It is weird to look at my short arms and small hands. I move so slowly as well, and everything moves so fast around me. The more I think about my child-like body the more concerned I become. I'll start cultivating the moment I get time alone, but the problem is that this is a starved body that has completely eroded muscles.
Most of the Gym Group sect's techniques promote muscle growth, which means I'll need to eat a lot. If I can't find a good source of food I'll probably die from starvation…
Haaa I'll deal with it later… Let's eat while we can.
I chew down on the small amount of food being passed around and resume my conversation with the two brats.
"What you're kidding!? All those low-tier ass sects are part of the top 9 now!?" I said stuffing a piece of bread down my throat.
According to what that baldy called Mumu is saying all of the main powerful sects have been reduced to shadows of their former selves. I guess it makes sense since we led the attack on the Priestess. We suffered the most casualties, and all our most powerful practitioners died. Those smaller sects must have taken advantage of the situation after we were weakened. Those ungrateful bastards!
On top of that this bread is way too hard! I need to get out of this shit hole!
All the current top 9 use trash Qi arts. Most of the original top 9 sects focused on strengthening the body and martial arts techniques, then using Qi as an extension of the body, like sword Qi and stuff. Though there was one that concentrated solely on Qi arts, it was the weakest of the 9.
Qi arts are techniques that manifest Qi outside your body. Originally they were ultimate techniques only used by martial masters, but now with lots of money and amazing talent, anyone can use them really. I mean there's also a lot more knowledge on the topic now so it's easier to teach someone how to use them.
In most sects, Qi arts are secret techniques or the pinnacle of their exclusive technique. The reason why working the body comes first and then Qi arts, is because after training your body for a while using Qi arts will become instinctual anyway.
So it's body first, and then the fancy Qi stuff.. Catch my drift? Think about using sword Qi: you would first train using a sword and as you cultivate you would eventually figure out how to surround your sword in Qi. Then the next step would be making a sword solely out of Qi. yada yada…
When I was around, Qi art sects weren't popular even with their knowledgeable teaching methods. The reason why is simple: it's stupid! People who use Qi arts are basically normal people the moment they run out of Qi. It's also more of a gentlemen's club for rich people since you need lots of pills to get enough Qi to perform Qi arts properly.
…
Hold up the current top 9 are all Qi art sects?
"Wait, even the Shaolin aren't part of the top 9!!???"
"Why are you even surprised? This is how it's always been," said Mang, the silent kid from before.
Aaaah that's a head-scratcher. Why do I feel like there's some massive conspiracy behind all this?
"Aren't the Shaolin the face of Buddhism? How could they have fallen so low even as a religion?" I said with my mouth full, preventing the two of them from understanding anything.
"Well I mean the current unofficial number one sect is currently the Lotus Petal Sect. Though it isn't really unofficial since they've also established a governmental body and laws. Everyone knows that the Lotus Petal Sect has Murim in the palm of its hands." Opened my mouth in shock, causing a piece of bread to fall out.
"What!? Did none of the other sects oppose the idea of one sect taking over as the government!?"
"Of Course there were, but none of them were powerful enough to defy the Lotus Petal Sect. It really is the most powerful sect in all of murim." he said, stealing Mang's bread while he was distracted.
That's weird. The Lotus Petal Sects was part of the top 9. They should have also led the front lines in the war against the Priestess… So why are they doing so well? They were also the weakest of the 9 great sects so how could they possibly be the strongest now? It's fishy. Really fishy.
"Are you seriously telling me you've never heard of the Gym Group Sect?"
"Well, I think I heard of a really small sect somewhere in the mountains. But that's just a low-tier local sect. Those come and go all the time."
"What do you mean low tier!"
We argued like this for quite a while…They messed around a lot but as we continued to talk they helped me understand the current state of the world.
I guess they're family as well… just like how I was in the Gym Group Sect. They laugh, cry, and get told off by their older brother for messing around… Damn it, I need to man up. they've already died a hundred years ago and here I am still… being a dumb ass.
Shut up! Shut up! Shut up! This is all just a last-minute dream on my deathbed anyway!
If the Gym Group Sect really has become a low-tier sect I need to see it myself.
That night I snuck out of the thief's hangout area. I don't know what to call it. It's just an abandoned area that has a few decrepit buildings. I guess the ones who sleep indoors are the ones who steal the most.
Those kids sure are kind. For someone who apparently didn't work all day they treated me really nicely. If I'm still sleeping by the time I make it to the Gym group Sect, I'll make sure to come back and bring them to the sect.
"Huff. Huff." This body is so weak! I've hardly been running for a few seconds and I'm already exhausted.
"GAH! I'll die before I get there at this rate!" I collapse onto my knees. I have nothing, no muscles at all! My arms are bones! My ribs are sticking out, I might as well be a corpse!
If I had my original body I could probably get there in just a few hops! I'm so useless… I don't have the time or the luxury to train my body right now…
"HAH! As if the great Zhàdé would roll over and cry just because he lost a few of his muscles!" I shouted with a single manly tear escaping my eye.
I have all the Gym Group Sect's techniques at my disposal! This is an opportunity many dreams of! With the right knowledge and mindset, I am ready to work hard where others probably wouldn't!
Hmmm, The gym group sect's techniques are amazing… but I wonder what would happen if I mixed them with other techniques. Well, I shouldn't be too reckless, I'm not a scholar after all. I'll hold off on mixing things together, but practicing techniques other than the ones from my sect from the start will greatly boost my cultivation...
Looking around for a while I found a large weird-looking boulder sticking out the side of a mountain surrounded by bushes. This would be the perfect place to hide and cultivate! BUT THAT'S NOT MY STYLE! I ZHÀDÉ, THE VEHEMENT DRAGON BROSKI, DO NOT SIMPLY HIDE!
I proudly sit on top of the boulder!
Now let's begin cultivating… I have carefully thought of which techniques to practice. The main difference between my old self and my current self is that I have access to cultivation methods other than just the Gym Group Sect's methods. Though they are the best anyway.
I will learn The Infinity cultivation technique (ICT) and The Shaolin Golden Body art first. This Shaolin technique reduces the amount of damage taken which will allow me to use the gym group sect's techniques even without a well-trained body.
Since the Shaolin and The Gym Group Sect were similar and (almost) equally powerful we collaborated as much as we fought. As a result, I had many learning opportunities with them including some of their more secret techniques… Which I may or may not have borrowed… Illegally…
The ICT is a technique that many people throw away thinking it only has a fancy name. The common misconception is that it's only used to make your body larger and more muscly. The truth is that this technique works on cleaning all your meridians and making your body a perfect host for Qi. The technique is called infinity because it lays the foundation for practitioners to circulate Qi infinitely through their bodies no matter the amount. A side effect is making the body slightly larger so it can house more Qi. This is also why most Gym Group Sect practitioners are big and muscly.
The Infinity cultivation technique (ICT) along with the Fibre Manipulation technique (FMT) are the fundamentals of the Gym group Sect. Our fighting style relies on our knowledge of biology and how our own bodies work… as well as how our enemies work.
I started breathing furiously in and out, slurping up the air like a starved person would slurp noodles. I pushed out my sides and my stomach instead of my chest to breathe.
This is the fundamental technique that works your body in a way you usually wouldn't. It's hard to breathe with it but- COUGH COUGH COUGH… Ahem… you're not trying to breathe air anyway. You're trying to get as much Qi into your lungs as possible. This first step increases the Qi absorption rate. That'll help in the future, I just need this body to get used to it. Then I cleanse the Qi and spread it throughout my body. Like I'm knitting with my body and purifying every fiber before gently embedding Qi in every corner. My slurped breathing intensified between my coughs… Yeah, I slurped like that for a while…
Eventually, the energy propagated throughout my entire body started to flow like a fountain towards the centre of my body. Like drops of water sliding off leaves, they accumulated into one spot forming my Dantian.
"Few… It's finally finished. To think I could form the Perfect Dantian…"
A Perfect Dantian glows with all colours of the rainbow and is completely pure. Just like the water cycle across the world, the infinity Qi cycle has been established allowing perfect Qi circulation throughout my body.
Now All I need to do is cultivate the Shaolin Golden Body Technique. I'll do a bit as I am now but it'll be easier if I cultivate while walking. I need to get on the ground and walk around.
As I jump off the boulder, I realise that I spent all my energy on learning ICT and slam my face on the side of the boulder on the way down.
The boulder didn't like that. It starts trembling, a snorting sound and a low growl escape the boulder as it shifts and unfolds itself. A massive pangolin emerges from the side of the mountain revealing a cave behind it. The massive pangolin stares down at me furiously.
Fuck.
Damn it, if only I have a few more seconds to prepare myself. I can only gather a bit of Qi as I am now… If I'd prepared myself while cultivating my Dantian I wouldn't be in this situation.
Well, I can only do everything I can with what I've got…
RUN!
I spin around to start running but immediately land flat on my face. The pangolin's tongue had instantly grabbed my ankle the moment I started moving.
"Damn it!" I jump up to try to run again but the pangolin's lightning-fast tongue trips me up every single time!
"Gah! Stop it! I'm leaving! I don't care about whatever treasure you're protecting!" I yell waving my fist at it!
This seemed to have ticked off the pangolin.
It strikes down with its claw. I jump past it and land my foot in its face, which I then use as a springboard to get as far away as possible.
In my current state using Qi to strengthen my body would probably rip it apart. All I can do is use Qi to make my body barely usable and stop my muscles from ripping…
"Shit!" I forgot about the landing… I concentrate all my Qi into my knees. If I bust my knee caps that's it for me. I'm so used to having a reliable body that it looks like I was taking it for granted.
"GAAHH!" My knees really felt like they were about to blow up when I landed.
Damn… because I stopped maintaining my Qi in the rest of my body I immediately collapsed.
I circulate my Qi and get up agai- Damn it!!!
The pangolin's tongue grabbed my ankle again, but instead of just tripping me up it started dragging me towards it. I try kicking the tongue with my feet but it's too slippery!
"Is this fat rock actually planning on co-signing my obituary!? FUCK!" As I'm dragged along I grab a mildly pointy rock. It looks like I'll need to get bloody, just like in the old days.
As I raise the rock, something jumps out of the tree next to the pangolin.
WACK!
The silhouette of a familiar teen suddenly appears as his cane slams into the pangolin's tongue at the entrance of its mouth... It whimpers and its tongue retreats back into its mouth.
"Now! Get him out of here!" yells Fan whipping the saliva off his cane.
The baldy Mumu appears behind me and drags me away.
"What are you guys doing here?"
"I noticed you were gone when we were switching for the night shift! What the hell were you thinking? Didn't we tell you when you first joined that the only rule is that Embers never move alone? You're a dumb ass you know that right? Boss Fan will distract the monster. Let's get out of here"
…
For a group of ragtag thieves, they seem to really take care of each other… Well whatever, I need to take care of my body for now.
I circulate Qi and start fixing myself up. I haven't even properly cultivated yet so I only have a small amount of Qi stored in my Dantian. I guess I'll need to use it all to fix myself up and make sure I can walk.
Haaa I can imagine my elder brother laughing at me from heaven. To think I'm being saved by children...
"Let go," I say grabbing a branch to stop Mumu.
"What do you mean it'll keep chasing you if you stop here!" says Mumu, grabbing me by the shoulders and pulling harder.
"No, it won't! That pangolin is protecting something! As long as we stay away from the cave it will let us escape!"
"What?"
I use Mumu and the branch to help myself up. He helps me take a couple steps before I'm able to limp on my own.
Few… to think it took this long to finally be able to walk properly.
With this, I can start my walking cultivation. With each step I take, I use the slurp breath to gather the Qi of heaven and earth. Walking cultivation is the easiest way to spread Qi throughout your body.
As Qi flows in I manipulate it into my flesh and bones. The rest naturally flows into my perfect Dantian. I wish I had more time, but this'll do… I guess I should prepare to rip some of my muscles.
From what I can see Fan is avoiding the tongue attacks pretty well. His body is visibly in a better state than mine. But that pangolin is a spirit beast, if it starts taking us seriously and actually uses Qi he'll die instantly.
I take a couple more steps leaving the confused Mumu behind.
The Fibre manipulation technique (FMT) is fundamental to all the fighting techniques of the Gym Group Sect, depending on how skilled you are at manipulating Qi you can reshape and flex your muscles to the extreme going beyond your limits.
Fan failed to dodge the pangolin's lick this time. The tongue drags him towards the pangolin as it brandishes its claws ready to attack.
This weak thin body of mine, almost void of muscle, has been reshuffled and primed for battle. It has now reached the peak of its human bodily limit.
Unfortunately, even with that, I wouldn't be able to reach Fan in time which is why I need to enhance my body beyond the human limit.
Well, a perfect Dantian is more than enough to cover that. It'll mess me up but I really do love going all out…
I exhaled blue air which matches my glowing blue eyes. My Dantian starts spinning like a jet engine.
In an instant, I appear between the pangolin's claws and Fan. The attack slams down on me.
CLANG.
Step 1 of the Shaolin golden body technique: damage mitigation.
My Qi fades from blue to gold.
The pangolin's claw immediately stops as it strikes me with no knockback from the attack, almost like its attack never happened.
Step 2: recoil.
Using Qi, I cause the pangolin to feel the recoil of its attack, as if it had struck a metallic object. This temporarily stuns it.
"What!?" shouts Fan.
While the Pangolin is still recovering from the recoil, I grab Fan and run back into the cover of the trees.
The backlash from overusing my body and Qi is partially reduced by the golden body technique. Thankfully it prevents me from dying instantly, however it doesn't stop me from blacking out and maybe dying later...
Well… I guess it's time to wake up… It was weird but fun. Now it's time to face the music and go back to reality.
I think of the cold death waiting for me on the other side. The Priestess who's also probably cold and dead as well by now. Her body is cold and rigid.
Death really is just a crude transition from being a person to becoming an object.
My fear resurfaces and a mumbling smile appears on my face and my eyes become moist.
I barely pry my eyes open to see Fan and Mumu panicking. They're asking if I'm ok.
Fan holds my hand and I hold onto it as tightly as possible. Not as a proud warrior with the weight of the world on his shoulders, but as a weak child in need of help.
I look him in the eyes and the words "I don't want to go" escape me.
My consciousness fades a few seconds later.