Examining the beast egg closely, he sensed nothing stirring within. Even with a gentle shake, there was no response. Experimenting further, he attempted to infuse it with elemental Qi, only to have it forcefully repelled, the energy rebounding with a sensation akin to searing flames coursing through his veins.
Enduring the pain he put the egg back down calmly, thing something with the name elemental beast egg had to be something special.
Grabbing hold of the body cultivating technique, he delved into its contents with fervor, methodically reading through every word from beginning to end. Nearly two hours passed as he grappled with the intricate script, written in the native tongue of the land. Despite its simplicity in language, comprehension proved to be a daunting task.
"This is practically gibberish! Couldn't they have made it more straightforward? It's supposed to be the basic body cultivating technique," Frank exclaimed in frustration, his patience wearing thin.
"So from what I understood, first exhaust the body to its utmost limit and then infuse elemental Qi from the dantian into the muscles," said Frank waking up from the bed to start training the body cultivation.
He dashed around the training ground, a circular path encompassing the entire sect. Just one lap could leave even seasoned rank 3 cultivators breathless. After completing nearly a third of the circuit, exhaustion threatened to overwhelm him, every step feeling like hell. Collapsing at the very spot he began, he gathered his resolve and began infusing his body with elemental Qi from his dantian, seeking to rejuvenate his weary form.
As he channeled the elemental Qi into his body, it surged through him with the force of electricity, the heat of fire, the fluidity of water, and the solidity of earth. Despite his efforts, the Qi seemed to resist returning to his dantian, radiating outward from his being instead.
By the time the sun reached its zenith, he found his dantian nearly depleted of elemental Qi. Forced to cease his cultivation, he inspected his body, sensing an unnatural energy coursing through every fiber of his being
"Status"
[USER: FRANK]
[SPECIES: HUMAN]
[HEALTH: 10]
[STAMINA; 10]
[ELEMENTAL Qi: 13/100]
[BODY QI: 50/50]
[RANK: 1st STAGE BODY CULTIVATOR] [RANK; 1st STAGE DANTIAN CULTIVATOR]
[DANTIAN TECHNIQUE: BASIC ELEMENTAL Qi ABSORBTION TECHNIQUE]
[BODY TECHNIQUE: BASIC ELEMENTAL BODY CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE]
[QUEST: NONE]
"Looks like nothing except body technique and Qi changed," said Frank getting up.
Returning to his dwelling, he retrieved the 9 Continuous Fist Technique. To his relief, reading through it felt much smoother compared to the body cultivation technique. Each movement and principle seemed to click effortlessly in his mind, grasping the essence of the technique almost instantly.
The 9 Continuous Fist Technique was a body cultivation-centered method designed to enhance the power of his punches. Consisting of nine distinct stances and movements, completing each set would exponentially increase his punching strength, doubling with each level attained.
Devoting himself to practice, he tirelessly drilled the technique until his body Qi plummeted to a mere 5. Utterly drained, he found himself unable to muster enough energy to even make it to his bed from the training room. Collapsing on the spot, exhaustion claimed him, and he slipped into a deep slumber right where he stood, his body unable to withstand another moment of exertion.
The unforgiving hardness of the training ground made for a restless night's sleep. He tossed and turned, unable to find comfort on the unyielding surface. After barely three hours of fitful rest, he awoke, his body stiff and sore from the uncomfortable position. Feeling too achy to endure another moment lying on the unforgiving ground, he reluctantly rose to his feet, seeking respite from the discomfort.
Pulling himself up he ate three nourishment pills and sat on the bed, the energy from the pills immediately filled his body like a torrent of lava flowing through him. These pills were not recommended to be taken more than one at a time.
[QUEST: REACH RANK 2 CULTIVATOR IN FIVE DAYS]
"This quest seems almost impossible, but it won't hurt to try" said Frank getting back up and walking back to the running track with dozens of nourishment pills in hand.
He was a very introverted person, so he didn't even want to interact with anyone. He was sure nobody knew him in the sect, he was the young master from a backcountry wealthy clan, and he didn't have any personal relationships in the sect, the only reason he could enter the sect by because he had low affinity for elemental Qi, most of his brother went to the military to earn money, titles and authority.
Filling up his elemental Qi he resumed body cultivation, first filling up on elemental Qi, secondly exhaust himself, body cultivates until you run out of elemental Qi and fill up on body Qi, and lastly practice 9 continuous fist technique, rinse and repeat.
Due to the end of the recent war, most of the disciples of the sect were on vacation, so there was nobody to disturb him in his marathon of training. He trained tirelessly for two and a half days until he felt the peak of rank 1 body cultivation. He checked the crafting menu but nothing was interesting that could pique his interest, and if any were they had hellish difficult requirements.
He wanted to break through to rank two at his residence, making his way back home by passing through the market. He found many disciples returning to the sect.
Seated on his bed, he retrieved the elemental pearl from his belongings. While it was possible to break through without using the elemental stone, employing it would expedite the process significantly.
The method to advance to the rank of a second-level cultivator involved a rigorous procedure. He would need to forcefully condense elemental Qi into his dantian, pushing it to its limits until it was filled to the brink. Then, he would have to exert even more pressure, compacting the Qi further until his dantian reached its maximum capacity. This intense compression would trigger a transformative evolution, enlarging and fortifying the dantian.
Once the dantian underwent this evolution, he would circulate the densely condensed elemental Qi throughout his body, initiating a profound evolution within himself.
As he embarked on the journey of rank advancement, the transition from the first rank proceeded smoothly. With his cultivation at the initial stage, the amount of elemental Qi he had to handle was manageable. However, he understood that as he progressed to higher ranks, the challenges would escalate proportionally.
Anticipating the trials that lay ahead, he remained steadfast in his commitment to cultivation, knowing that with each advancement, the demands on his mastery of elemental Qi would increase. Steeled by determination, he prepared himself to confront the greater complexities that awaited him in his cultivation journey.
After Frank felt the ecstasy of ascending to rank two pass, he mumbled.
"Status"
[USER: FRANK]
[SPECIES: HUMAN]
[HEALTH: 100]
[STAMINA; 1000]
[ELEMENTAL Qi: 30/1000]
[BODY QI: 800/1000]
[RANK: 2nd STAGE BODY CULTIVATOR][RANK; 2nd STAGE DANTIAN CULTIVATOR]
[DANTIAN TECHNIQUE: BASIC ELEMENTAL Qi ABSORBTION TECHNIQUE]
[BODY TECHNIQUE: BASIC ELEMENTAL BODY CULTIVATION TECHNIQUE]
[QUEST: ONE COMPLEATED]
With his rank elevated and his elemental and body Qi expanded from 100 to 1000, Frank noticed a profound transformation in his surroundings. The environment appeared sharper, more vibrant, with colors popping vividly before his eyes. His sense of hearing became finely attuned, capturing even the faintest of sounds with clarity.
Every aspect of his being felt invigorated, as if a veil had been lifted, revealing newfound clarity and control over his own body. Frank couldn't help but marvel at the remarkable difference between the first and second ranks, recognizing the exponential growth in power that accompanied his advancement.
"Seems like the leap from rank 1 to rank 2 brings about an exponential surge in power, skyrocketing from a hundred to a thousand in an instant," he mused to himself as he made his way to the bath to freshen up, feeling a renewed sense of vigor coursing through his veins.
Checking his status in the bath he noticed that he had completed the quest provided by the system, clicking on the [QUEST: ONE COMPLEATED] option a new notification popped up.
[REWARD; SKILL INSPECT]
"Yeah, finally inspect" being a complete nerd, he knew that there wasn't any novel or manga where the protagonist didn't have inspect, looking at the water in the bath he said/
"inspect"
[Water from the elemental spring, much of its Qi has been drained by the land, helpful for replenishing a small amount of elemental Qi after a bath]