand, filled with newfound motivation as he glanced at the wooden token placed on a nearby table and recalled Zhu Lian's usual bright smile, a luxury now out of his reach
His eyes burned with resolution as his breathing became deeper and controlled, the torrential streams of Qi started to slow as De Ming focused his breathing and regained a steady rhythm
You will yield to me!
He declared internally before he suppressed the Qi flow to his dantian, the valve that started the chaotic currents, the sharp pain subsided, and his muscles relaxed once more as a satisfied smile grew on his face
The chaotic Qi was dangerous, but it didn't upset him, what matters is that he finally became a martial artist, a third rate practitioner, this was worth rejoicing over!
Furthermore, he realized that if properly utilized, the unique nature of his Qi, although dangerous, could be a massive asset that gives him a necessary edge
This marks the start of De Ming's martial journey
The legend of the Chaotic Martial God starts here!