As Rosen reached the foot of the mountain, a burly man blocked his way, enveloped in a layer of white, clear Qi.
"William Kyle of Kunlun Mountain, I ask for your guidance." The man assumed a starting stance.
Rosen took a deep breath. A settling of scores?
"Rosen of Kaiyuan County, I ask for your guidan—huh... why are you here again?" Rosen looked behind William Kyle.
William turned his head, finding nothing.
Who is this guy talking about?
Rosen grinned, extended both arms, and blasted his fists toward William through the air.
Broken Punch of Twin Dragons Emerging from the Sea.
The Ten Rings shot out, sending William flying.
Before William could react, Rosen leaped up, pulling his fists back, and the Ten Rings returned to his arms.
Rosen aimed for William's landing spot, his fists pouring out like a storm: Broken Punch of Unrecognizable Mother.
Innumerable fist shadows rained down.
Rosen's principle was to either not strike or, if he did, beat the opponent until even their mother wouldn't recognize them.
After several minutes, William had lost consciousness, lying bruised and swollen.
"Phew... Done, cultivation complete." Rosen rummaged through William's body.
"Huh? Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts?" Rosen pulled out an ancient-looking secret manual.
He felt around again: a few dozen copper coins. A pauper. Confiscated.
Two pectoral muscles, bigger than mine... If he were sold to a brothel, maybe some would like good-looking men?
Forget it. Since he delivered the Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts, Rosen couldn't repay kindness with enmity.
Rosen tucked the manual into his arms, found a nearby cave to settle down, and began comprehending the Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts.
The content was abstruse. With his nine years of compulsory education, he only half-understood it. After several days, he hadn't grasped a single page.
While studying, he heard a sound outside the cave. Thinking it was a beast, he went out and saw William Kyle.
"Yo, Brother William, what a coincidence."
The injuries on William's face hadn't faded, and his expression wasn't friendly.
"That Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts, can you understand it?"
Rosen was stunned. He thought William came to settle scores, but he cared about his cultivation progress.
"I'm a fish that slipped through nine years of compulsory education, tempered by the university of society. How could a few Daoist scriptures stump me?"
"Oh..." William turned to leave.
"Hey, wait... What are you here for?" Rosen called out.
"I thought you needed guidance, but since you don't, I'll leave."
"It's not that I don't need it, just for mutual discussion." Rosen shamelessly stopped William. Sincere or not, since he came, it wouldn't be good to let him leave empty-handed.
"Where don't you understand?"
"From this section onward." Rosen pointed to the manual's content.
"This is the first page, first paragraph?"
"That's right... Is there a problem?"
William took a deep breath and began explaining.
"The human body has Twenty-Four Qi, Thirty-Six Heavenly Stems, Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and One Hundred Twenty-Eight Zhou Tian Acupoints. The Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts cultivates the Twenty-Four Qi, like the Twenty-Four Solar Terms of a year. Though all internal Qi, they have distinctions of cold and heat. Beginning of Spring is the start, continuous and unyielding. Rain Water is Yin, soft and continuous. Each cultivator's physique is different, and they cultivate the Solar Term most suitable for them. Each has unique characteristics, with strengths and weaknesses: Great Heat Energy, aggressive like fire; Great Cold Energy, freezing a thousand miles; Autumn Equinox Qi, combining rigidity and softness."
"Can a person cultivate two or more Solar Terms?"
"No, this incantation allows only one Solar Term. I'm naturally rigid and Yang, so I cultivated Summer Solstice Qi. Your body chooses the most suitable Solar Term."
"Does Kunlun Mountain have techniques for the Thirty-Six Heavenly Stems, Seventy-Two Earthly Fiends, and One Hundred Twenty-Eight Zhou Tian Acupoints?"
William paused, then nodded. "Yes, but I can only pass on the Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts."
"You and I are strangers, and I hit you. Why treat me like this?"
"Your words at the mountain gate, reprimanding my Senior Martial Uncle, resonated with me. As a junior, I couldn't speak for you."
"So, my personal charm conquered you?"
"If you hadn't ambushed me, I'd believe you had charm."
For a time, William came down every few days to teach Rosen Qi Refining.
After a few days, Rosen cultivated his first wisp of Solar Term Qi: Awakening of Hibernation.
It corresponds to the Five Elements of Wood. When spring thunder rumbles, all things revive, vibrant with life, ideal for nourishing oneself.
William was surprised that Rosen got started in days, an above-average aptitude.
"This Qi Refining has four levels: Entry, Yellow Court, Perfection, and Imperial Law. You're at Entry with your first wisp. Next, internal Qi cultivation and external breathing form the Yellow Court. When filled with pure Qi, heavenly and human spirits manifest: Perfection. Then, casting spells with your own Qi is Imperial Law, requiring comprehension and opportunity."
The first three levels were martial arts; the fourth was Xianxia.
"Are there realms after Imperial Law?"
"I don't know. With your aptitude, reaching Perfection might take seventy or eighty years. Comprehending Imperial Law before a hundred would be good."
Rosen secretly clicked his tongue. A Qi Refining incantation took so long?
"I plan to travel the four directions," Rosen said.
"Have a good journey."
"I'm going to the far west to explore exotic customs."
"Have a good journey."
"Before I leave, don't you have anything to give? Like Heaven and Earth Treasures, Magic Artifacts, or Secret Manuals?"
"Can you be more direct?" William looked at Rosen speechlessly. "I dare not give manuals, I don't have treasures, and I want artifacts too. But I'll give you two words: take care."
"Gan, it's an action and an attitude." Rosen gave an international friendly gesture, picked up his bag, walked a few steps, then turned back. "Really nothing?"
"No! Hurry up before my sect sees you."
Rosen looked back every three steps. "Really nothing?"
"Scram."
After starting the Twenty-Four Qi Refining Arts, Rosen's Qi Cultivation rose from 110 to 150—a decent improvement for the early stage.
His Time Points also increased by +10.
He still didn't know their purpose after over a decade of research.
Rosen left Kunlun Mountain and headed southwest.
His Qi Cultivation of 150 ensured a smooth journey, turning obstacles into opportunities.
Kamar-Taj was in the Himalayas, hidden by magic, and Rosen wasn't sure he'd find it.
He traveled in stops and starts, occasionally cultivating in the wilderness.
Awakening of Hibernation achieved minor success, with a cyan Qi vortex swirling three inches below his ribs.
This vortex could provide energy to the Ten Rings.
The rings' energy was slowly increasing, and their feedback strengthened Rosen's physique.
After days, Awakening of Hibernation deepened, and his Qi Cultivation rose from 150 to 180.
Currently in the early stage, improvements were noticeable.
After months of trekking, Rosen saw the magnificent, sacred Himalayan range stretching to the horizon.
The sight made him feel his own insignificance.
On the dry grassland ahead, yaks grazed, and smoke rose from chimneys in the distance.
It was an ordinary Tibetan village, quiet and peaceful, free from war and bustling prosperity.
Rosen entered the village and knocked on a house's door. A typical Tibetan opened it—dark-skinned, small in stature, face marked by time.
Despite communication difficulties, Rosen used gestures and silver to secure lodging.
The family head was an old man in his fifties, whom Rosen called Abang. Abang called him Amu.
Abang had a daughter named Maggie.
Maggie wasn't particularly beautiful; the sun's rays had darkened her skin, with patches of plateau redness on her face and rough hands from labor.
After nightfall, Abang handed Rosen a hard wheat cake, miming eating.
Rosen ate dinner with Abang and Maggie in their small hut.
After dinner, the father and daughter were busy again.
Though they owned cattle and sheep, most belonged to the local noble Dengkuo, as did their lives.
Rosen took advantage of the night to go into the mountains.
The Tibetan area was cold after dark; even with wolf fur and the Ten Rings' energy barrier, Rosen felt the chill.
Awakening of Hibernation was useless here; only Great Cold Energy could withstand this cold.
Rosen pulled his wolf-skin coat tighter.
Suddenly, he saw a shadow flicker ahead.
He sped up to check but saw no one.
He was sure it wasn't an illusion.
Then, he felt someone's Qi behind him.
Looking back, he vaguely saw a figure a hundred meters away—Maggie!
She was surrounded by snow wolves, in critical danger.
Without a word, Rosen flew up, enveloped by the Ten Rings' energy, and charged toward her.
From a dozen meters away, he pushed his arms forward, unleashing two impact waves.
Two wolves were sent flying. Though the Ten Rings couldn't let him fight a hundred enemies, a few wolves were no match.
The remaining wolves, sensing danger as Rosen flew, fled after their leader howled.
Rosen stepped forward. "Maggie, are you alright?"
"#@#%#￥" Maggie gesticulated wildly, and Rosen couldn't understand.
He intended to take her back, but in the darkness, that figure flickered past again.
His gaze sharpened. It wasn't an illusion. He turned to Maggie.
In the dark, her eyes were clear.
"Let's go that way," Rosen said.
Maggie pointed in another direction. "Home is that way."
"I know, but I want to go that way." They talked at cross-purposes.
Rosen raised his right arm and clenched his fist. "My fist is this big. Is yours bigger?"
Maggie looked at her palm, clenched it.
Fists were the universal language. Rosen was satisfied with her pragmatism.
They walked into the depths of the snow mountain.
Suddenly, Rosen felt the ice beneath loosen. Before he could pull Maggie, the ground gave way, and they fell into an ice cave.
After a brief daze, they recovered. In the dark cave, they saw two light sources: one shimmering silver, the other radiating darkness.
Two books. One had a gold-and-silver cover; the other's was indistinguishable, completely black.
They were held by an ice-sculpted corpse, its muscle tissue deteriorated, no longer organic. The clothes suggested a Central Plains person, not from this dynasty, though Rosen and Maggie couldn't identify the era.