Chapter 39: Becoming a cultivator
Zed left Meixiang's bed after the latter fell asleep. He checked the other rooms and saw that Lan'er and Jingfei had also decided to sleep.
Subconsciously making a helpless smile, he realized that dawn was about to come in less than an hour.
Zed was also feeling plenty tired himself so he didn't delay anymore and slept in his room.
When he woke up, he was mildly surprised to see Lan'er and Jingfei occupying his two arms, using them as pillows.
Zed was already used to this and he didn't push them away, nor reject them since they had settled without taking a bath together if they got to keep sleep next to him.
He thought that it was a fine first step for them to grow independent of him, so he agreed to it.
Although he did have to protect his own dignity as his hormones were at their peak, making him helpless when waking up with morning wood.
Fortunately, his sisters don't seem to mind it nor were they particularly curious about it. In the first place, Zed tried his best to hide it from them.
He also avoided getting his wood in contact with them.
Zed thought that he would lose all his dignity as a brother if his little sister ever found out that his body desired for her premature body.
There had been a prior event where he had explained that it was a natural and involuntary reaction for teenagers of his age. All three girls simply nodded in understanding while Meixiang in particular, was making a weird flushed expression.
Going back to the present, Zed carefully and gently removed his arms from the two sleeping girls. After being successful in doing so, he got up and went out of the room.
From the kitchen, a melodious humming could be heard, as a fragrant aroma tickled Zed's nose.
He subconsciously gulped, as his hunger was seduced by the smell.
"Oh. You're awake."
Making a sweet smile, Meixiang turned to see Zed's sleepy face.
"Morning." He greeted.
"Take a seat. Brunch will be ready in a few minutes."
Hearing that, Zed realized that they all had overslept and it was already near lunch time.
But thinking about the events of last night, He supposed that oversleeping today was reasonable.
"You still look sleepy, want a wake up kiss?" Meixiang teased while placing a cup of tea in front of him.
Used to her antics, Zed merely chuckled and thanked her for the tea.
Meixiang didn't mind that Zed brushed off her offer, since she was already used to being rejected by him. Instead, she simply remained focused on cooking a meal for her loved one.
She found it satisfying especially when Zed complimented her dish. There was a sense of accomplishment when she heard that Zed approved of her creation.
The atmosphere turned serene as both Meixiang and Zed remained silent, busy in their own thoughts while appreciating each other's company.
The two of them gave off a couple-like vibe, and one would be convinced after seeing the two of them like this.
Nevertheless, they remained only as friends since Zed made it perfectly clear that they were too young for any romantic involvement.
Reviewing the spar from last night, Zed remembered something and asked Meixiang about it.
"If I recall correctly, don't you release that impurity thing whenever you breakthrough? How come we didn't see that last night?"
"Oh that?" She responds nonchalantly, "I melted it into the air with my Qi."
"...Melted? How?" Zed became curious.
"I don't know. I simply melted it? It's the same principle with flying. I didn't know how to do it, but I suddenly just did it."
Zed turned to her while the latter continued to cook in the pot.
"So... You're saying that you did it all subconsciously? That there was no scientific principle behind it? How about other things? What else can you melt?"
Meixiang turns to Zed while tilting her head. "Hmm... I'm not sure how to put it into words. It's like a vague mechanism that you would only understand once you reach the same cultivation stage as me."
"I see..." Having received a vague answer, Zed decided to figure it out himself since he intended to become a cultivator as well.
"Huaaa... Morning, Brother Xin, Sister Mei."
Jingfei arrived in the kitchen and took a seat next to Zed.
"Where's Lan'er" Zed asks her.
Jingfei answered, "Washing her face."
Zed stood up from his seat and prepared two more cups of tea. He placed them on the table and gave Jingfei one of them.
"Thank you big brother!" Jingfei cheerfully gave her thanks.
Zed smiled as he appreciates Jingfei's always cheerful and bright personality. She brought a youth-like spring atmosphere that would put anyone and everyone at ease.
It wasn't a gentle and calming feeling, but more of a free and refreshing vibe.
"No problem." Zed replies while taking his own seat.
A few seconds later, Lan'er arrives in the kitchen and took the last free seat next to Zed which was to his left.
Lan'er greeted everyone and drank the tea that Zed had prepared for her.
It wasn't long before Meixiang's dish was finished and Zed helped her in preparing it.
After having a satisfying meal Zed gave his approval, and complimented Meixiang on her cooking skills.
-
It was directly in the middle of the day when Zed and co. were staying at the foot of the lone mountain.
The large crystal clear lake beautifully reflected the blue skies, while the waterfalls brought a deafening sound as they fell from great heights.
Fortunately, the lake's shore was several hundred meters away from the waterfall, so it did not bother Zed and the others too much.
Tang Xiurong, possessing Lan'er's body, thoroughly explained to Meixiang what she needed to do in order to open one's Qi meridians.
Lan'er, in spirit form, brightened up as she asked her master. "Does this mean that we don't have to join the sect anymore?"
Tang Xiurong shook her head. "In the Immortal planes, it is important to join a sect or faction, especially as someone with your achievements."
"As someone with our achievements?" Jingfei repeated.
Tang Xiurong affirmed and spoke. "That's right. I predict that all three of you will be able to reach the Immortal stage before reaching your twenties."
She turned to the three of them. "You do realize how incredulous of an achievement that is, right?"
Without waiting for their answers, she continued. "Once your existence is found out, multiple factions will set out to invite you, even to the point of kidnapping and brainwashing you."
"That's how much talent is coveted in the upper realms."
"I see... so it's that dangerous…" Meixiang murmured.
"Indeed. That is why it is better to join a faction or a sect. so that you may grow under their protection. Without a doubt, most of the strongest sects will invite you all to join.
All there's left to do is to join one that would suit all of you. Getting an Immortal expert for a master should be easy as well."
After Tang Xiurong explained a little more about the upper realms, they began their preparation for the meridian unblocking process.
-
Zed, Jingfei, and Lan'er sat side by side on the shore of the lake.
Sitting in a lotus position, their robes were let down to their waists as they closed their eyes while Meixiang stood behind the three of them.
"Alright, ready?"
Meixiang asks the three of them and they all respond back with a nod.
Although Meixiang could only see their backs, she was sure that they all had resolute and even excited faces.
"Heupp!"
Her nascent soul stage Qi gathered from her body, releasing a tremendous pressure into the surroundings.
The lake began to ripple as the air became tight around them while Meixiang continued to focus her gathered Qi towards her palm.
'Just a light push... just a light push...' Meixiang kept thinking to herself while feeling her Qi to touch Zed, Lan'er, and Jingfei's bare backs.
Woosh... woosh... woosh...
A circular gust of air kept being produced as Meixiang willed her Qi towards their backs.
'This is it!' Her eyes opened as she felt her Qi connect properly with the three of them.
'Okay remember... just a light push... just a light push...'
This was the most important moment. Meixiang needed to unblock their meridians by sending a shock of Qi into their body.
However, she needed to do it in a moderate manner otherwise Zed and the others would end up getting hurt.
'Just... a light... push!'
"Hnn!"
All three of them trembled while swallowing a groan. Zed's forehead slightly creased while Jingfei and Lan'er had a pained yet relieved reaction.
"Push!" Meixiang subconsciously shouted as she forced her Qi to open their meridians.
As a result-
Bam!
Woosh!
A strong gust of wind was released, resulting in the surrounding trees and grasses to be blown away. Land and dirt followed along, while the lake released a strong wave from the shore.
Puk! Puk! Puk!-
Black ooze continuously blasted out of Jingfei and Lan'er's bodies, as a faint qi aura could be seen on their bodies' outline.
Their bodies began to emit a faint yellow aura before it rapidly turned bright gold then-
Puk!
Impurity was once again expelled from their bodies and a faint green aura soon appeared.
Jingfei stopped there while Lan'er expelled impurity once more, and her faint green aura turned a darker shade.
Tang Xiurong watched this all with a smile, as she thought, 'Fei'er at Infant Core formation stage? That's higher than I expected. As for Lan'er, my prediction was just correct.'
'As for the boy..'
Her eyes narrowed as she looked toward Zed who was continuously expelling impurities.
It only stopped when a faint yellow aura appeared from his body.
A dreadful smell permeated in the air as they were all surrounded by large amounts of impurity.
Meixiang proceeded to melt all of it into the thin air, cleansing the area as a fresh breeze of wind blew away all the unpleasant smell.
"I feel... awesome!"
Lan'er jumped in the air, easily reaching a high of several meters with a simple hop with her toes.
"Amazing..." Jingfei muttered in amazement as she observed the changes in her body. She felt several times lighter than before, it was as if gravity no longer held her back.
She was excited to think of how powerful a single move with her scythe would be. As for Lan'er-
SLASH!
FWOOOOSHH!
Something improbable happened.
The waterfall was perfectly cut horizontally.
And for a minute's time, the lake became perfectly still as the waterfall remained suspended in mid air.
Meixiang, Jingfei, and Tang Xiurong froze as they watched this spectacle.
Seconds later, the waterfall resumed its flow and the lake returned to its disturbed state.
"W-"
"What was that?!" Meixiang asked in awe and disbelief.
She completely lost her composure as she saw something impossible. She could not believe that a waterfall of that size was cut in half with the upper half remaining in mid air.
And for an entire minute, it was as if gravity ceased to exist, allowing the water to remain suspended in mid air.
"How did you do that?" Jingfei turned to Lan'er who stood in a stance with traces of Qi left on her fingers.
'Amazing... I knew she was talented, but.. not to this extent.' Tang Xiurong's eyes glinted after seeing Lan'er's move.
She had a smile similar to a villain who was scheming an evil plan.
Lan'er ignored the look on her master's face as she already knew that her master had the tendency to look evil whenever she was happy, or thinking of something.
Seemingly satisfied with the result, Lan'er nodded and turned to her brother, expecting some kind of praise or a positive reaction, but she then noticed that something was wrong.
Zed remained in the same sitting position since the beginning. He had an absent-minded look on his face as if he was stuck in a trance.
"...Brother?"
Lan'er called out to him causing the others to notice Zed's unusual state.
"Master... is something wrong?" Meixiang asked towards Lan'er. She was worried that she had done something wrong.
The latter answered. "Master says that the unblocking process was successful, so there shouldn't be any problems."
"The evidence to that is the faint yellow qi we can see around him, but..."
Her face became worried as she continued. "Master says she doesn't know why he became like this."
"She suspects it has something to do with the supreme martial arts he was practicing."
"Big brother?" Jingfei approached Zed, but the latter remained unresponsive.
Lan'er hesitatingly touched Zed on his shoulder before feeling an electrifying shock in her hand.
"Ouch!"
She immediately withdrew her hand. Fortunately, the shock wasn't that painful, however, it was definitely surprising.
"What happened?" Meixiang rushed to her side and was relieved to see that she was unharned.
"I'm fine. It's just that... I felt some kind of force..." A confused look appeared on Lan'er's face as she tried to explain what she felt.
"Some kind of... rejection? I think that's what I felt?"
Meixiang couldn't understand here vague answer so she touched Zed herself.
Bzzt!
A buzzing noise could be heard and Meixiang immediately retracted her hand.
Jingfei grew more worried and asked out loud. "Master, what's wrong with big brother?"
Meixiang and Jingfei looks towards Lan'er while the latter was staring to her side, making Meixiang and Jingfei follow her gaze and guess that their master was there.
Suddenly, Lan'er's body trembled as her tone and demeanor changed.
"Like I said earlier, I do not know what happened to him."
"I speculate that it has something to do with the supreme martial arts he has been using, but... let me find out what this rejecting force is.."
Having said that, she stretched out her hand towards Zed.
Bzzt!
But she did not withdraw it and endured the pain while keeping her palm on Zed's shoulders.
Bzzzzzt!
A long buzzing noise could be heard as a faint smell of something burning permeated into the air.
After a few seconds, she retracted her hand and spoke in a grave tone. "This is bad... the Qi in his body is conflicting with an unknown source of energy.
The worse part is that the confliction is occuring directly inside his brain!"
She turns to Meixiang and spoke hurriedly. "Xiang'er, you need to knock out the Qi inside him quickly!"
Edited By: WorthyAdversary