Arthur's eyes refused to open the slightest bit. His thoughts were all muddled and he couldn't for the life of him concentrate enough for a dedicated effort. It felt as if a combination of hot sand, searing clamps and a pair serrated stilettos added for good measure held his eyes immobile. As he acclimated to the pain, falling back on the discipline and mental fortitude he had fought hard to establish, the immobility and pain throughout his body became apparent. Thankfully not to the extent centered around his eyes. Stiff and sore, as if he could have simultaneously experienced an entire weeks worth of muscle failing work outs, all the while laying still upon on a bed of stone. Impossible and ridiculous as that may be, he felt how he felt.
Nothing he sensed screamed danger, so he took the time to mentally examine himself until movement returned. A bit twitchy at first, but he had full range of motion. No signs of blood or swelling that might have indicated a more serious injury. After rubbing an alarming amount of what felt like cement from his eyes, he could once again see.
What worried him the most was that in less than a week now he would turn 18. Days away from finally choosing his class and the chance to finally lay the foundation for his future… And he falls into a mini-coma. Who had ever heard of a powerful figure fainting days before his rise? He couldn't help but be concerned that this would affect his future cultivation. It of course didn't occur to him that he would be anything else, other than a cultivator.
Why else would he have spent his entire youth training in martial arts, philosophy, mediation, and so much more? Establishing a work ethic and self-discipline that would insure his way to the top and immortality. There could only be one true path for him and cultivation was it. No other path felt right to him, nothing else resonated within him as did cultivation.
There were many other paths to power, possibly an endless list. His parents were great examples of two wildly different paths. His mother an Elemental Mage, utilizing mana and other arcane energies to manipulate and control fire, water, metal, wind and wood could level buildings and even entire cities. Relying on mentally demanding spells reinforced by willpower and intelligence had little to nothing to do with the physical body. While it was a fascinating class in its own right. He wanted the option to be up close and personal. Which wasn't a great idea for a glass cannon. Not that even his father was brave enough to say that to his mother's face. He was vastly underselling the possibilities and complexity of her class, but that wasn't really the point.
His father had the Assassin class. Through agility and dexterity he could master stealth, long and short-range weapons including utilizing his body as a lethal weapon. He could utilize both the arcane and mundane. Technology and sorcery. Arthur's father was both the fastest and quickest fighter he had ever scene. His defense must be up there too, but how could it compare to the absolute defense that a qi cultivator could display? Again, even if it was only in his head, he wouldn't feel right not admitting that there was much more to an assassin then this. Especially one as accomplished as his father. But it couldn't change his way of thinking. Either class was too limited and narrow toward its own strengths.
His goals had there own difficulties as well. Choosing cultivation meant that progression would fall upon his own efforts far more. He wouldn't receive life experience after defeating his enemies, directly strengthening himself. His father Michael, had explained to him how the universe or whatever controlled progression and reality, rewarded certain classes for everything from achieving personal goals to taking a life. Quantitatively giving varying amounts of life experience or xp for short. Allowing them to rapidly increase their power. His father said that even the smallest goal could give xp. He would often write out his workout goals to solidify his intent. As an example, if he wrote down that he sought to lift a higher amount more times or run laps longer or faster than he had before, he could earn a small amount of exp. Not to mention the physiological improvement that would indicate. Benefiting twice for a single effort. The only downside is the slight exhaustion one would incur upon failing a set task. Thankfully it just amounted to a little fatigue and not a decrease in xp.
The same system worked for his mother as well. One of its truest advantages was its versatility. As a mage, physical training did not go a long way toward increasing her arcane power in and of it self. But she could assign her xp anywhere she liked. So mages often chose to forgo the advantage of doubling up on strength to assign them to something else that would be otherwise unaffiliated. On the same hand a warrior could earn xp from a book, given the right circumstances.
The path he sought did not grant free a lunch, in this way or in any way really. No xp could be earned or allocated. He would not be granted an ethereal page listing his attributes, skills, spells or anything at all. His gains would be based on his own comprehensions and efforts. Qi, the foundational energy of every cultivator had to be absorbed and directed consciously to strengthen ones dantian and meridians. Only after the painstaking opening of each of the 108 meridians, one by one by one. Through the circulation and manipulation of qi through the dantian and pathways between meridians one could eventually transcend the mortal limits of the body and ascend to higher planes. Eventually anyway. This was why he was concerned about any long lasting damage to his mind or body. He had a long, hard road ahead of him already. Anything that limited or prohibited his ability to gather, condense or utilize Qi, needed to be identified and dwelt with immediately.
Qi could be gathered in various ways, the most common being meditation, pills, formations, and the numerous types of cores. The first of which being beast cores. Found even in the smallest creatures, they could be directly absorbed by a cultivator. It was always good to keep in mind that gains from a core directly corresponded to the power of the creature they were pulled from. One could massacre hoards of squirrels for their cores, but the efforts would not justify the pittance of qi that they might gain. Not to mention they would be considered as the village idiot at best. Though more likely as a coward and cruel toward animals.
The first step of course is to find a cultivation technique. Usually a diagram of the proper way to circulate ones qi and whatever advice and comprehensions the author chose to divulge. This meant that not all cultivation techniques were equal to each other. To start with, the knowledge the author either had or chose to share differed enormously. From books worth of discussion and insights to as few words as the title alone. This did not necessarily affect the quality of the method, but it greatly increased the difficulty of cultivating said method. If a cultivator did not fully understand a technique, then they could not display its full strength. The most profound technique utilizing only 10% of its power would lose out to a mediocre technique used at 100% of its potential.
Cultivation techniques were classified in five categories from least to greatest. Foundational, Warrior, Lord, King and Emperor Grade. The first are Foundational Grade Cultivation Techniques. They are the most numerous among lower level cultivators and beginning cultivators. Because they were for the most part cheap, simple to understand and easy to teach, they formed the foundation of the majority of cultivator's foundations. The base foundation that their power would be built upon. Yet, by themselves could only increase ones power to a certain extent. Before they would reach a bottleneck and need a higher grade technique or stagnate.
Then there were Warrior Grade Cultivation Techniques. One grade higher and a world above those of the lowest grade. These were the most wide spread among soldiers and troops of nations occupying cultivation realms. Realms that were almost exclusively occupied by cultivators, to include the Origin Realms of Cultivation. Warrior Grade techniques did not place a lot of importance on comprehension and complexity. Focused primarily on increasing the strength and speed of the user. In effect, increasing the lethality of a soldier's weapons, and not on seeking to transcend to higher levels. Warrior Grade Cultivation Techniques were developed at the behest of the ruling classes. The royalty of nations sought to create powerful armies, not future competition for themselves. Seeking to limit the danger from within as well as without.
This concept was true for Lord Grade, King Grade and the apex of cultivation techniques, Emperor Grade Cultivation Techniques. When the cultivation realms entered into the Imperial Epoch, the time when kingdoms were slowly conquered and great empires began appearing. As a way to solidify their own power as well as keep the masses in check, these five categories were created. Techniques that had existed for eons without label, were categorized and made a social taboo for people without enough status. Although never set down in law, a peasant would face severe pressure and possibly dire consequences if found practicing a technique too far above their station by the aristocracy. Or at best forced to join the military.
In essence, the five labels were a mere indication of the level of power one might attain practicing a certain technique. This might be based on the author's position in society or the most powerful individual known to have used said technique. Which lead to rare cases where complex techniques utilizing profound circulation paths being considered as the lowest grade. Essentially being too difficult to cultivate in practicality.
Earth, as a nexus of the countless realms was not considered a cultivation realm. Infinite pathways and connections existed here. An unprecedented existence in the multi-verse. No one system dominated its entirety. The different realms that were previously relegated to cultural and geological influence in ancient times, no longer held as much sway. As empires and regimes fell, knowledge was able to flow more freely. Creating a conglomerate of beliefs and paths to power. Where once it would have been strange to see a Christian Paladin in China or a Qi Cultivator in England, this was no longer true in the modern era. In democratic societies such as the United States, where the feudal system never held any sway. Variety was the norm, not the exception.
This is what provided Arthur with the opportunity and means to acquire a true Emperor Grade Cultivation Technique. Using the Dragon Emperor Conquering Heaven cultivation technique and his relentless work ethic, he would rise in power at an insane rate. His comprehension and intelligence should be considered above average too. He wasn't exactly a genius like his mother, but it would be enough to help smooth over the rougher patches he would face.
For whatever reason the "Universe," as his father liked to say, prevented individuals from manipulating the arcane until their 18th year. Unlike most every other arcane realm. Whatever or whoever, actually controlled the powers and laws of Earth was unknown. For him, it was enough to know it was unique and gave him this amazing opportunity. His innate potential was another factor. This force was another crucial factor in choosing a class. The higher ones innate potential, the more choices they had.
It could be measured numerous ways. His mother had chosen an arcane instrument in the shape of an ancient tome. Though it had pages, they were all blank and otherwise arbitrary. The cover and spine were what was important. Or more accurately, the spells they contained. His mother was just really into the whole mage, wizard theme. For obvious reasons hopefully…
The book was a deep blue in color, with swirling filigree and fantastical designs in gold and silver. To measure the potential of a person, one would place either hand in the center, over a clear crystal mound. His father joked had joked that he had cut off the top of one of his mother's crystals balls for it. Despite her not ever having a single one, ever. This was his version of a dad joke apparently. His mother usually responded with a minuscule flame burst toward his face or an small jolt on his ass. For an otherwise smart man, he never learned.
Along the spine lay another crystal. This was capable of glowing from the bottom to the top, like a thermometer. The strength of the one being tested determined how high the glow would rise. There were no numbers or markers of any kind. It was simply an indication of high a class one could choose. Not a scientific method, with quantitative results. Someone with high score would have more options. His mother's had been almost three quarters filled, his father's just over half. While the former was not surprising, the latter's had been a huge shock to his paternal grandparents. Their innate potential would have scored at less then a quarter with some variance in degree. His father's unexpected potential had given his unambitious father the seemingly ridiculous option of becoming an assassin. When asked why… He said, "It sounded cool at the time…"
Arthur's potential had been beyond anyone's imagination. The bar had completely filled and shown with an almost blinding radiance. Theoretically giving him the ability to choose any class in existence. Something that no one could recall ever happening. Certain divine beings were rumored to have had less potential, upon being granted divine class options. Even his aloof maternal grandfather had shown wonder and shock. Muttering under his breath about gods and deities. So it had been even more unimaginable that Arthur remained unmoved by any of it. Caring only that he could without a doubt be a cultivator. Most who learned of this could not fathom giving up the chance to instantly become a godling. His argument that a cultivator could achieve the same level of power never fully convinced anyone. Many thought he was a rich spoiled-brat who couldn't truly fathom the amount of work he would need to put it. Not to mention the fickleness of fate. One could have eyes and still not see Mount Tai, they frequently thought.