I took a few heaving breaths to calm myself, but the cold sensation of essence within my lungs lingered.
What was that? Had I done something wrong?
Wiping the cold sweat, I picked up my phone and went over the instructions again.
No, I hadn't done anything wrong.
So is this how it—cultivation—is supposed to feel?
Brushing away the questions swirling within my mind, I got up. I need a bath.
The bathroom was a bit cramped, but it was all I could afford. I needed to save my inheritance if I wanted to go to college.
The steamy water seemed to wash the lingering aftereffects away. Stepping out of the shower, I felt strangely refreshed, despite the lingering anxiety.
Back in the living room, the familiar smell of instant noodles wafted in the air. I slurped down the noodles, my gaze glued to the phone, scrolling through news sites and online forums. The world was a whirlwind of speculation and misinformation, and the governments did nothing to stop it.
I looked over every discussion about the essence and cultivation.
'I wasn't the only one that felt it. Everybody that tried has felt it too.'
Despite the obvious truth, I couldn't help but feel a bit apprehensive of the guide. What was it exactly? And who said it?
There was no way to find out. But what I could find out is whether it works or not.
'I will wait until next morning before trying again. If there's something wrong, someone is bound to share it on the internet.'
The night passed in a blur of restless sleep and anxious dreams, but nothing happened. It was just a normal, albeit tiring, night.
Though, not much more tiring than studying late into the night.
I woke up to find the morning sunlight falling directly on my face through the gaps in the curtains. My body felt stiff, my mind groggy. But it was a usual thing. I was never much of a morning person.
Reaching for the phone, I instinctively checked for the news updates. The headlines screamed of escalating unrest, and more theories of what happened the previous day. But there was nothing about exploding humans.
A wave of anticipation rose within me. It was time to try again.
I rolled out of the bed, the floorboards cold against my feet. I didn't bother moving anywhere else as I sat down there, my back leaning on the bed.
Closing my eyes, I isolated the world, an action that felt much easier than the last time. The world outside blurred once again, leaving me alone with the essence in the air.
Preparing myself for the uncomfortable burning sensation, I breathed in.
Just like last time, a trickle of essence seeped through my nostrils, carrying with it the cold burning sensation that spread outward from my lungs.
My breath hitched, but I didn't lose my focus.
Am I supposed to simply breathe in the essence and let it spread through my body, just like the guide said?
I focused on the trickles of essence that entered my body with each breath I took. As the icy fire-like sensation spread through my body, I felt the insides of it clearer. Everywhere it passed over, I began to see within me, but the vision blurred out as the essence dispersed.
'Familiarize yourself with the essence…'
Was this what it meant?
No, it wasn't right. The feeling of essence within my body was just making me more conscious of it.
With each breath, I drew in more and more of the essence, letting it pass through my body. It reached my fingertips, sending shivers down my spine. It reached my toes, making them curl. It reached above my neck, washing away the cobwebs of sleep and replacing them with a strange alertness.
My body felt like a vessel, slowly filling up with a volatile liquid. The burning sensation intensified, a searing cold that threatened to consume me inside out.
'Until you feel that your body is ready to handle a storage of it…'
How am I supposed to know? Is it when this cold fades away?
If so, it certainly didn't look like I would get used to this.
A sharp pain laced through my chest, and a gasp escaped my lips. I couldn't hold on any longer.
With a desperate heave, I came back to reality, the essence no longer being taken into my body. I doubled over, a wave of nausea washing over me. The icy fire retreated, leaving behind a dull ache and a lingering sense of exhaustion.
I collapsed back against the bed. Defeated.
It feels like this will take a long time.
I stared at the ceiling, the ache in my chest still pulsing faintly. My breaths were shallow, but the nausea had finally receded.
This wasn't going to be easy.
Pushing myself upright, I reached for the bottle of water on my bedside table. As I gulped it down, I felt how heavy my body was. I felt unprepared.
Is it the lack of exercise?
"Familiarize yourself with the essence," I muttered, the words from the guide etched into my mind.
Maybe my body needed to be strong to handle it.
I leaned back against the bedframe, the cool wood grounding me. My phone buzzed nearby, pulling me from my thoughts. Another notification from one of the forums I'd been following.
> User1234: First day trying to cultivate. Anyone else feeling like their chest is about to explode?
I sighed, scrolling through the replies. Most people seemed just as lost as I was, sharing vague sensations and half-formed theories. One comment caught my attention.
> XianxiaLord: Oh my god! Where have you been living until now? Have you never read a cultivation novel? It takes patience. A lot of it.
Cultivation novel. What's that?
Curious, I held the phone in both of my hands and searched the internet.
Apparently, there really is a thing called cultivation novels. A genre of fiction. According to the enthusiasts, the essence and the guide were almost alike to the techniques shown in them.
After learning about this genre which had been existing for more than a few years, I went to the forums belonging to their readers. Sure enough, it was full of speculation and theories, but they were things that made sense.
Was that student one of them? From the way he acted, he surely was.
I began scrolling through the various threads, and finally came to a conclusion. Physical strength matters in cultivation just as much as mental resilience and patience.
Didn't the guide say that it was wri
tten by an expert? Where was this crucial information?