The sun was hidden behind thick clouds as they walked through the dense fog in the woods. The trees around them towered above, their branches rustling with the sounds of animals making all sorts of noises from the canopy above.
Walking through the forest were two people—an adult man and a teenage boy, probably in his late teens. These two were, of course, Stan and Alex.
Earlier that day, just like any other, Alex had visited the base for his usual training. As always, Stan had brought him to a remote location through a portal. However, Alex noticed that today's location seemed different from the others. Though they were still surrounded by mountains, the terrain felt unfamiliar, and it seemed like they were heading towards one of the towering peaks.
The walk was long and awkward for Alex. He wasn't sure what today's lesson would be, and more importantly, he didn't know how to start the conversation that was weighing on his mind. He kept tripping over rocks or roots, his focus scattered.
"Your mind seems to be occupied lately," Stan said, turning back to look at Alex, who had stumbled once again on the uneven path.
"Not really... I'm just wondering what today's lesson might be," Alex replied, trying to sound casual.
Stan frowned slightly before responding, "We'll find out soon enough."
After a while, they finally reached the top of one of the hills. Stan looked calm and unaffected by the climb, while Alex, on the other hand, was panting heavily, struggling to catch his breath. The effort it took to reach the peak was exhausting for him.
Not only was he out of breath, but Alex also felt an overwhelming pressure on his body, almost as if the gravity around him had somehow increased. His muscles strained under the weight, and it took every ounce of strength to remain standing. After a few moments, his body began to adjust, though much slower than he had hoped.
"You can use your qi to help yourself," Stan instructed calmly.
Alex quickly followed his advice. He closed his eyes and began to focus, letting his qi flow through his body. Almost immediately, the pressure eased, and he felt the weight lifting off him. Relieved, Alex sat down, crossing his legs on the ground, and began to meditate. The peak of the hill was surprisingly flat, much like the other locations Stan had taken him to before. It seemed too perfect to be natural, leading Alex to believe the area was man-made, though he couldn't be sure.
Time passed as Alex sat there, his mind clearing while he focused on his breathing and his qi. He could feel the energy within him, circulating and balancing out the strain his body had endured.
Eventually, Stan walked in front of him, and Alex instinctively stopped his meditation to look up at his mentor.
"Alright, it's time for your lesson. Today, we won't be talking about how to move your qi, since you already know how to do that. Instead, we'll focus on how to sense qi around you," Stan said, his voice steady as he faced Alex.
Alex stood still, watching Stan carefully. Every word was important; he didn't want to miss any detail.
"Now, as you already know, qi is an internal energy, but that doesn't mean it can't be sensed externally. There are different energies all around us—some that humans can sense and some that we can't," Stan continued, his voice calm but instructive.
"As for the Earth, there are three types of energy that can be sensed around it. The first is qi, which comes from the living things around us. Wherever there's life—whether it's trees, animals, humans, or any other creatures—qi can naturally be sensed there because it's a life energy," Stan explained, his gaze moving around as if sensing the energies himself.
Alex kept his eyes focused, not daring to interrupt. His attention was locked in; he didn't want to miss even the smallest piece of information.
"The second energy is mana. Now, I can't exactly say why this energy exists in the air, but many people in the past believed that mana isn't from this world. They thought it came from another realm altogether. There's not much we know about that, though," Stan added, his tone slightly more curious.
"And the third energy is solar energy. This one doesn't have much to do with our cultivation, but it's still good to know about," Stan remarked, with a brief shrug, as if the solar energy was of little importance.
"Now, without further explanation, let's start practicing," Stan said firmly. He moved closer to Alex and began explaining what the qi in the air felt like. He described it as a soft, yet constant force, like a breeze that couldn't be seen or heard but could be felt through focus. By sensing the qi in the air, one could absorb it, increasing their qi capacity, which, over time, could lead to a breakthrough in cultivation level.
What Stan didn't know, however, was that Alex had already learned a little about sensing qi. It didn't take long for Alex to begin absorbing the qi into his qi core. Stan, who couldn't absorb qi himself due to his condition, stood back and watched Alex closely. He was quietly impressed with how quickly Alex was doing everything correctly.
"It seems like you already know how to absorb qi. But who taught you this?" Stan asked, raising an eyebrow in surprise.
"Gwen showed me something similar a few times," Alex responded, scratching the back of his head nervously. He felt slightly uneasy, wondering if he had said too much.
"I see," Stan replied thoughtfully. "Not only are you an anomaly, but you're also a fast learner."
Stan paused for a moment, then continued, "Since you already know this, I guess there's no need for this particular lesson. But if you have any questions, don't hesitate to ask."
Alex felt this was the perfect moment to introduce the idea he had been thinking about. He quickly gathered his thoughts and raised his hand slightly to indicate he had a question. Stan nodded, giving him the go-ahead to speak.
Taking a deep breath, Alex began to explain his theory, hoping that Stan would take it seriously.
"I was wondering... is it possible to absorb qi and use it at the same time?" Alex asked cautiously. This was his way of slowly introducing the topic he had been thinking about for some time.
Stan remained silent for a while, which made Alex slightly uneasy. Finally, Stan sat down on the floor beside Alex, crossing his legs, his gaze fixed on the ground.
"That's quite a dangerous thing to do," Stan said, his tone serious. "Let me ask you this: do you think you're the first person to have such an idea?" He didn't wait for a response, and Alex didn't answer either—it was clear what the answer was.
"Let me explain the dangers involved with an illustration," Stan continued. "You have a smartphone, right? What happens when you charge your smartphone while using it at the same time?"
Alex thought for a moment before replying, "I'm not entirely sure, but I know the battery's health will definitely decrease over time."
Stan nodded slightly. "Exactly. Not only does it affect the battery's health, but it also affects the phone itself. Now, apply that same logic to a human being. Absorbing qi while using it simultaneously can affect not just your qi core, but also your body. Many people in the past tried to break the rules, and many died because of it. Some rules aren't meant to be broken."
Alex felt a twinge of disappointment. He believed it was possible but needed Stan to see things from his perspective. He hesitated, but then spoke again.
"I don't mean to challenge you, but what about you?" Alex asked, trying to keep his tone respectful. "Using your own analogy, what about a desktop? It can only work while it's powered. You don't have a qi core to save, so can't you absorb and use qi at the same time?"
Stan smiled slightly at Alex's persistence. "Do you think I haven't tried it before?" Stan asked. "Let me tell you something—it comes with a great deal of pain. You're forgetting that I didn't just say it destroys your qi core, it also harms your body. If there's no qi core to damage, the energy will turn on your body instead."
Alex wasn't ready to give up. He pressed on, his voice more determined now. "But what if there's a way to stop it from damaging the body? I've learned that peace energy can defy many natural laws. I'm sure this won't be any different."
Stan chuckled softly. "So, this is what you've been building up to? You want to test something out with me?" Stan's smile widened, making Alex feel even more nervous. "Well, lucky for you, I'm the type of person who likes to test things out. Let's see what you've got. Besides, I doubt I'll suffer too much from the backlash if it fails," Stan said, his eyes now shining with interest.
Alex's heart raced. He didn't expect Stan to agree so quickly. Feeling both excitement and anxiety, Alex quickly explained his theory in more detail. He described how the peace energy could help protect Stan's body while he attempted to absorb and use qi simultaneously.
Stan listened carefully, occasionally nodding, showing that he understood. After everything was explained, Alex placed his hand on Stan's shoulder. Closing his eyes, Alex focused and logged into his sea of consciousness, ready to share his peace energy with Stan.
As Alex entered Stan's sea of consciousness, he found nothing particularly different from his own. Darkness stretched out in every direction, with only the cores standing out in front of him. Unlike his own sea of consciousness, Alex noticed there was no mist swirling around Stan's cores.
"I guess he doesn't have a trace of one," Alex muttered to himself. However, something else caught his attention—there were three cores in front of him, which was unusual.
"Qi, mana, and bloodline," Alex thought as he observed each one closely. But the core that stood out the most was glowing with a bright red light. It seemed to pulse, drawing his focus towards it.
"This must be the bloodline core... but why do I feel like it's calling to me?" Alex wondered, feeling a strange pull towards the red core.
'What am I doing? I should be focusing on sharing my peace energy with Stan, not getting distracted,' Alex thought, shaking off the strange sensation. Just as he refocused, a thin mist started to leave his body and spread into Stan's sea of consciousness.
Alex concentrated, sending more peace energy into Stan's space. He watched the mist as it floated gently, surrounding Stan's cores and slowly integrating into the atmosphere. Once he felt he had shared enough, the flow of energy stopped.
Alex was about to leave the sea of consciousness when he took one last look at the red-glowing core.
'I can tell… that feeling of being called. It came from my own bloodline core. Maybe this is just a natural reaction between bloodlines,' Alex thought, trying to make sense of it as he exited Stan's consciousness.
When Alex returned to the outside world, he noticed that Stan had his eyes closed, deep in concentration. Alex stood by, waiting, but then something strange began happening. He heard a series of cracking sounds coming from Stan's body. Stan's bones seemed to be shifting, realigning themselves with loud, unsettling cracks. Despite this, Stan slowly rose to his feet, his expression remaining calm.
Without warning, Stan bent over, crouching low. Alex could barely react before Stan leaped into the air, shooting upward with tremendous force. He disappeared from Alex's sight, leaving Alex stunned.
A few moments passed before Alex spotted a small dot in the sky, hurtling down toward a nearby cliff like a meteor. Alex's eyes widened in panic.
"Shift… if that thing hits here, it's going to flatten the entire cliff!" Alex exclaimed, realizing the impact would be devastating. Wasting no time, he began climbing down the rocky edge of the cliff, using his qi to leap from one ledge to the next, moving as quickly as he could.
Unfortunately, before Alex could even make it halfway down, the dot crashed into the cliff. The impact was enormous. The ground shook, and just as Alex feared, parts of the cliff began breaking off, crumbling down around him.
At that exact moment, Alex's foot slipped due to the sheer force of the impact. He was falling, unable to regain his balance in time, when suddenly, a strong hand grabbed him. The grip was firm and secure, pulling him out of harm's way just as debris from the broken cliff tumbled down around them.
"Sorry, Alex! I got a little carried away," Stan said with a wild grin on his face as he steadied Alex. His expression was filled with excitement and energy.
Alex took a moment to catch his breath, his heart still racing from the near-fall. "You think?" he replied, shaking his head in disbelief. Stan's enthusiasm seemed to have no bounds, especially after that reckless stunt.
Several hours later, after everything had calmed down, Stan and Alex arrived back at their base. This time, however, Stan seemed different—more confident, more powerful, and he clearly wanted to make his presence known. As they entered the training area, Stan's voice boomed across the room.
"Call all the leaders of this faction right now!" Stan shouted, his voice carrying an unmistakable challenge. "I challenge all of you to a fight!"
His words echoed through the space, and heads immediately turned. The atmosphere shifted. Everyone could sense the intensity and seriousness in Stan's tone.
Alex stood beside him, still processing everything that had happened. Stan was clearly ready to prove something, and this bold declaration would certainly make waves among the leaders of their faction.