Bottleneck at the Beginning

Shao Ling saw a crimson abyss etched into the back of his eyelids as he closed them to heighten his concentration, despite the palanquin's heavy black curtains blocking the sun's light. His legs were crossed as he sat on the wooden seat.

He resisted the instinctive urge to bite off his tongue as he drew the diluted Yang Qi into his body. It felt like he was absorbing molten lead through his pores. When he began to circulate a tiny portion of Yang Qi through his meridians, the feeling of molten lead changed to red magma devouring his body from the inside. Shao Ling's meridians felt as fragile as a thin sheet of paper soaked with water; failing to exercise immense caution and control with the Yang Qi would result in Shao Ling rupturing all of his meridians, instantly snuffing out his life like a candle extinguished by a single breath.

If not for the unparalleled agony of having his body destroy itself in his previous life, Shao Ling would've been utterly incapable of putting himself through the torture of absorbing the diluted Yang Qi, no matter how intense his passion for martial arts was.

Cultivating with Extreme Yin meridians was impossible without resilience to pain that transcended masochism, as Heaven and Earth Qi was naturally rich with Yang Qi, one of the cosmic dichotomies. Shao Ling could feel his meridians being forcibly widened, like a block of ice with a red-hot poker thrust into its center.

Shao Ling's eyes stretched open as he exhaled a plume of steam despite the summer heat. The temperature inside the sedan chair was markedly lower than the outside- the sauna-like heat of the sedan chair was suppressed by a cool aura for a breath before regaining its oppressive heat.

Hmm, not bad, Shao Ling thought.

The amount of Yang Qi Shao Ling managed to absorb was smaller than a drop of morning dew, but even that much was a miracle for one who possessed Extreme Yin meridians. Regrettably, he was unable to circulate the Yang Qi in his meridians for a prolonged period, but he had managed to painstakingly build up a meager store of Heaven and Earth Qi after four years of training. Beyond storing a trifling amount of Heaven and Earth Qi through herculean effort, there wasn't much a martial artist with Extreme Yin meridians could do.

An old doorman opened the tall wooden gates of the Shao residence as the palanquin drew nearer. He cupped his hands and bowed as the scarred man walked through the threshold, followed by Shao Ling who was now struggling to calm his breathing as his heart was pounding like a stampeding elephant after his brief cultivating session. The doorman felt an instinctive pressure as the man with evil-looking scars passed, as if his body was being pressed by an invisible force. After four years this feeling had never entirely vanished. The old doorman was more than a little relieved after the young master's group moved past him, into the sizable cobblestone courtyard with a few potted trees lending echoes of the majesty of nature.

The Shao residence was a group of wooden buildings arranged around a square. The main building was built almost entirely out of stone, along with the walls that encircled Shao Manor.

The activity inside the Shao residence was greater than usual, as servants were milling about making preparations for the upcoming celebration. The enticing fragrance of cooks experimenting wafted from the kitchens, gardeners placed additional flowers around the courtyard, and maids hung vibrant lanterns from the eaves while chatting contentedly.

The scarred man walked on to the main building while the palanquin entered a building off to the right side of courtyard which served as an indoor training facility. The two men set the palanquin down in a fairly spacious room with a plain wooden floor that was bare save for a few racks of practice weapons and straw dummies. Shao Ling parted the curtain of the palanquin with a thin pale hand. The two burly men bore respectful expressions, and bowed in harmony.

"This lowly one will now take his leave," one of the men, who had a long, thin ponytail said.

He was echoed by the other man, who had a small goatee.

Shao Ling stepped out of the palanquin as the two men took their leave. Shao Ling's routine was well established; he would meditate alone for a few hours before studying the martial arts techniques from the man with evil-looking scars.

Shao Ling's midnight blue robe brushed against the curtains as he stepped out of the palanquin. Although Shao Ling was not very tall- around 1.6 meters- he was very slim and graceful. Looking at him would give one the impression of a young willow tree. His skin was just shy of snow white, and his long white hair hung freely down to the middle of his back. Shao Ling's eyes were not precisely blood-red shade rumors claimed, but they were not far off. He walked over to the center of the room, his silky white slippers scarcely making a sound his feet touched the ground.

He sat in a crossed legged position and closed his eyes in preparation to begin his meditation over the glimpses of the forces of Heaven and Earth he had caught during his time spent cultivating.