Hidden Potential

The gentle lapping of his mother's tounge coaxed Rikura awake. He felt uncomfortable in several places, he nearly broke every bone in his body.

He had always used much qi as he could muster, in his past life he had started from nothing and so he always drawn out as much qi as possible while learning gradually.

The problem was that he had the knowledge and mental strength to draw out the qi, but not the body to withstand it. The frustration became his drive and he made a decision.

His options were to learn to control his qi in his new body, or be killed by it. 'My mind has had more than a hundred years to grow, but my bodies progress has been basically reset'

He began to meditate, becoming one with his body. 'I can do this'. A misty stream of ki began to circle his body, he gradually increased the amount little by little untill it enveloped his whole body.

'It isn't easy, but it isn't hard. Meditating with my new body is incredible' The real challenge was limiting the flow of qi to the smallest amount he can emit and then gradually increasing it untill his body could no longer handle the qi.

This both trained his control and trained his body to handle more and more qi. Since the moment he woke up he had begun his training. Being unable to use qi is unacceptable. If not for Azuma he would have died.

'Qi is my legacy, but without discipline it will destroy me'. He trained using his method again and again, refusing to eat and talk to anyone. His mother came to check on him every so often. He noted the tinge of worry in her eyes.

Yet he could tell she was proud that he was practicing with such intensity. He focused on his mother, remembering every moment he had spent with her so far. 'Empathy starts with consciousness, the only to know forsure what that's like is to take my own consciousness as an example'.

'After consciousness is emotion' He focused even deeper. Through his understanding he put himself in the shoes of his mother, of her dying because he was too weak. Every moment of the pain and sadness of never being able to see her loved ones again.

Rage and self hatred exploded inside Rikura. He screamed in his mind that he would protect her no matter what. His qi exploded around him with the exact amount he could use with his body.

The qi being fuled by his rage and mental intensity. 'Feel the pain now instead of having to feel it for real later on'. The main thing he took back from his past life as a cultivator was his knowledge of what it means to be strong.

His downfall in his past life was taking a dark path, waging war against the beast kind that took his dear person away from him. His new perspective and will to never repeat his mistake reignited a light that had been buried inside. Hidden by hatred and revenge.

Caring about one of the same beast kind that he had once hated so bitterly cleared his mind and changed his perception. He now could see through himself once again. His childish flaws that clouded his perception no longer had any sway over his mind.

'Using hatred and revenge to numb the pain of sadness is my flaw'. The truth hurt, but losing the people close to him hurt more. With his mind clear he could once again perceive what he had hidden from himself all this time.

Like an ocean, the sadness was his greatest strength, and his greatest pain. In his mind he let out a scream of pain that he could not have even imagined when his mind was clouded. He focused on the pain and screamed in his mind 'Narcisim is my flaw'

He remembered all the moments he let self care cloud his judgment and ignore the sadness. To have empathy, to feel their sadness, to love. He could never forgive himself for ignoring the pain and refusing to truly care.

He began to hate himself even more and shattered his mental barrier. The raging qi around him began to intensify and sharpen as he screamed inside his own mind. He ignored his feelings, he would not find the strength he was looking for in them.

He knew that he would have to force the strength he needed. He remembered a quote from his first life, before he died and was reborn as a cultivator. 'Strength responds to a need, not a desire'.

His focus was growing deeper and deeper every second, he remembered all the moments he spent with his wife, then he closed his eyes. He imagined being with her again, being the only one there to protect her in that moment.

He opened his eyes. The dam was about to burst. Anger, empathy, these emotions exploded inside, his mind growing every second for an unspoken purpose echoed through his soul -potect no matter what-. At that moment , the dam burst.

His qi's sharpness and speed exploded along with his mental inteseity. His qi had become so sharp and fast that it had become translucent. Like a raging storm so intense and fast that it could hardly bee seen. His qi's purity had reached a new level.

'I need to be able to protect without being able to use all of my qi'. He knew better than anyone, the purity of a person's qi and the purity of a person was the same. To become stronger he could not rely on the knowledge of his old life alone.

'Maturity is the key to unlocking a person's true potential'. He turned around to find his mother, crying.