Michael sat cross-legged on his bed, his eyes closed in deep concentration. He had been contemplating the issue of his meridians for some time, but it seemed like there was no way for him to continue to refine them before Jason had acquired the pill furnace.
Usually when he meditated, it took but a few moments for him to slip into a selfless state, allowing him to sense the earthly Qi with great precision. However, tonight it seemed that was not the case.
Thinking back to his earlier breakdown in front of Elena his neck began to feel hot with embarrassment. He had been so stoic in front of Jason, acting as a big brother in the face of adversity, trying to be strong enough for the both of them.
In front of Grandpa Yin he did not want to appear weak so when he retold the events, like a bystander, he did not allow himself to feel those emotions. He thought that if he were to cling onto the thought of revenge, he would eventually become numb to the pain.
However, thinking of his sweet little sister Rosa and what she had been reduced to, had dredged up his long-ignored feelings dwelling within the depths of his soul. What started as a trickle, cascaded into a tsunami of emotions, flung upon the shores of his very being.
A sense of helplessness sunk throughout his body, threatening to drown him with its heavy burden. He used to think that if were there when the attack happened, there might have been a chance he could have saved someone, anyone.
However, deep down he knew how wrong he was. He had no strength, no drive. Heck he was just a lazy teenager who would skip off from work to take a nap in the fields, doing the bare minimum to avoid being disciplined by his father.
As Michael began to have these thoughts his breathing began to quicken. His helplessness began to turn into frustration, making his chest burn with indignation and igniting a flame within him.
Archie who was looking on nodded his head 'It looks like Master can overcome this hurdle by himself' he thought inwardly.
Michael, who still had his eyes closed and in the lotus position dug his fingers into his legs drawing blood. Grinding his teeth he spat out one word which seemed to come from the depths of his very being.
"Stronger."
"Stronger."
"STRONGER."
"I WANT TO BECOME STRONGER!" he yelled, his voice strained.
As if they were called to arms every cell in his body began to vibrate in response to this guttural scream. Qi from the surroundings began to rush toward him in droves and began to dance all around him, creating a whirlwind of energy similar to a tornado.
After a few moments Michael could feel a suction force being created right between his eyes. The dancing Qi faltered for a moment before surging towards the suction force with reckless abandon.
'What the f**k' Archie stared at the following scene with confusion. This was the first time he had seen something this exaggerated.
In no time the surrounding Qi was totally absorbed, shocking Michael out of his trance. He opened his eyes, blinking them a few times in confusion.
'What the hell was that?' he asked Archie.
'I was hoping you could tell me…' he replied in turn.
Michael looked over his body to make sure he was still in one piece. He made sure to look over every nook and cranny, being especially sure that his little brother was still in place.
"Thank goodness" he breathed a sigh of relief seeing everything was still in working order.
Before he could get too comfortable he felt a tug from his soul, pulling him into his mind's eye. Without the ability to resist, he was dragged unceremoniously and dumped into his soul realm with all of his senses from the outside world being cut-off.
The surroundings of Michael's soul realm were vast and green. It was like a plain that stretched on endlessly, with the occasional gentle hill rising up here and there. The grass was a vibrant green color, and a soft breeze blew through the air, making the grass sway like waves on the sea.
Michael looked around in wonder, taking in the beauty of his surroundings. As he walked forward, he noticed two objects floating in the distance. One was a book, with a simple cover that seemed to glow with a faint light. The other was a plain looking pendant, spinning slowly in place.
He walked towards the objects, feeling a sense of curiosity and excitement building up within him. As he got closer, he could sense that these objects were familiar, giving him a sense of closeness and intimacy.
When he finally reached them, he examined them carefully. The book had the all-familiar looking scribble he was used to, clumsily spelling "Qi Technique." Looking over at the pendant, he recognised it as the Eternal Pendant which housed his three realms and Archie.
Curious as to why he would be summoned to this place, he began to look around, expecting the source to be close by. As he turned his head a faint glimmer caught his attention, forcing his attention back onto the floating book.
A bright resonance flashed as the book began to flip open by itself.