I give Zhen a warm smile as I nod my head and say "Well Gramps... Let's do this!" Zhen freezes and looks to me with large round eyes. Suddenly his eyes begin to tear up but he quickly looks away with a sniff and says "Right! Sit down and cross your legs."
I slightly smile at him but I choose not to say anything as I sit with my legs crossed. He looks over to me and nods his head as he says "Good! Now, I need you to close your eyes and relax. I want you to empty your mind and calm your heart."
I don't exactly know what he's asking me to do but I do my best to just relax and zen out. At first, I was uncomfortable but after a while, my mind begins to drift. Suddenly I sense something odd... "That's it, my girl! Reach for it and pull it to you." Zhen says in my ear.
Pull it to me? How? I try to think of different ways to pull it to me including me visualizing a large straw and sucking on it but nothing happens. When I start to give up, it suddenly starts flowing to me. "Good, keep going," Zhen says leaving me confused. I wasn't doing anything! The flow of energy starts off as a slow flow but soon it turns into a steady stream.
The pool inside my stomach was filling up with a warm feeling. This is how you cultivate? Soon the pool was full causing a slightly uncomfortable feeling but when a wave of energy washes through me, it makes me sigh at the feeling. It was so warm and comfy!
The pool was now larger and no longer full. "That's it, girl! You've already reached the first level!" I feel myself smile but when I feel myself getting excited, the flow of energy slows. "Keep you're heart and mind clear! If you don't stay focused you'll end up hurting yourself and turning into a cripple!"
My stomach flips but I quickly calm myself and focus on the energy again. Within a few minutes, the energy was flowing in a steady stream again. I sit with my back straight as I feel my body strengthing. It was such a nice feeling...
I easily lose track of time but after a while, I feel my new pool beginning to spill over. I pull more of the energy to me and after a few more moments, another wave of energy washes through me, warming me instantly.
I could literally feel myself becoming different! Zhen looks at the girl with wide eyes... she only started yesterday... and she was already at the second level? He tilts his head in thought... Maybe she's more gifted than I had originally thought?
Zhen then begins to walk around me as he gets lost deep in his thoughts but as my pool becomes full again and another wave of power washes over me, Zhen quickly says "That's enough for now... Slowly cut off the energy before stopping."
I listen to Zhen and do as he says. When I open my eyes I'm met with an uneasy Zhen. My smile falters as I ask "What's wrong? I thought I was doing it right?" Zhen clears his throat and says "No, you were doing it right... just... do you have Cultivators in your world?"
I frown at his questions but I try to think... "I'm not entirely sure... I don't think we do. If we do, they keep it a secret. Why?" Zhen nods and says "You're advancing incredibly fast, much quicker than any normal human."
I snort and say "There's nothing normal about me." Zhen looks over to me with a helpless look while saying "I'm starting to see that..."